“How the hell did you know?” Lex asked. “I barely told…” Lex looked toward the store. “Deidre.”
“She called Sloan. And since I was at his place… So where’s the little lady?”
“Inside.” Lex glanced at the huge truck parked behind his Rolls.
Dom followed his eyes and smirked. “Makes that foreign shit look pathetic, doesn’t she?”
Lex chuckled. The man had a sick sense of humor. “You know what they say about men driving big-ass trucks.”
“Screw you, Fitz,” Dom said and walked ahead of him. Lex followed, noting the manila envelope tucked under his arm.
“Is that envelope for me?”
“Sloan wants Deidre to sign some papers, but as usual she’s being difficult. Why am I the go-to guy whenever he has to deal with her?”
“She has the others wrapped around her little finger. You, on the other hand, don’t put up with her bullshit.”
Dom grinned. “Neither do you.”
“Doesn’t mean I’m immune to her charms. I just happened to have grown up surrounded by women and know their little tricks.”
“I didn’t know we had little tricks, Alexander,” Jillian said, coming to stand beside him.
“Not you, sweetheart.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and anchored her to his side. “Jillian, I want you to meet Dominic Manos. Dom, Jillian Finnegan.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Manos,” Jillian said, offering him her hand.
“Dom, please.” He trapped her hand in his large ones, green eyes narrowing as he studied her. “Have we met before?”
Jillian smiled, studying his face. “I don’t think so. I would have remembered.”
Lex squeezed Jillian’s shoulder. “Most people work really hard to forget crossing Dom’s path, or he makes sure they forget.”
Jillian elbowed him. “Don’t be mean, Alexander.”
Dom flashed a genuine smile. “Yes, Alexander. Heel and take this to Deidre while Jillian and I get to know each other.”
Dom still held on to her hand, which bugged the crap out of Lex. He tugged and regained control of Jillian’s hand. “I don’t think so, my friend. We have other appointments.” But Jillian dug her heels in when he nudged her forward.
“You designed the holograph they use here,” she said. Dom nodded, but when he cocked his eyebrows in question, she added, “Mona mentioned it. It is an amazing instrument. Every store should use them.”
“That’s the plan. The Fearless Finnegans?”
Jillian flushed and the smile left her face. “Maybe.”
“I recall a fair-haired changeling among them, until The Phantom Rider.”
Jillian’s cheeks grew pink. “Anonymity has its perks.”
“Your secret is safe with me.”
Lex had no idea what they were discussing. He’d never had a reason to be jealous of his friend until today. What the hell were The Fearless Finnegans and The Phantom Rider? Movies she was in and didn’t want anyone to know about? She’d cracked a joke about loving Phantoms, but he’d thought she meant his car.
“We’ll see you tonight, Dom,” Lex said, eager to leave.
Dom nodded, but he was back to scowling and staring behind Jillian. Lex looked over his shoulder and saw why. Deidre had entered the showroom. Instead of ignoring Dom the way she usually did, she gave him a cheeky smile.
At one time, Lex had thought there was something between them, but then she’d started dating some tennis pro, their pictures hitting the tabloids, including Ron’s. Dom hadn’t seemed to care. He’d continued to bring his one-night stands, two or three at a time, to Sloan’s parties.
“Dom, what a surprise?” Deidre reached up, pressed a kiss on his cheek, and fluttered her lashes. “Isn’t this wonderful news? Lex is getting married. Are you here to see me?” She didn’t wait for him to respond, just slipped her arm around his. “Let’s go to my office and catch up. You two”—she wagged her finger at Lex and Jillian—“don’t get married while I’m gone. I’ll be back in two weeks, so let’s do lunch, Jillian. I’ve decided we should be friends. Give Rod hell for the story and pictures, Lex. He deserves it.”
Lex shook his head. He’d never understand women. He whisked Jillian away from Noelle and, for the next several stops, learned a little more about her. He’d thought she was just reluctant to buy lingerie because they were intimate apparel, but it turned out she was a frugal shopper, which only made him want to shower her with more things.
She tried on shoes, sighed, and returned them. Lex had the saleslady wrap them all up while Jillian reluctantly signed papers for another account.
One day, she would appreciate the convenience of having access to things without worrying about making it to a store before it closed. He entertained clients often, sometimes more than once a week. Since quite a number of them were from out of town and often brought their wives, Jillian would need to accompany him.
After several more stores, she begged him to stop. “I’m starving, and my feet hurt.”
He touched the remote in his pocket and grinned. He promised to make lunch very interesting. “I know this restaurant not far from here—”
“Oh no,” Jillian said, gripping his wrist so he wouldn’t start the car. “We’re picking up food from my favorite restaurant, then going to my place to eat, put this stuff away, and rest my feet.”
Even better. “We can rest together.”
She eyed him suspiciously. “When are we going to your friend’s house?”
He checked at his watch. “Five. We have three hours to kill. How do we spend it since you don’t want to shop?”
“We’ll do whatever you want if”—she extended her hand—“you let me drive.”
That was a no-brainer. He didn’t even argue with her. He handed her the car keys and traded places with her. Her eyes widened when he pulled out the remote.
She looked at it and shook her head. “No, Lex. You can’t use that while I’m driving.”
“Sorry, babe. You don’t decide what I can or cannot do.” But he placed the remote in the tray between their seats. Teaching her to trust him was going to be fun.
“I swear, one of these days…” She started the car.
Her favorite restaurant turned out to be a fast food joint. He couldn’t remember the last time he ate burgers and fries, but his mouth watered with anticipation. He reached for his wallet after they placed their order.
“Put that away, Lex. I’m paying,” she said, handing the cashier the money.
“I thought we agreed—”
“No, we didn’t. You insisted and said it wasn’t negotiable. This is my treat.”
“Really? This?” He took a handful of fries and shoved them in his mouth. Hmm, they were good. Cripsy. He reached for more.
“When was the last time you had burgers and fries?”
It had been years. “Last month.”
“Liar.”
“A couple of years. I’d forgotten how good they taste.”
She laughed, the sound filling the car. He’d missed hearing it. “Want some?”
He fed her as she drove. She was anal about how she ate her fries. One at a time. It wasn’t until she parked outside her apartment that he brought up the question that had been bothering him. “What is The Fearless Finnegans?”
“Somehow, I knew you’d bring that up. How about we carry all our purchases and food inside, and then we can talk while eating?”
“I’ve finished my fries. We should have bought more.” He grabbed the bags of food and the two drinks, and had a burger in his hand by the time he reached the door.
“Seriously? You’re eating first instead of taking in my things?” Jillian asked. She was by the back door of the Phantom.
Lex grinned and took a big bite of the burger. “Hmm, this is good. Want a bite?” She shook her head. “You don’t know what you’re missing.” He was reaching for more fries when he saw two men step out of a black SUV across from her house. Something about them was
off.
“Hey, those are my fries,” Jillian yelled and abandoned the car.
A bad feeling washed over him when the men looked furtively around and started toward them. The bald-headed guy realized Lex had noticed them and lifted the edge of his jacket to reveal the butt of a gun.
Unaware of what was happening, Jillian snatched the bag of food from his hand and said something he missed.
“Come on. Unlock the door quickly,” Lex said from the corner of his mouth.
She chuckled. “You really must be starving.”
“Just do it, Jillian,” he snapped.
“Watch that tone, mister.” Instead of opening the door, she pointed the key at him, noticed his expression—which he was sure showed his unease—followed the direction of his gaze, and whimpered.
CHAPTER 17
“The Armenians,” Jillian whispered.
She remembered that shiny head peeking out the window the day she’d learned about her father’s money problems. This could end up bad. The only thing she could do was make sure Lex wasn’t caught in her mess.
“Let me handle this,” Lex whispered.
“No, Lex. This is my problem, not yours.” If anything were to happen to him… Or worse, if they learned his identity, shit would hit the fan. Thugs always followed the money, and Lex was a better bargaining chip than she was.
“Damn it, Jillian,” Lex growled. “I know what I’m doing. Men like these only understand one thing. Brute force.”
She’d been sure he’d say money. What the hell did he plan to do? Take them down? No, she had to do something. Maybe she should pretend she wasn’t Jillian. That she was visiting and was at the wrong house. Nah, if they’d been scouting her house, they knew exactly who she was.
There was no way she could bullshit her way out of this, unless she drew the attention of her neighbors. Her subdivision was full of young, upward mobile men and women, and on Sundays, they hung out at the pool and gym, which were in the building across the parking lot. Someone was likely to see them.
“Jillian Finnegan?” Baldie asked, stopping a fair distance and widening his stance. His right hand slipped under his jacket, probably for his gun.
“Who wants to know?” she asked aloud, hoping a neighbor heard her. Lex stiffened.
Baldie chuckled and exchanged grins with his partner, who was of average height and skinny with greasy hair. Physically, he was lacking as a sidekick, but his beady, dark eyes shone with malice and he had cruel lips. He was the one she had to watch for. The smaller thugs often had a complex and overcompensated.
“The boss wants to see you,” Baldie said in a thick Armenian accent.
“She’s not going anywhere,” Lex said and gripped her arm.
Baldie studied Lex. “Do I know you from somewhere? Why does he look familiar, Yegor?”
“He’s probably like her,” Cruel Lips said in an even heavier accent and laughed like a demented fool. “A star in the business.”
“Leave before either of you does something you’ll regret,” Lex warned, not appearing intimidated by the two men. In fact, he sounded cocky. “Tell your boss that if he ever bothers Ms. Finnegan again, he’ll have to deal with me.”
Jillian closed her eyes. Did he understand that men like Baldie didn’t handle threats very well? Her heart hurtled to her throat when Baldie adjusted his stance, glanced around, and tapped the bulge at his waist. He was definitely packing.
Mouth dry, Jillian tried to take a step away from Lex, but his grip tightened. She elbowed him. “What my bodyguard is saying is I can take care of this. You’ll get the money my family owes your boss as soon as I talk to my father,” she said, still buying time. Come on, neighbors. Look out your windows. Videotape us. Do something. “We can stop at the house on our way.”
Baldie sneered. “We’re not interested in the money, Ms. Finnegan. We are here for you.”
“Why?” Stupid neighbors. Of all days to keep their noses out of my business, they had to pick this one.
“Because you are Jillian Finnegan. Now what we find interesting is what your father said when we stopped by his house. Do you know what he said?”
“That I’m not his daughter,” Jillian said, hating that it still hurt to say those words.
Baldie chuckled. “That’s right. And that’s after you arrived and left in a helicopter. Now why would a man deny having a daughter and remove pictures of her from his walls? A daughter neighbors said is a big star?”
No wonder the pictures were missing when she’d gone with Lex.
“I told you she’s a porn star,” Cruel Lips said from the corner of his mouth.
“Shut up, Yegor!” Baldie said.
Now Jillian was offended. “Excuse me?”
“Nobody’s seen her in any real movies,” Yegor whined, and Baldie let out a string of words in Armenian. From Yegor’s expression, he’d just been chastised.
Lex had reached his limit. His voice cut like shards of glass when he spoke. “I’m going to say this one last time. Leave before someone gets hurt.”
“What are you going to do, Mr. Bodyguard?” Baldie asked.
“He’s a nobody,” Jillian said quickly and jerked her arm from Lex’s hand. She was surprised when he let her go. “He’s a struggling actor I’m paying to act as my bodyguard.” The irony of it all. “We can leave him here. I’m sure he’ll find his way home.”
“Sure, I will.” Lex practically shoved her behind him. “After you leave.”
Jillian groaned. Men. She started to move around him and froze. Douglas was by the phantom, right behind the two men. Had he been following them?
Lex moved toward the two men. They smirked. Baldie charged, but Lex shifted his body fast, grabbed Baldie by the shirt, lifting his left knee at the same time, then yanked the man down. His head connected with Lex’s knee. He whipped Baldie around and shoved him into the shrubbery.
Holy crap. Lex can fight.
Cruel Lips reached under his coat, but Douglas was behind him. Jillian had never seen a man move that fast. Cruel Lips didn’t see him coming either. One second, he was upright, and the next face down with Douglas’ foot on his back.
“I hate guns,” Douglas said. He removed the clip and dropped the gun. It hit Cruel Lips, who whimpered, before it landed on the cement with a clang.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Lex warned. Baldie was trying to get up and reach for his gun, which had fallen and was only a few feet from Jillian.
Jillian grabbed and cocked it.
“Jillian,” Lex said slowly. “Give me the gun.”
She shook her head. “I’m not going to be victimized by you guys,” she said, her voice shaking, reaction setting in. She pointed the gun at Baldie. “Tell your boss he’ll get his money. If he comes after me or goes after my father, I will contact the police and tell them everything.”
Baldie nodded.
“The gun, Jillian,” Lex said.
She ignored him. “Get up,” she ordered Baldie.
He scampered to his feet and shuffled backward. He tripped over his partner, who was still on the ground, and fell backward. They struggled to their feet. Cruel Lips took his gun and ran to their SUV. When Baldie started to follow him, Jillian called out, “Forgetting something?”
The man looked back and shook his head.
“Your gun.” She quickly dismantled it, the pieces dropping on the ground with thuds. Like Douglas, she palmed the clip. She was starting to shake. Lex still looked furious. Douglas nodded at her with approval.
Baldie collected the pieces of his gun with clumsy hands, then shuffled backward, eyes filled with hatred as they darted from Jillian to Lex, then back to Jillian. She read the promise in those eyes. He would hurt her the next time they met.
She was so terrified she couldn’t think straight. There was no telling what those men would do if they came back and found her alone. And there was no question they would return meaner than ever.
“They’ll be back,” she whisper
ed.
“Let’s get you inside,” he said.
“No. You should leave.” She tried to unlock her door, but her hand started to shake. “You cannot be involved in this. You could get hurt. Or worse.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Jillian.”
Tears weren’t far from falling, but she refused to cry. She focused on unlocking the door, but her hand shook so hard and she couldn’t direct the key into the stupid keyhole.
“Let me do it,” Lex said gently from behind her.
“No,” she snapped.
He wrapped his arms around her and refused to let go no matter how hard she struggled. The fight left her and she sunk into him, allowing his warmth to chase away the cold that had crawled under her skin. She fought the tears and won.
Somehow, Lex knew the moment she calmed down. Without saying a word, he covered her hand and directed the key to the lock. He waited until she turned it and pushed the door open before letting her go.
Jillian entered her house on shaky legs, expecting the worst. Everything was exactly the way she’d left it, yet it wasn’t the same. This used to be home. Her sanctuary. Those goons violated it by ambushing her. How long had they been waiting outside? How had they known where she lived?
Jillian went to the bedroom and dragged out a suitcase, then another. She yanked clothes from hangers and threw them in the cases. Shoes, boots, jeans, and shirts. She emptied drawers without thought. She was rattled, and she hated being rattled. Damn bastards. Her brothers should have used the money she’d left with them. Just wait until she got them on the phone.
Voices reached her from the living room. Did Douglas follow Lex everywhere he went? What was he? Bodyguard? Driver? Master of all trades?
“Of course she can’t stay here,” Lex said, his voice sounding closer. “Those bastards will come back.”
Oh, she planned not to be around when they did. She had to talk to her brothers. She reached for her phone where she always kept it and remembered she’d dropped in the water. Stupid move, Jillian. Until Petrosian had his money, she wouldn’t be safe. There was no saying what they’d do to her to get to her father. Cruel Lips already thought she was a porn star.
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