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CHAPTER THREE

FELICIA ARRIVED FOR her morning meeting right on time. As she parked by the warehouse that was the new offices for CDS, she found herself unable to stop smiling.

She’d spent the night with Gideon. They’d slept in a tangle of arms and legs in his big bed, then awakened before dawn to make love again. She’d left around five and had driven back to her place to shower and prepare for her day.

Although it was simple biology, what she’d done sounded so illicit. She liked that. Usually she was the boring one. The predictable friend who was always around and rarely had plans. She didn’t have sex with men she hadn’t seen in years—certainly not outside. At night.

She had a job offer and the aftereffects of the hormone bath that went with a satisfying sexual experience. Right now life was very, very good. Still grinning foolishly, she collected her backpack and walked into the building.

What had once been one big open space had been partitioned into offices, classrooms, locker rooms and a large workout facility. The plumbing was taking the longest. In addition to the usual toilets and sinks, there were also showers, lockers and a dressing area. Segregated by gender. Angel had foolishly suggested they make the women’s locker room smaller, but Felicia had stared him down. Justice and Ford hadn’t bothered coming to his defense. Probably because they knew better.

Justice was already there, his large presence seeming to fill the room. He sat at a battered desk he’d picked up at a garage sale a few weeks ago. Their “real” office furniture was on order.

“Hey,” he said as she entered, not bothering to look up from his laptop. “Did you file the permits for the shooting range?”

“Yes.” Her tone indicated she really meant “Of course,” but why state the obvious? “I took them directly to the city officials myself. They’ll be processed by the fifteenth.”

There was a professional mission statement in the articles of incorporation, but at its heart, CDS was a bodyguard school. It would provide advanced training for those in the industry as well as refresher courses. Ford would be working with corporations who wanted a unique team-building facility, while Angel would be in charge of the actual training. Justice was going to run the place.

In addition, CDS would provide classes for the community. Self-defense mainly with a few gun safety lectures and some hands-on training.

Felicia had been offered any job she wanted with the company, but knew she needed something different. She was ready to be as close to normal as she could get. She wanted to be part of a community, to fall in love, get married and have kids. A common dream, she thought, but one that seemed especially difficult for her to accomplish.

The job Mayor Marsha had offered was a big step in that direction. If only Felicia was brave enough to accept it.

She pulled her own laptop from her backpack and walked over to the desk. She pulled up a second chair and sat opposite Justice. Once the machine booted, she logged on to the internet and began typing.

“The equipment Ford and Angel ordered for the obstacle course will be delivered by the end of the week. The cherry picker is coming next Monday to help with installation of the suspension bridge.”

Justice glanced at her, his eyes bright with excitement. “Can’t wait to try it.”

“It’s high, it’s a bridge, what’s the big deal?”

He grinned.

She knew he was really looking forward to having one of his friends on the bridge and trying to shake the other guy off. The three business partners looked all tough and burly but in their hearts, they were still boys who liked to play practical jokes.

At least they were smart about them, she thought. They were all keenly aware that each of them was trained to be a deadly killer. It would be easy for any situation to get out of hand and they made sure that didn’t happen.

The main door opened, and Angel and Ford walked in together. Wearing jeans and T-shirts, they should have looked like a couple of regular Joes. But they didn’t. After her years in the military, Felicia was an expert at spotting men with special training, and these two had all the characteristics.

There was a confidence in the way they walked. Anyone looking at them would know they could handle themselves, regardless of the situation. Ford was a couple of inches taller and maybe twenty pounds heavier. He had dark hair and dark eyes, and an easy laugh. On the surface, he was the most fun-loving of the group. But Felicia knew that was a facade. Underneath, he was as emotionally distant as any man who’d spent his career viewing life through a sniper rifle.

Angel might have gotten out of the military sooner than any of them, but he’d moved into the type of private security that was just as dangerous as black ops. He had pale gray eyes that had seen too much and an intriguing scar across his neck, as if someone had tried to cut his throat.

Felicia had started to ask him about it once, and he’d stared her down. As she wasn’t usually intimidated by the men she worked with, she considered that a testament to his mental powers. She knew Angel had been married before, and that his wife and son had been killed in a car accident. How sad to have everything and then lose it, she thought.

Justice, Ford and Angel would be the partners in the company. There would be several permanent employees, including her friend Consuelo, who was due to arrive shortly. Felicia knew the team wondered if they could fit into life in a small town, and they worried about blending in. She had only been in Fool’s Gold a couple of months, but she was pretty sure that in a test of wills, the town would win. Justice had already changed; it was just a matter of time until the others found themselves behaving in ways they would have sworn wasn’t possible.

There was little scientific data to back up her assertion, but she was willing to stake her reputation on her supposition all the same.

“Is my gym ready?” Angel asked. “I’ve been using the one in town, and there are too many people there.”

Felicia smiled. “You mean women, don’t you?”

Angel turned to her. “Look, dollface, you don’t know what it’s like.”

“It’s Eddie,” Ford said, snickering. “She came up to him yesterday and asked about his scar. Then she wanted to touch his biceps.”

Angel’s face took on a pained expression. “The woman is what? A hundred? What the hell was she doing in a gym?”

“Mostly checking out cute guys,” Felicia said cheerfully. “From what I hear, she and her friend Gladys do it all the time. I don’t think she’s much past her seventies, by the way. In case, you know, that makes a difference.”

Angel glared at her. Justice and Ford laughed.

Felicia grinned in return, pleased to have made a joke. “The gym equipment is coming this week,” she told him by way of a peace offering. “It will be installed and ready to go before the weekend.”

Ford pulled up a chair and sat by the desk. “Didn’t we say we were going to let people in town work out here if they wanted? Should we send Angel’s new friend an invite?”

Cool, gray eyes turned glacier. “You really want to take me on?” Angel asked.

“Any day, old man.”

Felicia glanced at Justice, who shook his head. This was familiar territory with Angel and Ford. They exchanged banter and insults, staged ridiculous competitions and generally drove each other crazy.

As Angel was probably forty or forty-one, the “old man” comment was simply part of their fun.

“Can we get on with the meeting?” Justice asked. “If you two can hold off on your playtime for a few minutes. Felicia, bring them up to date.”

They spent the next two hours talking about the business. Ford had a few leads on potential corporate clients, and Angel had some interesting ideas for team-building exercises. When the meeting finished, Ford and Angel went off to wrestle or race or something that required one to win and the other to lose. Felicia shut down her computer, then looked at Justice.

“I’ve seen Gideon.”

Justice studied her. “Okay.”

She thought about mentioning they’d had sex but didn’t think her friend wanted that level of detail. “I might continue to see him.” Hopefully with and without clothes, she thought. She wanted to get to know him better. Perhaps not the traditional sequence for a relationship, but she hadn’t found any traditional path that worked for her.

“I know you want to protect me,” she continued, “but you can’t. It’s important that I learn in my own way. Make my own mistakes and suffer the consequences.”

“As long as you’re admitting Gideon is a mistake.”

She sighed. “You know what I mean.”

“I do. Look. I’ll admit I don’t like the guy very much.”

“You don’t know him.”

“I know what he did to you.”

She rolled her eyes. “I picked him up in a bar. I practically begged him to have sex with me, and he complied. He did nothing wrong.”

Justice winced. “Could we not talk about that part of it?”

“Why not? It’s the reason you’re upset. Justice, I was twenty-four. It’s not unexpected I would have sexual relations with someone by that age. I wasn’t irresponsible. You had no right to barge in back then, and you’re not invited to do the same now. I love you. You’re my family. But I’m twenty-eight years old and you don’t get to tell me what to do with my personal life.”

Justice opened his mouth, then closed it. “Fine.”

She waited.

“I mean it,” he grumbled. “I won’t say anything about Gideon. You can see him if you want.”

She resisted pointing out she’d just told him she didn’t want his opinion or involvement. “Thank you.”

“Just wait to have sex with him this time, okay? Get to know him a little.”

She did her best not to smile. “You’re probably right.”

“I am.”

* * *

LIKE MANY THINGS in Fool’s Gold, Jo’s Bar defied expectation. Instead of catering to men and their love of sports, Jo’s served mostly women. The lighting was flattering, the decor feminine and the large screens were tuned to shopping shows and reality TV. Men were welcome, as long as they retreated to the back room where there was a pool table and plenty of TVs showing sports. If they insisted on staying in the front of the house, they were expected to keep quiet about the signs counting down the days until the new season of Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders—Making the Team.

Felicia liked the bar. When she came here, it was to meet her friends. Because in the few months she’d been in town, she’d made friends. Women who didn’t seem to mind that she was socially awkward and often said the wrong thing.

She sat at a table with Isabel, Patience and Noelle. They’d already put in their orders and each had a soda or iced tea.

“I’m thinking Labor Day,” Noelle said, stirring her diet soda with her straw. She laughed. “A traditional Christmas holiday.”

Noelle planned to open a new store in town. The Christmas Attic would celebrate the season. Like Felicia, Noelle was new to Fool’s Gold. The tall, willowy blonde was friendly and funny, but there was something about her eyes. Felicia would guess secrets but had no idea what they were.

Isabel, also a blonde but a little curvier, had grown up in the area. She was back in town for a few months helping her family with Paper Moon—a wedding gown boutique. Isabel was irreverent and self-deprecating. She was the one who teased first and laughed the longest. Felicia secretly admired Isabel’s sense of style and easy grace.

Patience had made Felicia the most nervous at first. The pretty brunette was the single mother of a ten-year-old girl and engaged to Justice. When Felicia had first arrived, Patience thought there was more to her and Justice’s relationship than friendship, but their siblinglike connection had become apparent. Since then, Patience had welcomed Felicia to her world and had made her feel welcome.

“There will be lots of tourists,” Isabel was saying. “We fill up for all the major holidays, and Labor Day is when people want that last rush of summer. Which is why it’s called the End of Summer Festival. I think you’d get a big crowd in the store.”

Noelle sighed. “I hope you’re right. Maybe it’s too early for people to be thinking about Christmas.”

“I know what you mean,” Patience said. “I’m going to have to figure out when to start decorating for the various holidays. It’s not anything I had to worry about before.”

Felicia often helped Patience out at Brew-haha, picking up a shift a few times a week. The work wasn’t very challenging, but she enjoyed the chance to work on her people skills in a low-key setting. She was also able to eavesdrop on people’s conversations and try to learn from them.

“I think the abundance of tourists would outweigh any concern that you’re asking them to think about Christmas too early,” Felicia told Noelle.

“She has a point,” Isabel said. “The day after Labor Day is the traditional start of the fall season. And then comes Santa.”

“You’re right.” Noelle nodded slowly. “If I can pull it all together by then, I’ll open over Labor Day.”

Patience leaned toward Isabel. “Justice and I are talking dates. How long do I need to order a wedding dress?”

Isabel grinned. “I can’t wait for you to come in and try on dresses. As for timing, it depends on the manufacturer.”

“I want something simple. It’s a second marriage for me.”

Felicia didn’t know the details of Patience’s past, but she’d heard that her ex had disappeared shortly after Lillie had been born and he’d never come back.

“It’s a first marriage for Justice,” Isabel reminded her. “He’ll want you to be a princess. You are perfect princess material. There are some great dresses you’ll love.”

Patience blushed. “Maybe. We’ll see. I’ll come in and try a few things on this week.” She waved her hand. “Okay, enough about me. Someone else talk, please. One of you must have news.”

Felicia thought about her job offer, then hesitated. She wanted to accept, but still wasn’t sure she was the right person.

“Wow, I saw that,” Isabel said, staring at her. “Okay, you have to tell us.”

“I’m not sure I...” Felicia hesitated, then decided to plunge ahead. “Pia Moreno is going to step down from her position running the festivals. Mayor Marsha asked me to take her place.”

All three women stared at her.

“That’s great,” Patience said. “You’ll be perfect for the job. It’s all about staying organized, and you’re really good at that.”

Isabel nodded. “I don’t know how Pia managed with three kids, and now she’s pregnant with her fourth. The town is lucky she lasted as long as she did.”

Noelle patted Felicia’s arm. “I know nothing about the festivals, but I can’t imagine you not being brilliant at anything, so well done you.”

“Thanks.” Felicia hated the insecurity welling up inside her. “I wasn’t sure what people would think. I’m new in town. Maybe someone who has been here longer would understand the nuances of what goes on better.”

Patience shook her head. “No, no and no. Noelle’s right. You’ll be great. As for being new, I’m sorry, but you’re already one of us.” She sighed heavily. “I suppose this means you won’t be filling in at Brew-haha anymore.”

“I don’t think I’ll have the time.”

“Don’t worry. I need to hire more full-time people. I’m blessed with many customers.” She raised her glass. “To festivals and whipping them into shape.”

Everyone drank.

Isabel leaned toward her. “Okay, so what’s the scoop on some fighter chick coming to town? I’ve been hearing rumors that we’re getting our own girl soldier. Is that true?”

“Yes,” Felicia said. “Consuelo Ly should be arriving in the next couple of weeks. I haven’t heard from her recently, so I don’t have an exact date. She’ll be teaching classes at CDS. Self-defense, hand-to-hand, some advanced weapons training.”

“Seriously?” Noelle asked. “I can’t decide if I’m excited to meet her or terrified.”

“I’m excited,” Isabel said. “Have you seen how Ford and Angel walk around town like they’re so hot and we should all be falling all over them?”

“They haven’t been like that,” Patience said.

“Ford struts. I’ve seen him strut.”

Patience’s expression turned knowing. “Someone is worried about her past.”

“I’m not,” Isabel said firmly. “I refuse to be. I was a child and he can’t hold that against me.”

From what Felicia had heard, years ago Isabel had had a crush on Ford and been devastated by his departure. There were also rumors that Isabel had written to him regularly, but Felicia wasn’t sure about that.

“I don’t think Consuelo is interested in Ford,” Felicia said. “Or Angel. She’s known both of them for years. She says they’re not her type.”

“Too bad,” Patience said. “I’m so into this being in love thing. I need one of you to join me. I want to be able to talk about how wonderful Justice is and how my heart beats faster when he walks in the room.”

“You can talk about it all you want,” Noelle told her.

“It’s not the same.” Patience glanced at each of them. “I want one of you to fall in love. I mean it.”

“I’m leaving town in March,” Isabel said. “This is a bad time for a relationship. I refuse to fall for some guy and then have to decide between him and my career. It’s not going to happen.”

Noelle shrugged. “Sorry, but I’m getting over a bad breakup.”

Patience pressed her lips together. “You’re sure you don’t find Ford or Angel attractive?”

“They’re very sexy, but not my type.”

Patience turned to Felicia. “What about you? You like both Ford and Angel.”

“Kind of how I like Justice,” she said. “Biologically speaking, humans aren’t generally attracted to family members. It keeps the gene pool healthier if we’re not.”

“I’m very disappointed,” Patience told them. “You’re all letting me down.”

Felicia knew her friend was just kidding, but she still felt guilty. An odd phenomenon and not one she was comfortable with.

“I slept with Gideon,” she blurted, unable to stop the words.

All three of them turned to stare at her.

Isabel raised her eyebrows. “It’s always the quiet types. Have you noticed that?”

“Gideon?” Noelle asked. “Radio Gideon of the dreamy voice? OMG, I love listening to him.”

Patience stared at Noelle. “You didn’t just say OMG.”

Noelle laughed. “Sorry. I love to read teen fiction. It’s a flaw, but one I can live with.”

Isabel leaned toward the center of the table. “Patience, honey? You’re missing the point. Felicia had sex with the mysterious Gideon.”

Patience turned to Felicia. “How did that happen?”

“In the usual way. We were outside on his deck and...” Felicia stopped and cleared her throat. The three of them were staring at her with identical expressions of confusion.

“You mean you’re curious about the order of events that led up to our encounter. Not where and in what position.”

Isabel leaned back in her chair. “You know, I’m going to have to think about that. No one has ever given me a choice like that before.”

Noelle patted Felicia’s arm. “You’re one of my favorite people, you know that?”

“Because I’m a freak?”

“You’re not a freak. You’re honest. There aren’t enough honest people in the world. How do you know Gideon? You must know him because I can’t see you jumping into bed with a perfect stranger.”

A lovely assessment of her character, Felicia thought, however false. Because that’s exactly what she’d done. Twice.

“We met four years ago, in Thailand. It was a brief, um, encounter. When I got here, I heard him on the radio and realized it was the same man. I didn’t know what to think or do, so I’ve been avoiding him for the past couple of months.”

A plan that had been going really well, until spiders had worked their arachnid mojo and changed everything. Although she couldn’t really say she objected to the ultimate outcome.

“I wanted to talk to someone about the job offer,” she continued. “So last night I drove to his house to speak with him.”

“You drove to his house?” Patience repeated. “Just like that? You’re so brave. I wish I was like that. Direct and fearless. I overthink everything.”

Felicia thought about explaining why she’d picked Gideon, then stopped herself. It was possible her friends wouldn’t understand her reticence in speaking with them about the job.

“What’s his house like?” Noelle asked. “Is it fabulous? I bet it’s fabulous.”

“The part I saw was nice.”

“They did it on the deck,” Isabel said, reaching for her drink. “I’m guessing there wasn’t a tour.”

“Oh, right. The deck. That’s pretty hot.” Noelle smiled. “You two make a cute couple. Ooh, I wonder if he’s going to dedicate a song to you tonight. I’ll have to listen.”

“I’m sure he won’t,” Felicia said, knowing now she, too, would have to listen. Just in case.

Is that something a man would do after a night with a woman? She wasn’t clear on what normal people did in relationships. She might have slept with Gideon, but he was still a mystery to her. She’d had sex, but never love. A physical encounter but not a boyfriend. She hadn’t ever even been on a traditional date.

How was she supposed to find a man and fall in love when she couldn’t even get asked out on a date?

* * *

“GOOD EVENING, FOOL’S GOLD,” Gideon said into the microphone. “I’d like to start tonight with a favorite, for a friend of mine.” He pushed the button, and the Beatles’ “I Saw Her Standing There” began to play. He thought about mentioning the spiders but knew that would lead to questions, and he enjoyed his nights without the phone ringing to interrupt.

The red light on the wall flashed.

So much for a quiet night. Gideon walked to the front door. For a second he wondered if Felicia had come by, then decided if she wanted to see him again, she would be waiting at his house, not interrupting his work.

He opened the back door and found Angel standing on the steps, a six-pack in his hands.

“Hey,” he said, motioning for his friend to follow him back to his desk. “Tell me you’re not looking for a place to crash. Ford already claimed the back room here.”

They walked into the control room. “I’m good,” Angel said. “And you’ll be free of Ford soon, too. We’re renting a house with Consuelo. It’s furnished. We’ll have the keys in a couple of days.”

He passed over a beer.

Gideon took it and popped the top. “You’re going to live with Ford?”

“You sound surprised.”

“You’ll kill each other.”

Ford and Angel had always been competitive. They would bet on anything and liked to create elaborate challenges with ridiculous payoffs.

“We’ll be fine,” Angel said. “Consuelo will keep us in line.”

“Or smother you with a pillow if you get to be too much trouble.”

He’d only met the feisty brunette a few times. She was small but muscular, and she fought dirty. He’d watched her take down a trained fighter twice her size and not break a sweat.

He pushed another button to start the next CD.

“Besides,” Angel said, waving his can. “I always win.”

“You don’t always win. You win more than half the time, which is the problem. Ford gets defensive, you get cocky. It’s not a good scenario. It’s like when the two Terminators fight. They both walk away and the town is left in ruins.”

Angel grinned. “I like the Terminator movies. I see myself as a T-1000.”

Gideon rolled his eyes. “I see you as the old beat-up Schwarzenegger.”

“Hey.”

“I’m just saying. You’re over forty, my friend.”

“It beats being dead.”

Gideon raised his can. “I will drink to that. How’s the business coming?”

“Good.” Angel looked around the studio. “You should join us. Get out of here.”

“I like it here.”

“You have to miss the work.”

Gideon knew what he meant. That it was difficult for some guys to walk away. They craved the excitement or the constant travel. Without danger, they couldn’t relax. One of those counterintuitive truths he was sure Felicia could explain.

“I’m happy being like everyone else,” he said.

He couldn’t go back. Couldn’t pick up a gun and kill again. There wasn’t enough left inside. The damage was permanent and his pretense at normal tissue-thin. He wanted a sameness to his days. He wanted ordinary.

“We’ve got plenty of work,” Angel said. “Ford’s been selling the hell out of the company, and we’re getting corporations signing up. I’ve been talking to the big security companies, and they want us to do their training. Easier and cheaper for them. We could use the help.”

“No, thanks.”

“You’ll change your mind,” Angel insisted.

“I won’t. Just like you won’t go back into the field.”

Angel’s mouth twisted. “I’ve seen enough death to last me a lifetime.”

And he’d come close to losing it all, Gideon thought, his gaze drifting to his buddy’s scar. The one on his neck. He only knew pieces of that story, but he was sure Angel’s life had been spared by mere seconds.

Gideon’s decision to walk away had come over time. He’d had nearly two years of being held captive and tortured to think about what he would do if he ever got out. The problem was being physically released hadn’t changed the fact that his head was still in their control. He’d felt trapped. Recovering from that was harder. He doubted the nightmares would ever disappear.

“I heard a rumor that you’d bought two stations,” Angel said.

“The rumors are true. AM and FM. Plenty of talk and local news on the AM station and music on FM. At night, it’s all oldies, all the time.”

Angel raised his head, listening to the music. “What is this stuff? It’s what? A hundred years old.”

“Very funny. My show is all ’60s. 1960s for those of you who have trouble with math.”

“Try something from this century.”

“No, thanks. I was born about forty years too late.” He thought about Felicia. “For the music, anyway.”

Angel shook his head. “You’re a strange one, bro.”

“Tell me about it.”

Two of a Kind

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