Page 12 of Fiona and the Fixer

If that wasn’t enough to make me practically come inmy pants, she settled a knee into his back and pulled her own weapon from her crossbody purse and pointed it at his temple. It wasn’t a girlie gun either. It was a Glock 19M. “It’s your turn not to move, dumbass. And I promise you, my safety isn’t on.”

She wasn’t breathing hard. Not a hair was out of place. Cool as a fucking cucumber. And she still held the fucking coffee carafe.

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

I’d never seen anything hotter in my life.

When her eyes lifted from the stupid fucker on the floor screaming over his burns and looked up at the clerk, she said, “I think, Pops, we’re going to need a new pot of coffee.”

I adjusted my dick in my pants and knew.

Standing beside the variety packs of beef jerky, this woman was mine.

5

FIONA

I’d livedin Denver for five years and knew of Coal Springs, but with work, never been. I heard it was quirky and fun and had zero crime. Like a Hallmark movie town where a big-city woman returned home and fell for a Christmas tree farmer or the mayor.

A pretty boring place for law enforcement. Except the crime rate in the area seemed to have gone up as soon as I got off the highway.

As for the quirky and fun part, I could definitely say it was quirky. And it sure as hell had been fun bringing that idiot down. I couldn’t help but smirk remembering. Who robbed a convenience store with the safety on? Now he’d be spending five to ten years asking himself that same question.

As I drove through town, I took in the fall banners that dangled from every lamppost along Main Street. Bales of hay and pumpkins decorated the shop fronts. The houses, too, as I followed the GPS directions and drove into the residential area. The little place I reserved earlier was on a tree-lined street, bright and cheery coated in crisp white paint. A rocking chair was on the small front porch and a welcome mat–it actually said Welcome! on it–rested beneath the glossy black front door. Leaves on the trees that arched over the house were a bright yellow and when I stepped out of the car, the scent of a wood fire filled the air.

It was like a Norman Rockwell experience in 4D.

I’d spent two hours stuck at the convenience store while the state patrol and medics dealt with the dumb–and burned–perp. Flashing my FBI badge helped. That cut through a hell of a lot of questioning, but there still had been plenty.

Why I was in the store. Why I drew my weapon. Why I took down an armed perp solo when on vacation. Why I hadn’t called it in instead. Why, why, why.

The answer was that he’d been breaking the law, but I didn’t think they’d like that “duh” answer, so I told them he’d kept me from my coffee. Which had been true.

Pops also gave his rundown of events, then the two soda kids had been interviewed and sent on their way with cherryandvanilla sodas. Fortunately, they’d stayed out of the way of a waving weapon, unlike Mr. Suit.

That man! What had been up with him?

He’d had the gall to interrupt me when I was dealingwith a gun-toting dumbass. I wanted to question him on his stupidity, but between Pops calling 9-1-1 and grabbing bungee cords from the small automotive section and securing the perp with them, Mr. Suit left.

As in… gone. Walked out and drove off. Dressed as he had been, maybe he had some big corporate meeting in Denver. A funeral, even.

Why had he gotten involved? Why he’d asked me,while I’d been dealing with a perp,what I was doing? He wasn’t blind. I didn’t think he was stupid. God wouldn’t dare make him only gorgeous.

He was stunningly hot, but he’d also gotten in my way. Underestimated me.

I didn’t like men who got in my way. Who made assumptions about me. My father. My partner. My boss. Every date I’d had in my life.

What a fucking day.

I huffed. Whatever. It didn’t matter. Mr. Suit was long gone.

Good. I didn’t need a handsome distraction. Plus, he thought I was crazy for going after the guy with the gun. Any man in my life would have to accept that I could take care of myself. And others around me. It was my job.

Well, itwasmy job, the one I was on pseudo-medical leave for. Who knew what was going to happen with it while I was gone. If I’d even have it when I went back. And when was I going back? Inwardly, I grumbled and wondered how long I was going to be angry about it. Probably forever.

But now I was going to meet Hannah Highcliff. This was what I wanted. After getting that letter about the radiation machine being broken, I’d become a little obsessed. Had she taken on a new, weird ability after gamma knife radiation, too? I really, really wanted to know I wasn’t alone.

Here in Coal Springs, lifewasa vacation. I didn’t have to go to work. I could sleep late. Drink all the coffee I wanted. No one to annoy or bother me. I had a hot guy in my bean flicking bank. Peace and–

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