Page 5 of Concealed

Gabe:Don’t kill me.

Wyatt:What’s up?

Gabe:Just don’t kill me when you get home, okay?

I have no idea what Gabe is talking about and decide to drive home to figure it out. All I want to do is fall on the couch and put my feet up.

Wyatt:Call you soon.

When I pull into the parking lot, my cop eyes immediately spot the three cars that weren’t here when I left this morning. But only one is loaded with stuff.

I get out of the truck, and a petite blond wearing huge, dark sunglasses immediately walks over to me with her gaze averted to the ground.

“Wyatt?” she asks softly.

I blink in confusion. Gabe must have told his buddy that his girlfriend could stay with me, too, and that’s why Gabe thinks I’ll be pissed.

“Guilty as charged. And you are?”

“I’m Rebecca Vance.” Her voice is so quiet, I can barely hear her.

Maybe her boyfriend assumed it would be less threatening to send her to talk to me first. Or, he assumed it would be impossible for me to send her away, and I’d have to let them both stay. Not that I’d renege on a promise to Gabe, even if this situation is more than I bargained for.

“I’m Gabe’s friend,” Rebecca continues. “Thank you for letting me stay at your place. He sent me a picture, so I recognize you. And, well, the uniform gave it away.”

“You’re…You… are… Gabe’s friend?” I ask, my brain still struggling to catch up.

She nods and nervously looks around the quickly darkening parking lot as though she isn’t comfortable being outside.

As though she’s being watched.

“Of course,” I reply dumbly. “Right. It’s, uh, nice to meet you. Let’s head inside, and I’ll show you around. I’ll come back out and grab your stuff later, okay?”

She gives me a tentative smile, and even though she’s trying to mask it with baggy clothes and comically big sunglasses, it’s clear she’s knock-me-down gorgeous.

Certain things can’t be hidden, and her next-level curves are some of those things.

I take a second to peck a message to Gabe.

Wyatt:Well, shit.

Gabe:Yeah. I let you stay blissfully ignorant all day. My friend is a she.

Wyatt:I see that.

Gabe:A real pretty she.

Wyatt:Right. Seeing that, too.

I’ll deal with Gabe later. After sliding the phone back into my pocket, I give Rebecca my trademark grin, trying to put her at ease, and gesture toward my place.

“Let’s do it.”

Chapter 2

Rebecca

Copsarethelasttype of human I want to be around right now – or ever. Gabe is one of my brother’s friends, and I don’t think of him as a cop so much as an extra brother. That happens when you grow up running back and forth between each other’s houses.

---