Levi stepped closer, studying her with his gaze. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing to be worried about. I promise. I would tell you if there was.”
His shoulders relaxed ever so slightly, and he took a step away. “Why don’t you relax and let me fix you something to eat?”
“If you keep spoiling me like this, I’m going to want to keep you around.” Rebecca let out a brittle laugh, especially when she realized how Levi might take her words. Quickly, she rushed, “I’m joking.”
He smiled, making it clear that he wasn’t concerned. “It’s not often that I get to cook for people, and I don’t mind. Besides, I think that Clemson said you should try to stay off your feet as much as possible.”
Rebecca didn’t argue. Instead, she sat back down. “Thank you then.”
“Let me go see what I can find in your kitchen.”
Rebecca leaned back on the couch, somehow feeling incredibly peaceful in the middle of these dire circumstances. It was strange how the two opposing situations collided. The fact that someone seemed bent on tormenting her, combined with the fact that Levi had wandered into her life at just the right time.
He’d been a real lifesaver over the past few days, and she probably felt closer to him than she should.
That was a fact Rebecca was eventually going to have to deal with. But, for today, she would have breakfast. With Levi. And she would enjoy it.
Chapter Seventeen
Levi had to admit that he had been awake for a good portion of the night. He’d listened to everything around him. Looked for a sign that whoever was behind these recent activities had come back.
Plus, Rebecca had been sleeping so soundly on his shoulder. She’d softly breathed in and out, looking so at peace. Levi wished he could bottle the moment. He knew that peace wasn’t something she’d been feeling a lot of lately.
He needed to tread carefully, though. Yes, he needed to get some answers. But he refused to let Rebecca be collateral damage.
Talking to her last night . . . it was the first time he’d felt real in a long time. It had felt good. It had made him miss having a normal life.
That was going to change, Levi vowed. One way or another, it would change.
He finished fixing an omelet with onions, peppers, and tomatoes. He’d also cut up some fruit and made some coffee. He placed it all on the table and called Rebecca to come eat.
She’d already gone upstairs to take a quick shower and change. When she joined him in the dining room, she was a sight to behold, with her wet hair, casual T-shirt, and yoga pants. The past few times he had seen her she had always been dressed professionally. Seeing her outfitted like this made her seem even more vulnerable. His heart clutched at the thought.
“This looks great.” Rebecca gracefully waddled toward the table. “Thank you again so much for doing this.”
He sat down across from her and picked up a fork. “Like I said, it’s my pleasure.”
A thought continued to weigh heavily on him. He knew so much about Rebecca, but there was so little he himself had shared. He couldn’t share too much, but an internal urge nudged him to be real with her.
Levi opened his mouth. Then he shut it again. He couldn’t tell her about his real job. Not yet. It could ruin the whole investigation. Yet he felt as if he could trust her.
He’d trusted Brianna also. He couldn’t forget his past mistakes. He’d be foolish to do so.
“What is it?” Rebecca tilted her head, a soft glow about her. “You look like you have something on your mind.”
Levi set his fork down and turned toward her. “I feel like we’ve grown close over the past few days, Rebecca.”
She offered a shy smile. “I feel the same way. It’s kind of strange, to be honest.”
“I know what you’re saying. Strange in a good way. At least, for me.”
Her smile widened. “For me too.”
“There’s something I just feel like I need to tell you.” He cleared his throat.
Rebecca’s smile disappeared, replaced with doubt. Anxiety. Maybe even fear. “Of course. What’s going on?”
He set his fork down, giving up on eating breakfast for the moment. “I was married.”
Rebecca’s eyes widened. “I wondered if you had ever been.”
“Her name was Brianna. We were together three years.”
“What happened?”
“She . . . cheated on me. Left me. Took me for everything she could get.” That was the abridged version. She did cheat on him . . . but it wasn’t how Rebecca probably assumed.
Rebecca reached across the table to grab his hand. “I had no idea. I’m so sorry, Levi.”
He nodded, realizing how good it felt to get that off his chest—even if he hadn’t shared all the details. “Me too. It was five years ago, but sometimes it feels like just yesterday.”
“I can’t imagine what that must have been like for you.”
“It was difficult, to say the least.”
The entire truth was that Brianna was working for one of the gangs Levi was investigating. The tables had been turned on him.
Brianna had cheated on him—but not with another man. She was working for the other side, and Levi had fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.
Rebecca squeezed his hand harder. “Thank you so much for sharing. It means a lot that you’d trust me enough to tell me that.”
What she didn’t know was how much more Levi needed to say. But he’d need to time it carefully—for the sake of everyone involved.
An hour later, Levi took Rebecca to pick up her SUV and then returned to his place. Though Rebecca had enjoyed being around him, she knew he had work to do. She didn’t want to keep him from that. Besides, she had a million things on her to-do list.
As she went through some paperwork, she reviewed what Levi had told her. It must’ve been absolutely devastating for him to find out his wife had been cheating on him. No wonder he got that wistful look in his eyes at times.
It made her respect for him grow even more. He’d also been dealt a hard hand.
Even though just yesterday Rebecca was chiding herself for even considering the idea that the two of them might have a future together, now the possibility seemed more and more intriguing. Was there any chance that the two of them might be able to make something work?
What surprised her even more was the thrill that washed through her at the possibility. She never thought she would be open to the idea of falling in love again. And, though she was a long way away from actually falling in love, the fact that the idea intrigued her was mind-boggling.
She found herself humming as she continued to go through her paperwork. She had one more client she’d been speaking with who might want to see some houses this week. This time, Rebecca would put the proper precautions in place.
While she was thinking about it, she picked up her phone and gave the man a call to firm things up.
“Hi, Abe, this is Rebecca Jarvis. You had talked to me earlier about looking at some houses while you were here in town. I just wanted to follow up.”
He cleared his throat. “Hi, Mrs. Jarvis. I’m sorry I didn’t get back with you earlier. I hate for you to find out this way, but I actually ended up using Jared Nicholson earlier in the week.”
A flash of anger shot through her. Jared? Rebecca knew Jared was new in the area, but she had no idea he would try to steal a client out from beneath her.
“Oh, I see . . .” she finally managed to get out.
“I’m sorry. But I ran into him at a restaurant, and we hit it off. He just drew up an offer for me on a house.”
She bit back her disappointment. Having another sale would have done a lot to help her budget. But there was no need to fuss with this man about it. She did, however, plan on talking to Jared.
She thanked Abe and ended the call.
As soon as she put her phone down, it rang again. A number she didn’t recognize popped up on the screen. She quickly answered.
> A voice she didn’t recognize came through the line. “He isn’t who he claims to be.”
Rebecca froze. Who in the world was this, and what were they talking about? Abe? Jared? “Excuse me?”
“Levi Stoneman. You can’t trust him.”
And, with that, the line went dead.
Chapter Eighteen
Back at his house, Levi sat down at his dining room table with a cup of coffee. From here, he had the perfect vantage point to keep an eye on Rebecca’s house. If there was trouble, he wanted to know about it. In the meantime, he jotted down notes about everything he’d learned since arriving in Lantern Beach.
Rebecca had two break-ins at her place. Her bank account had been compromised. They’d been chased, and the same car had been driving past Rebecca’s place before that.
Jim had been accused of stealing money from his boss. He’d somehow managed to purchase a life insurance policy with Rebecca as the beneficiary, and he’d possibly opened up a secret bank account in Rebecca’s name—all without her knowing.
Levi was looking into those things now.
Then there was the man who was arrested yesterday. He must be a member of the Spades, but Levi had never seen him before. He wasn’t the leader.
Was more than one person trying to get money from Rebecca? It seemed like a desperate move for the Spades. Then again, they weren’t an organization people should mess with. They needed to be brought down.
One thing was becoming more and more clear in his mind: Rebecca was innocent in all of this.
At the thought of her, his heart pounded harder. She really had surprised him. She was smart, capable, and kind. She didn’t complain, even though she had every reason to. What was there not to admire about her?
Levi needed to tell her who he really was. Sure, it was against protocol. But they’d begun to trust each other. He couldn’t risk Rebecca discovering his true identity any other way. He’d never be able to fix it if she did.
He also needed to come clean with Chief Chambers. The woman knew there was more to Levi than he’d let on. It only made sense to tell her the truth and bring her into his inner circle as well.
His phone rang. It was his boss, Ed, again. A sense of dread fell over Levi as he answered. His new boss was hard-nosed and all business. Ed had spent no time in the field, yet he treated everyone like he was an expert. He was just one more reason why Levi was ready for a career change.
Levi put the phone to his ear. “Ed. What’s going on?”
“Two more people are dead.”
Levi straightened at the stark words. “What?”
“The Spades are losing it. At least, Black is. He doesn’t like to be double-crossed.”
That didn’t come as a surprise to Levi. Not at all. “The police have one man in custody. He’s not talking.”
“You need to get him to talk,” Ed growled.
“I’m doing my best here. I am undercover.”
“Did you find any evidence to implicate the wife?”
There Ed went again, calling Rebecca “the wife.” It made it a lot less personal that way. But it still rubbed Levi the wrong way. “She’s innocent in this.”
“Just because she’s pregnant, don’t let that fool you. I heard she was always the brains in the family.”
Levi sucked in a breath at the subtle accusation. “You think Rebecca was telling her husband what to do?”
“I’m saying it’s a real possibility. That’s what I sent you there to find out.”
Levi was definitely going to need to look into those bank accounts.
But he still couldn’t believe Rebecca would be behind this.
Then again, that was what had gotten him in trouble with Brianna before also. He couldn’t let down his guard. Not yet.
That realization pressed heavily on his heart.
Rebecca leaned back in her dining room chair, still trying to process what that caller had told her. Why would someone inform her that Levi wasn’t whom he appeared to be? He was an engineer, a man trying still to come to terms with his wife’s betrayal.
The man was observant, protective, had a caring spirit and an almost gentle way. What could he possibly be hiding?
But Rebecca didn’t really know that much about him, did she? That was because they’d only known each other a few days. How well could you possibly get to know someone in three days?
She chided herself at the thought.
She froze as a new thought hit her. Her trouble hadn’t started until Levi had arrived in town. Was there a connection there that she didn’t see?
Rebecca ran a hand through her hair. She didn’t know the answer, but the fact that she had even asked that question bothered her on more than one level. Levi had been nothing but kind and compassionate toward her since they met. She had no reason to suspect that he had anything to do with the events of the past few days.
If the intent of that caller had been to shake her up and make her question herself, then it had worked.
Rebecca leaned back and rubbed her stomach again. Oh, Emma. I already love you so much. I wish I could bring you into this world and always protect you. But that task feels harder and harder every day, and you haven’t even been born yet. I’m so sorry for all the times I’m going to fail you, but I just want you to know that I already love you.
Less than three weeks until she should arrive. That meant that Rebecca had less than three weeks to get all her affairs in order. Instead of crossing things off, she seemed to be adding things to her to-do list by the bucketful. She still had to drop that death certificate off at Patrick’s office, and she wanted to ask Cassidy if she’d located the car whose driver had chased her.
She stared at her phone and tapped the screen.
What was she going to do about Levi? Should she ask him about the phone call? Or, if she did that, would she just be playing into the hands of whoever it was who called her? Then again, if Levi had nothing to hide then it shouldn’t hurt to ask that question, right?
Rebecca would have to think about it, she supposed.
For some reason, right now, she had the unquenchable urge to talk to Ron again. What if these crimes were somehow related to Jim’s death? What if there was more to the story than Rebecca wanted to acknowledge? Had she stuck her head in the sand for entirely too long?
She hated to admit it, but she thought the answer was yes.
But as the thought settled in her mind, she decided she would go do some errands—starting with Patrick and ending with Ron.
Maybe one of them knew something that she didn’t.
Chapter Nineteen
As Levi continued to pour over Rebecca’s financials, he glanced out his window. A car door opened and then closed. Rebecca had climbed into her SUV.
Where was she going? It wasn’t a good idea for her to go anywhere alone.
Surely, she wasn’t going to go show another house. Not after what happened yesterday. Or, if she did, certainly she would tell the police so she could have an escort.
Levi considered getting in his car and following her again, but he knew it would be too late by the time he got out there. Besides, if Rebecca caught him following her too often, she would never trust him. Once, she might be able to excuse. But twice? It would just seem creepy.
Despite all his logic, unease continued to jostle inside him. How would Levi ever keep Rebecca safe unless he told her the truth? Telling her the truth could not only harm his investigation, but it was going to further taint her perspective of her late husband, Jim.
Tension pulled across his shoulders.
His computer dinged.
An email from the bank confirmed that Jim had set up a custodial account for Emma before he died.
Levi looked at the amount Jim had deposited.
Five hundred thousand dollars. He blinked. That was no small payout.
Jim must have stolen that money from the Spades. Now they wanted it back. The only way they could get it was through Rebecca—or her child.
A sinking feeling formed in Levi’s gut.
Both of their suspicions had been correct—these guys were after Rebecca’s money and her child.
But who was behind this? Black probably wouldn’t show his face around here. He had henchmen to do his work. One man had already been arrested, but there were others out there.
Most likely, someone else here on the island had taken over for Jim when he died. After all, the Spades would need a contact here. But who?
Jared Nicholson, the competitive realtor? Or how about Ron, the owner of the management company? The man had said his business was on the verge of shutting down. Plus, he would have access to buildings here on the island—buildings needed to smuggle these weapons.
Levi’s spine stiffened. He finally felt like he was on to something. Now he needed to figure out his next step.
“Rebecca, what brings you by today? It’s always good to see you.” Ron stood from his desk and crossed the room to greet her with a hug.
Rebecca paused and shifted uncomfortably in his office doorway.
She had no reason to be uncomfortable. The bad guy was behind bars right now. She should be safe . . . right?
Despite her reassurances, unease jostled inside her. The stress of this week was messing with her mind. She remained by the door, feeling cautious.
“It’s good to see you too, Ron. I’m sorry to stop by unannounced.”
“You’ve got to know that you are always welcome here. Please, have a seat. How is everything going? How’s the baby?” He grabbed a mint from a glass dish on his desk and popped one into his mouth.
Emma chose that moment to give another kick. Rebecca tried not to squirm. “She’s doing fine. Not much longer and I’ll be able to hold her in my arms instead of my belly.”
Ron smiled, a family man himself. He had four children, most of whom were teenagers now. “I know you have to be excited. I’m just sorry that Jim is no longer here to share these moments with you.”
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