“Hunter, I’m sorry. I—”
I ignored him and walked to a closed mahogany door next to the fireplace. “Regge. Here.” I rattled the knob. “Julian didn’t have the key on him.”
Regge came over, inspected the lock, and smiled up at me. “This is not a problem.” Still crouching, he pulled a zippered case out of his pack and went to work.
Leaving Regge to pick the lock, I headed for the bedroom. Large, with a king-sized bed and two elaborate nightstands—a stack of reading on one. I lifted some new diet book off the top. Put it back.
Across the room, a glass-topped desk was clear of clutter—only a notebook and a laptop. A white leather desk chair angled into the room. Behind it were built-in bookshelves. More weight loss and nutrition guides, plus some self-help gurus on anger management, live your best life kind of things.
Julian was not someone I’d want to go up against. He was built for knocking heads and burying bodies, but suddenly he became a real person with issues and insecurities.
Opening the closet door, I felt the fine weaves of designer labeled suits. “Hey, do you think Julian would like some of these suits?”
Regge uttered a noncommittal response. I stuffed several dry-cleaned shirts and suits in a hanging travel bag, tossing in the laptop and notebook in the bottom compartment.
“Got it,” Regge called. He opened the door to reveal a small office. We entered, going straight to a painting on the wall. Behind it was a safe—not large but bigger than your usual hotel safe. We stared at it.
I pulled the paper out of my pocket and handed it to Regge. He frowned.
“You’ve opened a safe before, right?” I asked.
“These are just numbers. Do I go right? Or left?”
“I think most safes are right first, then left, then right again. I’m sure you can do it.” Resisting the urge to pat him on the shoulder, I glanced over the room. “You have a light touch.”
“A light touch, have I?” Something in his voice caused me to look at him. His eyes were seafoam green in this light.
“Just do your thing. Please.” I found a briefcase near a file cabinet. It was brown leather, a satchel type with a flap that buckled over the top. I grabbed it, intending to clean out the file cabinet. If nothing else, it would look like he’d left town.
I kept an eye on Regge as he worked. This way, I could admire the breadth of his shoulders, the fit of the black pants over his glutes. It was a few moments before I continued my own search.
In one folder, I found Julian’s passport and birth certificate. The rest were insurance forms, lease agreements, and bank statements. Wanting to get anything that would lead to the hotel, I scooped up the financials as Regge gave a jubilant cry. The safe swung open.
My phone buzzed with a text from Pery. “Someone’s coming.”
Regge swept everything from the safe into his pack, closed it, spinning the dial. I closed the cabinet drawer, grabbed the satchel, and headed toward the office door. I heard the apartment door open before getting there. Closing the office door gently, I turned the lock.
After a few seconds of silent scrambling, we shut ourselves into a closet with a bifold door. I backed into some boxes. Regge gripped my arms, keeping me upright and bringing me closer to him. We stood face-to-face, breathing in each other’s space.
Muffled voices filtered through the apartment. I wiggled to get my phone up between us, texting both Pery and Skylar.
They’re in the apartment. Need a distraction.
Two men chatted casually as they searched the place. Seconds later, the office doorknob rattled, and their tone turned serious. A thud sounded against the door. It was a solid door, but judging from the sound, the men were intent on getting in. I met Regge’s eyes, knowing we were trapped. As the doorframe groaned under the heavy fists, the doorbell rang. One man cursed. I held my breath, listening.
Light filtered in through the slats in the door—just enough that I could see Regge’s eyes narrowing as he listened. We waited in the cramped space, breathing together. His hand was warm as he clasped it around my bicep. Not remembering when I’d last brushed my teeth, I turned my head to avoid breathing on him.
A feminine voice wafted through the living room, engaging the men. I couldn’t hear the words, but the tone was pleasant, conversational. Minutes later, the door closed and everything went quiet.
Neither of us moved, our breathing stalled, eyes locked. Listening, waiting. Regge’s gaze dropped and he inched closer. My phone vibrated with Pery’s all clear. I turned the phone so he could read the message. Without a word, he released me and opened the door. Going back to the safe, he went through his backpack, pulling out two small jewelry boxes. He opened the safe and returned them.
“What are you doing?”
“I got to thinking, if these guys search the place, find the safe empty, they might think someone’s been here. We don’t need the cuff links, just the paperwork.”
“Not so break-in obvious. Got ya.”
Out in the living room, I grabbed a handful of albums and shoved them into the satchel. At Regge’s look, I explained, “Julian can never come back here. He has to leave his whole life. You should know what that’s like.”
