"SHe's gone until tomorrow." Matt's voice had an undertone of contentment that Jake still Wasn't used to hearing coming from his tough big, brother. His marriage to the romance writer he'd been assigned to guard last year had changed Matt, Jake decided. Happiness had actually sharpened his instincts. After all, he had Dani waiting at home.

"Tomorrow is today," Jake said after glancing at the clock on the dash.

"Cut the crap, Jake. You find anything?"

Matt had been particularly derisive about Jake's lead. Figured it for a cold, dead end. He still Wasn't sure what it was, but cold and dead it was not, he thought, thinking about Phoebe. "Maybe. You find anything when you ran JR?s under the big microscope?"

Matt was quiet a moment. "Maybe."

Jake sighed. Matt hated being wrong. Too bad Jake had wanted him to be right this time. Because if JR's was dirty, then so was Phoebe.

"Don't be a son of a bitch, Matt. Give me what you got."

"I got nothing but suspicious indicators right now. Got my best guy hound-dogging it for you."

"Appreciate it."

"No problem. You coming in to my office tomorrow?"

"Not until the afternoon."

"What are you doing in the morning?"

"Applying for a job." Jake grinned and broke the connection.

Bryn pushed the door of her motel room closed and leaned against it with a sigh of relief. It would take a long, hot shower to get rid of the palm prints on various parts of her anatomy. Fortunately Jesse Mentel had been overcome by alcohol before she had to cuff him. Good thing, too. She had a feeling he'd have enjoyed it.

She flicked on the light, shuddered at the sight of the ugly little room?s aging cowboy d?r and headed for the bathroom. She was almost past the bed before her brain registered what her eyes had seen. The single red rose and square white envelope on her pillow.

In the space of one breath, she pulled her piece and did a fast but thorough check of the room. She Wasn't surprised when she found nothing. Phagan's style was definitely hit-and-run. She sank onto the bed and eyed the envelope with equal parts ire and resignation. Phagan was getting bolder and way too romantic.

"I'm too tired for this," she wailed to the room. Instead of sympathy, the A/C kicked on, indifferent that the temperature outside had dropped too many degrees for the modified bimbo Jake had insisted she wear. She wanted to ignore the note and step under the hottest shower this dive could summon up. She wanted to tumble into bed and dream of lying on a recliner with a box of Godiva chocolates on the table and a romance novel in hand.

She picked up the envelope, opened it and two gift certificates fell out. One was for Godiva chocolates. The other for a bookstore. There was also a flyer advertising the latest Dani Gwynne romance novel. Across the bottom, Phagan had written TelTech, Inc. Beneath it was a heart with an arrow through it.

With a moan, she fell back on the horseshoe-patterned bedspread and stared at the ceiling. It didn't help, so she rolled to her side and pulled the rose within reach of her nose. The rich, sweet scent drove out the stale room smell. The soft petals brushed her nose like a loveR's caress and-

A sudden knock at the door sent her heart skittering into pound mode.

"Bryn?" Jake's voice was muffled but easily identified.

Bryn hastily tossed the rose and scrambled to open the door.

Jake held up a white sack.

"Followed my nose to an all-night bakery." He gently put her aside and strode into the room, stopping abruptly when he saw the rose.

"I didn't get one of those on my pillow."

"Someone has a sense of humor."

"Uh-huh." Jake took the lone chair and opened the bag. "Bagels and cream cheese. No coffee. Don't want to mess with your beauty sleep."

She sat down on the end of the bed, taking the sliced, cream cheese smeared bagel he held out to her.

"How did it go with Jesse?" Jake took a hearty bite out of his bagel.

"He was probably an octopus in another life. Certainly has the same size brain," she said. "If He's a master thief, there's something not right in the universe. What about you?"

On the other end, Jake paused, reluctant to throw Phoebe to Bryn. Mercy wasn't exactly Bryn's strong point. On the other hand, Phoebe'd be fine if she was clean. A big, unlikely if.

"The lady has secrets," he admitted, he added to himself, Lots of them. "Think you can work on your own tomorrow?" He stood up, reaching the door in two strides.

Bryn looked at the note sitting on her nightstand. "I think I can manage something. What'll you be doing?"

He opened the door, then turned to face her. "Gonna apply for a job."

He was out of the room, the door closed behind him, before Bryn could get out, "Why-"

"Men." She looked at the rose, then at the bagel. At least they weren't totally useless.

Chapter 4.

Phoebe reacted instinctively to Earl's hand on her shoulder.

She grabbed it and in one smooth movement twisted around to face him. This turned his hand under and forced him away from her. His muffled exclamation turned to a yelp when she pushed his hand up between his shoulder blades and shoved him into the wall, using her knee to hold him there.

"You got two seconds to explain what the hell You're doing in my house," she growled into his ear.

"Damn it, girl-"

"That's not an explanation."

This violation of her space had adrenaline singing through her bloodstream in an out-of-control flood. She twisted her fingers in his hair and shoved his face into the wallboard, then went to jerk his head back for round two. Instead of his head jerking back, the hair came off in her hand.

"What the-"

"It's me! Dewey!"

"Dewey?" Her heart was pumping fight-or-flight so loud, she could hardly hear him. She stared at the wispy wig in her hand, then the tufted, full head of hair on the back of his head. "Dewey Damn Hyatt?"

She threw down the wig and stepped back, her body shuddering with a reaction that now had nowhere to go.

"In the slightly bruised flesh." He eased his arm down, flexing the fingers once before turning around. Using the wall for support, he dabbed at the red trickling out the corner of his mouth, then rubbed it between his fingers. "I guess I shouldn't have sneaked up on you."

"No shit. You forget I don't do victim anymore?" She pushed her hair off her face with hands that shook from the surge of violence she hadn?t known was in her. She didn't waste time asking how he got in. Hadn't made a lock that Dewey couldn't pop. "Let's get some ice on that."