Phantom Warriors: Riot Read online

Rick wandered away.

  Danny walked across the room and halted right in front of her. Nina could feel the waves of anger emanating from him. She opened her mouth to explain.

  “Don’t!” he snapped. “Do not say a word.” Danny grabbed her elbow and ushered her into one of the few offices in the small station.

  Nina waited until he shut the door behind them. “I came here—”

  “Unless it was to apologize and promise never to do anything so stupid again, I don’t want to here it.” He growled.

  The sound reminded Nina of the Great Bear and a shiver raced down her spine. So much for leaving Kim out of the story. It was obvious that Danny already knew what had happened. “I’m not here to apologize because I didn’t do anything wrong. I am here to report poaching within the Qualla Boundary.”

  “If it wasn’t for my respect for your grandfather, I’d arrest you right now.”

  Nina crossed her arms over her chest. “On what charges?”

  He hesitated, then said, “Disturbing my…peace of mind.”

  She pulled a face. “Those charges wouldn’t stick and you know it.”

  “I’d make sure they did. At least until the wedding tomorrow,” he said.

  Danny had never had much of a sense of humor, so she knew he wasn’t kidding.

  “Do you have any idea how long it took me to calm Kim down last night? Do you? Hours!” he answered before she could. “She was ready to call out the army until you phoned. I’ve never seen her so terrified. What in the hell were you thinking?”

  “I—” He cut her off again with a sharp glance in her direction.

  “You’re a bad influence.” Danny’s lips pressed into a thin line. “The sooner we leave this place. The better Kim’s life will be. The better our life will be.” Without you, was left unsaid.

  Nina didn’t think she was a bad influence…Okay, so there was that one time in Raleigh, when she and Kim had been detained by the police for protesting factories for lax pollution controls because they were damaging the Smokies…and that other time when poachers had reported them for disabling their property.

  The property in question had been illegal traps, but by the time deputies arrived on scene, the only broken equipment was the legal kind. They hadn’t touched it, but the change made it difficult to convince the Sheriff’s Department that they were telling the truth. Kim had gotten off scot-free—thanks to Danny’s connections, but Nina had paid a steep fine.

  It had been worth it though, since they’d managed to stop three sets of poachers from taking bears, and whatever else was unlucky enough to stumble across their snares. Not that it mattered now, as Danny had so tactfully reminded her. Tomorrow her best friend would leave Qualla—and her—behind.

  He continued to glare at her. “You nearly got Kim killed last night.” Danny’s hands moved to his hips and his jaw clenched. “You may not have any concern for your own welfare, but you’d think that you’d care if something happened to your best friend days before her wedding. Christ Nina, we’re getting married tomorrow!”

  Nina deflated a little. It had been a close call last night. Closer than they’d ever experienced. As the poachers grew bolder, so did the dangers. “You know I would never knowingly place Kim into harm’s way.”

  Danny shook his head. “But you did. You do. Every time you come up with one of these crazy schemes, you call Kim because she’ll never say no to you.”

  “That’s not true,” Nina said. Her throat grew tight as she tried to swallow the lump that had suddenly formed.

  He scowled at her. “I love her, Nina. I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to her.” Danny wasn’t one to express himself, so the fact that he’d made such a declaration was huge, and Nina knew it. His dark brown eyes shimmered with emotion. He was laying his heart out there for her to see. He wanted her to understand just how much Kim meant to him.

  Nina’s eyes burned. “I’m sorry.”

  “I know you don’t have anyone waiting at home for you, since Harold went into the hospital,” he said.

  The truth of his statement gutted her.

  “But Kim does. She’s my world Nina,” he said. “Remember that the next time you ask her to go traipsing in the woods with you.”

  Nina couldn’t look at him. She knew if she did that she’d burst into tears. “Don’t worry.” Emotion choked her words. “There won’t be a next time.”

  “Thank you,” Danny said.

  Nina started to leave.

  “Why did you come in here anyway?” he asked, before she made it to the door.

  She managed a painful laugh as she looked back at him. “I wanted to report the poachers we found.”

  “Consider them reported,” he said.

  Nina nodded and rushed out of the room. Danny wasn’t going to do anything about the poachers. With his wedding tomorrow, they weren’t a priority to him or anyone else. They only mattered to Nina. It had been a fluke that they’d encountered the traps at all. Poachers were always moving to avoid detection. If the Sheriff’s Department didn’t act now, the men would be long gone. If they weren’t already.

  She thought about her best friend. Nina had been telling Danny the truth, when she promised to leave Kim out of her own personal wars. Her friend should be worrying about last minute flower arrangements and catering, not bears and illegal trapping. She flashed to Danny’s pained face. Fear had been there, along with the worry and anger. What if the poachers hadn’t missed? Nina didn’t want to think about it. Couldn’t think about it. The thought was nearly too much to bear.

  Kim was her best friend and would always be her best friend, but Nina knew that once Kim got married there would be no more wild exploits, even if they were for a good cause. She and Danny would be leaving the Qualla Boundary right after their reception. He had applied to be a Tennessee State Trooper and had been accepted, which meant that they had to move.

  Though Nina hadn’t realized it at the time, last night had been their last big adventure. An adventure she’d cherish, despite the unexpected danger. She finally let go of the tears she’d been holding in, as she stumbled to her car and headed home. Nina was so distraught that she didn’t see the rusty pickup truck slowing as it passed by, or the red-haired man staring at her from its open window.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Nina arrived at Kim’s house around noon. She had her maid-of-honor dress tossed over her arm, and a makeup kit in her hands.

  Kim opened the door before she could knock, and smiled. She was wearing a pink robe and yellow fuzzy duck slippers.

  “Don’t just stand there. Help me.” Nina juggled the items in her arms, threatening to drop some.

  Kim snatched the dress from her. “You better not have wrinkled that dress,” she said.

  “Relax, I didn’t.” Nina walked inside and placed the makeup kit on the table, then went back out to her truck to retrieve the flowers. She placed the box full of blooms beside the make-up kit.

  Kim opened the box and poked her head inside. “They’re beautiful. And they smell glorious.”

  Nina stared at the bouquets. “They’re what you wanted.”

  “They look expensive,” Kim said, eyeing her suspiciously.

  They were expensive. Nina had wanted to do something nice for her best friend, so she’d offered to pay for the exotic flowers. Kim had already over-extended herself paying for the wedding. She didn’t need to add flowers to the bulging tab.

  “They weren’t too bad,” she said. “Now let’s get you ready. In a few hours, you’re going to be a married woman.”

  Kim grinned. “I know. Can you believe it? I was the one who swore I’d never marry. You were always the one who wanted a husband and kids.”

  “Yeah.” Nina looked away. Life had a funny way of changing all your plans. “Yet here you are.”

  “Here I am,” Kim said. The humor fled her face. “Sorry that things didn’t work out the way you wanted. And sorry about the other night.”

  Nina’s stomach clench
ed, but she managed to keep her smile in place. “There’s nothing to apologize for.”

  Kim shook her head. “I shouldn’t have told Danny that we’d gone into the woods. It was wrong, but…I was so worried about you. I was scared that those men had caught you.” She blinked rapidly as tears filled her eyes.

  Nina squeezed her hands. “You did the right thing. It was dangerous,” she said. “I’m just glad they were too far away to get a good look at us.”

  “Oh my God, me too.”

  Nina grabbed a tissue and handed it to Kim. “Now enough blubbering. You don’t want to put makeup on over puffy red eyes, do you?”

  Kim laughed and slowly let go of her fingers. “No, that wouldn’t look good in the wedding photos.”

  Nina patted the chair in front of her. “Have a seat. We’d better get started. Do you know how you’d like to wear your hair?”

  Kim looked over her shoulder. “Up for sure.”

  “Good choice,” Nina said and went to work.

  ***

  Kim looked radiant as she walked down the aisle. Nina was convinced there’d never been a more beautiful bride. The hours spent getting ready had given the best friends time to relive old adventures and discuss future dreams. Those precious moments would stay with Nina for the rest of her life.

  The ceremony went off without a hitch. By the time the Minister declared Danny could kiss the bride, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. The guests filed over to the Community Center where the reception would be held, after the official wedding photos were taken. Kim and her family had transformed the space into a romantic country fairyland. Tables covered in delicate cream lace had been set up around the room. Each tabletop held three vanilla candles, and a Mason jar full of flowers. The twinkling candlelight illuminated the gold-rimmed, china place settings and the crystal wine glasses. A DJ played classical music as people found their seats. After dinner, the tables would be pushed aside for dancing.

  Danny’s friend and co-worker, Rick Hensen, went out of his way to catch her attention, but Nina steadfastly ignored him.

  Kim hadn’t stopped smiling since she’d said, “I do.” Even stoic, stick-in-the-mud Danny kept grinning. Of course, he should be smiling. He’d just married the best girl in the world. He had better take care of Kim or he’d have to answer to Nina.

  The dinner passed pleasantly and soon it was time to dance. Nina couldn’t remember the last time that she’d been out dancing. She wondered if it was high school, then cringed at the thought. The night wore on and the party grew louder. Nina never realized she could feel so alone in a crowd of familiar faces. Several people stopped by to comment on different aspects of the wedding. Nina kept her answers polite, but short, especially when talk turned to Harold’s health.

  Nina glanced across the room. Kim had been dancing with Danny’s brother, who was now leading her off of the dance floor. Her gaze moved to her best friend’s new husband. Danny kept looking at his watch, obviously anxious to leave. Nina wasn’t sure that she could bear it when Kim drove away. She was already missing her and she hadn’t even left yet.

  Maybe she should go over and say her farewells now. Nina took a step toward the dance floor, but was stopped short by a gentle hand upon her shoulder. She turned expecting to see another familiar face and found a stranger. Her heart slammed into her ribs. Nina took a step back automatically as she registered the size of the man touching her.

  She tilted her head way back, her gaze locking onto his face. Soft brown eyes met hers, as he gave her a crooked grin. The effect was devastating. The small action transformed his formidable face into a welcome refuge. Nina’s mind raced, as she tried to recall if he’d been at the ceremony.

  Was he one of Kim’s cousins? She had a lot of them and Nina hadn’t met them all. Surely she would’ve noticed a man standing head and shoulders above the crowd had he been there. Another thought came to her, if he was Kim’s cousin, then why hadn’t her friend introduced them? Talk about holding out on her! Nina decided that they’d have to have a chat before her best friend left.

  The man glanced at the DJ. “Would you like to dance?” His voice rumbled despite the gentle tone.

  Nina debated for all of a millisecond, then nodded.

  He led her out onto the dance floor and took her into his arms. The moment his large hand settled on the small of her back, Nina’s whole body began to tingle and warmth blossomed inside of her. He adjusted his grip and her breath caught. Had he noticed? She sure hoped not. If he did, the man didn’t let on. Instead, he began to move with the rhythm. The song that was playing was very upbeat, but the man kept the tempo of their movements slow. Their bodies came together, brushing and swaying. His big hands flexed and his body tensed every time they touched. Nina’s clothes suddenly felt too tight, as she flushed with the heat of arousal. The man’s nostrils flared and she could’ve sworn that he growled under his breath.

  “Have we met?” she asked. “There’s something about you that seems familiar.”

  He hesitated, then said, “In a manner of speaking.” His vague answer aroused her curiosity as he guided her expertly around the dance floor. For a big man, he was amazingly graceful, unlike Nina who’d managed to find his toes twice already. He brushed her clumsiness off with an easy smile and kept dancing.

  By the time the song ended, Nina was breathless. From the looks of the man, she wasn’t the only one affected by their close contact. He reluctantly let her go. The room came back into focus. Several people were staring at them, including her best friend, Kim, and Rick Hensen. The big man reached for her hand, drawing her attention back to him. Her vision narrowed as he brought her knuckles up to his sensuous mouth, and kissed the back of her hand. His lips lingered and Nina’s eyelids drooped.

  A fresh flush of desire roared through her, leaving her breasts aching and moisture pooling between her thighs. She slowly pulled her hand away. She didn’t want to, but she had to, before she did something insane like throw him down on the floor and have her way with him. The loss of warmth was palpable and disconcerting. Nina pressed her feet into the floor to keep from rushing back into his arms.

  “Thank you for the dance.” His brown eyes twinkled as he spoke.

  Anytime, Nina thought, but only nodded in response. She didn’t trust herself to speak for fear her tongue would fall out of her mouth and onto the floor.

  He brushed a lone finger over her cheek, branding her with his touch. “I’ll see you soon.” He didn’t wait for a response. He simply strode off, confidence oozing from every pore.

  Nina stood there, her body twitching as if an electrical current had shot through her. “Wait!” she called out. “What’s your name?” But it was too late. He was already gone.

  Kim rushed onto the dance floor and spun Nina around to face her. “What was that?” She pointed in the direction the man had gone. “I can’t believe you’ve been holding out on me like that.”

  Nina frowned. “What?” Her gaze strayed back to where the man had disappeared.

  “Here I was worried about leaving you, only to find out that you’ve been hiding a massive hunk.”

  “I haven’t been hiding anything. I thought he was your cousin.”

  “My cousin?” Kim reeled back. “I don’t have any cousins that look like that. I would’ve introduced you,” she said.

  “Then who was he?” Nina asked.

  Kim’s brow furrowed. “You don’t know?”

  Nina shook her head. “No.”

  Kim took a deep breath. “I’ve never seen him before.”

  Nina’s eyes widened as a horrifying thought crossed her mind. “He’s not one of Danny’s friends, is he?” She didn’t have anything against Danny really, but she didn’t want to date any of his friends.

  Kim shook her head vehemently. “No way! I know all of Danny’s friends. Besides, he asked me who he was. I just assumed that you knew him with all the dirty dancing taking place out on the dance floor.”

  Nina’s face flushed.
“I was not dirty dancing.”

  Kim giggled. “Sure looked like it to me…and everyone else watching.”

  “Wonderful,” Nina deadpanned, which only made Kim laugh louder.

  As if summoned by some internal warning system, Danny appeared beside his blushing bride. “So who’s the new guy?” he asked.

  “None of your business,” Kim answered for her

  Danny shook his head and kissed Kim on the nose, then glanced at Nina. “Thanks for being able to make it."

  "I wouldn't miss it for the world. You take care of our girl,” Nina said.

  Danny pulled Kim into his arms and hugged her close. "You know I will."

  "Yes, I know you will…or I’ll kick your ass, badge or no badge.” A lump formed in Nina’s throat. This was it. This was goodbye.

  "Are you going to be okay?” Danny asked.

  "Be careful Danny. Some folks might start to think that you like me,” Nina said.

  He laughed. "Wouldn't want that."

  Nina turned away so they wouldn't see the tears in her eyes. When she regained her composure, she faced them once more. “You guys going to be leaving soon?"

  Kim nodded. "Just as soon as we say goodbye to our folks."

  "I'll give you guys a minute,” Danny said, then wandered off, but he didn’t go far.

  "I guess this is it then.” Nina met Kim’s watery gaze. If they kept this up much longer they were going to both end up crying. "I'm going to miss you."

  "Miss you too.” Kim sniffled.

  "You're going to ruin your makeup. What would your wedding guests think? "

  Kim shook her head. "I don't care.” She gave her a fierce hug. “Email me and call.”

  “I will,” Nina promised.

  Danny returned to Kim’s side. “Time to go, hon.”

  Kim gave her one last look, then turned away.

  A sob caught in Nina’s throat as she watched her best friend leave.

  ***

  Riot stood in the shadows, watching the guests slowly file out of the building to wave the new couple off. Nina lingered toward the back of the crowd, wiping at her eyes. Her shoulders shook as she gave Kim a watery smile and a quick wave goodbye. Her pain seared him, scarring his two hearts, but there was nothing he could do to stop it. Riot recognized the emotion for what it was—loss. He fought the urge to return to her side. This wasn’t the place or the right time for him to make his move.