“She doesn’t live close by, does she? You wouldn’t want her to just turn up at your doorstep.”
“Actually, she lives a few blocks away on Stanley Street.”
“That close?” he asked with a frown.
“Unfortunately,” Felicity said with a shrug. “I used to live there, when I was with Nolan. Since he’s in jail, he couldn’t stop Lydia from moving in. It’s their dad’s place.”
“I see. Which house on Stanley Street?” he asked nonchalantly. “A client of mine lives on that street, too.”
“Oh, right. Lydia’s at number six.”
Aidan ate a croissant, glad that Felicity didn’t seem suspicious about his questioning. “At least you have Sophie there at your workshops. I couldn’t help but notice that Lydia wasn’t pleased to see her.”
Felicity’s brows shot up. “You noticed that? You have good observation skills.”
He simply chuckled.
“Lydia knows Sophie because Sophie interviewed her when she was working on Nolan’s case. I think knowing that I’m still in contact with Sophie has made Lydia think twice about bugging me again. Anyway…” Felicity checked her watch.
“Do you always drive to work?” he asked.
“I actually don’t drive to work. I’m not entitled to staff parking during the weekdays, and we’re not allowed to park all day on the visitors’ parking since the spaces are very limited. So, I take the bus. Luckily, I can park at the council on Sundays. That’s when I need to drive. I have stuff in the boot of my car that I use during the workshops.”
“Okay. Let me have a quick shower, then I’ll drive you to work.”
“Oh, you don’t need to.”
He stood. “I don’t mind at all.”
“You’re not finished with your coffee.”
“It’s okay. I won’t be long.” He hurried to the bathroom.
Soon, they were leaving Felicity’s place. After he dropped her off at the council, he decided to drive to Stanley Street. Not that he expected to discover anything since he wasn’t planning on a stakeout. There was no reason to watch and follow Lydia at this point, but he might as well pass there since he was already in the neighbourhood.
He turned into the quiet street and cruised slowly, checking out the house numbers. Lydia’s place shouldn’t be too far away—
He scowled as two women walked out of a house up ahead. What the hell? What was Sophie doing there at Lydia’s this morning?
Smoothly, he parked his car on the side of the street a short distance away. Luckily, neither of the ladies was paying attention to him or his vehicle. They were too busy talking.
While he was too far away to hear anything, he could see that Lydia was laughing at what Sophie was saying. Sophie herself appeared completely relaxed. She was continuing to talk, grinning and gesticulating as she did so.
Were those two friends? That wasn’t what he’d expected.
Eventually, Sophie got in a dark blue, Mazda sedan. As she drove away, Lydia waved goodbye and went back inside her house.
Aidan followed Sophie. Clearly, there was something concerning going on here. And the fact that Sophie had started to attend the New Again workshops just as Lydia visited the premises raised his suspicions.
He kept a good distance away, ensuring that Sophie wouldn’t suspect she was being followed. He couldn’t risk being seen by the cop.
It wasn’t long before Sophie parked her car in front of a police station. She got out and walked leisurely towards the station entrance, casually greeting two men in blue uniform on their way out.
Aidan leaned back in his seat, disappointed that Sophie appeared to be going to work. He wouldn’t be able to tell if her next movements had anything to do with Lydia or Felicity.
What had she been doing joking around with Lydia?
He didn’t like the look of it. He needed to dig deeper.
His phone rang. “Hey, Claude.”
“Aidan, can you come back to Control ASAP? We need you.”
“On my way.”
As he started to drive, he realised this was the first time in a long time that he hadn’t slept at Control overnight. Would Felicity expect him to take her there—his home—if they continued to see each other?
He shook his head. They were only supposed to have a handful of hook-ups. No need to worry about Felicity wanting to see where he lived.
Three days later…
Aidan parked next to the truck containing the New Again items that Felicity had sourced. Isla, Kallan, and Kerrod were already busy unloading, but all three stopped to stare at him as he alighted from his vehicle.
He suppressed a sigh. No doubt some teasing was about to come his way, especially from Kerrod. After calling Isla earlier to pull out of helping today because of an IR case, they’d surely guess he was here for only one reason: to see Fel.
Well, that was true, particularly since he hadn’t told Felicity he might not be coming. He’d planned all along to make it in time for the unloading, and he had.
“What are you doing here?” Isla asked.
“I finished early, so I thought I’d come to help,” he said nonchalantly.
“You know that Kerrod already said yes,” Kallan said.
“As if you don’t know why he’s here.” Kerrod wagged his brows. “He’s scared that I’ll flirt with Fel.”
Aidan scoffed. “What are you talking about?”
“Tell you what,” Kerrod said. “I’ll keep my distance from Fel if you put in a good word for me to the chiefs. Tell them I’m super ready and keen to be an IR. Isn’t it time for them to forgive me of my past transgressions? Not that I did them on purpose. As you know, I was—”
“Under duress,” Aidan interrupted, rolling his eyes. This was his constant conversation with Kerrod. He had to say, though, that for a person who’d been banned from joining the Indie Rebels due to his previous work with criminals, Kerrod had grown on him. In any case, Kerrod was lucky that he’d given the IRs tons of information regarding the crime syndicates he’d worked with. Kerrod was able to enjoy freedom and safety, courtesy of the Indie Rebels, even though he couldn’t be one of them.
“So is it a deal?” Kerrod pressed.
“Nah,” Aidan said. “I don’t care if you flirt with Fel.”
“Really?” Kerrod asked with a hint of challenge.
“Yep.” He didn’t think Kerrod was a serious rival for Fel’s affections. If Felicity was attracted to the man, then something would have already happened between the two, right?
Kerrod shrugged. “Okay. I’ll assure her that you’re okay with me calling her for a booty call every now and again.”
“Hey!” Aidan scowled.
Kerrod, along with Kallan and Isla, laughed out loud.
“He got you there,” Kallan quipped.
Aidan shook his head good-naturedly. He’d better stop adding fuel to this conversation or it might lead to something he didn’t want to talk about.
As Kallan and Kerrod moved an extra-large couch with threadbare covering to the workshop, Aidan carried a tired-looking, round dining table with Isla. Perfect. He’d wanted to talk to Isla.
“Hey,” he said in a low voice. “Did you know that Sophie and Lydia might be good friends?”
Isla’s brows furrowed. “Really? How do you know?”
He explained how he’d seen Sophie laughing with Lydia after dropping Felicity off at work on Thursday morning.
“Fel did tell me you guys had a great time together,” Isla said teasingly.
Aidan gave Isla a pointed look. “You’re gonna focus on that when I’m saying that Sophie and Lydia seem to be cohorts about something?”
“That is concerning. What else have you found out?”
“Didn’t really find anything of substance from my searches. We already know that Sophie worked on Fel’s case against Nolan, as well as the cases of some of the other New Again members. She’s been on the force for eight years. Good record on paper. As for Lydia, she’s
been working as a hairdresser for almost eleven years, three with her current employer. She lived in the same one-bedroom unit for six years before she moved into the house at Stanley Street after Nolan was incarcerated. No priors. So,” Aidan sighed, “nothing that tells me why those two women were so chummy-chummy that morning.”
“Maybe Sophie was just checking out why Lydia wanted to meet Fel, and she was creating rapport to get Lydia to open up? I met Sophie a few times when I worked on Nolan’s case. I found her to be a straight shooter with plenty of compassion for the victims.”
“Sure. It’s just that…” Aidan shook his head.
“Your gut is telling you there’s something wrong,” Isla guessed.
“I’m worried there could be more to it.”
Isla nodded. “You know I totally trust your judgement, Aidan. Your instincts are so finely honed. But…could your feelings for Fel be making you a bit more worried than usual about this? I mean, Sophie’s done so much for those girls. Whatever she was discussing with Lydia, it might have nothing to do with Fel. Remember that Lydia seems to have a problem with how Nolan handled their father’s assets. Maybe she’s made an official complaint against Nolan for theft.”
“You’re probably right.”
“So, you’re admitting that your feelings for Fel are strong enough to make you more paranoid, huh?” Isla said with a big grin.
“We’ve only just started seeing each other, Isla.”
“Ooh, does that mean you two are gonna date seriously?”
“That’s a question you should be asking Fel. It’s her idea that we’re only having hook-ups.”
“Well, all I can say is that she was up in the clouds when talking about your night—and morning—together.”
“I hope she didn’t share too many details,” he said dryly.
Isla chuckled. “Don’t worry. I would have stopped her if she’d tried. You’re my team leader, Aidan. I didn’t want to hear about you naked and having the time of your life with my best friend.”
“Isla!” he said with appalled laughter. “Sounds like you’re thinking it.”
“No! I’m not interested in imagining you like that, thank you very much. And much as I agree you’re a looker, I think Kallan’s sexier than you.”
He snickered. “Sure, sure.”
“And also Kerrod, for that matter. I wonder if Fel agrees with me?”
Aidan narrowed his eyes, and Isla simply laughed heartily.
He had to say, though, that despite her teasing, he was pleased that Isla clearly approved of him going out with Fel—er, having hook-ups with Fel.
“Hi, guys!” Felicity said from the workshop doorway.
A grin instantly formed on Aidan’s face. “Hi!”
“Ooh, that looks lovely,” Felicity crooned, walking closer to inspect the table he and Isla were carrying.
“This looks lovely, too, Fel,” Kerrod called out.
“Not as lovely as this,” Aidan replied. “And not as lovely as you,” he said close to Felicity’s ear before he could stop himself.
“I heard that,” Isla said, smirking.
Felicity chuckled. “Thanks for helping out, guys,” she said to everyone.
“You should only give half a thanks to Aidan,” Kerrod said. “He only got here a minute ago. He didn’t help pick these up from the sellers.”
Felicity looked at Aidan.
“I got a call from a client regarding urgent work,” Aidan said as he and Isla placed the table next to the couch Kallan and Kerrod had brought in. “So I had to pull out of helping today, and Kallan called Kerrod. But I finished early enough, so I thought I’d come here.” He winked at her, hoping she’d realise he’d turned up to see her, not just to assist.
The smile Felicity gave him indicated she understood perfectly well—and that she was thrilled about it.
“Ugh, you guys have become so sickly sweet,” Kerrod said as he walked back to the truck.
Aidan stayed behind, letting Kallan and Isla follow Kerrod. Honestly, he was already so damned obvious with his attraction to Felicity that there was no point in denying it. Besides, those guys already knew that he and Felicity were having a casual relationship anyway.
“How’ve you been?” he asked Fel when they were alone.
“Good. You?”
“Itching for today.” He dipped his head and placed a resounding kiss on her lips.
Felicity blushed. “I’ve been looking forward to today, too. I mean, after the workshop.”
“Yeah. What time are the others arriving?”
“In fifteen minutes.”
He nodded. “Do you get the same attendees all the time?”
“Most of the girls attend every week. I’m expecting everyone to come—except Sophie.”
Aidan’s ears perked up. “Oh, why isn’t she coming?”
Felicity shrugged. “She’s not always available every week.”
Aidan wanted to pry more, but it would look too suspicious. He had to leave some of the questioning to Isla.
He hung around the workshop, staying with Felicity while the other three continued to unload the truck.
“Hey, I thought you’re helping out,” Kerrod said as the three came back with more items.
“I don’t think you need me, do you?” Aidan asked.
They snickered, with Kerrod being the loudest.
“I should help them, too,” Felicity whispered.
“Then I won’t be able to kiss you again.”
Felicity leaned against him, and he put his arm around her waist.
As soon as the others left the room—after sending them sly looks—Aidan went for a longer, more lingering smooch. “Can’t wait till you finish here and we can start our date,” he murmured against her lips.
“Me, too.”
Aidan gazed at Felicity’s eyes, his heart hammering at what he saw in them. They could easily fall head over heels for each other—if they’d both let it happen.
He stepped back. “I better give those guys a hand.”
Aidan headed towards the truck, berating himself. He couldn’t let his feelings get too far away from him. There were too many hurdles and too much complication with being with Felicity, not least of which was his living arrangement.
If they dated, she’d definitely expect him to take her to his home—the IR Control Centre. That would never be possible.
But…
Just as a matter of interest, how would he deal with it if he and Felicity did end up dating seriously?
He guessed he could move into one of his properties—ask the tenant to vacate. But even that wouldn’t be foolproof. He’d still need to disappear often and not be able to tell Felicity where he was going.
Well, then, like Maricar had said, he could become an inactive IR.
Aidan scoffed. He couldn’t believe he thought that when he didn’t even know the answer to the most important question: would a relationship with Felicity be worth turning his back on the life that had given him purpose?
Well, there was no surefire way of knowing the answer to that unless he kept dating Felicity.
He took a sharp intake of breath. If he was completely honest, he had to admit that he was getting more and more smitten by Felicity. And, as much as he hated even thinking about it, becoming an inactive IR did hold a certain attraction with Felicity in mind.
But how could he even consider that when the threat against Maricar hadn’t been resolved yet?
What about after the threat is gone?
He pursed his lips. Timing might be on his side here. While the IR team was working on Maricar’s case, he could be dating Felicity with a view of finding out if they had a future together. Because how else could they truly figure out if they were meant for each other if they were only hooking up? The very nature of a casual relationship didn’t make it conducive to making life-changing decisions.
So, it seemed best to ask Felicity to be his steady girlfriend.
A big smile spread on his f
ace. He wouldn’t mind that at all. Somehow, he knew Fel would be thrilled with it, too, despite her initial reservations.
Great! He now had a plan to deal with his conundrum.
Unfortunately, while he was determining if he really wanted to become an inactive IR, he’d have to keep coming up with creative ways to protect his secret identity.
Chapter 10
Felicity checked the time and let out a relieved sigh. Five o’clock. Finally. She’d been waiting for the working day to be over.
She turned off her office computer and started tidying up her desk. Aidan would be here soon to pick her up for a Valentine’s Day date, and she’d been jumping out of her skin with excitement all day.
She couldn’t believe this would already be their ninth date in just twelve days. She definitely wasn’t complaining. Each single time with Aidan had been blissful. And passionate. And hot. And sweet. And…oh, she could think of many more superlatives.
Around Aidan, she didn’t feel the need to pretend to be someone she wasn’t. Or, rather, she felt safe to express who she really was and what she really wanted. That was why when Aidan had suggested they date exclusively instead of simply hooking up, she’d been more than happy to agree. Aidan was officially her boyfriend!
She still wondered about how fast things between them had developed. When she’d asked Isla for her thoughts on it, her friend had suggested that she and Aidan simply clicked in more ways than one. That was comforting.
She bit her lip to stop herself from smiling too widely, lest someone noticed how thrilled she looked.
“Let me guess,” said Trinnie, one of her officemates. “You’re dreaming of that gorgeous hunk of a man you’re going out with.”
Felicity laughed. Ever since Aidan had picked her up for a date last Wednesday, even female colleagues who’d previously kept to themselves had been stopping her for a conversation—all to ask if Aidan had a single brother or where they’d met or whether they were dating seriously. She’d been happy to answer that last question with a yes.
Aidan: The Rescue (Indie Rebels Book 5) Page 9