‘Take it,’ Nina said firmly. She folded the flap inside so the cheque couldn’t be seen, but she pushed it determinedly back into Rielle’s space. ‘Use it however is best. If you need to run, it can carry you for a while.’
Run?
Rielle stared at her friend. Nina was protecting her again, trying to keep Eddie and all the bad things at bay. A lump formed in Rielle’s throat. She cherished her for that, but she wasn’t in a running mood any more.
‘I want to fight.’ With Darien at her side, running simply wasn’t an option. He’d want her to hide. He’d want to fight for her, but she wasn’t willing to let him put himself in danger to protect her. She didn’t want to put anyone at risk.
Nina pulled back the chair opposite her. When she sank down onto it, she didn’t look so confident any more. For the first time ever, the powerful female CEO looked shaken. ‘This is my fault. I shouldn’t have brought you into my world. I should have given you the money to get away before.’
‘Your world?’ Rielle’s hair swung to the side as she tilted her head. ‘Nina, it’s my world that’s causing the problems. It followed me.’
‘Yes, but you could have gone underground where Eddie never would have found you. I should have helped you disappear.’
‘More underground than Luxxor? Falling off the radar like that would have meant leaving behind my family. I could never hurt them like that.’
Nina pushed her ash-blonde hair behind her ear. Her hand was trembling, and there was a subtle sheen of tears in her eyes. ‘I liked you, and I was greedy. I was overwhelmed trying to build Luxxor up on my own. I wanted to keep you as a sounding board for all my ideas. I wanted to keep you as a friend.’
‘And I wanted to be there. Nina, I’ve found my niche with you. I love what I do at Luxxor, even if our business model is…unconventional. I’m stronger and more empowered than if I hadn’t taken the position you offered me.’
‘But you’d be safe now.’
‘Maybe. Or maybe I’d be in even more danger.’ Rielle stared down into her drink. ‘Without Luxxor, I would never have met Darien.’
Nina wiped her dry cheeks. ‘I need to apologise to you for putting you in that situation too.’
Her gaze had more fire as she glared down the still-empty hallway. ‘He used my need to protect you against me. I should have found a private security company to provide twenty-four-seven protection rather than pairing you with him. I never should have let him strongarm me into going against my better judgement.’
Not many people out-negotiated Nina. It told how determined and skilful Darien could be when his focus reached laser-like levels.
He was skilled at a number of things when he got that way.
Rielle caught her friend’s hand. ‘Nina, it’s OK. Really. I’m safer with him than I would have been anywhere else.’
‘I never should have agreed to an exclusive contract. That must have been so horrifying for you, so degrading.’
‘Not necessarily.’ Rielle carefully swept up a bead of sweat from her glass. ‘Those contracts go both ways, you know.’
Her boss looked into her eyes. Nina had a way of reading people that was almost uncanny – especially when it came to the unquantifiable chemistry that occurred between men and women. ‘This thing between you two…It’s real, isn’t it?’
Rielle bit her lip. ‘I think so.’
It was on her side, anyway.
Nina went quiet for a long moment. ‘Are you sure it’s not the situation? The adrenalin?’
‘The hormones?’ Rielle said it for her.
Nina clicked her tongue. ‘I don’t know how you did it, but that man pants every time he looks at you.’
The feeling was returned, but did Nina have a point? Was it the stress of the moment that was drawing them together? Was it the immediacy that was causing the rawness of their emotions and fuelling their need to be close?
‘I think it’s more than that,’ Rielle said softly.
Since sharing his secrets, Darien had been dropping his shields around her more and more. In the privacy of their borrowed apartments, she’d seen more of his sense of humour and his intelligence. When he didn’t have to be on, neither a protector nor a predator, their energy levels synched. He could be more easy-going with her, and she could be more daring with him.
He made her want to experience life again, not hide away from it.
‘You’re in love with him,’ Nina said.
‘Yes.’ She’d finally admitted it to herself, but it was scary admitting it out loud.
She glanced over her shoulder worriedly. She hadn’t even told Darien. She didn’t know if she should.
‘Do you know what he is?’ her friend asked pointedly. ‘What he does?’
‘Do you?’
Nina smoothed her hand across the table’s surface. ‘No, but he works for some very powerful people – people who intimidate even me.’
‘Don’t worry about me,’ Rielle said.
‘But I do. That’s why I’m here.’
‘Morgan says they might have something.’
Both women jumped when Darien appeared from out of nowhere. There hadn’t been any sounds of a phone discussion, footsteps or even a door opening.
Nina pressed a hand to her heart. ‘Good Lord, you startled me.’
Rielle sat stiffly, staring at her iced tea. How long had he been there? How much had he heard?
‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘The handwriting expert is willing to say there’s a seventy-five per cent chance it’s a match. Morgan feels confident enough to request a search warrant with that.’
‘Finally,’ Rielle said, sagging forward.
Darien moved behind her and began to massage her shoulders. She nearly moaned at the feel of his thumbs digging into the knots he found there.
He nodded at Nina. ‘Josh said to call when you’re ready to go. He’ll swing by and pick you up.’
‘Oh, will he now?’ Nina draped herself back in her chair. ‘He’s going to be waiting for a while then. Mr Howard is still downstairs.’
Darien frowned. ‘He’s just being vigilant.’
Nina tapped her red nails against the tabletop. ‘When did you two become such fast friends?’
‘Oh, come on. Give the guy a break. He doesn’t want you drawn into this any more than you already are.’
‘I know. Speaking of which, I don’t want Sienna at the office by herself, either.’ Nina looked at her watch and sat up straight. She slid the leather bag she’d brought with her across the table. ‘Here.’
Darien immediately reached for the bag. ‘Is there anything else that might lead us to Hamilton in there?’
‘No.’ Nina shooed him back with a flick of her hand. ‘These are things that Rielle wanted from her apartment.’
Rielle reached for the bag herself, but her eyes widened when Nina reached inside. That was supposed to be a surprise.
She was the one surprised when Nina pulled out a laptop.
‘I don’t want you coming into the office until things settle down. You don’t have to work, but I thought this might be helpful to you.’
Rielle accepted the laptop eagerly. She would most definitely work. Sitting around this morning, twiddling her thumbs as she waited for news, had nearly driven her crazy. She could do the bulk of her normal day-to-day activities remotely with a computer. ‘I can still pull dossiers together and work on scheduling from here.’
‘Just do what you want to do,’ Nina said. ‘Sienna and I can cover for you, and Genieve has agreed to act as our receptionist as long as we need her.’
Genieve? Rielle worried her thumb against the corner of the laptop. That was a good choice. Genieve was bubbly and beautiful. It was what made her one of their top escorts. ‘Don’t replace me, OK?’
Nina let out a sound of surprise. ‘I couldn’t replace you.’
‘Not in a million years,’ Darien agreed.
Nina pushed the bag in Rielle’s direction, and her eyes twinkled. ‘Here’s
the rest.’
‘Thanks.’ Rielle felt Darien’s curiosity prickle her skin, and she shoved the laptop inside the bag and closed it tight.
Nina rose to her feet. ‘I really should get going. I hope the judge moves things along quickly.’
‘Me too,’ Darien said. ‘We owe you one.’
‘Give the detective our thanks, too.’ Rielle said.
Nina sniffed. ‘Thank him yourself.’
‘Somehow, I think you’ll be seeing him first,’ Darien said as he got the door for her.
Nina rolled her eyes, but Rielle noticed the way her fingers curled around the strap of her purse. She smiled as Darien escorted her boss down to the waiting car. Somehow it was comforting to know she wasn’t the only one with a dangerous male sniffing at her heels. She wished the detective luck.
The computer turned out to be a godsend. Neither Rielle nor Darien were types who could stand being cooped up for long. He spent the afternoon talking to people or working from his phone. Despite Nina’s assurances that her job would still be there, Rielle didn’t want to be greeted by a mountain of paperwork when she returned, so she got online and worked for a bit. It helped that they stored things securely in the cloud so she could access it from anywhere.
She stretched out her legs on the ottoman before her. ‘How did you get into our database with Mel’s profile?’ she asked.
Darien winked at her from the sofa, but he didn’t share. That was apparently another top secret detail she’d never find out.
They made dinner with groceries Erin had left in the refrigerator and then turned on the television for a while. The more time that passed, the edgier they both got.
‘How long does it take for a judge to grant a search warrant?’ Rielle finally asked. She’d been wandering the apartment aimlessly, but there wasn’t anywhere to go. The walls were starting to press in on her.
Darien rubbed the back of his neck. ‘I thought Morgan would at least check in with us by now.’
Rielle returned to her chair and picked up the computer. She read through some articles on handwriting analysis. It was more difficult than she’d thought, but that didn’t make the waiting any easier. She decided to check her email and felt guilty when there was a message from her father. She hadn’t told him what was happening. The first time had been nearly as difficult for her family as it had been for her. They’d felt so helpless, especially her dad.
She opened another message touting sales at her favourite store, but froze when she saw a message from Mel.
‘Did you send me an email?’ she asked. The back of her neck prickled as she clicked on the message.
Darien’s attention lifted from his phone. ‘No, why?’
The message simply said, ‘Miss me?’
Rielle’s chest tightened. Oh, damn. Not her email, too. Her heart started beating more quickly and her fingers fumbled. She clicked on the attachment and an entire series of pictures filled the screen. There were shots of her getting takeout food, going into her gym and even picking up the mint-green dress from the cleaners.
He’d been there. Eddie had watched her read the note. He’d taken pleasure from her fear.
She pushed the laptop onto the ottoman and stood to back away from it. ‘He’s in my email now.’
‘He’s what?’ Darien came over to look. ‘Shit.’
He flipped through the shots before getting on his phone again. ‘He’s sending her emails now.’
The sound of the detective’s curse was loud enough for Rielle to identify him from where she stood.
‘Yeah,’ Darien said. ‘What’s your email address?’
He dropped onto one knee and forwarded the email message to the detective. He hit send and shoved the ottoman away. It rolled on its wheels and swung around when it caught the edge of the end table. ‘I want this bastard caught now, Morgan. How much proof do we need that it’s him?’
Darien’s jaw clenched as he listened. ‘Oh, I’ll find him for you. I just can’t guarantee he’ll be in shape for you to arrest by the time you get there.’ He hung up. ‘Shit.’
Rielle raked both her hands through her hair. ‘He’s everywhere. What did I do? Why can’t he just let go?’
‘It’s not you.’ Darien caught her chin. ‘This is on him. I – Fuck!’
He answered his phone when it began ringing again. ‘What now?’
He jerked upright. ‘Oh. Sorry, sir. I thought you were someone else.’
Uh oh. Rielle bit her lip. That wasn’t the detective. She backed away to give Darien space.
‘Yes, I understand.’ He turned and took a hike down the hallway.
She wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but she could still hear him talking. As if things weren’t bad enough, the call seemed to be making things worse. His body was tense, and his words were clipped.
‘I’ve taken lead on this the last few times now. Do you think maybe Romero should take point, and I’ll hang back for once?’ He scowled when apparently that idea was shot down. ‘Right. OK. Will do.’
The expression on his face was stormy when he returned.
‘What’s wrong?’ Rielle asked.
She knew she couldn’t ask for details, but it was clear he wasn’t happy.
He braced both hands against the back of an easy chair and bumped the toe of his shoe against its base. ‘Think you can stay at Nina’s tomorrow night? Or maybe get your girlfriends to spend the night with you here?’
‘Why?’
He tried to pop a kink in his neck. ‘I need to work tomorrow night.’
She perked up. ‘Where?’
His eyes narrowed, but he shrugged. ‘The Kennedy Center.’
Ooh, it wasn’t like a biker bar or a gentleman’s club. She could blend in there. ‘Take me with you.’
‘No.’
It was perfect. She could help him out and keep herself occupied in one fell swoop. ‘I can’t sit inside, waiting any longer. You said I was good, that I’m observant. Let’s work on your problems for a while.’
He lifted an eyebrow. ‘My problems?’
‘Work, whatever. Come on, I did it once before.’
‘And remember how that went? Hamilton took photos of you when we were out that night. You’re not doing it again.’
‘There’s no way he could know where we’ll be. I promise not to get in the way this time. Please? It will take my mind off things.’
And honestly, she didn’t know if she could sit at home without him. She didn’t like the idea of him being out in DC without her, big gun or not. Eddie was targeting him just as much as he was her. Maybe more. He’d crossed Mel out of that picture with a big red X.
‘No.’ Darien shook his head and pulled out his phone. ‘Maybe I can get out of it. Let me make a few calls.’
She let out a frustrated sound, but he’d already turned away and was talking to someone she could only assume was Mike. Staying inside under constant watch was making her feel like a fish in a bowl. Eddie had done this to her once before. She’d be damned if she’d let him do it again.
An idea occurred to her. Darien was stubborn, but there were ways around that.
She left him talking on the phone in the living room and found the bag of things Nina had brought her. It only took a moment for her to change. She fluffed her hair as she looked at her reflection in the mirror and took a deep breath. Summoning her confidence, she walked back down the hallway barefooted and peeked around the corner. Her target was still on his phone, only he was on the internet. She saw a picture of the Kennedy Center over his shoulder.
‘I’d really like to go,’ she said softly.
‘Rielle,’ he said with a sigh.
She stepped into the room. ‘Are you sure I can’t change your mind?’
He shook his head, but when he looked at her his jaw dropped. ‘You can try.’
She lifted the hem of the short nightie sexily. ‘How am I doing?’
He left the phone forgotten on the coffee table and walked towards her. His gaze r
an over her hotly from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. ‘It’s a really good try,’ he said hoarsely.
He ran his fingertip under the spaghetti strap of the purple nightie. It was silk and lace, with triangle cups that showed more of her breasts than they covered. ‘Where did you get this?’
‘Nina brought it for me.’ Rielle spread her hands over his chest. He felt warm and hard. ‘I knew how much you didn’t like the hockey jersey I sleep in.’
He traced the silk down to where it rode high on her thigh and followed the lace-trimmed slit on the side up to her hip. ‘This is for me?’
She circled her arms around his neck. ‘It’s for both of us.’
His head dropped, and his mouth sealed over hers. His tongue swept deeply, and his hands slid under the sexy nightgown to her bottom.
She cupped her hand over the fly of his jeans. ‘Come to bed, Darien. It’s been a bad day, and I need you.’
‘You’re not coming with me tomorrow,’ he said, resisting.
‘We’ll see.’ She stepped back and caught his hand. His gaze fell to her breasts when they swayed. ‘I’m supposed to be your escort.’
When she led him to the bedroom, he followed.
Neither of them noticed that the light on the camera of her computer was glowing, following their every move too.
Chapter Fifteen
Rielle changed his mind – but only after they found out that Nina and Sienna were both attending events and Erin had a family commitment. She’d drawn the line at having Luxxor Security babysit her, so here they were at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts.
She held Darien’s arm as they entered. Nerves and excitement were brewing inside her, but she tried to act like everyone else milling about the building. Her job for tonight was to blend in.
It wasn’t difficult. A crowd of people had already gathered for the night’s performances. The Kennedy Center was a huge marble building situated on the bank of the Potomac River. Rather than one large stage, it had a mixture of theatres and conference halls to support all types of live performances. She’d attended events here several times since she’d moved to DC. Free performances were given nightly, and it was just a beautiful place.
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