Read Online Into the Crossfire by Lisa Marie Rice - Free Book Online
Authors: Lisa Marie Rice
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on the porch and stared. It was
unnerving, but she dealt with it. By the time she got to the corner, she'd forgotten
they existed. The second week the whistles and cat calls started, together with rude
gestures. It took her the entire drive downtown to shake the disgust from her
system. The other day, when Creepy knocked on the car window, well, that had
been truly frightening.
"I think--I think they might be escalating," she said quietly. There. She'd
put it into words, that vague sense of unease hanging like a gray cloud in the back
of her mind. "One of them knocked on the window as I took off the other day. I
remember thinking that I could have been in trouble if the car hadn't started."
He nodded. "I was afraid of that. There are things you can do to block the
escalation. Even better, there are things I can do..."
He left it hanging in the air.
Nicole closed her eyes in relief. Oh God, yes.
Let the Dreaded Dreadlocks problem go. Just tip it into those broad, tanned,
very capable-looking hands. There was no doubt that Sam could deal with the
punks with almost embarrassing ease, much much more easily than she could ever
hope to. He'd frozen them literally with a look.
The temptation to let him handle the two punks was so strong she had to dig
her nails into the palms of her hands to bring herself back to reality.
Having him take care of this problem for her was a huge temptation. But-she didn't know Sam Reston at all. He wasn't her partner in any way. If he warned
off the Creeps by acting as her proxy, and she never saw him again, they'd notice
and double the harassment.
"No," she said reluctantly. "I think I'd better handle it. Or try to."
He nodded, but didn't switch on the engine yet. He sat, big hands curved
around the steering wheel, looking at her.
"Tell you what." His gaze went past her to where two thuggish faces looked
out the porch window. He gave a sharp punch to the horn and the faces
disappeared, the dingy beige curtain fluttering back into place. "My brother Mike
is a cop. I can have him drive by a couple of times in a patrol car. Stop in front of
37
your house and say hello. That way they know you have the cops at your back."
"That would be wonderful. Thank you." Nicole tried to keep the relief out
of her voice. It was a perfect solution. Enough of a deterrent to keep the two thugs
off her case, without it being directly linked to Sam Reston. It was an elegant
solution. "That sounds great. I'm very grateful."
"His name's Mike Keillor and he'll stop by tomorrow. I'll give you his
number."
"Perfect. I'll--" She stopped. "Keillor? I thought you said he was your
brother."
"He is, in every way that counts." Well, that was intriguing. Sam didn't
elaborate.
"Okay. Having him stop by a couple of times would be a big help. I think
those two are dumber than they are nasty, but--"
"You can be stupid and dangerous at the same time." Sam's mouth
tightened. "The world's full of very stupid and very dangerous ass--men."
"I grew up all over the world," she answered. "I know that deep in my
bones."
She smiled at him. He was still turned toward her, a set expression on his
face. However grim he looked, he'd actually been very kind, finding a good
solution to a thorny problem while allowing her to save face.
Instead of putting the car in motion, as she expected him to, he leaned
forward and gave her a kiss. A peck, really. But Nicole somehow found it hard to
breathe. She huffed out a little breath of air, opened her mouth--and nothing came
out.
She could object, of course. It was beyond forward to assume that he could
simply up and...and kiss her. Just like that. But Nicole knew herself and knew that
pretending to be outraged wouldn't work, because it would be a lie. The brief kiss
had been far from unpleasant. Unsettling and unnerving, but not unpleasant.
It had been like coming into fleeting contact with something immensely
powerful, something that could burn if the
unnerving, but she dealt with it. By the time she got to the corner, she'd forgotten
they existed. The second week the whistles and cat calls started, together with rude
gestures. It took her the entire drive downtown to shake the disgust from her
system. The other day, when Creepy knocked on the car window, well, that had
been truly frightening.
"I think--I think they might be escalating," she said quietly. There. She'd
put it into words, that vague sense of unease hanging like a gray cloud in the back
of her mind. "One of them knocked on the window as I took off the other day. I
remember thinking that I could have been in trouble if the car hadn't started."
He nodded. "I was afraid of that. There are things you can do to block the
escalation. Even better, there are things I can do..."
He left it hanging in the air.
Nicole closed her eyes in relief. Oh God, yes.
Let the Dreaded Dreadlocks problem go. Just tip it into those broad, tanned,
very capable-looking hands. There was no doubt that Sam could deal with the
punks with almost embarrassing ease, much much more easily than she could ever
hope to. He'd frozen them literally with a look.
The temptation to let him handle the two punks was so strong she had to dig
her nails into the palms of her hands to bring herself back to reality.
Having him take care of this problem for her was a huge temptation. But-she didn't know Sam Reston at all. He wasn't her partner in any way. If he warned
off the Creeps by acting as her proxy, and she never saw him again, they'd notice
and double the harassment.
"No," she said reluctantly. "I think I'd better handle it. Or try to."
He nodded, but didn't switch on the engine yet. He sat, big hands curved
around the steering wheel, looking at her.
"Tell you what." His gaze went past her to where two thuggish faces looked
out the porch window. He gave a sharp punch to the horn and the faces
disappeared, the dingy beige curtain fluttering back into place. "My brother Mike
is a cop. I can have him drive by a couple of times in a patrol car. Stop in front of
37
your house and say hello. That way they know you have the cops at your back."
"That would be wonderful. Thank you." Nicole tried to keep the relief out
of her voice. It was a perfect solution. Enough of a deterrent to keep the two thugs
off her case, without it being directly linked to Sam Reston. It was an elegant
solution. "That sounds great. I'm very grateful."
"His name's Mike Keillor and he'll stop by tomorrow. I'll give you his
number."
"Perfect. I'll--" She stopped. "Keillor? I thought you said he was your
brother."
"He is, in every way that counts." Well, that was intriguing. Sam didn't
elaborate.
"Okay. Having him stop by a couple of times would be a big help. I think
those two are dumber than they are nasty, but--"
"You can be stupid and dangerous at the same time." Sam's mouth
tightened. "The world's full of very stupid and very dangerous ass--men."
"I grew up all over the world," she answered. "I know that deep in my
bones."
She smiled at him. He was still turned toward her, a set expression on his
face. However grim he looked, he'd actually been very kind, finding a good
solution to a thorny problem while allowing her to save face.
Instead of putting the car in motion, as she expected him to, he leaned
forward and gave her a kiss. A peck, really. But Nicole somehow found it hard to
breathe. She huffed out a little breath of air, opened her mouth--and nothing came
out.
She could object, of course. It was beyond forward to assume that he could
simply up and...and kiss her. Just like that. But Nicole knew herself and knew that
pretending to be outraged wouldn't work, because it would be a lie. The brief kiss
had been far from unpleasant. Unsettling and unnerving, but not unpleasant.
It had been like coming into fleeting contact with something immensely
powerful, something that could burn if the
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