Hot Winter Nights

Liz nodded. “But this year, we’re not getting anything. Santa says there aren’t any profits, that he’s barely breaking even. But that can’t be true because he just bought himself a brand-new Cadillac. Molly’s my neighbor, you see.”

Lucas didn’t see at all. He was good at certain things, such as at his job of investigating and seeking out the asshats of the world and righting justice. He was good at taking care of his close-knit family. He was good, when he wanted to be, in the kitchen. And—if he said so himself—also in bed.

But he was not good in social situations, such as those that required small talk, especially with old ladies dressed up as elves. “This really isn’t the sort of case that Hunt Investigations takes on,” he said.

“But Molly said you’re an elite security and investigative firm that employs finders and fixers for hire, whoever needs them.”

Not strictly true. A lot of the jobs they took on were routine; criminal, corporate and insurance investigations along with elite security contracts, surveillance, fraud, and corporate background checks. But some weren’t routine at all, such as forensic investigations, the occasional big bond bounty hunting, government contract work . . .

Nailing a bad Santa wasn’t on the list.

“Do you know when Molly might arrive?” Left Elf asked. She was looking at him even as her knitting needles continued to move at the speed of light. “We’ll just wait for her.”

“I don’t know her schedule,” Lucas said. And that was the truth. Hunt Investigations was run by the biggest badass he’d ever met. Archer Hunt, and he employed a team that was the best of the best. Lucas was honored to be a part of that team. All of them, himself included, would step in front of a bullet for each other, and had.

Literally, in his case.

The lone woman in their midst was Molly Malone, equally fearless, though in other ways. She was the one to keep them all on their toes. No one would dare venture into her domain at her desk and put their hands on her stuff to check her schedule, but he could at least ask around. “I’ll go check her ETA,” he said and headed inside.

He found Archer and Joe in the employee room inhaling donuts. Grabbing one for himself, he nodded to Archer and looked at Joe, one of Lucas’s best friends and also his work partner. “Where’s your sister?”

Joe shrugged and went for another donut. “Not her keeper. Why?”

“There’re two elves outside waiting to talk to her.”

“Still?” Archer shook his head. “I told them we wouldn’t take their case.” He headed out front. Lucas followed because if his social niceties game was stale, Archer had zero social niceties game.

“Ladies,” Archer said to the elves. “As I explained earlier, your case isn’t the kind of case we take on.”

“Oh we heard you,” Left Elf said. “We’re just waiting for Molly. She promised to help us personally if you wouldn’t.”

Archer looked pained. “Molly doesn’t take on cases here. She’s office staff.”

The two elves looked at each other and then tucked away their knitting. “Fine,” Left Elf said. “We’ll just go straight to her at home then.”

Archer waited until they’d gotten on the elevator before turning to Lucas. “Why are you here?”

“Gee, good to see you too, boss man.”

“Let me rephrase,” Archer said. “How’s your side? You know, where you have a GSW?”

“It’s no longer a gunshot wound. It’s practically just a scratch now. I’m good enough to get back to work.”

“Uh-huh.” Archer looked unimpressed. And . . . still pissed. Lucas had been hoping that he’d gotten himself out of the doghouse by now, but apparently not.

“I didn’t get a report from your doctor clearing you,” Archer said.

Lucas squelched a grimace. His doctor had told him—repeatedly—at least one more week. But he’d be dead of boredom by another week. “We’re having a minor difference in opinion.”

“Shit.” Archer swiped a hand down his face. “You know I can’t put you back on the job until he clears you.”

“If I stay home another day, I’ll lose my shit.”

“It’s only been two weeks since you were shot and nearly bled out before we got you to the hospital,” Archer said. “Way too close of a call.”

“Practically ancient history.”

Archer shook his head. “Not even close. And I told you to abort. Instead, you sent the team out to safety and then you alone hauled ass deeper into the yacht, knowing it was on fire thanks to our asshole perps trying to sink it for the insurance payout.”

“I went deeper because there was still someone on board,” Lucas reminded him. “Their lead suspect’s teenage kid. He’d been holed up and had fallen asleep watching TV. He would’ve died if I’d left him.”

“And instead you almost did.”

Lucas blew out a breath. They’d had this argument in the hospital. They’d had it twice since. He didn’t want to have it again. Especially since he wasn’t sorry he’d disobeyed a direct order. “We saved an innocent. You’d have done the same damn thing. So would any of us.”

Archer looked over at Joe, who’d been silent through this entire exchange.

Joe lifted a shoulder, an admission that yeah, he might’ve done the same thing. And so would Archer, and Lucas damn well knew it.

“Shit,” Archer finally said. “Fine. I’ll unground you, but only for light duty until I hear from your doctor personally that you’re one hundred.”

Lucas didn’t dare smile or pump a fist in triumph. “Deal.”

Archer went from looking pissy to mildly amused. “You don’t know what light duty I’m going to make you do yet.”

“Anything would be better than staying at home,” he said fervently.

“Glad to hear you say that.” Archer jabbed a thumb at the door. “Molly’s going to want to take those elves seriously. She’s been asking to take on a case for months now, but our cases have all been too risky.”

Lucas rubbed his side. Wasn’t that the damn truth. “And?”

“And your ‘light duty’ job is to make sure she turns those elves down,” Archer said. “She’s not ready yet.”

Joe nodded his agreement on that and Lucas let out a mirthless laugh. He understood why Molly’s boss might tell her not to take on a case, but her brother should know better. “Hello, you’ve met her, right?” Lucas asked them. “No one tells Molly what to do.”

“Improvise,” Archer said, unmoved. “And keep in mind, you’re still in hot water with me. So be careful.” He looked at Joe. “Give us a minute.”

Joe looked at Lucas and left the room.

“You’ve got something else to say?” Lucas asked Archer.

“Yeah. Don’t screw this up. And don’t sleep with her either.”

Granted, Lucas had never been all that discriminating when it came to the fairer sex, but this was Molly they were talking about. She was the baby sister of his friend and coworker, which meant she was not on his radar. At least not during the day.

The nights were something else altogether because there’d been more than a few times where she’d starred in his fantasies—his own deep, dark secret since he liked breathing. “I wouldn’t sleep with her.”