Free Janaya by Shelley Munro Page B

didn’t even have to think about this to know it was a bad idea to let Hinekiri go off with his father. He opened his mouth to protest but Janaya beat him to a protest.
    “No. Absolutely not. I am coming with you. What if something happens to you? What if the Torgon arrive?”
    A tense silence ensued while Janaya and Hinekiri fought it out in a duel of glares.
    Luke froze sure he saw a flash of purple in Janaya’s eyes. “Quit that. Hinekiri, are you sure you won’t change your mind?”
    Evidently, Hinekiri caught the same warning signals he did. “All right,” she said in a snippy voice. “I’d like to point out that I’ve been managing on my own for some time. You sure know how to rain on a girl’s parade!”
    “Huh?” Janaya said.
    “Never mind,” Luke said. He did not want to think about his father and sex in the same sentence. “Just go. Out the back way. And take this.” He handed Janaya a gun and she tucked it out of sight. Luke opened a second door that led to a corridor and the rear entrance to the police station.
    “Told ya they’d try and sneak out the back,” a short, skinny man crowed. He shoved a fluffy black microphone in Luke’s face. “Can I have a comment about the aliens? What do they look like? Is there any truth that they have green suction caps all over their faces?”
    His father groaned. “For God’s sake. Will you people get a life?” He shoved past, using his superior height to shoulder the reporter out of the way.
    “Don’t I know you?” the reporter asked, frowning at Luke.
    “I don’t think so. Dad, I’ll see you back at the house.” His father escorted Hinekiri past the waiting reporters while Luke grabbed Janaya by the arm for a quiet word. “Please, sweetheart. Be careful. Try and keep a lid on that temper of yours. I can’t afford any more attention. We have enough to cope with now.”
    “I’ll be careful. I promise.”
    And Luke knew she meant it. Sincerity blazed from her violet eyes.
    “I do know him!” the reporter shouted. He grabbed his photographer by the shoulder. “Turn the camera on and keep filming until I tell you to stop.”
    “You’re Luke Morgan. Married to Victoria, daughter of Sir Robert Paykel.”
    Aw, shit. Was his past going to follow him round for the rest of his life? Hadn’t he paid enough?
    “No comment?” the reporter said, his manner arch and a trifle sly. “Detective Luke Morgan was recently acquitted of heading a drug cartel in Auckland,” he said for the camera.
    “Luke?” Janaya stepped up beside him jerking his thoughts from the past and the hell he’d gone through trying to clear his name. “Should I help clear the area?”
    Alarm exploded through Luke. “No.” Hell, no! “I’m fine. Just keep an eye on Dad and Hinekiri. Keep them out of trouble. I’ll be fine.”
    Janaya nodded and strode off without looking back. Luke couldn’t have stopped his appreciation of the view to save himself. Sex appeal oozed from her with each gentle sway of her hips. The smooth stride and sensual flex of her butt tied his gut in knots. Man, he had it bad.
    “Nice ass,” the photographer said. “Can we get back to the subject at hand?”
    Luke bit back his instinctive protest. If he didn’t make a big deal then the reporter wouldn’t pay any attention to her.
    “Who’s the broad? Does Victoria know you’ve replaced her already? Is it payback because Victoria played around with your best mate?”
    The reporter’s raised voice attracted the attention of others. Soon there was a pack of the bloody reporters baying for his blood. Uneasiness hit him square in the gut. Luke felt the old dread, the sense of out of control and helplessness pressing against his chest. His past was about to bite him on the arse. Knowing there was nothing he could do in the way of damage control, he decided to head back into the station to face Mrs. Bates.
    He’d take one knotty problem at the time and suck in the rest. Pretend he didn’t give a