“This is totally f**ked, but…I like her.”

Oh, hell. “Come again?”

“I like her, damn it. She’s…not what I expected.”

No, she wouldn’t be. Alice gave Reese a look of impatience. He shrugged at her. “How’s that?”

“She’s nice, Reese. An innocent stuck in the middle of this mess.”

“Yeah, her situation is pretty tough. Can’t be helped, though, right? Not with her brother still around.”

“It’s more than her being nice.”

Reese looked up at the sky but found no inspiration, so he just waited.

Logan said, “I’m interested in her.”

That bald statement gave him pause. “As in helping her through this, you mean? Making amends after you get Rowdy? Because you feel bad for disrupting her life—”

“As a woman, damn it.”

“Bullshit.” His raised voice drew Alice’s sharpened attention. Again Reese turned his back on her.

“I don’t believe it.” Guilt, okay, he got that. Logan was one of the most honorable men he knew. It’s why he was so resolved to bring his friend’s murderers to justice. But… “I’ve seen the pictures of her, remember. She’s not your type.” He’d scoured the photos at Logan’s request and saw that she was plain at best, damn near dumpy at worst.

Sounding defensive, Logan said, “She’s smart. And sweet.”

“So is my new dog, but that doesn’t mean—”

Logan all but snarled, “Fuck off, Reese.” And then more quietly, “You don’t know her.”

He squeezed the phone and kept his tone low. “And you think you do? Jesus man, you’re undercover. Any relationship you think you have with her is a f**king sham.”

Ice filled Logan’s voice. “Get here as soon as you can. I’ll stall her for an hour or so. Later.”

After Logan disconnected the call, Reese dropped his phone into his pocket and turned back to Alice and Cash.

They sat beneath the only tree in the lot, trying to hog the sliver of shade. Ready to get on his way, Reese strode across the grass to stand over her.

As usual, she paid him no mind.

“You like my dog.”

“He’s beautiful.”

“Busy tonight?”

She blanched. Literally. Looking up at him with big dark eyes and something that felt remarkably like fear, Alice-something-or-other tried to speak, but nothing came out.

“Jesus.” Reese knelt down in front of her. “I wasn’t going to proposition you. I just need someone to look after Cash.”

After a pregnant silence, color rushed back into her face. “Oh. You mean your dog?”

“Yeah. I have a…an emergency. Gotta go back out and it might take a while, so I was thinking—”

“Yes,” she blurted. Pushing back and away from him, she scrambled up to her feet. “Yes, I’ll watch him for you.”

Odd. To the point of being weird. “Great.” Slowly, Reese regained his own feet. “He’s not entirely housebroken yet, so… You want to watch him at my place instead of yours?”

“Mine.”

What a relief—and yet, still annoying. “Then I’ll go get the stuff I just bought for him.” He walked away from her, and he didn’t care if it was rude or not. The dog, damn him, didn’t give a shit now that he had Alice-something-or-other fawning all over him.

Reese used his cell to organize the stakeout while bounding up the steps to his apartment. He took time to clean up Cash’s mess and change into jeans and a black T-shirt before heading back out front in under ten minutes. He handed a bag of Cash’s new belongings, including food, a chew toy and a blanket, to Alice—who still stood out in the yard.

He thanked her, gave the dog a pat and the admonishment to be good—yeah, right—and got on his way. No matter how tonight rolled out, it was going to end up an apocalyptic mess. He felt it deep in his bones. Things were about to implode—for good or bad, he didn’t yet know. Logan was getting in a little too deep. Maybe he was discovering things better left undiscovered.

Reese would have to keep an eye on him.

And while he was on it, he’d keep an eye on Pepper Yates, too.

CHAPTER TEN

IT WASN’T EASY, putting on a front and keeping Pepper in the dark when every instinct Logan had urged him to protect her from what would happen tonight.

What he would instigate.

Despite her brother’s orders, she seemed genuinely happy to see him. Maybe a little more reserved than usual, but hard to tell when she was always so introverted.

Except during sex.

He had planned to have her again, to seduce her in whatever way necessary. But with it all going down tonight, Logan knew he couldn’t do that. Not to her.

Not again.

To help keep things in check, he’d worn jeans and a T-shirt. Not much in the way of barriers, but at least he wasn’t deliberately trying to draw her in.

“Let’s go inside,” she suggested for the fifth time. “It’s hot out here.”

Normally, Logan would follow her lead. Tonight, he continued to lean against the railing, staring out at the colorful sky. He needed another twenty minutes or so to ensure Reese was in position. Damned if he’d miss this opportunity now that he finally had Rowdy taking the bait.

He hated putting Pepper in this position, caught between following her brother’s orders and having to lie to him, but it couldn’t be helped.