Fool's Gold (A sexy funny mystery/romance, Cottonmouth Book 2) by Jennifer Skully Read Free Book Online Page A

his
crotch. “We like you much better.”
    Holy hell. He stuck the right robot arm in
the wrong socket. He started over on arm construction and finished
in a jiffy. Just in time, too, since the girls had tightened the
circle around him, and their liberally applied cologne was starting
to choke him. He’d learned everything he needed to know about Carl
and the chickens. The information about Lafoote and Chloe didn’t
appear germane, but he’d store it for future reference, if
necessary. Maggie had nothing to worry about; her husband wasn’t a
customer.
    “That’s it, I think.” He held up the fully
assembled robot.
    “Wow,” they crooned in unison.
    Not bad, if he did say so himself. He rose to
his feet, his knees creaking after sitting cross-legged on the
floor so long.
    “You’re a genius,” Peppermint said.
    “You’re awfully cute,” Candy added.
    “So which one of us do you want?” Chocolate
asked.
    A robot leg almost snapped in his hand.
“Well, ladies, now that I’ve gotten to know you all, the choice is
too damn difficult.”
    “You don’t have to choose, Brax.” They gazed
up at him with identical twinkles in their eyes.
    “You can have all of us.” Candy smiled and
sucked her index finger into her mouth.
    “Together.” Caramel stroked a finger over her
nipple.
    He squeezed the robot body so hard the head
almost popped off. But he was a seasoned cop and adept at
diplomatically extricating himself from unwanted situations. The
chickens couldn’t hold a candle to Simone, but there was no need to
hurt their feelings. “I haven’t got that strong a constitution. All
that pleasure might be the death of me.”
    “Oh, come on, Brax. We’ll be gentle.”
    He held up a hand. “No, no, ladies. You’re
all much too much woman for me. I’m a humble sheriff from
California. Catch.”
    He tossed the robot at Chocolate and got the
hell out of Dodge before the chickens tackled him to the floor.
    Twenty minutes later, he opened the front
door of Maggie’s trailer. He found her in the back bedroom tapping
on her computer keyboard. “Is Carl usually out late at night?”
    She shrugged. “He’s mostly home in the
evenings. Out in that trailer of his.”
    Brax ignored her gibe. “Then you must have
figured he was diddling someone on the day shift at The Chicken
Coop.”
    “I didn’t know they had shifts.”
    “They do. I learned a lot today.” He raised
one eyebrow.
    She tipped her reading glasses to look over
the tops. “What have you been doing, Tyler Braxton? Better not be
something our mama would be ashamed of.”
    A man had his pride, and saying he’d put
robot parts together down at the local brothel instead of...that
didn’t sit right. Even if he was talking to his sister. He hedged.
“Among other things, I was interrogating. And I’d be willing to bet
my left nu—” He caught himself. “I’d bet my left eye your husband
isn’t planning to run away with one of Chloe’s chickens.”
    “Then what’s he doing with our money, and
why’s he stink like perfume?”
    “Did you ever think maybe he’s trying to
cover up the odor of bat guano?”
    She stared at him.
    “As for the money, maybe he’s planning a
surprise trip for the two of you. For your tenth anniversary.”
    “That was two months ago.”
    He heaved a sigh. “Maggie, I’m a cop.
Invariably I look for the worst in people instead of the best.
Suspicion is as natural as breathing. But you don’t have to be like
me. Give him a break. Talk to him. Calmly. Find out what’s going on
with him.”
    She pouted. “It won’t do any good.”
    “Maybe it won’t. But it sure as hell isn’t
going to make things better if he finds out you asked your brother
to spy on him.” He wasn’t good at dispensing advice on
relationships, but he knew things would only deteriorate if Maggie
and Carl didn’t at least try to talk.
    Maggie worked her lips from a grimace to a
half smile. “Well, maybe. I need to think about