Luke (Armed and Dangerous Book 2) by Cheyenne McCray Read Free Book Online Page B

raised, but Luke caught her by the shoulders and held her back. “Let me at her, damn it!”
    “Not worth it,” he responded in a controlled voice as he turned Nevaeh loose, his gaze fixed on Joyce Butler. To hell with information. “She is definitely not worth it.”
    “Now, now. We should keep this civil.” Francisco Guerrero approached on Joyce’s right, and took her elbow gently in his hand. “This event is for charity, after all.”
    Nevaeh mumbled under her breath, and Luke wanted to break his promise to Rios and shoot Guerrero on the spot.
    Then he noted that Joyce Butler wasn’t pulling away from Guerrero’s grip. Her furious expression had softened to something like familiarity—or maybe even disguised fear.
    Shit.
    Maybe Joyce Butler was a lot more familiar with Guerrero than anyone had realized.
    Guerrero’s chilly gaze swept over Nevaeh, then settled on Luke. “If you let that magnificent creature get away, shame on you, Señor...”
    “Rider,” Luke supplied, though he had a gut-stabbing sensation the bastard knew exactly who he was.
    Joyce Butler’s frown settled into a harsh, pressed line, but she said nothing.
    “Señor Rider.” Guerrero’s smile was as phony as Monopoly money.
    Luke knew better than to push the issue. One wrong step, and his cover—not to mention a year-long DEA operation and even more complex investigations by a bunch of other branches of law enforcement—would get blown to shit.
    “You’re not welcome here,” Nevaeh said to Joyce Butler. “No offense, Mr. Guerrero. If you hadn’t come with Noah Ralston, Joyce, I’d never have let you through the front door.”
    Ralston. Thank God. Luke let out a short breath. Ralston would likely be able to get the skinny on Guerrero from Butler, since she’d no sooner spit than talk to Luke now. Good ol’ Noah sure needed help with his taste in women, though. Luke had to say he’d never pictured Ralston as going for a woman such as Butler. Must be one hell of a story wrapped up in all that.
    “Well, Nevaeh, you still have the hots for Noah, I see.” Joyce Butler extracted her arm from Guerrero’s fingers, and Luke caught the flash of anger in Guerrero’s dark eyes. “I’ve got better places to be.”
    Chin up, Butler swayed her hips deliberately as she headed toward the main desk, took her belongings from the clerk, and walked to the front door. She skimmed her gaze over Guerrero and Luke before laying a particularly spiteful look on Nevaeh. “Give up on Noah, sweetie. He’d never go for a fat ass like you.”
    Guerrero stepped smoothly between Nevaeh and the front door as it slammed behind Joyce Butler.
    Luke was grateful for the intervention, but he still had to grab Nevaeh’s shoulders again. Her face was redder than a bullfighter’s cape.
    “Let me get out there and punch her once.” Nevaeh’s fists clenched, and she struggled like a hellcat against his hold. “Just once.”
    It was Guerrero who said the obvious this time. “Señorita, you must not stoop to the level of a woman like that.” He glanced at the closed front door, and Luke saw that flash-in-the-pan rage again, hot enough to peel paint. “We have a lovely party to return to. Might I escort you to greet some more of your guests?”
    Nevaeh tensed, but Luke saw the truth on her face. Yes, she was frightened of Guerrero, and she also knew this was an invitation she shouldn’t refuse. “Thank you,” she murmured as Luke turned her loose again.
    Francisco Guerrero put out his hand, and Nevaeh took it. Luke didn’t like letting her walk away with Guerrero, but there was no way he could make a scene without sacrificing everything.
    When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Guerrero kissed Nevaeh’s hand, and as he lowered it, he locked eyes with Luke.
    Luke tensed, calculating where his weapon was, how fast he could get to it, and how many people might get hurt in the crossfire.
    What’s he playing at?
    Luke could almost smell the