Run the Risk
Page 49
“Of course.” They left the room together, the lieutenant headed for her office, Logan headed back to Rowdy. He’d get the information he needed, even if it took all night.
And then he’d find a way to get Pepper.
* * *
REESE HAD JUST FINISHED his hushed phone call in a dark corridor when an officer intruded. Never a real moment of privacy, he lamented, not in a police station.
He dropped his cell back into his pocket and faced the younger man with an expression of curiosity.
“Sorry to interrupt, Detective Bareden, but there’s someone at the front desk who wants to see you.”
“Who is it?”
“No idea, sir. She asked to see her brother first, and when the sergeant told her that wasn’t possible, she insisted she wanted to talk to you.”
The tiredness he’d felt a moment ago evaporated. “Fascinating.” He started down the long hall with anticipation. “Go fetch Detective Riske, too, will you? I’m guessing he’ll want to be in on this.”
“Sir?”
He wasn’t about to waste time explaining. “He’s in an interrogation room. Tell him you’ll stay behind and keep an eye on his quarry, okay? Make it fast.”
Reese left the confused officer and lengthened his stride to the front of the station. Just as he rounded the corner, he drew up short in disbelief.
No way.
Before being noticed, he studied her nose, the shape of that stubborn chin, and he almost laughed. Incredible, but it was her.
And yet, it wasn’t.
In that body-hugging getup she looked…fuck-tastic. Great ass, even better rack. Long legs, tiny waist. A face that’d make a guy fantasize.
He couldn’t wait for Logan to join him. Hands in his pockets, Reese strode forward. “Miss Yates?”
She jerked around to face him, and he soaked up the tsunami-force sex appeal. Light brown eyes sparkled with vitality. Not the reserve Logan expected. Not gentleness or timidity.
This gal was bold and ready to take on the world.
Reese whistled.
She firmed her shiny lips and tossed her hair—hair that looked freshly tumbled, as if she’d just crawled out of a lover’s bed. Reese nodded. “I’m impressed.”
She drew a breast-expanding breath that pulled his gaze back to her chest. “I need to see my brother.”
“No can do. Not yet anyway.” Reese didn’t bother hiding his interest in her new look. He perused her from head to toe and back again. “Logan is still questioning him.”
Hands on shapely hips, she let him look. “You don’t understand what you’ve done.”
“I did it under Logan’s direction.” He shrugged. “He has questions that need to be answered. That’s all.”
She closed the space between them to poke him hard in the chest. “You’re both fools.”
“Ah, ah,” Reese rebuked. “No striking the detective.” He removed her hand and then held on to it for good measure. No way did he want her walking off before Logan got a look at her.
As to that…he maneuvered them around so her back was to the hallway. Better to let Logan get close before she spotted his approach.
“Stop that.” All but vibrating with frustration, she planted her feet and then tried to free her hand.
Smiling at her, Reese held on.
She relented with an indifferent shrug. “I need you to give Rowdy a message for me.”
And from behind them, Logan said, “Pepper?”
She stiffened—and didn’t turn to face him. Reese watched her color rise, saw her eyes narrow and her jaw clench.
“You sent for him?” she asked as if it didn’t really matter, as if she didn’t really care.
“Of course.”
Her gaze glued to Reese’s, she asked, “Well?”
He lifted a brow.
“My brother. Will you give him a message from me?”
Reese let out a long, aggrieved sigh. “You’re stealing my fun.” Bodily, he turned her to Logan.
And yes, the look on Logan’s face was worth it.
Logan opened his mouth but then closed it again to move nearer to her. Eyes flared, body tensed, he said again, “Pepper?”
“I’m not talking to you.”
“Typical female response,” Reese said.
“Is that really you?”
She held silent.
“Damn. What did you do with yourself?” Logan reached for her, and she popped him hard in the shoulder.
More in surprise than pain, Logan drew back.
“Or,” Reese said, almost laughing, “maybe not so typical.”
After glaring at him, Pepper gave her attention back to Logan. “No touching, neighbor.”
“She sneers well,” Reese said, and they both ignored him.
“I don’t understand.” Logan visually devoured her. “What are you doing?”
“Being me.” She thrust up her chin. “What? You thought you were the only one undercover?”
“Jesus.”
Logan couldn’t seem to stop looking at her long enough to speak coherently, so Reese said, “She’s plotting something, obviously.”
“I’m only here for my brother.”
Confused and now annoyed, Logan shoved close despite the threat of her hostility. “I’ve been worried about you.”
She didn’t back up an inch. “That’s a joke, right?”
Molars sawing together, Logan all but heaved. “It’s true, damn it. You were supposed to be safe and sound at your apartment. I left men to watch over you. I told you I’d be back to talk.”
And then he’d find a way to get Pepper.
* * *
REESE HAD JUST FINISHED his hushed phone call in a dark corridor when an officer intruded. Never a real moment of privacy, he lamented, not in a police station.
He dropped his cell back into his pocket and faced the younger man with an expression of curiosity.
“Sorry to interrupt, Detective Bareden, but there’s someone at the front desk who wants to see you.”
“Who is it?”
“No idea, sir. She asked to see her brother first, and when the sergeant told her that wasn’t possible, she insisted she wanted to talk to you.”
The tiredness he’d felt a moment ago evaporated. “Fascinating.” He started down the long hall with anticipation. “Go fetch Detective Riske, too, will you? I’m guessing he’ll want to be in on this.”
“Sir?”
He wasn’t about to waste time explaining. “He’s in an interrogation room. Tell him you’ll stay behind and keep an eye on his quarry, okay? Make it fast.”
Reese left the confused officer and lengthened his stride to the front of the station. Just as he rounded the corner, he drew up short in disbelief.
No way.
Before being noticed, he studied her nose, the shape of that stubborn chin, and he almost laughed. Incredible, but it was her.
And yet, it wasn’t.
In that body-hugging getup she looked…fuck-tastic. Great ass, even better rack. Long legs, tiny waist. A face that’d make a guy fantasize.
He couldn’t wait for Logan to join him. Hands in his pockets, Reese strode forward. “Miss Yates?”
She jerked around to face him, and he soaked up the tsunami-force sex appeal. Light brown eyes sparkled with vitality. Not the reserve Logan expected. Not gentleness or timidity.
This gal was bold and ready to take on the world.
Reese whistled.
She firmed her shiny lips and tossed her hair—hair that looked freshly tumbled, as if she’d just crawled out of a lover’s bed. Reese nodded. “I’m impressed.”
She drew a breast-expanding breath that pulled his gaze back to her chest. “I need to see my brother.”
“No can do. Not yet anyway.” Reese didn’t bother hiding his interest in her new look. He perused her from head to toe and back again. “Logan is still questioning him.”
Hands on shapely hips, she let him look. “You don’t understand what you’ve done.”
“I did it under Logan’s direction.” He shrugged. “He has questions that need to be answered. That’s all.”
She closed the space between them to poke him hard in the chest. “You’re both fools.”
“Ah, ah,” Reese rebuked. “No striking the detective.” He removed her hand and then held on to it for good measure. No way did he want her walking off before Logan got a look at her.
As to that…he maneuvered them around so her back was to the hallway. Better to let Logan get close before she spotted his approach.
“Stop that.” All but vibrating with frustration, she planted her feet and then tried to free her hand.
Smiling at her, Reese held on.
She relented with an indifferent shrug. “I need you to give Rowdy a message for me.”
And from behind them, Logan said, “Pepper?”
She stiffened—and didn’t turn to face him. Reese watched her color rise, saw her eyes narrow and her jaw clench.
“You sent for him?” she asked as if it didn’t really matter, as if she didn’t really care.
“Of course.”
Her gaze glued to Reese’s, she asked, “Well?”
He lifted a brow.
“My brother. Will you give him a message from me?”
Reese let out a long, aggrieved sigh. “You’re stealing my fun.” Bodily, he turned her to Logan.
And yes, the look on Logan’s face was worth it.
Logan opened his mouth but then closed it again to move nearer to her. Eyes flared, body tensed, he said again, “Pepper?”
“I’m not talking to you.”
“Typical female response,” Reese said.
“Is that really you?”
She held silent.
“Damn. What did you do with yourself?” Logan reached for her, and she popped him hard in the shoulder.
More in surprise than pain, Logan drew back.
“Or,” Reese said, almost laughing, “maybe not so typical.”
After glaring at him, Pepper gave her attention back to Logan. “No touching, neighbor.”
“She sneers well,” Reese said, and they both ignored him.
“I don’t understand.” Logan visually devoured her. “What are you doing?”
“Being me.” She thrust up her chin. “What? You thought you were the only one undercover?”
“Jesus.”
Logan couldn’t seem to stop looking at her long enough to speak coherently, so Reese said, “She’s plotting something, obviously.”
“I’m only here for my brother.”
Confused and now annoyed, Logan shoved close despite the threat of her hostility. “I’ve been worried about you.”
She didn’t back up an inch. “That’s a joke, right?”
Molars sawing together, Logan all but heaved. “It’s true, damn it. You were supposed to be safe and sound at your apartment. I left men to watch over you. I told you I’d be back to talk.”
