Deadly Abandon (16 page)

“Old carcass? Right,” Sully snorted as he sank into a matching chair, rubbed a hand along his rock solid six-pack, and checked the time on his watch. “The fourteen month age difference between us doesn’t make me an old man. Besides, it’s only eight o’clock and I’m not a morning person, not when I don’t have to be anywhere.”

He sipped his coffee and rolled it back over his tongue. “Thanks for watching Breeana.”

“Well, she’s a damn pleasure to watch. If I’d known there would be days like today, I would have become a lifeguard.”

“Better get your own woman to fulfill those fantasies, little brother,” Sully growled. “The only guy doing any mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on Breeana is me.”

“Relax. She’s only got eyes for you, man. And, I respect the private property signals you’re sending me. Just remember, I want to be best man if you two tie the knot.”

“Sorry, but
if
it happens, I’m reserving the spot for my future son. Would you settle for being an usher?”

“Hey, are you kidding me? I’d settle for being the flower girl, just to see you walk down the aisle. So, when’s the big day?”

“Who knows? We’re still in the cop and assault victim stage. We don’t even have a relationship.”

“But, you’re interested?”

“Hell, yes, I’m interested. But I’m still a long way from doing anything about it. I’m not good at long-term relationships,” he admitted. “Now, can we talk about something else?”

Theo threw back his head and roared with laughter, then stopped at the low growl emanating from Sully’s throat.

“I mean it, Theo. Change the subject. Pronto!”

Theo tossed his hands in the air, as if in defeat. “Relax. Listen, have you heard from Hawke yet? I tried calling him last night, before you arrived, but I couldn’t reach him.”

Sully had first met Jake Hawkins at the Royal Military College in Kingston where they had roomed together and become fast friends. After graduating from RMC, they were both deployed with the Royal Canadian Regiment, prior to joining Special Operating Forces, Joint Task Force 2. The fates must have been smiling, because after finishing law school and joining the Régiment Canadien Français, Theo had also joined JTF2. Together, they had seen action in several war-torn hellholes Sully would just as soon forget. It had been baptism by fire for all of them.

“Not yet. He’s the last person I’m waiting on. Got word from Micah, Reece, Law, and Hunt; they’re on their way. Hawke’s working a case right now. He’ll show up when he can.”

“No doubt,” Theo agreed.

Hawke was now a chief investigator with the RCMP. “He’ll be here.”

“Sure, unless the stalker scenario in Houston heats up for our little sister,” Theo surmised. “You know the RCMP takes care of their own, and Joelle was one of them when she was a profiler. She’s also a Canadian citizen, and the Prime Minister is a huge fan of her thrillers. Hell on wheels, Hawke will be working with the FBI to handle her protection if anyone so much as sneezes in her direction.”

“You’re right. The PM will see to it. Jeez, it never rains but it pours. We’ll have to sit tight and see what develops.” Sully’s gaze drifted back to Breeana in the water. His priorities came into sharp focus. Her safety and catching the madman who stalked her were his prime objectives. His
only
objectives. Anything else would have to wait.

****

They arrived back in Mallard Bay early on Monday morning. Breeana didn’t bother to wait for Sully and Theo before she hopped out of the Tahoe and headed for the house. Sully had called Cody while they were still on the road, telling him to watch for them. With Theo here to help out, her son was coming home. She turned the key in her door lock, anxious to turn off the alarm and clear a space for the gym bags the men hoisted from the car trunks. Just as her hand touched the handle, a bear of a man threw open the door, yanked her inside, and slammed it behind her, leaving the dogs and her bodyguards on the other side. She screamed at the top of her lungs, her heart inching up her throat.

Sully and Theo tore into the house, their guns drawn.

Glaring at the man who had hold of her, Sully holstered his weapon. “Jesus Christ, Hawke!”

“Yeah, great to see you guys, too.” Hawke’s gaze narrowed when he and Sully exchanged glances over her head. “I came as soon as I heard, once I got some good people in place to keep an eye on Joelle.”

Breeana could only gape as she stared past the man with thighs the size of tree trunks and all around good looks to see four more ruggedly handsome men in her living room. They were big men, really big men, like Sully and Theo. They all carried guns, really big guns, also like Sully and Theo. They were also arrogant jerks for breaking into her house.

She drilled a finger at Hawke, chest level, and gave him her best glare. “Just who do you think you are…scaring me half to death?”

“Chill, Bree,” Sully chuckled behind her. “You’re going to hurt the poor devil if you don’t ease up. He’s a delicate little creature.”

“Put a sock in it, Lieutenant,” Breeana growled.

Hawke bent to her level, a grin splitting his face from ear to ear. “She’s a snarly little hellcat, I’ll give her that. I’ll bet she eats nails for breakfast.”

Sully laughed. “Good guess. She washes them down with battery acid for good measure. Dr. McGill is a regular force of nature.”

“Well, her skinny little body needs some work at the gym if she expects anyone to take her big mouth seriously.”

Breeana almost punched him, just to prove how strong she really was. “You’re not funny,
bird-man
. You and these other cavemen probably damaged my alarm system breaking into the house.”

“Alarm system? Is that what it is?” Hawke roared with laughter. “Someone should tell your alarm company not to leave the wires exposed on the outside wall of your home for everyone to see. My ninety-year-old kindergarten teacher could take her arts and crafts scissors and snip ’em, before rolling herself through the door in her wheelchair, easy as pie. Hell, she could use a credit card to open the flimsy lock of yours.”

“Well,” Breeana sniffed. “I may be a little lax on home security, but I do have guard dogs. It’s still no excuse for what you did.”

“Take a look at these killer guard dogs, boys. If they get any scarier, they’ll be licking our boots.”

It was true. Bear and Bruiser were dashing from man to man with their butts waggling, anxious not to miss out on the patting and stroking taking place with every nudge of their furry faces. After the laughter died down, Sully made the official introductions.

Breeana already knew who Jake Hawkins was because she had overheard Sully and Theo talking about him in connection to their sister. He was both RCMP and the pilot for their Special Ops squad. They claimed he had an uncanny ability to get inside people’s heads and read their minds. She wondered if the brothers were to be believed on that score.

Next was Reece “Rocket” Morgan, the demolitions expert and civil engineer of their unit, a man who still carried his heart on his sleeve for a woman from his past, according to Sully. Law Logan was their logistics guru, followed by Hunter Ryan, a linguistics expert. And last, but not least, Micah Rivera was an electronics wizard, mechanic, and all around flirt. Sully said Theo was the team’s number one sniper, and all of them could pinch-hit for one another at any given time.

She learned from the others it was Sully who commanded their missions and took responsibility for the sometimes outrageous antics of the wild bunch. Breeana wasn’t surprised. She might as well face it. He lived for action and adventure.

Micah took Breeana’s hand and pressed her palm to his lips. “I’m proud to be of service, ma’am. If you feel the need for some quiet conversation, or a few hours away from these idiots, call on me. I’ll help you forget all your troubles.”

“Whoa, Mom, I think I heard the same line on a television movie last week.” Her son was home from the tournament, dropping his hockey gear with a thud, arriving in time to hear Micah’s remarks. “King Kong was trying to convince the damsel in distress at the top of the Empire State Building he was really a great guy, and not some big hairy ape.”

“Ah, the kid has a mouth on him just like his mother’s,” Micah drawled.

“Right, Mic,” Sully said, looking like he wanted to rip Micah’s head off. “Get used to it, because he’s your responsibility. You’re going to spend every hour of every day with Cody. Wherever he goes, you go. Don’t let him out of your sight. Are we clear?”

“We’re real clear, Sully.”

“Good. Law, you’re on this detail, too. Cody, I want you to take some time filling these guys in on your schedule. Don’t try to pull any funny stuff with them, because they will mop the floor with you if you do. Understand?”

“Sweet. Micah can deal the dirt on how to impress the girls with his expertise. Not!”

Ah, yes, Micah and Cody would get along like cats and dogs
, Breeana smiled as she pictured it. Law had his work cut out for him running interference between those two.

“Hunt, your assignment lives next door, Breeana’s father, Jack Forest. You can settle in over there in a few minutes. The rest of you will guard Breeana. Now, let’s meet for ten minutes before everyone splits up.”

Breeana asked, “Cody, would you make a pot of coffee and bring it out to the sundeck for us?”

“Bree, you don’t need to bother with the details. Why don’t you help Cody, or unpack, while I go over a couple of things with the guys?”

If Sully thought he would delegate her to the kitchen, he had another “think” coming. “Ah, no, I’m as much a part of this as anyone. I have a right to participate in the planning.”

“Planning? What planning?” he said over his shoulder as he showed the others to seats on the sundeck. “It’s just a simple review to make sure everyone has their orders straight.”

“Sully?” Hawke interrupted, clearing his throat. “If you’re going to yell, try to keep it down to a dull roar. Okay? Breeana has something to tell you and I don’t think you’re going to like it. There’s no reason to let the entire neighborhood in on our conversation.”

Oh, oh, Hawke had a strange look on his face which caused Breeana to wonder if he actually
could
read her mind. Maybe Sully was right about that.

Sully’s gaze locked on hers while he appeared to brace himself for some unpleasant news. His jaw tightened until she thought his teeth would shatter. “Okay, cookie, spit it out. What’s on your mind?”

“Well, aren’t we cozy?” Breeana picked at her fingernails and took in a deep breath, smiling sweetly. “Now that everyone is here, and I’m so very well protected, I wondered how you can use me to catch the psycho. Because it seems to me, I’m the best chance you’ve got.”

Sully glared daggers at her. Time ticked by, and Breeana figured she might have time to knit a pair of socks while she waited for him to answer.

His face a mask of cold fury, he choked out, “The meeting is over.”

“Hold on a second, bro,” Theo said. “If Breeana is willing to bait the trap, we can control all the angles and minimize the risks. Why not let her take a shot at it?”

“Have you lost your freaking mind?” Sully barked. “Can you guarantee we can eliminate the danger to her and her family? You know the odds, Theo, and they aren’t in our favor. The killer is a maniac. He is not going to stick to our schedule, he’s not going to fall into a trap and give up without a goddamn fight. I will not—repeat,
not
—allow her to be one of his victims. I’ve already seen what the madman can do, first hand.”

Reece added his say to the mix. “I think she’s right, boss. We’ve done this before and we’ve been successful. Can’t we at least think about it?”

“Hell, no, not this time. I’m not willing to risk her life.”

“But, Sully—”

“You have my answer, Bree. It isn’t open for discussion.”

Breeana shook her head, anger flaming her cheeks. “And, if you don’t catch him? Then what? Are you going to keep me surrounded by your people for the rest of my life?”

“Damn straight I am, if that’s what it takes to keep you safe. I’ll do whatever needs to be done, cookie. So get any thoughts of playing the heroine out of your obstinate brain.”

****

“So…that went well.” Breeana sat on the deck with Hawke watching the sun set over the lake, while Reece and Theo fired up the barbeque. Cody was at the arena with Micah and Law, but would be back soon. Sully had stormed out after their impromptu meeting earlier. He had called an emergency meeting at the office with his task force. She had no idea when he would return.

“Breeana, you have to move inside while I put a call in to the alarm company and a locksmith. We need to have your security system upgraded.”

“No, Hawke. You are not going to touch my alarm system. I want it left exactly as is, the locks on the doors, too.”

He shot her an incredulous look.
Ah-ha. Maybe the mind-meld thing doesn’t work as well as he thought.

“Why would you want to do that?”

“I want this to be over. If we don’t beef up security, my stalker will have an easier time breaking in. Then you guys can catch him in the act.”

“Come on, I thought you agreed to let us do our jobs?” Hawke ran a hand over his raspy jaw and frowned. “Sully expects us to protect you and that’s what we’re going to do. It isn’t open for discussion.”

“Can’t you bend the rules a little?”

“No. Not in this instance. Not anytime, as a matter of fact. What Sully says, goes. Don’t think you can divide and conquer because it won’t work. Not with any of us. Now get off the chair and come inside where I can keep an eye on you. Please.”

Breeana swung her legs over the side of the chaise longue and marched into the house under Hawke’s watchful gaze. He’d made his point; her idea of swaying the troops to her way of thinking wouldn’t work.

Crap!

She was terrified of being attacked by the psycho again and that was the real issue. She knew living a life of fear would destroy her and obliterate any hope she had for a future with Sully. She didn’t want him thinking of her as a victim, someone to be protected and handled with kid gloves. This was the reason she refused to hide under the bed until the killer was caught. And the sooner Sully understood how she felt, the better.