Freaky by Nature Read online

  “I’m awake. What kind of trouble?”

  “Something about the pool.”

  Brett felt a wave of relief, then irritation. “I’m not a pool boy.”

  Sterling chuckled. “Me either, but since the back door is wide open, we probably better take a look.”

  Brett felt the skin crawl on the back of his neck. “Is she hurt?”

  “No, she just got there. Get dressed. I’m two minutes away from your house.”

  Brett hung up the phone, slid out of bed, and glanced at the bedside clock. Five thirty. Damn. Padding barefoot to the shower, he shook the sleep from his brain and turned his thoughts once again to Holly.

  Things between them had started out promising. She seemed to welcome his advances, and they developed what he thought to be something more than casual friendship. Then things changed when he retired from the Navy and moved to Diablo to become a private investigator. Apparently, he misread her signals.

  When he and his SEAL team opened SEALs, Inc., Brett joined her gym and tried to get closer to Holly but she bolted from his attention like a scared rabbit and maintained a cool distance. In fact, he’d all but written off any relationship with her, friendship or otherwise.

  There was only one problem. The more she shunned him, the more he wanted her. And he wanted her. All five feet, five inches of her curvy body, under him, over him, it didn’t matter. He’d show her he was more than worthy of her attention. His cock jumped. Oh man. He reached to adjust the water temperature to a nice cool setting.

  He rinsed the rest of the soap from his body and turned off the shower. As cold and detached as she appeared, he felt compelled to look past her attitude. In her defense, Holly avoided most people. She and Sterling’s wife, Cameron, were close but all in all, she kept to herself. Even at the gym she taught only one or two classes a couple times a week and then disappeared from view.

  Brett slid a towel over his painfully-aroused body as the wheels in his mind squeaked. He had always felt she hid something. Madame. He shook his head and smirked as he dressed.

  Sterling pulled in the driveway as Brett threw his shirt over his bare, damp chest. Grabbing his weapon and keys, he headed out the door.

  Brett bit his lip as he entered the truck and noticed Cpt. Sterling’s rumpled appearance. “Late night?”

  “Pregnant women are so damn difficult!” Sterling snapped.

  He grimaced at Sterling’s impatience. Normally the epitome of cool, Sterling was easily undone by his wife’s pregnancy.

  “Is she sick?”

  “No! Just hungry. All the time! I made at least three trips to the store last night.”

  Brett pursed his lips and opted for non-response. He’d seen Sterling do everything from organize top secret objectives for the U.S. government to flick groupies off rock star Jaydon Hawke like fleas. But never did he envision him led around by his balls of steel by one, pint-sized, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, busty female.

  His lip curled and fond memories crowded his brain as they approached Holly’s gym. Fitness in the Buff. He worked out there daily and knew firsthand the place came very close to living up to its name. Scores of women flocked there, all half dressed and determined to sculpt their bodies into works of fine art. And the shapely women attracted men. Men who, like himself, found it extremely gratifying to work out and appreciate the view at the same time.

  His brow wrinkled. Holly was a tough nut to crack. Although outgoing and friendly to her clientele, she was also expertly reserved and always took care not to reveal too much of herself. To him, anyway. Controlled and poised. Polite. The one adjective that stopped a man in his tracks.

  Sterling parked in the fire lane and Brett tabled his analysis. “Should we go in the front?”

  Sterling drew his weapon from his shoulder holster. “You take the front. I’ll go around back.” Without another word, he faded into the inky darkness.

  Holly met Brett at the front door, trembling uncontrollably and massaging her temples. Despite his intent to remain distant, he laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.

  “You okay?”

  She tilted her brow as if uncertain about his touch and tossed him one of her famous why do you bother? looks. “I’ll survive.”

  He shuffled her out of the doorway and locked the door behind him. “Are you sure no one else is in the building?”

  She nodded. “I’m sure. It’s just us. Whoever did this is long gone.”

  He stepped in front of her. “Let’s go check out the pool.”

  Holly felt her pulse quicken as she followed behind Brett and admired his tempting attractive physique. From his solid, broad shoulder muscles that strained to escape the confines of his form-fitted, black t-shirt, to his lean hips, firm ass and powerful legs, Brett Steele screamed masculinity. Pure, unadulterated, rock-hard male. Too bad they weren’t alone. Like you’d really climb that mountain.

  Snapping herself back into reality, Holly realized how absurd it was to ever accept Brett’s interest in her. Or hers in him. Not possible.

  As she continued to stare at him, the swirl of pink, orange, red and gray colors that smoked his aura concerned her. She took a deep breath and rifled through the pages of her memory. Pink meant she could trust him. That didn’t surprise her, she’d trust Brett with her life. Orange and red, anger. But gray represented fear. Why was he afraid? And why did her headache dissipate when he touched her? Normally they lasted for hours and beat her into a deep sleep.

  Her questions were pushed to the side when he opened the door to the pool and gestured for her to enter. She hesitated for a brief moment to make sure her mental walls were strong and then stepped through the doorway. Relief washed over her when she didn’t see the earlier black fog.

  A pink haze followed Max as he entered the room but quickly blended into an eerie dark brown-yellow ring as soon as he looked into the bloody pool.

  Holly scolded herself when she recognized the colors as stress and fatigue. “I’m sorry I called you so early. I probably should have waited a couple of hours.”

  Brett pulled a clear tube from his pocket and dipped it into the pool water. “Why did you call me?”

  His tone stabbed her. “That wasn’t your apology. I didn’t call you, I called Max.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Max interrupted. “Cameron’s appetite had me awake most of the night anyway.”

  Holly pursed her lips as she watched the yellow fog around Max swirl and then pulse fire engine red. Even while he grumbled about Cameron, he couldn’t hide his deep love for her. Holly casually shifted her eyes back to Brett. The orange cloud around his aura persisted.

  “Whoever did this is one sick bastard.” He pocketed the water sample.

  Holly backed away from the pool. “Do you think it’s actually blood?”

  “No. Not human anyway,” Max said. “I’d guess paint.”

  Holly paced the length of the pool, cleared her mind, and concentrated on the color. After a few silent seconds, she gave up and mentally cursed both the situation and Brett Steele. She couldn’t concentrate. The negative ions that charged the air around him pelted her skin like raindrops and made her doubly nervous. She snuck a glance at him beneath her eyelashes. Was he angry or aroused? Somehow the pinpricks managed to stimulate her.

  Holly finally lifted her gaze from the water and looked at him. “When can I drain the water? I need to clean out the basin.”

  Brett didn’t even look at her as he answered. “Not until the police finish their investigation.”

  O…kay… He wanted to keep it business between the two of them. Good. He’d finally gotten the message. Something close to disappointment fluttered in her stomach.

  “They’re on their way.” Max folded his arms across his chest. “It shouldn’t take them long. I’m not sure there’s anything here they can use except the water. And that may not be very helpful.”

  Brett stood and scrubbed a hand over the five o’clock shadow now apparent on the sides of his face. H
olly swallowed hard. What a delightful rash that would leave on her skin.

  As if he felt her perusal, Brett gave her a quick glance and then turned back to Max. “Fingerprints?”

  Max shook his head. “Not likely.”

  “Security cameras?”

  “Yes,” Holly answered.

  Brett focused on her and his eyes seemed to penetrate her haze of lust. “I need the tape.”

  “What about my business?”

  Brett shrugged. “Close for a day or two.”

  “I’ll be front page news,” she groaned.

  “Maybe,” Max agreed, “but at least the perp will know we’re on to him.”

  Brett tilted his head to one side. “What did you do to deserve this?”

  Holly stiffened at his question and her mind reached for his. An iron fist met her intrusion, abruptly warning her to back away.

  She cleared her throat and gave him a piercing look. “I honestly have no idea.”

  “You haven’t fired anyone hell bent on revenge, have you?”

  “No. All my employees have been here since I opened.”

  “What about members? Anyone upset about money?”

  She shook her head. “Most pay by the year.”

  “Business partners?”

  She shook her head again. “The gym is mine.”

  “Pissed off lovers?”

  Tension blanketed the air as she regarded him silently. The exact second those words left his mouth, a dark green haze enveloped him. Her heart skipped a beat. Jealousy. She glanced at Max, who peered over the top of his tinted lenses, obviously reading something into Brett’s question as well.

  Just to spite him, she gave Brett what she meant to be a cheesy smile. “Maybe.”

  His piercing blue eyes met hers head on and he arched an eyebrow. Uneasiness flowed over her as she watched the green fade to yellow; she hadn’t discouraged him as she’d intended. His cocky grin insinuated he was more than ready for her to elaborate.

  Not quite sure where the conversation was headed, Holly was relieved when red and blue patterns flashed through the open door. “The police are here.”

  Brett kept a distinct distance and mentally attempted to complete the pieces of the puzzle while Holly answered questions. Other than scaring her and tainting the pool, the culprit hadn’t made much effort to commit a crime. A burglar would have ransacked the place. Whoever did this had something else in mind. Holly’s voice remained impressively controlled as she provided information and received instructions on how the investigation would proceed.

  As soon as the forensics technicians finished, Brett felt a tiny spark of disappointment. Now he didn’t have an excuse to stick around. Unless …

  “Need some help with the pool?”

  “No, thanks. It won’t take long.”

  “You can’t stay here alone.”

  “I’ll be fine,” she insisted.

  He hesitated, ready to use bodily force to get her to comply. Then he watched her square her shoulders and take a slow, deep breath. He recognized the courage she summoned to do this on her own, and gave in. “I’ll lock the back door on my way out.”

  Holly regarded him silently and for a brief moment, Brett felt a rare acknowledgment of trust pass between them. The fire in her eyes dimmed and a soft glow took its place.

  “Thank you, Brett.”

  “Call if you have any more trouble.”

  “Come on Steele,” Max barked, interrupting Brett’s stall tactic.

  Holly gave Brett one last nod of assurance. Without another word, he bent under the yellow tape and strolled out the back door.

  “There’s a uniform posted at the front door.” Sterling’s dry tone jabbed Brett as he got into the truck.

  “Screw you, Sterling. Besides, Cameron would chew you up and spit you out if anything happened to Holly.”

  Sterling tightened his grip on the steering wheel. Brett grinned and relaxed against the seat, satisfied he’d put Sterling in his place.

  “Strange crime scene,” Sterling said.

  Questions invaded Brett’s brain. “Sabotage?”

  “Maybe.”

  “I’ll check out her competition.” Brett glanced out the window and noticed Sterling pull into a nearby fast food joint. “Sterling, what are you doing?”

  “Driving through. No way in hell am I going home empty handed.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Holly sat cross-legged at the edge of the pool, hypnotized by the swirl of the tinted water as the hungry drain sucked it down. She smoothed her brow with both hands. As soon as Brett left, the persistent ache from the evil lingering in the atmosphere resumed. Visions of shadowy figures with shielded faces walked through her tormented mind and took great care to cover their footprints. She took a deep breath and forced herself to assemble her fractured thoughts. Yet, the harder she focused, the fuzzier they appeared.

  Frustrated, she stood to relieve the ache in her slumped shoulders when commotion at the front door startled her. Angry muffled voices floated on the air. Momentarily alarmed, she remembered Brett had locked the door and a policeman stood guard. Holly walked to the doorway, relieved to see the officer with a man in handcuffs.

  “Holly! Holly, are you here?”

  Evan Bannister. She wished she could deny she knew him. Employed as her attorney for the last few years, Evan boasted special privileges at the gym. And with her. She cringed when he burst through the door, chased by the uniformed policeman and enveloped in a multi-colored haze.

  Holly eyed Evan suspiciously, not surprised by the dark pink and green patterns of deceit and jealously that circled him, but the second, unusual ring of ebony and bright lemon yellow bothered her. Evil and hate oozed from him in waves. Pain throbbed in her head. Common sense dictated he didn’t hate her, not the way he always came on to her.

  “There you are! Why are you closed?” Evan planted a kiss on her cheek. “Tell him to uncuff me.”

  The officer raised an eyebrow and glanced at her. “Are you sure?”

  “Of course she’s sure!” Evan spat.

  “It’s okay.” Holly nodded and fought the urge to gag from Evan’s touch.

  The snap of the latch echoed in the quiet room as Evan was released. “One obnoxious word from you,” the officer warned, “and I’ll lock you back up.” Holly gave him a thankful smile and he returned to the front of the building.

  Evan rubbed his wrists as he stared into the basin. “What the hell happened here?”

  “Someone filled the pool with blood,” she stated matter-of-factly.

  “Human?” He inched away from the pool as though he might be contaminated.

  “I’m not sure yet. There wasn’t a body, but the police took a water sample. Meanwhile, I have to drain it and bleach it. It’ll probably be several days before it can be used again.”

  His eyes flashed. “They left a guard at the door?”

  “Max did that,” she grumbled.

  “Max?”

  “Sterling. Cameron’s husband.”

  Dismissing her explanation, he smiled easily. “Hire a cleaning service and then I’ll take you to breakfast.”

  “No,” she said quickly, “thanks anyway, Evan.”

  “Oh, right. I forgot about your obsession with independence.” He checked his watch. “I’ve got an early meeting anyway. I’ll call you later.”

  Relieved to see him leave, Holly slumped into a chair and cradled her head in her trembling hands. “The day just keeps getting better and better,” she mumbled.

  She rubbed her temples in small circles and tried to figure out who did this. And why? To save her own sanity, she made a concerted effort to distance herself from people. In fact, very few people knew her and absolutely no one knew about her.

  Her life had changed so dramatically in the last year, it would be almost impossible for anyone to discover too much. There was no reason to have enemies; she didn’t allow herself enough human interaction to make enemies or friends. Business wa
s strictly business at the gym, and she’d been honest when she told Brett no one seemed to be upset. Thanks to Cameron’s overbearing yet loving personality, Holly counted both her and Rachel Hawke close friends. But even they didn’t know anything about her. And she preferred it that way.

  Holly unfolded herself from the chair and walked back around the edge of the pool. A subtle scent of musk floated through the air as she reached to retrieve the rope that divided the shallow water from the deep. The scent of wild, carefree, testosterone-driven male. Brett. Her body began to tingle. Forget it. He wasn’t interested any more. She’d turned him down so many times, he finally gave up. Just as she planned.

  She sat down and dangled her feet into the nearly-empty tub. That didn’t mean she wasn’t interested. Secretly, she watched him during his daily workouts as he sculpted his already toned, steel-plated muscles. He was a fine-tuned machine as he worked. The sweat glistened on his bronzed skin and provided the ultimate lubricant for his smooth, exact movements. And the mysterious, beautifully-inked tattoo wrapped around his left biceps, across his left shoulder and between his shoulder blades drove her crazy.

  A long, thick snake with sinister eyes and a forked tongue, its body flexed with each muscle twitch, almost hissing an invitation to touch. She’d analyzed the colors until she knew them by heart. Red, yellow, black. Anger, passion, evil. Combined, the colors told her all she needed to know. Brett Steele was an extremely passionate, mysterious man with deep dark secrets of his own.

  Her hormones screamed as the gurgle of the drain brought her out of her lust-induced stupor.

  ***

  From inside the pool area, Brett braced one hip against the wall and folded his arms across his chest. Holly sat on the edge of the pool with her head bowed and both hands at her temples, obviously deep in thought. Hesitant to interrupt, he spoke to alert her to his presence.

  “Hey.”

  Holly jerked her head toward him, a look of alarm on her face. “Brett.” She laid a hand against the base of her neck. “You scared me.”