“I am,” Ginny said softly. “Theo and I have some business to conduct as well. It was lovely to see you, Jack.”
Theo might just throw up. “Bye, Jack.”
The shifter nodded, gave him one hard look, and turned on his polished loafers. Seconds later, he’d disappeared into the throng.
Ginny sighed. “Kindly remove your hand.”
“Not a chance in hell,” Theo returned, drawing her nearer. “And I’m warning you. You try to create a scene, you cause any problem, and I’ll not care about collateral damage for once. You’re coming with me, and we’re retrieving the Benjamin file. Right now.”
Her eyes widened fully, and she planted a small hand against her bare upper chest. “The Benjamin file? What in the world is that?”
He barked out a laugh. Truly, he couldn’t help it. “Ginny, from day one, your act hasn’t worked on me, and you know it.” That was why she’d chosen his older brother to manipulate and use a century ago. Jared had fallen for her helpless act, thought he was in love, and had had his heart broken when she’d mated another male instead of him. Well, he’d thought it had been broken. Now that he’d found his true mate, he knew the difference. “So knock it off,” Theo finished.
“Theo,” Ginny whispered. “I truly do not know anything about a Benjamin file. What in the world is that?”
It was the computer file that detailed all of Theo’s family’s holdings and dealings…even the illegal ones. It could bring down and bankrupt his entire family, and most importantly, his Uncle Benjamin. Benny was a crazy thousand-year-old vampire who would easily cut off Theo’s head for losing the file. “I don’t have time for games. Where’s the flash drive?” he asked quietly.
She shrugged creamy shoulders. “You know I don’t understand computers.”
The woman could lie. Well. But Theo knew better. “You firebombed our entire system, and now that flash drive is the only record we have. It proves ownership of everything we have.” It also held files they’d used to blackmail others during the years, which was an acceptable way of doing business in the immortal world. He leaned down until his nose nearly touched hers. “I’m losing patience.”
Pink bloomed across her high cheekbones. “Really, Theo. Ownership records are easy to find these days. Obtain the title deeds in every place you own property. Stocks and businesses have records.”
He breathed out, his lungs heating. Many records had no paper trail, and she knew it. The blackmail info, and the family history, were both hidden on purpose. And even so, he didn’t have time to traverse the world looking for what legitimate documentation he could find. “Where’s the data?” Hopefully she’d been too busy running from him and trying to sell the files that she hadn’t had time to really go through them.
He had to get the Green Rock file before anybody else read it. The damn thing might result in his entire family being killed by their current allies. It’d also break his brother Chalton’s heart if he learned the truth. The Realm, his adopted family, would turn on him. “Tell me, Ginny. Now.”
The witch sighed. “I’m getting a headache. Would you please just stop stalking me?”
He barely kept from glaring at her. This close, he could see dark circles beneath her eyes. Beneath his hand, her arm trembled. Running from him had taken a toll on her. He tried to steel his heart against that fact, because she’d use it against him. “Let’s go to my hotel and have a nice meal.” Maybe if he got some food into her, the color would return to her pretty face. “We can talk about the file there.”
“No.” Her pink lips turned down in a pout.
“Does that look actually work on people?” he asked, truly curious.
Fire flashed in her intriguing eyes.
Ah, he’d gotten to her. “I guess it does.” He faulted his gender for being easy marks. Not once had he ever understood why she played at being so helpless. Why not be straight up? Hell, if he didn’t need to get that file back,he’dprobably be an easy mark for her if she was honest with him for two whole seconds. “You don’t need games with beauty like yours, Ginny.”
Surprise, the genuine kind, tilted her lips. “I thought you hated the way I look.”
Right. Vampires always hated beauty. “No. I dislike the way you pretend to be something you’re not. The way you look is…good.” Unbelievably stunning, to be honest. But he couldn’t give her an inch, or he’d be letting his entire family down. And probably signing their death sentence. “So drop the act, would you?”
She shook her head as if she was in on a joke he couldn’t fathom. Regret darkened those blue eyes for just a second, enhancing the tired circles beneath them. “You only see what you want to see, Theo.”
What the hell did that mean? He leaned in. “Explain.”
Her slim shoulders went back. “I can’t. But you’re right. We do need to talk. Let’s go discuss this somewhere else.”
Good. She was finally going to work with him. He looked toward the nearest exit. “I agree. Let’s get out of here. Why are you caring about otters, anyway?”
She blinked. “Otters?”
He gestured around.
She laughed, the sound spontaneous and so sexy it hurt. “Oh, Theo. This is a fundraiser for Other Tracks. An international nonprofit that fights the sex trafficking of children across the globe? I donate every year.”
He straightened. Was she lying? “Oh.” That did seem a lot more important than otters. He studied her, fighting the urge to believe her. She was so damn good at tricking men. Right now, he had other worries. “Let’s go.”
