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Glaring daggers, he ate up the last few steps, ready to drag his brother outside.
Oblivious to Mason’s irritation, Paul sat up straighter, gaze eager and expectant like a puppy. Grinning from ear to ear, he waved Mason over. “Mason, hey! Come meet Candy.”
Mason stopped beside them, eyeing the woman hard. Up close, she was even more stunning. But her smile didn’t reach her sharp eyes. His instincts screamed—this was no ditzy party girl. Her casual body language clashed with the intelligence in her gaze.
His gut feeling solidified. Whoever she was, this woman had an agenda. No way it involved trying to score a date with his brother.
Paul tipped his glass at him. “Candy, meet Mason.”
“Hey,” she said smoothly, raking an appraising gaze over his body.
He nodded absently, his focus on Paul. “You two known each other long?”
Paul made a face, looking pleased. “About ten minutes, right Candy?”
Mason crossed his arms, his stare icy. “We should get going,” he told Paul pointedly. He wanted this woman away from his brother yesterday.
Paul’s grin wavered. “Oh, um, yeah sure.” He turned back to the woman, his voice reluctant. “I gotta run, but it was really nice meeting you.”
She touched his arm lightly. “You, too. Be sure to keep my number. Maybe we can hang out sometime.” Her knowing gaze shifted to Mason, lingering. “Or double date. My roommate’s a lot of fun.”
Mason’s hands curled into fists. In a heartbeat, everything clicked. The tells were all there. Whatever trouble Paul thought he was in, this woman was involved.
Which made her the enemy.
He grabbed his brother’s arm, yanking Paul off his stool and steering him toward the exit. “Nice to meet you,” he muttered over his shoulder.
Paul tried to shake him off. “Aw come on. One drink won’t hurt.”
Mason dug his fingers in harder, his patience evaporating. “I don’t drink. And neither do you anymore. Let’s go.” He propelled Paul outside, ignoring the woman’s surprised look.
Once they hit the parking lot, Mason released his grip. Paul elbowed him good-naturedly. “You didn’t have to be so rude. I think she was into me.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Jealous much?”
Mason headed for his beige rental sedan. “She wasn’t into you.”
“I know women. She was definitely giving me signals.”
Mason kept walking. “No signals. She’s law enforcement. Either Seattle PD or FBI. Maybe ATF.”
“What?” Paul paled instantly. “No way. How can you tell?”
Mason rattled off the clues: the practical shoes, the heavy purse, the strategic seating, placing herself between her target and the only exit.
With each detail, Paul’s confident grin faded. “What are we gonna do?”
They weren’t going to do squat. He’d handle it. Alone. Like always.
Mason opened the passenger door, waving Paul inside. “First, we’re getting you somewhere secure. Then you’re telling me everything, from the very beginning.”
After Mason took care of business. He jammed his hand into his pocket, pulling out a thick zip tie.
Paul jerked away, his head smacking the passenger window. “Hey, what the––”
Mason grabbed his wrist, forcing his brother’s arm close to the grab bar, then yanking the zip tie tight with a satisfying tug. “I need to have a chat with your new girlfriend. Don’t go anywhere.” Mason slipped away before Paul could argue further.
Whatever the woman’s game was, she was flying solo. The perfect opportunity to find out what she wanted with Paul.
He strode back into the bar, senses on high alert. But the woman had vanished. He stalked through the joint and shoved through the back exit into the alley.