Tossing his hat onto the coffee table, he sighed and sat down in the chair across from it. Wiping a hand down his face, he grimaced. “Had a call from Jack Lanier this morning. Wanted to tell me what happened here last night, thought I should know.”
“Oh.” Well, crap.
“I had a visit from Paul the day before that, told me he ran into you and some man together. I told him it was probably one of them boys you work with, nothing to worry about, but then I hear from Jack about this guy he keeps seeing you with.” His blue eyes looked grim against his weathered face. “Figured I’d better come see what was what.”
Crossing her arms, Spider pursed her lips. “Everything is fine.”
His hand rubbed the material on his thigh, the way he always did when he was nervous. “This man – Noah West – you’re not mixed up with him, are you?”
How did he know—? Wait. Jack must have told him all he knew about Noah. Figures. “We’ve gotten to be friends if that’s what you mean.” And possibly more if you hadn’t interrupted. Something close to doubt nibbled at her conscience at the memory. Had she seriously agreed to date Noah? As in, give a relationship a chance? Was she out of her ever-loving mind? She had a plan, one that did not include a serious relationship. “And he might have asked me out,” she admitted to her father.
He grimaced as if in pain. “Did he tell you about his past?”
She arched a brow. “Could you be more specific, please?”
“His father. Man’s been in and out of prison most of his life. He’s currently serving for DUI. Killed someone in the wreck. He’s got a rap sheet a mile long.”
She considered that information. “Noah does, or his father does?”
“His father.”
She shrugged. “And?”
“Apples don’t fall far from the tree.” He pushed to his feet, obviously agitated by her lack of concern. “You stay away from him, find yourself a nice boy from a nice family.”
“You mean like Paul? Cause that’s not gonna happen.”
“Paul’s a good man. He’s a good cop. You could do worse.”
She shrugged, not wanting to go into great detail with her old man about what a good person Paul was now. It would only hurt him to know the young man he had put on a pedestal was hardly a saint. Aside from last night, the one and only time Paul had gotten physical with her was still fresh in her mind almost two years later. “I don’t think you know him as well as you think you do. I didn’t either.”
“What’s that mean?”
Remember that black eye I had that time that I told you I ran into a door? Yeah. That would go down well. “Let’s just say I’m a little disturbed at the way he shows up at our house all the time. You know he only does it to check up on me, and I don’t know. Some people might call that stalking.”
“For Pete’s sake, Emma. We play poker. Have for years. That didn’t stop just because you two broke up.” Her father jerked his head back. “Has he threatened you?”
“He’s … scared me.” The admission was difficult to make to her old man, who would probably dismiss her fears as an overreaction, just as she usually did. After last night, she wasn’t so sure anymore. Then again, Paul and his father had been coming to poker night for as long as she could remember. Maybe she was overreacting, but…“Last night he really scared me, Dad.”
His shoulders sank. “You can’t blame the boy for carrying a torch.”
“Dad.” Her tone was pleading, hoping he would drop the topic of her ex. When it came to Paul, her normally very intuitive father had a serious case of blindness. If he took a moment to really assess the way Paul stared at her he’d see it wasn’t an expression of pining away for a lost love. That she could handle. Anger always sparked in Paul’s gaze as it followed her around the room. The same anger she’d witnessed seconds before the back of his hand had sent her crashing to the floor. She kept her distance. And so did he. But that didn’t mean she felt comfortable when he was around.
Especially after last night.
“Fine.” Her father held up his hand and turned. “I don’t like you being here on your own. Why don’t you pack up and come home? I’ll tell the boys the house is off limits for now. We’ll have poker night somewhere else. I’ll talk to Paul. Tell him to leave you alone.”
Her brow furrowed. “I don’t want to come home. I like it here.” She brushed a hand toward where Costello and Charlie lay on the carpet, watching them with interest. “I have responsibilities.”
He pushed a hand through his whitening hair. “Bring the animals home, too. I don’t care. It’s not safe here, Emma.”
“I’m not going.”
“Emma.” Her name was a warning.
“Dad.” She gave it back to him.
“Hmph.” Picking up his hat, he moved to the door. He surveyed the alarm pad in the entryway. “Hmph.” Frowning at her, he pointed at the high-tech system. “You make sure you have this turned on at all times.”
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Yes, sir.”
He opened the door to leave and froze.
Kellan stood on the other side of the door, finger poised to press the doorbell. Her blond Adonis of a co-worker’s reaction to her father was almost comical. Eyes wide, mouth dropping open, his body stiffened. “Chief Fisher?”
Her father looked him up and down. “Murphy.” Turning his head to frown at her, her father sighed. “Keep an eye on my daughter for me.”
Without another word, he pushed past Kellan and strolled to his car.
“What? Wait. You’re his daughter?” Kellan glared at her. “My old boss is your dad, and I’m just now learning this? What the hell, Spider? Does Zach know about this?”
No. No one at the firm did, and that’s kind of how she’d planned to keep it. So much for that.
Kellan pushed inside, and she armed the alarm. “Explain yourself.”
“Yes! He’s my dad. What’s the big deal?” She threw her hands up and went to the kitchen to fiddle with things and look busy.
“Why didn’t you tell us?”
“Duh. Because I wanted to get the job in my own right, not because of any connection to my old man. He never tells me anything anyway.”
Hands on his hips, Kellan looked absolutely shell-shocked. Poor baby. A giggle escaped her control.
“This isn’t funny.” He smiled at her and pointed at the door. “That man used to terrify me when I was on the force. And he’s your dad?”
She doubled over in laughter.
“You punk.” Kellan’s chest shook with amusement.
“He’s not so bad once you’ve seen him lounging around screaming at the TV in his underwear. Kind of hard to take him seriously after that.”
Sliding his arm around her shoulders, he put her in a gentle headlock and scratched her hair. “Who knew we had such a comedian on the team?”
“Hey! Watch the hair!” She pulled away, patting it back into place. “What are you doing here anyway?”
This man was never going to see her as anything other than a little sister type. She might as well accept it. The thought didn’t sting the way it once had. Memories of kissing Noah soothed the wound.
“I came to check in.” He aimed a thumb toward the window. “Your guy was spying on you all night. Wasn’t sure what that was about. Thought you should know.”
“He was?” Her lips pulled wide in a smile.
“Yeah. That’s a good thing? I thought I might need to go kick his ass.”
She shrugged. Maybe letting Kellan in on the note was the wisest move here. Someone else should know, and he’d already become her partner-in-crime so to speak. She patted the cushions beside her. “Don’t freak out. I have something to tell you.”
When she was done, her co-worker’s good looks were frozen in stern lines. “I suppose telling you to go home won’t do any good.”
“Nope. I’m staying.”
To his credit, he didn’t push the way everyone else had. Leaning back on the cushions
, expression thoughtful, he nodded. “Then we need to find out who this guy is, and fast. Tell me what you’ve found so far.”
She did, scribbling notes for him in her notebook.
“You did this on your own?” He held the piece of paper up. She grinned, and his expression looked impressed. “Good work.” He tucked the notes into his pocket. “I’ll run checks on everyone you’ve questioned. Too bad Alexandra isn’t here to question Kate.”
“Connor said he’d be back. If he doesn’t come back, Alexandra will be back soon. One way or the other, we just have to wait.”
Kellan nodded, but he didn’t seem happy about it.
“Um, Kellan?” When he looked at her, she smiled. “I kind of have a date tonight. With Noah. At his place.” As much as she adored Kellan, she didn’t want an audience … or a sex tape floating around.
“Is that a good idea?”
“Probably not.”
One side of his mouth kicked up into a grin. “Those are usually the most fun.” He stood. “Come on. I’ll draw a map showing where I put the cameras.” He reached down and scrubbed the fur on Charlie’s head. “Tell you what. I’ll camp out here tonight, keep an eye on these guys. If anyone comes back hoping to cause trouble, they’ll get a surprise.” He didn’t meet her gaze. “And, uh, I won’t wait up if you know what I mean. Might even be safer if you stayed elsewhere tonight. Catch my drift?”
Bouncing to her feet, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”
He shook his head. “Just so you know, if he hurts you, I will kick his ass.”
“Good.”
Something told her Noah wouldn’t – but if he did, she could handle him herself.
Chapter 16
Slipping a fresh shirt over his head, Noah strode down the stairs to check on the lasagna baking in the oven. Learning to cook had served him well as a bachelor. The bonus was that it impressed the hell out of women. He stopped to glance out the window, wondering if Kellan Murphy was still over there with Emma. Her co-worker had been coming and going far too much this past week for Noah’s liking. What was their relationship?
Don’t go there. You’re not the jealous type.
Yeah, well. Tell that to the green-eyed monster stomping around in his chest.
Rubbing his hands together, he focused instead on putting the finishing touches on their dinner. He lit a few candles since he knew women liked that sort of thing. Prayed he wasn’t making a huge mistake that he’d later regret.
Daylight was already fading through the blinds in his kitchen, and as tired as he was, Noah was still acutely aware that someone had threatened her last night. Glancing at the clock, he went outside to meet her.
Plus, he was anxious to see her again.
He walked over there, wondering what she expected from him. He’d never dated much – not the old-fashioned open-doors-for-her, hold-her-hand kind of dating – and he felt ready to jump out of his skin at the slightest sound. He’d never seen his old man treat his mother with anything other than resentment, give or take a few tender moments. What if he did something wrong?
And why the hell did it matter so much?
He hit the doorbell and stepped back while a barking frenzy ensued.
The door jerked open, and Kellan Murphy stood there, the other man’s steel gaze looking him up and down. He held a firm grip on the flighty dog’s leash. Both man and dog presented a formidable barrier. This was another new one for him.
Noah lifted his chin, stood a little taller. “I’m here for Emma.”
Kellan crossed his arms. Tilting his head back, he yelled, “Spider. Date’s here.”
Somewhat amused by the other man’s protective stance – it was that of a brother, not a competitor – Noah felt himself relax. He held out his hand. “I’m Noah.”
Kellan ignored the gesture. “West. I know.”
He pulled his hand back. “And you’re Kellan Murphy. Former Atlanta PD. Current security specialist at Collins Security Firm. I get it. You’re pissed because I was looking into your company.”
“What’s done is done.” The taller man shrugged. “Spider is like a sister. Capiche?”
Noah refused to look away. “Yeah.”
“Then we’re good.” He stepped aside. “Come on in. I’ve had to endure at least an hour of ‘Does this make me look fat?’ while she tried on half of Atlanta’s wardrobe and paraded around in front of me. She’ll probably be a while. Beer?”
Noah shook his head and reached down to pet the blond mutt who, for once, didn’t try to hump his leg in greeting. He noticed the duffle bag sitting beside the sofa. “Staying over?”
Nursing his bottle, the muscular private detective leaned against the wall. “Spider told me about the note. I figure it’s a good idea to hang around and try to catch the asshole if he comes snooping again.”
Funny how Emma had no qualms about letting this guy stay here when she’d all but thrown a hissy fit when he’d offered.
A door crashed open and a splinter of light spilled down the hallway. “I’m coming! One minute!” Emma called out.
The black and white cat sauntered in their direction, as bored as a lion in a zoo. The light turned off behind the animal as her voice carried down the hall. “Sorry! You didn’t have to come get me. Am I late? I didn’t think I was late.”
Then she was there, and every cell in Noah’s body immediately stood at attention. Even Murphy went still beside him. He didn’t like the fact the man was noticing Emma as a woman.
The elegant black dress hugged her figure like a sheath, her cleavage proudly on display, the skirt falling no further than her knees. Her hair was pulled back neatly with a clip, emphasizing her pretty cheekbones. Only the combat boots rising above her ankles seemed familiar.
She pointed a finger at Kellan. “Don’t you laugh!”
He wasn’t. The other man was practically gawking at her, too. Stepping back, hands held up in surrender, he murmured, “I’ve just never seen you in a dress. You look … nice.”
She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “I knew you weren’t paying attention when I asked how I looked. I tried on at least three dresses for you!”
“None that looked like that!”
Noah’s fists clenched at his side, not liking the way Murphy was making cow eyes at his date. Not liking it at all.
Arching a skeptical brow at the other man, Emma marched forward, hooked her arm through Noah’s and pulled him toward the door. “Thanks for watching the boys, Kellan. Don’t wait up!”
Clearing his throat, Noah let her take the lead. He found his voice once they were crossing the street. “You look incredible.”
She glanced down at herself. “You think so? I borrowed it from Hannah’s closet.”
“Your boss’s wife knows we’re on a date?”
“Uh-huh. She thinks you’re a total hottie, by the way.”
His head spun at that declaration. He hadn’t expected the news of their … thing to spread so quickly. Talk about pressure.
She glanced over her shoulder toward the house they’d left. Red spread from her neck up. “Sorry about that. He wasn’t awful to you, was he? I, um, didn’t want to leave the animals alone. You know how in movies the killer always breaks in and boils the pet cat or rabbit as a threat while the person is gone?” She shuddered. “I’ll be more comfortable now knowing they’re safe.”
Boiling rabbits? That stuff only happened in movies.
He slid his arm out of hers and entwined their fingers instead. He liked the feel of holding her hand. “Good. I intend to make tonight very memorable for both of us.”
The colour crept higher into her cheeks, but she leaned into him. “I like the sound of that.”
***
Dinner was every bit as delicious as Spider had expected, having sampled his, er, talents the other day. The conversation hadn’t been half bad either. They discovered they enjoyed the same movies, had similar tastes in music, and agreed that Tolkien was one of the
best writers to ever grace the planet. She had a feeling they would never agree on the age old question of which was better – Star Wars or Star Trek – but not everyone was perfect.
Sipping her glass of wine, she shifted uncomfortably in her seat and inspected the living room beyond Noah’s shoulder, which was a task since he looked sexy as all get out tonight. Clean shaven, hair doing that thing where one mischievous lock curled over his forehead begging to be brushed back, dressed in a tight gray t-shirt and nice black slacks, he looked like a model ripped from the pages of GQ or something.
Focus on the cameras now. Focus on Noah later.
How in the heck was she going to disable the cameras without him knowing about it and before things, um, progressed? She was already ready to tackle him where he sat, and if that sultry gaze which he’d been pouring over her was any indication, he wouldn’t have resisted. If only she was the type of woman who had no qualms about tackling him…
A swarm of butterflies had taken up residence in her stomach, and she knew she’d been talking too much. She always talked too much when she was nervous. Oh, no. Guys hated that, didn’t they? Especially guys who oozed total hotness the way Noah did.
She was so out of her league here. Tilting her head back, she took a big gulp of wine to steady her nerves and remind herself Noah had invited her here. Several hours ago, he’d had her up against a wall, ready to—
Moist heat spread through her belly, killing at least half the butterflies and giving her a boost of courage. You’ve got this.
Setting her glass on the table, she stood. “I need to use your restroom please.”
“It’s around the corner.”
“I thought it was upstairs.” She needed it to be upstairs. In his bedroom, where one of the cameras was hidden.
“The one downstairs is closer.” Smiling, he stood and gathered her empty plate with his.
“Of course it is.” She laughed. “I’ll be right back.”
Glancing over her shoulder to make sure he wasn’t following, she made a quick detour up the stairs to his bedroom, taking careful steps so that the usual clunk clunk of her boots didn’t give away her destination. Clock. That’s where Kellan said he’d put the camera.
Spirited Away Page 18
