“I changed the bandage and took my pills. It’s healing fine.” It wasn’t a lie. I healed fast and the wound wasn’t even bothering me.
“Did you find anything?”
I frowned and folded my arms. “No.” I leaned back on the couch. God, the man had to be aware of the effect he had on me. “Did you make a gazillion dollars in your casino this evening?”
“Likely.” He unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt. Then he dropped down beside me. “Want to go over the stuff with me? I’m a good sounding board.”
It was hard to believe that a few days ago, I’d been trying to kill him, and now, I was happy he was home.
I shook off that disturbing thought. “Sure.”
“Let me get us a glass of wine.”
Soon, I was sipping an excellent Australian Shiraz.
Bastian leaned back on the couch, then pulled a long, slim box from his pocket. “I got this for you.”
My eyebrows winged up. “What is it?”
“A gift.”
I froze. I’d never been given a gift before. Well, Ed had given me weapons, but they hadn’t really been gifts.
“Why?”
“Because. I was walking past the casino shops earlier and saw it. It made me think of you.” He made a disgruntled sound. “Don’t make a big deal about it. Open it.”
Swallowing, I flicked the lid of the box open.
It was a bracelet.
It looked almost delicate. It was made of silver and gleaming seed pearls. I’d never owned anything so pretty. It had a circular, silver clasp.
“This made you think of me?”
He turned his head. “Yes. Pearls are said to symbolize the integrity of spirit. The salesperson at the store said they also promote a sense of calm in your emotional life and help soothe emotional wounds.”
My throat was so tight. “No one… I’ve never…”Shit.
He reached over and placed it on my wrist. I held still while he fastened it. As he studied it on my skin, a satisfied smile crossed his lips. Then he reached for his wine again and sipped. “Right, tell me what you found today.”
“Not as much as I’d hoped.” I went over things I thought might be important, every now and then sneaking a glance at the bracelet. “Whoever this guy is, he knew Ed well. They must have been friends, or knew each other somehow. You don’t just run into a stranger and say, ‘hey, let’s start murdering people,’ right?”
“There was no one he mentioned.” A groove formed between Bastian’s eyes. “I thought I knew him better than anyone.”
“Same,” I whispered.
He blew out a short breath. “That’s in the past now. We have to focus on this. On stopping this killer.”
I nodded. “I agree. I guess it’s lucky that I didn’t kill you, after all.”
His sensual lips twitched.
“I have some of Ed’s electronic files.” I gestured at my computer, turning my attention back to the task at hand. “I’ve been going through them. He gave his files crazy names and used codes to encrypt his data. He shared some of those codes with me. I’ve been unraveling his stuff. Mostly what I’ve found are notes on some CIA jobs and the contacts he kept all around the world.”
“There could be something in there.” There was a beep from the entry, and Bastian stiffened. “Shit.”
I raised a brow and swiveled my head.
