Deadly Intentions (Hardy Brothers Security Book 1) (5 page)

Four days passed, but time and distance couldn’t stop James’ mind from wandering. Unfortunately, it kept wandering back to a certain blonde and her stupid pencil skirt.

“What are you thinking about?”

James glanced up when Grady poked his head into his office. “I was just thinking.”

Grady wasn’t dissuaded by his brother’s hard tone. “About a certain blonde we all know and love?”

James rolled his eyes. “I was actually thinking about work,” he lied. “But, now that you’ve brought her up, do you have any information on that front?”

Grady slipped into the chair across from James’ desk and focused on his brother. “You’re telling me that you’re not thinking about Mandy? Really? I’ve had trouble keeping her out of my dreams since I saw her. Finally, I had to get out of bed last night and go pick up a woman at a bar to make me think of something else.”

Grady was purposely baiting James. As attractive as Mandy was, once he saw James was interested in her, all thoughts of pursuing her fled. His brother rarely showed real interest in a woman – well, interest that lasted more than a night – so there was no way he was going to tread in those dangerous waters.

“You’re a dick,” James growled.

“And you like her,” Grady prodded.

“Who are we talking about?” Finn asked, stepping into the office. “I’m guessing it’s the very comely Miss Mandy.”

“I’m not interested in Mandy.”

Grady and Finn rolled their eyes in unison.

“Are you trying to convince us or yourself?” Finn asked.

“Why are you guys so interested?” James countered. “Do you have a bet or something?”

Finn shifted his eyes uncomfortably, but Grady didn’t have the same sense of embarrassment his siblings had.

“I already won the bet,” Grady said.

“Excuse me?” James was incensed.

“I bet you would have her naked within a week,” Grady replied. “Finn thought it would only take you three days.”

“I can’t believe you two,” James grumbled.

“I think you should hold out,” Finn said suddenly. “Wait a few more days.”

Grady frowned. “You just don’t want to pay me.”

“That’s totally untrue,” Finn replied. “I don’t want James to do anything that he might regret.”

“You think he’ll regret sleeping with Mandy?” Grady asked. “Why would he? She is flipping hot.”

“She is,” Finn agreed. “I think that James here would regret it, because she would be a little more than a one-night-stand.”

“Ah,” Grady nodded sagely. “You think she’s the one.”

Grady was teasing James, but the way James stiffened in his chair had him correcting his course.

“Wait a second,” he said. “Crap. You do think she’s the one.”

“I do not,” James argued. “I think she’s a girl from our hometown who is in trouble and we need to help her.”

Finn’s eyes were bright with sudden interest. “Holy shit. You do really like her.”

“She’s friends with our sister,” James reminded him.

“So what?” Finn countered. “It’s not like she’s fourteen anymore. She’s a grown woman.”

“A really hot woman,” Grady added.

“And a really smart and interesting woman,” Finn said.

“That, too,” Grady agreed. “If James wasn’t being all … whatever he’s being, I would be on her like white on rice.”

“That’s a really lame saying,” Finn interjected.

“You know what I mean.”

“I do.”

James remained silent.

“Why don’t you tell us what’s going on in that busy mind of yours,” Finn suggested.

“I’m wondering what you found on the background checks I told you to run,” James said, forcing his voice to remain even. He knew his brothers were teasing him but, for some reason, their barbs were physically causing him pain – and a whole lot of emotional discomfort.

Finn sighed but let the matter drop. James obviously wasn’t ready to talk about whatever feelings Mandy was churning up in the usually calm waters of his heart. “Not a lot,” he admitted. “I’ve run the stepmother through a basic check and, from all outward appearances, she is what she is. She goes to knitting parties. She spends a lot of time with her sister. She calls her son three times a week.”

“What about the son?” James asked.

“He’s a little sketchier,” Finn said. “He fled from North Dakota to Idaho to avoid paying child support. The only other thing on his record is a drunken driving charge from ten years ago. He’s a deadbeat, but he doesn’t seem to be a violent deadbeat.”

James grunted in acknowledgement and turned to Grady. “What about the courthouse?”

Grady shrugged. “She’s well liked. She’s got some close friends, and loyal ones. One of the security guards is apparently infatuated with her, but I ran him through the system and he doesn’t have a record. He just seems like a normal guy. It’s hard, though. There are so many people in and out of that courthouse that it’s impossible to do a full background check on everyone.”

“I’ve met the security guard,” James said. “He doesn’t seem like a threat. He’s more like a lost puppy dog. She’s more worried about hurting his feelings than anything else.”

Grady smirked. “You’ve met the security guard? When?”

James shifted uncomfortably. “I stopped by the courthouse the other day to make sure the locksmith did a good job on her windows and doors. He was talking to her in the lobby when I got there.”

Finn smiled knowingly. “And you had to tell her that in person?”

James silently cursed. “I just wanted to make sure she was okay.”

“Because you’re hot for her,” Grady supplied.

“Because she’s a client and she’s a friend,” James countered.

“If she’s a client, how much is she paying us?” Grady asked.

James frowned. Money hadn’t come up. “We’re giving her the friends and family discount.”

“Which means we’re doing it for free,” Finn said.

“Are you okay with letting Mandy – Mandy Avery, the girl we’ve known since we were kids – get killed in the parking lot of the courthouse without doing anything?” James challenged.

“No,” Finn shook his head. “I have no problem helping her for free. You’re the one who apparently has a problem.”

“I don’t think it’s a problem,” James said. “I just want to make sure she’s safe.”

“Because you like her,” Grady prodded.

“No,” James argued. “Because she’s someone we’ve known forever and she might be in real danger.”

Grady opened his mouth to argue further but Finn stopped him with a silent shake of his head.

“What do you think is going on?” Finn asked, changing tactics mid-stride.

“I don’t know,” James admitted. “You wouldn’t think being a court clerk would be dangerous. It’s not like she’s handing down sentences, after all. There are a lot of scumbags that go through that place. And, let’s be honest, she’s an attractive woman. Some jackass could be focusing on her without her even realizing what’s going on. She’s kind of innocent and naïve when it comes to stuff like that.”

Finn bit the inside of his lip to keep from laughing out loud. “I don’t think she’s innocent,” he said. “I don’t think she’s a dominatrix in her spare time, but a woman that looks like that isn’t innocent.”

James shot Finn a pointed scowl. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Oh, that’s what you meant,” Grady corrected. “You just didn’t think that’s what we thought you meant.”

“Are you trying to be funny?”

Grady shrugged. “Sometimes. In this instance, though? No.”

James slammed his hand on the desk irritably. “I am not interested in her. Can you guys just let that go? It’s ridiculous.”

Grady and Finn exchanged another look.

“Fine, you’re not interested in her,” Grady said, holding his hands up in defeat. “We get it.”

The bell over the lobby door jangled. James didn’t get to his feet to answer it. Instead, he turned to Grady tiredly. “Can you go see who that is?”

Grady got to his feet with a sigh. “Fine. I still think you like her.”

“I still think you’re an idiot,” James shot back.

Grady paused at the door. “I can be an idiot and still right on this front.”

Once he was gone, James returned his attention to the file he was perusing on his desk. He could feel Finn’s eyes on him, but he figured if he ignored him he would just go away. He was wrong.

“It’s okay to like her, you know,” Finn said. “She’s a great girl … woman,” he corrected himself. “She’s a great woman.”

“Yeah, she’s a peach,” James agreed.

“I think you’re fighting this because you still see her as the fourteen-year-old girl who followed you around like you walked on water,” Finn said. “She’s not; not anymore, anyway.”

“I didn’t say she was.”

“She’s a grown woman.”

“I’ve seen.”

“Not to be like Grady, but she’s a grown woman who has grown up to be quite the looker,” Finn pressed.

James sighed and finally met Finn’s gaze. “I know.”

“So, why don’t you want to go after her?”

“She’s a client,” James reminded him.

“She’s not a paying client,” Finn said, stifling a laugh. “I think you’ve made sure of that on purpose.”

James frowned. “I don’t get what you’re saying.”

“Oh, you get it,” Finn said. “You just don’t want to admit it. You’re not charging her because then you can keep the distinction of her being a client separate in your mind. You might not have realized that you’re consciously doing it, but you’re doing it.”

“I’ll take some paperwork over to her and make her a paying client, if that’s what you want,” James said, although his heart wasn’t really into the suggestion.

“That’s not what I want,” Finn said. “I just want you to admit you like her and do something about it.”

James considered the statement and then shook his head. “She’s Ally’s friend,” he said. “I’m not interested in her.”

Finn blew out a long-suffering sigh. “Fine. You’re clearly not ready yet.”

“I’m never going to be ready for what you’re suggesting,” James countered. “I’m not looking for a girlfriend.”

Finn’s dark eyes were serious when they met James’ hardened gaze. “Then don’t go after her.”

James was surprised at the statement. “I thought you wanted me to go after her?”

“I want you to admit you like her, there’s a difference,” Finn said. “She’s not one-night-stand material. If you don’t want to be with her, then stay away from her. She deserves more than that.”

“Since when did you become her protector?” James asked, fighting the irritation clawing at his chest.

“Since you’re too stubborn to admit there’s more going on here than what is on the surface,” Finn replied. “She’s a good girl. She’s a good woman. She doesn’t deserve whatever crap you’re going to spew all over her in your present mood.”

James bit the inside of his lip.
Was Finn right?
He didn’t have a chance to consider the question because Grady was back in the office, a look of panic on his face.

“What’s going on?” James was on his feet instantaneously.

“It’s Ann Nelson,” Grady hissed. “She’s looking for James.”

Panic washed over James. “What does she want?”

“She’s collecting funds for UNICEF,” Grady deadpanned. “What do you think she wants? She wants to see you.”

“What did you tell her?” James asked.

“I told her you weren’t here,” Grady said. “She doesn’t believe me, though. She wants to see the empty office.”

James grabbed his keys from the desk and shoved them into his pocket. “I’m going out the back. You don’t let her see me.”

“I didn’t want her to see me,” Grady said. “Why am I suddenly protecting you?”

“Because I’m the one who signs your paychecks,” James offered.

“Good point. Get the hell out of here.”

Finn was on James’ heels, practically pressing against him as he slipped out the back door. “What are you doing?” James asked.

“I don’t want to see her either.”

James considered arguing but, ultimately, couldn’t find a realistic reason to keep Finn in the office. “Fine,” he said. “Be quiet.”

“Save yourselves,” Grady crooned as his brothers made their escape. "I'm the last man standing," he muttered to himself once they were gone. He squared his shoulders and prepared to walk back into the lobby. “I can handle this. She’s just a woman. An evil woman, but a woman all the same.”

No one answered because everyone was gone.

“I hate my life,” Grady grumbled.

Another day, another crappy court docket, Mandy thought to herself as she left the courthouse.

It was late. Darkness had already fallen outside. All of the court personnel had left two hours before, and the building was eerily silent, the only sound emanating from Mandy’s heels on the hard floor as she strode through the building.

She’d stayed because she was behind on work and she hated that feeling. It was like she was a slacker; one of those dumbass burnouts from college who kept going to class even though there was no hope of graduation on the horizon. She blamed it all on James Hardy. If he hadn’t been haunting her dreams she would’ve been able to get a good night’s sleep over the past four days and focus on her work.

When the elevator landed on the first floor, Mandy sucked in a worried breath. She’d promised herself that she wouldn’t leave the building at a time when she was particularly vulnerable again. Apparently, she wasn’t good at keeping promises – even to herself.

Since it was so late, she couldn’t leave through the front door. She needed to use her security pass on one of the smaller doors off the front vestibule. There were emergency lights illuminating the path – and Mandy was thankful for that as she moved through the building. If it was completely dark, she would’ve sent herself into a panic the minute she left the safe confines of her office.

Mandy forced back the fear clouding her mind and kept moving forward.
There was nothing to be scared of here.
The building was empty. There was a lone security guard somewhere in the building, but he had to patrol every floor in the seven-floor courthouse as part of his regular rounds, so the odds of him being here just now were rather slim.

Despite that fact, Mandy thought she heard some phantom steps in the distance.
You’re just imagining it
. That didn’t stop her from glancing over her should to make sure. Nothing. Mandy calmed herself, trying to rein in her racing pulse.
There’s no reason to be scared. You’re fine.
She was almost out of the building.

She heard footsteps again and froze. Mandy risked a glance over her shoulder again and found her heart had somehow jumped up into her throat when she saw a dark figure emerging from the inky black that was stifling her.

“Who is that?” She asked, her voice shaking.

The figure paused, his features still hidden. “Mandy?”

Relief washed over her when she recognized the voice. “Clint?”

“Yeah.” He strode forward; only stopping when he was a few feet away and the emergency lights could verify his identity. “What are you doing here?”

“I was working late,” Mandy said. “I didn’t realize how late it really was.”

“I didn’t think anyone was still in the building,” Clint replied. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Mandy laughed, although the sound was hollow. “It’s fine,” she said. “I just let myself think the worst when I heard your footsteps. I should stop watching so many horror movies.”

Clint’s face lit up. “Oh, you like horror movies? What’s your favorite one?”

Mandy mentally chided herself for continuing a conversation she had no interest in. “
The Shining
.”

“That’s a great one,” Clint agreed. “I love
Halloween
. Michael Myers is awesome.”

The fact that Clint identified with a knife-wielding maniac didn’t sit well with her. “That’s a good one,” she agreed before lapsing into silence.

Clint shifted uncomfortably. “So, um, did you have a good date the other night?”

Mandy’s mind shifted to James. She tried to hide her scowl before answering. “It wasn’t a date,” she corrected Clint. “He’s just a friend from home.”

Clint didn’t look convinced. “Does he know that?”

Mandy frowned. “What makes you say that?”

“He seemed a little … proprietary.”

Mandy faltered. “He’s just kind of … manly,” she explained. “That’s probably what you were sensing. He was in the Marines. He can’t help himself.”

“So, you’re not a couple?” Clint’s tone was hopeful.

She and James were definitely not a couple. Mandy didn’t want to give Clint hope. “We’re kind of feeling things out,” she said, quashing the surge of guilt coursing through her. It was better to let Clint down easy. “We’ll see how things go.”

“So he’s not your boyfriend, but he’s not not your boyfriend,” Clint suggested.

“Right.”

Clint sighed. “Okay.”

She wanted to give him some form of solace, but she didn’t want it misconstrued. Instead, Mandy forced a smile onto her face. “Yeah, we’ll see.”

Clint was hard to read. “So, um, do you want me to walk you out to your car or anything?”

Mandy refrained from saying what she was thinking:
Hell no.
Instead, she offered him a rueful smile. “I’ll be fine. It’s not even nine yet.”

“Are you sure?” Clint pressed.

She was definitely sure. “I’ll be fine.” She moved past him and toward the exit door on the left side of the vestibule, only stopping when a thought occurred to her. “Do you usually work nights?”

Clint shook his head. “No. I’m just filling in for Merle.”

Mandy had no idea who Merle was. “Oh, well, that’s good. You’re getting extra money, right?” She wasn’t sure what a security guard earned, but she figured it wasn’t much. Any extra money had to be a boon.

“Oh, yeah,” Clint replied. “I wouldn’t volunteer if it wasn’t good money.”

Mandy smiled. “Well, spend it on something fun.”

“I will,” Clint said as Mandy turned back to the door. “Be careful.”

“I will,” Mandy replied, refusing to look back.

Once she was outside, Mandy took in a huge, gulping breath. She felt ridiculous for freaking out because Clint was doing his job and patrolling the building. Her heart was still racing. And, she couldn’t deny it, she was mildly suspicious.
Why was Clint in the building so late?
He never worked nights before, at least to her knowledge.

“Don’t be an idiot,” Mandy muttered to herself. “He’s harmless.”

Now that she was outside, the claustrophobia that had rendered her helpless minutes before fled, and a new feeling was taking over. She was completely vulnerable outside. The streets of Mount Clemens were empty this late at night. During the day, it was a bustling hub of activity. As the county seat, there was a lot of business transpiring on the city’s streets during business hours. At night, though, all that hustle and bustle completely disappeared. For some reason, the city couldn’t sustain a viable bar business.

Mandy forced herself to relax. This was ridiculous. It was only nine at night. There was nothing to be afraid of. Sure, the streets were empty, but no one would be stupid enough to attack her this early in the evening.

Mandy blew out a sigh, hating herself for the fear washing over her heart and mind, and turned toward the parking lot.
Just breathe.
This wasn’t a big deal. Nothing had happened in days. She was probably imagining everything anyway.

Mandy squared her shoulders and pointed her body in the direction of the parking lot.
One step in front of the other.
She was halfway to her destination when her breathing finally returned to normal, her heartbeat slowing. She was being stupid. There was no danger here. Maybe there was no danger anywhere.

Mandy shifted her mind to other thoughts. She needed more painting supplies and canvases. A trip to the craft store was in order. A new season of
The Walking Dead
was starting in two weeks. It was her favorite show. That was something to look forward to.

Crap
. Thinking of
The Walking Dead
made her think of zombies.
There are no zombies in Mount Clemens. Zombies aren’t real.
They’re interesting movies and television shows, but nothing else. Never real.
Killers are real, though. She saw them come through the court system every day.
Yeah, killers were real. Crap. Killers were real.
She was in a dark parking lot, alone, and killers were real.

“Shit.”

She was almost to her car. She had to stop thinking about killers. The parking lot was completely vacant except for a dark Ford Explorer in one of the closer slots, and another sedan at the far end of the pavement rectangle. Mandy couldn’t help but wonder if she would feel safer if the parking lot was completely empty.

She felt like an idiot. Again. One of the vehicles obviously belonged to Clint.
And the other?
The nagging thought was haunting her.
Who did the other vehicle belong to?

Just move forward, Mandy urged herself.
There’s a perfectly good reason for two vehicles to be in this parking lot this late at night.
Sure, she couldn’t think of one, but she wasn’t exactly firing on all cylinders right now.

Mandy pulled her keys out of her pocket, hitting the “open door” button as soon as she found it on the fob.
I’m almost there.
Relief flooded through her when she found herself in front of her car. In a few feet, she would be safe.

That’s when her world imploded. The sedan at the end of the parking lot roared to life, the lights flipping on, as the car sped in her direction. Mandy froze. She was in the path of the car, the lights bearing down on her. She was fine, she told herself. The driver just hadn’t seen her yet. She was totally fine. He would turn away.

If she was totally fine, then why wasn’t the car slowing down?
Was it speeding up?
She thought it could be speeding up. She wanted to move. She needed to move. Why couldn’t she move? Her mind registered terror, and yet her body didn’t respond. She had to move. She had to move now.
Move. Move. Move!

She finally moved. Only, it wasn’t under her own volition. Before she even registered what was happening, another body barreled into her, knocking her out of the path of the oncoming car and onto the hard pavement. She hit the ground, the air knocked from her chest, barely registering the heavy body on top of her as she tried to grasp what was happening.

The car sped by, fleeing from the parking lot, and pulling onto Main Street without stopping as it raced into the distance.

Mandy couldn’t catch her breath, her heart pounding. The body on top of her wasn’t looking in her direction, and the fear of the car was quickly replaced by the fear of the person lying on top of her. Mandy hit the man on the chest, her fist rebounding off the solid mass that met her feeble resistance. “Get off me!”

It took three more hits before the figure finally turned its attention to her. “Are you all right?”

Mandy recognized the voice, almost puddling to the ground with relief. “James?”

“Yeah, who do you think?”

Mandy fought her tears. “You scared the shit out of me.” She laid her head back on the ground, letting the fear flee with the killer car. “Crap.”

James didn’t move, relishing the way his body fit over her slight frame, and then finally reeling in his emotions. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.”

“Then why are you wandering around in a dangerous parking lot after dark?”

Mandy considered the question, fighting her own stupidity. A thought occurred to her. “What are you doing here?”

“Making sure you make it home safe,” James grunted, shifting on top of her.

It was a weird situation, one fraught with unfulfilled danger, but Mandy could swear she felt something pressing into her thigh – and she didn’t think it was a gun. She could feel that on his hip, where her hand was currently resting. “You’re watching me?”

James frowned at her tone. “You obviously need it.”

Mandy was enjoying the feeling of his body, but his words cut her to the quick. “Get off me.” She pushed against his chest, trying to put some distance between their bodies. She was having trouble wrapping her mind around what had just happened. Longing for James was clouding her thought process.

James’ eyes glittered in the dark, his mouth only inches from hers. If he leaned forward, just a little bit, he would be able to put an end to the need that had been consuming him for days. Well, at least a portion of it. He didn’t. Instead, he rested his hands on the pavement and pushed himself off her. He immediately missed the warmth that had been coiled beneath him. “Are you all right?” He asked the question one more time.

“I’m fine.”

“Great,” he grunted. “So, tell me again, what are you doing out here alone?”