they again reached the area where the motel cabins lay. Kathlene smiled grimly to herself, wondering what awaited her here this time.
Was she really going to fight Jock?
Hell, yes, if that was the only way to get him to cooperate.
She had done extremely well as a rookie, training to become a deputy sheriff. She had outfought all of the other would-be deputies, male and female.
Sheriff Frawley had yet to acknowledge her skills—even though she still engaged in training exercises with other deputies more experienced than she was.
Would surprising Jock, toppling him, be enough to convince him?
Even if it didn’t, it would certainly improve her frustrated state of mind.
Although, considering how sexy she found the muscular guy staring at the narrow, barely paved road in front of them, it was bound to cause her another kind of frustration.
Jock hadn’t actually responded to her dare. But the moment they reached the large cabin at the front of the development that contained the offices, he jumped out.
After one cold stare and shake of his head, he turned away from Kathlene.
Fine with her. She waited until Ralf got out of the backseat. Would he try to talk her out of her challenge?
She’d gathered, from the way the two men interacted, that Jock was probably the superior-ranking military officer, with Ralf perhaps reporting to him.
That was something else she wanted to know, in addition to what Alpha Force was really about.
How could these men, members of this particular unit, help to figure out what was going on here better than other cops or military members?
Well, if she won their fight, Jock would owe her. He’d have to let her help in their investigation.
And he’d also have to tell her more, including about Alpha Force.
But would he?
He damn well better.
* * *
They’d gone back to the cabin. All three of them.
“So...thanks for showing us around, Kathlene,” Jock said, finally glancing at her. She’d been helpful, but now it was time for her to go. “We’ll get more of the lay of the land tomorrow morning on our own. What’s your schedule? Can we meet you for lunch? That’ll fit with our cover story.”
“Yes,” she said curtly. “It will. And I’ll be glad to meet you then. But my next day off is Friday, the day after tomorrow. We’ll get together in between, too, when I can. You’ll keep me apprised in between by phone or meeting, let me know what you learn. I’ll join up with you as much as I can.”
She looked so attractive as she snarled at him, her hair still pulled back from that gorgeous face.
But she was still trying to take control of a situation that he controlled.
Wasn’t going to happen.
“We’ll keep you apprised,” he agreed mildly. “Let us know what time you can take off for lunch tomorrow. And we’ll let you know every step we’ve taken.” After we take it. But he didn’t say that aloud.
She obviously figured it out, though. “No, like I said, I’m going to be part of this. You remember my challenge?”
“Now look, Kathlene,” Ralf said. “We know you were joking, but—”
“I wasn’t,” she responded curtly, still staring at Jock.
“Of course I remember it,” he retorted. “But Ralf’s right. It was—”
“Then let’s get started,” she interrupted. “You win and I’ll comply with what you’ve said. I win, and I’m dead center in the middle of the operation. Got it?”
“Yes, but—”
He was shocked. Amused. And taken by surprise as the lovely, slim woman removed her sheriff’s department jacket, belt with its holster and radio, and dropped them on the floor.
And then she approached him fast, hands out, and grabbed him by the arms.
Jock Larabey’s body felt just as muscular as it looked. Kathlene wasn’t surprised by that. In fact, she’d felt it before, when they’d hugged.
She’d only hoped to take him by surprise, here in the middle of the cabin’s main room on its polished wood floor, between the beds and sitting area she had checked out previously. She had to get him to take her seriously, and defeating him like one of the guys should help.
“Hey!” Ralf shouted, and out of the corner of her eye Kathlene saw him approaching, his hands out, too, as if he intended to pull her away.
She wouldn’t let him. But fighting two muscular men at once?
That could be a problem.
She was gratified, therefore, to hear Jock snap out, “Stay back, Ralf. In fact, get out of here. I’ve got this covered.”
He didn’t, of course, but fortunately Ralf backed off and stormed out of the cabin. Good.
But why had Jock done that? So Ralf wouldn’t see his humiliation? Doubtful. He had to believe he would win.
She’d inhaled as she moved and, now even more aware of her breathing and what was around her, she smelled the sweet combo of aromas of whatever had been used to clean this space for the next occupants.
But she quickly threw all of that out of her consciousness. She had to focus on what she was doing.
At the same time as she had grabbed Jock, she’d twisted her body, her legs around his, to trip him and take him down.
It was like trying to pull down a sturdy steel pipe.
“Hey!” he yelled, but he didn’t fall. That was okay. She’d conducted a lot of hand-to-hand combat training with men as well as women, and some were not only muscular but big-bellied, too, unlike Jock. She’d always managed to defeat even them.
She knew her best moves.
She turned and rose at once, putting herself out of Jock’s arms’ reach temporarily. Or so she thought.
One of his hands was suddenly on her middle, the other grasping for her neck. Was he going to strangle her? Maybe the military was trained to do their worst, act harshly as if prepared to kill even its own, presuming that the other guy was as well trained and could get out of it.
Well, she could, too.
“No!” she yelled, another kind of distraction as she twisted away from him, then quickly turned and attempted to swing her arm and aim at his face while her leg again moved around his.
