Kansas Nights [Kansas Heat 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (17 page)

“There’s a police report with Hitchens’s name on it. That could become a flaw in a case we need to be perfect.”

“There is no such thing as perfection.” Jack had lived long enough to know that. “And you’re not going to build a case against Kathy because she isn’t anything more than a busybody, too damn dimwitted to know better than to stick her nose in the middle of a drug war. As for Collin, he’s not part of the team anymore. Whatever he does is on him.”

“We still have liability given his
close
connection to the team.”

“Collin and I aren’t close.” That felt weird to say despite the fact that Jack had thought that many times over the past five years.

“But you and Kathy are?”

Jack took a deep breath and let it out slowly, forcing himself to relax as the air slipped away. Hitting Tagger wouldn’t do any good, but then neither would aggravating the man. The other agent could decide to run back to Camp and have Jack pulled from the case. He wouldn’t let that happen, especially not over Kathy Coben.

“Kathy Coben picked me up last night and tried to get me drunk so she could find out the latest gossip on the whole Amanda-and-Will saga.” Jack’s tone didn’t waver, nor did his words hesitate as he continued on. “It didn’t work. Now she’s just more determined to find out what’s going on.”

“And maybe she wants to know that because either she or somebody she knows needs that information. Did you ever think about that?”

Jack’s fist ached to plant itself in Tagger’s arrogant expression. Even as he held that impulse in check, Jack couldn’t stop the anger from grinding his words into gravel. “Yeah, and that person who needs to know is Amanda Johnson. Maybe the name rings a bell with you?”

“Or maybe it’s not.” Tagger handed the disk he held over. “The deeper background checks have come back. Kathy Coben’s father was a retired Marine Sergeant.”

“We knew that already.”

“Daniel Coben, along with fifteen other men, formed a group called the Awakening.” Tagger handed over the disk. “There’re almost no details about their group except that they were all ex-military and kept their secrets, secret.”

“So?” Jack knew what Tagger wanted him to think, but his evidence didn’t convince Jack.

It did, however, explain where Kathy got her attitude from. Jack knew what it meant to be raised by a marine, especially one that cared about passing on his survival instincts. Still, Kathy wasn’t a son, and she should know her limits.

“So she has the right background for the kind of connections our bad boys would need. Now she’s making waves. This is what we’ve been waiting for.”

“No. It isn’t.”

That denial had Tagger cocking his head. “Why you working so hard to make her innocent?”

“I’m not. You’re just wrong.”

“Really? Then where’s Hitchens?”

“Like I know.” Technically Jack didn’t, though he did know what Collin was up to. “I told you once. I’ll tell you again. We’re not close.”

“You talked to him three times today, even went to his hotel room.”

“You having me followed?” Jack stiffened up, ready to throw that punch if Tagger’s answer irritated him in the slightest.

Tagger must have read Jack’s willingness to hit him, because he straightened up with the same air of indignation. “I’m having your back watched. You know that’s something teammates do.”

“Sorry.” It took a lot for Jack to say that because he didn’t fully trust Tagger right then. Without proof, though, there wasn’t anything Jack could do but apologize and wait for the other man to slip up.

“Forget it. Just tell me that you are giving Kathy Coben a hard look.”

“Fine.” Jack could agree to that, given he did plan to make sure that Kathy was under constant surveillance. “But Collin is out of my control. As you said, he works for Amos, and apparently he’s been sent down here to help speed things along.”

“Yes, well, hopefully he won’t speed them right into a mistrial.” Tagger stepped into Jack, his voice dropping low into a gravelly threat. “I’m not going back to those damn family members and telling them we blew this, or have you forgotten what is at stake here?”

“I haven’t forgotten a damn thing,” Jack assured him. “I promised them answers, and I’m going to find those answers—the truth, Tagger. That’s what I’m after, what I want to give those families. Trust me, if Kathy
is
involved, I’ll serve her head to them myself, and Collin will not be allowed to get in the way.”

Tagger studied him for a long minute before finally backing down with a shake of his head. “I wish I could say I believe you, but…my gut is telling me you’re so full of shit that you don’t even know it.”

“Maybe it’s something you ate,” Jack suggested. “Because there is no sane reason to think that I would betray my country and my vows to it for a woman I met barely twenty-four hours ago.”

“Actually it is sane,” Tagger contradicted him. “It’s just not logical, which is almost the definition of being human. That’s it. You’re human tonight, Jack. You’re flawed and temperamental, irrational even. That’s not you.”

No, it really wasn’t. Jack could blame Kathy, but that would only go to prove Tagger’s point. He had a sick feeling he’d already done enough of that tonight. If he didn’t stop, Tagger really would take his concerns to Camp. Jack didn’t need that headache any more than he needed this one.

“You’re right.” Telling Tagger that should help end this conversation sooner rather than later. “I’m short tempered tonight, but that doesn’t have anything to do with Miss Coben. It has everything to do with being on this case for months and getting nowhere while the bodies pile up deeper and deeper.”

“I get that.” Despite the fact that Tagger had just suggested people weren’t logical, he fell for Jack’s reasonable explanation without hesitation. “And all I’m trying to do is push it forward.”

“Don’t think I don’t appreciate the attempt,” Jack assured him with false sincerity. “But Kathy Coben is nothing more than a nosy ditz with a nice set of tits. She’s nothing to worry over.”

* * * *

Splurging on the good tequila had paid off. It was too bad, though, that it had to be wasted on Benny. Kathy sat behind the wheel staring at Benny’s trailer, frankly amazed at what had become of her childhood friend. Given all of his weird and strange phobias she should probably be thankful that he’d fed her any clues, even if she felt certain he knew more than he’d said about Will’s accomplice.

Of course, he’d pointed her in the only obvious direction, Will’s only employee—Eddie Dyne. That lead would have to wait until tomorrow because Kathy knew enough about Eddie to know he wasn’t in town.

There was, though, another lead that could be researched tonight. Kathy glanced in her rearview mirror back to the shadowed Jeep still parked on the side of the highway. A sane woman would probably not antagonize the situation, but Kathy always considered sanity a little overrated.

Pulling her driver’s window up even with his, Kathy considered just how right the good citizens of Humble were. She did go looking for trouble. Strangely, that thought calmed her enough to offer Collin a wide smile as she rolled down her window.

“Hey, I got a question for you.”

“I’m almost afraid to hear it.” That didn’t stop Collin from returning her grin. Kathy ignored the humor in his tone and kept hers sharp enough to be just short of bitchy.

“You following me because you think I have answers or to make sure I don’t find them?”

“Perhaps I just like the scenery,” Collin suggested with a charm that came too quick not to be practiced.

“Do I look stupid enough to fall for that line?” Kathy snorted, pretending that he had no effect on her despite the warmth gathering in the pit of her stomach.

“What? You don’t think you’re pretty enough to look at?”

Kathy shot him a dirty look for trying that bit of reverse psychology and returned the favor. “I’m sure I’m more than hot enough to convince the sheriff that you’re stalking me. Unless, of course, you want to explain the truth to
him
.”

“Why, Miss Coben, are you threatening me?” Collin leaned back in mock shock before he shook his head sadly at her.

“Whatever,” Kathy retorted, refusing to be lured into playing his game. “You know the easiest way to get me to behave is to give me what I want.”

“Really? And what is it that you want?”

Pretending like she didn’t recognize the clear suggestion in his tone, Kathy kept her answer blunt and curt. “The truth.”

“Okay.” Collin straightened his shoulders and looked her straight in the eye, obviously prepared to impart something important. “It’s true, Jack’s is longer, but mine is thicker and I use it better.”

“What?”

“Huh?”

Kathy’s gaze narrowed on Collin’s innocent expression. The man was being intentionally difficult and lewd in an obvious attempt to irritate her. Only Kathy wasn’t annoyed. She was hungry. The heady buzz vibrating through her pooled into a molten vat of want that had the tender flesh between her legs throbbing with a desperate need to feel those hard lips parting over her cunt as his smooth, silky tongue licked out to toy with her clit.

“What’s wrong, beautiful? Don’t have a smartass answer for that one?”

Kathy smiled, letting him think whatever he wanted as she pulled out her cell phone. She could hear him grumbling, but ignored him. Whatever derogatory things Collin had to say, he only said them because the phone trick had worked that afternoon. It would work again.

“Hey, Tony.” Kathy sang out that greeting when the ringing on the other end abruptly stopped. “I hope I’m not calling too late.”

“Not for me,” Tony answered, sounding tired despite his denial. “But Cindy’s already gone to soak in the tub, if you’re calling for her.”

“No, actually. I wanted to talk to you about that guy who ran me off the road.” Kathy turned to smile at Collin, enjoying the glower that had replaced his grin.

“That idiot?” She could hear a can pop in the background. Tony paused to swallow down a gulp of whatever he’d fetched from the fridge before continuing on. “What about him?”

“Well…It’s just…I mean, with everything going on with Amanda, you don’t think I have to worry that it was more than an accident…Do you?”

Actually Kathy knew she should be worried given the size of Collin’s scowl. He looked ready to kill, but that didn’t stop her smile from growing ever wider. She played the moment for all it was worth despite the fact that Tony wasn’t exactly giving her a lot to work with. It didn’t matter. Collin couldn’t hear him.

“You read too many of them thriller books, Kat, if you’re worrying about that.” Tony laughed, clearly enjoying her concern.

“I know. I do tend to be a little…”

“Paranoid?”

“I was going to say overly observant.” Kathy didn’t have to fake the flare of indignation in her tone. Despite being Benny’s friend, it irritated her to be lumped in the same category as him. “It’s just that I’ve noticed this black Jeep. It seems to be almost everywhere I go.”

“Black Jeep?”

Now she had Tony’s interest. Now she had to lighten it a little and put him on pause, but not before she made sure Collin felt the heat. “Isn’t that what the guy who hit me drove?”

“Yeah, it was.”

“And didn’t somebody try to kill Amanda by running her off the road?”

“More like trying to drive over her car, but yeah.”

“And I’m paranoid?”

“A little.” But Tony didn’t sound amused anymore. “Are you sure you’re being followed?”

“No, but I’d feel better if you told me not to worry.”

“Don’t worry.” Tony answered too quickly to be a real assurance. “I’ll have a car swing by your place. If you see the Jeep and you’re in your car, just drive straight to the station. Okay?”

“Sure and thanks, Tony.”

Bidding him farewell, Kathy hung up and dropped the phone back into the console. Turning to face Collin, she didn’t say a word as he tried to glare her into some kind of confession. Instead, she let her smile say it all for her. Apparently, though, that wasn’t enough for him.

“And just what did that accomplish?” He tried to sound indulgent, but the words ground to rough rubble as they fell from his tensed lips.

“It’s called setting up a mark,” Kathy explained, wallowing in her gloat. “You’re on record for running me off the road. Now I have informed the sheriff that you might be following me. Next time”—Kathy paused to shrug and bat her lashes at him—“well, who knows what will happen, but it certainly will be in keeping with your record.”

“You just don’t know when to quit. Do you, beautiful?” Some of the anger drained away from Collin as he heaved a deep sigh, but thankfully his smug smile didn’t return.

“And I’m thinking you work for me now.”

“Is that a fact?”

It was. No matter how much Collin tried to intimidate her with the dark look glowing in his gaze, he still only had two options. “It’s me or jail.”

* * * *

Collin sat watching Kathy’s taillights fade into the distance. The woman had actually thought she could get away with blackmailing him. No wonder she had Jack’s head all twisted around. Hell, she left Collin shaking his head in wonder.

The woman had no sense of restraint or any concept of caution. Wild and a bit crazy, Kathy Coben was a prize only the bravest man would dare to try and claim. Fortunately for Collin, he didn’t have to have courage because the woman had pretty much claimed him. All Collin had to do was obey. He smiled at the very thought as he turned his Jeep around and trailed after her.

Collin would be happy to show Kathy the folly of her ways. First on his list would be getting rid of her damn phone. No matter how much Collin might be looking forward to spending time with Kathy, he didn’t like having to ditch his Jeep so far from her house. Nor did he like having to creep through all her neighbors’ yards just to get to her back door.

The sudden dainty growls coming from the blackened shadows around the edge of the deck warned Collin that he’d chosen the wrong yard to try and cross. He had barely ten seconds before the snarls erupted into earsplitting yaps as a Chihuahua darted from under the wooden eaves and raced across the yard to nip at his heels.