Game On (The Morgan Brothers Book 4) (28 page)
“The guy we’re looking for has been stalking a government contractor, and he shot a DHS agent we believe he was planning to abduct. He has the resources to stage something like this to avoid being taken into custody, so I’d appreciate you doing everything you can to verify his identity.” It didn’t take them long to finish up the conversation, but Brandt wasn’t convinced the accident was getting the attention it deserved. He had a great amount of respect for the Rangers in Glacier, but Brandt knew criminal forensics wasn’t their area of expertise. And the winter storm headed their way certainly wasn’t going to help. As far as they were concerned, it was a wrap.
“Have you told anyone else about this?” Sage leaned back in his chair studying Brandt carefully. In many ways, the two of them were a lot alike—they’d always taken their responsibilities more seriously than the others. Brandt often envied Colt’s laid back style, but he’d learned a long time ago he wasn’t comfortable walking away from situations if he could help.
“Yes, I’ve told Phoenix and Aspen about the accident. I left a message on Caila’s phone, but she hasn’t returned my call, which is unusual. I’ve heard she’s in Texas checking out a job offer.”
Sage’s brows both lifted in surprise. “I thought she was planning to take over for her dad? Was she worried about Orman coming after her? Or does this have something to do with whatever the hell went down between with Kip?” Brandt still didn’t know all of the details of what happened between his youngest brother and the young woman they all cared about, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t still asking questions.
“I don’t know. Aspen mentioned Caila was concerned we were going to give Kip a hard time. She felt that was only going to make the tension between them worse.” Brandt understood Caila’s first concern because they’d definitely given the youngest Morgan brother a full ration of shit about his flagrant disregard for Caila’s feelings. The way he’d treated her after their encounter at the club hadn’t set well with anyone.”
“I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all. Fuck, Mom is going to be apocalyptic when she hears about this.” Brandt agreed, but until he could talk to Caila himself, there wasn’t much he could do. “In the meantime, I’ll talk to Kip and make sure he understands the implications. Knowing she is considering making such a dramatic change doesn’t sit well with me.”
Brandt nodded before asking, “Do you know if her dad has told her he’s sick?” The last Brant knew, Doc Cooper hadn’t wanted to burden his daughter with the news, but the time was coming soon where the symptoms were going to be hard to conceal. He was already slipping. Hell, he’d been so confused earlier in the week he hadn’t been able to find his truck outside the diner.
“I doubt it. I can’t imagine Caila ever leaving if she knew. It’s been just the two of them for a long time.” Caila had lost her mother before she started high school. Several women in Pine Creek, including their own mother, had taken the young girl under their wing—making sure she learned all the things moms teach their daughters. Hell, Caila had more “moms” than anybody he knew. Those women were going to be lining up to kick Kip’s ass if their “girl” didn’t move home.
Fuck it. Just what I need a bunch of pissed off grannies railing on my brother.
Sage chuckled. “I can see by the expression on your face you’re starting to understand what a cluster fuck this is going to turn into if we don’t figure out how to stop the damned snowball Kip pushed off the mountain. This is just one of the reasons I worried about the two of them ever giving in to their mutual attraction.” Sage shook his head in frustration as he moved to stand in front of the windows.
Brandt let the statement go, despite the fact it surprised him. He needed to get back to town, there was more than enough paperwork piled on his desk to keep him busy until the end of his shift, and he had no intention of working late. He and Ryan had big plans for their lovely sub tonight, she’d been a handful this morning, and he was looking forward to spending a little time reminding her why snarky answers weren’t in her best interest.
Most of the time, Joelle was the picture of perfection, rarely giving them any reason to punish her. Hell, they’d all been so busy, it had been almost a week since the three of them had even been home at the same time.
Maybe she feels like this is the only way she can get my attention?
The realization brought him up short. Hell, perhaps Kip wasn’t the only one who’d let his submissive down?
On his way down the front steps, Brandt met Kyle and Tobi West. The look on the man’s face foretold what was about to take place, and if he hadn’t been on a mission of his own, he’d have turned around just to watch. He’d never known Kyle West to fail when he set his mind to something, his
take no prisoners
attitude was a part of SEAL folklore. He nodded to the couple and smiled as he watched Tobi scramble to keep up with her husband. Damn, the man was practically dragging her up the stairs.
Bet that was a fun plane ride.
A
spen flinched when
she tried to fist her injured arm on her hip. Damn it, it just wasn’t the same
don’t fuck with me
pose when one arm was tucked protectively against her. It wasn’t like she was the most intimidating woman on the planet, but damn it, at least she felt more powerful if she could face them down in what Jax called her pissed off Tinkerbell pose. Fighting back a smile at the memory of that particular confrontation, she re-centered her thoughts on the men standing in front of her.
“You think you can bully me into taking the job? Really? You guys are amazing.” A grin flickered on Kent’s face, and she wanted to roll her eyes.
“Well,
amazing
might be a bit over the top, doll. But, I for one, appreciate the sentiment.” Oh yeah, she’d known exactly where his mind had gone.
“Oh good, Lord. Aspen, I’m begging you…don’t feed their egos.” When the three of them turned on Tobi, Aspen sucked in a deep breath of relief at having all their testosterone refocused elsewhere. She wanted to hug her friend for diverting their attention, even if the reprieve was going to be short-lived. Tobi’s sly smile told Aspen she’d known exactly what she was doing.
“Pet, perhaps you and Gracie would like to go to the kitchen for something to drink. Maybe a nice snack as well since I know you didn’t eat anything on the plane.” Kyle’s overly polite suggestion didn’t fool Tobi, and it hadn’t fooled Aspen either. The sparkle in Tobi’s eyes made Aspen want to cheer, damn, the woman was fun.
Tobi nodded enthusiastically. “You know what? I could use a soda. And I’ll bet we could make snacks for everyone, too. I’ve been dying to try a new recipe I saw on Pinterest.”
Tobi had only taken a single step toward the door when all three men shouted, “No” at the same time.
When Tobi, Gracie, and Aspen all burst out laughing, Kyle turned to his brother with a look on his face making Aspen wonder if his head was going to start spinning on his shoulders. “I’ve been dealing with this for a week. It’s your turn. The punishment tally is in the usual folder on our server.” Returning his attention to Aspen, he added, “You’ve been dealing with this one, so I’ll take over here.” Much to her amazement, the room emptied quickly and in less than a minute she was alone with the one man she’d never been able to read.
Kyle West was a Master in more ways than one. He could mask his emotions better than anyone she’d ever known, so she was shocked when his expression softened, and he opened his arms to her. “Come here, baby.” When she stepped forward, he enfolded her in his arms. The move unhinged her when she felt the first wave of unfiltered emotion crash over her. He’d sensed her need, and it had taken nothing more than a hug to unleash the torrent. His kiss pressed against the top of her head and whispered reassurances was all it took for the floodgates to open.
“Let it go, baby girl. I’ve got you—I’ll always be ready to catch you. But I’m warning you, you’re still accepting the job.” She almost choked on the laughter bubbling up in the middle of her melt-down. They both knew she was going to give in. Hell, she’d never had a chance, but she’d needed this moment with him. Aspen had always been able to get around Kent and Jax, but Kyle had been a rock solid wall of pure stubborn male anytime they’d disagreed.
Aspen recognized the same traits in Mitch and Phoenix. She wasn’t a fool, she knew it was a large part of the reason she’d been attracted to them in the beginning, but she’d also instinctively known they would be so much more than friends.
Jax, Kent, and Kyle would always be the brothers the Universe forgot to give her, but she’d fallen in love with the two men who’d spent almost a year coaxing her out of hiding. She knew there would be times she could talk her way around them, but there would always be a line she wouldn’t be able to cross…and strange as it seemed, she found it comforting.
Pulling back, Kent smiled down at her as he shook his head. “We’re going to have a long talk about the fact you didn’t let your Masters know how much you needed this.” She must have looked as surprised as she felt by his observation because he didn’t miss a beat. “Do you think I don’t know the role I’ve always played in the unusual friendship the four of us shared? That I don’t see how important it’s always been for you to know there was one person you couldn’t get around. Even when we were all kids, I knew exactly what you needed from me. I think it’s why I recognized it so quickly in Tobi. The two of you are a lot alike in many ways—don’t think
that
hasn’t kept me up many nights as I worried about what sort of mischief the two of you might get into.”
Aspen wasn’t sure how it could possibly work out, after all, the Prairie Winds team was based in Texas. When she said as much, Kyle’s entire face lit up with his smile. “That’s the question we’ve all been waiting to hear, baby. We’re working with Nate and Taz to set up a satellite base up here. We’re outgrowing our facilities in Texas, so we knew we needed to branch out or relocate, and as you can imagine, Grandma Lilly vetoed the relocation idea in short order.
I’ll bet she did. Lilly wouldn’t let her grandbabies go without a fight.
She heard the door open behind her and wasn’t surprised when she was pulled gently out of Kyle’s arms. “Your woman is downstairs scaring your brother with her threats to cook. She’s done a fine job of distracting everybody so you’d have time to convince our lovely fiancé to accept your job offer.”
Fiancé?
“She has accepted, but I’d say from the surprised look on her face, you have some convincing of your own to do, so I’ll leave you to it.” Leaning down and kissing her on the cheek, Kyle whispered, “Don’t fight this, baby girl. Give yourself this gift, you deserve it.” Tucking his hands into his pockets, they watched Kyle saunter out of the room whistling
Let It Go
.
Mitch shook his head and laughed. “Who was that guy and what the hell did he do with Kyle West?”
Phoenix laughed and shook his head. “No clue, but it’s scary how much he looks like Kyle. Damn.”
Aspen couldn’t believe it. The two of them were focused on Kyle and not explaining what the hell they’d meant by calling her their fiancé? Sometimes the audacity of the male species truly baffled her, but just as she opened her mouth to protest, Kyle’s words replayed in her head. When they returned their attention to her, she could see the light of laughter in both men’s expression. They’d been playing her, damn them.
Well, maybe it was time for her to play a little, too.
The End
The Morgan Brothers
Coral Hearts
Dancing with Deception
Caged Songbird
Knights of the Boardroom
Book One
Book Two
Book Three
The Wolf Pack Series
Mated Fated Magic
Tempted by Darkness
Masters of the Prairie Winds Club
Out of the Storm
Saving Grace
Jen’s Journey
Bound Treasure
Punishing for Pleasure
Accidental Trifecta
Missionary Position
The ShadowDance Club
Katarina’s Return
Jenna’s Submission
Rissa’s Recovery
Trace & Tori
Reborn as Bree
Red Clouds Dancing
Perfect Picture
Club Isola
Capturing Callie
Healing Holly
Claiming Abby
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