“Oh, my God. For an intelligent man you’re an idiot. Yes, like a baby cam? I’m able to see him and even talk to him when I’m unable to take him with me. We both have anxiety.” I couldn’t believe I’d just admitted the demons I lived with daily. “He helps me. I rescued him. Don’t you get it? I need him and he needs me.” God, I sounded so pathetic. “If you give me my phone, I’ll show you.”
And I would have a chance to see the photographs. What if Sinclair had sent them? No, that didn’t make any sense. Unless he’d had one of his men do so. To threaten me? For what reason? Oh, nothing made any sense.
He studied me as if determining if I was lying. I still couldn’t figure out what he was getting at. Why would I help some asshole determined to rob me? Obviously, he knew I had nothing of value.
“I’ll arrange to have Indiana brought to you.” His voice softened somewhat and for a few seconds, the connection was similar to what it had been before.
He caught me so off guard I wasn’t certain what to say. “Thank you.” I closed my eyes briefly. Why was I thanking him?
“Now that the situation with your dog is settled, we talk.”
“What are we supposed to talk about?”
“Why you set me up as well as who you’re working for.”
“What? Are you out of your mind?” What the hell was he talking about? “What about my business? Did you leave it wide open for anyone to steal from me?”
His exhale was heavy. “Your business was locked up and don’t worry, my man padlocked the building so no one can get in.”
“My employees will miss me. They’ll need to know if something is wrong. I need to call the assistant manager.” Maybe I could warn Tilly somehow. Some way.
God, I hated when his eyes flashed with amusement. “Nice try, but a sign was placed saying the business was temporarily closed due to a water leak.”
“You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?” Hopefully, she would try to call and when she was unable to make contact she’d call the police. Maybe she could see an incident had occurred inside. Although what little I knew about this man indicated he had indeed thought of everything.
The bastard.
He chuckled, the sound dark and foreboding. “Tell me everything you know about the man who entered including the first time you saw him. Don’t leave out anything. Including about the tattoo.”
“I… I don’t know. I didn’t see much of the tattoo. Just the top edge. Besides, we’ve already been through this. He came into my shop last night around the same time. He ordered a black coffeeand sat in a seat near the door. I had a couple customers, so I paid him little attention.”
“Then why were you scared of him yesterday?”
Damn this man. “I don’t know. Maybe because he didn’t utter two words. Or that he was dressed in fatigues. What do you want me to say to you?”
Sighing, he walked toward the window and you bet I debated whether I could try to escape again and be successful. Not with a goon downstairs. “You’re lying to me, Josette. I have a gift of knowing when someone is and I don’t appreciate liars. In fact, I refuse to tolerate them. You need to tell the truth, or I’ll have no recourse but to provide a stern lesson.”
My mind remained one big blur, my attempt at understanding what he was getting at failing. “It would seem your gift left you because I’m not lying to you, Mr. Prince. I was the victim, remember?”
He chuckled as he palmed the glass, planting his other hand on his hip. “All in a good game to carry out an act of vengeance. And my name is Sinclair, but if you’d prefer to use Sin, that’s fine by me. I may require you to call me something else later, but that will depend on your behavior.”
“My behavior? You mean calling you what you are, a murderer. I call a spade a spade.”
Turning abruptly, he took two long strides, pulling me into his arms. The heat resonating from his body was incredible, the same electricity I’d felt before prickling every inch of skin. Why the hell was I attracted to this monster? Even my nipples were aching from the thought of him touching me all over, driving meto new heights of pleasure. I must have a concussion. That was the only way to describe my irrational thoughts.
“If you’re aware of the power my family carries in this city, then you also know what we’re capable of. I can either be your worst nightmare or your savior. Which is it, Josette? What kind of man would you like me to be? Sinner or saint?”
CHAPTER 12
Josette
The man was a monster.
What in God’s name had I seen in Sinclair, other than the obvious physical attraction?
He had no idea how terrified he’d made me, but not for the reason Sinclair had firmly transfixed in his mind.
Because of my past.
