Read Online Hell on the Heart by Nancy Brophy - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Nancy Brophy
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thought her own looked like the shiny black buttons sewn onto stuffed animals. But his… His were endless deep pools that sucked one closer and held them in thrall. Hypnotic…. Compelling….
She failed to suppress a shudder.
He grinned. Not a little amused smile to taunt her. No, a Cheshire cat grin. And she’d been right. All those little lines radiating from his eyes crinkled. Smiling changed his face, softened it. The Billy Badass look he’d perfected faded and left in its place, a man she’d like to know better. Except he was only passing through Dillo Creek and he was gajikané . And that wasn’t the worst of it. An outsider might be tolerated, a Federal agent would never be.
“Goodness there is no pleasing you, is there? If you were killed while working with my team, how would your family react? They’d sue the government and I’d lose my job. And you would still be dead. Not good.” His face remained stern, even though she suspected he was having a laugh at her expense. ‘Goodness?’ What man said that except one who believed in his own infallibility?
“Why does your family care that I’m Indian?”
Cezi bared her teeth at his new direction. Was he an idiot? But before she could respond, the footsteps of the others echoed on the hardwood floors as they came down the hall. He eased his grip on her wrists and pivoted his body toward the door.
She couldn’t see around Mount Stillwater, the human barrier trapping her behind him. In retaliation she kneed his thigh. She was going for a higher location, but couldn’t get enough room to raise her leg that far. His response was a low grunt before he backed up, limiting her movements by crowding her closer to the table.
“Storm’s kicking up,” Uncle Luca said. “Agent Lassiter’s catching a flight for Chicago out of Amarillo. If he doesn’t leave now, we don’t think he’ll be able to get out-“
“How are you getting to Amarillo?” John locked his hands against the table.
“One of my nephews flies a crop duster. If they leave now, he can make the flight. Give me your car keys. We want to move the vehicles off the street.”
His movement to fish the keys out of his pocket gave her the opening she needed to sidle away from her blocked position. Although she struggled with disappointment when John completely ignored her to ask his partner, “You good with this?” He tossed the keys to Luca who caught them in midair.
Her eyes met her father’s, who ignored everyone in the room as he studied her. Satisfied with what he saw, he nodded and gestured code with his fingers.
Bring him home? Was he crazy? She shook her head. Her father smiled in that way that Cezi knew it didn’t matter what was said next, he’d won.
“The Elders want to meet him.”
Not good. This was not good, at all.
The black man took the opportunity to offer Stillwater an explanation. His voice was muted, but Cezi stood close enough to hone in on the conversation.
“Dawg, no one’s called me Binky for thirty years, but if my mother was upset that’s the one name she’d use.”
D’Sean glanced in her direction but turned back when John answered in a low whisper. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
He shifted on the balls of his feet, a graceful athletic move that made Cezi envy his agility. Too bad he was a Fed. He’d make an excellent second story man.
“My sister insisted it was nothing. Minor day surgery. Now I’m not so sure.” He looked in Cezi’s direction for the second time. This time his appraisal lingered, his eyes narrowed and he twisted his lips until they were non-existent.
John clasped a hand on his shoulder. “Good luck. Keep me posted. I’m calling for the team.”
The black man tore his eyes from Cezi and grimaced. “I don’t know how you do it.” He reached into his pocket and whipped out two twenties and slapped them on the cold metal table.
For the first time the men both looked in her direction. One annoyed, one smug.
She failed to suppress a shudder.
He grinned. Not a little amused smile to taunt her. No, a Cheshire cat grin. And she’d been right. All those little lines radiating from his eyes crinkled. Smiling changed his face, softened it. The Billy Badass look he’d perfected faded and left in its place, a man she’d like to know better. Except he was only passing through Dillo Creek and he was gajikané . And that wasn’t the worst of it. An outsider might be tolerated, a Federal agent would never be.
“Goodness there is no pleasing you, is there? If you were killed while working with my team, how would your family react? They’d sue the government and I’d lose my job. And you would still be dead. Not good.” His face remained stern, even though she suspected he was having a laugh at her expense. ‘Goodness?’ What man said that except one who believed in his own infallibility?
“Why does your family care that I’m Indian?”
Cezi bared her teeth at his new direction. Was he an idiot? But before she could respond, the footsteps of the others echoed on the hardwood floors as they came down the hall. He eased his grip on her wrists and pivoted his body toward the door.
She couldn’t see around Mount Stillwater, the human barrier trapping her behind him. In retaliation she kneed his thigh. She was going for a higher location, but couldn’t get enough room to raise her leg that far. His response was a low grunt before he backed up, limiting her movements by crowding her closer to the table.
“Storm’s kicking up,” Uncle Luca said. “Agent Lassiter’s catching a flight for Chicago out of Amarillo. If he doesn’t leave now, we don’t think he’ll be able to get out-“
“How are you getting to Amarillo?” John locked his hands against the table.
“One of my nephews flies a crop duster. If they leave now, he can make the flight. Give me your car keys. We want to move the vehicles off the street.”
His movement to fish the keys out of his pocket gave her the opening she needed to sidle away from her blocked position. Although she struggled with disappointment when John completely ignored her to ask his partner, “You good with this?” He tossed the keys to Luca who caught them in midair.
Her eyes met her father’s, who ignored everyone in the room as he studied her. Satisfied with what he saw, he nodded and gestured code with his fingers.
Bring him home? Was he crazy? She shook her head. Her father smiled in that way that Cezi knew it didn’t matter what was said next, he’d won.
“The Elders want to meet him.”
Not good. This was not good, at all.
The black man took the opportunity to offer Stillwater an explanation. His voice was muted, but Cezi stood close enough to hone in on the conversation.
“Dawg, no one’s called me Binky for thirty years, but if my mother was upset that’s the one name she’d use.”
D’Sean glanced in her direction but turned back when John answered in a low whisper. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
He shifted on the balls of his feet, a graceful athletic move that made Cezi envy his agility. Too bad he was a Fed. He’d make an excellent second story man.
“My sister insisted it was nothing. Minor day surgery. Now I’m not so sure.” He looked in Cezi’s direction for the second time. This time his appraisal lingered, his eyes narrowed and he twisted his lips until they were non-existent.
John clasped a hand on his shoulder. “Good luck. Keep me posted. I’m calling for the team.”
The black man tore his eyes from Cezi and grimaced. “I don’t know how you do it.” He reached into his pocket and whipped out two twenties and slapped them on the cold metal table.
For the first time the men both looked in her direction. One annoyed, one smug.
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