Trouble (B-Squad 2.75)

"That was just the once and I had a good reason."

Yeah, like the girl's megalomaniacal cult leader father who was dead set on forcing the girl to marry one of his middle-aged followers. "No argument."

"Fine," Tamara said with a huff, finally giving in. "Hold on."

B-Squad didn't have on hold music. It was just a series of rhythmic beeps. She'd counted fourteen beeps when Lexie, the resident computer guru and cat aficionado, picked up.

"Leah, what kind of trouble are you causing now?" Lexie asked, as always more than ready to hear the latest bit of gossipy crazy.

"What makes you think I'm causing trouble, Lexie?"

"Because I know you and your brother," Lexie said, the sound of her fingers click-clacking across the keyboard coming in loud and clear over the line. "If trouble isn't everyone in your family's middle name then I don't have a slight cat obsession."

"You're calling an entire wardrobe of cat T-shirts and enough kitty figurines to make a certified cat lady think you had a problem as slight?"

"I'm quirky," Lexie said. "So sue me."

"I'd rather put you to work."

"What've you got?" she asked, going straight into all-business mode.

"Two dirt bags, Hank Wynn and Markus Miller. They're involved in some kind of diamond theft ring. I want to know everything about them and anything about who's in charge of the crew."

"Doesn't sound like idle curiosity to me. You need me to come down and bring some of the B-Squad toys?"

Leah wasn't sure whether to be thankful or annoyed that her brother's B-Squad crew had adopted her as one of their own. For a girl with trust issues, it took a little getting used to.

"Nah, between the Feds and one big-dicked sheriff I have enough babysitters already."

"Big dicked as in has a big dick or acts like one?"

Leah thought about it as she took another sip of coffee. "Both."

Lexie laughed. "I want details the next time I'm in Denver or you're in Fort Worth, whichever happens first."

"Deal. I need any info you can find on Wynn and Miller fast and quiet."

"No big brother heads up, huh?"

"There's a new cat T-shirt in it for you."

Lexie snorted. "You really think there's one I don't have?"

"You have a Captain Ameri-cat one?" Leah asked, picturing the one she'd seen in a random email that had landed in her inbox. "It's a cat in a Captain America suit saying he fights crime one evil hairball at a time."

"I'll have everything including their favorite color of underwear by breakfast."

Leah smiled. "You're the best, Lexie."

"Don't you know it."

She hung up and downed the last third of her coffee. If there was anyone who could make that promise

and keep it, it was Lexie. Not for the first time she wondered what the story was behind the cat-obsessed computer genius, but shoved it aside. She had to deal with the here and now before delving into any other mysteries. The sound of a man clearing his throat behind her made her jump out of her seat.

Drew stood in the kitchen doorway wearing a scowl and a very tiny blue towel slung low across his hips. Water droplets clung to his chest and she watched, unable to look away, as one drop made the downward trek across his hard abs to disappear behind the towel. It was enough to make her brain short out.

"What in the hell was that?" Drew asked, stalking toward her.