Page 3 of The Secrets She Keeps

Rude of her, but Brianna neverstopped.

Powell had a much bigger problem to worry about.

He was coming right at her now. Six foot five, broad-shouldered, incredibly fit and toned, blond and blue-eyed, he was the most beautiful man Powell had ever seen.

Gunnar was the prototype for a Viking god. She and her friends had agreed on that fact many, many months ago.Thorhad nothing on Gunnar Erickson.

That he was following hereverywhereshe went was driving her crazy.

Reminding her ofthatnight. The one that had changed everything.

Powell’s hand covered her stomach instinctively. Where Gunnar Erickson’s baby grew. And was definitely making her regret the spicy little snacks she’d eaten a few minutes ago.

She was seriously in trouble now.

Running home to her mother and father probably wasn’t a viable option. Neither was hiding behind her three older brothers’ extra-broad shoulders and grumpy attitudes. Tempting but not a viable option. Yet.

She was holding those three in reserve. Just in case.

“Are you going to be sick?” Brianna asked, her disgust evident as she looked at Powell’s hand. “Are you contagious or something? You probably should have stayed home if you are sick.”

Brianna stepped back. Fast. Brianna was a major germaphobe.

Powell almost sneezed. Just for the fun of it. But her mother had raised her to behave better than that. Abitbetter than that, anyway.

“Just a flare of that ulcer I had a few years ago.” After a particularly nasty allergic reaction to a prescription medication, she’d struggled off and on with an ulcer caused by the steroids and anti-inflammatories she’d been given.

It was an excuse.

Her real problem was obviously looking for her right now.

“Look, Brianna, have you even bothered to talk tothem? See for yourself that they are reasonable, friendly, nice people who you might just like?” Not very likely. Powell suspected she knew exactly what Brianna’s problem was—the family in question was theColesons,after all.

Colesons had reputations.

A notorious family related to the governor’s wife and Davis Lucas, one of the richest men on the planet. The Colesons living in Hughes Heights were ten women and three children.Tenvery attractive,singlewomen ranging from around eighteen all the way up to around fifty.

Colesons got attention everywhere they went, thanks to being a part of the worst criminal case in Finley Creek, Texas history.

Once they had that attention—the Coleson women kept it.

“Why would I want to talk to them? That mean cop one threatened to bite me for everyone to see!”

“Reporting them to the police for running a brothel in Hughes Heights might have beenwhy.”The Colesons had responded with a dozen clips of music videos—sent to everyone on the HOA mailing list. On Christmas Day. It had featured all the adult Coleson women dressedverysuggestively, singing anddancing in ways guaranteed to get noticed. Songs about life in the brothel.

It had been particularly inventive and funny. One of the Colesons had actually written the songs. Another had done all the videography. Others had done the editing and making the costumes. They wereverytalented women. Cara Coleson worked as an intern at Powell’s family’s law firm. Cara had told her those videos were several years old. Her family had just sent them because of the whole brothel thing.

Brianna had always had problems with other women she saw as competition.

In the intro, Heather Coleson had threatened to bite Brianna for real if Brianna got too close again. Everyone in Hughes Heights had been talking about it for weeks. Laughing. Brianna was not well liked.

“Just…try leaving them alone for a few months. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am trying to avoid that gorgeous Viking man right there, and he is getting way too close. Go find your own boy toy to play with. I’m busy avoiding a Viking tonight.”

“You can be so weird.Mydate is from Major Crimes, too, you know. His mother is the head of the Wichita Falls post. He’ll run the entire TSP someday. He’ll be Gunnar’s boss eventually.” Brianna sniffed haughtily when she said it. While eyeing Gunnar like the beautiful man he was. Powell almost laughed at what Brianna had said.

Detective Jack MacGregor didn’t hold a candle to Gunnar and definitely wouldn’t ever be Gunnar’s boss someday. Gunnar had said as much. She hadn’t known Brianna’s longtime lover was Rhonda Hamler’s son, though. It explained a few things.

Gunnar despised Commander Hamler. So did Powell—and her own mother. It was no wonder that woman’s son was Brianna’s plaything tonight. He was just Brianna’stype.

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