"You think so?" he asked, and then he laughed again. "Nick would get a kick out of hearing that. When the chips are down, when things get bad, he isn’t nice at all. That’s what makes him good."
Before she could nag him into giving her specifics, Nick returned to the living room. His friend Noah followed him.
Tommy’s bodyguard certainly made a strong first impression. Laurant suspected that if he were ever involved in a brawl, he’d come out the winner and relish the good time he’d had slamming heads together.
He was dressed in faded jeans and a light gray T-shirt, and his sandy blond hair was in desperate need of a trim. There didn’t seem to be an extra ounce of fat anywhere, and the muscles in his upper arms strained the bands on his shirtsleeves. A scar below his eyebrow and a devilish grin gave him a rakish appearance, and she knew before he’d spoken a word that he was a flirt and a ladies’ man. He’d already given her the once-over as he crossed the room to shake Tommy’s hand, and his gaze, she’d noticed, had lingered on her legs a bit longer than was necessary.
"I really appreciate you taking the time from your busy schedule to come here," Tommy said.
"Yeah, well, to be honest, I wasn’t given a choice. Nick asked."
"He owes me," Nick explained.
"True," Noah agreed, his gaze still on Laurant. "And he never lets me forget it."
When Tommy introduced him to his sister, he took hold of her hand and didn’t let go. "You’re a hell of a lot prettier than your brother," he drawled. Glancing at Nick, he added, "Say, I’ve got a great idea."
"Forget it," Nick replied.
Acting as though he hadn’t heard him, he suggested, "Why don’t I take her and you can have her brother."
"She’s off limits, Noah."
"How come?" he asked, his eyes locked on Laurant’s. "You married?"
"No," she answered, smiling over his outrageous behavior.
"Then I don’t see the problem. I want her, Nick."
"Too bad," Nick snapped.
Noah’s smile widened. He had obviously gotten just the reaction he wanted because he winked at Laurant, as though she were a partner in his game to irritate Nick. He finally let go of her hand and turned to Tommy again. "So what do I call you? ‘Torn’ or ‘Tommy’ or just plain ‘priest’?"
"You call him ‘Father,’" Nick interjected.
"But I’m not Catholic."
"Tom or Tommy will be fine," Tommy said.
"Pete told me you have a copy of the tape," Noah said then. His smile was gone now. "I think I’d better listen to it."
"It’s in the kitchen," Tommy told him.
"Good," he replied. "I’m starving. Have you got anything to eat?"
"Would you like me to fix you something?" Laurant offered.
When Noah looked at her again, the smile was firmly back in place. "Yeah, I’d like that a lot."
Nick didn’t like it at all. Shaking his head, he said, "You can fix yourself something to eat. Now that you’re here, Laurant and I are going to take off. She’s wiped out."
"What’s the schedule tomorrow?" Noah asked.
"I’ve got to go back to the hospital for a couple of tests," Tommy said. "Just routine stuff," he added for Laurant’s benefit.
"Hell, I hate hospitals."
"They ought to be sending you thank-you notes," Tommy remarked dryly. "From what Nick’s told me about you, you send them a lot of customers."
"Nah, I cut out the middleman. I send them right to the morgue. Saves time and money." Noah glanced at his friend. "What’d you tell your priest about me?"
"That you shoot to kill."
Noah shrugged. "That’s about right, but then, so do you. My aim’s better, that’s all."
"No, it isn’t," Nick countered.
Laurant was fascinated by the conversation, but she couldn’t tell if Noah was joking or telling the truth. "Have you killed a lot of people?"
"Now Laurant, you know better than to ask me that. I can’t kill and tell. Besides, it’s a sin to brag, isn’t it, Tom?"
Nick laughed. "Bragging is the least of your sins, Noah."
"Hey, I’m a good man. I like to think of myself as an environmentalist."
"How’s that?" Nick asked.
"I’m doing my part to make the world a better place." Turning back to Tommy he asked, "Are we going to be at the hospital all day?"
"No, I’ve got an early appointment in radiology. We should be back here by eight or nine."
"Is it time for another MRI?" Nick asked with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "If so, I really want to be there for you."
"What’s so funny about an MRI?" Noah asked.
Nick shook his head and Tommy actually blushed as he answered.
As a matter of fact, I am having another MRI, but Nick can’t go with me. He’s been banned from radiology."
Noah wanted details, and it didn’t take Laurant long to realize she was the reason Nick and Tommy weren’t giving him any. They squirmed around their explanation like naughty schoolboys hauled in front of the principal.
"If you’ll excuse me, I’ll just go and get my purse."
She hadn’t even reached the kitchen before she heard the laughter. Tommy was telling the story, but because he was speaking in such a low voice, she could only catch a word or two. Whatever had happened with Nick in the radiology department was hilarious to the three men. She found her purse on the floor next to the chair, looped the strap over her shoulder, and then leaned back against the table and waited for the laughter to die down.
Nick came looking for her. "You ready?"
With a nod she followed him to the front door. Tommy stooped down so she could kiss him on the cheek, and Noah immediately imitated the action.
Laughing, she pushed him back. "You’re a terrible flirt."
"Yeah, I am," he agreed. "And you’re one hell of a beautiful woman."
Ignoring the compliment, she said, "Watch over my brother."
"Don’t you worry. I’ve been bred to do just that. I come from a long line of law enforcement officers, so I’m a natural protector. It’s in the genes," he added. "Sleep well, Laurant."
She nodded. Nick opened the door, but she paused on the threshold. "Noah? What’s your last name?"
"Clayborne," he answered. "Noah Clayborne."
Chapter 9
Laurant’s car was a piece of junk. The carburetor was clogged; the spark plugs needed to be replaced, and the transmission was slipping. Nick was surprised they made it across town to the hotel.
He had made reservations from the rectory. They were registered under the names of Mr. and Mrs. John Hudson. They stopped by the reception desk to pick up their keys and then went upstairs. In the elevator he told her he’d had her clothes transferred.
"Very efficient of you."
"I’m an efficient kind of guy."
He stepped out of the elevator first, made sure the hallway was empty, then walked by her side down the long, red carpeted corridor. It was as quiet as a tomb. Their suite was at the very end of the hall. Nick inserted the plastic card in the lock and pushed the door wide.
"Did I mention we’ve got the bridal suite? It’s all they had available. Now Laurant, don’t go all awkward on me," he hastily added when he saw her expression. "You look like you want to run."
She forced a smile. It was awkward, but she was determined to get past it. "I’m too tired to run anywhere."
"Want me to carry you over the threshold?"
She didn’t answer. He finally gave her a little nudge to get her moving. She hesitantly stepped into the one-bedroom suite. She heard the door click behind her, and she felt a sudden pang of nervousness. This wasn’t the time to be embarrassed or shy, she reminded herself. Nick was standing right behind her. She could feel the heat from his body. She quickly walked away from him and looked around the living room. It was beautifully decorated in soft, soothing taupe colors. There were two chocolate chenille sofas facing each other with a black marble coffee table in between. In the center of the table was a large crystal vase filled with fresh spring flowers, and on the sideboard in front of the triple windows overlooking the plaza lights, was a silver tray laden with fruit, cheese and crackers, and a bottle of champagne submerged in a black onyx bucket of ice.