Deadly Proposal (Hardy Brothers Security Book 4) (16 page)

The next afternoon, James, Grady, and Finn met Jake at the parking inlet by the river. They’d stocked up, and they’d need to make multiple trips between the vehicles and the tent town to unload. The constant furloughs back and forth allowed the three brothers to get the lay of the land without looking too suspicious.

When they were done, James unpacked the fresh hotdogs, buns, and condiments they’d brought, and proceeded to start roasting them over the open barrel fires.

The men living there were naturally suspicious of the new invaders, but hunger and need had them warming up relatively quickly. Within a few hours, the men were sharing stories and jokes.

James had purposely refrained from asking questions at the onset, wanting the men to trust him before he blindsided them with invasive queries. The more time he spent with them, the more guilt set in.

This wasn’t right. These men were veterans, for crying out loud. There had to be something else they could do here. Blankets, coats, and food were fine and dandy – but they weren’t a solution.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Jake said, stepping up next to James.

James raised an eyebrow briefly. “You do?”

“You’re trying to figure out a solution to all of this,” Jake said. “I’ve been there.”

“And you don’t think there’s a solution?”

“Not one that will make you happy,” Jake replied. “You can’t save everyone.”

“I’m not trying to save everyone,” James said. “I’m trying to save these men. That shouldn’t be some insurmountable feat.”

“It shouldn’t,” Jake agreed. “You’re going to be disappointed if you try to fix everything, though, because everything can’t be fixed. Only some things can be fixed. What you’ve done here today, that stuff is going to make life better for these guys for a long while.”

“I guess.”

Jake patted James on the shoulder. “You can only do it in steps, man.”

James nodded. “I guess you’d know better. Have you heard anything?”

“I’ve asked around about Cole,” Jake said. “As far as I can tell, no one has seen him in a few days.”

“I don’t like it,” James said. “There can’t be a lot of places a guy like him can go to hide.”

“No,” Jake agreed. “I’m worried, too. I’m worried that, if he really was involved in this, someone did something to him to shut him up.”

James grimaced, tugging a hand through his hair. The thought had already occurred to him. “I hate to say it, but maybe someone should make a call to the medical examiner’s office.”

Grady, who had been passing out blankets, straightened up and faced his brother. “I was thinking that, too. I’ll text Sophie. She’ll do it.”

Jake furrowed his brow, confusion washing across his face. “Why would she call them?”

“She’s a reporter for the Daily Tribune,” Grady explained. “She’s got a working relationship with the people over there.”

“I knew she looked familiar,” Jake mused. “She was the reporter who took down John Madison, wasn’t she?”

“Do you know Madison?”

“I knew his kid,” Jake said. “He’s a scum-sucking little weasel.”

Grady barked out a laugh. “Well, I’m betting he’s someone special’s scum-sucking little weasel in prison these days.”

Jake smirked. “We can only hope.”

Finn finished stacking cases of water bottles and joined the other three men. “I don’t think this Cole Gordon is here,” he said.

“We don’t either,” James agreed.

“We could keep someone out here, just in case,” Finn said.

“Are you volunteering?”

“I will if I have to,” Finn replied, shrugging. “I don’t think Emma will like it, but it’s not like it will be forever.”

“I think that’s going to be a waste of time,” James said. “I don’t think he’s coming back here.”

“So, what’s our next move?” Grady asked.

“I say we order some pizza and go back to my place to brainstorm,” James said, turning to Jake. “What do you like on your pizza?”

Jake looked surprised. “You want me to come with you?”

“You’re part of the group now,” James said. “I’d like to hear what you think about the situation.”

Jake nodded mutely, his face unreadable.

The phone in James’ pocket dinged, signifying an incoming text. He pulled it out of his pocket, letting loose with a string of curses as he read it.

“What’s wrong?” Finn asked.

“It’s Mandy,” James said. “She just wanted to tell me Ally is picking her up, and they’ll meet us at home.”

“Why is that a problem?” Jake asked.

“I dearly love my sister,” James said. “I do. And I love Mandy with my whole heart. When they get together, though … I just want to … .” James mimed throttling an invisible person.

“They grew up together,” Grady explained. “They kind of get immature and obnoxious when they get together.”

“Oh, you all grew up together,” Jake said. “I didn’t realize that. I guess you’ve been with Mandy a long time.”

“We’ve only been together for about eleven months now,” James replied.

“Yeah, if they would have dated back in the day, James would have been arrested for criminal sexual conduct,” Finn teased.

Jake looked confused.

“Four and a half years isn’t a big difference now,” James said. “When you’re a senior and she’s still in middle school, though? Yeah, that’s downright criminal.”

“Ah, got it.”

James glanced back at his phone one more time, hoping the message would disappear. “Okay. Let’s pick up some pizza and head home. I’m warning you now, though, if we get back there and Mandy’s not at that apartment, I’m going to kill Ally.”

“YOU KNOW
James is going to be royally pissed off, right?”

“Oh, I figured,” Ally said, stretching out on the couch. Mandy was in the next room changing out of her work clothes, so they were talking loudly back and forth. “He’ll live. He’s being Captain Annoying, and it bugs me.”

“I don’t think he’s trying to be Captain Annoying,” Mandy said, wandering into the living room. She’d tossed on a pair of knit jogging pants and a simple T-shirt. “He’s just worried.”

“Well, when he gets worried he gets bossy,” Ally said. “And, when he gets bossy, he gets annoying.”

Mandy perched on the edge of the couch. “I’m starting to feel guilty.”

“Why?”

“Because I promised him I would let him drop me off and pick me up at work,” Mandy said. “I broke that promise.”

“You’re not alone,” Ally said. “I picked you up. You were perfectly safe.”

“I don’t think he’s going to see it that way.”

Ally rolled over so she could watch her friend. “Where is he anyway?”

“They all went to that tent town thing with Jake today,” Mandy said. “I think they were taking supplies.”

“That’s nice of them,” Ally said. “Why do you think Jake hangs out there?”

“I think he’s donating his time,” Mandy said. “Grady said he served overseas, too.”

“Really?”

“Really,” Mandy said, patting Ally on the head affectionately. “You have a crush on him, don’t you?”

“I don’t know him,” Ally said. “I can’t have a crush on him if I don’t know him.”

Mandy waited.

“He is hot,” Ally said. “Don’t you think he’s hot?”

“He’s nice looking,” Mandy agreed. “Something tells me he looks good without his clothes on.”

Ally smirked. “Don’t tell James,” she teased. “He’ll have a fit if he thinks you’re fantasizing about another man.”

“I’m not fantasizing about him,” Mandy said. “I already have my fantasy. I want him for you.”

Ally made a face. “You want him for me? Why?”

“Because you’re the only one without a significant other,” Mandy said. “And I think James would be less likely to worry about us hanging out together if you were with someone like Jake.”

“He doesn’t want me with Jake,” Ally said. “You saw the look he gave me last night.”

“He just doesn’t want to think about you having sex with Jake,” Mandy countered. “I think he likes Jake and, after today, he’s definitely going to respect him more.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I know your brother,” Mandy said.

“That you do,” Ally agreed. “Although, to be fair, it was just over two weeks ago that you thought he was going to break up with you and that he didn’t love you.”

Mandy smacked Ally’s head lightly. “Don’t remind me of that.”

“God, you were so funny,” Ally said, giggling and holding her hand to her heart as she mimicked Mandy’s voice. “He doesn’t love me. He never did. I’ll never be whole again.” Ally lifted her hand to her head. “Woe is me.”

Both women glanced up when they heard noise at the door, finding four curious faces watching them.

“Ladies,” James said, striding into the room and dropping a pile of pizza boxes on the dining room table. “What are you doing?”

“I was reenacting Mandy’s freak out from last week,” Ally said, refusing to show shame.

James ran a hand down the back of Mandy’s hair, dropping a quick kiss on her forehead. “We’ve agreed not to bring that up again,” James said.

“I haven’t,” Ally shot back.

“You have now,” James said. “You owe me.”

“How do I owe you?”

“Because you knew I wanted to pick Mandy up at work, and you purposely did it just to drive me crazy,” James said. “Since I’m not going to yell and scream like I normally would, you now owe me.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“You’re just lucky that she’s here and safe,” James said. “Because if she wasn’t, you’d be spending the night locked in the trunk of a car.”

“You’re such a big talker,” Ally said, glancing over at Mandy. “See. I told you he was Captain Annoying.”

Mandy bit her lower lip to keep from laughing out loud. James scowled at Ally. “Captain Annoying?”

Finn and Grady, both in the kitchen grabbing plates and napkins, started laughing.

“You have to admit, the name kind of fits,” Grady teased.

“I wouldn’t be so smug Lieutenant Haircut,” Ally said. “At least he’s the lead. You’re just a sidekick.”

Grady frowned. “Lieutenant Haircut? That’s just … stupid.”

“I think it’s awesome,” Finn said.

“You would, Private Whinebox.”

Mandy couldn’t hold in her laughter, and even James was joining in now. He motioned for Jake, who was unsure of himself and loitering by the door, to come closer. “Ignore my sister,” he said. “She likes to irritate us. She knows exactly how to drive each one of us crazy.”

Jake smiled, clearly a little nervous, but he stripped his jacket off and laid it over the back of one of the dining room chairs. “I have three sisters,” he said. “I’m used to it.”

“Ugh,” Finn said. “You have three sisters? How did you survive that?”

“I was the baby,” Jake said. “They doted on me and spoiled me, for the most part.”

“That’s much nicer than growing up with three older brothers,” Ally said.

“They also put makeup on me and put me in dresses when they were bored,” Jake said. “Trust me, I developed a thick skin as a child.”

Ally laughed gaily, moving closer to Jake so she could talk to him. “My brothers used to dress me up and make me play war games so we had even numbers for teams.”

“That sounds like a lot more fun.”

Mandy watched Jake and Ally interact, her smile getting wider with each shared life tidbit. While she was watching them, James was watching her. “I know what you’re thinking,” he whispered.

“I’m not thinking anything,” Mandy protested.

“Don’t you dare meddle and try to push them together,” James warned.

“Why not?”

“He’s too old for her.”

“He’s your age,” Mandy reminded him.

“Yeah, he’s too old for her.”

“She’s my age.”

“So?”

“So, if she’s too young for him, that means I’m too young for you,” Mandy said.

James dropped a short, hard kiss on Mandy’s mouth. “Maybe I’m a dirty old man.”

“I like him,” Mandy said. “And, more importantly, Ally likes him.”

“Ally doesn’t know him,” James said.

“Ally doesn’t know him
yet
,” Mandy corrected. “It’s going to happen.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Yes, it is.”

James sighed. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

Mandy slipped her fingers inside of James’ jeans and pulled him closer, causing him to shiver when he felt her fingers brush up against him. Mandy pressed her lips to his jaw, flicking out her tongue, and weakening his resolve.

“I want Ally to be happy,” Mandy said. “You do, too.”

“You don’t know anything about this guy,” James said. “You have no idea if he’s going to make her happy.”

Mandy glanced at them again, bright smiles on their faces, their bodies turned in toward each other. “He’s going to make her happy.”