Triple Threat: Miss Fortune World: Wholly Moses!, #8

Author's note:

This is Book 8 in the Wholly Moses series and is not intended to standalone.

This is a work of fiction. Other than Jana DeLeon's original story elements, the characters and names are creations of the author's imagination.

CHAPTER 1

Mo stared into the warm brown eyes of the love of her life, Tony Reese. She couldn't resist running her fingers through that thick dark hair. She never asked, but she suspected he kept it clipped short so he wouldn't be teased about having wavy hair. Smiling, Mo wondered if he would let it grow for her and risk the jokes from his fellow state troopers. Then he kissed her and she forgot about his hair.

He leaned across her and reached down to the floor. When he came up, he held something in his hand. His lips feathered along her jaw and then he placed his free hand on her cheek, softly caressing it.

His other hand came closer, and she broke eye contact so she could see what he held. His fist was closed, then he turned it over and opened his hand. It was a ring box! Mo's eyes flew to his, and she took a deep breath. Really?

Mmm. Don't take those deep breaths, he whispered in her ear. You know what that does to my blood pressure.

Mo knew he was teasing about her deep breaths, but she couldn't stop the pounding of her heart as she looked at the box. With a smile, he waved his hand in front of her. Mo took the box, but she held it under her chin, savoring the moment.

Open it, he urged. Moses May Murphy, will you...

Will you open the damn door, Moses May Murphy? Or do I have to break it down?

Mo's eyes flew open, and she turned her head toward the bedroom door. What was Carter doing, interrupting a moment like this? Mo turned back to apologize to... a dream? It was just a dream? Hell's bells! If she hadn't savored the moment she'd at least have a satisfying and fulfilling dream to treasure. Her empty hand was still tucked under her chin.

The insistent pounding on her front door sent her over the edge, so she jumped out of bed. The final straw was stubbing her toe on the romance novel she'd been reading before she fell asleep last night. It slid across the floor and stopped at the top of the stairs. Now it was a perfect trip hazard.

Damn books, anyway. The heroines never had their romantic moments interrupted by the local cop. Of course, they didn't have to dream about their proposals, she thought sourly. It always ended happily ever after for the perfectly proportioned beauties in romance novels.

The tarted up beauty and her tatooed, ex-military, six pack of beefcake were now face down on the hardwood landing. Mo maliciously thought it was appropriate since the heroine had spent more than a few pages face down in the book. Well, maybe that's how she decided between the wickedly hot bad boy who made her blood boil and the handsome rich bachelor who had nothing to do but shower her with lavish presents and whisk her off to exotic places on his private jet. The book women always chose the bad boy, but Mo would bet her last dollar she would have a high flying fling with the broken hearted rich guy somewhere down the road, after the book ended.

She kicked at the cover and realized it was part of a series on billionaire romances. Well, the heroine apparently got it all AND a bag of chips. Mo frowned. Just how many billionaires were available, anyway? Not to mention young, good looking ones, ready to settle down? And since when were millionaires no longer a desirable catch? Maybe hot bad boy was a billionaire and handsome good guy was a poor millionaire.

Mo snorted. Most real women would settle for a decent, kind, gainfully employed man who didn't have addictions, a prison record, and a secret family living in another state. Obviously the romance novel heroine wasn't from Sinful, Louisiana.

BANG! BANG!

I'm coming, she roared from the top of her stairs. For good measure she drop kicked the book. It hit the wall above the stairs and the spine broke. Good! Now that stupid beauty only had half a story. Mo kicked both pieces to the front door and threw it open.

What the hell are you doing? she yelled loud enough to be heard down the block.

Bad night? Carter asked.

My night is none of your business, she snapped.

Carter leaned down and picked up the two sections of her book. He handed them to Mo and said, Maybe it's a bad morning.

None of your business either! She crossed her arms and stood her ground. What do you want?

Carter never quite got over the shock of seeing the generously endowed Mo in her nightshirt, but at least he no longer reacted like the two guys standing behind him. A hasty cough and an audible deep breath had Mo leaning to the side to see who was standing behind Carter.

She stood up. You brought company? At this hour?

This is a courtesy call, Mo, Carter said in a warning voice. The two guys behind me are from the New Orleans Police Department and they'd like to ask you a few questions. They were nice enough to drop by the station to let me know, seeing as Sinful is such a small town. I offered to escort them. Now, will you please go put some clothes on?

Mo handed the two pieces of her romance novel to Carter and slammed the door in his face. Carter turned with a grin and showed the book to the detectives. Bad night and bad morning.

"Good golly, Miss Molly! Does she always come to the door dressed like that?" The young cop's face was red and Carter knew his shame. It was like watching an alligator pull its prey under water and thrash until the prey drowned. You wanted to look away, but instead you just stared in disbelief, shock, and maybe horrified fascination.

The other cop, although his face was flushed, was also more seasoned. She's not escaping out the back, is she?

Carter laughed. Where would she go? Moses doesn't have a car, and she didn't have time to call her partners in crime... Maybe that hadn't been a good thing to say. Before he could redeem himself, the front door crashed open and Mo stepped out. She'd thrown on clothes, including a bra, but she hadn't combed her hair. Carter's eyes drifted to her bedhead.

It's got some height going for it this morning, she told him. So I left it because it will be flat soon enough.

Carter heard the younger cop clear his throat because nothing on Mo was flat except her hair when it settled down. She was a full-figured woman with chin length dark blonde hair, blue eyes, and a few freckles. Her mouth and her attitude took their cues from her figure, not her hair.

Well? she snapped. Carter looked unsure, and she bugged her eyes. Are you going to cuff me again before we wrestle in the back seat of the squad car?

This time the chuckles coming from behind Carter caused him to turn red with embarrassment. He and Mo had clashed a few times, and they also had issues with her entering the back seat of the squad car wearing cuffs. It hadn't been funny then, and it wasn't funny now. The cops behind Carter deliberately chose to take Mo's unintended innuendo at face value.

Mo, you're not under arrest. But you need to come to the station to answer some questions, Carter said, taking the high road.

Do I need a lawyer? Mo asked as she closed her front door and followed the men to Carter's squad car.

Do you? Young NOPD cop asked as they climbed in.

Are you guilty of something? Older NOPD cop asked from the front seat.

No! Carter nearly yelled. He shook his head and told Mo, It's only a formality.

That sounds pretty close to the same thing I was told right before I was tossed into the undertow of the California penal system, Mo said with a frown.

The older cop's brows rose, and he gave his partner a significant look. Do you have a record we don't know about?

Mo tilted her head and raised her eyes at an angle to look at him. I suppose you're in cahoots with the drug sniffing Oklahoma Highway Patrol morons as well?

Carter slapped his forehead and pressed down on the gas pedal. If he didn't shut her up soon, Mo would be arrested again without even a clue as to what this was about. Moses, he said in a warning voice, Why don't you wait until you hear what the officers have to say?

Are you covering for her, Officer LeBlanc?

Could this morning get any worse? Carter wondered. Yes, it could.

Mo started laughing. I came back to Sinful to start my life over. Someone should have been standing at the edge of town with a warning sign: IF YOU'RE PASSING THROUGH SINFUL, DON'T EVEN PAUSE TO LOOK, she snorted. OTHERWISE, WELCOME TO HELL!

Carter dragged Mo out of the car when he stopped at the police station. He hissed into her ear, Will you keep that big mouth shut? These guys only came to ask you a few questions. Now they're going to take a deep dive into your whole life.

She yanked her arm away. What difference does it make? There's nothing to dig up. Unless they can figure out who my daddy is. She hid her smile at the look of interest that drew from the New Orleans officers.

Carter threw his hands in the air and led them to his office. I'd like to stay, if you don't mind. Mo happens to be a personal friend, he told the cops. And NOT the kind you're imagining. His green eyes were dark with anger at the implication that he was involved with Mo and would compromise his ethics because of that.

The front door of the station slammed