He took the phone. “This is Shaunessy.”
“Shaunessy, you still owe me a pizza for taking care of your plants last time you were out of town. Who’s watching them now?”
Chris laughed as Shelley scolded him. “I decided plants and I weren’t meant to be together,” he told the mother of two and grandmother of six, who did all sorts of errands for him when he was away. “I donated them to a nursing home.”
He hadn’t wanted the plants to begin with. An old girlfriend had brought them over. When things ended between them, as they always did, she didn’t bother taking them. The plants hadn’t been missed any more than the old girlfriend.
He handed Meg the phone. “Shelley will vouch for me.”
She listened again then hung up, returning the phone. Her eyes narrowed and she still seemed uncertain. Finally, she relaxed a bit. “As long as you promise to be a gentleman and no shenanigans, then…you’ve got a deal.”
“I’ll be a true gentleman.” He stifled the smirk rising to his lips. “No shenanigans, promise. Pack your stuff. I’ve still got the cab waiting by the curb.”
She grabbed a backpack from under the bed and went to work. He checked out the tiny room. How could she live here? The place was disgusting. She had cleaning supplies galore but there were holes in the walls and ceiling, and cracks in the floor. Her refrigerator was pitiful, with a small bottle of ketchup, a jar of olives and not much else. No wonder she was so thin. He’d have to do something about that. Good thing he liked to cook. Within a few minutes she was ready.
“We can let your landlord know tomorrow that you won’t be back,” he suggested, opening the door for her.
She placed the key on the counter near the sink. “I’ll leave the key here. I think he’ll get the message.”
Lifting her bag to his shoulder, he began walking down the hall.
* * * *
Meg didn’t even look back as she followed Chris down the stairs. Was she doing the right thing? It sounded too good to be true. Was it foolish trusting him, like she’d trusted Eddie? If Moreno found out she was spying she’d be dead, no doubt. But if there was any way to get out of this, she’d take it. She’d had a few opportunities to run in the past but had never wanted to take the chance. There was still her missing phone and the picture of her family. Was there enough information in it to trace where she came from?
Once back at the hotel and in the elevator, she risked a peek at Chris. Could they get enough evidence to put Moreno away for good? He was gambling big time by trusting her to do this job for him. If she failed it would be bad for him--but far worse for her.
Inside the elegant suite, he moved up behind her, putting a gentle hand on her arm. She closed her eyes. The contact shouldn’t be this enjoyable.
“You must be exhausted. Climb in bed and get some sleep. We can talk more in the morning. Or sleep until the afternoon, and we can discuss it then.”
She smiled gratefully and for the first time no zippy comeback came to mind. “I can take the couch since I’m smaller. You keep the bed. It’s okay. It’s probably more comfortable than the mattress I was sleeping on anyway, and much cleaner.”
He steered her to the bedroom door. “You’ll stay in here until we’re done with this case. I may have to cut through to use the bathroom on occasion, but you’re safe here. You have my word.”
He gave her a push and she moved in slowly. She closed the door most of the way, then moved to the bathroom to change into a comfortable pair of shorts and a loose tank top. Within seconds, she was sighing into the most heavenly sheets and mattress she had ever slept on. Her mind drifted to her predicament. Did she actually have a winning hand here or was this the biggest bluff of her life?
Chapter 4
Chris peered through the small opening into the bedroom. Meg was still asleep. The soft glow of the light slipping past the door caressed her serene features. Her face was more relaxed than he’d seen it the last few days. A tiny smile played about her lips, making her appear angelic.
She was a wild card though. Trusting her could be dangerous.Shecould be dangerous. But he’d promised her, and control was his middle name. A means to an end, that’s all she was. He couldn’t forget the promise he’d made to himself. Never get involved. The results could be fatal.
Glancing at his watch, he shook his head to get rid of the negativity. It had been way past three when they’d gotten back to his suite, but he had things to do today and the couch wasn’t nearly as comfortable as the bed.
He hadn’t minded sleeping there knowing she was safe and not in that scummy room surrounded by the dregs of the city. And this hotel was high end enough that even the couch was better than what he usually slept on.
He moved away from the door and concentrated on the one-sided conversation he was having with his mother. She was going on about some new boyfriend his younger sister, Erin, had.
“I’m sure she’ll be fine, Mom. She’s twenty-seven and a big girl now. She’s got a full-time job and her own apartment. It’s time you let her make her own mistakes.”
“I know, Chris, it’s just that as parents you worry about your children making bad choices. You want to protect them from anything harmful. Your father doesn’t get a good feeling around this new young man.”
He didn’t honestly care what his father thought. The man had made his own share of mistakes, huge ones. Ones Chris wasn’t ready to forgive.
“Don’t worry about Erin, she’s a smart girl. She’ll figure things out. I don’t have a lot of time to talk right now. I just wanted to let you know I may be in and out of contact for a while.”
“Why, where are you going?”
