"And who might turn you out," Logan added.

"But Avery can stash you in the pantry.

Hid there once myself, and it works fine."

Pepper tucked in her chin. "Avery?"

"She's a waitress at a bar I bought."

Rowdy shook that off as insignificant- but no one was buying it, least of all his sister.

Jaw now loose, Pepper took a menacing step toward Rowdy. "You bought a bar?"

That soft, accusing voice made his brows come down. "I was going to tell you," Rowdy said defensively. "But today got a little busy, you know."

What an understatement. Reese cleared his throat and tried to get things back on track. "So, you trust this Avery?"

"Yeah, I do."

Logan lifted a brow. "If you just bought the bar, how well do you know her? Is she a woman you're dating?"

Pepper snorted. "Rowdy doesn't date.

He just has sex." Her narrowed gaze held plenty of accusation for Rowdy.

"And he had a really annoying double standard about it, too. It was fine for him, but I wasn't even supposed to look."

Tipping his head toward Logan, Rowdy indicated his hold on Pepper.

"You did more than look, kiddo, so stop complaining."

"And when it comes to you," Logan said, "I'm glad he was so vigilant."

Rowdy lifted one shoulder. "But when it comes to Avery, I'm not doing either."

Dash grinned. "Is the 'no dating' part hampering the sex part?"

"Maybe. Hard to tell. But she's going to be my bartender, so it's probably best I don't go there with her, anyway."

"Spoken like a rejected man." Dash lifted his Coke in a salute. "If you can't get it, deny wanting it."

Rowdy smirked.

Because their personalities were so dissimilar, it surprised Reese that Dash and Rowdy appeared to get along so well.

"What's wrong with her?" Pepper asked.

And the men all laughed.

"Seriously, kiddo, take me off that pedestal, will you?" Full of fondness, Rowdy smiled at her. "I do get struck down every now and then, you know."

Confused by the denial, Pepper crossed her arms. "No, you don't."

"Yeah..." Rowdy slanted a look around the room, then grinned. "She's right. I usually don't."

"Then that makes Avery either really smart," Dash said, "or really special."

Maybe tonight, Rowdy would figure out which it was. "I'm willing to trust her if you are," Reese said. "I know some other good cops-officers I trust- who can blend in, as well."

"Jesus, Reese, you may as well turn on the red-and-blue lights."

Speaking over Rowdy's protests, Reese added, "Dash, do you think you can stay here with Alice and Pepper?"

"Sure, no problem."

He commandeered Rowdy's place next to Ca s h. "We'll defend the home front, won't we, buddy?" Given how Cash's tail got started, he agreed.

Logan took over, saying to Rowdy, "You're not supposed to meet at the bar until midnight, which means it'll be a late night. I'm going to run home with Pepper so she can get some things together."

"I'm spending the night?" Pepper asked.

"I don't want you home alone." Logan cupped her jaw. "Do you mind?"

"With Alice and Dash as company?

Nope, don't mind at all."

"I'll be back for you as soon as I can, but it might be dawn before we wrap up.

You just never know. I want you comfortable while you're here."

"So, I'm grabbing my pj's and a pillow, huh?"

Reese would bet his last dollar that Pepper didn't own pajamas, but he understood that they wanted some time alone. Hell, he'd love a little time alone with Alice, too. Unfortunately, he didn't see that happening, not until tomorrow at the earliest.

"I'm sorry I turned my spare bedroom into an office," Alice said. "They'd probably suggest I stay with you, since your home is so much bigger, but Cash is most comfortable here." To prove that point, she smiled at Cash, stretched out on his back over half of the couch so Dash could rub his chest. He had one soft black ear hanging off the side of the cushion.

Yeah, God knew Alice wouldn't want to inconvenience the dog. She loved him.

And without planning it, without even thinking it through, Reese said, "I'll be looking at my own house soon. Cash needs a yard where he can run around."

Startled, Alice said, "You want to buy a house?"

"The idea appeals to me, yes." Damn it. He shouldn't have just thrown that out there. It was absolutely the wrong time to go into it. "We'll talk about it later."

She held silent, but he saw the questions-and the uncertainty-in her eyes. Did she think he planned to move away from her?

"Time for us to go," Pepper said. But as she passed Reese, she said sotto voce, "I vote for a house near us, just so you know."

Reese smiled at her. "You think you could tolerate my proximity?"

"To be closer to Alice, sure."

So, she assumed Alice would be part of the deal? What did Alice think? Reese tried to see her face, but she kept her head down.

Logan and Pepper left with the promise that they'd be back before eleven.

Rowdy and Dash hung around.

"So," Alice began. "I have an idea how we could draw out the bastards without putting Rowdy at risk."

"No," Reese and Rowdy both said at the same time.

Dash wisely stayed out of it.

"Instead of DeeDee luring Rowdy, I could lure Hickson."

"No," Reese emphasized more firmly.

"And 'bastards' sounds funny when you say it, Alice. It doesn't suit you."

She glared at Rowdy for that bit of censure. "Cheryl will be calling me. We all know she's been pulled into the scheme, that she's being used. I won't leave her to deal with that alone, and they're probably going to insist on seeing me personally. So why not-"

At her dogged persistence, Reese thought his head might explode off his body. "No, and no. " Dear God, even hearing her speculate on such a thing made his guts twist in dread. "You're not going anywhere without me."

She folded her arms over her chest. "I need to know that Cheryl is safe!"

Reese leaned into her temper. "Trust me to take care of it!"

She jabbed a finger toward Rowdy.

"Why doesn't he have to trust you to handle things?"

Dash snickered but cut the sound short when the front door opened, and a large man walked in. In a single glance, Reese took his measure, making note of everything.

A black T-shirt, bulky from a Kevlar vest underneath, was tucked into casual tan slacks. He hadn't even tried to conceal the black leather holster that held a Beretta, or the utility belt loaded with extra magazines, a stun gun, a baton and a knife.

From the corner of his eye, Reese saw Rowdy pull Alice behind him. Dash joined him, and together they protected her with a solid wall of male muscle.

Cash, unaccountably, sat up but made no move to attack.

His gun already in hand, Reese stepped in front of them all.

The big man looked from Reese's face to the gun, and back to his face with chilling indifference. "You're protecting her?" And then, looking past Reese: "Alice, he's protecting you?"

Son of a bitch. Reese kept his aim steady. He had a good idea who had just come calling. But he wasn't at all sure how he felt about the impromptu visit.

OOPS, ALICE THOUGHT as she recognized

that whiskey-smooth voice.

New levels of testosterone throbbed in the air, along with razor sharp tension.

Rowdy tried to shrug off her hands when she gripped his shoulders and peered between him and Dash. She saw the fair, straight hair, still a little too long, and those incredible golden eyes.

Gratitude welled up anew, and a smile threatened, but Alice didn't dare. Not just yet. Not while Reese stood there, armed and dangerous.

Licking her dry lips, Alice nodded. "I believe he is, yes."

He accepted that without question, saying casually to Reese, "Put the gun away."

"I don't think so." A muscle ticked in Reese's clenched jaw. "Who the hell are you, and what do you want?"

Alice skirted around Rowdy so she could whisper to Reese, "Put it away before he puts it away for you."

If anything, Reese became more aggressive in stance and attitude. He stepped in front of Alice again.

"Sorry, Alice, but insulting a man's ability definitely won't help."

Unconcerned, as if Reese, Rowdy and Dash were no threat at all, he came farther into the room, walking to the couch to sit down.

Okay, so she could see him discounting Dash. Not that Dash wasn't big and rock solid, but he didn't have the same level of...menace, maybe, that Reese and Rowdy exuded.

Still, Dash was an imposing male. Not as imposing as Reese, of course, but- Cash, who'd watched the proceedings with interest, didn't appear to mind sharing the couch. Those piercing golden-brown eyes took in the dog, scratched under his chin without a word, made a friend.

Cash thumped his tail in open welcome.

That should have put Reese at ease, but apparently he didn't trust Cash's judgment any more than he did Alice's.

"You've got two seconds to explain,"

Reese told him.

Those compelling golden eyes came back to Alice's face.

He smiled.

And she felt more flustered.