by Tara Randel
“Huh?”
“Sorry to bother you, Mr. Battles. I wanted to let you know I’m leaving and will finish up tomorrow.”
“Let’s get one thing straight,” he said.
Oh, no. I shouldn’t have come back here.
She tugged her purse strap tighter over her shoulder. “Yes?”
“Call me Rico.”
She eased out a breath. “Right. Rico, it is.”
Over his shoulder she could partially see into the room. A more updated computer system streamed information over a large screen. This was definitely the hub of Rico’s business. And the system to which she most needed to gain access.
“See you tomorrow,” he said, already closing the door.
“Yes.”
Returning to the shop, Dante met her on the way. “What do you say we grab a sandwich? Then you can bring me back here.”
She raised a brow in question. His barely perceptible nod gave her the heads-up. Not now.
“Sounds good to me.”
He took her hand, eliciting another shiver, waving to his coworkers with the other. “Going to have dinner with my wife. Later.”
Ramsey grinned. Mac glared.
“Do those two have any different facial expressions?” Eloise asked under her breath.
“No. That’s pretty much it.”
At the passenger door, he dropped an unexpected kiss on her lips. Her breath lodged in her throat and her eyes went wide. When he pulled away, she started to ask him what he was up to, but he placed a finger against her lips to hush her.
“Can’t resist giving my wife a kiss.”
Right. His wife. The cover.
Sheesh. She needed to remember that.
* * *
IT ONLY TOOK a few minutes to drive to a nearby sandwich shop, but the silence in the truck made the ride seem five times longer. Okay, he’d told Eloise no more kissing but they still needed to maintain their cover.
“You mad at me?”
She blew out a sigh. “No. I realize you kissed me for show.”
Or not.
“You just caught me off guard.”
His fingers tightened on the steering wheel. “Sorry. Seemed like a good time.”
“I agree. Mac is waiting for you to make a mistake so he can pounce.”
“True. He still doesn’t trust me.”
“I suppose that’s good. Supports your role.”
Dante shot her a sidelong glance. “What did you say to him? He came over and clapped me on the back. Said he didn’t envy me being married.”
“I simply reminded him to look after his own laundry.”
Dante chuckled. “Good for you.”
She shrugged. “I never liked people who assumed things about others, especially women.”
“Me, neither. My mom was always big on being respectful, especially to women.”
“She sounds wonderful.”
“Yeah. She is.”
“Any luck finding information on her new boyfriend?”
“Dylan hasn’t gotten back to me. I’m assuming he either hasn’t learned a thing, or he did and took care of it.”
“Without filling you in?”
“If necessary.”
“Sounds like you and your brother are a lot alike.”
He stopped at a red light and turned his head to her. “Why would you say that?”
“You always take care of a situation immediately. Good or bad. I imagine if your brother has confronted your mom without telling you or your brothers, that means he’s sorted out the matter.”
“Huh.” He never would have pegged him and Dylan being similar, but as Eloise pointed out, Dylan did have a knack for taking over without first running it by his superiors. Isn’t that exactly what Dylan had done in Cypress Pointe when he had a lead on a notorious drug dealer? He’d gone undercover at the florist convention to dig up intel. And his hunch was right. In the end, he caught the bad guy and got the girl.
“I never looked at it that way.”
“You should.”
Traffic moved along and he pulled into a full parking lot. He found a spot and parked. Before Eloise could exit the truck, he placed his hand on hers. “Thanks.”
“For what?”
“Seeing the similarity. Trust me, no one in my family would ever have noticed it.”
“I’m not family,” she said as she opened the door.
True. But wouldn’t it be nice?
Once inside the crowded shop, they placed their orders. The yeasty scent of freshly baked bread made his stomach growl. Taking a seat at a table in the corner, Dante noted the excited expression on Eloise’s face and hoped she’d found evidence they could use.
Eloise glanced over her shoulder, then leaned closer to the table, her voice low. The din of the busy shop kept the conversation private. “I found something but I don’t know what it means.”
The kick of adrenaline shot through him. “Go on.”
“Most of the paperwork in Rico’s office has to do with the shop. Legitimate work. But I found a paper with Griffin Enterprises letterhead. Sound familiar to you?”
He thought for a moment. “No.”
“The second I saw the name I knew I’d seen or heard it somewhere, but I can’t pinpoint the source. When I get home tonight I’ll search.”
“Think it might be the lead we’ve been hoping for?”
“We’ll see.”
He grinned. “Never like to get ahead of yourself, do you?”
“No. I prefer hard facts.”
A server came to the table to drop off their orders.
Dante lifted his roast beef and Swiss on a crusty roll and before taking a bite asked, “Anything else?”
Eloise lifted the top half of her bread, added mustard to her turkey from the bottle on the table. “When Rico opened the door to the building out back, I could see a very sophisticated computer system running. He insists he doesn’t like working on them—I mean, have you seen the dinosaur in his business office? Anyway, he has to know a thing or two about the computer to get around what I glimpsed on the screen.”
“We need to find a way inside?”
“Yes. He warned me away from the building, but did give me an opening when he said I could bother him with questions.” She grinned at him. “Tomorrow I’ll have questions.”
“And maybe more information about Griffin Enterprises.”
She placed the bread back on her sandwich, then tapped a finger on her temple. “It’s right there, but I can’t place it.”
“It’ll come to you. Don’t force it.”
She took a bite of her sandwich and chewed. He liked watching her, the dainty way she ate or how her eyebrows angled when she was engrossed in a book. He’d caught her seated in the armchair in the living room a few nights ago, glasses on, reading a thick book. He silently stood out of the way, taking her in. Wondered what a real life with her would be like. Shook off his fancy. She needed someone more grounded than him. More serious.
Living with her was different than he’d expected. She wasn’t bossy or critical of his housekeeping skills. He’d laughed when she thanked him for putting his dishes in the dishwasher when he was finished eating. What had she expected, that he was a slob?
“Have you ever had a roommate?”
She blinked. Swallowed. “No.”
“I didn’t think so.”
She set the sandwich down. “Where did that come from?”
“Since living together, you thank me for doing little things around the house. Like you’re surprised.”
“I...um. Should I not say anything?”
“No. I like it.”
He smiled at her befuddled expression, then resumed eating. They’d just finished when he reached across the table and linked he
r hand with his.
“What—”
“Ramsey just walked in,” he said, voice low.
Instead of turning toward the door, Eloise tightened their grip. “What do you suggest?”
“Act like newlyweds?”
That is how Ramsey found them when he sauntered over, smiling at each other.
“Hey. Didn’t know you two were coming here.”
Dante looked up. “Ramsey. It’s nearby.”
As Ramsey greeted them, Dante didn’t miss the strange light in his eyes.
“Care to join us?”
“Nah. I can see by the bread crumbs that you two are finished eating. I’ll place an order and take it back to the shop.” He smiled. “See ya.”
He went about his business while Dante rose. “Let’s get out of here.”
She nodded and they hurried back to the truck.
“What’s with the look?” Eloise asked as soon as they were in the cab.
“I don’t know. I feel like Ramsey intentionally followed us.”
“Why would he?”
“Don’t know. Like you said, it’s there—I just can’t put a finger on it.” He started the ignition. “Listen, why don’t you drop me off.”
“You don’t want the truck?”
“I do, but I want them to see us together like everything is normal. Then later when you pick me up, we can run by the warehouse again.”
“It’s not too soon?”
“Call it a hunch, but something feels off. Rico’s been edgy all day and Ramsey... There’s a gleam in his eyes I haven’t seen before.”
“Noted. I’ll pick you up later.”
Once back at the shop, Dante stopped the truck by the curb. He jumped out, holding the driver’s-side door open for Eloise when she came around the vehicle. Before she could climb inside, he placed his hands on either side of her face and gave her a long, thorough kiss. Later he’d claim it was for show, but really, he needed this.
When he pulled back, Eloise slowly opened her eyes. “So, um, call me when you’re ready for me to get you.”
He planted another kiss on her lips, then walked backward to the open bay door, giving her a thumbs-up. Once she’d driven away, he turned. Mac stood behind him, arms crossed over his beefy chest.
“Really?”
Dante grinned his most charming newlywed grin, then hurried off to work.
The hours passed by slowly. No VIN work tonight from what he could tell. Ramsey kept his distance but Dante felt the man’s eyes on him when his back was turned. He’d have to get Eloise to dig deeper into this guy’s background.
Just after midnight, Rico told him to head home. He called Eloise and she arrived fifteen minutes later.
“Are the others leaving, too?” she asked, pulling away from the curb.
“I think so.”
“Should we still go by the warehouse?”
“Yes. Like I said, something is off.”
When she arrived at the industrial park, Dante pointed to a parking area across the street from the warehouse containing the stolen vehicles. “Park in between those cars over there.”
Eloise pulled into the lot and killed the engine. The taut silence in the cab bugged him, especially since they weren’t tailing a suspect this time.
“Are we going to check it out?” Eloise asked.
He held up a hand. “Just a minute.”
While they waited, she scrounged behind the seat and pulled out a pair of binoculars. Handed them to Dante.
When he took them, their fingers brushed. “I’ll bet you were a Girl Scout.”
“I wish,” she muttered under her breath.
Sure enough, a familiar car came down the main drag, slowing as it neared the warehouse. Dante lifted the binoculars. “Ramsey.”
As they watched, Ramsey’s beater rattled into the warehouse parking lot and halted close to the building. He opened the door and stood next to his car, surveying the area. After a few minutes, he got back inside. Drove to the end of the lot. Before turning on the main road, he sat there, idling. Scanning the lot he and Eloise were in?
Dante held his breath, ready to duck if Ramsey pulled into the area where they were hiding. Long moments passed, then Ramsey pulled out and drove back down the street.
Eloise blew out a breath. “That was close.”
“When I first started at the garage, I didn’t think Ramsey was a problem. Now? I’m not so sure.” He turned to see her pretty face in half-shadows. She had that intense look about her. She was a lot tougher than she gave herself credit for. An intoxicating mix of strength and femininity he found increasingly attractive.
“We can’t chance checking the warehouse tonight. We’ll try again later.”
As if reading his mind, Eloise said, “In the meantime, I’ll dig deeper on Ramsey.”
He nodded. Met her somber gaze. Something shifted. In the air, or him, he wasn’t sure. All he knew was that they were in sync, more in tune than he’d ever been with any woman in his life. More than any other person, for that matter. The fact warmed and scared him at the same time. He didn’t ever want her to regret teaming up with him.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
SATURDAY MORNING, A group of chattering women sat around Eloise’s living room, gossiping and drinking coffee. Martha had been scheduled to host the craft group last night, but a few days earlier she’d confided in Eloise that she was feeling tired, and talked Eloise into moving the meeting to today at her house. She’d argued against it, not sure this was a smart move in light of her real purpose—catching criminals—but Martha wouldn’t take no for an answer. And honestly, Eloise couldn’t resist her. Dante had assured her it would be okay, but Eloise wasn’t sure.
Standing in the kitchen doorway, she observed her guests. It felt odd, having women over to her place. With her focus always on work, she’d never had any real friends, except Brandy, but even their friendship was relatively new. There were never late nights at her apartment, sitting around with girlfriends drinking wine and telling stories. Eloise had always been the odd woman out, in high school through college, until landing a position on the police force, and even then, she still held back. Witnessing the comfort level of the ladies here today, she keenly realized she’d missed out on the opportunity of wonderful camaraderie with others. The shame of it was that, once the case was over, so would these new friendships.
“Dear, you seem a very long way from here,” Martha said as she carried a tray of warm muffins, right out of the oven. The scent of blueberries and sweet spices made Eloise’s tummy grumble.
Shaking off her thoughts, she grabbed hold of the oven mitts and transferred the tray from Martha to herself. “Sorry. Just thinking, when I should be enjoying everyone’s company.”
“You act like this is the first time you’ve entertained.”
“It is.”
“Since you’ve been married?”
“No. First time ever.”
Wide-eyed, Martha leaned against her cane. “You’ve never had friends to your house?”
Eloise felt her cheeks heat. “I don’t really have many friends. Only one, really.” But Eloise couldn’t invite Brandy here today.
“Surely you had girlfriends over when you were younger. Sleepovers, perhaps?”
“My parents weren’t big on having people at the house.”
An understatement if there ever was one. Sylvia and Jonathan Archer were either at the college teaching classes or in their offices. And when they were home, they liked it to be just the two of them, with Eloise tucked away in her room.
“Then it’s a good thing you moved to this neighborhood,” Martha said. A grin flashed across her face, like she’d come up with an idea. “You know, you should host the craft group every time it’s my turn.”
“Martha, I don’t want to overstep.”
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“I’m just not up to readying the house for guests these days.”
An alarm triggered in Eloise. “Are you okay?”
Martha waved away her concern. “Just getting old. If you take over, I can visit with the ladies and you can do all the work.”
Eloise laughed. “I should have known you had an ulterior motive.”
“When you get to be my age, you can make all the excuses you want.”
“Agreed.”
Eloise followed Martha into the living room, setting the tray on the coffee table. While Martha sank into the comfy armchair, Stella eyed the goodies with an evil eye. Yes, Eloise had invited the boss’s wife and, to her surprise, Stella showed up. Eloise had invited Stella on a whim when they ran into each other at the grocery store. She’d explained the harrowing ordeal of cleaning Rico’s office and Stella was suitably embarrassed, enough to make sure she couldn’t turn down the invitation.
The second part of Eloise’s plan hinged on the two women comparing notes about Rico’s untidy office, hoping to learn more about the operation at the auto shop.
“Ellie Smith, you’ve seen all the hard work it takes to go to the spa and buy new clothes. Now you want to sabotage me with that calorie-laden muffin? I won’t fit into my new outfits.”
Betsy from across the street, blonde and perky to Stella’s dark and exotic eye-tilt, chimed in, “You can always work out with me.”
“Do I look like I exercise?” Stella shivered. At ten in the morning, she was in full makeup and a trendy outfit with high-heeled shoes, compared to the other casually dressed women. Eloise had settled on shorts, an off-the-shoulder shirt and sandals.
“If you want to keep wearing those clothes,” another woman, Marie, piped in, then took a big bite of a muffin. This led to good-natured banter and a promise by Stella to consider a trip to the gym.
Martha clapped her hands together. “Now, ladies. Let’s get started.” She leaned over the basket at her feet. “I understand most of you are novices when it comes to knitting.”