by Lexi Blake
He stomped off.
“I hate that man,” Noah said, speaking for the first time. He’d been quietly observing from his place at the bar.
“You’re not the only one,” Isla replied. “Do we have anything on the guy who came after me except that he was a professional and I should somehow be thankful for that?”
Campbell looked over at the Irishman and the redhead. “I suspect you two know something I don’t. Care to share?”
“When David mentioned he’d walked past a man wearing all black coming down Isla’s hall, I decided to look into the security cameras.” Li leaned back, looking exactly like a man who knew something.
“I did that, too,” Campbell remarked. “We didn’t get anything other than his Yankees cap. He was smart, kept his head down. I checked the one in the garage, too. We know he walked out, but the CCTVs on the street couldn’t pick him up.”
Erin smiled. “Ah, but the one at the bodega around the block did. We talked to a couple of the reporters and one remembered a hot guy in black turning around the corner. She followed him into the bodega and got a cup of coffee. He purchased a burner phone and left. Used cash, but we have a very nice picture of his face.”
“And we will email that to you,” Li offered. “But I also emailed it to my friends at MDWM.”
Campbell’s eyes widened. “You’re getting a report from Mass Destruction?”
In the last few years the firm technically known as Miles-Dean, Weston, and Murdoch had been shortened to MD by law enforcement, and once Adam Miles’s facial recognition software had proven what it could do, the cops just called them Mass Destruction. Because they’d managed to massively destroy a bunch of criminals. The software redefined the search for both criminals and missing persons.
“I love that you guys call it that,” Erin said. “And yes. We expect to hear something from them in the morning and yes, we will share it with you.”
Campbell stood up, sliding his notebook into his pocket. “I thank you, and, Ms. Shayne, if you remember anything else, give me a call. As far as we can tell he didn’t take anything from your apartment, but we think you interrupted him. We don’t know exactly why he was there. I think it’s an excellent idea that you stay here for a bit.” He held a hand out to Liam and then Erin, shaking both of theirs. “And it was a pleasure to meet the two of you.” He started to walk away before he turned back to Isla. “And, Ms. Shayne, stick with this one. He’s got a terrible job, but he’s a good man. The other one, well, he’s proof that you can have the most righteous job in the world and still be a giant ass.”
“I heard that,” Osborne yelled from where he was standing, waiting for the elevator.
“I’ll put it in writing if you like,” Campbell yelled back. He walked away, shaking his head. “I’m too old for this.”
David waited until the elevator doors closed to laugh. Then he remembered why they were here. Isla had a half smile on her face, but she was still pale. “Are you all right?”
She nodded. “But I was serious about getting that man recused. He hates me for some reason.”
“Likely because you won’t date him anymore,” David replied. “You were the one to break it off, right?”
“Yes.” Her hands were folded in her lap, fingers tangled together. “I don’t understand why he cares. It wasn’t like it was a long relationship. It was a mistake. We didn’t even get along. We mostly argued.”
“I promise, I’ll see about getting him booted.” He looked to the investigators. “Tell me what you’ve found out.”
Noah moved in. “Erin just said they wouldn’t know anything until morning . . . of course. You already know who we’re dealing with.”
“Adam sent us a name and a dossier about ten minutes after he got a picture of that pretty face,” Erin admitted. “And we’ll hand it over to the NYPD tomorrow. I find when dealing with the cops it’s best to let them think we aren’t as good as we are. You’re the client. I wanted to make sure you could take a look and see if there’s anything you need to handle before we turn it over to the cops.”
Li reached into the messenger bag he’d brought with him and pulled out a printout of a man standing at a convenience store counter. “Is this the man you saw, David?”
Yep. He’d only seen him briefly, but he remembered the Yankees cap and the sharply defined jawline. “That’s the man who got on the elevator after me.” He looked to Isla, who was staring down at the picture. “Do you recognize him at all?”
“It happened very quickly,” she admitted. “And all I could see of him was his eyes. You can’t tell what color they are in this picture. They were blue. I remember striking blue eyes, and then I got up close and personal with his elbow.”
Li pointed to the picture. “Meet Mr. Kristoff Paloma. He’s a Dutch national and he’s wanted by Interpol and several European governments for everything from fraud to burglary to attempted murder, but what he mostly loves is the long con. He likes to romance older wealthy women and swindle them out of their cash. From what I’ve read he’s pulled it about ten times, to the tune of six million dollars. Unfortunately, he has some expensive tastes, and every time he comes into his ill-gotten funds, he spends them and has to find another mark.”
His stomach turned because this didn’t bode well. Isla didn’t need all of her illusions smashed. She’d loved that family and it looked like he had to be the one to bring out all the dirt. “Can we track his movements? I would like to know where he’s been for the last, say, six months or so.”
Noah sat up, his intelligent eyes narrowing. “What do you know that we don’t know?”
Isla frowned. “You can’t think this is the person Portia was meeting on Thursdays. I still can’t believe she was having an affair, much less one with a criminal. She was careful. She had me vet her caterers.”
That tidbit had Noah pacing. “An affair? Does the DA know? Well, that’s going to make our job harder. Apparently the DA is planning on saying Isla was in a relationship with Trey. Now we think Portia had an affair?”
Unless Portia’s manicurist did her work from a suite at the Algonquin, David wasn’t sure what else it could be. “All we know is she had a standing Thursday appointment with someone at the Algonquin hotel. According to her daughter, she’s been going every Thursday for at least the last six weeks. The DA hasn’t talked to Miranda yet, but they will, and I don’t think she’s going to lie.”
“Well, we know where we’re going in the morning. Erin and I will take this picture and a couple of hundred bucks and see what we can find out.” The Irishman stood up, looking back at his partner. “I’m going to call Avery and head to bed.”
“I’ll lock up after Noah leaves.” Erin glanced over at Isla. “We thought as long as you were already here, we might as well stay, too. We were going to stay with Noah, but after what happened at your place, he thought it might be best we hang around here at night. The security system is tight, but we don’t like someone coming after you so soon. I don’t suppose either one of you is carrying?”
David shook his head. “I’m not.”
“No whipping out a pistol for me either,” Isla admitted. “I generally prefer to talk my enemies to death. I appreciate the help.”
“There’s something going on and I don’t think it’s about jealousy or an affair,” Li said. “I think Paloma was looking for something. The police report indicated the victim’s room had been tossed. Perhaps he was looking for something there, too. That something is what this is all about. Someone thinks you might have it.”
“It? What could I have?” Isla asked, her voice a bit shaky. “I have a ton of important documents. Maybe it’s one of those.”
“Perhaps,” Erin allowed. “I think we should go over them. I would bet there’s money at the bottom of this. There usually is.”
David wasn’t sure about that. “I don’t know. This crime feels per
sonal. We’ll talk to the ME tomorrow. Between the ME and finally getting to talk to Trey, it’s going to be a big day. We should get some rest.”
They weren’t going to be alone. It was good Li and Erin were staying. Isla was obviously in danger and they were both far better trained as bodyguards than he was.
But he’d wanted to be alone with her.
He stood up, reaching down for her hand. “Come on. We should definitely get some rest.”
“I put the bag I packed for you in the master bedroom, David,” Noah explained before looking to Isla. “Since you weren’t able to bring anything with you, my sister-in-law said to feel free to raid her closet. I think you’re pretty close to each other in size.”
Isla seemed to perk up at that idea. “You want me to raid the billionaire’s wife’s closet? I can do that.”
Noah smiled. “Good. Shelby has excellent taste. I’ve also put out all the toiletries you should need. We’re fully stocked for guests here. I’m going to my place, but I’ll be back in the morning. The fridge is stocked, too.” Noah sent him a knowing look. “So is the nightstand, if you know what I mean.”
Isla went bright pink, proving she knew exactly what he meant.
“Yeah, thanks, man. That’s great.” David put a hand on Noah’s back, starting to lead him to the elevator. The faster he got Noah out, the sooner Isla could forget what they’d been offered.
“I’m talking about condoms,” Noah said in a hushed voice.
There were days he was happy he was an only child because Noah was one obnoxious little brother. “I know what you’re talking about. Now please stop talking about it. And thank you for giving us a place to stay.”
“No problem.” Noah pressed the button to call the elevator. He got in and turned as the doors were closing. “They’re in the right-hand nightstand along with lube. You’re welcome.”
He stared at the closed doors.
“I will set this alarm and then leave the two of you. Li and I are taking the two guest rooms in the east wing. On the other side is the master and three other rooms, but two of them are kids’ rooms. Have fun with that,” Erin said, an amused expression on her face. She quickly had the whole penthouse under the high-tech protection Drew Lawless had provided. “’Night, you two. If you need to leave, wake me up. You don’t want to know what happens if the alarm goes off. I’ve heard Lawless is into lasers.”
And then they were alone. And it was awkward. Somehow it had been easier when they were in the car surrounded by reporters. Then it had seemed perfectly natural to take her hand and bring it to his lips. Now he wasn’t exactly sure what to say.
Well, he could start with the obvious. “I’m sorry about Noah. He’s an ass.”
She couldn’t quite meet his eyes. “He’s joking around. It’s normal male behavior from what I understand. Did they put us in the master bedroom? Or was he talking about you?”
It appeared she’d lost her bravado. Damn but he’d liked it when she boldly told Osborne she would be more involved if he would stop cockblocking her. “I think if one of us takes the big bedroom, it should be you. It’s okay. If I remember correctly, there’s a perfectly nice guest room down the hall from the master. I think it belongs to the nanny. I’ll sleep in there.”
She stared for a moment, her expression blank. “Oh, okay.”
She was probably still afraid to be alone, but that wasn’t a good reason to sleep with him. He didn’t want that. He wanted her to want him, and that might take some time. “I’ll be very close in case you need anything. I’ll leave the door open if you like. So you know I can hear you if you call out. And I bet the McKay-Taggart duo are light sleepers when it comes to this type of thing.”
She shook her head. “I’ll be okay.”
“Is there anything you need? We could sit up and talk for a little while,” he offered. He wanted to get that blank look off her face. It was killing him how fragile she looked.
“No, thank you. I’m talked out.”
Well, that was all he had. “If it’s okay though, I would love to take a shower before I go to my room. The other shower is decorated with ducks and bunnies.”
“Of course. Feel free. I’m going to make some tea before I go to bed.” She started to turn and then stopped. “So the thing in the car was all for the press?”
“Not at all.” How to explain this to her? “We can take it slow. I don’t want to rush you. You’re going through something emotional and I don’t want to add to that. I am incredibly attracted to you and I don’t think that’s going to go away anytime soon. It’s okay to want to take things slow.”
“You want to take things slow?”
He wanted to slam her down on the bed, get her naked, and eat her up like a starving man at a buffet. But he had to think about what she needed. He had to be better than some of the men she’d dated before. “I think it’s probably for the best. The last thing I want to be is the guy who took advantage of you. I’m not interested in a one-night stand and I don’t want to be a tool you use to lock the world out for a while. I want to be important to you. I’ll step back and give you some room. But know I’m down the hall if you need me.” He walked up to her, leaning over and kissing her forehead. “Good night, Isla.”
It took everything he had to walk away. He forced himself to grab the bag Noah had packed for him and head to the shower. The master bathroom was probably as big as his whole flipping apartment, and that shower was a room in and of itself. It was completely decadent, and he wished he wasn’t going in there alone.
He would be quick because she was tired and needed sleep more than anything else. He was being the good guy.
Being the good guy sucked.
It nagged at him that Osborne knew what it was like to kiss her and touch her. Not because he thought she should be some virgin. God, no. But he was absolutely certain that massive ass hadn’t taken care of her in bed. He would bet she hadn’t had a good sexual relationship since her fiancé died.
He shucked his clothes after turning the water on. Hot. He needed a ton of hot water after the events of the day.
Of course, he hadn’t had a good emotional relationship maybe ever. He should take that into account. Maybe he wasn’t such a great guy. Maybe he was protecting himself from the gorgeous, smart woman who could easily rip him apart like he was made of tissue paper.
What exactly did she see in him? He wasn’t as famous as Henry or as rich as Noah. He was the guy in the middle, the one who was lucky to have found powerful friends or he might be some public defender.
She might have the wrong impression of him. White knight syndrome. She’d needed someone to save her and he’d rushed in, a couple of times now. What would she see in him when her world normalized? Would she wake up and realize what a bad bet he was?
He’d said he didn’t want to be used, but god he wanted to forget about everything that had happened today, even if only for a little while.
He stepped under the hot water. What were his words for the day? Monkey. Drum. Bicycle.
Still had it. He chuckled but he wasn’t truly amused. It was sad that he counted every day he could remember three new words a win. A day when his knees worked and his back didn’t ache was one of the good ones.
Hot water sluiced off his body, the jets coming from two different directions. Of course he didn’t want to think about what would happen the day he couldn’t remember those words anymore. A day when he understood Trey Adams more than he could ever want to. Yeah, he wasn’t such a great bet and she might be smart to listen to all of Carey Kendrick’s warnings about him. Not because he would treat her poorly but because he might not have much of a future ahead of him.
“David?”
He nearly jumped out of his skin but managed to stay upright. The shower was a massive walk-in and suddenly he wasn’t alone.
Isla was standing in the mist of th
e shower, not a stitch of clothing covering her beautiful body. “I don’t want to go slow.”
EIGHT
Isla couldn’t believe she was doing this, but the minute she got a good look at David Cormack without his suit on she knew there was no going back. She’d been ready to make a pot of tea and wait for him to come out of the shower when Erin Taggart had appeared in the kitchen.
“Not jumping his bones, then?” she’d asked as she dragged a bottle of water out of the fridge.
“He wants to take it slow.” She was aware of how disappointed she’d sounded.
“No man who looks at a woman the way that one looks at you wants to take things slow. He’s scared you’re too good for him or something stupid like that,” she said. “I should know. I held off my gorgeous hottie for way too long because he was a tiny bit younger than me. Don’t waste time. Take command. And then when he’s all in, give that control up. That always works for me. ’Night.”
There was something in the way the redhead smiled, something intimate and soft. Something Isla wanted for herself again. She’d had it as a girl with Austin. She wanted to know how it felt to have that connection as a woman.
So she’d made the decision. Maybe for the first time in her life, she’d genuinely made the decision to be brave, to go after what she wanted with a singular purpose, to put herself out there and see if she was bait enough to catch the one fish she wanted.
Though first she needed some fishing gear. According to Noah, that was in the nightstand drawer.
She’d stepped in and taken off her clothes. All in. Just like a poker game. If he refused to play, she would be devastated and potentially never be able to face the man again, but she’d felt almost compelled to undress and walk to the entry of that sexy natural stone shower. She’d stood there and looked, really looked at David Cormack. He’d been turned away from her, his back on full display. He was beautifully male, his muscles defined by years of athleticism. His back was strong, his butt practically perfect, and he was held up with strong legs. But his head hung low and she could swear she felt how lonely he was.