“I’ll be okay, Nick,” Abby said. “I think you’d better leave. It’s late.”
“All right, I’m going.” Nick gave Sam one last glare and then turned back to Abby. “But promise me you’ll call me if you need backup.”
“I will,” she said. “By the way, please use the stairs on your way out. I don’t want any of my neighbors to wake up and see you climbing past their balconies from this floor. I’ve got my reputation to consider.”
“Yeah, right.” Nick coughed. “I, uh, left some of my stuff out on the balcony.”
“Get it,” Sam said. “And then go.”
Nick pretended not to hear the order, but he went out onto the balcony and collected the rock-climbing equipment. When he came back inside, Sam followed him down the short hall and into the small foyer. Newton accompanied them.
Nick opened the door. The outer hall was empty. He gave Newton one last pat and then straightened to give Sam a hard, cold look. He lowered his voice.
“If anything happens to Abby, I’ll be holding you responsible,” he said.
“Understood,” Sam said. “Believe me, if I thought she would be safer far away from this situation, I would have arranged that. But running wouldn’t do her any good. Problems like this tend to follow a person. And even if you escape for a while, they’re lying in wait when you return.”
Nick thought about that for a few seconds. Then he nodded. “You’re right. Guess that makes you her bodyguard.”
“That’s pretty much what it comes down to,” Sam said.
“That gadget you used on me is sort of impressive. Can I assume that you’ve had some practical experience in the bodyguard business?”
“I’ve done some occasional consulting work for a private firm that gets most of its business from a government agency.”
Nick widened his eyes. “You’ve got experience as aconsultant? Gosh, darn, that sure makes me feel a whole lot better. Which government agency are we talking about? The post office?”
“Close enough. Time to leave, Sawyer.”
Nick looked down at Newton. “At least you’ve got Newton to help you.”
“Right.”
Nick narrowed his eyes. “Don’t underestimate the dog. Or Abby.”
“I won’t.”
Nick went out into the elevator lobby and vanished into the emergency stairwell.
Sam closed the door, threw the dead bolt and looked down at Newton. “Just you and me, pal.”
Newton looked hopefully at the leash hanging on the coat tree.
“Forget it,” Sam said. “It’s two o’clock in the morning.”
He went back into the living room. Abby was in the process of closing the sliding glass door. The chilly breeze stirred the wild curls of her hair and caused the hem of her robe to flutter around her ankles. She had very nice ankles, Sam thought. Dainty, feminine, sexy.
Abby got the door locked and turned around to face him.
“So do you date a lot of cat burglars?” he asked, before he could stop himself.
Abby made a face. “That is not amusing. But just to be clear, Nick and I never dated.”
“Why not? Seems like you two have a lot in common, what with being in the same business and all.”
Why was he pushing her like this? he wondered. They had more important things to talk about, such as the lab book. But he knew the answer. He had been feeling increasingly territorial all afternoon and evening. Watching Sawyer come through the balcony door and thenact as if he had every right to do so because of his personal relationship with Abby had triggered some very primal responses.
“Nick is a friend,” Abby said quietly. “He and Gwen and I go back a long way together. The three of us are like family. For the record, Nick is gay.”
