Second-chance romance

Viva Hail always dreamed of a world far away from her struggling Philadelphia roots. It ended up costing her the man she loved. Now Rook Lourdess is back in her life in a big way. As her personal bodyguard, the world-renowned security expert sweeps her off to his chalet in Italy, rekindling a desire that could forgive the mistakes of the past.

Rook is finally ready to put his obsession with Viva behind him. But when the celebrated actress becomes an eyewitness to a dangerous money-laundering operation, he’s her best hope of survival. What better cover than the Hollywood star running off with her ex-lover? Will their reignited passion offer a chance to write a new ending, or is Rook giving in to a temptation that could break his heart once again?

“See reason here. Murray’s my agent. I can’t just disappear. What am I supposed to tell him if he calls me back?”

“Do you really want me to answer that?” Rook’s insanely desirable face was a study in pure menace.

“Well, I have to tell him something.” Viva blew at a curl that bounced between her brows. “He practically has to beg me to take breaks. He’d never believe I just ran off and—”

“Not even if you told him you ran off with me?”

Openmouthed, Viva could only stare.

Rook took advantage of the quiet. “Tell him we’re rekindling the flame. Tell him...tell him I threatened to tie you to my bed until you agreed to go along and you believed me. I think that’s a threat I’ve followed through on a time or two, isn’t it?”

Viva tried to speak, laugh, something...but she failed at every attempt. She ran her tongue over her lips and tried speaking again. “He’d know that’s not true. He’d know I’m lying—”

Any further argument was silenced once he kissed her and her tongue was otherwise engaged with his. Rook had taken command of her wrist and tugged her across the brief space separating them on the desk. Seamless and confident, he settled her across the broad width of his thigh, making her straddle the limb in a ruthless, brazen manner.

Dear Reader,

I’d like to start this letter off with a big THANK YOU! Your embrace of the Provocative Series has meant so very much. Provocative Attraction and the stories preceding it—Provocative Territory and Provocative Passion—really hit me out of nowhere and took me along for a ride crafted heavily by the characters.

The journey continues with Rook and Viva’s story. Questions are answered amid the heavy tension and regrets experienced by our hero and heroine. Viva Hail has got a lot on her plate. There’s the new season of her hit show to prepare for, turmoil and mistrust brewing between her and her agent, and then there’s Rook Lourdess—the man she loves...the man she left.

It’s always such a treat returning to the worlds I’ve created. This return was definitely a treat—one that I hope you’ll fully enjoy.

Let me know what you think!

Love,

AlTonya

altonya@lovealtonya.com

Provocative Attraction
AlTonya Washington

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ALTONYA WASHINGTON has been a romance novelist for over eleven years. She’s been nominated for numerous awards and has won two RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards for her novels Finding Love Again and His Texas Touch. AlTonya lives in North Carolina and works as a college reference librarian. This author wears many hats, but being a mom is her favorite job.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Copyright

Prologue

Philadelphia, PA

“She’s not doing commercials because she’s interested in keeping the public informed on what’s new at the market, Rook.”

Rook Lourdess flexed his fingers once, twice. It was a habit he’d learned had the remarkable tendency to alleviate the need to clench a fist and follow through with connecting said fist to the jaw belonging to the unfortunate soul who’d riled him. Lately, that had been Murray Dean—former friend, former partner and present traitor.

“What are you getting out of this?” Rook asked once the need to punch Murray had passed.

Murray gave a half shrug. “Not a damn thing—”

“Not yet.”

Murray’s jaw muscles clenched noticeably then. “I’m not blind, Rook, and neither is Viva. She’s got a chance in there.” He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder toward a long corridor that opened into an expansive main room to the party where most of the guests still mingled.

“You tell me, what were the odds of coming along to one of your boring-ass client events and running into one of the biggest movie producers in the country?” Murray continued.

Rook felt his jaw flex He had no handy remedy to ease the action that reflex usually prefaced. “Did she need you to tell me that?” he queried, his voice low and mildly lethal.

Murray grinned. “She doesn’t know I’m out here, but since her getting your attention at a client event is even less likely than her getting it when you’re supposed to be off the job...” Again, he shrugged. “I thought it’d help to step up.”

“Help her? Or help you?”

Murray snorted a laugh through his nostrils. “Me? What am I supposed to get out of it?”

“I don’t know.” Rook’s gaze narrowed, reflecting a jolting amber glint. “It’s something, though. You do nothing without a reason.”

Bristling at the barb, Murray raised a brow. “Are we getting around to my leaving the security firm, now?”

“Leaving, huh?” Rook rolled a broad shoulder in a casual shrug. “A leave that was followed by your very generous offer to the rest of the guys to come on over to your neck of the woods.”

Agitation more noticeable then, Murray rubbed at a clean-shaved albeit weak jaw. “And they threw my offer back in my face,” he admitted. At that point, it was useless to deny the unethical moves he’d orchestrated. “What’s the problem now, Rook? None of them were willing to jump ship. You’re lucky to have a group of very loyal men.”

“Yeah, they’ve all been loyal. All but one. The one I never thought would stab me in the back.”

“Because I wanted something for myself?” Murray sounded incredulous.

“No. Because you wanted what belonged to me.” Viva Hail, his girlfriend of four years, was an aspiring actress.

“Ahh...and no one takes or even looks at what belongs to Rook Lourdess without paying the stiffest penalties. Guess I should watch my back now after standing up to you about Viva.

“Do you know how on edge she’s been about talking to you about Fritz Vossler’s production company?” Murray went on when Rook remained silent. “She thought you’d be pissed. Guess she was right.”

“To know that, you must’ve been watching her pretty close.” Rook flexed his fingers again, but the fist clenched anyway.

Murray’s shrug regained its casual resonance. “Didn’t take much watching to know that. Her eyes went back and forth between you and Vossler a good five minutes in there. When you headed off to see to more business, you could all but see how relieved she was.”

“Murray.”

Both Rook and Murray turned at the sound of the soft but husky feminine voice that had called out.

Viva Hail stood in the foyer where Murray had cornered Rook after Rook’s brief chat with his client and security team on hand for the evening’s gala event. Rook’s client represented a well-known Philadelphia charity that had national appeal to those with ties to the theater and film industries.

Viva shook her head once in Murray’s direction.

Murray turned back to Rook. “Listen, man,” he began in a tone far more humble than the one he’d used previously. “In spite of everything, I do care about you guys. I was just trying to help.” He left Rook with a quick smile, headed to Viva and brushed her arm when he drew near. “I’ll be at the bar,” he told her.

“I hear you need my attention, is that right?” Rook considered Murray’s departing form before looking back to Viva. “I’m only working off his insight, but he seems to have a crap load of it.” He made an effort to come down off some of his frustration. “Be straight with me, V. Have I done something to make you afraid to talk to me?”

“No. No, Rook. Please don’t think that.”

“Then tell me what to think.” He threw another look toward the corridor. “When the hell did you and Murray get so close?”

“Since he became the manager of Fritz Vossler’s East Coast security division.”

Rook ignored the tightening of his jaw muscle then. Word had reached him of Murray snagging the big fish a few weeks back. “What’s that got to do with you?”

Viva began a slow walk around the perimeter of the townhome’s foyer. The hem of her empire-waist crimson gown swished elegantly about her curvy frame as she moved. “Mr. Vossler and his people are scouting for fresh talent, and anyone they sign is privy to all the perks his West Coast assets receive. Security is one of them.”

“Again, what’s that got to do with you, V?” His manner proved to her he already had the answer.

“Vossler just asked me to sign with his company.”

“Just asked?”

She smiled, understanding. “He asked weeks ago.”

Rook smiled then too and commenced his own slow pace of the foyer. “Weeks ago...guess that’s what he was talking to you about the other night at Jazzy B’s.”

Viva inhaled sharper than she realized. Sometimes she forgot how scarily perceptive her boyfriend was. “He goes there a lot when he’s in town.”

“Right. Looking for new talent and all.”

“Rook... Don’t make this harder.”

“‘This.’” Rook stopped his pacing. “Exactly what is ‘this,’ V? Telling me you signed with a producer? I don’t think Murray would’ve been looking as smug as he was if it was only about that.”

Viva watched him, amazed and wondering how he read a person so easily. Resolved, she gathered what remained of her struggling courage and decided to get it over with. “Mr. Vossler offered me a part—not a commercial but a real part. Shooting starts in two weeks on location...in Rio.”

Rook felt the blow her words dealt him. He forced himself to recover quickly. “Brazil. Congrats.”

“Rook—”

“How long will you be gone?”

“Five months,” she said after a split second of hesitation. “We head out to Los Angeles right after that to finish filming and postproduction. That’ll take another month or so.”

Rook resumed his stroll. Then his steps took him in a wide circle around Viva. “That’s a lot of prepping to do in two weeks. Shots, passport, your job.”

She smiled again. There was no humor in the gesture. She knew what he was getting at. “I’ve done all that already,” she said.

“And at no time was there an opportunity to tell me?”

“I didn’t know how—” She bristled anew when he erupted into cold laughter.

“Didn’t know how? Hell, V, I guess we’ve got more problems than I thought.”

“I don’t want this to ruin us.”

The small, bewildered tone of her voice squeezed his heart. “How could you think it wouldn’t, babe? Our communication is already in the crapper. You being out of the country for half the year isn’t gonna help that.”

“I have to take this, Rook. It’s what I’ve been working for.”

“Right. After all, you’re not just doing commercials because you’re interested in keeping the public informed on what’s new at the market.” At her confused look, he grimaced and shook his head. “So I’m losing you to this?”

“I don’t want that.” Viva clasped her hands between her breasts and moved to him. “It could work.”

“We barely see each other as it is. I’m busy all the damn time getting the firm on point and that’s done no favors to our relationship.” He paused to smooth a hand across his hair, a mass of soft, close-cropped twists capping his head. “Only thing that’s kept us together, V, is you having a less demanding job. That’s over now.”

Viva felt something chill inside her at his use of the word over. Again, she grabbed hold of fledgling courage. “What are you saying? If I take the job, we’re done?” she asked.

“Don’t put that on me, V. You know how shaky things are between us right now. You know as well as I do that we won’t survive another blow. But you can forget about me letting you go. I’m afraid that’s a decision that’ll be made for us. My actions have already set the path. I guess yours will put us on it.”

Her vision was a blur then. He was right. They’d been passing ships for months. Her going to work for Jazmina Beaumont’s gentlemen’s club had certainly not been the best decision. The fact that he’d become increasingly busy building his firm had taken his mind off the concerns he had with her waitressing there.

They wouldn’t survive this, but he was saying that he refused to be the one to put that nail into their coffin. Could she?

“When are you due to leave?”

She barely heard his voice cut through the storm of her thoughts. “End of the week,” she said.

Rook had pretty much schooled his expression but the devastation in his entrancing amber stare was unmistakable.

Viva knew she had the answer to her question then. She could put that nail in their coffin. She already had.

Chapter 1

Philadelphia, PA

Six years later

Rook Lourdess knew his rich laughter had the tendency to carry whether he was in the midst of absolute silence or chaos. Both environments proved to be appropriate descriptors that night. His laughter carried out from the party still going strong indoors to the terrace that somehow maintained its serene quiet.

“Sounds good,” he was saying to whomever he spoke to through the mobile he held to his ear. “Sure you don’t need me there?” Rook nodded, listening to the caller’s response.

“I guess that’ll work, seeing as how I’ve got that five a.m. conference call...Italy,” he added, following a few more seconds of silence.

“Yeah, they sound serious. I keep waiting on them to call and tell me they made a mistake...Ha! I appreciate that,” he said once more silence had passed from his end.

“Forget it!” Rook’s laughter clung to the words. “I don’t care how much you lay on the flattery, you’re not goin’...Nah, B, I need you to stay here and hold it all down at the firm, but don’t worry, we’ll be having that talk soon enough...Yeah...” A somber element crept into Rook’s voice then. “Yeah, I’m not looking forward to it either. Listen, man, I better get goin’. Just be ready with that report by tomorrow afternoon. I want to get this all put to bed before I leave... All right, talk to you then.” Following another brief stint of silence and more laughter, Rook was easing the phone into a back trouser pocket. He didn’t head back to the party, but stood on the terrace and looked out into the night. Moving closer to the stone railing, he inhaled deeply and smiled.

Robust cheer sounded indoors, but Rook resisted the tug of the partygoers and reminded himself that he needed to hit the sack.

His Italian contacts would be speaking with him at 11:00 a.m. their time. He had to be sharp as possible by 5:00 a.m. That wouldn’t happen unless he headed for his car and home right then.

Rook was turning to make his exit down the terrace’s wide steps when he heard her.

“Italy, huh?”

So much for getting to sleep anytime soon, Rook thought when he saw Viva Hail seated and looking coolly lovely from her spot on one of the cushioned chaises dotting the terrace.

Seeing her never failed to seriously screw with his sleep. Whether it was on the big screen or small didn’t matter. Seeing her in person...well, he shuddered to think of what his Italian business associates would think of him when they spoke in eight hours. He wouldn’t be getting that full night of sleep he’d hoped for.

“V.” His voice was soft, unlike the sound of the blood rushing in his ears.

“Sorry for eavesdropping.” Viva lifted a manicured hand a few centimeters from her lap and let it fall back to the beige silk pants she wore. “I was out here when you came to the terrace. I didn’t mean to listen in.”

“It wasn’t anything top secret.” He moved closer to where she sat.

“Was it business or pleasure?” Viva didn’t close her eyes in mortification when she heard the question trip off her tongue, but mortification rolled in hot and heavy waves all the same. Pleasure was always a given when it involved Rook Lourdess. She knew that well enough, didn’t she? Again, she waved. “Sorry to pry.”

Rook grinned. “You’re not.”

“So, um, what part of Italy are you visiting?”

“Belluno.”

“Ah...” Viva smiled and closed her eyes as she nodded. “That’s not far from Cortina. It’s really beautiful this time of year.”

“So I hear.” Hands hidden in the deep pockets of his dark trousers, Rook strolled closer. “Has your work taken you there?” He somehow resisted asking if her knowledge of the place was on a personal level.

Viva was already nodding. “I did a movie there two years ago while the show was on hiatus. An ensemble-cast thing. It was fun.”

“Ensemble cast, like the show. How’s that going?”

“Very well. We’ve been a truly blessed bunch.”

“So no talk of finales anytime soon?”

“If only.” Viva threw back her head and sighed. “I was sure we’d be done after season four with everyone so busy with other successful projects, but...” She flexed her fingers over the pants that matched a shimmering blazer. “The audience still loves us, the ratings are dynamite... I’d say we’ll be a bunch of kick-ass secret agents well into our nineties.”

Laughter hummed around the terrace then.

“So, um, are you visiting Italy on new business for the firm?” Viva figured additional prying couldn’t hurt at that point.

“Remains to be seen,” was all he could share before the party volume grew to a maddening pitch and tipped over to deafening.

Rook and Viva realized the French doors had opened as chief of detectives Sophia Hail exited with congratulatory cheers behind her.

“There she is!” Rook’s voice carried across the terrace as he closed the distance to Sophia and enveloped her in a bear hug. “The news is in the air. Congratulations. It’s a good night for the Philly PD,” he said and kissed her cheek.

Sophia, the recent recipient of an unexpected promotion to chief of detectives, wore a grin that seemed to make her entire face glow.

“Thanks.” Sophia laughed, returning Rook’s tight squeeze. “But I can’t let any of these accolades go to my head, no matter how good they feel floating up there.”

The accolades were well deserved. Sophia and her team had just come leagues closer to wrapping up a complex money-laundering scheme that had implicated several members of the force. Sophia’s predecessor was among them.

Viva stepped up to draw her younger sister into a tight squeeze. “Congratulations, sweetie. Are you done for the night?” she asked once they broke from the embrace.

“Hardly,” Sophia sighed in a manner that sang with satisfaction. “I just wanted to get back. Mama went to all this trouble to put together this party for me. My people can handle the wrap-up and I’ll be back at the job in the morning.”

Sophia slid Rook another smile and squeezed his arm. “Think you can fit me in for a quick talk sometime tomorrow?”

“Sure. Might be early. I’ve got a five a.m. chat to Europe tomorrow.”

Sophia whistled, her eyes twinkling. “Good luck with that.”

“I’ll need it.” Rook smoothed a hand over his chest as though the idea pained him. “I should’ve been in bed hours ago.”

“Well, I plan to make it an early day myself,” Sophia said. “I’ll make time whenever you can drop in.”

“Count on it.” He nodded before gracing Viva’s face with his arresting gaze.

Sophia appeared as though she could read the look. “So, V, I’ll just see you inside, okay?”

“No, you stay,” Rook said. “I’m the one who needs to get going.” He gave Viva a smile. “Good seeing you. How long before you leave?”

Viva lifted her shoulders and let the move hold a few seconds before she lowered them.

“I’m not sure yet.”

“Don’t leave without saying goodbye, okay?”

“Count on it,” she returned the earlier confirmation he’d given to her sister. With effort, she kept a cool smile in place while he said good-night to Sophia and made his way from the terrace.

“He hasn’t changed.”

Sophia smiled at Viva’s remark. “Did you think he would?” she asked.

The ebony flecks in Viva’s warm chocolate stare appeared to sparkle beneath a sudden nudge of emotion. “I prayed he wouldn’t after everything that happened. Sophia, um...is he, um...is he seeing anybody?”

Sophia looked off in the direction where Rook had taken his exit. “I’d have to ask Tigo,” she said, referring to her fiancé and one of Rook’s oldest friends, Santigo Rodriguez. “Far as I know there hasn’t been anyone since you.”

Viva shot her sister a stunned expression.

“No one steady since you,” Sophia qualified.

Viva wasn’t wholly convinced of that either, but such a statement was easier to swallow than one suggesting there had been no one since her.

Rook Lourdess was a presence. He exuded a power that went beyond the obvious potency presented by the striking breadth of his physique. His massive build, combined with a jolting stare and remarkably crafted face, had a talent for unsettling women as thoroughly as it mesmerized them.

Still, it was the subtle aspect of his persona, Viva believed, that was even more alluring. Unarguably, the face and body were difficult acts to follow. The body was a well-honed six and a half feet of solid muscle sheathed in a rich caramel-toned casing that was only rivaled by the face. It was surrounded by a halo of blue-black that, despite the efforts to keep it close-cropped, remained an unruly cap of waves.

The carefully crafted face was accentuated by a heavy-lidded amber stare of such a hue, it seemed almost translucent. The nose emphasized strong, high cheekbones offset by a generous and fully kissable mouth—one Viva remembered was capable of exerting the most extreme forms of pleasure and release.

She cleared her throat, not sure if the moan she’d just given in to had been overheard by her sister or merely an echo in her own head.

“Sure you don’t want to catch up to him? He probably hasn’t gotten to his car yet.”

Viva snorted. “If I punch you, would that be considered assaulting an officer?”

Sophia gave in to a sly grin. “I’d make the charges stick.”

Viva countered with a shrug. “I’m sure I could find a lawyer to get me off.”

“Mmm... I thought you’d want Rook for that.”

A few seconds of silence followed the playfully lurid comment. Then, the sisters gave in to wild laughter that was as much about amusement as it was about happiness over the fact that they were together and that so many troubling aspects of the past were finally being laid to rest. So many...but not all.

“So did I interrupt anything here?” Sophia clasped her hands and eyed the terrace speculatively. “Anything...promising?”

Again, Viva snorted. “If you count small talk promising.”

“Ah, honey.” Sophia moved close to drop an arm around Viva’s shoulders and squeezed. “I’m sorry.”

“No need. It’s for the best.”

“I don’t think you believe that.” Sophia used her height advantage to drop a kiss to the top of her sister’s head. “Are you saying you hold absolutely no hope that you guys could have what you once did?”

“It’s been a long time.”

“And? A lot of time passed between me and Tigo too.”

Viva conceded with a smile. “Fair enough, but it still wouldn’t be a good idea, Soapy.”

“Not a good idea?” Sophia challenged once she’d chuckled over the name Viva had given her before she could correctly pronounce her little sister’s name. “You did just see the man, right? I’m surprised he walked out of here alone with all the...attention I saw him getting before I had to hustle out of here earlier.”

Viva moved to the terrace railing and looked out into the night as though she were seeing Rook there. “There’re things I don’t want him to know. Ever. Things that might hurt him and that’ll make me feel like more of an ass for leaving than I already do.”

Intrigued, Sophia’s gray eyes narrowed, all teasing elements leaving her face. “Any details you can share?” She joined Viva at the railing. “Is this about Murray?”

“This all happened near the beginning of my career.” She slid her sister a sly smile. “I promise there aren’t any moves I wish I didn’t make. At least none of the truly graphic variety. There are choices I made, though, and later wished I hadn’t. Choices I may not have made if working for Jazzy B’s hadn’t made me immune to certain signs.”

“And that’s Mom and Dad talking now.”

“Maybe,” Viva bumped her side to Sophia’s. “Parents can make a lot of sense sometimes.”

Sophia folded her arms over her chest and turned to lean back against the rail. “So are you going to let these old choices keep you from going back to the man you love?”

“Soap, it’s been six—”

“Back to the man who still loves you?” Sophia interrupted. “V, these things you mentioned... Murray was with you at the beginning. Are you sure that doesn’t have anything to do with this present mess?”

Viva was shaking her head. “This particular choice doesn’t have much to do with Murray but some of my other choices... If I hadn’t made them, you probably wouldn’t have what you need to put your case to bed.”

“Hold it, V.” Sophia took her sister’s shoulders and gave her a slight shake. “I can damn well put my case to bed without drawing you into it.”

“Maybe I want to be drawn in.” Unshakeable determination sharpened Viva’s star-quality features. “I only knew Murray a little through Rook before we started working together at my first production company. It didn’t take long for me to see that he could be a shark, but that’s a commodity in my world and I didn’t shy away from him because I wanted my career and I correctly guessed that he could give me one.”

“Hey.” Sophia gave Viva another tug. “You’re the only one responsible for your career.”

“Thanks, Soap, but Murray really is very good at what he does. He made a very successful move from security to talent representation. Over the years, I’ve come to consider him as a very good friend as well as my agent.”

“And that may make it harder for you to believe he could be involved in all the rest,” Sophia warned.

“Why’d he do it, Sophia?” Viva tugged her fingers through the light brown coils framing her face. “Why’d he risk doing something that could take away his freedom?”

“Some folks can’t resist the sparkle, no matter how much they have. A little more is always a good thing.”

“Yeah.” Viva thought of how that point had pertained to her when she’d started getting noticed—when the sparkle of real celebrity began to twinkle her way. It should’ve been enough, but Sophia was right. More always seemed better. She supposed it was the same for Murray. Too bad his quest for more sparkle had turned him into a criminal.

“I have to be part of this, Sophia.”

“All right.” Sophia nodded. “But if that’s the case, I’m going to need you to agree to any and all requests I make pertaining to your own well-being.”

Viva bit her lip before acquiescing with a hesitant nod.

“I mean it, V. Take it or leave it.”

“Okay...but only on the condition that you don’t let any of this newfound power over me go to your head.”

“I’ll try.” To Viva’s ears the words held little promise. “But give me any of that A-list actress diva attitude and I’ll put you on house arrest.”

“Such a hard-ass,” Viva accused.

“I’m worse.” Sophia waved off the insult. “I’m a bride. I’m about to start getting very anal about things being perfect. Keeping my maid of honor alive goes at the top of that list.”

Viva gave herself over to laughter. The gesture was soon being echoed by Sophia and the sisters tucked into another hug.

* * *

Rook gave a quick prayer of thanks when he pulled the Suburban into the parking spot outside his condo. The need for sleep had latched on harder and heavier the second his butt had hit the driver’s seat.

It was a blessing that he hadn’t hit anything or been pulled over for a suspected DUI considering how wiped he was. He’d been looking forward to an exceptional night of sleep, but he now feared that would be a fruitless endeavor. Finding Viva Hail on that terrace had hit him like a brick to his gut.

He’d known she was in town. He’d run into her while his team had supplied security for her sister. Not until that night had the true force of her being back really hit him. She’d always been able to read him so well and he wondered if she could see how out of it he was earlier.

Resting back on the seat, Rook reminisced on how her perception intrigued as well as annoyed him. He wasn’t a man who enjoyed having others get inside his head.

Viva Hail wasn’t just any other. No, she wasn’t just any other and how had he honored that so long ago? By giving her an ultimatum. No...it hadn’t been a blatant “take it or leave it” ultimatum, but he’d damn well known what he was doing when he gave her that bull about the decision being made for them and that her actions would put them on the path his had already set.

He’d let her think the rest was all her decision and whatever the final outcome, it was on her. The simple truth was he just didn’t want to see her reaction when he owned up to her dead-on perception that he really was set on them being done if she left. How was he supposed to tell her a thing like that?

Furthermore, how were they supposed to make a relationship work if she’d gone along? Every day she’d regret the choice—the sacrifice—she’d made for their relationship.

Groaning, Rook left the SUV and faintly celebrated the fact that his eyes were still weighted by sleep. He made it to the quiet, understated elegance of the lobby. His condominium complex was an impressive layout of four separate skyscrapers interconnected by a series of moving walkways all joining at the lobby. The walkways were basically for aesthetic purposes—the lobby also housed an elevator bay to accommodate those who opted out of taking the scenic route to their respective towers.

Rook selected an elevator, smiling as the warmth and familiarity of home settled into his bones. Work kept him from arriving during the evening rush; his day job wasn’t a normal nine to five after all. He didn’t mind as the schedule usually allowed him to arrive once things had settled down.

The place had a way of enveloping him in a solitude he’d felt in few other places that he’d lived. Perhaps that was because it was the place he and Viva had settled in when they’d moved in together all those years ago.

Plush, yet functional carpeting offset by the warm, golden lighting, glowed from mahogany-based sconces against mocha-painted walls. The allure of the place had been Viva’s doing. Her presence had lent it the truest sense of warmth and home. Only to himself could he admit he’d do anything to feel that again. His current residence, void of her, was a poor substitute, but better than nothing.

The elevator dinged and sent him on a nonstop ascent to his floor which held only one additional unit aside from his own. He and Viva had happily worked like dogs to maintain the utilities and other incidental expenses associated with such a place. As they’d both come from affluent families, snagging digs at one of the most enviable addresses in the city had raised few brows.

Rook’s parents, Kendall and Elise Lourdess, had handled payments on the property. They had fallen as in love with Viva as her parents, Gerald and Veronica Hail, had fallen for Rook.

There was little comment made about them living together unmarried. Assumptions ran high on both sides that nuptials would be forthcoming. Then Viva went to waitress for Jazzy B’s Gentlemen’s Club and had caught the eye of several men. One introduced her to the camera. Offers for commercials began to flood and their relationship, as Rook saw it, began a slow and terrible transformation that had signaled its end.

Chapter 2

“Guess I work better on low fuel.”

Burt Larkin chuckled over his boss’s insight. “I’ll take that to mean the call went well.”

“Guess so.” Rook held the phone away as he yawned. “We spent the last twenty minutes of the call discussing my trip over there.”

“Have I told you how lucky you are?”

Rook laughed. “Only about a million times.”

“So will you grace us with your presence today? It’s not every day me and the guys see someone as lucky as you.”

“How long am I gonna have to put up with these jokes?” Rook said following another few moments of robust laughter.

“Please,” Burt sighed. “We haven’t even started yet.”

Rook countered with a playful groan. “Well, I’ll be in as soon as I leave the cop shop,” he told his second in command.

Burt reciprocated the groan. “Should we have bail money handy just in case?”

“Hmph, not this time. I’m only goin’ in for a quick talk with the new chief of Ds.”

“Ah...this about what went down last night?”

“Not sure. Sophia was kind of vague when she asked for the meeting, but that’s probably because Viva was standing right there.”

“Well, well.” Surprise registered in Burt’s twangy voice. “What was that like?”

“I’ll give you a hint—it’s why I didn’t sleep worth a damn last night.”

“Right.” Burt let the conversation end there, no doubt knowing how touchy the subject was for his boss. “So...at this point, our report is complete and we’ll await your input.”

“I think from here on out the chief’s got her security well in hand. I’ll review and sign the report when I get there.”

Lourdess Securities, known as L Sec by the clients it handled in the private, public and entertainment sectors, had been hired to provide its coveted brand of protection to Sophia Hail following her recent promotion. The detective’s investigation into an ever-increasingly sensational money-laundering scheme had taken root. Threats had also taken root to encourage the insightful detective to back off her inquiries. As a result, Philadelphia DA Paula Starker had sought out Rook and his team to shadow her colleague and friend.

“The rest of the team is in agreement that Chief Hail’s normal security detail will be enough, but we’re good with maintaining our posts until a certain person of interest is apprehended.”

Rook knew what Burt was saying. The team had been on hand the previous evening when several arrests were made in the case. The team knew that Sophia’s investigation had led her to Murray Dean.

“According to what I heard last night, our old friend Dean has a role to play in all this.” Burt told him.

“Yeah...” Rook’s tone was light, but his agreement on Murray’s involvement was firm.

“Will this be a new problem for you and Viva, man?”

Rook laughed. “We’ve had no problems for at least six years, B,” he reminded his friend and business associate.

“True, and it’d be a shame to have new upsets weighing in when you’re about to pull up stakes for Italy.”

“Yeah...” Rook voiced his light agreement once more, but offered no further opinion.

“So I’ll see you later?” Burt seemed to take the cue that his boss was all chatted out.

“Yeah, B, thanks.” Rook added a goodbye and ended the call.

Setting aside his mobile, he rubbed tired eyes and yawned for what had to be the fiftieth time since he’d awakened that morning. Smirking, he turned the word over in his head... Awakened. More like arisen from a troubled bout with his bedsheets.

Dreams had been shoved aside for a night of tossing, turning and images of Viva Hail attacking his subconscious. The sleep he’d hoped to indulge in had flitted away without so much as a toodle-loo when he’d strolled through the quiet, broad space of the condo to the bedroom.

The bed conjured the first of many images—Viva sprawled out on her stomach and sleeping him off after an enthusiastic session of sex, covers twisted with erotic intricacy about her shapely calves and lush thighs. Sleep for him then had become a wish with no possibility of materializing.

Her face and body were irrevocably stamped on his brain. They would never be removed and he wouldn’t want them to be. Such a thing was assured when he’d seen her a few weeks earlier rushing into her sister’s place. She’d been staying with Sophia while visiting Philadelphia. The image of her had then been reasserted last night. He recalled seeing her on the terrace, knowing how close he was to reaching out to take her to him before they were interrupted.

The body, still curvy and lush, was even more alluring. The added muscle tone was attributed to her active career and the physical demands of the roles she secured. The face was a work of natural glamour enhanced by coils of light brown curls surrounding a honey-toned face.

It was a face that needed no man-made accents. The mouth was a study in erotic art as were the high cheekbones and small nose that upturned just a fraction at the tip. Big brown eyes were offset by ebony flecks that sparkled amid upset or...arousal.

No, getting to sleep last night was an idiot’s assumption. And what of Italy? Another assumption? The trip was about more than adding a boost to his business. L Sec was a bona fide success. The investment his parents had made in the dream of their only child had been a smart move. The elder Lourdesses had earned back their seed money many times over.

Rook knew the truth and he suspected most of his executive team knew it, as well. He was running. Two of his best friends had found women with whom they wanted to spend the rest of their lives. It had become too much to remain in the place where he’d lost the woman with whom he wanted to spend the rest of his. The memories that had sustained him for the last six years had at last become a series of ropes knotted into a noose of increasing tightness.

Yes, he was running. Italy was far enough to ease the memories, even if the distance wouldn’t totally remove them. Italy, for him, signified freedom. Freedom from a past he was desperate to exorcise.

Of course, all that was before he’d seen Viva again. Rook glimpsed his hand and realized he’d clenched a fist without feeling the move take hold. His temper was elevating to boiling point. It was another of those ropes that were starting to develop choking intensity.

He was considering some time in the gym to trample the blackness clouding his mind, when his phone chimed, reminding him of the meeting with Sophia.

Once more Rook studied his hand. Flexing it slightly, he cast a lingering look toward the door at the end of the hall that led to his home gym. Pivoting then, Rook headed away from the door as though he were being hunted.

* * *

“Are you sure I can’t bring you anything, Mr. Lourdess? We’ve got soft drinks and an array of bottled waters if you prefer that to the chief’s coffee.”

“I’m good, but thank you.” Rook’s smile exhibited genuine appreciation when he addressed the attractive brunette from his seat before the wide walnut desk.

“Well, you be sure to let me know if you change your mind.”

When the woman left, Rook graced the chief with a look of earnest ease that lent credence to the fact that he had no interest in the magnitude of his appeal.

Sophia’s grin was equally earnest as she observed him. “I should apologize for my assistant. She’s not always so obvious in her appraisal of my guests.”

Rook tossed up a hand, another clear indicator that he thought nothing of the assistant’s overt flirting. “It’s good to have a talent for making the guests feel special.”

“Mmm...” Sophia sipped at her coffee, nodding. “To be on the safe side, I think I’ll tell her your heart belongs to my sister.”

“Sophia,” Rook groaned, leaning back his head a fraction. “Tell me this isn’t why you wanted to see me.”

“No, not exactly.” Sophia studied the steaming liquid in her ceramic mug. “But anyone who saw you guys last night would know there’s still love there.”

“Does it matter?” Rook asked after a moment’s consideration.

Sophia reared back in the scooping burgundy suede chair set behind a desk of impressive breadth befitting the new chief of detectives. “The way you feel about my sister could matter quite a bit in light of what I’m about to ask you.”

“Which is?” Shifting a bit in the boxy chair, same color and finish as the one Sophia occupied, Rook felt equal parts expectant and hesitant.

Sophia left her chair to round the desk and ease her hip down to one corner. “V didn’t come to town just visiting. She wants to make a statement and testify if need be against Murray Dean.”

“What the hell, Sophia?” Rook’s voice was a ragged whisper. His arresting gaze was hard and fixed on Sophia then.

“While she’s worked with Murray, she’s witnessed some things. Things that could tie him up nice and snug to some of Philadelphia’s finest who’re tangled in this laundering case.”

Rook left his chair. Working his square jaw beneath his fingers, he looked as though he were suspended in a state of disbelief. “Is she involved?”

“Viva?” Sophia almost laughed over the absurdity of the question. “No, Rook, that’s not it. She’s seen him with certain people he’d have a challenging time explaining his connection to.”

Rook curbed his desire to question further. He knew there was only so much the detective could share. “Why’d you want to see me today?” he asked instead.

Sophia tugged at a lone curl that dangled from her updo and debated before answering. “I want to secure V someplace impenetrable until we can convene a grand jury. We don’t know if we can indict Dean on what we have now, but we’re determined to pull in as much ammunition as we can.”

“And you’re okay with that? Letting Viva put her ass on the line like this?”

“I don’t need my sister to wrap this, Rook.” Sophia’s voice held the slightest edge. “Viva came to me with this. What she’s got to share could tip the scales a lot more in our favor.”

“What’d you mean about putting her someplace impenetrable?”

Sophia’s shrug momentarily wrinkled her tailored short-waist black blazer. “I’m sure someone in your...line of work would know of such places. You or your men,” she quickly qualified. “I’m not trying to put you on the spot here, Rook. You could pass this on to one of your guys. Everyone around here will attest to the great work you guys do. I’m at the head of that line. I need to know my sister’s someplace safe if she plans on being involved with this thing.”

Rook stalked the spacious office, having resumed his jaw massage. He drew to a complete halt at Sophia’s next words.

“Tigo said something about you going to Italy.”

It seemed that only Rook’s facial muscles were capable of movement then. He used them to fix Sophia with a stunned look.

* * *

“This all seems so unreal,” Veronica Hail cooed while holding her eldest child in a rocking embrace.

Viva enjoyed the feel of being secure in her mother’s arms while her father’s arms enfolded them both.

“I know this was sudden,” Viva said when her parents allowed her to move out of the embrace just a fraction. “Me just showing up out of the blue, but when I heard about Sophia—”

In unison, the Hails were shushing their daughter.

“It’s forgotten, baby.” Gerald Hail dropped a kiss to the top of Viva’s head. “You never have to apologize for coming home.”

“You never had to apologize.”

Viva heard the stress her mother inserted. “Thank you both.” She hugged them again. “You guys were right, you know?” She drew back to fix them with solemn looks. “You warned me against jumping for the first brass ring tossed my way. Hmph. I not only jumped, I threw away my future while I did it.” Viva saw the look her parents exchanged and read it well.

“I’ve seen Rook,” she told them.

Gerald Hail looked pleased. Veronica Hail looked elated.

“Stop.” Viva raised her hands to ward off their glee. “There’s no reason to get all crazy happy here. We didn’t rush into each other’s arms either time.”

“Tell us about these ‘either times,’” Gerald urged.

The Hails listened intently as Viva recounted the meeting at Sophia’s condo days earlier and the party in Sophia’s honor the night before.

“Are you sure it means nothing, honey?” Veronica asked.

“I’m sure and it wouldn’t matter either way since he’s about to head off to Italy.” Viva quickly shared the details of Rook’s travel plans.

“And how do you feel about this trip?”

Viva shrugged, hesitating to answer her mother’s question. “I’m in no position to complain. I’ve been out of his life for six years.”

“I don’t know, Roni, I’m not so sure she answered your question,” Gerald Hail teased.

Viva smiled, fought back the urge to laugh. “Hearing him discuss travel plans was like an arrow through my heart. Am I terrible for saying that? Dramatic and terrible?”

“Oh well.” Gerald squeezed his daughter close and put a kiss to her temple “I’d say yes to the dramatic. You’re an actress, after all.” He sent her a sly wink. “I don’t think we could convict you of being terrible, though.”

“Last night, I wished his business deal would fall through so he wouldn’t have to go. Sounds pretty terrible to me.”

Gerald caught his wife’s eye, smiling when she nodded. “I’m gonna go get our coffee, sugar pea. Smells like it’s done,” he said to Viva after inhaling the air that held the aroma of rich cinnamon.

“Honey, you know you’re entitled to have those feelings about the man you love,” Veronica was saying once her husband had left the den.

Viva’s expression was then playfully stunned. “How do you and Sophia do that? Just assume love is still involved?”

Veronica pulled Viva with her to a time-worn love seat positioned near the fireplace. “I remember that a wedding seemed to be the way things were heading before all those ships started rolling in for you.” She put a hand on Viva’s knee and squeezed. “You left to follow opportunity, baby, not because you’d fallen out of love with Rook.”

“And that has so much to do with it right there. I chucked it all for fame. How shallow could I get?” Viva leaned forward to scrub her face against her palms. “Rook would be an idiot to forget all that and just take me back on faith.”

“But would you want him to?”

“He wouldn’t, Mama. I’m sure the man certainly has no shortage of women who’d be willing to stay put for anything he’d ask of them.” Viva flopped back against the love seat, a dreamy tint softening her eyes. “You should see him, Mama.”

“Oh, I have.” Veronica gave a coy smile. “So have several of my friends.”

The suggestion roused laughter from both women.

“Listen, sugar pea,” Veronica said as she slapped Viva’s knee then. “There’s only one thing wrong with all these women in Rook’s perfect life.” She tapped her daughter’s nose. “He doesn’t love any of them, because they aren’t you.”

* * *

“Take her with me? You’re serious here?”

“Oh, please stop, Rook.” Sophia rolled her eyes. “I’ve just given you first dibs at an offer every man in the hemisphere would jump to claim.”

“She’d never go for it.”

Sophia shook her head as if pitying the fact that Rook truly seemed to have no idea of his appeal to the opposite sex. “You know, I’m sure you could find all sorts of ways to persuade her.”

“I’m sure I could,” Rook said, finally acknowledging a certain level of his power. “But she’s also got a job to get back to. Or has her decision to offer testimony against her agent robbed her of her desire to act?”

“She’s between projects, and filming for the show won’t resume for another five months.” She gave him a teasing look. “Are you trying to tell me you’re afraid to be alone with a sexy thing like my sister?”

Rook massaged the bridge of his nose and sighed. “You can still be such a brat sometimes.”

“I’ll have you know that I don’t answer to ‘brat’ anymore, only Chief of Ds.” Sophia gave an indignant sniff.

Rook was moved. “I knew you as ‘brat’ first.”

“Level with me, Soap,” Rook said once their laughter had eased. “How serious is this? Do you think someone might go after her?”

“I promise you this is only about me erring on the side of caution here.” Her gaze turned steely. “No way would I be making jokes and wasting time trying to convince you to do this instead of citing you with some kind of obstruction if you refused to go along.” She dismissed the steely look then to make way for one that skirted about playful wickedness.

“I’m leveling with you here, Rook. No way would that be happening if I thought there was any more we should be doing to keep her safe. But I’d still love it if you’d take the job.”

Rook worked his fingers against muscles at his nape that had suddenly bunched. “I won’t force her to go along with this,” he said.

Sophia appeared satisfied. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve got no problems with forcing her.”

* * *

“Please tell me you’re calling from Malibu and not back east.”

“I’d be happy to tell you that, if you want a lie.” Viva grinned at the sound of the familiar nasal voice on the other end of her mobile.

Artesia Relis groaned. “Do you know what you’re putting me through here?”

“You mean by visiting my parents for a little TLC?” Viva colored her words with the hint of a snarky undertone.

“Funny.” But Artesia didn’t sound amused. “I mean leaving us here with Murray. You know no one but you can deal with him when he’s riled up.”

Viva set down her tanned leather tote bag, deciding to finish the conversation with Murray Dean’s assistant there at her parents’ place, instead of outside amid steadily dipping temps.

“What’s he riled up over?” Viva asked once she’d slipped into the Hails’ spacious laundry room. She heard Arty’s dramatic sigh—one she’d heard the aspiring actress deliver on countless occasions. Arty had perfected the gesture over the years and it’d become difficult to tell whether the sigh meant true distress or only mild irritation.

“Well, if you don’t know, how the hell do you think I do? I only called because Murray goes back farther with you than anyone.” Arty let the sigh make an encore.

“He’s been jumpy, snappish and hard to reach. I mean that literally and figuratively, Veev. Half the time, his clients are calling my line because they can’t get through to him on his cell. When they do manage to get in touch, they say he’s distant. More than a few of his top names are getting nervous and you know what happens when you guys get nervous.”

“Yeah...” Viva was working the bridge of her nose between thumb and forefinger. Folks jumped ship when they got nervous. “And you’ve got no idea what brought this on?” She played the angle, hoping to plumb information Arty may’ve cast aside.

The practiced sigh made another appearance. “Hard to say... In this business, there’s always one thing or another to get pissy over but he did seem more on edge than usual after that meeting a couple of weeks ago.”

“Meeting?” Viva peeked out of the laundry room to ensure her privacy was still intact. “Any idea what that was about?”

“Not much. I didn’t even have it listed among his appointments. I can tell you they weren’t in the business.”

“Meaning they weren’t actors?”

“Not actors or anyone else connected with the business. They had an...official look about them.”

“Cops?” Viva wondered if Sophia had sent investigators to get a feel for their suspect.

“Not sure. I got the feeling their business didn’t skirt the right side of the law. Anyway...” Arty’s sigh sounded more natural then. “It was just a feeling,” she added.

While Viva didn’t need the sharp assistant growing suspicious of her questions, she risked one more. “Do you think you’d recognize them if you saw them again?”

“Sure I would. Veev? Do you think Murray’s okay?”

“I’m sure he is, honey. Don’t worry, I’ll see what I can find out.”

“Thanks. Oh, hey! Be on the lookout for that script and the delivery from wardrobe.”

“Thanks for the reminder, Art. Hold down the fort and we’ll talk soon.” Viva ended the connection, waited a beat and then located the number to place a second call. She muttered a curse when she heard the voice-mail greeting.

“Murray? It’s Viva. Give me a call, okay?”

Chapter 3

“So these two and these three?” Sophia tapped her fingers to the two-by-three-inch black-and-white mug shots that coincided with her questions.

“Yeah. Those are all I remember from the bunch.” Viva leaned back from the small round conference table in her sister’s office.

Sophia nodded firmly, looking pleased. Viva had just positively identified the sons of Sylvester Greenway. The construction entrepreneur, and one of their father’s oldest friends, had recently come forward with suspicions of his sons’ involvement in the money-laundering scheme that had already deposited so many of Philadelphia’s finest in holding cells.

Viva’s identification of the Greenways was another direct link. Viva had recalled seeing the men at a Malibu party with Murray Dean. The identification added another layer to the case being built around the security-agent-turned-Hollywood-agent-turned-suspected-money-launderer.

Viva watched Sophia remove the book of mug shots. “Is Murray going to jail, Sophia?” she asked after watching her sister quietly for an extended moment.

“It’s not a done deal until there’s a verdict.” Sophia sat on the corner of her big desk. “But a verdict requires a trial first,” she said with an encouraging smile for good measure.

“Doesn’t seem like I had that much to offer after all.”

“Are you kidding? An eyewitness putting Murray with these guys in Cali with the ones here? It’s gonna help the DA build an even stronger case. Police work can be a lot of tedious piecing together, but it often results in one colossal wrecking ball at the end.”

Viva responded with an airy laugh. “Thanks, Soap, that helps.”

“It’s the truth.” Sophia vacated her spot on the desk and began to browse the files there.

Viva, meanwhile, walked the perimeter of her sister’s new and spacious office digs in the heart of downtown. The building, one of Philadelphia’s oldest and most stately, boasted offices befitting what the exterior conveyed.

A person with an eye for interior decorating and design, Viva appreciated the efforts taken to ensure Sophia’s office was both warm and functional. The formal blackwood paneling and tables of rich cherrywood were softened by suede furnishings of rich earth tones mingled with a few bolder splashes of color that lent the room an efficient yet appropriately chic appearance.

“I can hear your brain over there, but unfortunately I can’t translate,” Sophia called once silence filled the room for almost two minutes.

Viva turned from the breathtaking wall of windows that presented a glorious view of the city. She looked at her sister who held a handful of folders over a bottom drawer to one side of her desk.

“Is there anything more I could do here, Sophia? Anything more that you’d want me to do?” Viva asked.

Sophia frowned. “Anything more?”

“I called Murray,” Viva blurted, knowing that was the only way she could share what she was sure had been a boneheaded move.

Sophia pushed up slowly to stand. “What the hell, V?”

“I didn’t want to risk him running, after I talked to his assistant.”

“Viva—”

“The girl was at her wits’ end when she called, talking about how out of it Murray was acting. She mentioned something about him having a meeting with folks she knew weren’t in the business. She said they looked ‘official’ but she wasn’t sure if they were cops or...worse. I thought maybe they could’ve been cops and I know you can’t divulge all the moves you’re making in this case, but she said Murray was acting...off ever since and I—I just wanted to help.” Viva took a breath following the long spill, winced and waited for the cop in the room to explode.

Sophia stood hunched over the desk. Her hands were splayed across the surface as she inhaled. She straightened, appearing very calm without leaning the slightest bit toward wanting to explode as Viva expected.

“Making sure that a suspect doesn’t run isn’t your job.”

“I was only—” Viva cut herself off, raising her hands in a look of surrender when Sophia’s eyes flashed.

“You’ve done everything I’ve intended for you to do.” Sophia rounded the desk, her expression schooled. “With that in mind, I think it’d be a good idea for you to stay out of sight for a few weeks.”

“I agree.” Viva began an eager nod, closing some of the distance between her and Sophia. “That won’t be a problem at all. The cast has already discussed taking time off to hunker down with the new script for a long rehearsal—”

“Stop.” Sophia glared, waiting for Viva to obey. “Staying out of sight means staying completely out of sight, away from anywhere Dean might think to look for you if he’s got a mind to. Obviously he’s got lots of friends in my neck of the woods.” She lifted her hands to gesture at their official surroundings. “Ones I’ve yet to identify. It wouldn’t take much for one of them to discover you’re on the witness list.”

Viva returned to the chair she’d vacated and leaned on the back. “What have you got in mind?”

Sophia propped her hands to her hips, as if preparing for confrontation. “I thought some time out of the country might be a good idea.”

“Well, that’s great.” Viva gave a solitary clap of agreement. “The cast usually does these rehearsal retreats outside the country. We found this really great place when we were on location in the Philippines.”

“Viva!” Sophia gave an exasperated sigh. “Completely out of sight means away from your coworkers too.”

“Sophia, please tell me you aren’t planning to stash me in some old cabin with only cops for company?”

“Oh, I can do way better than that.” Sophia gave a flip shrug and went to settle into her comfortable desk chair. “I’m pretty sure you won’t be cooped up in an old cabin, but a snowy chalet, and instead of cops, what do you say to a sexy security specialist?”

Sophia’s smile sharpened, as did Viva’s glare.

* * *

“Still can’t believe that fool’s getting married.”

Rook chuckled when Linus Brooks began to laugh. Enjoying the dig at their friend, Linus indulged in a few additional seconds of laughter before helping himself to a swig of the beer Rook had served up from the wall bar in the living area of his office.

“Sophia’s a good match for Tig. Always has been.” Linus nodded in apparent appreciation of the savory flavor of the chilled imported brew. “Only thing that makes up for the shame of him letting her walk around free all that time is not wasting any more of it before getting her down the aisle.”

“Yeah.” Rook observed the mug that held his own serving of the beer. “Some fools do wise up given enough time.”

As Rook prowled the length of the tall windows behind his desk he felt Linus’s eyes on him. “Lotta mess went down between them, but...if they could work it out...” Linus trailed off as Rook fixed him with a look. “I’d take that to mean it’s never too late, is all I’m saying.”

“I’m on my way to Italy in a week,” Rook said in a manner to rival the softness of the rain tapping his office window that afternoon.

“A lot could happen in a week,” Linus said.

“Not that.”

“Rook—”

“Sophia and Tig made a mess of things, but at least they had the time and space to fix it.” Briefly, Rook closed his eyes to the dreary view. “How are we ever to fix anything when she’s halfway around the world or across the country?”

“Last I heard, you were your own boss.” Undeterred, Linus swigged down another gulp of the beer. “Educate me on exactly what’s stopping you.”

“Do you really need me to go into that?” Despite the amount of beer he’d downed, Rook’s throat still felt as scratchy as a square of sandpaper.

Understanding pooled in Linus’s ebony eyes. “Do you want her back?”

“I never wanted her to go.”

“She’s here now.”

“She is...” Rook seemed to consider the simple truth, but only momentarily. “Trying to work this out with Viva will be messy, Linus. People change and six years is a long time.”

The cool understanding on Linus’s sculpted dark face meshed with empathy. “You’re not a victim to that anymore.”

“But it’s still in me.” Rook tapped the bottom of his mug to a denim-clad knee once he’d taken a seat in front of his desk. “Isn’t that what we’re always supposed to remember? That it would always be inside us, lurking?” He looked to Linus. “That what we have to focus on now is managing it because we’ll never be rid of it?”

With a nod he appeared reluctant to give, Linus set aside his beer. Rook tilted back more of his, knowing he didn’t need to say more. Linus understood. After all, Rook reminisced, it had been his old friend who had recognized the signs of Rook’s anger morphing into an uncontrollable monster inside him.

It had been Linus who’d bravely forged ahead. He’d refused to let Rook’s increasingly hostile mood spook him into doing nothing to help him find the means to battle the darkness carving a spot inside him.

“I don’t want her to see that in me.”

“You’d never hurt her.”

“I know that.” Rook’s tone was black, yet with a matter-of-fact tinge. “Doesn’t mean I want her to see me launch a TV through a plate-glass window because I was aggravated over some ancient drama.”

“Might do you both some good. Not tossing a TV through plate glass,” Linus clarified with a laugh when Rook glared. “I mean getting this poison out of your system. Finally telling her how what she did made you feel.”

Rook shook his head stubbornly. “She wasn’t to blame.”

“I didn’t say she was, but what happened put you in a real bad place—a place you haven’t all the way come back from.” Linus came to take a chair closest to the one Rook occupied. “You’ll never truly manage this crap if you don’t share some of that weight with her. Do that at least—even if nothing more comes of it. She’ll head back to California and you’ll make your moves, but you’ll make ’em without a lot of weight from the past dragging at you and dangling like a carrot in front of that monster you need to control.”

“Does Eli know you moonlight as a shrink?” Rook teased, referring to Elias Joss, another of their friends and Linus’s business partner.

“Aw, he’s used to it.” Linus gave a playful eye roll. “’Specially if it means the happiness of a friend.

“Look, man,” Linus said once laughter was shared. “The last thing I want is for everything you’ve got pent up to barrel out unexpectedly. Trust me, I know what the consequences of that feels like.”

Rook spread his big hands. “What? Am I giving off some kind of dark vibe?”

“No, but I know Viva being back has to be adding some kind of pressure. That added to the fact that you’ve missed two meetings...and now you’re about to take a long trip... Well, I’m a little concerned.”

“Don’t be.” Rook leaned over to slap at Linus’s forearm beneath the fleece sleeve of his sweatshirt. “I’m good. I’ve been good. No reason to think that won’t continue.”

The phone rang and both men grinned as though the sound were a good omen.

“Yeah, Lind?” Rook greeted his assistant Lindy Peters, by speaker.

“Sorry, Rook, I thought you’d want to take this call. It’s Chief Hail.”

Linus left his chair, taking his empty beer mug which he used to motion to Rook for another refill.

Rook nodded, appreciating the bit of privacy. “Send her through.” In a few seconds he heard the click on the line. “Soap? Linus is here.”

“Hey, Linus!” Sophia called through the speaker.

Rook silenced the speaker once Linus sent his greetings. As Linus busied himself browsing the extensive stock of domestic and imported beers behind the bar, Rook listened to what Sophia had to say. His responses into the phone turned shorter and he couldn’t keep frustration from creeping into his voice. Linus must have heard it too, because he returned to his chair and offered an encouraging shrug when the call ended.

“Scratch everything I just said,” Rook ordered his friend.

* * *

“Viva?”

Her hands going still on the straps of an enormous tan tote bag, Viva turned toward the sound of the vaguely familiar voice that was presently etched with curiosity. Laughter tickled her throat when she saw Burt Larkin standing in the doorway of Rook’s office.

“So is it all right to be here in the control room?” Viva asked once she and Burt had exchanged hugs and pleasantries. “Rook’s assistant told me to come on in.”

“You’re fine and besides, it’s the best place for you.” Burt scratched at a wheat-colored brow. “How’d you get in here without being mobbed anyway?”

Viva gave her tote bag a shake. “Never underestimate the power of a good wig and sunglasses. Sophia told me how to get here but my guess is she regrets that now after ordering me to go along with Rook putting his life on hold to babysit me. I’m sure you know about that.”

Burt nodded. “I may’ve heard something, but I’m sure he doesn’t see it as babysitting and putting his life on hold, Viva.”

“I’m here to see that he does.”

Viva’s practiced bravado threatened mutiny when she saw Rook arriving at his office door.

“So I’m gonna head out,” Burt said, putting a knowing smile in place. He went to pull Viva into a quick, warm embrace. “Have someone find me before you leave, so I can get an autograph. It’ll make me the envy of all my playmates.”

“Promise!” Viva laughed.

Burt kept the smile on his attractively weather-beaten face when he sidestepped his boss.

Rook shut the door at Burt’s back and was facing it when he began to speak to Viva. “Sophia called, said you might stop by.”

“Wow.” Viva set aside her tote bag and pretended to be impressed. “Calls announcing my arrival...you and Sophia sure are close these days.”

Rook strolled to his desk, which was a fixture of gleaming blackwood in the back of the spacious yet efficient office. Rook allowed himself few comforts when he worked. Even the well-stocked bar and living area radiated Spartan undertones.

“Chief of Ds thinks me and my team do a pretty decent job.”

“I’m sure that’s true, but you don’t need to waste your resources on me.”

“Last thing it’d be is a waste.” Rook settled onto one corner of the broad, neat desk. “There’s no need for a large crew. This is a one-man job.”

“Rook, I’m sorry.” Viva stopped a few feet before him at the desk.

“Sorry?” He tensed. “What for?”

“Sophia should’ve never pulled you into this.”

“And why is that?” Rook faked a little confusion. “I supply security and you’re obviously in need of it.”

Viva eased her hands into the side pockets of the teal skirt that showcased her curves and shapely calves where the hem ended just below the knee. “Just what did Sophia tell you?” Suspicion was rife in her slightly husky voice.

“Not much.” Rook studied his hands while he rubbed his palms. “Enough to give me a sense of what’s going on, but I suspect she’s leaving it up to you to share all the...colorful details.” He treated himself to a brief but effective appraisal of her body that she felt in every nerve ending. “Sophia gave me the feeling there were several,” he added when her eyes met his again.

I’ll bet she did, Viva mused silently, feeling the crushing need to act on her threats of bodily harm to her little sister.

Rook made a pretense of straightening the few files lying on his pristine desk. “I’ve got time to talk now if you want.”

“Rook,” Viva began in a manner that rarely failed to get her what she wanted. “Listen, I—I don’t want you involved with this and I’d appreciate you going to Soap and telling her to put someone else on it.”

“No.” The response was quick, cold. Rook didn’t even spare Viva a glance as he studied the paperwork on his desk.

Viva wasn’t surprised by the answer; she knew it’d been useless to ask the question. She’d only been using the “get me what I want” voice since her name had become a recognizable one. It had proved a successful technique—on most everyone except her sister. Trying it with Rook was just as idiotic. When safety was an issue, he was deaf to any attempt at making light of it.

“So what about your trip to Italy?” she asked then, minus the “get me what I want” emphasis.

“What about it?” He gave her the benefit of his gaze then.

“Are you still going?”

“Yes.”

Viva took a quiet moment to process. “Well, how can you do that and watch me 24/7?”

He smiled. “I can do that because you’re going with me. I’m sure Sophia told you that already.”

“I can’t.”

“You will.”

“You’ll force me?”

“I’ve been promised that I won’t have to.”

“Sophia.” Viva hissed her sister’s name like it was a curse. “So you already know this involved Murray.” She decided it wouldn’t hurt to come clean—a little.

Rook tilted his head a fraction, no doubt hoping to shield the sudden and fanatical twitch of a jaw muscle. It was a futile attempt. “I know that.”

“And you expect us to just go off to Italy together without that being a problem for us?”

Infuriatingly cool then, Rook leaned forward a tad. “I don’t expect that at all,” he told her.

“Then what?”

“I expect you to tell me whatever your sister suspects you’re keeping from me.”

Viva couldn’t resist a quick burst of laughter. “What she suspects I’m keeping? You’re going off the assumption that her suspicions are correct.”

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