Page 13 of Operation: Reckless Angel

She nodded. “That is correct.”

“Do you come to visit often?” Roth asked.

“Often enough,” she replied.

“Then maybe I’ll still be around and get to see you when you come again.”

“Maybe,” she agreed with a flirty smile. “Cam said you just got to town and are staying with your brother.”

“That is correct,” he said with the same intonation she’d used.

She laughed. “He also said you’re looking for a job.”

“That is correct too, Cam’s sister.”

She giggled again.

“So, are you ever going to tell me your name?” Roth asked her, leaning over the table towards her with a flirtatious smile on his lips.

“No, but if you guess it, I’ll admit to it,” she replied. She took a healthy drink of her beer.

“Okay, let’s see. Cameron and Katie?”

She laughed. “I look like a Katie?”

“Tracy or Tina?” Roth threw out.

“I look like a Tracy or a Tina?” she asked in feign outrage.

“Bree, stop playing with him,” Woods said. “You’re only inviting his attention and leading him on.”

“You’re no fun, Cam.” She laughed. Then she put her beer onto the table. She reached her hand with the red finger-tipped nails to him. “Briana Woods.”

“It’s nice to meet you Briana Woods,” Roth said, repeating her full name just in case it was too loud in there for the other members of the team to have heard through his comms. He shook her hand. She had a surprisingly powerful grip.

“Yes, I’m sure it is.”

She flashed him that smile again, and Roth couldn’t help but return it. There was something incredibly alluring about her confidence laced with cockiness. He wished he’d met her in a bar near home and that she wasn’t part of this investigation.

When Briana left the table to go to the ladies’ room, Cam leaned across the table, his gaze focused on Roth. “I’m serious when I tell you this, man. Don’t get hung up on my sister. She doesn’t do relationships. She’s all flirt. It’s a game to her and when she drives away, she won’t even remember you. She did it to a buddy of mine the last time she was in town and fucked his head up.”

“Duly noted,” Roth said. “For the record, I’m just flirting back and having a good time, didn’t think anything of it.”

“Okay, we’re fine then,” Woods said. He lifted his beer and took another drink, nearly emptying it.

Roth evaluated him. Was he being straight? Or did he have ulterior motives? It wasn’t unusual that a guy wouldn’t want some dude he just met to hit on his sister. He’d feel the same way if it were his sister, Kelly. He’d always felt protective of her. But this felt different for some reason.

Briana returned to the table. Another round of beers was ordered. After the bartender dropped them off, Cam left the table and headed for the bathrooms. Before Roth could think of what to say to Briana to try to get to know her better or get info out of her, a guy approached her. Roth couldn’t hear what he said to her, but the look she gave him was frosty and intimidating. She didn’t appear to say a word to him. Her lips didn’t move, and Roth didn’t hear her speak, but the guy got the message. He mumbled something unintelligible and moved away from the table.

Roth flashed her a smile. “I’m glad I’m not him.”

Briana took another swig of her drink. “He knows Cam, knows I’m his sister.”

Roth waited a beat to see if she’d add to that statement. She didn’t. “If it were me and I came up to say hi,” he posed.

Her lips tipped into a flirty smile. “Well, you’re sitting here with us, so that wouldn’t be the case. And he didn’t come over to say hi.”

“None of my business, but I didn’t hear what he said when he approached you.”

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