Into the Fury (BOSS, Inc. #1)(29)

“Christ, the bastards are following us,” Ethan said.

Val turned, saw some of the reporters scrambling for their cars, some already inside, pulling out behind the Jeep.

Joe just grunted. “The lady’s a celebrity, chief. After what happened, they’ll dog her and the rest of the models till they get some kind of story.”

“Lose ’em. You buckled up?” he asked Val, saw she was, and snapped his own belt in place. “Joe’s an ex-cop. He’ll get us out of here safely.”

The engine gunned and they were off. Ethan was right. Joe knew exactly what he was doing, when to slow, when to run a yellow without chancing a wreck, when to put the pedal to the metal and shoot through an opening in traffic.

A slow smile stretched across her face. She’d been wild as a kid. She’d loved motorcycles and fast cars, loved the feel of the wind in her face and the adrenaline rush. That hadn’t changed.

Ethan’s eyes came to hers. “So I guess you like speed,” he said, amusement in his voice.

Val grinned. “Long as it doesn’t kill me.”

Ethan chuckled. Joe made a couple more fancy turns before they were completely in the clear.

“Nice job,” Ethan said to him as the car slowed, began to roll quietly on down the street.

A mile or so later, Joe pulled over to the curb near one of the bigger hotels. “Good spot to catch a cab,” he said. “My car’s parked a few blocks down from the theater.”

Ethan nodded. “You’ll find cab fare and a little extra on your paycheck. Good work tonight. I’ll see you Tuesday at the airport.”

“Ten A.M. sharp. I’ll be there.” Joe got out of the Jeep, waved, and started walking. Ethan climbed out of the back and slid into the driver’s seat. He looked surprised when Val slid into the front seat beside him.

She gave him a smile. “I don’t need a chauffeur. Just a ride back to my house.”

He smiled slightly, started the Jeep, and headed for Montlake. As the car rolled along, fatigue trickled through her. Resting her head against the seat, she closed her eyes, trusting Ethan to get her safely home.





Ethan pulled the Jeep up in front of Val’s duplex apartment. She’d fallen asleep on the way. As he opened the door, she straightened in her seat, blinking owlishly up at him.

“We’re home. Can you make it inside all right?”

She yawned, then smiled. “What, if I say no you’ll carry me? I make it home by myself every night.”

His lips twitched. As she started up the sidewalk toward the front porch, he fell in beside her, then took the key from her hand and unlocked the door.

Ethan walked into the living room, heard her big gray cat meow, and flicked on the light switch, which turned on the lamp on the table next to the sofa.

“Stay here.” Pulling his pistol, he cleared the house, checking every room to make sure the place was secure. He had no idea who was next on the killer’s hit list, but if the guy was as crazy as the notes made him seem, the perp was going to do his best to murder a second victim.

Ethan walked back into the living room, saw Valerie kneeling to pet the big tom. He holstered his weapon. “And here I thought you were a dog person.”

Val laughed at the reminder of her encounter with the big English sheepdog. “I love dogs. Cats. Horses. Birds. Fish. That’s why I want to be a veterinarian. I like animals a lot more than most people.”

“Yeah, I get that.” He thought of the man who had coldly murdered Delilah Larsen. A crazy, or a cold-blooded killer? Either way the woman was just as dead. “Lots of good people around, though, if you look for them.”

“I know. Like Nick and Samantha. They were there tonight for my show. It was really sweet of them to come.”

“They like you.” And he was beginning to understand why. Besides the superficial turn-ons like a great body and a fabulous face, Val had substance. She was smart and hardworking, and she was kind to other people. He was beginning to like her, too. Which, under the circumstances, wasn’t necessarily good.

“What about your family?” he asked. “I saw Isabel talking to her mom and dad and half a dozen brothers and sisters. I figured some of your family might show.”

Val shrugged. “No siblings. Mom and Pops are older. They live up in Bellingham, and Pops wasn’t feeling too well. Besides . . .” She let the words trail off and shook her head.

“Besides what?”

“They’re pretty old-fashioned. They know what I’m doing and why, and they’re okay with it, but seeing me up there almost naked . . . I’d just rather they didn’t.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “You know, Valerie, the show wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. It wasn’t sleazy. It was entertaining. You did a great job.”

She shrugged. “Maybe. On the other hand, how would you feel if your girlfriend was up there strutting around in nothing but skimpy lingerie?”

There was no point in lying. He was who he was. “You want the truth? I wouldn’t want my woman doing it. I’m a selfish bastard when it comes to a lady I’m involved with. I’d want her all to myself.”

Her eyes searched his face. “So I guess you’re a little old-fashioned yourself.”

“Maybe . . . yeah, in some ways I guess I am.”