Adam had denied sending any of the emails. Having the IP address come from the prison, the location of the threat so easily obtained, screamed setup, not guilt. But he trusted his brother’s word as far as he could throw this damn house. So until Eli knew different, Adam would remain his prime suspect.
But if not Adam, then who?
Who the hell was left that hated him enough to do something vile like this? He was an adult, a businessman who dealt with ruthless and conscienceless people. He could handle the heat and any threat made toward him. But to threaten two innocent children? Hell, that was so damn far over the line.
Sure, there were people who didn’t like him. More than a few were probably not happy with the way he’d ended his father and brother’s business agreements. But he honestly could not name one person he’d pissed off enough to warrant threats against his children.
He wouldn’t wait for something to happen. He was being proactive, setting things in place, getting ready. When and if the devil came calling, Eli intended to be well prepared to send him back to hell.
Out of the darkness, a small click sounded, telling him one more thing he’d needed to know. There was no safe place. His home, the one place he believed his children were the safest, wasn’t. And yet, when he stood and turned, he couldn’t prevent the lift to his heart at the sight before him.
“You’re late,” Eli said.
Her posture went military straight as her eyes flared with temper. For an intruder, she looked highly insulted. “Well, excuse me, but I just got the assignment an hour ago. Besides, burglars have a tendency to arrive at unexpected times. They don’t normally call in advance for an appointment.”
He’d never forgotten that husky, almost musical voice. Had been anticipating hearing it again.
“Sorry for the short notice.” He didn’t add that it was deliberate. If she’d had time to do research, she might not have shown up.
He took in her appearance and fought a smile. Black jeans, long-sleeve black pullover, and black skullcap to cover that glorious hair. She might dress the part of a thief, but she looked delightfully feminine to him. She also looked less stressed than the last time he’d seen her. Though, to his mind, she still had the translucent appearance of someone who’d endured a trauma.
“So…what now? You want me to get down on the floor? Put my hands behind my head?”
“Hmm.” She seemed to consider it for a few seconds, and then she smiled. “Since I’ve never broken into anyone’s home before, I don’t quite know what the proper etiquette should be.”
How odd that for as much as he knew about this woman, he had never seen her smile. He hadn’t known about the deep dimple in her left cheek or that those amazing sea-blue eyes could sparkle like diamonds in the ocean.
“You’re the one with the gun. Guess you call the shots…so to speak.”
She glanced down at the weapon in her hand and grimaced. “Sorry.” She slid the gun into the holster at her waist. “Grey didn’t give me much information, so I didn’t know what to expect.”
“Wise woman.”
“So…really. I didn’t surprise you in the least?”
Her disappointment was obvious. She had expected a stronger reaction. “No. But to be fair, I was expecting you.” He paused for a second and then added, “If it makes you feel better, your gun is bigger than I thought it would be.”
She laughed softly. “Well, that’s something.”
Eli stayed in the shadows, not revealing his face yet, wanting to enjoy anonymity for just a few more moments. Once she knew his identity, complications would arise and questions would have to be answered.
Not a day had gone by since he’d last seen her that he hadn’t thought of her, or regretted that he hadn’t stayed longer. He’d already been driving out of the parking lot when the shooting had taken place. Even though they’d yet to share more than a few words with each other, he felt he should have been there for her. She’d had no one.
Staying away from her these past three months had been difficult, but he hadn’t wanted to intrude. She had needed time to heal, time to become acclimated to her new job, her new life.
Figuring out a way to introduce himself had proven harder than he’d feared. Hiring her to break into his home wasn’t the subtlest of introductions, but it would get the job done, as well as point out the weaknesses in his security.
Her voice broke the quiet, the tone revealing a slight nervousness at his continued silence. “So, umm, now that I’m here, I assume you want to know how I did it…how I broke in?”
“Not particularly.”
Her brow furrowed with a frown. “Then why am I here?”
“Because I wanted to know if you could break in.”
“And now that you know?”
“We’re going to make sure no one else can.”
The dimple made another intriguing appearance. “Uh oh, you’re one of those kinds.”
“What kinds?”
“The ‘don’t tell me about the labor pains, just give me the baby’ kind.”
“Labor pains I can handle. The intricacies of lock picking and security system failures only interest me when it comes to ways to prevent them.”
“You can handle labor pains?”
“I have two children.”
That got a raised brow. “Birthed them yourself, did ya?”
Eli grinned, delighted at the unexpectedness of her sense of humor.
“Grey warned me about you. Said you might be stubborn.” Frustration flickered in her face. “I can’t believe you don’t want to know how I got in. It’s really interesting. Your system is good, one of the best on the market, but it needs an upgrade. See, once I cut the light in the northeast sector, I used a tree to climb onto a brick column. Took less than a minute. The guard in the gatehouse was chowing down on pizza and didn’t see me. You definitely need to have a chat with him. And you need to have the trees surrounding the estate trimmed.” She took a step closer, her enthusiasm growing. “Once I got to the house, I overrode the mainframe and bypassed the—”
Eli flipped the light switch behind him.
She jerked to a surprised halt. Suspicion and distrust replaced her earlier enthusiasm. “It’s you.”
“Hello, Kathleen. At last, we officially meet.”
“I don’t understand. How? Why?”
Explaining himself without revealing too much, too soon, would be tricky. “I was in Chicago for business. Caught the tail end of an interview you did with some reporters.”
“You mean you caught the tail end of one of the many times a reporter blindsided me.”
“It’s been my experience that they’re rarely kind.”
“That’s been my experience, too.” She frowned. “So based on what you saw on television, you what…followed me around?”
“Yes and no. I went to the trial.” He didn’t tell her that within an hour of being there, he’d called his assistant and rescheduled his entire week.
Eli still had no explanation for his strange compulsion to learn more about her…to help her. He wasn’t without compassion, but neither was he known for impulsive actions. Yet the moment he’d seen the interview, he’d felt a connection. An inexplicable pull. The more he’d learned, the stronger the pull had gotten.
“I’m sorry I didn’t stay that last day. That I wasn’t there to help you.”
If she thought the words were odd coming from a virtual stranger, she didn’t comment.
“And I’m very sorry for the loss of your sister.”
For an instant, grief flared in her eyes. Then, just like those days he’d observed her at the trial, the calm poise returned. “Thank you.”
He wouldn’t tell her about the medical specialists he’d called in for consultation or the discounted funeral expenses. There was no point. Besides, she would want to know why, and again, he had no reasonable explanation. Or at least one that wouldn’t freak her out.
“Grey said Alice’s case was brought to his
attention. You’re the one who told him, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“But I still don’t understand. Why would the wealthy Eli Slater of Dallas, Texas, go to the trial of a woman in Chicago? A woman he didn’t know?”
“Let’s just say the case intrigued me.”
“But why?”
He shrugged, finding it even harder to explain than he’d thought it’d be. “Perhaps because of my past experience.” When he saw the puzzled look, he explained further. “My younger brother was imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit.”
Her mouth went grim. “Apparently, that happens more than most people think. Is your brother still in prison?”
“No. We were able to get him released.”
“Grey helped?”
“Yes.”
“I’m glad.” She cocked her head. “So that’s why I received so little notice for this job?”
“I asked Grey not to tell you. I thought you might not come if you knew it was the man you’d met in Chicago.”
“I don’t like secrets.”
If that was the case, she’d definitely hooked up with the wrong people. Grey Justice was all about secrets.
“It was no conspiracy. I promise. I went to several days of the trial, watched the proceedings and heard the testimonies. I told Grey, and he decided to contact you.”
“But you helped me with those two thugs. Why?”
“Would you prefer that I hadn’t?”
“I prefer not being stalked or lied to.”
Eli sighed. He’d known meeting her like this wasn’t without risk. “I’m sorry you feel that way. However, I wasn’t stalking you, and as far as I know, neither Grey nor I have lied to you.”
“Then why the secrecy?”
“Being associated with a Slater in this city isn’t exactly good for your reputation.”
“I’m not associated with a Slater. I’m here to do a job.”
That was something they’d have to talk about later. She was clearly in no frame of mind to discuss a closer association.
Steering the conversation toward a somewhat safer topic, he said, “Any new leads on who killed Braden?”
“You believed in Alice’s innocence? That’s why you contacted Grey?”
It wouldn’t help his case to tell her he wasn’t one hundred percent sure of her sister’s innocence, that his interest was in her, not her sister. But neither would he lie. “I believed you needed help.”
Something like alarm flickered on her face. Her instincts were good. She saw more than he was ready for her to see. “Look, let’s cut to the chase. I’m here to show you the vulnerabilities in your security. Nothing more.”
Kathleen Callahan was a contradiction on so many levels. She might be just a bit of a thing, but she was as tough as nails. She had deftly handled those idiots in the parking lot. If not for her ankle, he wouldn’t have needed to intervene.
The way she’d conducted herself in the courtroom had been both awe-inspiring and heartbreaking. So obviously afraid for her sister, she’d still been poised, professional, and determined.
But now that poise was disintegrating as the nerves appeared. And while he wanted to reassure her that he meant her no harm, he couldn’t help but be intrigued by the way she exhibited her nervousness.
A curious kind of tenderness lightened his heart as she began to roam around the bedroom. She lifted the comforter, rearranged it, and then looked beneath the bed. Her steps full of graceful energy, she moved across the room, opened a closet, and stuck her head inside. She then walked back across the room and looked out a window.
“Um. If you’ll tell me what you’re looking for, I’ll be glad to help you find it.”
“No, thanks.”
“Well, then, make yourself at home.”
She picked up a book on the nightstand, flipped through the pages, and set it back down. “Okay. Thanks.”
Thoroughly enjoying himself, Eli crossed his arms and leaned against the back of his chair as this intriguing sprite of a girl fluttered around his bedroom. Would she be insulted when she learned that she bore a strong resemblance to Eudora, a fairy sprite in Starburst, his daughters’ favorite bedtime story?
Her mass of red-gold hair was captured in a ponytail, but several strands had sprung from their confinement and curled around her cheeks. At the trial, she’d either worn her hair in a neat braid or in an elegant chignon. Her mouth was slightly too big for her face and should have made her features uneven, but that wasn’t the case. Everything fit together to make her one of the most arresting and attractive women he’d ever met.
Her eyes were probably her most striking feature. They were an unusual shade. To say they were blue would be a mistake. They were beyond blue, reflecting the light from the chandelier and making them glow with a mesmerizing, almost magical, brightness.
Everything this woman did, everything this woman was, both fascinated and enchanted him.
He, on the other hand, apparently made her as nervous as hell.
Kathleen knew full well she was behaving in a bizarre fashion but hadn’t yet figured out how to recover. She hadn’t expected this. Could never have anticipated that Eli Slater was the man who’d helped her in Chicago. How could she?
And the way he was looking at her was making her damn nervous. As if he already knew her, already liked her. The fact that he looked like Prince Charming and happened to live in a fairy-tale castle didn’t help.
Telling herself she was a serious-minded professional wasn’t helping either. Instead of behaving like said professional, she was flitting around the room like a hyperactive bumblebee looking for a place to land.
So much had happened since the trial. So much pain, so many recriminations. But this tall, golden-haired, gorgeous man had been a shadow in her mind. She had never forgotten him. Had wondered about him. Now, here he was.
“Seriously, Kathleen, if there’s something you’re looking for, I’d be glad to help you find it.”
The amusement in Eli’s voice brought her back to the present. She froze as she realized that she’d just opened his underwear drawer. Closing the drawer with a bang, she whirled around and gave him the haughtiest expression she could conjure. “There could be listening devices anywhere.”
Brown eyes glinting with humor, he raised a curious brow. “In my boxers?”
Change the subject, Kathleen!
“So…” She cleared her throat. “What exactly do you want me to do for you?”
She inwardly winced as she realized her words sounded more like a sexual proposition than an offer for security assistance.
Thankfully, even though the smile on his face told her he was thinking the same thing, he was gentleman enough to ignore the implication. “I’ve researched your background. Your expertise in security is impressive. My number one priority is my family. A security company is coming in tomorrow to upgrade the system. Once they’re finished, I’d like you to inspect it for weaknesses. I want to ensure that no one can penetrate the grounds, much less get inside the house.”
Glad to be back on solid ground, she said, “I can do that.”
“Thank you.” Another smile spread across his face, this time even sexier than before. Kathleen felt a little dizzy. How could a man be so masculine and almost pretty at the same time? It wasn’t natural.
She really shouldn’t be having these thoughts. He’d mentioned his family several times. He was married, had children.
“So…umm. Shouldn’t Mrs. Slater be here for this discussion?”
“I’m a widower.”
No wonder he had such a tragic air about him, like Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights, only not uncouth or cruel. She pushed away her whimsical thoughts.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” She shrugged. “You mentioned your family.”
“I have two daughters. Sophia is six and Violet is four.”
Two more reasons an attraction was a bad idea.
“Very well. Once the new security syst
em is in place, I’ll return and inspect it for you.”
The smile he gave her was filled with promise and had her fanciful mind steering away from Heathcliff and bordering on Prince Charming again. Either way, Kathleen knew that once this job was over, she intended to stay as far away from this man as possible.
Chapter Nine
“Why do we gotta have so many babysitters, Daddy?”
“They’re not babysitters, Sophia. They’re people who are watching out for you.”
“But why?”
“Because I want to make sure you stay safe.”
“But why?”
“Because I love you.”
“But why?”
“Because you ask so many questions.”
She giggled, and Eli knew that for just a few minutes the questions had stopped. Very soon they’d start back. His six-year-old daughter spent most of her waking moments wanting to know the why of everything.
Violet, who was now four, hadn’t started the questioning phase yet. He hadn’t even known about these phases until just recently.
Taking them to school each morning had become the most enjoyable moments of his day. His daughters made him forget the kind of world that surrounded him. They saw things in bright, vivid colors. Everything was exciting, new, or different. In their world, bunnies talked, fairies granted wishes, and little girls danced to music inside their heads. There were a thousand different new and exciting experiences to have each and every day.
In his most vulnerable moments, he envied their innocence. In his darkest moments, he swore on his life that their innocence would remain intact. Nothing and no one would hurt his children. This he promised.
“Can we have spa-sketti for dinner tonight?”
“I’ll ask Teresa, but she may already have something else planned.”
Teresa had been with his family for years. She’d moved with them from England, and not a day went by that he didn’t send up a prayer of thanks for the incredibly loving and talented woman.
As if it was a foregone conclusion that Teresa had already planned to serve Sophia her beloved spa-sketti, she added, “And then I’ll have ba-nilla ice cream for dessert.”
“Got your day all planned, huh?”
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