Lucifer's Sin (Walker Security - Lucifer's Trilogy 1)

“Whatya working on now, sugar bear?” my stepfather asks, sipping his coffee.

“Yeah, sis,” Kasey chimes in. “Whatcha working on?”

“Nothing worth talking about,” I say, still irritated that I’ve wasted months on surveillance, but I keep that to myself with good reason. I want Kasey to join the agency. It would be good for him. Kasey’s a smart, good-looking man, charming, with blond hair and striking eyes, which makes him a woman magnet, which is a distraction he doesn’t need. He seems to be struggling with what comes next in life. “Did you think about applying to the agency? You’re almost at the age cutoff.”

“I don’t think it’s for me, sis,” he says. “I’m tired of the government dictating how I stand and pee, which is about how the Army ran my life. Kurt is going to hook me up with a job. Right, Kurt?”

My eyes jerk to Kurt’s. “You are?”

Kurt holds up his hands. “Easy there, little one, who acts likes she’s the older sibling, not the youngest. He’s going to work the easy, safe jobs.”

“There’s no such thing,” I argue, and yes, I’m protective, but I was young when Kasey decided to join the military. It feels like a miracle that I got him back now, that I’m getting to know him for the first time in our adult lives. We are the only blood family we both have. I don’t think I could survive losing him.

The doorbell rings.

“Who the hell is that?” Kurt grumbles, standing and leaving his coffee behind.

Kasey holds up his hands now. “Before you lecture me, I’m going to get the coffee pot and fill our cups, but mine will have whiskey added to weather the storm of your wrath.” He stands up and walks toward the kitchen.

Male voices sound in the other room, and I’m about to follow Kasey to have a serious talk with him, when suddenly my stepfather enters the room again, followed by Luke. My heart skips a beat—God, my reactions to this man—and I am all too aware of the fact that in the light of day, he looks even better than he did last night on a dark snowy eve. His long hair is tied at his nape, his body long, lean, muscled. His eyes so damn blue and fixed on me.

“What are you doing here?”

“I thought I might find you here,” he says boldly, not giving two fucks about this being Kurt’s house. He’s not intimidated by him, at all. And Kurt doesn’t seem to care either or he’d have already checked Luke and done so soundly.

“You got a minute?” Luke asks, motioning me toward the other room.

I’m stunned that he came here for me, but it appears that’s precisely what he did. I stand, and Kurt says, “Don’t leave when you’re done with Ana. I want you to meet Kasey. He’d be good for that project of yours.”

My concern is instant. “What project?” I ask, my eyes on Luke, who is far more likely to tell me the truth than my own family.

“I’m putting together a team to do a few private hire missions a year,” he says. “It pays well, and it won’t require much commitment.”

I’ve been around Kurt’s world long enough to know that “it pays well” translates to dangerous. I round the table and walk toward Luke, stopping in front of him to say, “I thought you wanted to talk in private?”

His eyes twinkle with amusement, which pisses me off. I’m not amused at all. I am, however, aware of his towering height above my five foot four inches and the woodsy, earthy scent of his cologne. “Yes,” he agrees. “I do.”

He backs up to allow my exit and I walk toward Kurt’s office, entering through the heavy wooden door. I step inside and around the open door, effectively turning it into a wall and a shield. Luke joins me, and before he can say a word, I lay into him, “Good money means high-risk. I do not want my brother going with you.”

“You think he can’t handle it?”

“I think he’s very confused about who and what he wants right now, and that is not the right headspace for a high-risk mission. I want him to join the FBI.”

He arches a brow. “And that’s not high-risk?”

“You know there’s a difference. You get paid the big payday to take risks no one else will.”

“A couple of jobs and he’s set-up for life.”

“He’ll inherit Kurt’s empire. He’s built the most sought-after black ops training operation in the world. He’s already set-up for life.”

He studies me a moment. “All right. I’ll turn him down.”

I blink. “Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

“Kurt will—”

“He’ll push, but I can handle him.”

This time I don’t blink. “No one else says that about Kurt except me.”

He steps closer to me, the heat of his body rushing over me. “What are you doing?”