Branded (4 page)

“Absolutely.”  He took a long swallow of beer,
allowing the liquid to cool his throat as well as his emotions.  His reasons
for joining Hunter’s group had been personal, but he couldn’t let them distort
his vision now.  He had a job to do.

*        *        *

Two days passed before Nicole had worked herself
into exhaustion.  The house was spotless, but there wasn’t much left in her
fridge to eat.  Stress had robbed her of her appetite, but she knew she needed
sustenance.  It would be hard to fight an unknown enemy with no strength.

Resigned to appearing in public, she pulled Stormy’s
leash from the closet.  Instantly her dog jumped to attention and began dancing
around her feet.  “Want to go for a walk?” she asked in a singsong voice,
making her pup more excited and making it harder to actually put on her leash. 
A walk to the nearby coffee shop would be good for her.  She could get some
fresh air, something she hadn’t had enough of for the past few days, and she
could grab a sandwich and her favorite latte.

It was funny how the thought of being deprived of
the little pleasures in life could make a person so much more appreciative of
them.

The sun hovered low in the sky by the time she
left her apartment.  Nicole stepped out of the building into the early evening. 
Light traffic cruised past as she made her way to the coffee shop a couple of
blocks away.  Being outside, filling her lungs with the crisp air scoured out
some of her stress as her muscles stretched and contracted.  Stormy trotted
along beside her, happy to be near her owner and enjoying one of their daily
rituals.  Maybe keeping things as normal as possible was what she needed to
help her until the police figured out she was innocent.

Nicole tied Stormy to one of the metal bistro
chairs sitting vacant outside and entered the coffee shop.  Immediately, the
rich, soothing aroma of ground coffee caressed her senses.  She strode forward
like she normally did, but an odd sensation grew from a tiny bud to full blown
with each step.  It took her a moment to realize everyone in the shop stared at
her. 

The normal, welcoming atmosphere had shifted to
something hostile.  She widened her eyes as she glanced from the cute newlywed
couple to the woman who usually had her nose in a book to the older gentleman
who always ordered a large coffee, straight black.  These people who she’d
always considered part of her outer social circle had turned on her.

She swallowed her mortification as she continued
to the counter.  She forced a smile as she greeted the curly red-haired barista
who’d made her favorite latte time and time again.  “Hi.”

“May I help you?” he said, a chill frosting his
words, his offer to get her
the usual
noticeably absent.

“I’d like a chai tea latte.”  A sandwich seemed
more than her stomach could tolerate at the moment.

The sound of door chimes tinkled behind her, and
the barista looked over her shoulder to see who’d entered or left the
building.  She followed his gaze.

A dark-haired man in a trench coat and suit walked
in and casually approached the counter.  He trained his gaze on the menu
hanging above them, giving her a momentary chance to appreciate him.

He was several inches taller than her, and even
beneath the layers of business wear, it was obvious he was fit.  A light
dusting of a five o-clock shadow across his jaw lent him a sexy, mysterious
look.

She couldn’t deny she’d always had a thing for a
man in a tie.

“What size?”  The barista pulled her attention
away from the newcomer, the worker’s wary blue eyes narrowing as he studied
her.

“Uh…grande.”  Just like she always ordered.  She
blinked rapidly, the unfriendliness surrounding her becoming more apparent and
stealing center stage from the cute guy.

“We’re out of that size.”

Nicole eyed the stacks of white cups with the blue
logo sitting behind the counter, but didn’t want the embarrassment of calling
him a liar.  “A small one then.”

The red-headed guy shook his head.  “Don’t have
any of that size, either.  Maybe you should try a different coffee shop.”

She took a step back, humiliated beyond belief,
and bumped into the man behind her.  She looked to his face to apologize, but
he was focused on the barista. 

“Don’t be a jerk, man.”  His voice came out in a
deep rumble that made the woman in her sit up and take notice.  “Give the lady
her latte.”  His expression burned with annoyance. 

The barista widened his eyes.  “Do you
know
who she is?”

“I read the papers.  But nothing’s been proven
yet,” the guy continued.  “So, why don’t you give her what she asked for, and
let the justice system handle the rest?  I’ll take a grande of your medium
roast while you’re at it.”

The guy hesitated a moment before he cussed under
his breath and turned to do his job.

Nicole’s flight response had completely engaged, but
how could she leave when the dark-haired guy had defended her like he had?  “Thanks
for that.”  She had no business being out in public, especially in a place
known for socialization.  She was better off hiding in the shadows until she
could get her mess resolved.

“No problem,” he said with clipped tones.  He turned
his head, but didn’t immediately meet her gaze.  Instead, he glanced about the
coffee shop as though daring anyone else to say something.  The man still
appeared agitated, and Nicole couldn’t quite figure out why.  The barista had
impugned
her
integrity, not his. 

When he did finally look at her, the depth and
brilliance of his hazel eyes captured hers.  Intelligence bounced back at her, and
the discerning ability to reach down into her soul left her feeling off balance. 
She needed to get out of there while she still had a shred of sanity and
dignity.

“It pisses me off when people think they have the
right to judge others when, in reality, they rarely have the complete picture.”

She nodded in agreement.  She was the perfect
example of that.

The barista brought their drinks, and she pulled
out her wallet.

“It’s on me.”  The man handed a ten-dollar bill to
the worker.

“I couldn’t.  You’ve already been more than kind.”

He turned to her again, his warm, tiger-like eyes
studying her face.  “I’m guessing you’ve had a pretty rough day.  Let me get
this for you.”

His gesture almost undid her.  She wanted to tell
him how awful the past few days had been, but emotion limited her vocabulary.  “Thank
you.  You’re very kind.”  Grateful that she could now escape the scrutiny of
everyone in the shop, she picked up her latte and headed for the door.

Xander grabbed the hot cup of coffee and followed
after the pretty brunette.  She was far more compelling in person than she’d
been in her photo, and his instant attraction to her annoyed the hell out of
him.  It pissed him off that he could feel something besides hatred for the
daughter of the man who’d ruined his father.

Made him feel a little guilty, too.

He’d tried to keep from meeting her green-eyed
gaze directly, but realized his efforts were futile.  If he intended to get
close enough to the woman to find a way to bust her, he’d have to rein in his
primal instincts and shield himself from her.  If he couldn’t look her in the
eye, she’d never trust him.

His gaze drifted lower as she neared the door, and
he gave himself a moment’s reprieve to appreciate her finer attributes.  Damn. 
The physical part of him couldn’t distinguish between a thief and a good girl,
and right now, he couldn’t ignore the way her tight jeans curved against her
ass.  Her hips swayed as she walked, mesmerizing him.  He tilted his head.  He
supposed following a beautiful perp had to be preferable to some ugly-ass old
man anyway.

It would be a shame when they found her guilty and
locked her behind bars.  He might skip that sentencing.  It would be rough
thinking about what the prison system would do to a beauty like her.  But
guilty people must pay.  Pretty or not.  It was kind of like tossing out a
gorgeous bouquet of red roses because they’d been infested with bugs.  Unfortunate,
but necessary.

The door was nearly shut before he reached it.  He
pushed against its weight and stepped out of the cramped coffee shop and into
the cool evening.  Outdoor lights located under the awning above the door lit
the area around him.

He was happy to see the object of his pursuit hadn’t
gotten far.  She’d set her cup on one of the small tables and was currently
untying the leash of a cute black and white dog.

The canine growled as he approached.

Xander held out his hand as Nicole looked over her
shoulder to see what had her dog’s attention.  The dog lifted its nose, and
Xander squatted beside Nicole.  “Hi there,” he said in a soft voice, letting
the animal sniff his fingers.

“She might bite.”  Nicole stood, the dog’s leash
now wrapped around her hand.

Xander stayed low to the ground, allowing the dog
to finish her assessment.  “It’s okay.  I won’t hurt you,” he said to the
canine.  “What’s her name?”  When Nicole didn’t answer right away, he glanced
up, finding an uncertain look on her face.

“Stormy.”

“Hi, Stormy.”  Her dog seemed to accept his use of
her name as an acceptable way to make friends, and she began to lick his
fingers.  “I think she likes me.”

She frowned at her dog.  “Normally, she doesn’t
like men.”

Xander stood, meeting Nicole’s gaze.  “Maybe I’m
not like most men.”

She blinked a few times, uncertainty growing in
her eyes.  “I would definitely agree with that after how nice you were inside.” 
She tugged on Stormy’s leash, pulling her closer to her feet.  “Thank you
again.”

He made her nervous.  He supposed that was only
natural, especially after recent events.  Stealing ten million would put most
people on guard.  He wondered what her game plan was or if she even had one.  “You’re
welcome, Ms. Camden.”  Maybe she hadn’t expected to get caught.  But leaving
one’s fingerprints at the scene was a pretty stupid move, although she didn’t
seem like she was all that dense.

Concern furrowed between her brows.  “How did you—” 
She stopped abruptly.  “The news.”

He shrugged and tried to give her a smile that
might ease her tension.  “You’re in the papers and all over TV.”

“Right.”  Her bottom lip trembled, and he could
tell she struggled to maintain her composure.  “Well.  With that, I think I’m
going to head home.  Thank you again…”

“Xander.  Xander Secrist,” he supplied at her
hesitation.  He stuck out his hand in greeting.  She transferred Stormy’s leash
to her left hand before accepting his gesture.  Her grim was firm, her skin
soft.

She gave his hand a quick shake and released it.  “Thank
you for making my day more bearable, Xander.  I hope you have a nice evening.” 
She picked up her latte and turned.

“Do you want some company?”  He sounded like a
desperate man looking for a date.  It had been so long since he’d tried to
interest a woman that it seemed he’d lost his touch, even if, on this occasion,
it was all a ploy.  “I could walk you home.”

She looked back and hesitated before she shook her
head. 

He silently cursed.  He’d almost had her.

“I’m fine.  I’m not going to be good company right
now anyway.  But, thanks.” 

How did he come back from a rejection like that?  “Okay,
I understand.”

She and Stormy started walking again, and he
frantically searched for another excuse to keep her talking.  He couldn’t let
her get away without some kind of future commitment.  He might not get the
chance to get close to her again.

“Wait,” he called out, sitting his coffee on one
of the tables so he could hurry after her.

She turned, wariness widening her beautiful eyes. 
“Look Xander, I’m not really sure what’s going on here.  I appreciate the save
in there and the latte.  I don’t know if this is a pick up or what, but this
isn’t a good time for me.”

He started to object, but she cut him off.

“You’re really cute and very nice, and any other
time, I’d definitely be interested.  But I’m in the middle of a huge nightmare,
and I’m a little preoccupied by it all right now.  So, thank you, but
goodnight.”  She turned once again and started walking, her shoes clicking
rapidly on the sidewalk.

Damn it.  Xander raked his fingers through the
short hair over his ears.  If he wasn’t careful, he’d blow it.  Then again,
letting her walk away was equivalent to blowing it.  Shit.  “Nicole,” he called
out.

She didn’t turn around.  Instead, she shook her
head and kept walking.

He started jogging toward her.  “I’d like to help
you.”

That stopped her.

She shifted her gaze to him, giving him a look
that said he was pushing his luck.

He held up his hands in a non-threatening
gesture.  “I know this is making me look like a nut job and probably scaring
the hell out of you.  I don’t normally hound women until they talk to me.”

She stared at him for a few seconds, looking as
though she was trying to decide if she should listen or run.  “Fine.  I don’t
know how you could possibly help me, but fine.  Have your say, and then I’m
going to leave.  If you try to stop me or follow me, I’ll scream.  There’s
enough traffic around that someone will help me, and Stormy really will bite if
you threaten me.”

“God.”  He huffed his incredulity.  “I do sound
crazy, don’t I?” 

She didn’t answer, but instead waited for him to
continue.

He hadn’t felt this insecure about himself since
his teenage years.  He
had
to impress her.  If he wanted to bust her, he
had
to be close to her.  “I’ll admit I’d like to get to know you better.” 
And he wished like hell he could tame that part of him.  “But that’s not the
entire reason I’m not giving up after you’ve shot me down.  I’m a financial
analyst with a strong background in computers.  I also have a friend who’s
excellent at getting information that’s not accessible to most people.  You say
you’re innocent, and I really don’t want to see an innocent person behind bars. 
The idea came to me while we were waiting for our drinks.  I have some
expertise, and I’d like to help find the person who’s really responsible for
this crime.  It’s sort of like a puzzle to me, and I’d like to help solve it.”