“You just make sure you call me Officer Hale in front of everyone else from now on.”
“Again, fuck you.”
I didn’t check my phone until I made it to my car. Of course, the call had come from Nicholas. Now that I was officially investigating the man I had been voluntarily getting to know, things immediately felt strange.
Nicholas: Can’t wait to see you.
Paranoia filled me as I read over his simple message. Instead of responding, I tossed my phone into the passenger seat. I felt like he would sense something was off even through my message.
This wasn’t my first rodeo. I wasn’t a rookie. I had to pull myself together so I could do my job. More than anything, I wanted to prove him innocent. At the same time, I wasn’t naïve enough to believe that he was just because I wanted him to be. I should have known he was too good to be true.
9
Jameela
As I sped away from the precinct, the folder Hale made sure to shove in my hands before I left burned a hole in my passenger seat. He took a sick joy in toying with me, but this was my life. This was a man I thought could possibly be the one meant for me.
Just a few weeks ago, I let Nicholas into my world. I’d let him charm me and convince me that he was genuine in everything he said. For the first time in a long time, I felt good. I knew I didn’t need a man to bring me happiness, but Nicholas made me happy.
Now everything we’d shared was tainted. Every laugh and kiss we shared was poisoned by reality. Now he was a suspect. My search had turned up fruitless, but obviously, he was raising red flags somewhere. Meanwhile, each red flag that I’d encountered was explained away. I gripped the steering wheel until my knuckles hurt.
Tremaine had threatened to take my baby away from me. He didn’t give a damn about Bella, but now all of a sudden, hewanted to use her in endless quests to manipulate and control me. Refusing the job wasn’t an option. I could already see how that would go.
Tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them away. There was no time for tears. I had a job to do. I knew the nature of the job when I signed up for it. A dull ache sat in my chest as I finally picked up my phone to reply to his message.
Me: Can’t wait.
Hours later, I was in awe as I drove to a gorgeous house so far up in the Lula Hills that my ears popped on the way up. As much as I wanted to believe Nicholas was innocent, I had to admit that such a lavish lifestyle reeked of criminal activity. It was possible that my simple background check had come back clean because he had never been prosecuted. No record didn’t automatically equal innocence.
I halfway expected to find a bachelor’s pad. Instead, there was this gigantic mansion that made me feel small just standing outside. As my car rolled to a stop, I admired the floor-to-ceiling picture windows that overlooked a garden.
Even if I wanted to bail on our plans, I didn’t have a chance to throw my car in reverse before Nicholas opened the door and stepped outside to greet me. It was unnerving how sexy he was in a pair of dark gray sweats, but I loved seeing him dressed down.
I took a deep breath as I prepared to pretend as if everything was OK when, in reality, it wasn't. The man I thought just might be the one was now a target. It would be different if I had gone in with the intentions of launching an investigation. I had gotten to know Nicholas on a personal level and actually liked him.
When I was begging to go back to work, this was not what I had in mind. My mama always said be careful what you asked for, but did I listen? It felt stupid to be hopeful about ourevening, but I couldn't help it. Nicholas made me hopeful. Fuck him for making me hopeful.
I managed to smile as I parked out front and climbed out of the car. Hurriedly, I moved to the back seat to get Bella out of her car seat. I felt different about having my daughter meet a suspect, but pulling back would have likely sent up red flags. This was exactly what I was trying to avoid, yet I found myself in an impossible situation anyway.
When I stood to my full height, I was staring right into Nicholas’s handsome face. He stepped closer and placed his hand on my waist as he kissed my cheek.
“You look beautiful today, Jameela.”
His simple compliment made me blush. “Thank you.”
“I’m glad you came. Do you need me to grab anything?”
“No, I was just getting Bella out of her seat.”
“Let me see her,” he said, stepping back to give me a little space.
When I turned to face him, I introduced them. “Bella, this is Nicholas.”
“Hey, Bella. She’s beautiful, baby. She looks just like you.”
“Everyone says that.”
“Can I hold her? I miss Amira being so small.”
