Marianna huffed out a breath. “You can’t just wander back into my life and demand information.”
“I’m not demanding. I’m asking.”
She put her hands on her hips. “And why would I answer? Because you and I slept together years ago?”
Slept together? That was what she called those months together that bordered on obsession? Understatement of the year.
“Not because we slept together, Marianna,” he bit out. “Because I work in private security, and there are things I can do to help. You can trust me.”
Her brow wrinkled, and she tilted her head to the side a bit, as if she were assessing that comment. Didn’t she trust him? Maybe her father never told her the truth about how things had ended.
“You can trust mewith your safety,” he amended, slowing at those last words.
The lines on her forehead eased, and after another moment, she nodded. With that nod, the aching tension in Simon’s shoulders eased a fraction.
He crossed his arms. “So what’s the story with the piers?”
“I went to look at one of our company’s shipments,” she said.
“Why?”
“Because I’m part-owner of the company,” she snapped.
Simon put up his hands. “Look, I’m just trying to understand what’s going on.”
Her shoulders rose and fell. “I... I wanted to get a better understanding of that part of the business.”
“Alone?”
Marianna rolled her eyes. “Don’t start with that, please.”
Simon grimaced. There was clearly more to this story, but she wasn’t giving it. And he couldn’t blame her. They were both teenagers the last time they’d seen each other, and things had ended badly. But all he needed was enough to assess her safety. So he waited.
She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Look, my role with the company is more public-facing. I’m not as involved in the actual importing and exporting of the goods... I’m just not sure if William is being completely straightforward with me about some of the shipments we’re receiving, so I met with this guy at the piers to check some...” She hesitated. “Some inconsistencies.”
Shit. This didn’t sound good. Simon looked her in the eye. “You suspect Ruiz Imports deals with more than what’s on the books?”
Marianna didn’t answer. Which was just about the same as a yes.
He didn’t want to dig too deep, get too involved. They hardly knew each other anymore, but her silence pricked at him.
“If you don’t want to tell me what’s really going on here, that’s fine,” he said. “But be careful, Marianna. Seems like you’ve really pissed off your ex-husband. Whoever you’re meeting with—can you be sure you know he’s not part of whatever William’s pushing you away from?”
She blinked up at him. Clearly, she hadn’t even considered that possibility.
“He and my father were close,” she said slowly. “My father helped him out, and he owed our family everything. He’d never do anything that would hurt me.”
Simon raised his eyebrows.
“He wouldn’t, Simon,” she said, more firmly this time. She took a drink of water, giving him a glimpse at her long, delicate neck. What would it be like to run his fingers down her soft skin again? No. Focus.
He hardened his expression. “How do you know whatever suspicious dealings you’re hiding from me didn’t start with your father?”
Marianna choked on her water, midsip. She clanked her glass down hard on the countertop and coughed some more. Simon hovered behind her, and then he touched her, his warm hand moving up and down her back in soothing strokes. She took a couple tentative breaths, finding more air.
“You okay?” he asked softly.
His hand lingered for an extra beat before he pulled back. But he didn’t move away. He stood close, the way he used to, the way she had tried so hard to forget.
