The Men with the Golden Cuffs (Masters and Mercenaries #2)(11)

Ian’s fingers drummed against the desk. “She’s very creative. This would make a great story. Aren’t all writers looking for a little publicity?”

“Then why hasn’t she publicized it?” Jake was a little surprised he’d said the words out loud. He’d intended to stay completely neutral, but those big green eyes were haunting him. Now that everyone else was leveling accusations, he felt a need to defend her a little.

Ian’s shoulder came up in a negligent shrug. “Maybe she’s waiting for the right time. I’m sure she has a book that will launch sometime soon.”

“Two weeks,” Grace said.

Eve looked Grace’s way. “Could you give me a list of her books? You can tell a lot about a writer from her work. Writers can be…unstable. They can also be wonderfully sane. Rather like the rest of the world. The good thing about writers is they usually give you a view of their soul, right there on paper. Well, in her case, on an e-reader.”

Ian frowned. “Just buy the books and expense it. That’s going to look great on our tax forms. Mommy Porn.”

“It’s not porn.” Grace practically fumed.

“You know what they say about porn, you know it when you see it.” Ian slapped his hand against the desk, a sure sign that they would be dismissed. “Start tonight, you two. And bring her into the office to meet with Eve tomorrow afternoon. And Adam, try not to sleep with her until we figure out whether or not she’s fooling us all.”

Adam gave him a snappy salute. “I will try, chief.”

Ian sighed as though he knew Adam wouldn’t try very hard. “Don’t f*ck up.”

Jake sighed. At least he had his marching orders. Don’t f*ck up. If only he hadn’t f*cked up so brutally in the past, he might actually look forward to the assignment.





Chapter Four


Adam couldn’t help the thrill of excitement he felt as Jake pulled the SUV into Serena Brooks’ drive. He hadn’t expected to see her again so soon—maybe not at all. He’d felt a connection to her the moment he’d seen her. He didn’t even want to deny it. He was naturally optimistic. The thing with Grace hadn’t worked out. She was happy with Sean. Adam was happy for her. Now it was his and Jake’s time to find what they needed. He had the strangest feeling Serena Brooks was it.

Her house was a neat little ranch-style house in a fashionable section of Dallas. It wasn’t Highland Park, but it was certainly upper middle class. According to his records, this wasn’t the home she’d shared with her husband.

Her yard was lush and green, the house set back amidst a small copse of old trees. There was a small patio at the front of the house with a little fountain. It was hidden by Spanish style walls and a gated entry that wouldn’t keep a three-year-old out. It was a lovely house, but tactically it was a bit of a nightmare.

“Fuck,” Jake said as he put the SUV in park. “I hope her backyard is bare.”

“Probably not. It’s more than likely as much of a nightmare as the front.” Adam knew what Jake objected to. There were far too many places to hide in that front yard. It wouldn’t be difficult at all to conceal a body in any number of places. The trees were huge. The porch itself was surrounded by lovely brick walls, covered in ivy. Adam was sure it was beautiful in the daylight, but in the gloom of night, all he could think was how easy it would be to hide there and attack the lovely homeowner as she searched for her keys.

“She parks in the driveway. That means she has to walk all the way across the yard. Anyone could walk right up to her and force her to let him in the house.” Jake’s low, angry voice gave Adam a tiny bit of hope. He wouldn’t be this upset if Serena Brooks hadn’t moved him in some way.

“We’ll obviously have to talk to her about some security protocols. She needs to park in the garage. Well, if she has a garage door opener. God, I hope she has one. And an alarm system.” Adam snapped the hold on his seatbelt. “That is if she doesn’t slam the door in our faces. What time is it anyway?”

“Almost ten. I doubt she’s gone to bed, but I intend to lecture her if she actually answers the door.”

“And if she doesn’t?”

Jake shrugged. “Then I’ll praise her for being smart after we’ve broken in and proven to her she doesn’t have enough security.” Even in the dark shadows, Adam could see that Jake’s face was set in stark lines. It was a bad sign. Adam knew his partner. Jake could be dangerous when he was on the edge.

Adam kept his tone light and easy, not wanting to feed Jake’s beast. “Come on. Hasn’t she been through enough? Shouldn’t we go a little easy on her?”

“I doubt this stalker, if there is one, will go easy on her. And if she’s playing us all, then it might do her some good to get a little scared.”

He was so f*cking frustrating. Adam took a deep breath. How long was this going to go on? It had been over a year since they’d tried a long-term relationship. Adam had known almost immediately that Lila wouldn’t work out, but he’d been so sick of one-night stands that he’d held on for four months. “You know not every woman in the world is out to screw you.”

Jake turned back, his mouth a flat line. “And not every woman in the world is trustworthy. Can we figure out which one Serena Brooks is before we sacrifice another career for a woman?”