All Chapters of Solid Steel (Unseen Enemy 6): Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

John ‘Griff’ Griffin glanced over at his partner, wondering for about the ninetieth time just what the hell was going on with her. She hadn’t been the same since she’d returned three weeks earlier from her sudden and still-not-explained six-week leave-of-absence from work. Griff had pushed and prodded a bit, naturally, but the woman that he cared about like a sister, and loved about as much, was a stranger to him lately.Not that Selena Perez looked any different. Well, maybe a bit tired, but then again, she and Griff had been on night duty for the past week and they were both wiped out. It was eight a.m. now, and they’d just finished a twelve-hour shift. Worse, the client was a real pain in the ass, an entitled diva who wouldn’t listen to a single thing her bodyguards said. Griff resolved to get his boss, Dallas Foreman, to speak to the client today. If anyone could handle the spoiled brat, it was no-bullshit, my-way-or-the-goddamn-highway Dallas.Right now, though, Griff’s attention

Luke Rhodes glanced up as the door of Curves opened. It was less than an hour before he was heading home, and he really wanted to get into the kitchen and clean up a bit. The night had been fucking brutal, even by Dangerous Curves standards, with three separate fights between three separate groups of assholes. Luke’s boss Jax Hamill had just left, his hand wrapped in a towel full of ice, his knuckles bruised and bleeding, and Luke sported a split lip and a nice bruise of his own on his cheek. When he saw John Griffin’s hulking frame taking up the whole doorway, though, he grinned.“Hey, man,” Luke drawled. “About time you got here to see me.”“Yeah, I know. Sorry.” Griff paused as he took in Luke’s face. “Rough night at Curves?”“Uh-huh.” Luke did a double-take when he saw the gorgeous woman standing behind Griff. “I see you brought company.”“Sure did.” Griff gestured at the woman. “This is Selena Perez.”“Oh, right.” Luke tilted his head at her to get a better look at those long le

“So, is she single?”Griff grinned. He’d been waiting for this. He’d seen the way that Luke had checked out Selena and he’d seen her studied indifference, which was always the surest sign that she was, actually, interested.“You interested?” Griff asked as he poured some more coffee.“Hell, man.” Luke ran his hand through his hair. “A woman that stunning? Of course I’m interested.”“Yeah, well. Take a number, Rhodes.” Luke looked supremely unconcerned. “What number?”“Huh?”“I mean, how many guys do I have to beat off to get my chance with her?”Griff laughed, a deep, rolling sound from his broad chest. “Oh, I figure there are about three guys hanging around with hopes.”“And they’ve got them? Hopes?”“Nah.” Griff shook his blond head. “Selena’s hard on men, but that ain’t no surprise.”“Hard how?”Griff shrugged. “The woman is tough as hell, and most guys can’t handle it. She’s a bodyguard and she’s hardcore, and I think she could take down most guys without any effort at all. She n

She held up her hand, the diamond on the engagement ring catching the morning light. “You do know what this means, right? What you asked me when you gave it to me?”“Sure do,” he growled. “But what I mean is, I don’t want to wait. No bullshit, no long engagement. I want to marry you next weekend.”Cordelia sat straight up. “You – what?”“Yeah.” His black eyes took in her shock with amusement. “You got any plans for next Sunday, baby?”“What? How? But…” she faltered. “Next Sunday?”“Yep.”She stared at him, trying to decide where exactly to begin with this. He waited.“You – you really want to do it this fast?” she said at last. “No big wedding at a church? No huge party after?”“I don’t, and I know you don’t. We’ve talked about this about a hundred times, and neither one of us wants the big shebang.”“Yeah, that’s true.” “Besides, I see no point whatsoever in blowing tens of thousands of dollars on a wedding – not when we could use that money so much better on other things.”“I know.

No, Luke was a beautiful, tempting, flashing-red danger sign. And danger had to be avoided.“Sorry.” Selena busted out her scary voice, the one that she used when holding a gun to some asshole’s head as she talked him down from whatever stupid thing he was thinking of doing. It seemed to have no effect on Luke at all, which pissed her off pretty majorly. “I can’t. I work overnight on Friday and you’re going to the game on Saturday.” “So next weekend?”“Nope.”“You busy?”“Nope.”“You’re going to make me work for a date with you, huh?”Selena narrowed her eyes at him. “Let’s get this straight between us, OK? I don’t play hard-to-get. In fact, I don’t play games at all. They’re bullshit and they waste time and they’re no fun for me, anyway. I’m saying no because I mean no. I don’t want to date you, Luke, and I’m sorry if you can’t handle rejection.”“Oh, I can handle rejection just fine,” he said cheerfully. “When it’s sincere.”Now she gaped at him. “You think I’m being insincere?”“O