I Burned Down His House (Love at First Crime Book 3)

by Jessica Frances

  I have no idea how I’m supposed to take that. Is he trying to flirt with me? About having children with me?

  “I didn’t realize you knew where I worked.”

  “I know a lot of things about you.” His answer shouldn’t feel like a threat, but it really does.

  “Oh, well, are you here for a reason?” I ask bluntly, not really caring if I sound rude.

  I don’t like him being here, and turning up unannounced at someone’s work is not cool, even if you aren’t a suspected sicko who hurts women on the regular.

  “I want to ask you out,” he says in a matter-of-fact way.

  “Ask me out? Like, on a date?” I gasp, my eyes widening. I feel sweat building up over my body. I’m just barely resisting shaking in front of him.

  He laughs, releasing me so he can slap me lightly over the shoulder, while he rests his other hand by his side. “You are hilarious. I’ve never had someone look so terrified at me asking them out. It’s refreshing from all the off-putting, eager women who usually circle me.”

  I shake my head, glancing out the front window, wondering if someone is watching us right now. “I’m not really sure going on a date is a good idea.”

  “Sure, it is. I’ll take you to a nice restaurant, but then I’ll have to go to the club afterward, make an appearance and check that everything is okay. You can come with me if you want.”

  Telling him no is on the tip of my tongue, but something stops me, words echoing in my mind, a sick thought taking root and growing inside me.

  “Why did you say before you don’t have kids yet?”

  He pauses, perhaps thrown by my question, but it doesn’t take long before his cocky stance returns.

  “I just meant that I see children in my future.” He grins.

  While I might be reading into this far too much, there is something giddy and sinister about that grin.

  Joey mentioned women being hurt the other night. Are children part of that, too?

  “What day are you thinking?” I blurt out, not allowing myself to second-guess or worry about what I’m agreeing to.

  “I can make any day work for you.”

  “Tomorrow night?”

  He smiles, his eyes shifting over my body. “It’s a date.”

  We exchange phone numbers, and once he is gone, the women bombard me, telling me how hot and dreamy Hart is and demanding I give them all the details.

  Instead, I tell them to get back to work and that I’m having an extended lunchbreak. Then I sit in my car, completely freaking out and wondering if I shouldn’t just back out of this, when a knock at my window scares the shit out of me. I honestly squeal and jump high enough to feel the top of my head touch the roof.

  “Teagan?” Declan’s voice is muffled through my closed window. I’m still trying to get my heart rate down to a suitable level to even think about lowering it.

  I take several deep breaths before Declan decides to forgo waiting for me to come to my senses and opens the car door himself.

  “Are you okay?”

  I nod, not quite sure I am.

  “What was Clayton doing here?”

  “He … He asked me out,” I splutter out.

  “Shit,” Declan mutters, pulling out his phone.

  “Who are you calling?” I gasp, reaching out to grab his arm.

  “Joey needs to—”

  “I said yes. To the date, I mean,” I rush out, watching his eyes widen. “Joey said you guys can’t get into his office and … well, Hart already mentioned me going to the club with him.”

  Declan is already shaking his head before I’m halfway finished. “No way. You are a civilian and completely untrained. There is no way—”

  “He mentioned children,” I blurt, my instincts telling me that comment wasn’t as offhanded as some may think.

  “Children?” Declan’s eyes narrow in confusion.

  “It was weird. Maybe it has to do with my job, or maybe … maybe … I don’t know. I just know I couldn’t say no. Joey said Hart sometimes takes his dates into his office. I might be able to get inside. I might be the key for you guys.”

  “No way. Joey will never allow it, and honestly, I’m on his side.”

  “Let me talk to Zander first, please?” I beg, unsure why I’m so adamant about this. I’m usually the person yelling at the TV when the heroine is being chased and runs up the staircase, instead of down them. But, whether this is truly stupid or not, I know deep down I can’t not try to help.

  “This is personal for Zander. He doesn’t have a clear head when it comes to this investigation,” Declan argues.

  “It’s personal for him, which means he deserves to hear this first. And he is your boss, right?”

  Declan stares at me for a while longer before shaking his head, his voice low as he mutters how much Joey is going to kill him for this.

  “I’ll drive,” Declan grunts, leaving my door open as he walks away.

  I scramble to catch up, grabbing my handbag and locking my car as I run after him. He’s parked across the street at a nail salon.

  “Have you been watching me?” I ask warily. Did Joey ask his friends to keep an eye on me?

  “No, I was keeping an eye on Clayton. Zander and I usually coordinate the early mornings since Harvey and Joey work late.”

  “Who is watching him now?”

  “I sent a text to Harvey to take over. Clayton, almost without fail, goes to the same diner for lunch. Harvey is heading there to take over for me.”

  We both get into his car. I worry about what Harvey will say about this, too.

  “Does he know why you asked him to take over?”

  “Not sure if you’ve noticed this or not, but Harvey doesn’t talk much, which means he doesn’t ask many questions.”

  I frown at his tone. Is he just agitated about what I did, or does he not care for Harvey?

  “You like him, though, right?”

  “Who?” he snaps, turning out onto the main road and heading in the direction of their office.

  “Harvey.”

  “Oh, sure.” He gives me a shrug. “He’s a good worker.”

  “And he’s a good man. I know he doesn’t make it easy for you guys, but I think you all could get a lot out of becoming friends.”

  Declan laughs, sounding out of place with his current mood. “While you might be some sort of unicorn friend when it comes to Harvey, he doesn’t exactly give us many openings.”

  “Harvey and I are very similar in some ways, but Sasha never really gave me a chance to put up any walls, or decline being friends with her.”

  Declan smiles. It’s clear how much affection he holds for Sasha. “That sounds like my girl.”

  “Yeah, so maybe you need to be like that to Harvey to break through his walls?”

  “Is that how you guys managed to become friends? Did you persist?”

  “I suppose I did. I mean, I had Karma to help me out. But Harvey is a good man, and for whatever reason, he’s closed himself off.”

  “We all have secrets, and we all have different ways of doing and wanting things. I like Harvey. He’s a solid guy, dependable, and a hard worker. I’m not opposed to being his friend.”

  “Good, then maybe you can make more effort with him.”

  “Is that an order?” There’s a smile in Declan’s voice that I don’t see since I’m determined to not get annoyed. If I look at him and see a grin, I will be angry that he’s not taking me seriously.

  “I guess it is.”

  “Well, okay then. I’ll see what we can all do about that.”

  “Good.” I hear my phone beep in my bag and immediately tense up.

  What if it’s Hart? He has my number now. He might feel like he can use it whenever he wants.

  I reluctantly reach down into my bag to find it, mainly because one of the girls at work could be having a problem. Then I sigh in relief when I see it’s another picture message from Joey. It’s captioned: Don’t be jealous of me and my new friend.
Under that is a photo of Joey standing next to a statue of Ronald McDonald.

  I laugh to myself, shaking my head at Joey’s antics.

  T: A red wig? You can have him. It’s purple or nothing.

  I grin as I hit send then glance up, finding the car isn’t moving, stopped at a traffic light. When I glance over to Declan, I see he is staring at me intently.

  “That Joey?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Wondered who put that smile on your face. Good to see it isn’t one-sided.”

  I think over his words as he accelerates the car at the green signal.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Joey is a brother to me. I’ve known him since we were kids. Not once have I seen him like he is now.”

  I’m hesitant to ask him to clarify, purely because of my feelings for Joey, and what may or may not happen between us in the future feels like it’s always on a knife’s edge, ready to drop down to a new unknown space below.

  “And what does that mean?” I finally ask, unable to stop my curiosity.

  “He smiles for no apparent reason. He randomly glances at his phone and laughs. He’s brought you up to us several times. And, for the first time ever, he asked us to cover shifts so he can hang out with you.”

  “We’re just friends,” I whisper, unsure if I’m trying to convince him or myself.

  Don’t these people understand that I’m trying to keep my feelings in check? That I don’t want my hopes up? That I don’t want to be heartbroken again?

  “You’ve had a few obvious emotions since I banged on your window—terrified, scared, worried, anger. One text message from Joey and you’re smiling, happy, and relaxed.”

  “He’s a funny guy,” I defend.

  “He is, but not many people see that side.”

  “His friends do.”

  “Okay, but I think we both know there is more than that going on here.”

  I don’t respond, and thankfully, Declan doesn’t push.

  We take the final streets in silence. It’s only when their office is in view that another thought hits me.

  “If you guys take shifts on Hart, how come you were all on the other night?”

  “Because of the tip we received that something would be going down, it was all-hands-on-deck. Instead, we found you lot parading into The Glitter Fountain and had to act. I’m not sure if the tip was wrong, or if your attendance changed things for Clayton, but nothing out of the ordinary happened.”

  This is even more reason for me to do what is right, even if the thought of going on a date with Hart scares me to death.

  “If that Gemma girl isn’t getting much information by working there, why don’t you tell her to quit? She could help you guys out rather than being someone else you have to keep an eye on.”

  “Having Gemma close is an asset. She’s worked at his club for over six months. He trusts her, and the girls trust her.”

  I nod, assuming they know better than I ever could.

  Declan swings into the parking lot, but when I move to undo my seatbelt once he is parked, he places his hand over mine to stop the action.

  “I need a favor from you.”

  “Okay.” I sound as unsure as I feel. What could Declan possibly want?

  “I want Sasha as far away from this as possible. She’s going to ask you questions when we walk into the office. I want you to say whatever you need to say to get her off what this really is about.”

  I don’t know if I can lie that effectively.

  “Why don’t you just get Zander to meet me out here?”

  “Zander has back-to-back meetings with clients all morning. If he leaves, then it’s going to look suspicious, and Sasha will immediately know something is up. If I try to sneak you through the back, Cynthia will see us, and there is no way that stays with her. Sasha will find out, and the fact that we were hiding you will raise some red flags.”

  “Then maybe I should wait until later to see Zander, or I can speak to him on the phone.”

  “If he’s going to be onboard with this plan, he has to see you face-to-face. It’s too easy to forget you’re a real, untrained person who is important to Joey if he doesn’t have to look you in the eyes. And since you set this date for tomorrow night, we don’t have time for a later meeting.”

  “You’re making this sound like a huge deal. It’s one date.”

  “It’s putting you in clear sight of a man we believe to be one of the sickest men in the world.”

  Put like that, it does sound rather stupid and foolhardy.

  “What do I tell Sasha?”

  “I have faith you’ll think of something.”

  He clearly has a lot more faith than I do.

  When we walk into the office, I sigh in relief when I see Sasha is on the phone. I might get more time to come up with an excuse for being here. Unfortunately, whoever she’s on the phone with is quickly placed on hold.

  “Teagan? What are you doing here?”

  “I just … I was free and …” I trail off, seriously having no idea what I am supposed to say.

  If I suck this bad just talking to Sasha, how the hell am I supposed to handle Hart Clayton?

  “She thinks someone might be stealing from her work. She’s here to speak to Zander.”

  “Someone is stealing from you?” Sasha gasps.

  While I feel a little bad that she’s angry on my behalf over something that isn’t even happening, I’m also relieved I don’t have to come up with something myself.

  “Yeah, I think so.”

  “Joey should handle this. He won’t be happy if—”

  “He will be,” Declan cuts in. “Teagan just wanted to make sure she wasn’t stepping on anyone’s toes, and to be sure that her interest in Joey isn’t just some way to get out of paying.”

  I wince at that insinuation. I might not be willing to throw myself and my heart at Joey, but I would never do something like burn down his house and force us to be friends all so I can avoid having to pay him a fee to look into something for me.

  “Oh, right. He’s in with clients, though,” she says, standing and looking at me a little guardedly.

  Great, now she’s suspicious of me!

  “I told her she could have his time for just a few minutes. Will you ask him to come into my office?”

  “Are you sure it’s just about Teagan’s work? Joey is okay, right?”

  “Joey’s fine,” I rush to assure her, trying to smile through my unease.

  “Will you send a message to Zander, please?” Declan asks, stepping closer to Sasha and kissing her hard on the lips.

  I look away when it carries on a little too long to be appropriate in the company of others.

  When Cynthia saunters past, she gives me a quick wave then points her thumb at the smooching couple and rolls her eyes.

  “Get a room!” she hollers, causing them to jump.

  She doesn’t even stop walking as she rounds the desk and enters a different hallway.

  “I hate how she does that! It’s like she has Jerry feeding her whenever we’re kissing so she can interrupt,” Sasha grumbles, plonking herself down heavily on her chair before she types away at her computer. “Message sent.”

  “Thanks. And … we’ll pick that back up later.” Declan’s cheeky grin is enough to get me feeling flustered, and it isn’t even directed at me!

  Sasha literally fans herself. With the way she’s looking at him, I don’t think she’s seeing Declan fully clothed. Her mind’s eye has taken her to what will be happening later tonight between them.

  I follow Declan into his office, nervously sitting in one of the seats in front of his desk while he taps away on his computer.

  “It’s a little scary how easily you lied to Sasha.”

  He gives me his attention, not at all appearing offended. “Knowing she would hurricane her way into the middle if she caught wind of it, makes lying a little easier. I will always protect her.”

  His words are sweet, and give
n his clear love for her, it isn’t hard to see that his first priority will always be Sasha.

  I wish dedication like that was common, but unfortunately, it’s not.

  “Dec, Teagan,” Zander mutters, closing Declan’s office door behind him. “What’s going on? Sasha said something was going on at your work?”

  Zander is wearing a suit, which does nothing to make him look any less than a muscled Adonis. How does Sasha get any work done around here when she has all these good-looking men parading around?

  I look to Declan, who encourages me with a quick nod.

  “We made that up for Sasha. What’s really going on is that, today at work, Hart Clayton came in to see me.”

  “Are you okay?” Zander’s eyes immediately drift to Declan for a moment before settling back on me.

  “Yes, he wasn’t … Nothing happened. But he asked me out.”

  “He asked you out?” Zander slowly repeats, his eyes suddenly distant as he considers what that likely means.

  “Yes, on a date. We decided on tomorrow night,” I blurt out. I might as well get saying that over and done with.

  “You said yes?” He sounds surprised. Hell, I’m surprised at myself.

  “He mentioned going to his club after dinner, if I was interested. Joey revealed that you guys haven’t been able to get into his office, that only his security and dates see the inside of it. I thought …” I gulp, fully aware I am so far out of my comfort zone that I’m in an entirely new zip code. “If I can get in there, then maybe I can help you get what you need. See if I can steal something, or plant some device that will help you have eyes or ears in there.”

  Zander is still staring at me intently, his eyes burning holes into me.

  “What—” I clear my suddenly dry throat. “What do you think?”

  “You’re willing to do this?”

  I nod, fear clenching my jaw shut.

  Zander eyes me again, but he looks distracted. Maybe he’s thinking things over rather than truly seeing me.

  “You can’t be seriously thinking this is an option?” Declan angrily interjects. “Not only is it a stupid idea and full of potential for Teagan getting hurt, but Joey will kill you.”

  “This isn’t Joey’s decision,” Zander snaps at him.

  “Like hell it isn’t! Would you be okay if I was having this discussion about Ava to Joey? Or do you expect me not to care if this was Sasha we were talking about?”