Her mouth dropped open and he walked past her toward the door. He ignored the nagging guilt in the pit of his stomach. He had to keep a wall up between them until he figured her out. His phone vibrated against his thigh and he pulled it out. A text message from Eric scrolled across the screen along with the picture of a blond woman with cold blue eyes.
“Does the name Connie Difico mean anything to you?” He turned and watched her reaction to the name Eric had just sent him.
Mickey shook her head and her hair swirled around her, stirring up the dust in the air. “No.”
He crossed the room and held his phone in front of her face. “Does she look familiar?”
If possible, her face became even more pale. Fear flashed in the irises of her eyes as she stared at the screen and her chin quivered. “That’s the woman who tried to kill me. Did the police find her?” Her voice shook and rose an octave with every word.
“This is the woman who was in your apartment last night?” He flipped the phone toward him and studied the picture again. She couldn’t be older than twenty-five.
“Yes. I told you I didn’t make it up.” She pointed at the phone. “I know that’s her.”
“The police don’t have her, Mickey. But we’re standing in her apartment.”
9
Panic clawed at her throat and she glanced around the apartment, her feet moving toward the door. Her hand pressed against the back of her head where the gun had been lodged last night. “We need to get out of here. She might come back.”
Graham lowered the phone to his side and shook his head. “She won’t come here. If Pete gave you a key, he’d do so knowing you wouldn’t run into her. He probably used her name so he’d be harder to find. He made some mistakes with you, but he’s not stupid.”
She dropped her hand from her head and narrowed her eyes at him. Fury replaced the panic consuming her body and she clenched her hands into fists. “What do you mean he made a mistake with me? Because he couldn’t cut off the loose end, or because he dated me in the first place?”
Graham’s chest expanded as he drew in a large breath. “I mean because he gave you his real name and let his guard down with you. Most of what he told you was a lie, but some truth could have spilled out. You claim you were unaware of his true intentions, but something had to have slipped.”
Heat rushed into her cheeks. “There’s that word again.Claimed. Like I’m making everything up, like I was part of this big plan to kidnap my goddaughter and sell her for sex. Do you hear what an ass you sound like right now? I’ve known Becca for eight years, and Suzi since grade school. Why would I decide to help some sick bastard I’d only met a few months ago take her? I love her.”
He tunneled his hand through his hair and sank down into the dirty recliner in the center of the living room. “You’re right. That does seem odd. But look at this from my side. Pete is a criminal who has been on the inside of a human trafficking ring for years. He’s successfully moved to Chicago from Mexico, has taken three girls from this neighborhood, and has God knows how many girls moving here from Playa Del Carmen. Why would he tell you who he really is? Why risk the entire operation to get you in bed?”
His words halted her anger and made her mind spin. She had been so wrapped up in her own turmoil she hadn’t stopped to wonder why she looked so damn guilty to a trained FBI agent. Her heart slammed against her ribcage. He made a valid point, but there had to be a reason. And if he couldn’t figure it out, then she had to.
She walked across the room and rested her backside on the ledge of the bay window looking out into the gloomy morning. The rain still fell in quiet drizzles and cars littered the street. Her gaze stayed fixed on the world outside and she said, “I don’t have an answer for you. Believe me, I wish I did. When I think about all the time I spent with him, and how badly he deceived me, I want to curl into a ball and never get up.” She turned her head to face him. “But that’s not a choice. That won’t help Becca.”
Graham didn’t respond; he just held her gaze. Something softened in his eyes, even if only a little. It made the pressure in her chest ease a tiny bit.
“We should go,” he said.
She nodded. “I need to get ready for work. I have an early flight.”
The corners of his eyes dropped in concern. “Are you going to be okay? It’s a little soon to go back to work, isn’t it?”
She widened her eyes. He was a walking contradiction, and she couldn’t keep up with his constant change of attitude toward her. How was it possible to go from suspecting her of a disgusting crime to being concerned about her well-being so quickly? Regardless of his sincerity, or lack thereof, he was giving her emotional whiplash.
“I’ll be fine. The two other flight attendants who were on the plane will be with me, and it’s a short flight to Detroit. I’ll be home this evening.” She straightened and walked toward the door, mentally slapping herself. She didn’t need to tell him all of this. He wasn’t her friend. Hell, he was about as far from a friend as she had. Even if there was this strange invisible string that connected her to him. She needed to figure out how to cut him loose and leave him behind. She couldn’t waste more time figuring out if she wanted to slap him or kiss him.
The chair squeaked behind her and his footsteps fell heavily against the wooden planks. A strong hand came down on her shoulder, branding her skin with its heat, and she spun around to face him. “You were brave as hell that day. I never got the chance to tell you.”
“Thanks.” Heat crept into her cheeks again, but this time it was because of the way his warm breath caressed her skin. She tilted her head as she stared up at his strong jaw. “What are the chances we were both on that plane when a hijacker tried to crash it?”
The gray in his eyes darkened to coal and he glanced down.
“What?” she asked. Her pulse picked up.
“Nothing. We need to get going.” His shoulder brushed against her and he walked toward the door.
She reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him to a stop. “Who was the man who tried to crash the plane?”
He cleared his throat and pulled his arm from her grasp. “Some crazy guy with an ax to grind.”
