Rachael grinned. “Your brother plays excellent piano.”
Jake’s heart stopped for a moment before he realized she wasn’t talking about his real brother—who was a brilliant pianist when he wasn’t off presenting a case in court—but kidding him about John Legend. “He puts me to shame on the piano,” he said truthfully. “How ’bout you? You play anything?”
Rachael’s face fell and she looked down at the counter. “No, I…I don’t. I used to take piano lessons when I was very little. My mom loved music and she wanted me to learn.”
She looked so lost. Jake gentled his voice. “You don’t play now?”
“No.” Her voice dropped almost to a whisper. “Daddy doesn’t like music.”
Just one more reason to hate the soulless bastard. “Do you sing? I bet you do.”
Rachael met his eyes and smiled while she hunched her head down into her shoulders. “Oh, just now and then. You know.”
“When you’re alone?” Jake eased closer to Rachael, fighting the urge to put an arm around her while his heart picked up the pace.
She nodded, staring down into her mug while he studied her adorable freckles.
“I bet you have a lovely singing voice.” He meant it. The pretty lilt to Rachael’s speaking voice emerged in force since she’d let her guard down around him. Now all Jake wanted was to hear her sing.
She gazed up at him and started to speak when footsteps approached the breakroom and Rachael scooted away. She waited, head down, for the three men to get through the door before she tried to leave, each of them leering at her in turn. He wanted to punch each of them for staring at her and cursed his undercover assignment.But their time will come, he reassured himself. Sons of bitches stole his opportunity to connect with Rachael.
Until later. At the end of the day, he was coming up the stairs to drop something off in Hank’s office when he heard a voice that stopped him in his tracks. At first he thought someone had their Spotify on and Sarah McLachlan or maybe Christina Perri had recorded an acapella version of Legend’s “All of Me” and done a stunning job of it, until he realized it was Rachael singing in her office. He stood transfixed as he listened, afraid to breathe too loudly and give himself away. Good God, she could sing forever as far as he cared.
Sweet Christ, I’m in deep, deep trouble.
Jake doubled-down on his undercover training. Get them to trust you by pretending to be interested in the things that interest them. Only, in this case, Jake didn’t have to pretend. So, how could he use this to his advantage? And how could he stop feeling like he was betraying an innocent woman?Hell, with that voice, an honest-to-God angel.
* * *
Jake finished telling Camden about the week, downplaying his attraction to Rachael while still letting his partner know the potential was there. “So, you see my problem?”
Camden contemplated the pool of bright red ketchup left on his plate. “It took a lot to get you into position here, and so far you’re making decent progress. I don’t think the office is gonna pull you out over a crush.”
“I know. I’m just saying it’s more complicated than that.” Jake slammed half his beer.
“Thought you were a confirmed bachelor, brother.”
“I’m not asking for her hand in marriage.”Yet,he thought. Shit. “But I am attracted to her.”
“Look, this isn’t your first rodeo with a hot femme fatale. What about Kathleen back in L.A.?”
“The drug-trafficker I played bodyguard for? I was never the least bit attracted to that cold-hearted viper.” Jake took a bite of his neglected burger.
“Coulda fooled me for a hot minute. The agency didn’t like it either.”
“Growing up, Mom gave me great pointers on acting, and that’s what everybody saw.”
Camden ate his last fry. “But you’ve got the actual feels for Rachael Deal?”
“Let’s say if I’m not careful, I’m headed that direction.” Jake polished off his second beer.
“Dude. Lots of suspicious deaths in Ross. There’s a good chance she’s a murderer or at least an accomplice. Even Kathleen never killed anyone, right?”
“Not directly. She had people for that. And I told you I wasn’t interested in her beyond sending her to the pen.”
Camden raised his hands, palms out, and Jake realized he’d raised his voice. “Not fighting with you here, brother. I’m trying to help. So, keep your eyes on the prize. Ernest Deal needs to go down for possible multiple murders including a federal agent, drug-trafficking, racketeering, kidnapping and I bet he jaywalks and steals candy from babies. And he’s not stupid. Talking to him, he never once directly told you he hired you as a thug, did he?”
“Nope. He musta watched all his mob movies like a good little kingpin. Everything he said was implied.”
