Bodyguard Page 7

  “Damn, I don’t want soda. I meant a real drink.” Actually, Judd never touched liquor. He knew alcoholism tended to run in families, and after living with his father, he wouldn’t ever take the chance of becoming like him. Still, he handed the glass back to Emily, then said with disgust, “You drink it. And stay out of my way. I’m going to shoot some pool here with Frog.”

  Emily huffed. She started to walk away, but Judd caught her arm and she landed against his chest. Before she could draw a breath, he kissed her. It wasn’t a killer kiss like the one he’d given her earlier, but it was enough to show everyone they were definitely an item. He drew away, but couldn’t resist giving her a quick, soft peck before adding, “Behave yourself, honey. I won’t be long.”

  Emily nodded, apparently appeased, and went to perch on a stool. Judd looked at her a moment longer, appreciating the pretty picture she made, waiting there for him. She dutifully smiled, and looked as if she’d wait all day if that was what he wanted.

  It was the kind of fantasy he could really get into, having a woman like Emily for his own. But he couldn’t spare the time or the energy to get involved with her or anyone else. He needed, and wanted, to focus all his attention on taking Donner off the streets. The man had stolen a huge hunk of his life when he’d killed Max. Judd wasn’t ever going to forget that.

  So instead of indulging in the pleasure he got by simply watching Emily, he turned away. He knew she didn’t realize what he’d done, making her look like a woman he could control with just a little physical contact, but every man in the room understood.

  And even though that had been his intent, Judd hated every damn one of them for thinking that about Emily. It was bad enough that he’d sold himself to trap Donner, but now he was selling Emily, too. It didn’t sit right with him, but at the moment, his choices were limited, and the only alternative was to postpone his plans. Which was really no alternative at all.

  EMILY HAD NO IDEA investigating could be so exhausting, though Judd did the actual work. All she did was pretend to be his ornament. It rankled, but until she could get him alone and set him straight about how this little partnership was going to work, she didn’t want to take the chance of messing things up.

  Judd had been shooting pool for quite some time when the door opened and three men walked in. One was a heavyset man, dirty and dressed all in black, with the name Jonesie written across his T-shirt. Another was a relatively young man, looking somewhat awed by his own presence.

  It was the third man, though, that caught and held Emily’s attention. There was something about him, a sense of self-confidence, that set him apart. He didn’t look like a criminal, but something about him made Emily uncomfortable. He wore only a pair of pleated slacks and a polo shirt. His blond ponytail was interesting, but not actually unusual. In truth, Emily supposed he could be called handsome, but he held no appeal for her. He simply seemed too…pompous.

  When his gaze landed on her, she quickly looked away and kept her eyes focused on Judd. And because she was watching Judd so intently, she saw the almost imperceptible stiffening of his body. He’d only glanced up once to see who had walked in, then he’d continued with his shot, smoothly pocketing the nine ball. But Emily felt she was coming to know him well enough to see the tension in his body.

  She was still pondering the meaning of that tension when the men approached where she sat.

  “Hey, Clay, you want something to drink?”

  The blonde smiled toward Emily and took the stool next to her before answering Jonesie. “No. I’m fine. I think I’ll just watch the…scenery, for a while.”

  Emily wanted to move away, but she didn’t. Not even on the threat of death would she turn and meet that smile, though she felt it as the man, Clay, continued to watch her. When he touched her arm, she jumped.

  “Well, now, honey. No need to be nervous. I was only going to get acquainted.”

  Emily shook her head and tried to shrug his hand away. Instead of complying with her obvious wish, his well-manicured fingers curled around her arm. His touch repulsed her. She jumped off the stool and stepped back…right into the younger of the three men. She was caught.

  This was nothing like talking to the drunks the other night. She’d felt some sense of control then. But now, as Clay chuckled at her reaction and reached out to stroke her cheek, she felt a scream catch in her throat. His fingers almost touched her skin—and then Judd was there, gripping the man’s arm by the wrist and looking as impenetrable as a stone wall.

  “The lady is mine. And no one touches her but me.”

  JUDD NARROWED his eyes, hoping, without the benefit of common sense, that Clayton would take him up on his challenge. He knew he wasn’t thinking straight. He could destroy his entire case if he unleashed his temper now, but at the moment, none of that mattered.

  He’d kept Donner in his sights from the moment he’d walked in, and he’d thought he’d be able to keep his cool even after Donner noticed Emily. But he hadn’t counted on Emily’s reaction.

  When he’d seen her face and realized she was frightened, all he’d cared about was getting to her, staking his claim and making certain she knew there was nothing to fear. The fact that she was afraid should have angered him, and probably would once he had time to think about it. Didn’t she know he wouldn’t let anyone hurt her? Hell, he’d take the whole place apart before he’d see her hair get mussed.

  But he supposed she couldn’t know that, because even now, with him beside her, she still looked horrified. And then she got a hold of herself and smiled, a false smile, to be sure, and stepped to his side. “It’s okay, Judd. Really.”

  Clayton looked down at his wrist where Judd still held him. The gesture was a silent command to be released, but Judd wasn’t exactly in an accommodating mood. He tightened his hold for the briefest of seconds, gaining a raised eyebrow from Donner, then he let go. The younger man took a step forward, and Judd bared his teeth in a parody of a grin, encouraging him.

  Emily seemed nearly frantic now, saying, “Come on, Judd. Let’s go.”

  But he had no intention of going anywhere. Emily didn’t know, couldn’t know, the riot of emotions he was suffering right now. His desire to avenge Max mixed with his need to protect Emily, and he felt ready to explode with repressed energy. This was what he’d been waiting for. He could feel Donner’s interest, his curiosity, and he knew he’d finally succeeded. If Donner’s crony wanted to take him on, he was ready. More than ready. At this point, Donner would only be impressed with his ruthlessness. His muscles twitched in anticipation.

  Then Donner laughed. “Don’t be a fool, Mick. Our friend here is only trying to protect his interests. I can understand that.”

  The young man, Mick, moved away, but he did so reluctantly. Judd flexed his hands and tried to get himself under control. He stared at Clayton, then nodded and turned away, making certain he blocked Emily with his body. He knew Donner wouldn’t like being dismissed, but he also didn’t want to appear too eager.

  Frog was standing at the pool table with his mouth hanging open, and Judd had to remind him it was his shot.

  “No more for me,” Frog said. “I’m done.”

  And in the next instant, Clayton was there, slapping Frog on the back and smiling. “So, what do you have for me, Frog?”

  Frog pulled money out of his pocket, looking decidedly uncomfortable, and handed the bills to Clayton. As he counted, Clayton continued to smile, and then he asked, “That’s it?”

  Frog shifted his feet, glancing up at Judd and then away again. “I lost some of it.”

  “Is that so?”

  Judd carefully laid his pool cue on the table then faced Clayton with a smile. He couldn’t have asked for a better setup. “It seems I was having a lucky morning.” His smile turned deliberately mocking, and he flicked his own stack of bills.

  Again, Mick started forward, clearly unwilling to overlook such an insult to Clayton, and this time Jonesie was with him. But again, Clayton raised a han
d. “Let’s not be hasty.” And to Judd, he said, “I’d like to meet the man who just took two hundred dollars of my money.”

  Judd heard Emily gasp, but he ignored her surprise. “Your money? Now, how can that be, when Frog told me he’d won that money last night shooting pool? And now that I’ve won it, I’d say it’s my money.”

  Clayton lost his smile. “Do I know you from somewhere?”

  Mick blurted out, “He’s one of them strippers. I seen him at the bar the other night.”

  “Ah, that’s right. I remember now. You’ve been something of a sensation, haven’t you?”

  Judd shrugged. “Hey, I make a buck wherever I can. A man can’t be overly choosy.”

  “Obviously.” Clayton looked down a moment, then his smile reappeared. “Maybe we can do business together sometime. I have several different ventures that might interest you. Especially since you’re not choosy.”

  Again, Judd shrugged, careful not to show his savage satisfaction. Then he took Emily by the arm. “Maybe.” He deliberately dismissed Clayton once more, knowing it would infuriate him, but probably intrigue him, as well. As he started out the door, he said, “You can look me up if anything really…interesting comes along.”

  They were barely out the door, when Emily started to speak. Judd squeezed her arm. “Not a word, Em. Not one single word.”

  The tension was still rushing through him, and he knew Clayton was watching them through the large front glass of the pool hall. Playing it cool had never been so difficult; no other assignment had been so personal. Playing up to Donner turned his stomach and filled him with rage. He wanted to hit something. He wanted to shout.

  He wanted to make love to Emily.

  But, he couldn’t do any of those things, so he had to content himself with the knowledge he’d set Clayton up good. Not only had he more or less managed to steal two hundred dollars Clayton had earmarked as his own, but he knew damn well Clayton didn’t consider their business finished. Not by a long shot. He’d hear from Donner again, and soon.

  He only hoped he could manage to keep Emily out of the way.

  Chapter 5

  EMILY THOUGHT SHE’D SHOWN GREAT RESTRAINT and a good deal of patience. But her patience was now at an end.

  Judd had refused to talk to her while he aimlessly drove around the lower east side, burning off his sour mood and occasionally grunting at the questions she asked. Twice they had stopped while he got out of the truck and talked to different people loitering on the sidewalk. Emily had been instructed to wait in the pickup.

  When she asked him what he was doing, he’d said only, “Investigating.” When she asked what he’d found out, he’d said, “Quiet. Let me think.”

  It had been nearly two hours since they’d left the pool hall, and her frustration had grown with each passing minute. She tried to maintain her decorum, tried to keep her temper in check and behave in a civilized manner, but he was making that impossible. You’re the boss here, Emily. You hired him. Demand a few answers. She decided she would do exactly that, when Judd pulled up in front of the diner.

  Apparently, he expected her to get out and follow him like a well-trained puppy, because he stepped out and started to walk away without a single word to her. She refused to budge.

  Of course, Judd was halfway through the diner door before he realized she was still in the truck. Then he did an about-face, and stomped back to her side, looking very put out. “What’s the holdup?”

  Emily gave him a serene smile. “I want to talk to you.”

  “So? Let’s get a seat inside and you can talk. God knows, that’s all you’ve done for the past hour, anyway.”

  She stiffened with the insult, but refused to lower herself to his irritating level. “You’re not going to make me angry, Judd. I know you’re just trying to get me off the track. But I want to know what that was all about in the pool hall. And don’t you dare shake your head at me again!”

  He looked undecided for a long moment, then let out a disgusted sigh. “All right, all right. Come in, sit, and we’ll…talk.”

  Emily wasn’t certain she believed him, he still looked as stubborn as a mule, but she left the truck and allowed Judd to lead her inside. They sat at a back booth, and a waitress immediately came to take their order. The woman seemed a little hostile to Emily, then she all but melted over Judd.

  Judd treated her to a full smile and a wink. “You got anything for me, Suze?”

  You got anything for me, Suze, Emily silently repeated, thinking Suze had just received a much warmer greeting from Judd than she herself had managed to garner all day.

  The waitress looked over at Emily, one slim eyebrow lifted, and Judd grinned. “She’s fine. Just tell me what you’ve got.”

  “Well…”

  Emily rolled her eyes. Suze obviously had a flair for the dramatic, given the way she glanced around the diner in a covert manner, as if she were preparing to part with government secrets. She also patted her platinum blond hair and primped for a good ten seconds before finally exalting them with her supposed wisdom. What a waste of time.

  Emily no sooner had that thought than she regretted it. Suze turned out to be a fount of information.

  “He’s been in twice since we spoke and something is definitely going down. He met with the same guy both times, that punk kid who distributes for him. I’d say something will happen within a week or two. That’s usually the routine, you know.”

  “You couldn’t catch an actual date?”

  “Hell, no, sugar. If Donner caught me snooping, he’d have my fanny.”

  Judd reached out to smack the fanny-in-peril. “We wouldn’t want that to happen. But Suze? If anything more concrete comes up, you know where to find me.”

  She knew where to find him? Emily knew she had no right to be jealous. After all, her relationship with Judd was strictly business. But still, she didn’t like the idea of him…consorting with this woman. Of course, Suze seemed to know a great deal about the gun dealer. In fact, she seemed to know almost too much. Emily narrowed her eyes, wondering exactly when Judd had contacted this woman, and what their relationship might be. Judd seemed to be on awfully familiar terms with her.

  But Suze did appear to be helping, and Emily certainly had no claims on Judd. She decided to concentrate on that fact, but she couldn’t keep herself from glaring at the waitress. Suze didn’t seem to notice.

  She was back to primping. “Of course I know where you’ll be. I wouldn’t miss an act. Do something special for me Tuesday night, all right?”

  Judd laughed and shook his head.

  Suddenly, Suze was all business. “You two want anything to drink or something? It don’t look right me standing here gabbing without you orderin’ anything.”

  “Two coffees, Suze. That’s it.”

  Emily barely waited for the waitress to go swaying away before she leaned across the table and demanded Judd’s attention. “Was she talking about who I think she was talking about?”

  “Who did you think she was—”

  “That’s not funny, Judd!”

  “No, I guess it isn’t. And yes, she was talking about our friendly, neighborhood gun trafficker.”

  Emily was aghast. “She knows him?” She couldn’t believe the waitress had called him by name. Why, if he was that well known…

  “Everyone knows who commits the crimes, Em. It’s just coming up with proof that’s so damn difficult.”

  Her breath caught in her throat and she choked. “You know who he is, too?”

  Judd shrugged, his eyes dropping to the top of the table. Then he quirked a sardonic smile. “You met him yourself, honey.”

  “I did…” Suddenly it fit, and Emily fell back against the seat. “The guy at the pool hall?”

  “Yep. That was him. Clayton Donner.”

  It took her a minute, and then she felt the steam. It had to be coming out her ears, she was so enraged. Judd had let her get close to the man who’d hurt her brother, and he hadn’t even to
ld her.

  He was speaking to her now, but she couldn’t hear him over the ringing in her ears. Her entire body felt taut, and her stomach felt queasy. No wonder she had reacted so strongly to that man. He’d been that close and…

  Emily didn’t make a conscious decision on what to do. She just suddenly found herself standing then walking toward the door. She somehow knew Judd was following, though she didn’t turn to look. When she stepped outside, and started past his truck, he grabbed her arm and pulled her around to face him.

  “Dammit, Emily! What the hell is the matter with you?”

  “Let me go.” She felt proud of the strength in her voice, though she knew she might fall apart at any moment.

  “Are you kidding? I’ve tried every damn intimidation tactic I could think of—”

  “Ha! So you admit to bullying me?”

  “—to send you running, but you clung like flypaper. And now, with one little scare, you want me to turn you loose?”

  Flypaper! How dare he compare her to…No, Emily, don’t get sidetracked by a measly insult. The man deceived you. She lifted her chin and met his gaze. “I wish to leave now. Alone.”

  “No way, baby. You wanted in, and now you’re in.”

  Her heartbeat shook her, it pounded so hard, and her fingers ached from being held in such tight fists. If she wasn’t a lady, she’d smack him one, but good. “When were you going to tell me, Judd? When?”

  Judd stiffened, and his jaw went hard. “Get in the truck, Em.”

  “I will not. I…”

  “Get in the damn truck!”

  Well. Put that way…Emily became aware of people watching, and also that Judd was every bit as angry as she was. But why? What possible reason did he have for being so mad? She was the one who’d been misled, kept in the dark, lied to…well, not really. But lies of omission definitely counted, and Judd had omitted telling her a great deal.

  And after he’d insisted she bare her soul.

  When he continued to glare at her, she realized how foolish they both must appear, and she opened the truck door to get in. It wouldn’t do to make a public spectacle of herself.