“Where are the parents?”
“Both dead. Natural causes.”
“So, inheritance money to maybe fund some survivalist activities,” Spence added.
Diaz nodded and scanned the sheet Jessie handed him. “Possibly. Says he likes to take a lot of trips into the Ozarks. Several times a year, in fact.”
“It could mean he likes to hunt. Or fish. Or maybe he goes camping,” Jessie said.
“And it could mean he likes to hang out with his fellow survivalists,” Diaz countered. “Keep your mind open to the possibilities, Jess. Don’t give the bad guy an out.”
She shifted to look up at him, her eyes so trusting it pained him. “So, guilty until proven innocent?”
“Something like that.”
She shook her head. “Sorry, my mind doesn’t work that way. We’ll have to prove him guilty.”
“You’re not a lawyer. It’s not your job to find him innocent. He’s our suspect. We need to prove him dirty.”
“I don’t agree.”
“And trying to protect some guy just because he was nice to you once could get you killed.”
“I’m not trying to protect him. I’m keeping an open mind, that’s all.”
“Close it. It’s safer.”
She arched a brow. “I think you’re just jealous.”
Spence snorted. Diaz shot a glare in his direction, and Spence resumed careful study of the papers, but the smirk on his face lingered.
“Honey, for me to be jealous, I’d have to care. And since I’m not the one with my hand in your panties at the moment, I have nothing to care about. But I am team leader on this assignment. That means it’s my responsibility to make sure no one on my team acts like a fool and f**ks up this case.”
Her smile died. She looked down, then back up again, her voice lowered. “I know what I’m doing, Diaz.”
His face tightened with tension as his gaze penetrated hers. He really hated laying down the law to her, but it was better to do it now rather than later. She needed to know this wasn’t fun and games. This was dead serious business.
“You’d better, or you’ll be back here faster than a bullet travels, explaining to Grange why you screwed up your first—and last—assignment.”
TWO
DAWN FILTERED ACROSS THE WILD RIDERS COMPOUND, CLOUDLESS and blazing hot already. It was going to be a blistering day for a ride. There wasn’t a leaf blowing in the windless morning, nothing rustling the trees sheltering the garage area behind the massive house where all the cars and bikes were stored. Jessie looked out the window, watching Grange and Diaz step out of the garage, stop for a brief conversation, then head toward the house.
Jessie hadn’t slept at all last night, her mind occupied with the case and her annoyance with Diaz.
Damn, he got on her last nerve. In more ways than the obvious, too. He had absolutely no sense of humor, couldn’t take teasing at all, and was dead serious about this case.
Not that she wasn’t. She really was. But could Diaz lighten up at all? Spence could. Diaz? Apparently not. Did he think for one second that she wasn’t going to take this assignment seriously? She’d been waiting years for this chance. Ever since she turned eighteen, she’d wanted the opportunity to work for the Wild Riders. Before that, actually, but Grange said no way until she was legal age. And then he’d forced her to attend the local college, telling her she needed some education along with training. Still, he’d never assigned her to a case, instead making her train at headquarters, day in and day out, working with the guys on weapons, ops, intel, computers, body conditioning and endurance, martial arts, and, of course, the bikes.
She loved the bikes, had always loved them the most. She’d been riding since she got her license at sixteen, and she was damn good at it.
Actually, she was good at everything she did. Even the guys said so. How come Diaz gave her no credit? He treated her like a brainless dimwit, a blond bimbo with big boobs. Just because a girl was pretty and had a great body didn’t mean she was stupid.
That was going to stop today. She’d prove to him she could handle this case.
Her bags were packed. She was dressed and ready to go. She grabbed everything she’d need for this trip and went downstairs to meet Diaz and Spencer.
She found Diaz, Spencer, and Grange in the kitchen. Trying to act nonchalant even though her heart was pounding, she brushed past Diaz to grab a cup from the cupboard and slid it underneath the coffeepot, filling it halfway. She’d already been up for two hours and had drunk three cups. She was wired.
“Morning,” Grange said. “You ready for this?”
She nodded while she sipped. “I’ve been ready for a long time.”
“If at any time you feel like you can’t handle it—any of it—you’re welcome to drop this case. There’ll be others.”
She leaned against the counter, weary from having to say the same thing over and over again. Their protectiveness was wearing her patience thin. “I’ll be fine.”
“Ready to ride?” Diaz asked.
“Whenever you are.” She was still touchy over his comments last night, but buried her feelings. Diaz was lead on this case. She didn’t want to appear childish, especially in front of Grange. They were in work mode now. She had to put her personal issues aside and work with him.
“Let’s go.”
She grabbed her bag and followed Spence, Diaz, and Grange outside and into the garage. But when she went for her bike, it wasn’t in its usual spot.
“Uh, where’s my bike?”
Grange smiled. So did Spence.
“Diaz traded it in.”
She whirled around to face Diaz. “You what?”
Diaz wore no expression on his face. “Your 883 was too small for a road trip. We’d be stopping every hundred miles for gas.”
She almost broke down in tears. “Do you know how hard I worked to save money to buy that bike?” It wasn’t brand-new, but it was hers. She’d picked it out herself. She loved that bike.
“I know. But you have to be realistic. This is for the job.” He dug into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. “It’s over in Stall Four.”
She blinked, then frowned. “What’s in Stall Four?”
“Your new bike.”
Still not understanding, all she could do was c**k her head to the side and stare at Diaz. He finally had to grasp her by the shoulders and spin her around.