Courting Suspicion

She rubbed her forehead as she turned to pace in the other direction. Her thoughts were flying low and fast. ‘Stay with Brody. You’ll be paid for your time. Do whatever he says.’

‘OK. But Nina? He was good to me. Morgan, that is.’

Yes, he had that sweet side that came out on occasion just to mess with a woman’s head.

Nina turned her back on the rumpled bed. She couldn’t look at it any more. ‘I’m glad you’re safe, Genieve. Call me if you need anything.’

‘I will. And Nina? I’m sorry.’

‘It’s not your fault. Be safe.’

Nina hung up from the call, and the silence in the room was heavy. Under the lamp on the bedside table, her blue butterfly glowed.

She turned on her heel and headed for the walk-in closet. She slipped her arms into the sleeves of her satin dressing robe and belted it tightly. From being so overheated, she suddenly had a chill.

He’d come for her soon.

He might not have any proof, but he’d come.

She had to be ready.

She swept up her phone again and hit speed dial for her security team. ‘Mr Howard, we have a situation.’

She moved through her penthouse apartment, turning on lights as she headed to the kitchen. She needed tea. She needed to remain calm. ‘Genieve ran into a bad spot with the press tonight. I don’t know if they’ve connected her to Luxxor yet, but you might have some unexpected visitors setting up shop outside. Do not engage, but make sure our people get home safely without being harassed.’

Hosts picked up and dropped off their escorts at the security office on the first floor of their building. It was a good safety procedure. Nobody ever knew where an escort lived. The only clients who might avoid that requirement were the ones with exclusive contracts – like the one Genieve had with Gunderson.

‘Wasn’t she out with the senator tonight?’ Mr Howard asked.

‘Yes.’

Her security man let out a grumble that reflected her opinion pretty accurately.

Nina looked at the clock over the stove. It really was late. Most of the escorts should be done with their engagements by now. She’d have to decide what to do about tomorrow. She hated to cancel appointments so late, and that would only arouse suspicion.

Her brain flipped through her options like a Vegas dealer shuffling a deck. She could change pick-up and drop-off to an alternate site. Rielle could handle that in the morning.

‘The police were also involved.’

Howard got over his disdain for the senator fast. ‘Understood, ma’am.’

She knew Howard was already going through their procedures. She’d trained her people well on the law. They knew when to ask for a search warrant. They knew their rights. ‘If Detective Morgan drops by, let him in, as usual.’

Brody was right. They needed to act as normally as possible. One of her employees had had a scare. She should be aware of it, but not overly involved.

She briefly closed her eyes. If she’d thought Morgan had watched her closely before, she was sure it was nothing compared to how he’d watch her now.

Why had he drawn the case? Was he still sore over the way she’d left him at the ballpark a few weeks ago? She remembered the angry, disappointed look that had been in his onyx eyes.

She flinched when the teapot started whistling.

She pulled the kettle off the burner and poured the hot water into a cup. Steam rose. She was in hot water, all right.

She braced her hands on the counter and hung her head. Everything inside her was screaming to run to the office and lock everything down, but she couldn’t. Everything was secure. They had procedures that they followed to make sure of it. Their records were clean. Their computers were protected – Rielle had made Darien guarantee that. The only thing dangerous was that contract. All of Luxxor’s exclusive contracts. They were in a different locale and, while it might make her feel better to destroy the senator’s right now, driving across town in the middle of the night would draw attention. Morgan might be watching.

She glanced at the floor-to-ceiling windows of her penthouse. He knew where she lived. He’d been here.

What if he dropped by her home?

Instead of a shiver, heat flared inside her once again.

She picked up her cup of tea and turned all the lights back off, but she didn’t return to her bedroom. She couldn’t. Instead, she curled up in a recliner in her darkened living room. It was the dead of the night. The curtains were all closed, except for a slit that allowed a shard of light to sweep across the room. In the penthouse she had no neighbours, but she could feel the city sleeping all around her. There was no way she could rest.

She put the cup of tea aside and leaned back against the oversized leather cushions.

She needed to hold tight and let everything blow over. The detective was like that light slashing into her room, trying to peer into the darkness. She just needed to stay back, hidden amongst the shadows. She needed to make sure no more cracks were showing.

But this was Morgan.

And the last time she’d seen him, she’d given him a kiss-off.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket again. It was time she called her lawyer. It was time for her to start protecting herself from the protector.

Things weren’t over between them yet.

* * *

Josh still hadn’t been to bed when he stopped by Luxxor’s offices the next morning. He always felt like a bull in a china shop when he came to this place, but, tired and rumpled, he felt even more out of place. He supposed he could have gone home first, showered and shaved. But if he’d gone home, he would have crashed.

But probably not slept.

He had to see her. He had to look into her eyes. If he didn’t, the questions would drive him nuts.

He stopped in front of the door to Luxxor’s suite. The gilded letters of the company’s name matched the font he’d seen on that business card. He dragged a hand through his hair and straightened his jacket. When he stepped inside, the look on Rielle’s face told him it hadn’t helped.

‘Oh, Detective. Can I get you some coffee? Aspirin?’

He looked that rough, huh? He shook his head. ‘I just came by to see if Nina had an opening in her schedule.’

The office manager looked at him dubiously. ‘You’re asking?’

He shrugged. Typically, he didn’t. He just went in to see her. He liked catching her unaware. He liked shaking her up. Today, it felt like he should follow the rules.

‘She’s not with anybody right now.’ Rielle reached for the phone on her desk. ‘Let me check if she can see you.’

‘I have time.’

The soft words came from around the corner. When Nina entered the room, Josh felt the jolt like he always did. She looked like a million bucks. She was wearing a fitted blue suit with a necklace that dangled low in the V between her breasts. Her heels were the serious ones this time. No flower-patterned designer sneakers. The four inches of additional height told him just how ready she was for battle.