Dusted Star

Chapter Nineteen

Cooper stood alongsidethe stone fireplace in the Wests office, staring at his sister, certain she’d lost her ever-loving mind. He’d listened as she detailed the reasons she felt the callback she’d gotten was out of the ordinary, and he understood her reasoning. What he didn’t understand was why she’d go back when she knew it was likely a set-up.

Knowing Trac Hughes andJuan Rivera were planning to return with her was only a small comfort. Cooper’s reservation was the men’s close relationship with Lakyn. He knew as well as anyone how easy it was to become distracted by a woman you were charged with protecting—or one you were supposed to be shadowing to gather information rather than fucking on every available horizontal surface.

“Hey, big brother, I recognizethat glazed over look. You’re totally zoned out. Holy hand bells, you aren’t listening to anything I’m saying. Drat, that’s flipping annoying. Just so you know, I’m not asking your permission. I’m simply playing nice and giving you a heads up that I have to leave for a while.”

Fuck. She was right—about zoning out at least, but he had heard her every word. As a Navy SEAL, Cooper had already beengood at active listening while dividing his attention and sorting through a related problem, but his Agency training had ramped that up several notches. It seemed he had a natural affinity for functioning on several levels at one time, and the only person whoalwayscalled him out on it was his little sister—and isn’t that too fucking humbling for words.

“I didn’t zone out. Just because I don’tagree with you doesn’t mean I’m not listening. Hell, I’m damned impressed Trac and Juan seem to have made some progress in improving your language. Your mouth has been writing checks your ass couldn’t cash for a long time, sweet cheeks.” It was a dirty trick, and Cooper had to admit, he felt a twinge of regret when he saw embarrassment flash in her eye, followed by a moment’s annoyance—or was thatpain? He hadn’t meant to hurt her feelings, but he did want to set her back a bit. She wasn’t taking her safety as seriously as she needed to, and he wasn’t at all pleased with her nonchalant attitude.

Lakyn had always underestimated the risks his job posed to her, and that was partly his fault. He’d never leveled with her about the kind of work he’d been doing for the past several years. Shemight not have known the specifics of missions when he was a SEAL, but there was enough information available, she hadn’t been completely clueless either. Cooper had expected Lakyn to gather her anger around her like a cloak and fire back at him—what he hadn’t expected was the petite blonde he’d seen walk by the open doorway to back up. She stood staring at him, her hands on her hips, her lips firmedinto a line, fire blazing from her eyes.

“You’re in for it now.” Kent’s low chuckle came from his left, but a quick glance at Kyle let Cooper know he evidently hadn’t seen the tiny avenging angel. Her gaze moved from him to his sister, then back to him, and Cooper would have sworn she grew two inches taller as she took in Lakyn’s expression. She zeroed in on him and stalked forward.

“Who areyou? What makes you think you can speak to one our guests like that? Didn’t your mama teach you it’s rude to embarrass people in front of their friends? I don’t think I like you very much.”

Cooper fought his grin at the small fireball’s understatement. She must have seen the amusement in his eyes because she tapped the toe of her stilettos and glared.

“Boy, oh boy, guys like you frost my cookies.From the looks of you, I’m not the only one who thinks you’re an ill-mannered ass.”

“Kitten, you know you arenotsupposed to interrupt meetings.” Kyle’s words were probably intended to sound menacing, but the laughter in his voice had ruined the effect.

“If it’s not a public forum, you should close the door. I was just walking down the hall, minding my own business when this butt-muffin startedblowing mean words at Lakyn.” Her face paled and she clasped her hand over her heart so dramatically, Cooper dropped his arms and started to step forward, but Kent’s hand on his shoulder stilled him.

“Oh, fudge nuggets, I sound like one of those Stepford mommies in the kids’ library group. Damn it all to dangling doo-dads, look what you made me do. This is all your fault.” She pointed a longscarlet red fingernail at him before shaking her head. Turning on her heel, the diminutive blonde tornado pulled Lakyn to her feet giving her a fierce hug.

“You come out to the kitchen when you’re done, okay? And don’t you dare take any trash from that guy. You stick with Juan and Trac, they won’t treat you ugly like that yo-yo.” Without looking back at him, she walked out of the room with herhead held high. She pulled the door closed behind her, and the quiet snick of the latch was followed by an uproar of laughter from the men in the room.

Kent looked at him, shaking his head. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“As I’m sure you have already figured out, Cooper, that was our wife and our submissive, though she seems incapable of mastering the finer points of submission.” Kyle’s voiceheld more amusement than annoyance. Cooper looked around the room to see several of the men battling to contain their laughter and suspected what he’d just experienced was a small initiation of sorts. His reaction would determine how the Wests and every member of their team viewed him.

“Well, she’s right.” Turning to Lakyn, he smiled at the only person in the world who truly meant anything tohim. She’d taught him the meaning of unconditional love the moment he held her in his arms as a child. Even at ten years old, he’d known there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her.

“Lakyn, I apologize. You hold my heart in your hand, and I’m grateful you have a friend who was willing to confront a stranger—at the risk of making her husbands angry—to defend you. Hold on tight to that friendship,sweet cheeks because I can tell you from experience, that kind of loyalty is damned hard to come by.”

He’d deliberately repeated the nickname he’d given her when she first started modeling in hopes he could begin erasing the damage he’d done by using it in adissa few minutes earlier. If he was going to build the new life he’d dreamed of—one where he felt connected to the people he worked andplayed with—he needed to maneuver his way out of the quagmire he’d created.

Hell, not so long ago, he’d growled at Cat Adler for the same damned thing.

Yes, indeed your life is officially a shit show when you’re comparing yourself to the one woman who drives you fucking insane.