Alpha Bravo Seal

Her sculpted eyebrows collided over her nose. “But what are you doing here? Why have you been following me?”

“Following you?” A pulse hummed in his throat. “I just got here two days ago.”

“Last night?”

“I was watching your building.” He shook his head. “Damn, you noticed me out there?”

“Yes. Why are you watching me?”

“I hadn’t planned on having this discussion with you so early, but it works out better for me if we do.” He jerked his thumb at the ceiling. “Can we continue this conversation in your apartment?”

Her gaze shifted toward the lobby and back to his face.

“You can introduce me to the doorman and tell him we’re going up to your place. In fact, that’s the smart thing to do.”

She snapped his wallet closed and thrust it at him, and then spun on her heel. He followed her, still clutching the mail.

The doorman leaped into action and swung the door open for her before she reached it. “I didn’t see you come in, Nicole.”

“Came in through the back door.” She leveled a finger at Slade. “This is a...my friend. He’s coming up to my place, Leo, in case you see him wandering around the building.”

Leo tilted his head. “Okay. Nice to meet you. Any friend of the Hastings women has gotta be good people.”

Slade swept the hood from his head and held out his free hand. “Slade Gallagher.”

“Leo Veneto.”

Slade glanced at the tattoo on Leo’s forearm. “Marine?”

“Yes, sir. Tenth Marine regiment, artillery force. Served in the first Gulf War.”

Slade pumped his hand. “Hoorah.”

“Hoorah.” Leo gave Slade the once-over. “Navy, right?”

“You got it—SEAL sniper.”

“You boys saved our asses more than a few times.”

Nicole broke up the handshake and the mutual admiration. “We’re going to go up now.”

Leo grinned. “I’ll be right here.”

Slade followed her to the elevator where she stabbed the call button and turned to him suddenly. “I never knew Leo was in the Marines.”

“Has Semper Fi tattooed right on his arm.”

She finally snatched the mail from his hands as the doors of the elevator whisked open. “See anything interesting in my mail?”

“You didn’t give me a chance to go through all of it, but it looks like Harvard’s hitting you up for a donation.”

“They wouldn’t dare. I’m not even an alumna, and my father already funded a library for them.”

“So why’d you go to NYU instead of Harvard, where I’m sure they would’ve found a spot for you?”

“Film school.” She narrowed her eyes. “It’s not all family connections, you know.”

“Doesn’t hurt.” He should know.

They rode up to the tenth floor in silence, but he could practically hear all the gears shifting in her head, forming questions. He didn’t blame her. He just didn’t know if he’d have any answers that would satisfy her—rather than scare the spit out of her.

The elevator jolted to a stop on the tenth floor, and he held the door as she stepped out. “No penthouse suite, huh?”

“My mom didn’t want to be too ostentatious.” Her lips twisted. “And I’m being serious.”

Still, there seemed to be just two apartments on this floor. The size and location of this place must’ve run her mother, Mimi Hastings, more than five mil.

Nicole swung open the door with a flourish and watched him out of the corner of her eye as she stepped aside.

His gaze swept from one side of the opulently furnished room to the other, taking in the gold brocade sofas, the marble tables, the blindingly white carpet, the curved staircase to another floor and the artwork he could guarantee was worth a fortune. “Impressive.”

“This is my mother’s place. I’m here watching the...”

Before she could finish the sentence, a ball of white fur shot out from somewhere in the back of the apartment and did a couple of somersaults before landing at Slade’s feet, paws scrabbling for purchase against the legs of his jeans.

She rolled her eyes. “That’s a dog, believe it or not, and I’m taking care of her for my mother.”

Slade crouched and tickled the excited Shih Tzu beneath the chin. “Hey, little guy.”

“It’s a girl, and her name is Chanel.”

“Let me guess.” He straightened up. “She has a diamond collar.”

“You pretty much have my mom all figured out.”

“Where is she, your mother?”

“Are we discussing my mother or why a Navy SEAL is spying on me in Manhattan?” She crossed her arms and tapped the toe of her running shoe.

He waved his arm at a deep-cushioned chair. “Can I sit down first? Maybe something to drink? This spying is tough business.”

Her lips formed a thin line, and for a minute he thought she was going to refuse. “All right.”

“Water is fine, and I’ll even get it myself if you show me the way.”

She crooked her finger. “Follow me, but no more stalling.”

Was that what he was doing? He had to admit, he didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news—and he had bad news for Nicole Hastings.