Clearly parlor tricks and large muscles did not translate to intelligence. “Remove the cheating bitch from the Clash of the Titans.” Roman kept his voice even as he spelled it out for Lucius. “Accidently, of course.”
“Does this woman pose a physical threat?”
Roman snorted. “She is five feet tall. The only physical threat she’d pose is to the soles of your men’s boots.”
“But you want her taken out?” Lucius clarified.
“Taken out of the pro climbing circuit she’s destroying. I don’t want her killed unless you can guarantee that there’s no way it could get pinned on me. Simply injuring her would probably be preferable to having a body to deal with.” Roman didn’t want to come across as overly picky. “But you’re the professional.”
“Hmm.”
Roman peered up at Lucius and was met with an iron gaze to go with the military flat-top haircut and the carefully maintained white facial hair. Between the colonel’s demeanor and the stoic nature of his facial features, Roman couldn’t gather what the other man was thinking. Surely he wasn’t truly worried that Jazfuck would harm his special forces pets, so what was the delay? Was he waiting to discuss payment? This guy would be deadly across the table from him at his usual Tuesday poker night.
“Let me be frank, Mr. Robillard. What you’ve offered me isn’t the sort of operation the O2 is interested in taking. We are a security agency. Our mission set encompasses protecting high-value property and mitigating threats to life and welfare. We don’t rig sporting contests, insert ourselves in interpersonal squabbles, or clean up after DUIs. And we most certainly don’t use our resources to injure defenseless young women whose accomplishments bigots like you find inconvenient. I’m sorry that you came all the way here only to waste your time.”
The way he said it implied that Roman had wasted Lucius’s time too. The colonel turned his back to Roman and walked back to his seat.
“Jazmine Keasley is as far from being a defenseless young woman as I am from Santa Claus. She has this guy Liam’s army at her beck and call.” Roman’s jaw clenched, his frustration bubbling into his blood. “That’s it, isn’t it? I needed assistance from an organization that can go head-to-head with navy SEALs, but you don’t want to go up against Trident Security. You’re just as big a coward as anyone.”
Lucius paused.
Roman took an involuntary step back. “I didn’t mean coward, I meant—”
Lucius turned, but instead of anger, a flicker of interest fled across his chiseled face. “Liam Rowen and Trident Security got themselves involved in this?”
“Um. Yeah.” Roman didn’t know precisely why this appeared to be a vote in his favor, but he pressed his advantage anyway. “Liam has taken it upon himself to personally tail the Keasley woman. Never lets her out of his sight. I think her brother is his friend or something.”
Colonel Jeffrey Lucius rubbed the goatee covering his square jaw. Pulling out a computer keyboard, he brought something up on screen and made a sound in the back of his throat. “Keasley is it. Brother Kyan Keasley.”
It wasn’t a question, and Roman didn’t really know the answer, but he nodded anyway. “Yeah. Exactly.” He shifted his weight. “Like I was saying from the beginning. Liam Rowen’s Trident Security and the Keasley woman are trying to sabotage the Clash of the Titans.”
Holding his breath, Roman watched Lucius deliberate with himself. Even still, he had no indication of what the man was thinking until Lucius finally spoke. “I’ll see what I can do.”
25
Jaz
The first thing that struck Jaz upon their arrival in Denver for the Adventure World Outdoor Fair was the delicious aromas coming from the food vendor tents they passed near the entrance. Colorado in the fall was replete with the bright gold of looming aspen trees, but still held the edge of warm weather, despite the impending winter. The scents of funnel cakes, giant smoked turkey legs, and apple cider made her mouth water. Then she remembered why she was here, and all traces of appetite disappeared. “Do you think the Clash of the Titans plan to announce the first-round champion in Denver is a sign?”
Ivy shifted Bar over to her other hip. With Denver’s proximity to Denton Valley, the whole gang had decided to come out and make a day of the event. In addition to Kyan, Ivy, and little Bar, Cullen and Sky had come along, as had Eli, a pregnant Dani, and their daughter, Ella. The little girl was “walking” Bumblebee, Ivy’s giant German shepherd. The dog held the leash in his teeth and plainly considered himself the responsible party. “I mean, Jaz is the only one of the five climbers from Colorado, so that’s got to be a sign.”
“I wish, but it’s all a money game. Adventure World attracts big outdoorsy crowds who like spending money on equipment.” Jaz glanced over at Liam, who prowled along at her side with the same determination as Bumble. The others might be here for family fun, but he was working. Which was sexy and frustrating and a million other things that Jaz had trouble putting into words. Just like she was having trouble reassuring herself that none of their friends could actually see inside her head for a blow-by-blow visual of the sex they’d been having.
Feeling her cheeks heat, Jaz channeled her turmoil at Liam. “Can you at least try to look like a normal human being enjoying the day? Unless you think the funnel cake will attack me, I think we’re all right here. There are like two thousand people, and a good third of them are still learning to read.”
He didn’t even look her way. “I’ll start taking your advice on security about the same time you start taking mine on climbing gear.”
“If you scare off all the patrons, we won’t be invited back.”
“I can live with that.”
“Did I tell you I invited your mother to dinner?” She’d done no such thing, but she suddenly wanted to. Just to prod him. Given what he did to her in bed…and the couch…and on the kitchen counter, she needed some way to reclaim the upper hand.
Liam gave her a dark glare that promised he’d make her pay for that.
Jaz’s traitorous body awakened in response. Damn it. Biology and physiology and all that was damn inconvenient. At least Jaz hoped that was all there was behind her actually being glad Liam was here with her.
She didn’t realize she’d taken a step toward him until Liam edged away. It wasn’t a large movement, but it was enough to make it clear that he had no intention of playing footsie in front of their friends. In front of Kyan.
Jaz had no such plans either, but the rejection still stung.
And continued stinging with every heartbeat. Jaz rubbed her arms, fighting to make sense of the emotions that had come unbidden. So what if Liam stepped away? They’d made an agreement. No commitments, no strings attached. Just pleasure and enjoyment. So why did this bother her?
Because “no commitment” wasn’t the same as being Liam’s dirty little secret. A toy to be brought out and played with only when no one was watching. Like a vibrator. Jaz’s jaw tightened against the ache growing in her chest.
“Ice cweam! Ice cweeeeeeam!” A high-pitched yell shattered through Jaz’s darkening mood. She got her bearings back just in time to watch little Ella let go of the dog’s leash and make a dash for the frozen-treat vendor. Her former special forces father rushed after her; however, unlike his daughter, who had no qualms about running between people, Eli’s large frame made slower progress.