Read Online Hot Secrets by Lisa Renee Jones - Free Book Online

cookies,” Royce
informed him.
    Blake smiled a bright white
smile. “It’s dessert. I ate leftover pizza first.”
    Luke grimaced. “That pizza was a
week old, man.”
    Blake shrugged his broad
shoulders. “Tasted fine to me.”
    Royce frowned and looked at the
wall clock. “Aren’t you supposed to be at the airport by ten?”
    Blake glanced at his watch and
shoved the chair from the table. “Ah, hell,” he said. “I’m late.”
Then he glared at both his brothers. “I know this airport contract
pays us, and pays us well, but I hate these weekend security
meetings. Next Saturday, one of you is going.”
    “They like your ATF background,”
Royce reminded him.
    Blake waved on his way out of
the room. “We’re talking about next Saturday.”
    The instant he was gone, Luke
turned an expectant look on his older brother. “Well?”
    Royce let out a long breath, and
leaned against the counter. “I have a situation.”
    “A situation?” Luke laughed. “Is
that what you’re calling a gorgeous woman in your living room these
days?” Royce gave him a go to hell look.
Luke raised his hands in mock surrender. “I’m listening.”
    “You already know Reynolds asked
me for a favor.”
    “Did it include sleeping with
his daughter?”
    Royce grunted. “Not
exactly.”
    Luke’s eyes widened
incredulously. “Not exactly ? What in the
hell does that mean? I was joking.”
    ”Someone’s been sending him
threatening notes, and Lauren has been mentioned.”
    “Do they have any idea who might
be responsible?”
    “No, he doesn’t. She doesn’t
know about any of this and he doesn’t want to tell her until I’m
certain there’s a real threat.”
    “And that would be why?”
    “He says it’s because he believes she’ll blow off the
threat. She works for the District Attorney’s office. That makes a
person immune to fear in ways most wouldn’t be. I’d like to believe
him, and after spending time with her, I certainly think his
concern is merited.”
    Luke grabbed a chair, and sat
down at the table. “But?”
    “I don’t know,” Royce said.
“Maybe he’s being blackmailed for something he thinks she won’t
forgive him for. Which, in and of itself, has bad news written all
over it. Then there is an entirely different realm of low to
consider, which are the senator’s political motives. He’s trying to
get Lauren to run for office and she isn’t buying the idea. I hate
to think he’s selfish enough to keep her in the dark over a threat
out of fear of turning her ‘no’ into a ‘hell no.’”
    “The blackmail angle makes more
sense but then politicians have never made a lick of sense to
me , period.” His lips
thinned. “Tell me you didn’t agree to keep Lauren in the dark about
this.”
    “I agreed to check things out,”
Royce admitted reluctantly.
    “Without telling her.”
    “He pulled out his trump card,”
Royce explained. “Saving Dad. I figured that merited me doing a
quick investigation. I planned on getting in and out.”
    Luke arched a brow. “I see
that’s working out well for you considering Lauren is now in your
apartment on obviously friendly terms.”
    Royce flipped a chair,
straddling it, his arms on the back. “I planned to feel her out,
see if the senator had any merit for believing she’d refuse
protection if it was necessary. The rest just… happened.”
    “You don’t let things just happen anymore than I do. If you have
feelings for Lauren, and really, even if you don’t, you’re headed
for deep, muddy waters. I don’t care what the senator says, you’d
better come clean and do it right now.”
    Royce slid his hand over his
hair. “Yeah, I know. Believe me, I know. But if I tell her what’s
going on, she’ll kick me to the curb in no uncertain terms. If
she’s really in danger then I won’t be able to protect her. I’m…
”
    “Screwed,” Luke offered
helpfully.
    Royce exhaled and nodded, then
explaining the phone call situation to Luke before