Читать книгу Sin City Temptation - Sharon C. Cooper - Страница 11

Chapter 1

“I still can’t believe he stole my money.”

Trinity Layton paced the length of her office. Anger bounced inside her gut each time she thought about how her business manager had somehow stolen thousands from her. What made the situation even worse—if she hadn’t heard from the IRS claiming her taxes were delinquent, there was no telling when she would have realized something was amiss.

“When was the last time you talked to Ryan?” her brother, Maxwell, asked as he lounged on the sofa on the other side of her office, flipping through a magazine.

“Two weeks ago.” She dropped down in her desk chair and folded her arms across her chest. “I tried calling him yesterday after getting off the telephone with the IRS. The first few times I called, I got his voice mail. A few hours later, his phone was disconnected. So I dropped by his office. The only things I found were late notices and dust bunnies floating across the floor. It’s like he’s vanished.”

“That’s messed up.”

“Yeah, and he better hope the cops catch him before I do,” Trinity mumbled. “He hasn’t filed our taxes for the last two quarters. Can you believe that mess?”

She swiveled her chair around to stare out of the large window behind her desk. She had started Layton’s Executive Protection Agency, LEPA, nine months ago, using the money from a settlement she had won against the Los Angeles Police Department. After nine years on the police force, when a lieutenant post became available, she applied for the position. Despite being more than qualified, she’d been told that she was too young and inexperienced. Within days, she had filed a discrimination lawsuit.

“So what are you going to do?” Maxwell asked. She turned to face him just as he tossed the magazine onto the table in front of the sofa. “Do you have enough money to take care of the back taxes?”

“Yeah, I’m good, but this nonsense throws off my budget for the next couple of months. Worst case scenario, I’ll have to tap into my savings.” She could also borrow from the money she’d been setting aside from her own paycheck for the homeless shelter she was looking to open at the end of the year. That would be a last resort.

“Would you have loaned me the money if I needed it?”

“Of course.”

She stood and walked across the room and sat on the sofa next to her brother, her champion. The one person always willing and ready to bail her out of any situation. She laid her head on his shoulder and looped her arm through his. “I appreciate you always coming to my rescue.”

“That’s what big brothers are for.” He turned slightly to look at her, forcing her to lift her head. “You seem fairly calm about all of this.”

“Don’t let my outer calmness fool you. When I see Ryan Coleman, someone is going to have to pull me off of him! I trusted that brotha. I gave him an opportunity to build his business while I build mine, and this is how he repays me. I’m surprised he would do something like this.”

“We’ve known him for years. He wouldn’t steal money for no reason, especially from you. He must be in a desperate situation.”

“Maybe, but he knew he could have come to me. He was like a brother to me. I’m sure we could’ve worked something out.”

Trinity and Ryan had met when they both were thirteen years old, when he and his parents moved in next door to her family. He was an only child and had spent most of his time hanging out with her and Maxwell.

“So I assume that overall business is good, besides this.”

She nodded. “Yeah, business is okay. Of course, it could always be better. I had hoped to have a few more high-end clients by now. Granted, I’m grateful for the repeat customers, but I need things to be steadier. I have to come up with some new ideas to build my business.” She knew it was going to take longer than a few months to create the type of clientele list she desired to have one day.

“Anything I can do to help?”

“How about you refer some potential clients my way? Living in Vegas, and being a police sergeant, you must know some people with money who need personal security.”

He ran his hand over his mouth in thought, brushing his short beard with his fingers before he stood. “Actually, I do know someone who might be able to benefit from your services.”

“What?” She stood and approached him. “You know someone and you haven’t said anything before now?”

He slipped into his lightweight jacket.

“The person I’m thinking about just recently mentioned a situation. He might not go for it, but I think he needs a bodyguard.”

Trinity didn’t miss his hesitation. “Well, who is this person?” She placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head, more curious than ever.

Maxwell leaned against the door to her office. “Gunner Brooks.”

* * *

Trinity narrowed her eyes at her brother. He knew she couldn’t stand his old college roommate and fraternity brother. As a matter of fact, she’d rather eat dirt and drink turpentine than deal with the likes of Gunner Brooks.

She walked back to her desk, shaking her head. “No thanks. I don’t know what type of mess Gunner is involved in and I’d just as soon not know. I’m not desperate enough to take him on as a client.”

“Hold up.” Maxwell pushed away from the door and approached her desk. “A minute ago you wanted to build the business. And what about the homeless shelter? The sooner you get a steady income coming in for the agency, the sooner you can start raising capital for the shelter.”

“But—”

“But nothing. I mention a potential client, who is not only wealthy, but also very well connected, and you’re not interested?”

“Maxwell, you know how I feel about poker and...and gambling, period. After what Daddy put our family through, how can you even suggest I work with Gunner?”

“Trinity, that was a long time ago, and hell, you can’t compare Dad with Gunner. Dad was a gambler who relied on luck, never studying how the game is really played.”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing and glared at her brother. “How is that any different than what Gunner does?”

“Are you kidding me? There is a huge difference.” Maxwell pulled his keys out of his jacket pocket. “Gunner is a professional poker player. He doesn’t rely on just luck. To do what he does takes patience, analytical skills, and don’t even get me started on the type of self-control a player has to have in order to be any good at the game. Hell, those qualities alone would have ruled Dad out.”

He shook his head as if remembering something about Maxwell Layton, Sr. “Dad was an out-of-control gambler who would let losing twenty bucks send him on a drinking binge, whereas Gunner treats playing poker like a job, understanding you win some, you lose some. Unlike a person who has a gambling problem, Gunner is always studying the game, learning his opponents’ playing styles, and more than that, Trinity, he takes what he does very seriously.”

Trinity rolled her eyes and sat at her desk. “If you say so, but from what I can tell, it’s all the same. He’s a gambler.”

Trinity would never forget the number of times she had heard her parents arguing about how her father spent the grocery or bill money at the casinos. How many times had she wondered what type of man would gamble away the household funds, not caring whether or not his family had a roof over their heads or food on the table?

“Listen, Trinity, try not to compare Gunner to Dad. Gunner has made an amazing living doing something he has trained for, spending his days and nights studying the game. Dad was a wannabe and unfortunately he didn’t have what it took to be that type of poker player.”

Trinity fought back the anger that surfaced. “And it was at our expense. He left us.” She gripped the arms of her chair in order to control the rage brewing in her gut. “He left Momma broke with two kids, not caring whether we lived or died. For that, I will never forgive him.”

“Well, you need to try.” Maxwell bent down and kissed the top of her head. “He’s been dead for years. You need to figure out a way to forgive him so that you can move on and not hold on to all the anger built up inside you. It’s not healthy.”

Forgiving her father was easier said than done. It was because of him that they had moved to Los Angeles from Vegas with nothing. If it weren’t for her mother’s family taking them in and helping her find a job, they would have had to continue living in a shelter.

Trinity dropped her shoulders, knowing that her brother was right, but unable to wrap her mind around the idea of working with Gunner or being anywhere near him, for that matter.

“I don’t think you’re in any position to turn down potential clients. Besides, just because you have issues with Gunner, doesn’t mean you can’t provide him with a top-notch bodyguard and take care of those back taxes. Unless, of course, you’d prefer to draw money from your savings.”

Trinity rocked in her seat. She really couldn’t afford to turn down work. Maxwell was right. It was not like she had to hang out with Gunner for any long period of time. All she had to do was find out what his needs were and then connect him with one of her more than qualified security specialists. And if he was still the notorious playboy that she remembered, she was sure he’d be more than excited to have one of her supermodel-look-alikes as a bodyguard.

With a renewed energy, she rubbed her hands together, excited about the possibility of getting a wealthy new client. “Okay, give him my number.”

* * *

“Trinity?”

Trinity glanced up from the computer. Connie, her assistant and best friend, hurried into the office and closed the door. She stepped to Trinity’s desk, her hand pressed against her chest and a dreamy expression on her face.

“Oh, my God,” she breathed. “The sexiest human being that ever walked the face of the earth is standing at my desk and he’s asking for you.”

“Oh,” Trinity said nonchalantly and waved her off good-naturedly. “That’s probably Gunner Brooks.”

“I knew he was nice-looking, but dang! The internet didn’t do him justice. That man is downright fine!”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, just send him in.” Days after her conversation with Maxwell, Gunner had called and set up an appointment to meet with her.

Trinity went back to typing the letter she was working on, not surprised by the effect Gunner had on Connie. She had witnessed the same reaction plenty of times when visiting Max on the University of Southern California campus when he and Gunner roomed together. Girls were always fawning over Gunner, willing to do anything he asked of them. Funny thing was, he didn’t have to say or do much to attract them. There was something about him. Some type of allure that caused women to stop and take notice. Trinity never could put her finger on what it really was that warranted that type of reaction. Thankfully, she was immune to his charming ways.

Moments later a shiver ran up and down her arms and the intoxicating scent of sandalwood and vanilla filled the space. She didn’t have to look up to know that Gunner had stepped into her office.

Trinity slowly swiveled in her chair and came face to face with the man who had starred in many of her dreams. She stood as Gunner decreased the distance between them and quickly realized that she wasn’t as immune to him as she had thought. Smooth skin the color of rich dark chocolate and a gaze that burrowed into her flesh made her temporarily forget that she couldn’t stand him. He flashed his million-dollar smile and everything within her turned to mush. It didn’t help that he had his baseball cap pulled low over his eyes, making him look sexy as hell. She always did have a weakness for men wearing baseball caps.

Crap. This might not be as easy as I thought.

She swiped sweaty palms down the sides of her black slacks and stepped from around the desk. She didn’t want to be attracted to a man who could easily talk a woman out of her panties and into his bed with only a few words.

“Trinity.” His deep voice washed over her like liquid fire, sending heat to every nerve ending in her body. He definitely hadn’t lost the swagger that had made him one of the most popular men at USC. His easy, confident gait carried him the short distance across the room and he stopped in front of her. “It’s been a long time.”

She blew out a breath and straightened her back, refusing to let his nearness unnerve her. Extending her hand, she planned to keep the meeting as professional as possible. Yet instead of shaking her hand, Gunner grabbed hold of her and pulled her into his arms. The contact sent a heated jolt of awareness through her body and she trembled involuntarily.

“We’re way past handshakes,” he mumbled near her ear and placed a lingering kiss on her cheek. Her eyes drifted closed, hypnotized by the caress of his lips and the heady scent of his cologne. He took a half step back, still not releasing her, and held her at arm’s length. “You have grown into a beautiful woman.”

His last comment broke the trance and Trinity gracefully shook out of his grip. She walked back around her desk, needing to put some distance between them.

“Excuse me,” Connie said, standing near the door. “May I get either one of you a cup of coffee or maybe some ice water?” She looked pointedly at Trinity, humor in her eyes.

Trinity hadn’t noticed her standing there, and ignored the knowing look Connie gave her. “Nothing for me, thanks.” She turned her attention to her guest. “What about you, Gunner?”

“Actually, coffee would be great.”

“Cream, sugar?” Connie asked sweetly.

“Black would be perfect. Thanks, sweetheart.” Gunner winked and returned his attention to Trinity, who had to keep herself from rolling her eyes at Connie’s departing giggle.

“It’s good to see you again, Gunner.” Trinity hoped her words sounded more sincere than she felt. He might have been one of the finest men she’d ever met, but he was still someone she wanted nothing to do with. “I’m glad you were able to stop by. Please have a seat.”

He removed the ratty baseball cap that had a gold omega symbol across the front, and sat in one of the leather armchairs facing her desk. Ruggedly handsome, Gunner exuded self-confidence, making it hard for Trinity not to stare at him. Every move he made her gaze seemed to follow. It wasn’t until he crossed an ankle over his knee and his eyes met hers that she realized she was entranced.

He smiled. Heat rose to her cheeks and she diverted her eyes to the file that she’d been working on earlier. It was time to get it together and tap into her professional demeanor. Breathing in and out slowly, without making it seem too obvious, she felt herself relax...some. Placing the file off to the side, she grabbed her notepad.

“Okay, let’s get started.” She scribbled the date and time on the pad of paper before she returned her attention to him.

“Why don’t we catch up first?” Gunner said and slouched a little in his seat, appearing cool and relaxed.

No one would ever believe he was wealthy by his posture or by the way he was dressed. A gold T-shirt that read I Always Wear My Poker Face, stretched across his taut muscles and hugged his large biceps. With well-worn jeans and a pair of scuffed wheat-colored Timberland boots, he looked more like a thug than the multimillionaire that she had researched.

“Excuse me,” Connie said.

Seeing the coffee in her hand, Trinity waved her in. Connie placed the steaming liquid in front of Gunner and a bottle of water with a cup of ice in front of Trinity before closing the door behind her.

“I haven’t seen you in years. I was surprised when Max told me that you had left LAPD and started your own personal protection business. I’m impressed.” He fingered a stunning gold bracelet on his wrist that had writing on it, which she couldn’t make out, but was outlined with diamonds. She glanced up to find him studying her.

Trinity sat back in her seat and took another deep breath before speaking. “Thanks. It’s been my lifelong dream to have my own business. After serving on the police force for nine years, it seemed to be a logical business to go into.”

“You must be a serious bad-ass. I heard you worked SWAT the last two years you were with LAPD.”

Trinity twirled her ink pen between her fingers. Apparently, she wasn’t bad-ass enough, seeing that she’d gotten snubbed for the lieutenant position. It was the second time she hadn’t been seriously considered for a position that she was more than qualified to hold. Her superior had often made comments about her still being wet behind the ears, and how women were created to stay home and have babies.

Her gripped tightened on her pen. She’d had plenty of time to let the bad feelings she had for LAPD pass. Yet, every now and then animosity of how she had been treated snuck in.

“Hey,” Gunner sat forward, “didn’t mean to bring up any bad memories. Are you all right? It looked as if I lost you for a moment there.”

Trinity gave herself a mental shake. “Oh, yeah, I’m fine. Being on the force and then getting the SWAT assignment prepared me for all of this,” she said, raising her hands and glancing around her office. “No regrets.”

He regarded her spacious office as he nodded. “Nice digs you have here.” Trinity followed his gaze, proud of what she had accomplished. The location of her office building was costing her a pretty penny, but it was worth it to be in a prime area. “So how long have you been in business?” Gunner asked. “Tell me a little about your agency.”

She rocked a little in her leather office chair, finally feeling comfortable with having him in her space. “I opened the agency about nine months ago and so far things are going well. I started with five security specialists on call. Now I have twenty that I use on a regular basis. All are very well trained and either have a police or military background, as well as expertise in various areas of personal security.” She stopped rocking and slid forward in her seat. “So I have no doubt that I have someone who can meet your needs. Why don’t you tell me why you need a bodyguard?”

* * *

Gunner sat back in his seat, still finding it hard to believe that little Trinity Layton was all grown up. Thanks to her brother, Maxwell, he had kept up with her career, the good and the not-so-good aspects. But what Maxwell failed to mention was how fine his sister was. Flawless skin the color of coffee with a hint of cream. Her brown hair that hung just past her shoulders was longer than he remembered, with copper highlights that brought out the gold specks in her light brown eyes. She was cute back when she’d visited them at USC, but now she was downright gorgeous. He’d bet that whenever she arrested anyone, they went willingly in order to be close to her.

Gunner had originally shot down the idea of hiring a bodyguard when Maxwell first suggested it, since he could take care of himself. Yet, he reconsidered when Max explained that Trinity was trying to build the agency’s clientele. Now, after seeing her again, he was glad he’d flown to LA to meet with her.

“In the last couple of weeks, a few professional poker players who are gearing up for the PPO, the Poker Play-Offs, have been involved in a few incidents.”

“What type of incidents?” Trinity asked.

For the first time since he arrived, she seemed relaxed and genuinely interested in what he had to say. When he had first walked into her office, she appeared to be about ready to bolt for the door. Her expression reminded him of the first time he’d met her. They both seemed to be shocked into speechlessness. Gunner couldn’t believe Maxwell had a cutie-pie sister, but he wasn’t sure what her thoughts had been. All he knew was there was a sweet shyness about her mixed with a little I-don’t-take-crap-from-anyone. He had been attracted to her back when he was in college, but never made a move on her. Not because she happened to be Max’s little sister, but because Trinity was serious-girlfriend material, and back then he was all about having a good time without the commitment.

Now that Gunner was thinking more and more about settling down and having a family, he was viewing commitment and relationships differently. He no longer dated just to be dating. Instead, he only spent time with women whom he was attracted to and could see building a future with. Needless to say, the list was short. Most women only saw him as their ticket to financial freedom. He knew enough about Trinity to know that she was the type of woman he was looking to settle down with—independent, had good values and came from a good family. The fact that she was absolutely gorgeous didn’t hurt either.

Gunner toyed with the PPO diamond bracelet that he had won the previous year, the fifth of his collection. “A participant was jumped shortly after leaving a tournament,” he finally answered. “Another walked into a grocery store and was stabbed in the side by an unknown assailant, the knife barely missing some major organs. And just recently, one of the tournament participants left a popular restaurant and was hit in the head with a steel rod. The attacker got away.”

“Those incidents sound like something that could happen to anyone, especially someone who hangs out at a casino, gambling away hard-earned cash. I’d think that would be an everyday occurrence in Vegas.” The distaste with which Trinity said the words didn’t go unnoticed by Gunner. He had a feeling she didn’t like him, but the disgust he heard in her tone sounded like something else was going on.

“This has caught some of the players’ attention because none of the individuals in these instances were robbed. Only roughed up or injured to the point of having to drop out of the tournament. Also, each occurrence happened away from the casinos. And most important, the victims were favorites to earn one of nine spots at the PPO’s Main Event.” When it looked as if she didn’t understand how huge that was, he continued. “The PPO is to poker what the Super Bowl is to football. Each year, individuals compete for a seat at the final table. Three of the nine people favored for this year are out of commission and unable to compete.”

Understanding showed in Trinity’s eyes and she stopped twirling the pen in her hand. “I assume you’re one of the favorites?”

Gunner met her gaze and nodded. “I am. Assuming someone doesn’t take me out first.”

* * *

Silence fell between Trinity and Gunner. She had recently read about the PPO, not fully understanding how it worked. What she did remember though, was that the fee to enter the tournament was over ten thousand dollars with a multimillion-dollar cash prize. She had also learned that Gunner had participated in the PPO every year since he was twenty-one and had won the main event five times. Despite his laid-back attitude and disinterested demeanor, Gunner Brooks was worth an obscene amount of money.

Trinity stood and unplugged her laptop. “Let’s go over to the round table so that I can show you what I’m working with.” When she glanced up to find him with an amused expression on his face, she realized what she’d said. “Uh, I mean so that I can show you the security specialists that you can choose from.”

He followed her to the table and waited until she sat before he took the chair next to hers. Trinity quickly realized that suggesting they move to the table might not have been a good idea. Not only did he smell divine, if he sat any closer to her, they could share the same seat.

Moving her chair over without making it too obvious, she hurried and pulled up the computer file that contained portfolios of all of her bodyguards.

“All of our security specialists are highly qualified.” She glanced at him before returning her attention back to the computer. “Would you prefer a male or a female bodyguard?”

“Female,” he said simply. He’d always been a man of few words and Trinity wasn’t surprised that he would want a woman protecting him. Men like him typically chose a woman, not wanting people around them knowing they had a bodyguard.

“How long will you need our security specialist?”

“I want someone who is available 24/7 for the next two, two-and-a-half, months. They’ll need to be willing to travel to tournaments, as well as other events during the PPO.”

Trinity mentally calculated the amount of money she would make with this contract and did a happy dance in her head. With the payment plan she had in place for her clients, the down payment alone would more than cover the back taxes. She’d also be able to save some money. She was going to owe her brother big for referring Gunner.

Trinity opened the computer file and the faces of ten women of varied nationalities appeared on the screen. Gunner stirred next to her, but he said nothing.

“Okay, let’s start with Diamond. She’s a certified stunt woman and a martial arts instructor who works at one of the dojos here in town. She’s available for the assignment and has no problem with spending a couple of months traveling to tournaments with you.”

Trinity went through all of the women’s profiles, but was pretty sure Gunner would pick Willow. She looked like a beauty queen and had a degree in finance, but most important, she was a weapons specialist with a black belt in tae kwon do. Any man of his caliber would love to have a woman like her by his side.

When Gunner clicked through the choices again and arrived at the end without responding, she wondered if she might have misunderstood exactly what he was looking for.

“If you would prefer someone different or have changed your mind and would rather go with a male bodyguard, that can easily be arranged.” She turned the laptop slightly toward her and started to pull up a different set of specialists, but Gunner placed his hand over hers, halting her fingers on the keyboard.

Trinity’s heart lurched in her chest and she stared down at his large hand that covered hers. Heat from his touch soared though her body. She couldn’t end this meeting fast enough.

She eased her hand from beneath his and placed it in her lap as Gunner said, “You don’t have to show me anymore. I’ve decided.”