Instinctively, she reached out and took his hand with hers, stroking the top of it with her finger. “No matter what you say. Or what you did, it’s in the past. I can tell that it’s something you haven’t forgiven yourself for. If you didn’t care about what you did, you would be reacting completely differently.”
“I don’t deserve this,” he said as he lifted their joined hands and kissed her knuckles. “I admit, I’m worried about what you’re going to think of me after I tell you the whole story.”
“I can promise you it won’t change anything.” Marie knew that this was going to be a turning pointin their short relationship. But isn’t that what relationships were all about? Secrets and truths shared because of the trust built. Sometimes trust was built over weeks and months, and other times it was earned within days. And that’s what had happened between her and Isaac. The trust had been instant.
“Before I start, do you want something to eat or drink? Or do you even want to change? Didn’t you say on the ride over here that you wanted a hot shower? I can’t believe I haven’t considered what you need after a long day.”
Was it a delaying tactic? Or was he being sincere?
Hadn’t she just told herself that she trusted Isaac? He was going to tell her, of that she had no doubt. She had to admit, though, she wouldn’t mind having a shower, washing off the grime of the day, regardless of the quick shower she’d had before she’d met Isaac. Also getting out of her clothes and into fresh—wait—she wasn’t at her apartment. She didn’t have fresh clothes to get into. She may take a bag to work with a change of clothes, but they were usually ones she’d worn the night before, after she’d gotten off from work and changed into.
“I would but,” she waved a hand down her body. “I’ve got nothing to wear but these and I don’t want to have a shower and then put these clothes back on.”
Isaac ducked his head, as though he wasembarrassed she’d talked about changing clothes which was totally ridiculous. “Umm, I may have taken some liberties.”
“Liberties?” What was he talking about? He hadn’t—no, he wouldn’t have—would he? “Did you get some clothes from my apartment?”
He gave a short nod. “Not me, but after knowing that we’d been followed, I wanted to make sure that they hadn’t gone to your apartment. I asked Eveline if she’d go to your place and get some things for you. I gave her everything she needed to get in.”
Marie didn’t know what to make of Isaac sending a person she’d met briefly, into her personal space. At least it was a woman who’d gone through her things, but still, it was very presumptuous of him, not to mention an invasion of her privacy. “You sent Eveline by herself?”
That was what she was going to ask? Not blast him for taking without asking her permission.
“No, I didn’t send her alone. First Ox would’ve had my balls if I put his wife in danger. Second, I wouldn’t put her into a dangerous situation without her having backup. Fox, Jag, and Eveline all went together. Fox checked the apartment was clear before Eveline went in and Jag kept a watch outside.”
This was getting worse and worse. Not only hadEveline been inside her place, but Fox had as well. “I don’t know what to say. I can’t believe you did that.”
He sighed. “I know. I know. It was wrong, and I should’ve spoken to you first, but you were at work. It’s not like you have a job where I can call at any moment and you answer. But I should’ve. I should’ve worked out a way to ask you. Not just assume that it was my right to do this after spending one night in your home and bed.”
Under any other circumstances she would’ve walked out and told Isaac she didn’t want to have anything to do with him. But these weren’t normal circumstances, if it were, there was no way Isaac would’ve done what he did. There would’ve been no reason to.
The whole attempted kidnapping and being followed had changed the goalposts. Everything was more heightened because of it. Things that wouldn’t normally happen had to happen. It was just the way her life was at the moment. Everything was mixed up and chaotic. Nothing was normal, and she had to accept that.
If she believed Isaac, and she did, then eventually her life would return to the hectic life it had been before some mad men tried to take her against her will.
“I get why you did it. It’s the situation we’re in. I’m sure everyone was very respectful.”
“They were. Eveline called me as soon as she arrived and left. They were in your place for twenty minutes at the most. She dropped the bag with your things in my spare room.”
“She has a key to your place?”
Once again Isaac nodded. “We all do. It’s part of what makes us a good team. If anyone should need help or anything, one of us is ready to leap into action and do what we need to do.”
That seemed weird to Marie, there was no way she’d ever consider giving her work colleagues, past or present, a key to her place. Then again, her world was different to the one Isaac lived in. A world her mom and dad were a part of. Did that mean? “Do you have keys to my parent’s place?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
That wasn’t very fair. “What if something happened to them? What if they needed help and no one could get in?”
Why was she arguing the point? She should be glad that her parents’ privacy was assured. They weren’t getting any younger though, and if one of them should fall, or worse, someone broke into their house, shouldn’t they know that the Alliez Security guys would be there in an instant to help them.
Isaac held up his hands. “Ox may have spoken to Yolanda about the whole key situation and shedeclined. Or he may have not. That’s something you need to check with him and your parents. But I’m sure your mom knows that anyone would be a phone call away should they need help.”
Given the way her mom talked glowingly about the people she worked with, it was highly likely that the subject had been brought up in the past. “Maybe it was, and instead of everyone having a key, only one does. Like Ox, seeing as he’s the boss.”
“That could be the case too. It would be something Ox would do. He doesn’t like anyone to be vulnerable and he can be very persuasive when he wants to be.” He grinned wryly.
“Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”
