Wait, is thisnormalbehavior for Maddox? It has the gears in my head spinning. “Why?”
Roman pinches the bridge of his nose, seeming stressed. “Just do it, okay?”
“Yeah, sure…” I trail, even more curious than what I was before.
Relief sweeps over him before he motions to the kitchen. “Let’s start compiling evidence.”
My mind is reeling as I join Kairo in the kitchen. He’s seated at my dining room table, relaxing back in one of the chairs as he watches me move around the island to start making my morning smoothie.
I pull some ingredients from the fridge as Roman scrapes another chair across the floor and plops down onto it. He pulls up a small laptop that looks a little ridiculous compared to his massive hands as he types up something.
“Where did the break-in happen?” He asks.
I toss spinach, coconut water, pineapples, and mangos into my blender. “The backyard. Someone climbed over the fence, and the floodlights didn’t even come on.”
Roman types, the keys clicking as he takes notes. “And where was your direct security?”
I frown at the counter. “They claimed there was a miscommunication on who was taking the night watch. No one was present.”
Roman makes a disapproving sound as he glances up at Kairo. Some silent conversation passes between them, and I feel like I’m missing something.
“What?” I ask, placing a hand on my hip.
Roman continues to type, leaving Kairo to answer me as he lifts a brow. “And you believe that?”
I glare at him. “No, I don’t believe that, but who am I to question their disorganization?”
Roman makes a rough sound in the back of his throatas his jaw works. It’s obvious something is bothering him. In a past life, seeing his gruff attitude may have deterred me, causing me to curl into myself. But now? These three don’t scare me anymore, and I want to make that known.
“Say it with your chest, Roman,” I command, using his name for the first time in years. I don’t miss the way his shoulders seem to tense under my order. A shiver rolls along the back of his neck, and his eyes close for a moment. His reaction stuns me, making my lips part as I stare dumbfounded at him.
When those pale eyes meet mine, my flesh pricks with electricity. His voice is low and rough, like boots across gravel, as he speaks. “You’re their boss, Rosalie. You have every right to question their disorganization.”
I pick my jaw up, nodding absently as I go back to making my smoothie. I have no idea what’s gotten into me, but I don’t like the way I’m responding to them. I’m trying to convince myself that it’s just the stress of the last few days, but it’s like something is alive and shocking beneath my skin—a current that flickers and zaps every time one of them is near. I can’t place it, and I don’t think I want to.
“Can you make me one?” Kairo questions, causing me to look up at him.
“A smoothie?” I ask.
He places his chin in his hand as he leans against the table. “Please, Thorn.”
I deadpan at him as I flick the blender on to drown him out. His smirk only grows until he’s got that heated expression that looks like he’s trying to undress me with his eyes. I squirm slightly under his scrutiny, glancing away before I can embarrass myself.
When the blender stops, Roman speaks again. “Do you have anyone close to you who may know your whereabouts? Any possibility of someone who could be giving your information out for personal gain?”
I take a slow sip of my green drink, those old nerveseating away at my stomach. “Yeah. My dad…”
The dining room goes quiet, and I block the two men seated at my table with the bottom of my glass as I drink. I clear my throat, combating the awkwardness of this whole situation. “I tried to reach out a year ago because he ended up in prison for theft. He told me he was attending group therapy sessions and had started going to church. I thought he had changed, but he was only playing me for money. When I refused, he got angry and promised to find me the moment he got out.”
The two men share a look that speaks a thousand words without saying a single thing. The elephant in the room is leering, and my dad is always a forbidden subject for me, but if I want their help, they have to know.
“It still doesn’t explain why no one was on watch,” Roman scowls at his computer. “If your dad is freshly released, he wouldn’t have a dime to his name. How was he able to convince a whole security crew to abandon their post?”
“It’s the same thing I keep asking myself,” I chuckle humorlessly. “I don’t know how he’s making the moves he is, but it’s him.”
I don’t know what I’m expecting. Maybe for them to disagree with me or dismiss my theory altogether, but when Roman nods, agreeing, it stuns me once again.
“I’ll look into his records and see when he was released from prison,” Roman decides. “In the meantime, I need a statement from you. I have a form for you to fill out. If this becomes a full case, we’ll need testimony to show to a lawyer and judge.”
