the country. The Jacksonville contingent had moved on the nursery and netted the production point of Gray Death, plus enough elephant tranquilizers to put down a herd of the majestic beasts. His counterparts in the FBI and DEA were watching the borders for Peña, not that the surveillance would stop the cartel boss from crossing the border again. The man ghosted in and out of the country like the borders were made of Swiss Cheese.
He'd cleared the debacle of paperwork nightmares Fenton had caused and was ready to call it a night. Finally, his team's plate was clean, and they were able to concentrate on the information Masters had provided the DA about the shipments of drugs via Treyson Enterprise's vast global shipping company. Most of the grunt work would be on their end, here in Hope City. The rest would be on the alphabet agencies.
He glanced down at his cell when it vibrated on his desktop. A smile automatically lifted the corners of his mouth. He slid his finger across the face and leaned back in his chair. "Hey, you. How did the night with your family go?"
"It went. I actually told my mom about you." Brie's soft voice caressed his ear.
"Did you? How much?"
"That you were in management and that I really liked you and would appreciate her letting us see where it is going before she shifted into hover-copter mode."
He laughed at the saying. "Seriously, your mother can't be that bad." His mom had passed years ago, but he could remember her being very curious about his brother's girlfriends.
"Oh, but she is. It’s a good thing she's doting on her grandson now. He's got all of her attention and it is easier for the rest of us."
Brie had told him she had a big family. He did too. He had four brothers and he was the oldest, but definitely not the most successful. His brothers had run circles around him in that category. Not that he cared, he was happy and enjoyed his job, when Fenton could be held at arm’s length.
"What is she going to think about the age difference?"
"I'm thirty-three! If I'm okay with you being ten years older than me, she isn't going to say a word."
"Fourteen years older." He was forty-seven this December.
"Thirteen and a half." Brie chuckled. "Besides it isn't my mother you need to worry about. It's my brothers. The idiots. They think they need to approve all of my boyfriends."
Ryker smiled and softened his voice, "Is that what I am? Your boyfriend?"
"Is that too juvenile? How about my sexual machine?"
"Yeah, I bet your brothers would love to hear that." He could just imagine meeting her family with that label. Whatever. He'd never met a woman like Brie before. She was smart, independent, engaging, sexy as hell, and damn it, he really liked her as a person. She was devoted to helping the homeless and worked almost as many hours as he did.
"They won't need it. When the Kings and McBride brothers get together, they lose sight of the fact they are detectives and firemen. They act like barbarians. I'm warning you now, so you won't be intimidated."
Say what now? "Brie?"
"Yes?"
"Your brothers are police officers?"
"Yeah, but they're detectives. Didn't I tell you that? I'm sure I did. My sisters-in-law are too, and they seemed to recognize your name when I mentioned it tonight. They won't say anything. You're a captain, so it figures that your name would be kind of recognizable." She sighed happily. "I'm looking forward to tomorrow."
He closed his eyes and dropped his head back onto his chair. Holy fuck. Brie King. King, as in Brock, Brody and Commissioner King. He was so screwed.
"Ryker? Is everything okay?" Worry made her voice waver.
"Yeah, fine. I'm looking forward to tomorrow, too." He opened his eyes and stared at the fake fire-retardant ceiling.
She was silent for a minute. "Are you sure? Did I screw up mentioning us to my mom?"
"No, it's fine. I promise, and you didn't screw anything up." He sat up and squared his shoulders. "I can't wait to see you. Wear the dark blue dress for me?"
"I could, or I could wear something that I just happened to pick up today."
He growled and adjusted himself, "Okay then, surprise me."
That soft sexy laugh filled him. "I will. Until tomorrow."
"Good night." He disconnected the call and stared sightlessly at the computer screen. Brie King had just complicated his life a hundred-fold. A smile crept back to the edges of his lips.