Fierce Defender: Book 2, Hard to Handle trilogy (8 page)

The Matchmaker

Sutherland Springs, Texas

Wednesday Evening, 7:30 P.M.

“So, he just took off?” Trish asked Eva.

They were standing in Trish’s kitchen, eating appetizers before the big barbecue. Eva had just finished telling her about Hank. It helped to talk about it with Trish. There were very few people she could discuss it with, not without putting everyone she loved in danger.

“Yep, he just took off.”

Her friend shook her head. “He’s a piece of work, Eva. It’s hard to imagine how you turned out so normal.”

“I know, huh?” she said with a laugh.

She could see Zack, Tyler, and Flynn standing outside by the barbecue pit. They were having an animated discussion about something or other. Tyler was in a great mood. Eva had always found him to be pleasant and fun, but tonight was different. There was an energy that buzzed around him and Trish both. Eva loved seeing her friends so happy.

“Hey,” Trish said suddenly, lowering her voice into a conspiratorial tone. “Did Zack say if Gray was going to make it tonight? Or that cute firefighter, MMA guy—Brandon?”

“He called him this afternoon. I’m pretty sure Gray said they’d both be here, and that Brandon’s bringing a date. Why are we whispering?”

“I invited Danielle,” Trish revealed. “I think Gray would be more her type than Brandon, anyways. Not that Brandon’s not hot and yummy…”

Eva tried to remember where she was supposed to know Danielle from. The name didn’t ring a bell.

When Trish noticed Eva looking at her, confused, she said, “She’s new in town. I told you about her. I met her at the grocery store last week. I can’t believe that Cheryl hasn’t gone on about her to you. She usually makes it her primary mission to find out everything she can about newcomers around here, and then tell everyone else.”

“Oh, yeah.” Eva remembered now. Trish had mentioned Danielle to her at lunch the other day. She said she was a lawyer, or something… a public defender! Now she remembered. Cheryl
had
been going on about her. The woman was a public defender in San Antonio, but she just bought a house in Sutherland Springs. Cheryl had taken that to mean she was “husband hunting,” as she put it, “because everyone knows we grow ‘em better here.”

Eva still wasn’t sure why it was a secret. “So why are we whispering?”

“I invited her for Gray or Brandon,” Trish said, frustrated that her friend was not getting it. “Now that I think about it, her and Gray would be so cute together. I don’t know Gray all that well, but he’s way too cute to be alone. He’s a nice guy, right?”

Eva laughed. “Yes, he’s a great guy. A little on the serious side, though. I guess when you’re a retired Navy Seal and an active DEA agent, being serious probably comes natural. Why are you so interested in other people’s love lives all of a sudden? Is motherhood making you suddenly want to match make?”

“All of a sudden?” Trish asked with a laugh. “Why do you think Zack was here the first time you met him?”

Eva found that quite amusing. “Well, we can only hope it works out as well for Gray. Look how lucky Zack got.”

Eva didn’t say so, but she would have never thought to call Gray “cute.” He was definitely sexy, especially when he rolled up on that big old Harley he drove from time to time. But it was sexy in a dangerous, rough-looking sort of way. Zack told her Gray had to look like that for his job. Eva shuddered to think of the kinds of people Gray probably had to associate with. The kind that were looking for her stupid brother, who was out there right now with no protection.

She sighed. She had promised herself, and Zack, that she wouldn’t obsess over it. Hank was a big boy, and if he wanted to be an idiot, there wasn’t much anyone could do.

The doorbell rang, and while Trish went to get it, Eva went out in the backyard to see what the men were talking about.

As she walked up, she heard Tyler say, “Punched him right in the face.”

“Who got punched in the face?” she asked.

They turned to look at her, and Zack put his hand on her lower back. “Mitch,” he told her.

“Who punched Mitch?”

“He got himself a little girlfriend, apparently. One of the girls he met at the last MMA match.”

“Yeah, she wanted Zack, but it was the night you stepped in,” Flynn told her with a grin.

“I’m glad I worked fast then,” she said. “So, he met her and I’m assuming they were dating… How did he end up getting punched in the face?”

“Let Tyler tell it,” Flynn said. “It sounds funnier.”

Tyler took a minute to flip the burgers, and by the time he turned around to tell her the rest of the story, Trish was coming out the sliding glass doors with Miss America in tow. Suddenly, all of the men in the yard went mute, and Zack’s hand even dropped down off her back. She glared at him, and he tried to put it back, but she took a step away. Eva wasn’t really mad at him, just exasperated at the stupidity of all men.

“Hey, everyone, this is Danielle Thurston,” Trish told them.

Eva smiled and said, “Hi, I’m Eva. It’s nice to meet you.”

The men finally snapped out of their dazes and began introducing themselves one at a time.

Zack stepped forward. “Zack Norcross, Eva’s boyfriend.” He looked at Eva to see if she approved. She had to smile.

Tyler wiped his hands on his apron and said, “Tyler, Trish’s boyfriend and father of the super-baby that she is carrying.”

“I heard about that,” Danielle said, smiling. “Congratulations.”

Next was Flynn’s turn. He held out his hand and said his name, but he said it so fast that it was unintelligible.

“I’m sorry,” Danielle said in a sweet little Texan accent. “I didn’t catch that?”

“Flynn,” he repeated, slower.

Eva could see the sweat forming on his brow. It was going to be interesting when Gray got there. She bet she’d be able to smell the testosterone. As a matter of fact, she thought there was a whiff of it already in the air, beginning when Danielle had walked in. Zack moved closer and put his arm around her. She let him. She wouldn’t begrudge him his one weak moment, but that was all he was going to get.

“So, what did Mitch get punched in the face for?” she asked after the “boys” had settled down.

“Oh!” Tyler said, remembering his story. “Well, he and his lady, I think her name is… What the hell is her name, Flynn?”

Flynn was staring at Danielle, not listening.

“Earth to Flynn,” Tyler said.

Realizing everyone was looking at him, Flynn blushed bright red before saying, “What?”

“What’s the name of Mitch’s girlfriend? I mean ex-girlfriend. She broke up with him after she punched him, right?”

“She broke up with him?” Eva said with a laugh. “Was Mitch going to stay with her after that?”

“Her name is Rochelle, and yes. Mitch is all gaga in love with her. Moron doesn’t even get why she punched him.”

“So why did she?” Eva asked again. Getting a story out of a Texas boy was sometimes like pulling teeth.

“Well, she and Mitch were at the bar last week, and Brandon came in with some of the guys from the firehouse. Mitch was the only one in the place that didn’t notice his girl was making eyes at Brandon all night. It was even making Brandon uncomfortable. Mitch had drunk maybe three too many beers, so he wasn’t firing on all cylinders. Rochelle was hanging on the bar next to where Brandon was sitting, trying to get him to notice that she was bursting out the top of her blouse, and Mitch walked up. He went to reach for the bowl of nuts and said, right as Brandon—”

“Oh dear God!” Eva interrupted, exasperated. “What did he say for crying out loud?”

“He bumped one of her boobs with the bowl and said, ‘I always wondered what they made bouncy balls out of. It must be silicone.’ As the boys started snickering, Rochelle looked at him and said, ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’”

“Oh goodness, he actually said that?” Eva asked, picturing it.

“He didn’t just say it. He kind of flicked her other boob and added, ‘See, them bouncy balls bounce just like that. I’ll bet they’re made of the same material.’”

“I may have killed him,” Eva said.

Tyler was laughing. “She didn’t hold back on the punch. Brandon said he’s seen MMA fighters that don’t pack that much power in their fist. She hauled off and slugged him, and he went down.”

“She punched him out?”

“Nah, the beers took him out, all he needed was a nudge.” Tyler was still cracking up when Eva noticed Trish bringing things out from the house and went to help. Danielle helped too.

While they brought out the plates and silverware, Danielle told them she was from San Antonio, but she had been in Sutherland Springs a while back doing some research on a case, and she had fallen in love with it. It was a bit of a commute to work every day, but she thought the tradeoff was worth it. When Zack heard her say that, he gave the others, who doubted he was right when he said this was the perfect place to call home, a smug smile.

When they went back in to get the condiments for the burgers, the women heard the sudden roar of a loud bike out front. A few minutes later, the doorbell rang.

“That must be Grayson,” Trish said. She handed Danielle what she had in her hands, and as she and Eva took it out to the table, Trish skipped out to answer the door. Eva smiled and shook her head. Pregnancy hormones were working their magic on her friend.

“Grayson?” Danielle asked Eva. “That’s an unusual name. His last name wouldn’t be Alexander, would it?”

“Yes, actually,” Eva told her. “Do you and Gray know each other?”

“Unfortunately,” the woman said as Trish came back in the room with Gray in tow.

He was dressed casually in jeans and a black racing T-shirt that showed off his muscular arms. Eva noticed that with his haircut and casual clothes, he looked a lot “cuter” than she had realized before.

She looked at Danielle, who didn’t look impressed in the least. Gray stared back at the woman with what could only be described as an ornery grin. There was definitely something up between these two. It would be interesting to find out what.

Just as Trish started to introduce them, Gray said, “Danielle Thurston, Public Defender Extraordinaire. How delightful to see you again.” Then he turned to Trish and asked, “Are we having steak?”

Trish gave him and Danielle both a funny look and said, “Um… yes.”

“Good,” he said, his grin broadening. “That will give Miss Thurston something other than my ass to chew on. Hello, Eva. Excuse me, ladies.”

With that, he made his way over to the group of men. Danielle watched after him with a look of disdain, and Trish with confusion. Eva was amused by whatever was going on. That and the fact that poor Flynn still hadn’t taken his eyes off of the lovely newcomer.

The doorbell rang again, and this time Eva went to get it. It was Brandon and the curly haired blonde from the night of Zack’s party after the MMA match. Eva smiled to herself and applauded the woman on her good work.

“Hi, Eva,” Brandon greeted her. “This is my friend Hayley.”

Eva said hello to them both, noticing how nice Brandon looked in blue jeans and a blue T-shirt. While he and Eva chatted, his “friend” gazed at him with an air of hero worship.

******

Brownsville, Texas

Wednesday Evening

“Enrique, Pablo!” Vincent summoned as he and the much cheaper version of Marcella entered the kitchen. Pablo appeared first, a stunned look crossing his face when he saw the Boss and Marcella. Enrique, strolling in casually behind him, stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the big blonde man and the hooker standing in the kitchen. He fumbled to get his gun out of the waistband of his boxers where it was stored. When he finally got it out, he pointed it at them.

“What the hell are you doing?” Pablo yelled at him.

“Me? Who the fuck are you letting in here? The Boss is going to fucking kill you.”

Vincent rolled his eyes, Marcella laughed, and Pablo said, “You fucking idiot. That is the Boss.”

Still holding the gun, Enrique looked again. He took a step closer, and when he did, Vincent said, “Put the gun away, numb nuts, before I bitch-slap you again.”

“Boss?” Enrique asked.

“Yes, you fucking moron. Put the gun away before you shoot off your own balls. That is, if you have any,” he added.

Enrique did as he was told, finally. “I’m sorry, Boss. You don’t look like you.”

“That’s the point,” Vincent told him. Then looking at Pablo, he said, “Where is the rest of the crew?”

“They’re in the living room,” Pablo replied. “I’ll get them.”

“No,” Vincent said, stopping him. “I’ll go to them.”

Pablo led Marcella and Vincent to the living room. There were about fifteen of them there, sitting on the nice furniture, eating, drinking, smoking, and playing video games on the eighty-inch plasma screen television. There were empty pizza boxes and beer bottles all over the room.

Vincent stood looking at the scene before him before shouting, “Listen up!”

The men, or boys as some of them still were, stopped what they were doing. They looked at him with disinterest before fixing their gazes on Marcella. She took a step behind Vincent.

“It’s the Boss, you dimwits,” Enrique said.

They immediately jumped to attention, most of them with one hand on their pants to keep them from hitting the floor. They were all dressed in similar fashion: brand new jeans at least two sizes too large, long white T-shirts, and red bandanas either tied across a black hat or hanging from a belt loop. There were more tattoos between them than bare skin, and as Vincent stood before them, he looked with disdain on the group that his “Boss” had sent to do his bidding.

“I am rebuilding my business. It’s a business that I spent the past fifteen years developing, only to have it torn down by snitches with no gonads. The perpetrators of this are being dealt with, today, as we speak, by some of your brothers. They will be handsomely rewarded. Your job once I leave here will be to take the product, which will soon be distributed on the streets, to where it belongs. I’m starting small, but I plan to go large within a month. As of today, I am taking over Brownsville. Tomorrow, I will move on to the next city and so on until I own this entire state. I will not be run out of Texas, chased back to Mexico as if I am an ordinary immigrant. I am Vincent Heston, and for those who don’t know, I am the son of Gilberto Fidel Sanchez.”