you think girls?”
Ruth, Ida and Helen all nodded.
The bell over the door rang and everyone swiveled their head toward the sound. Lexy felt her stomach flip-flop when she saw Brax walk in. He’d replaced his suit with a black tee-shirt and jeans. The tee-shirt was a little tight, accentuating his perfectly developed physique. Lexy heard Ruth and Helen suck in their breaths.
Brax glanced over at the table and smiled. “Just the person I wanted to see.”
Lexy raised her eyebrow, hoping no one could see her cheeks burning and her pulse jumping.
“Oh, are you in the market for another cinnamon bun?”
Brax laughed. His laugh had a deep masculine timbre that sent tingles up Lexy’s spine and from the looks on their faces, it had the same effect on Nans and her friends.
“Actually, I hear you ladies know a little bit about the Nunzio Bartolli case,” he said looking at Nans, Ida, Ruth and Helen in turn. Lexy notice each woman flushed when his eyes fell on them.
Nans recovered first. “Yes, we do. Ruth here was a good friend of Nunzio’s.” She pointed to Ruth on the other side of the table. “And who might you be?”
Brax smiled. “How rude of me not to introduce myself. Brax Daniels. F.B.I.”
He flashed his badge, then held his hand out and shook hands with each of them as they introduced themselves.
“So, if you’re here that means Nunzio’s murder must have had something to do with organized crime.” Nans narrowed her eyes at Brax.
Brax spread his hands “I can neither confirm nor deny that.”
The ladies laughed.
“Seriously, it might not have anything to do with it. That’s why I’m here, to figure out whether it does or not. I heard you ladies had some keen investigative skills and I thought you might have some information that would be useful to me.”
Ida, Ruth and Helen looked at Nans who stared at Brax, sizing him up. Lexy knew she was trying to decide if he could be trusted and how much to tell him.
“We haven’t heard anything about any organized crime connection,” Nans said at last. “We had a memorial with the family today and I can tell you there is no love lost between Nunzio and most of them.”
Brax raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really? So you think someone in his family might have done this?”
Nans shrugged. “Maybe. We’re looking into that angle.”
Brax nodded. Pressing his lips together he pulled his wallet from his back pocket.
“Tell you what. If you find anything you think I should know about, give me a call.” He handed a business card to each of the women who looked star struck as if he was a rock star handing out autographs.
Nans regained her composure first. “And you’ll let us know if you find anything out as well?”
Brax favored her with his sexy, gleaming smile. “Of course.”
Lexy stomach somersaulted as he turned his gaze on her and nodded toward the doorway. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
Lexy got up, wondering why her legs were shaking like a newborn colt. Probably the combination of lack of sleep and caffeine, she reasoned.
Brax pulled her out of earshot, his warm hand on her wrist sending tingles up her arm. He leaned down talking softly. His lips were close to her ear which made her pulse skitter.
“Your grandmother has quite a reputation as an amateur investigator, but this case could be very dangerous. You’d be smart to get her to back off. I heard she’s also very stubborn, so if you can’t do that, at least keep a close eye on her. I wouldn’t want those sweet old ladies to get hurt.”
He stood back just an inch and looked down at Lexy. His green eyes drilled into hers and Lexy thought she saw something more than concern for her grandmother in them.
He tucked a business card into the top pocket of her apron, his fingers brushing lightly against her skin as he did. Lexy’s heart jerked in her chest as his gaze went from her eyes, to her lips and then back to her eyes.
“Please call me if anything comes up. Even
Ruth, Ida and Helen all nodded.
The bell over the door rang and everyone swiveled their head toward the sound. Lexy felt her stomach flip-flop when she saw Brax walk in. He’d replaced his suit with a black tee-shirt and jeans. The tee-shirt was a little tight, accentuating his perfectly developed physique. Lexy heard Ruth and Helen suck in their breaths.
Brax glanced over at the table and smiled. “Just the person I wanted to see.”
Lexy raised her eyebrow, hoping no one could see her cheeks burning and her pulse jumping.
“Oh, are you in the market for another cinnamon bun?”
Brax laughed. His laugh had a deep masculine timbre that sent tingles up Lexy’s spine and from the looks on their faces, it had the same effect on Nans and her friends.
“Actually, I hear you ladies know a little bit about the Nunzio Bartolli case,” he said looking at Nans, Ida, Ruth and Helen in turn. Lexy notice each woman flushed when his eyes fell on them.
Nans recovered first. “Yes, we do. Ruth here was a good friend of Nunzio’s.” She pointed to Ruth on the other side of the table. “And who might you be?”
Brax smiled. “How rude of me not to introduce myself. Brax Daniels. F.B.I.”
He flashed his badge, then held his hand out and shook hands with each of them as they introduced themselves.
“So, if you’re here that means Nunzio’s murder must have had something to do with organized crime.” Nans narrowed her eyes at Brax.
Brax spread his hands “I can neither confirm nor deny that.”
The ladies laughed.
“Seriously, it might not have anything to do with it. That’s why I’m here, to figure out whether it does or not. I heard you ladies had some keen investigative skills and I thought you might have some information that would be useful to me.”
Ida, Ruth and Helen looked at Nans who stared at Brax, sizing him up. Lexy knew she was trying to decide if he could be trusted and how much to tell him.
“We haven’t heard anything about any organized crime connection,” Nans said at last. “We had a memorial with the family today and I can tell you there is no love lost between Nunzio and most of them.”
Brax raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really? So you think someone in his family might have done this?”
Nans shrugged. “Maybe. We’re looking into that angle.”
Brax nodded. Pressing his lips together he pulled his wallet from his back pocket.
“Tell you what. If you find anything you think I should know about, give me a call.” He handed a business card to each of the women who looked star struck as if he was a rock star handing out autographs.
Nans regained her composure first. “And you’ll let us know if you find anything out as well?”
Brax favored her with his sexy, gleaming smile. “Of course.”
Lexy stomach somersaulted as he turned his gaze on her and nodded toward the doorway. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
Lexy got up, wondering why her legs were shaking like a newborn colt. Probably the combination of lack of sleep and caffeine, she reasoned.
Brax pulled her out of earshot, his warm hand on her wrist sending tingles up her arm. He leaned down talking softly. His lips were close to her ear which made her pulse skitter.
“Your grandmother has quite a reputation as an amateur investigator, but this case could be very dangerous. You’d be smart to get her to back off. I heard she’s also very stubborn, so if you can’t do that, at least keep a close eye on her. I wouldn’t want those sweet old ladies to get hurt.”
He stood back just an inch and looked down at Lexy. His green eyes drilled into hers and Lexy thought she saw something more than concern for her grandmother in them.
He tucked a business card into the top pocket of her apron, his fingers brushing lightly against her skin as he did. Lexy’s heart jerked in her chest as his gaze went from her eyes, to her lips and then back to her eyes.
“Please call me if anything comes up. Even
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