Page 2 of Hot Cops

“Trevor,” he forced out in as calm a fashion as he could manage.

Trevor stepped over to him and slapped him on the shoulder, staggering a bit as he walked. “I’m glad you’re here, man. Me and Bella were just going up to my room. Maybe you wouldn’t mind keeping an eye on ol’ Riley for me.” The drunken ass followed up his comment with a lecherous wink, as if Aaron couldn’t figure out what he intended to do with the woman in the hotel room.

Aaron narrowed his eyes furiously, perfectly aware Trevor would have left Riley alone regardless of his arrival. He consciously took a deep breath and nodded.

“You have money, Trev?” He hated that for some reason he felt the need to protect the dumbass. Unfortunately, the last thing he needed to deal with was Trevor stiffing a hooker—literally and figuratively. He was pretty sure the high-school quarterback, who also had the distinct honor of having the lowest GPA in their graduating class, had no idea his “date” for the evening would expect to be paid for her efforts.

Sure enough, Trevor’s forehead creased in confusion. “Um, yeah. Why? You need a few bucks for the slots?”

“No,” he said, “just making sure you didn’t need any.”

Trevor smiled at what he no doubt thought was a generous offer. “Ah no, man. I’m good. Thanks, though. I’ll catch you later, Riley.”

“Okie-dokie, Trev. See you later.” Riley grabbed her poker chips and headed toward the slot machines. Trevor pinched the blonde woman’s ass and she laughed, taking his hand and leading him to a bank of elevators.

“Nice of you to keep me company. Trevor was starting to get on my nerves. Jesus, he’s thick,” Riley said as he followed her to a Lucky Seven Bars machine. She almost fell in her attempt to sit down and he steadied her with a firm hand on her back. Shit, how much had she had to drink?

“You’ve known Trevor for years, Riley. What made you think he’d be an entertaining traveling companion?” He claimed the stool next to hers.

“I don’t know. I just wanted to do something fun and he was sulking over Johanna kicking him out, so we decided to get out of town for a while.”

“Why didn’t you call me?” He was hurt she’d chosen to take off with Trevor rather than him.

“Yeah right,” she said with a laugh. “I’msosure you would have hopped on a plane to Vegas with me. You would have had seven hundred and ninety-eight reasons why we couldn’t come here. Trevor just said sure.”

He considered her words. She was right. He would have tried to talk her out of it. Hell, he probably would have succeeded. “But Trevor?”

“He’s harmless as a puppy and you know it. You didn’t think I’d run away with him romantically, did you?” She laughed hysterically when his face betrayed that thought had briefly crossed his mind.

“Holy shit,” she said once she’d regained control. She waved a waitress over and helped herself to one of the free drinks on the woman’s tray. “That is just freaking twisted, sugar.”

He sighed heavily. One question was tormenting him. “What are you doing in Vegas, Riley?”

“Gambling.”

“Very funny.” He grimaced, not amused by her joke.

“I’m having fun, Aaron. You know, that thing you’ve never quite mastered?”

He sucked in a deep breath and counted to ten. Riley constantly teased him about being a stick in the mud. He knew it was said in good fun, but this time her words felt more like an insult than a joke. Sometimes it sucked being regarded as the boring, responsible one among their group of friends.

Need a ride home from the bar? Call Aaron. Got a flat tire? Aaron will have a jack…and a spare. Moving? Aaron will lug all your shit down three flights of stairsandsupply the truck to haul it.

A growl rose up in his chest. He was pissed off at Riley for thinking him so dull he wouldn’t do anything as spontaneous as taking a weekend trip to Vegas.

“You seriously call hopping on a plane and flying to Vegas with Trevor Blankenship ‘fun’? I call it fucking dangerous.”

“Bullshit. I haven’t done anything even remotely dangerous…yet. I called Keira and told her where I was and I didn’t come alone. I came with a friend.” Riley threw another dollar in the machine.

“You didn’t call Keira until after you were already here.”

“And like the good sister she is, she called you to come save the day. Right?”

“She was worried about you, Riley.”

“I’m a big girl, sugar. A fact my family and you seem content to ignore.”

“I’m not forgetting you’re an adult. I’m just not overlooking the fact you’re completely drunk in a strange town with Trevor and a hooker as your chaperones.”

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