“I had an appointment to pick up my van, but Ramón wasn’t here. Feliks Zhirov was inside waiting for me with one of his goons.”
Nick’s hand froze where it cupped my jaw. His eyes skated back and forth over mine, the skin around them creased with worry.
“I’m fine,” I insisted. “They ran out the back door when they heard your siren.” His eyes leapt to the rear of the garage, as if he was ready to run after them. “Don’t bother,” I told him. “They’re long gone by now.” I hadn’t seen Feliks’s car when I’d pulled up. He’d probably parked on the next block. The last thing I wanted was for Nick to go looking for them.
Nick dragged the folding chair closer, holding it steady as I slumped into it. The adrenaline rush was fading, and exhaustion was filling the void.
“Tell me everything,” he said.
“Feliks knew we were tailing him the other day. He got the tag number of the loaner car and tracked it here. My mechanic is Vero’s cousin. He must have called her to let her know I was in trouble.” I leaned my elbows on my knees, rubbing the tension from my temples. Not only was I on Feliks’s radar now, but so was Nick.
He rested his hands on his hips and looked down at the floor. “I’m sorry I didn’t get Vero’s message sooner.”
“It’s not your fault,” I said through a shaky sigh.
“What did Feliks say?”
“He wanted to know why I was tailing him. I told him I was following Theresa. But he recognized you.”
“Shit.” Nick scrubbed his face as he paced a slow circle around the garage. “How’d you explain that?”
“I told him you and I were…involved. And the fact that you were in my car had nothing to do with him. But I’m not sure he believed me.”
Nick paused, amusement lurking in the suggestive lift of his smile. “If you want to try convincing him, I have a few ideas.”
With a roll of my eyes, I stood up, turning my back on him as I strode to the office to recover my purse. All I wanted was to make sure Vero was okay, to peek in on my kids as they slept, and to kiss them good night.
“Finn, wait.” Nick swore quietly, catching me by the elbow. “I’m sorry. I was only trying to lighten things up. I know you’ve had one hell of a night. And I feel terrible that Feliks roughed you up because he spotted us together.” He shook his head, raking his hands through his dark curls and setting them heavily on his hips. “I should’ve taken my own car. I should never have brought you along. Georgia’s going to strangle me when she finds out—”
“She won’t find out,” I said, ignoring the guilt that tugged at my insides. “I won’t tell her if you won’t.”
A weight fell from his shoulders. He nodded. “Go get your things. I’ll drive you home.”
My knees were still wobbly as I retreated to the office, and I was grateful for the excuse not to drive. I bent to collect the spilled contents of my purse, scraping cosmetics and loose change from the floor and jamming my wallet back inside. Nick’s footfalls grewlouder as I reached for my wig-scarf. As he came up behind me, I pushed it deeper under the desk.
“I’m going to have an unmarked keep an eye on your house for a while.” I stood up, ready to protest, but Nick held up a finger. “Just for a few days. Just until we know he’s not going to try to come for you again.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but he was already calling it in. By the time he dropped me off at home, a cop would be stationed down the street from my house, documenting my every move, watching me come and go. This was worse than Mrs. Haggerty. Much, much worse. I used my shoe to nudge the wig-scarf deeper under the desk; I didn’t dare bring it home.
CHAPTER 35
Suddenly, plotting murder didn’t seem so hard. At the very least, it seemed easier than figuring out hownotto murder someone in real life. Because when the doorbell rang at eight thirty on Saturday morning, I was irritable enough to try.
Honestly, I was surprised Steven had bothered to use the doorbell at all. Maybe Vero’s lecture had sunk in. Either that, or the key she’d thrown in the diaper pail had truly been his only one. I nursed a cup of coffee as I padded stiffly to the door.
“You’re early,” I droned into my mug as I drew it open. “The kids aren’t—”
Nick leaned against the doorframe, freshly shaven and his hair still damp from a shower, a grin taking hold as he took in my disheveled state. “Good morning to you, too.”
I smoothed a hand through my hair, then clutched the front of my robe to hold it closed over the same sweat-soured clothes I’d been wearing the night before. “Sorry, I thought you were Steven.What are you doing here?” I pressed my mouth shut; I hadn’t even brushed my teeth yet.
“Came to see how you’re doing after last night.” His eyes dipped to my neck, and I reached to cover the nick Andrei had given me. The tiny scab was hardly noticeable this morning, but I’d just as soon forget the whole experience. Nick’s brow furrowed, his usual easy smile turning down at the edges. “How’d you sleep?”
“I didn’t. Much.” Under the pressure of my looming deadline and countless emails from my agent, I’d been up working until three. I’d hardly been conscious enough to remember to send my latest batch of work to Sylvia before crashing in my clothes.
Nick hooked a thumb over his shoulder, toward an unmarked car parked just down the street. “You can rest easier tonight. Officer Roddy’s keeping an eye on the place. Feliks won’t get within five hundred feet without me knowing about it.”
Great. Just what I needed. Maybe Officer Roddy and Mrs. Haggerty could have tea and share notes.
