Shaking herself from thoughts of the past, she smirked at Leo. “I’ll believe that when I see it.”
Leo flipped a nozzle forward and filled a glass with beer, then sent it sliding down the counter. When he wiped his hands on a cloth and flipped it over his shoulder, he approached her. His rough fingers brushed her cheek. “All you have to do is give in.”
Evie waited for her body to ignite like it had done with Kian’s touch, but nothing stirred. She still loved Leo in her own way, but not the way he wanted. Sometimes, she wondered if she was being fair to him letting him help her, staying close by. Maybe she should move out of North Carolina and go somewhere no one knew her to start over.
While she pondered leaving town and Leo waited for her response, the noise level and music blaring continued all around them. Customers shouted to each other in conversation above the din, and others called for another drink. In the midst of it all, Evie had the distinct feeling someone watched her. She ducked out of Leo’s reach and turned to scan her surroundings. Several men cast her appreciative glances, but that was nothing new. A couple signaled to her, and she served them drinks. The sensation continued throughout the night until Leo announced last call.
The crowd began to thin out, and Evie got a better look at all the faces. No one she recognized was among the crowd, rather just the regulars, those who didn’t seem to want to go home and had nowhere else to go. Leo shuffled stragglers to the door, and Evie walked to the storage room to locate bottles of Hennessey to restock the front. Leo’s raised voice reached her, which she heard clear enough now that he’d turned the music down.
“What the hell are you here for? Do you have a search warrant?”
Evie’s heart raced. She almost dropped the bottles in her hands, but clenched them tightly. Leo would kill her for the waste if she broke them, plus take the cost from her pay. She made decent money tending bar, but she saved most of it for when she decided what to do with the rest of her life.
Maybe whomever he spoke with was the regular police. There was no reason to think it was the FBI, more specifically Kian. Licking her lips and rolling her shoulders, she started toward the front, but froze in the doorway when she spotted him. He looked the same—same dark hair, same big, muscular build and air of authority. He still wore suits, the jackets of which did not disguise the perfect body with not a hint of excess flesh. He glared at Leo with those icy green eyes, eyes that had softened whenever they focused on her—until the incident.
Of course not much time had passed since she had seen him last, but every day over the last year and a half had felt like a thousand, and she’d just recently begun to believe she would be okay without him. Now, here he was. Did he sense his hold slipping, so he had come to strengthen it?
“I haven’t come to accuse you of anything or to search your bar,” Kian bit out through clenched teeth. “Trust me. The last place I want to be is here.”
“Then what?” Leo stood with his feet apart, his knuckles on his hips, as if that would threaten Kian. Sure, Leo met her ex-husband nose to nose. Both were tall men, but Kian had Leo by about forty pounds of muscle, if she had to guess, and being FBI, he had training that meant he could take a man’s life in seconds. She knew for a fact Leo could handle himself, but still, her money went to Kian in a fight between the two, and she did not want to bail Leo out of jail should he assault an officer of the law.
She strode over to the two men on shaky legs and hoped her expression hid how much Kian threw her off being there. “Cool it, Leo.” She grabbed his arm and tugged, but he wouldn’t be moved. Kian kept his gaze on her ex-boyfriend a moment longer, and then the frosty stare slid to her. A chill raced down her spine and then changed in an instant to fire in her belly. Her throat dried, and she dared not lick her lips again, because he watched for signs such as that. “What are you doing here, Kian?”
He didn’t answer, but continued to stare at her, saying nothing, his face an unreadable mask. Not until the other man spoke did she realize Kian hadn’t arrived alone. She had been too focused on Kian to notice him.
“Ma’am, we’re here because—”
“Taggert,” Kian interrupted. He glanced at the other agent and then looked at Leo. “If there’s somewhere we can speak in private?”
Evie’s mouth fell open. He did not just ignore her as if she didn’t exist. Never mind the fact that he’d been staring at her nonstop. She started forward, but Leo threw his arm out to stop her. “Whatever you have to say can be said in front of Evie. I don’t have anything to hide from her.”
Kian frowned. She knew he jumped to the conclusion that she and Leo were dating. She just caught herself from rolling her eyes. The idiot did that on purpose, and she knew it. He would pay for it later, but then again, why should she care what Kian thought? Let him believe she’d moved on, even if it wasn’t true. There hadn’t been anyone since him, and he didn’t need to know she would not choose Leo when she felt like dealing with the emotional turmoil of a relationship again.
Kian spared her a glance and then spoke to Leo. “Anthony Paine has escaped from prison.”
Evie didn’t know she had fainted until she glanced up to find Kian lowering her onto a couch in Leo’s office. She pushed at his chest and could have sobbed at the tense muscles, so unyielding and sexy. “Get off me, Kian!”
“You didn’t have to catch her,” Leo said over his shoulder. “I’ll take care of her.”
Kian sneered at him. “You’re too slow.” He made sure she was settled on the couch and then released her to step back.
Her head spun, and Leo disappeared only to return seconds later. He held a glass of amber liquid out to her. “Drink it.”
She took the glass with gratitude and took a sip. The alcohol burned going down, but it did fortify her a little. “Tell me I misheard you,” she whispered.
“This is why I wanted to speak with Mr. Vitali in private, Evie.”
“I’m fine, Kian. Besides, my welfare isn’t your concern anymore.” She sat up.
“I wouldn’t wish it to be,” he growled back, and she itched to smack his face.
Taggert looked from Kian to her and back again. His eyes widened. “Wait, it took me a minute, but Evie Sloane? You’re Agent Sloane’s wife.”
“Ex-wife, thank you very much.”
At both Evie’s and Kian’s glower, Taggert’s teeth snapped together, and he said no more. Evie had no doubt Kian knew where she lived and who owned the bar where she worked. When he saw her, no surprise registered on his face. He’d known she might be here, but he hadn’t informed his partner. Taggert seemed to come to the same conclusion, and from the expression on his face, he didn’t appreciate it.
“As I was saying,” Kian said, “Anthony Paine has escaped from prison, and the FBI believes he may be headed here.”
“To get his revenge on me, huh?” Leo asked. “My testimony put him behind bars. I guess I don’t blame him for wanting me dead.”
“That’s not funny, Leo.” Evie’s stomach stirred, and she swallowed, hoping she could keep it together.”
“I’m not making a joke, cupcake.” He touched her face, but she smacked his hand away. Enough was enough with the pretending they were a couple. He grinned when Kian scowled. “I did it for Evie, to make sure she was safe, and if I had to do it all over again, I would. You’re the fool who let him get out of a maximum-security prison, so you better find him quick.”
“We don’t need you to tell us how to do our job,” Kian shot back. “I wanted to inform you of the situation. We will be around should Paine show his face. If he contacts you, I expect you to give me a call.”
“You can expect anything you want.” Leo took the offered business card and crumpled it in his fist.
Kian turned to go, but she jumped to her feet. “Wait, Kian. Shouldn’t you put him in protective custody or something, a safe house?”
Her ex-husband frowned. He started to speak, but Leo cut him off. “Why would they do that? They want me out in
the open to draw Anthony into revealing himself. Don’t you realize, Evie, he’s leaving you open too. After all, you’re Anthony’s cousin. Why wouldn’t he come find the woman he loves like a sister? If he’s thinking of fleeing the country, he’ll take you of all people with him. Isn’t that right, Agent Sloane?”
Evie really was going to be sick. “Is that true, Kian? You’re using me as bait?”
“I—”
“Never mind. I don’t want to hear it.”
Taggert spoke up. “We would never do that, ma’am. However, we do need evidence Paine will come here before permission is granted to put either or both of you in a safe house. In the meantime, you will have protection.”
She nodded at Taggert’s explanation and noted her ex-husband’s tight-lipped expression. He had made no attempt to comfort her fears. She spun away from him and strode with as much dignity as she could muster from the bar to through the front door and around to the side of the building. For some odd reason, whoever had designed the place had made the entrance to the apartments on the second and third floor at the back. She occupied the second floor while Leo lived at the top. They had to pass out into the elements to get to work, even if it was only a few feet. Leo kept saying he would get a contractor in to remedy the design, but he hadn’t so far.
She let herself into her apartment and kicked the door shut, then tossed the keys onto an already cluttered table. The tiny one-bedroom place was a far cry from the home she’d shared with Kian. He’d owned the three-bedroom house in Ballantyne when she met him, and when she filed for divorce, she had refused to take anything of his, including alimony. Leo had called her crazy, but she never told him despite the court ruling that abided by her wishes, Kian sent her monthly checks anyway. She sent all of them back except one when she needed it most, but the stubborn man continued to send them.
Now that she’d reached the sanctuary of her apartment, her stomach settled down. She gazed around, taking in the worn but still in good condition couch and loveseat, the thirty-two inch flat screen TV, and the coffee table she’d picked up from a second hand store. She had enough money in the bank to upgrade it all, but decided not to, not yet.
Books littered the table, the floor, and the corners of the room. She’d neglected to take plates she’d used days ago into the kitchen to stick in the dishwasher. Her laptop lay buried beneath a few magazines she’d subscribed to but never did anything with other than to flip through the pictures. The entire state of her apartment contrasted how she used to love making sure the home she and Kian shared was always in pristine condition. Now it was as if she didn’t care, and she hated it, but she had neglected to make a change so far. Her life seemed to be in a holding pattern.
The knock at the door made her jump. Leo had finished early downstairs. She considered pretending she had already showered and gone to bed, but it was better to just get rid of him. He never stopped trying. She walked to the door yawning and opened it. Instead of Leo, Kian stood there.
The frown he had worn downstairs might be stuck in place, she mused. “Why would you open the door without checking to see who knocked?”
She put her hand on her hip. “I looked through the peephole.”
“You didn’t. I heard your footsteps. You didn’t pause for a second.”
“The FBI gave you bionic ears now? What do you want, Kian?”
He pressed his lips together in a straight line. She had trouble dismissing thoughts of him kissing her, and rather than wait for his answer, she turned away, leaving him standing there. She couldn’t keep looking at him and not do something stupid. Too late, when he walked in and shut the door, she realized the stupid part was not telling him to go away and locking him out.
“Your door wasn’t locked either.”
“We’ve never had a problem.”
“We?” His gaze took in every nook and cranny of her apartment, and she cursed in silence that she hadn’t cleaned up. “You don’t live here alone.”
“Is that a question?” She sighed and shoved books and magazines off the couch. Kian caught the laptop before she sent that flying too. Damn him for making her a blundering idiot.
He took a seat without her inviting him to and checked a notebook. She had the feeling he did it either out of habit or to fool her. Kian’s mind, in her opinion, was the robotic part. He remembered everything he saw. There was that one time with my makeup…
“I live here alone. Leo lives upstairs. Again, why are you here?”
“I want to talk to you about your cousin, who he knows, where he would go.”
No apology for using her. “Doesn’t the bureau already have that info?”
“Are you refusing to cooperate?”
A curse trembled on her lips. “I’m not harboring a felon, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“You did it before.”
This time, she smacked him as hard as she could. Her palm stung, and the pain went straight up to her wrist. His cheek reddened, but he hadn’t even flinched. “Bastard! Go ahead and arrest me.”
He stood up, taking his time. When she hit him, she’d felt like she held her own, standing above him, not backing down despite how he intimidated her with his presence. Now he dwarfed her, big and imposing, his eyebrows low, jaw pulsing with controlled anger.
“I’m not going to file charges against you.”
“Why not? Oh, right. You want to use me to catch my cousin. I forgot.”
“I am not using you, Evie.”
Her heart constricted at his use of her name. Why couldn’t she feel nothing for him? Why when she caught Leo cheating, her feelings for the man had faded fast, but Kian treated her like gum stuck to his shoe, and she ached for him? He didn’t deserve her love.
She put her hands on her hips and raised her chin. “That’s funny because it looks like you and your partner came by to tell us you’re going to wait around until Anthony shows up to kill us and then put him back in jail.”
Kian stepped closer to her. All the air left the room. He didn’t touch her, but he might as well have the way her body responded. “First, I doubt he will try to kill you. As much as I hate to admit it, it’s more likely as Mr. Vitali surmised. Anthony wants you with him. He’ll try to exact revenge first and then take you away. Second, if I had come here asking you to go straight into a safe house, would you accept it or refuse my help just like you’re refusing my money?”
His argument made sense, and she hated him for it. “Why do you insist on calling Leo Mr. Vitali? The two of you have known each other as long as you and I have known each other.”
Kian’s nostrils flared. “Not by choice. Anyway, he also calls me Special Agent Sloane.”
“Just as stupid,” she commented, and moved away before she ran fingers over his chest and undid the buckle on his belt. “You’re right. I don’t want or need your protection.”
“Because you think he can take care of you.”
She glanced back at him, but no hint of jealousy appeared in his expression. His tone portrayed a mild inquiry. He pissed her off. She hated not knowing what he thought, wanting on one hand to think he had feelings for her, and hoping he didn’t so she could crush hers. “You lost the right to question me about my private life.”
“You’re the one who walked away from our marriage, Evie.”
She made a rude noise. “Before I was physically gone, you were gone emotionally, and you know it.”
“You never gave me a chance to recover. I’d just lost my best friend. We’d been friends since we were both thirteen, over twenty years.” At his words, she turned and started to walk away, but he closed the space between them in two long strides to grab her arm. “You don’t get to walk away from this argument, Evie.”
She jerked from his hold. “And you don’t get to dictate what I accept.”
They stood there staring at each other. After a moment, she swung away. As much as she understood what he said and how he felt, she couldn’t take it anymore, and no amount of
arguing would make it right. He’d let her go, and he’d signed the papers without a word.
“It’s after two in the morning,” she said on a sigh.
“I had to come according to your schedule. You work most nights, don’t you?”
She frowned at him. “Yes, but I don’t stay in bed all day.”
“We needed to move fast.”
“When did he break out?”
“This morning.”
Evie sank into a sitting position, glad the loveseat was behind her when she did. “H-how?”
Kian studied her face. “He sustained an injury. One of the inmates stabbed him with a shank. When he was being transferred to a medical facility, he was able to slip away by killing the guard assigned to him as well as the ambulance personnel. We believe he had outside help, and the entire escape was orchestrated ahead of time.”
Evie jumped to her feet. “I had nothing to do with it!”
“I know.”
“Do you? Because you accused me of a lot at the beginning. Well not you, but your colleagues did, and you all screwed me over good. I couldn’t go back to my previous job.”
“You were never charged with anything.”
“No, I was just the cousin of a cop killer. Bad for business.”
Kian stared at her. “We were together six months after Brad died. I knew you left your job, but you didn’t say…”
“There was a lot we didn’t say to each other then. Whatever. It’s water under the bridge. Leo gave me a job, and when I decide what I want to do long term, I’ll do it.”
“You need to talk to me, Evie.”
“You think I’m still protecting Anthony, don’t you?” When he said nothing, she continued. “He’s a murderer. Contrary to what you and your people think, I didn’t know he was capable of it. I grew up in the same house with Anthony. I knew he liked to dip into stuff that wasn’t exactly legal, but I thought it was only penny-ante stuff.”
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