Chapter 15
15
S mooth Operator? Lathered in Love?
Ford almost choked on a piece of cheese when Isabelle announced the names of her soaps with a twinkle in her eye.
God, that woman had a knack for pushing his buttons.
She was both adorable and annoying. Isabelle had made it her mission since he arrived to make him laugh, and damn if she wasn’t succeeding—but seriously?
Just what did the women think he and Tessa were up to?
They only just met, for crying out loud.
Not that he hadn’t noticed that Tessa was sexy or smart. He liked her courage and spirit, but again, THEY JUST MET.
However, the idea of getting to know Tessa better was strong. But he wasn’t taking her to bed or anywhere else until he neutralized the threat. Once the danger passed? Perhaps. Definitely. Maybe. But only if she wanted it too.
To escape the teasing and sounds of giggles, he got out of the cabin as quickly as he could and drove into town to grab a beer at Lucky’s. Being by himself with just the murmur of conversations and clink of glass was a treat.
He couldn’t deny Joy was a lifesaver. Ford never thought she could gather some of the girls together and bring over food and clothes on such short notice. Although that was what impressed him most about this group: They all came together to help one another.
Ford knew Tessa was struggling with her lack of clothing and money even though she hadn’t complained once.
He wanted to help. He considered offering to buy her the basics but hesitated. They only just met, and he didn’t want to overstep and make her feel uncomfortable. Still, the thought of her going without bothered him. He was grateful for the women’s help.
Hell, what he knew about relationships could fit into a shot glass. He rubbed his hands over his head. Over the years, there were a lot of one-night stands that vanished in the morning, but no one made him want more. For some unknown reason, Tessa did.
He traced his finger over the cold beer glass. The thought of committing, really letting someone in, felt terrifying and a little thrilling. The wall he’d built around himself kept getting higher over the years, and yet his friends here kept gently knocking it down, involving him in their lives. Ford saw how happy the couples were, how they trusted each other.
Trust didn’t come easy to him. It used to.
But that was before Pete died. Before he lost his parents.
He never questioned whether he’d be let down, deserted, until then. It was unrealistic to expect people to be around forever. But he trusted them to have his back, and while he knew shit happened, perhaps all it did was expose his insecurities. Maybe he needed to move past them.
His phone dinged. Chase texted him to get Tessa and come back to the command center to go over what they found. Ford chugged the last bit of beer, settled his tab and headed back.
It didn’t take long, and as he approached his driveway, he noticed the cars were gone. Thankfully. He turned off his truck and stepped onto the porch. Ford hoped Tessa enjoyed herself, but he needed to stay focused. Ford wondered what Chase and Dex found out.
He opened the door and saw Tessa sitting in a chair, reading. “Hey. Did you have a good time?” he asked.
She looked over with a smile. “It felt so good to talk to other women, and I can’t believe they brought food and clothes. I showered and changed. Now I feel like a new woman.”
“I’m glad. Joy, well, all the women are good about things like that. However, I hate to burst your happy bubble, but Chase has information for us and asked that we meet him now.”
Tessa frowned. “What do you think he found out?”
Ford shook his head. “We’ll know when we get over there.”
Tessa set her book down and followed him outside. It was nice out, and Ford suggested they walk down the dirt drive rather than drive.
He glanced over at Tessa. She had changed into a pair of skinny jeans that accentuated her slender body, sneakers and a bluish-green three-quarter-sleeved V-neck tee.
She’d pulled her blond hair back in a ponytail, looking more relaxed and sexy as all get-out.
“So.” He cleared his throat awkwardly and asked, “Did you try the soap Isabelle brought over?” Why did he care? But the thought of leaning close to sniff her tempted him.
Tessa giggled. “You should have seen your face! Priceless. I think Isabelle gets her kicks teasing people.”
“I know she does,” he said, chuckling. “So, which one did you use?”
“Lathered in Love,” she replied with a twinkle in her eye. “It’s a blend of rosehip oil, cocoa butter and dried rose petals.” She rubbed her wrist and held it up to him. “Want to smell?”
Oh God. He probably shouldn’t… but hell, yes, he did. Leaning over, he inhaled the soft scent of rose and something else. Felt his cock stiffen and groaned softly. Looking up, he saw Tessa grinning.
“Nice, huh? I think she added some lavender as well.”
“Yeah,” he replied, his voice rougher than he intended. She was too distracting. He needed to focus, to remember why she was here. But it was getting harder to ignore how much he liked her.
Ford adjusted his pants discreetly as they approached the command center. There were several cars there, and he heard barking, so Melissa must have an obedience class.
They entered through Chase’s office and into the conference room. As before, Chase, Dex, Will and Titus were there, but now Colt was sitting at the table with a tense expression on his face.
“Hi,” said Tessa in a small voice.
“Take a seat, you two. We have an update,” said Chase. He waited for them to sit before speaking. “First off, the bad news.” He shook his head and paused. “Actually, it’s mostly bad news.”
Tessa groaned. Ford reached over for her hand, ignoring the looks Colt was giving him.
“Was there anything on the tape?” Ford asked.
Dex shook his head. “There were several conversations but nothing that pointed to any illegal activity.”
“I didn’t have a lot of time to record,” said Tessa. “Even so, I’m disappointed there wasn’t anything.”
“Yeah. We are too,” replied Chase. “We also tried to reach out to the cop you spoke to.”
Ford’s stomach dropped. Something terrible had happened.
“Apparently, he’s missing,” said Chase. “He resigned from the force and took off for parts unknown. No one has heard from him, nor can they reach him.”
Tessa moaned. “So, there is no one and nothing to collaborate my story. I’m still in danger.” She looked around frantically. “You all are in danger, too.” She stood abruptly. “I have to go.”
“Sit.” Chase didn’t raise his voice, but all the authority of an ex-SEAL was behind it. “You’re not going anywhere. We’ve handled threats like this before, and we’ll handle this one.”
She sank back into her chair, wringing her hands. Ford’s heart went out to her. She was an innocent, not the slimeballs and bullies the Brotherhood was used to.
“Tessa,” said Colt softly. “The one piece of good news, if you can call it that, is that I found a bug in your car. That’s how they tracked you to Ford’s cabin.”
Tessa’s eyes widened in terror. “When did they put that on my car?” She leaned back in the chair and sighed. “Well, at least … at least you know I’m not lying.”
Chase frowned. “We never believed you were lying. But the cop disappearing is … disturbing. He’s probably dead.”
“I went deeper into Damien Moretti’s background,” said Dex. “He has a reputation—a dangerous one. You were lucky to get away when you did.”
A thick silence had settled over the room. This wasn’t just about keeping Tessa safe anymore.
The Brotherhood had become entangled in a deadly game, and they’d make sure Moretti paid.