Into the Fury (BOSS, Inc. #1)(5)

“Nick’s out in the backyard. Supper’s almost ready. Come on back.”

He followed her into a kitchen made cozy by warm wood cabinets, cream-colored ceramic tile counters, yellow walls, and yellow-and-brown curtains. When she turned sideways, Ethan couldn’t help noticing how much the bump had grown since he had last seen her.

He smiled at the thought. It had only been a few months since his cousin had quit his job as a homicide detective in Anchorage, moved to Seattle, and started working for Brodie Operations. BOSS, Inc., they called it.

Ethan’s smile turned into a grin. Nick hadn’t wasted any time getting his little wife pregnant.

Thinking of the baby Samantha carried reminded him of his own child, three-year-old Hannah, and the smile slid from his face. He hadn’t seen his little girl in weeks—not that he hadn’t been trying.

Ethan stepped into the kitchen. The aroma of garlic and tomatoes penetrated his dismal mood and his mouth watered. “Damn, that smells good.”

Samantha’s pretty lips curved up. She was wearing jeans and a snug little short-sleeved top that curved over her belly. It had never occurred to him that a pregnant woman could look cute, even kind of sexy.

“I’m making spaghetti. It’s almost ready.”

Nick walked into the kitchen just then, nearly as tall as Ethan, with wavy black hair and intense blue eyes. “How about a drink?” Nick asked. “You look like you could use one. Wine, beer, or something stronger?”

“A straight shot of whiskey might help, but I’ll just have a beer.” Ethan pulled out a chair and took a seat at the kitchen table.

Nick walked to the fridge, grabbed a bottle of Budweiser, and tossed it to him, then grabbed one for himself. “So, which is it? Your new job or something to do with your little girl? Allison still giving you ten kinds of grief?”

Ethan twisted off the bottle cap and took a long swallow of the ice-cold brew. “Both. I called Ally on my way over. As usual, she gave me some bullshit reason I couldn’t talk to Hannah.” His ex-girlfriend still blamed him for their failed relationship, though she was the one who had ended the affair.

“You’re lucky she refused to marry you,” Samantha said. “I know you wanted your daughter to have your name, but you told me yourself the two of you were a bad combination. You deserve someone who loves you.”

Ethan just grunted. After what he’d been through, going the love route was the last thing he wanted.

Nick grabbed his wife, turned her into his arms, and gave her a smacking kiss. “What else do you need me to do?”

Samantha laughed and pushed him away. “Salad’s made. You already set the table. Why don’t you sit down with your cousin and relax?”

Samantha was a fabulous cook, a wonderful homemaker, and one sexy little gal. She was also smart and a hardworking businesswoman, part owner of the Perfect Pup, a chain of dog-grooming salons. Lately, she’d been bugging Nick to let her bring home a puppy. Nick wanted to wait till she had the baby. Ethan figured the pup would be part of the household by the end of the week.

“I hear you started working with La Belle today,” Nick said, taking a seat across from him at the table. “That’s one job I’m glad you got and not me.” Like Dirk, Nick was a former Ranger. Like Ethan, he was also a former police detective. Nick was capable and tough as boot leather. But he was a married man, and he took that role seriously. “Should be an interesting assignment.”

“Yeah, well, if there was any way I could have gotten out of it, I would have. But the pay’s really great and the hours aren’t bad. As long as the women behave themselves, it’ll be fine.”

Nick snorted a laugh. “Not many men would want the most beautiful women in the world to leave them alone.”

Ethan took a swallow of beer. “Yeah, well, most men are a lot more na?ve than I am. As far as I’m concerned, the only place in a man’s life for a woman is in bed.” He glanced over at Samantha, who held up a wooden spoon as if she were about to slam it against his skull.

Ethan grinned. “Present company excepted.”

Samantha grinned back and returned to her cooking.

“What about the women in the show? Anyone look interesting?”

“They’re all beautiful. Sexy. Knockout bodies. Everything a man could want—in bed. Out of it, I wouldn’t know.” He looked up to see Samantha walking toward him. The spoon was gone, so he figured he was safe.

“Speaking of the show,” she said. “There’s a . . . umm . . . favor I’d like to ask.”

Ethan smiled. “Name it, sweetheart; anything.”

“A friend of mine is one of the models. She goes by Valentine Hart. Maybe you know which one she is.”

“Valentine. Yeah, with a name like that, who could forget? Dimples, right?”

“That’s right.”

“What about her?”

“Val got this terrible note. I guess some of the other models got them, too. She said it was kind of scary, called the women sluts and whores.”

“I know about the notes. That’s one of the reasons they decided to beef up security.”

“Well, I was wondering if . . . maybe you could kind of keep an eye on Val. She’s a really great girl, you know? You’re a bodyguard. You could make sure she’s safe.”