Hearts on Fire 9: Her Shadows of Light (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  “Shit, that doesn’t sound like it will be easy to track,” the arson investigator said.

  “No, but as we continue to look into these women who were burned and murdered, we might be able to find that one link, that person they all knew and, from there, who that person was and where they are now. We’ve got our work cut out for us, but now that the other few cases are linked, we can get all the info on those women and start looking for the connection. Let’s move. I want to find this asshole before some other beautiful redhead gets killed,” Jeffrey said, and they all agreed and headed out of the lab.

  * * * *

  “Thanks for picking me up,” Pat told Tobin as he got into the truck. “The truck is all finished. Mercury and Frank said it needed a new power steering hose. They ordered it in and should have the truck ready by seven tomorrow morning.”

  Pat was in uniform from the police department, and Tobin still had on his dress pants, badge, and gun from working, too.

  “It’s not a problem. I was working late on a case.”

  “Anything interesting?” Pat asked him.

  Tobin shook his head. “It’s been going on for months. Just as we get close to our suspect, some new information arises and makes it seem like there’s more people involved. I’m hoping for an arrest by next week, if not sooner.”

  Pat chuckled. “I hope so, too. Maybe you’ll be able to make it to the Station with us Saturday night for some college ball?”

  “Sounds good to me. I’m sure I’ll need the break by then. Are Reece and Rusty off from work?”

  “I think so. We’ll have to check with them.”

  “Hey, you see that over there,” Tobin said to Pat.

  Across the way, there was a beat-up convertible with hazards on, and it looked like the tire was going flat.

  “Yep. Flat tire.”

  As they slowed down, his brother made the U-Turn and came back around. Just as he approached, he saw another car pull up.

  “Good Samaritan is going to help,” Pat said just as Tobin flipped on the police lights.

  A woman got out of the convertible, and her long red hair whipped around in the wind. The car that had slowed down stepped on the gas and took off.

  “Guess not. Looks like we’re the Good Samaritans,” Tobin said and put the car in park, and they both got out.

  “Got some car trouble?” Pat asked.

  As the woman walked by the tire, dressed in a sexy business dress that showed off one hell of a body, Pat heard the horn honk, looked over his shoulder, and saw a sports car cut off a truck. The truck swerved, and Tobin grabbed Pat and the woman, pulling them to the side. Pat grabbed the woman tight, heard her scream, and then the truck whizzed by, clipping the side mirror of her car.

  “Jesus! Are you both okay?” Tobin asked.

  Pat nodded.

  “Miss, are you okay?” he asked her, still holding her close as he looked down into the most beautiful green eyes he’d ever seen. She looked shocked and about ready to cry.

  “Oh God, you both saved me. They would have killed us. God.”

  He felt her shaking. He caressed her arms, and Tobin was calling into his cell phone, giving license plate numbers and the make of the car and the truck.

  Pat couldn’t believe how beautiful the woman was.

  “Are you all right?” he asked again, and she nodded.

  “I’m sorry. Holy God, that was crazy.”

  She pulled back, and he didn’t let her go a moment. She was stunning, and he wanted to know more about her.

  “Uhm, you’re a police officer?” she asked him, and he gave a soft smile and released her. “Just got off duty. My brother Tobin, he’s a detective, picked me up because my truck is in the shop. Looks like you got a flat tire.”

  She nodded. Tobin was putting out safety flares.

  He approached as she and Pat looked at the tire.

  “You should stay in your vehicle when you have car troubles. Especially on a highway like this. That guy could have killed you,” he said to her as he approached. But the woman blinked as if she were shocked by his abrupt tone.

  She looked Tobin over. “So this is my fault?” she asked with attitude.

  “No, my brother isn’t saying that. He just got a bit frazzled like we did. We’ll help you change the tire,” Pat told her.

  “I don’t have a spare. I’ll just call a tow truck.”

  “I’ve got a number of a friend,” Pat said to her.

  “You don’t have a spare?” Tobin said.

  She shook her head.

  “Why the hell not? What if you were stranded on the side of the road somewhere and no help was coming? A young woman could get herself in quite the predicament if unprepared for emergencies,” Tobin said, reprimanding her.

  She lifted her phone, shook it, and gave him a wise-ass expression that had Pat covering his mouth to stifle a laugh.

  “What do you call this? For your information, buddy, I used the spare tire a few weeks ago, but I just moved here with a job transfer and haven’t gotten around to getting a new spare. And don’t worry. I know how to change a tire,” she snapped at him and then looked at Pat.

  “You said you know a tow truck service? Can I get the number?” she asked Pat.

  “I’ll call for you,” Pat said and then gave her a smile. She smiled back but then looked at Tobin, who absolutely towered over her, and she gave him an annoyed look. Pat couldn’t get over it. He also wondered why his brother was being so hard on her.

  * * * *

  Tobin was shocked at the attitude, never mind the beauty, of the redhead they pulled over to help. One look at her gorgeous green eyes and long red hair and, of course, the snug-fitting business dress she had on and he was shocked at his body’s response. She was sexy, classy, and, Jesus, built like a woman aiming to please. He was a big guy, and she was petite, and she smelled so good it was hard not to stand closer to her to get a better whiff. It was so carnal and wild to feel like this about a stranger. He was still shaken up a bit about her and Pat nearly getting killed by that truck driver, and now it seemed his attitude pissed her off. Well, he wasn’t exactly a friendly guy, so what the fuck?

  “He can’t get out here for about an hour. He said lock it up, and you can come by tomorrow morning for it,” Pat said to her.

  She worried her bottom lip.

  “Uhm, that’s okay. I should figure something else out. I don’t know the guy or you for that matter. I don’t feel comfortable leaving it here. I guess I’ll wait or maybe try Googling another tow service.”

  She looked down at her phone, and Pat covered her hand. She froze in place and Tobin watched, finding his brother’s attraction to her interesting. Seemed he wasn’t the only one affected by this knockout redhead.

  “Don’t be crazy. I’m a cop here in town. The name is Pat. My brother Tobin, is a detective. How much safer could you feel? We’ve known these guys with the tow service for years. This is what they do. So if Freddy, Frank’s main guy, says an hour, he’ll be here in an hour. You and I can exchange numbers. I’ll give you his number, and we’ll coordinate you picking up your car from him in the morning. I’ll even go there, too, so you feel safe.” He winked.

  Her cheeks turned a nice shade of red, and Tobin watched the tip of her pink tongue slip from between her lips and lick the lower one, and then she sealed her lips. It was so damn sexy his cock hardened in his pants.

  “She’ll need a ride to her place and then in the morning unless you have a way of getting to the garage,” Tobin added, now wanting to learn more about this woman, maybe get her number and ask her to meet them for drinks.

  She looked around. “No taxi service around here?”

  “You don’t need one. You’ve got your own pair of law enforcement officers to keep you safe and get you home in one piece.”

  She looked at Pat’s nametag. “Well, Officer McQuinn, I guess I should be thankful that you and your brother were driving by. Let me just get my bags and lock up the car.”
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br />   Tobin watched her walk back to her car and open the passenger side of the door. Pat gave him a wink, and Tobin couldn’t help but feel a little excited. But with their luck being so bad, he wouldn’t be one bit surprised at all if this woman had a boyfriend. There was no possible way she was single. No way.

  * * * *

  “So, what’s your name?” the big guy asked her as she got into the back seat of the car.

  She didn’t want to give her name. She was trying to be cautious. She could just show up at the garage tomorrow and tell him her real name. God, she was nervous. Two officers. Well, one police officer and one detective and both incredibly hot. She felt an instant attraction to them. Well, maybe not so much the detective and his bad attitude, but then as they started talking, it seemed as if he was a nice guy, too. He had been shaken up at seeing his brother nearly get run over by a truck because she had a flat tire. She felt guilty, but as they told her about the town and gave her a ride home to her condominium complex, she absorbed more about them.

  Both men were super sexy with muscles and were very tall and handsome. It was kind of funny because she instantly thought about her two firemen, Reece and Rusty. Her fireman? She had some nerve thinking of them in that way. Yet, she couldn’t stop thinking about them. She didn’t even know where they came from or lived, and here she was in a new town and attracted to two other men, first responders, too, and boy, did she feel kind of crappy. Had doing a one-night stand suddenly made her feel as though she could do it again and with these two? Damn, I’m losing my mind. I must be desperate to feel like I did with Reece and Rusty and I’m projecting that attraction, that desire, into these two strikingly handsome men who rescued me.

  Shit, I’m turning into a lust-crazed slut, ready to have sex with any man I meet who I feel this attracted, too. But I’ve never felt so attracted to men like this. First the two firefighters and now these two? What are the chances? Am I just tired of being lonely?

  “Are you okay?” Pat asked her.

  “Oh, yes, sorry, it was a long day at work. It’s Bri.”

  “Where do you work?” Tobin asked.

  “An insurance company. We just moved the business from Connecticut a couple of weeks ago. I’ve been working such long hours. I sure didn’t need this flat tire tonight.”

  “Well, if you need a ride in the morning, we could work it out,” Pat offered. “I don’t have to be in until eleven, and I’m picking up my truck at seven when Tobin heads into work.”

  “That’s so sweet of you, Pat. Thanks for your kindness. I only know a few people around here, but the town seems very friendly.”

  “Oh, it is friendly.” He turned to look at her. “Now that I have your number and you have mine, if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to call me.”

  She felt her cheeks warm and nodded.

  Tobin cleared his throat. “This is a brand new complex. How do you like it?”

  “Oh, I love it so far. I haven’t had time for the amenities, but hopefully over the next few weekends, I can take a little break.”

  “I heard the condos are really big and the ones on the beach side have outstanding views.”

  “Oh they do. It’s so gorgeous.”

  Tobin pulled into the front parking lot.

  “We’ll walk you up,” Pat said, and before she could tell him it was okay, Pat was closing the passenger door and opening up her door.

  He took her office bag and placed it on his shoulder then offered his hand for her to take, and he assisted her out of the truck. She hoped she looked sexy as her dress skirt lifted mid thigh and she saw his eyes look down and then back into her eyes.

  He was very attractive with crew cut brown hair that was slicked up in front. His forearm muscles were large, too, and he had rolled up his uniform sleeves, showing off those cords of muscles to his large hands.

  She got out and fixed her dress then heard the other door close.

  She placed her bag on her shoulder. “You really don’t have to walk me up.”

  “Are you kidding? We want to check out the raves about this place.” Pat placed his hand at her lower back and guided her along the path in front of the car and to the main entrance.

  “Oh, so you’re using me,” she said to him as Tobin opened the door and held her gaze.

  “No, of course not,” Pat said, but she couldn’t laugh because Tobin was staring at her with such a serious, hard expression she felt both nervous and entirely too turned on to be normal.

  His dark eyes told so much. He wasn’t a trusting man. He was hard. Maybe he’d had a hard life or tough experiences. Maybe it was his profession. Being a detective had to be difficult.

  “Good evening, Miss Murphy. Is everything okay?” Clark, the front door man, asked her as he looked at Pat and Tobin.

  “Oh, yes, Clark, thank you. This is Officer McQuinn and his brother, Detective McQuinn. I got a flat tire on the highway, and they gave me a ride home.”

  “Oh, how terrible. You know you can call here if anything like that ever happens again. We have people around the community that could get to you fast.”

  “That’s so nice of you, Clark, but thank goodness a police officer and detective were there to help. Have a good night. They’ll be down in a few minutes, just so you know.”

  Clark nodded as she, Pat, and Tobin got into the elevator.

  The doors closed, and both men had their arms crossed in front of their chests.

  They were quiet.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked Pat. He didn’t say anything.

  “I was only kidding about the using me comment,” she added, thinking that was what had insulted him.

  “That guy Clark likes you. You should be careful, especially being new in town,” Tobin said, kind of forcefully.

  “I don’t think so. He’s nice to everyone.”

  “Bri, not every place that has a doorman offers to come to your aid if you’re not in the complex. He was hinting that he has an interest in you,” he said to her, and she felt badly for lying about her name, for one, and she felt kind of confused about Clark and not getting that feeling from him. But then it was all overpowered by the fact that obviously Pat felt jealous, as did Tobin. How the hell had this happened? Maybe she shouldn’t have allowed them to walk her up.

  The elevator chimed, and the doors opened on the eighth floor. Pat motioned for her to lead the way, and she did. She unlocked her door to a corner unit that was extralarge and looked out over the ocean with a wraparound balcony.

  As soon as they walked in, she hit the lights.

  “Whoa,” Pat said and walked all the way inside.

  “Look around. I’ll take the bag,” she said to him, and he handed it to her and took in the sight. Tobin did, too, walking through the open floor plan and kitchen area, past a wet bar to the wall-to-wall sliding doors, which led to the wide balcony.

  “You can check it out,” she said, walking across the floor, her heels clicking along the way. She unlocked the sliders, and they stepped out onto the balcony.

  “Damn, Bri, this is gorgeous,” Tobin told her. She looked at both men as she leaned against the doorframe. She felt the attraction getting stronger, but she wouldn’t make the same mistake she’d made weeks ago.

  “How many bedrooms does it have?” Pat asked, walking close to her and brushing his arm against her side as they stood in the doorway. He pressed a little closer than necessary, but she didn’t mind one bit. He smelled so damn good, and she could imagine how hard all those muscles on him were.

  “Two bedrooms, a smaller room like an office, and a very large bathroom. It has one of those Jacuzzi tubs in it that can fit like five people.”

  He squinted at her and held her gaze. “Five, huh?”

  “I like that number,” Tobin said as he passed through.

  She didn’t know what their comment meant, but she followed them as they checked out the kitchen and then waked down the hallway to the bedrooms.

  “My God, this is like nothing
I’ve ever seen before,” Pat told her.

  She smiled. “I was completely impressed when I first got here and saw it. But my bosses set the whole thing up and paid for it, for the first year anyway. I take it over after that if I want to stay.”

  “You’re thinking of leaving?” Tobin asked, walking back over toward her and leaning against the dresser with his arms crossed. She felt kind of weird having a conversation with these two sexy men in her bedroom. Throw in the uniforms, the way they were both armed and so attractive, muscular, and very comfortable there, she knew she needed to get her act together and stop drooling.

  She cleared her throat. “No, it’s just this isn’t really my style. I like simpler things, not so glam and ritzy. I don’t know.”

  She turned to walk out of the bedroom. They followed, and the closer she got to the door, the more relaxed she felt.

  “Well, I appreciate all your help tonight and for saving my life.” She stood near the wall by the door.

  Pat placed his hand on the wall over her shoulder and got closer to her. She went to move her hands, which were behind her back as she used them to lean back, but couldn’t.

  He caressed a strand of hair from her cheek. “How about you really make our night and say yes to meeting us for a drink one night?”

  He heart hammered. Why she felt guilty she couldn’t explain.

  “I really can’t.”

  “Why not?” Tobin pushed in that forceful, demanding tone of his. She looked over at him now that he stood right beside Pat, so close to her other side, making her feel caged in but also very affected.

  “I really don’t date.”

  “Why? Bad experience?” Pat asked as he placed his hand on her hip.

  “Something like that.”

  “Well, think about it. Maybe give me an answer tomorrow when I pick you up to bring you by the garage.”

  “You don’t have to do that, Pat,” she told him, and he smiled.

  “But I want to see you again. So does Tobin.”