Double Cross. Terri Reed

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СКАЧАТЬ have been hurt had they been closer to the truck.

      Kiki flipped her dark braid over her shoulder, the thick end nearly clobbering him in the face. She’d probably hoped it would. For some reason she didn’t like him.

      Having a woman respond so negatively was an odd experience for him when he poured on extra charm. For as long as he could remember, females flocked to him with as little encouragement as a smile.

      But not Kiki Brill.

      No, from the moment she’d laid eyes on him last May she’d bristled like a porcupine caught in the glare of headlights.

      Today was no different. When she scrambled away after the blast, her gold-speckled eyes had widened with a mixture of disbelief and something else that he’d been unable to identify. And then her gaze had turned cold and the lines around her lush red lips had tightened.

      From the moment she’d opened her mouth, she’d made it clear he wasn’t welcome, which only fueled his desire to breach her wall of resistance.

      Because with enough charm and persistence, he would get his way. He would not fail. Failing wasn’t something he did graciously. Or often.

      He wanted to close the deal and acquire the second half of his bonus so he could move on to other projects. The delay in convincing Kiki and Lana to sell stressed Ryan’s game plan. Not something he took lightly.

      From his vantage point behind Kiki, he noted the regal manner with which she walked down the porch, so straight and tall, as if ready to conquer the world, and it called to something deep in Ryan.

      Pano and Nik stopped talking as Kiki and Ryan approached.

      Nik’s dark, assessing gaze reminded Ryan of his brother Brody, also a law enforcement man. Ryan supposed it was a trick of the trade, watching and analyzing every person. Brody was good at the law thing. Nik probably was, too.

      But Ryan wasn’t sure what to make of Pano, who wore a T-shirt with a restaurant logo emblazoned across the back and red board shorts that fell just above his knees. He looked very much like the stereotypical Polynesian man.

      Pano was huge in height and mass, with broad features and jet-black eyes and hair. Kiki’s curvy statuesque build, crowned by her shiny black-brown hair, gold-specked brown eyes and symmetrical features made it seem as if they weren’t from the same gene pool.

      And looking at Lana Kaapa, who had joined them outside, he could see that she had different features than either of her grandchildren. Lana’s rounded face, kind brown eyes and diminutive stature made Ryan wonder about the two cousins’ parents.

      Granted, not all relatives resembled each other. Ryan and his sister, Megan, favored their mother’s side of the family, except for Ryan’s dark eyes. Only his sister, out of the four siblings, had been blessed with the Kelley blues. Ryan’s older brothers, Brody and Patrick, both resembled their father in looks, but also their grandfather Connor McClain.

      “Officer, do you need anything else from me?” Ryan asked.

      “No, you’re good to go. Just don’t leave the island,” Nik responded.

      Pano tipped his chin in Ryan’s direction. “Tomorrow I can take you out to Makena Beach. Good surfing there.”

      “Makena Beach is fine.” Ryan turned to Lana. “I’m sorry for the trouble you’ve had today. If there is anything I can do, let me know.”

      She patted his arm. “We’ll see you for dinner tomorrow.”

      He met Kiki’s smoldering gaze. Whether she liked it or not, Ryan was going to make this sale go through.

      One way or another.

      Anger simmered low in Kiki’s gut as she watched Ryan drive his rented Mustang out of sight. He seemed to have her Tutu wrapped around his little finger. He wouldn’t be so successful with Kiki.

      Why hadn’t her father called back? It would ease her mind if she could confirm Ryan’s true identity. Then all she’d have to worry about was his smooth-talking sales pitch and not whether he was going to try to hurt her to get back at her grandfather.

      Ha! As if her grandfather would even bat an eye if anything were to happen to Kiki or her mother. The judge hadn’t been coy in making his feelings known over the years. The Brills had never forgiven or forgotten that their son Hunter had turned his back on the debutante they’d picked out for him.

      Even to this day, Sophia Brill, Hunter’s mother, kept tabs on the woman who should have been her daughter-in-law. Kiki didn’t know how her mother put up with the Brill family.

      Shaking off the unanswerable question, Kiki turned to Nik. “My father will be calling you about…something else.” She didn’t want to reveal anything more in front of Ryan.

      Interest gleamed in Nik’s gaze. “I’ll look forward to hearing from him.”

      Glad he didn’t press, she asked, “You’ll let us know if you find out who did this?”

      He nodded. “Yes, as soon as I know, I’ll let you know.”

      “Good.” She surveyed the mess. Not much to be done other than pick up the metal and sweep the paths and porch. The fertilizer wasn’t going to hurt anything.

      The phone rang. Kiki sprinted back inside.

      “Hello?”

      “It’s me.” Hunter said. “This McClain fellow is who he says.”

      Relief spread through her. At least Ryan wouldn’t be trying to kill her. “Thanks, Daddy.”

      “Are you sure you won’t come home?”

      Kiki closed her eyes. She missed her mother and father, but not the stress of not being good enough for the rest of the Brills. “Why don’t you and Mom come here?”

      “You know we can’t. The judge needs me here.”

      “Of course.” Kiki tried not to be bitter, but for her whole life, everything always revolved around the judge and what he needed. “Tell Mom I love her.”

      “I will, dear. I’m also going to fax a photo of Tolar to the local police there and will send one to your e-mail. Promise me you’ll be careful.”

      “Of course. Don’t worry, nothing is going to happen to me.”

      “I love you, Kiki.” Hunter’s voice softened.

      Kiki smiled. “I love you, too, Daddy.”

      After they hung up, Kiki went to the front window of the house. Her gaze landed briefly on her island family as they still talked in the front yard, then her gaze moved on to where the forensic people were doing whatever they did at a crime scene.

      A crime scene. Here on the farm.

      The idea was so surreal, yet someone had blown up the fertilizer truck. Why? What could anyone possibly gain by doing such a thing?

      She shook her head at the futileness of the question. СКАЧАТЬ