Cherise Sinclair - If only

“Yes, ma’am.” Sally took her hand, started to shake it.

“Ma’am? Oh heavens, what stories has that boy told you? I stopped beating him years ago. Really.” Still holding Sally’s hand, she pulled her into the house. “Come on in.”

Sally blinked, sputtered out a laugh, and stopped long enough to pick up a three-year-old who’d been left behind in the climb-a-Fed game.

* * *

Lunch had been a production with overwhelming amounts of food. As usual, Vance’s sisters had each tried to outdo the others. After being the victim of too many oh-just-try-this-I-made-it maneuvers, Galen felt overfull and in dire need of a nap—which would undoubtedly set the imp off on a bout of old man jokes. Sally had listened wide-eyed as the gang went around the table, each taking a turn at reciting their recent activities. Vance and Galen had gotten grief about the bruising on their faces…and Sally hadn’t smothered her giggles very successfully.

For a bit, everyone dispersed into different rooms and conversation. Galen had joined a couple of Vance’s brothers-in-law to walk off some of the meal in the backyard.

But now work called. After retrieving Sally’s laptop, Galen went searching for her.

In the Buchanan-filled family room, Galen located Sally and Vance. Cross-legged on the rug, she was playing patty-cake with a toddler and giving the child her complete attention as if no one else existed in the room.

Galen’s chest tightened. She would be an incredible mother, wouldn’t she? From across the room, Vance met his gaze. They shared the same vision.

After watching for a bit, Galen pulled Sally away, smiling at the complaints. She was a hit with Vance’s family, both old and young alike. He tucked an arm around her as they left the crowd behind.

“What’s up?” she asked as they crossed into the quiet of the formal living room.

Before he could answer, he heard footsteps behind them. He turned.

Bonnie was hurrying after them with Vance’s father, William, right behind her. She stopped.

“Bonnie, is there a problem?” Galen asked.

“Galen, my dear, I do love you dearly,” Bonnie said. She dropped her gaze to his arm, which was around Sally’s waist. “But I thought Sally was with Vance.”

He felt Sally stiffen. “She is,” he said quietly.

Entering the room, Vance obviously heard the question. He stopped on Sally’s other side and said, “She’s also with Galen. And that’s how it’s going to stay.”

“Hmm.” William studied Galen and Vance before turning his attention to Sally. “I’m not surprised, but I know how pushy these two can be, especially if they gang up on a person. Are you all right with this, sweetheart?”

By God, he liked Vance’s father, and even more when Sally’s eyes filled with tears. Yes, pet, this is what a father should be.

She gave William a radiant smile that wavered slightly as she said, “Thank you for worrying about me.” Before he could answer, she said with the courage and honesty that had won their hearts, “But I’m sure. I love them both.”

“Oh my.” Bonnie shook her head. “Well, you two have been stepping outside the box since you met; why stop now?” With an easy laugh, she and William returned to the rest of the family. And her voice drifted back in response to a question. “Yes, both of them. Brave girl, isn’t she?”

Sally looked at Vance with wide eyes. “I love your family.”

“Told you there wouldn’t be a problem.” Vance kissed her forehead. “Let’s commandeer Dad’s man cave.”

Galen grinned as they entered the room. Each time he visited, the place looked cozier. A few summers ago, William kept complaining about his daughters’ chick flicks, so Galen and Vance had converted a spare bedroom into a “den.” Everyone had helped furnish it.

The wide-screen TV was a Father’s Day present from him and Vance. The leather “guy” furniture came from William’s daughters. His wife had added pillows and quilts and a wall of shelves for his books.

Taking a seat on the couch, Galen patted the cushion beside him. “Sit here, Sally. Let’s see those files.”

She sat with Vance on her other side. After booting up her computer, she set the laptop on the coffee table where they could all see the screen. “This is what I’ve got.

“I think of it as being a geeky Robin Hood,” she said. “Taking information from rich criminals and giving to the poor cops.” She clicked on a file.

A spreadsheet. Rows and columns. Names and URLs of the senders. Dates of the e-mails were linked to files with the contents. More e-mails were documented each time someone responded.

“Jesus,” Vance muttered.

The imp’s gaze dropped. “I just wanted to help. To save people.”

She hadn’t saved her mother. Her father didn’t value her. “I think of it as being a geeky Robin Hood.” Galen turned to look at her downcast face. Despite her aversion to violence and blood in the police station, she kept insisting on working in law enforcement of some kind.

Someone wanted to be a hero.

Galen put an arm around her and pulled her close. “You’ve done a magnificent job, pet. Illegal or not, I’m proud of you.”

“Really?” Her face brightened.

Vance noticed. After giving Galen a nod, he smiled down at her. “Really. You’ve saved a lot of women.”

Leaning against Galen, she opened another set of files. And another. A series of notes showed her efforts at…tracing locations and personal data.

He and Vance both frowned at her.

“Now that’s going way too far,” Vance said.

“Hey, I was one of the targets, remember?” She gave them an indignant look. “This is sheer self-defense. I’m protecting myself from being kidnapped.”

Galen felt a laugh rising. “There’s a unique justification.”

“Even more effective than the Robin Hood one.” Vance tugged a lock of her hair and grinned at Galen. “If she used that self-defense line and added in those puppy-dog eyes, no jury in the world would convict her.”

“Hell, don’t encourage her.”

Too late. She was smirking as she pulled up the next set of files.

Not fair that any one woman should be both adorable and brilliant. “Let’s see the actual e-mails, little brat.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Galen skimmed through the documents and stopped at one. He pulled up the notes where she’d traced the sender back to the originating provider. Then checked a list containing the user’s name and address obtained from the service provider. His mouth flattened. “Vance, take a look at this.”

Vance leaned forward. “You have fucking got to be kidding me.”

“What?” Sally asked.

“Well, pet, looks like you moved a rock, and an assistant district attorney crawled out.” Galen scrubbed his hands over his face. They’d have to play the rest of this by the book, but just knowing where to start…

He pulled Sally onto his lap and kissed her, long and well. So wicked smart. She just might have broken the back of the Harvest Association. However, along with the elation came a more sobering thought.

She’s going to be impossible to control after this.

Wearing his most conservative gray suit, Drew stood at the black granite-topped island in his kitchen and drank his coffee. Since the maid had been in yesterday, the chrome and stainless steel appliances and fixtures gleamed. Black and white ruled his decor—he found it amusing since the law tended to hover around a dark gray.

He glanced at a metal sculpture that displayed the time. He needed to leave soon. Get in early.

Something was going on, and whatever it was, he wasn’t privy to the information. Even worse—at the weekly general meeting yesterday, he’d felt a chill. The district attorney had looked past him as if he weren’t at the table.

But why? He did good work, hadn’t screwed up any cases that would put him on the shit list.

“Don’t you look like a fancy attorney?” Yawning, Ellis wandered out of the guest bedroom, his raspy tenor more grating than normal. “What’s for breakfast?”

“Up to you. I have to get to work.” Drew poured another half cup of coffee. “Thanks for coming in.”

“Yeah. But I’m going back this morning. The two sluts are chained to the wall in the cabin. The food and drink will run out soon.” Ellis glanced out the window at the other brownstones on the narrow street. “I hate this place.”

“I know.” A week was about Ellis’s limit for being off the mountain. After that, he’d lose control. Drew didn’t mind a few slaughtered women, but cleaning up was a nightmare. Better to give him a slave and keep him isolated until his skills were needed.

“It was fun to play with your fancy computer. Sorry I couldn’t figure out the informant.”

“You got further than I did.” Nice to have a brilliant, twisted brother, although he’d undoubtedly left behind snuff films on the drive, which Drew would have to delete. “Fuck. If he keeps outing my people, I’ll have to start from scratch.” And that had been fucking tricky.

He took his last sip, grabbed his briefcase, and slapped his brother on the arm. “Lock up when you leave.”

“Yeah. Will do.” Ellis took a cup out of the cupboard. “Come up for a fuck break if you get needy. I’ll try to keep at least one of them alive for you.”

Grinning, Drew left, taking the stairs rather than the elevator. He’d noticed Ellis was in better shape—uglier but leaner. Time to join the gym again. Maybe pick out a female personal trainer. Preferably a blonde with big tits.

Where the wooden steps curved around and opened onto a landing, Drew glanced out the tall window. Rain was over. Should be a nice day. He frowned at the unusually high number of cars parked on the narrow street.

One was a taxicab with two men in the front seat. Drew narrowed his eyes. Passengers didn’t sit in the front seat…and yellow cabs were often police cars.

Two men emerged from a nondescript car. Fuck, even a schoolchild would make them as cops, if only from the looser hang of their suit coats to conceal a weapon. They walked into the building. More men followed.

Drew sucked in a breath as he went cold. He heard low-voiced orders drifting up the stairwell. They were posting men on the exits. Fuck.

Drew ran back up the stairs.

ELLIS LOOKED UP at the sound of the dead bolt turning. Had his twin returned?

Drew burst into the apartment, his face white. “I think I’ve been made. We’ve got to get out of here.” He ran into the bedroom where the window overlooked the backyard.

Ellis joined him.

The back area held a small concrete patio with four heavy wooden Adirondack chairs and a narrow strip of lawn. A six-foot privacy fence divided it from the towering apartment building on the other side.

As they watched, two men emerged from the back of the building and stationed themselves where they could guard the rear door.

“Fuck.” Drew ran back to the kitchen and opened a thick metal safe built into the island. He pulled out cash and two revolvers, and handed one weapon to Ellis.

Ellis checked the cylinder. Already loaded.

“Once the cops are down, you jump first,” Drew ordered, closing the safe. “I’ll take your back. After you get to the top of the fence, guard me while I cross the yard. Split up once we’re in the apartment complex, and we’ll meet at the cabin.”

“Got it.” Ellis gave his brother a grin, knowing his scars would twist his mouth into something hideous. “Been a while since we went hunting together.”

“Yeah. We’ll start with the two-legged ones.” Drew kicked the screen out of the window.

Ellis aimed, shot one dead center. The cop’s arms went up, his pistol went flying, and he fell back. No blood? Fuck, the bastards wore body armor.

Ellis’s next shot took off the top of the second cop’s head. His third blew a hole in the first man’s leg. He wouldn’t be getting up anytime soon. And the screaming wasn’t bad either.

Fuck, but he loved that sound. Oh yeah, indeedy yeah.

Stuffing his revolver into the back of his jeans, Ellis dropped out of the window, hit hard, staggered a few steps, and scrambled toward the fence.

AT THE SOUND of gunfire—three shots—from the back of the old brownstone, Vance pulled his weapon and ran toward the side of the building, quickly outdistancing his slower partner.

Welcome to New York City. NYPD was already inside the brownstone, heading for Drew Somerfeld’s condo on the second floor. They were taking point. Their city. Their territory.