Secrets Of Bella Terra Read Online Free PDF Page B

Rafe. “So listen to me. About Brooke.”
    Rafe wasn’t proud of himself, but he wanted to snarl like a wolf protecting his mate, a visceral reaction, unbidden and instinctual. “What about her?”
    “She’s the best. She knows everybody in this town, everybody at the resort.” Noah met Rafe’s gaze headon. “But she works for me.”
    “And?”
    “I’ll let you use her to find the perp, but I don’t want you to mess with her.”
    Noah was right. Rafe knew it. So he reined himself in, put on his civilized face, and said, “I’m not going to mess with her. All she’s got to do is cooperate and everything’ll be fine.”
    If only she didn’t look like Brooke—five-foot-nine, tanned, with dark brown hair as sleek as sable and an athletic build that made him think of hard matches on a sunny tennis court, cold Cokes from the convenience store, and the slow bead of sweat sliding down her cleavage. . . .
    “Cooperate with you? That doesn’t sound good.” Noah viewed him with suspicion.
    “I mean cooperate in helping me find the perp,” Rafe said patiently. “Look. Brooke’s not a stupid woman. She’s not going to sleep with me again.” Unfortunately.
    “I don’t care if she sleeps with you,” Noah said scornfully.
    Good. Because that means you aren’t sleeping with her.
    “I care whether she gets involved with you.” Noah came to his feet. “I remember the last time that happened. When you left, she looked like someone ripped out her heart.”
    Eli joined Noah. They stood shoulder-to-shoulder facing their outcast brother, and Eli said, “With what happened this month, she’s not going to be able to deal with you and your prima donna ways.”
    “A prima donna. For God’s sake, I just spent two weeks in the mountains in Kyrgyzstan freezing my gonads; how does that qualify me as a—Wait.” Rafe zeroed in on the important phrase, and repeated, “With what happened?”
    Noah turned on Eli and glared.
    “What happened?” Rafe insisted.
    “He’s going to find out soon enough,” Eli said to Noah. “The gossip’s barely died down.”
    Rafe damn well needed to have all the facts before he plunged into this investigation, even if they pertained to his former girlfriend. Especially if they pertained to his former girlfriend. “What gossip?” He could barely open his jaws, his teeth were clenched so hard.
    Noah gestured at Eli:
You started this
, the gesture clearly said.
    “Three weeks ago, she shot an intruder at the hotel.” Noah held up a hand as if to stop Rafe before he said a word. “Cruz Flores was an illegal immigrant, had served prison time in Mexico and in the U.S., and six months ago his wife and daughter disappeared. Their blood was all over their house. The cops believe Flores killed them and stashed the bodies somewhere. He posted bail, disappeared, then turned up at the resort, cornered Brooke, and she shot and killed him. End of story.”
    “So tell me the rest of the story,” Rafe said.
    “Brooke was completely exonerated.” Noah looked like he was ready to go toe-to-toe with Rafe.
    Eli stepped between them. “Idiot or not, Bryan DuPey said it was a clear-cut case of self-defense. Flores had a knife in his hand and a Glock in his belt. He was coming at Brooke and she shot to kill. He’s dead. I’m glad.”
    Rafe had traveled the world. He had seen the worst acts men could perform. He’d suffered torture. He’d seen bloody death. He thought nothing could shake him—but the idea of Brooke, in this safe little town, facing death, made his breath stop. “How did she learn to shoot?” he asked.
    “I don’t know, Rafe. She’s the daughter of an Air Force pilot and a retired Air Force officer. How do you think she learned to shoot?” Noah barely kept his sarcasm under control. “It’s one of the reasons I hired her. On a resort that sprawls over twenty-five acres, with wealthy guests and two hundred and thirty employees, a familiarity with firearms is a valuable