8
FIONA
I wasn’tsure why Zeke seemed so bothered by our visit with Denny. He usually took everything in stride and it unnerved me to see him thrown off balance. After we left, we dropped by Andrew’s place. He was clearly hungover and didn’t have much to say for himself, but there was no sign of a Monet in his living room, and honestly, with how much of a mess he was, I doubted he’d have been able to mastermind a heist like that anyway.
While we were with Andrew, Zeke had his staff dig into Sandra. They confirmed that she gambled, but from what they could tell, she wasn’t in a financial hole. We dropped by to ask her a few questions, and I felt terrible about how pale she got when Zeke brought up the gambling. It didn’t take long before she showed us the door. I got the feeling she wasn’t hiding anything though, and Zeke seemed to think the same.
Sam the recovering addict appeared to be living his best life. His eyes were clear, his complexion smooth, and whilehe clearly hadn’t liked us turning up on his doorstep, he’d been patient and polite. We paid a visit to each of the gallery’s staff members, although two of them weren’t at home—presumably, they were at the gallery—under the guise of checking on the effectiveness of King’s Security’s system to determine how we could improve it in the future.
By the time we finished, I was mentally and emotionally exhausted. I dealt with people constantly every day. I answered dozens of phone calls and fielded hundreds of emails, but for some reason, doing this had drained me more than dealing with demanding middle management and entitled customers ever had.
“Let’s get lunch,” Zeke said as we returned to his car after another deflating interview. “You need a break, and I’m hungry.”
I was tempted to argue that I could keep going for as long as he could, but he had a point. At this rate, I’d be no use to anyone. “All right.”
He looked surprised by my easy acquiescence but didn’t comment on it. “What would you like? Italian? Turkish? Indian?”
“How about sushi?” I always found sushi to be a refreshing pick-me-up. Plus it was something I wouldn’t have to work off at the gym later in the week. I’d left thirty in the rearview mirror a couple of years ago and staying trim took more effort than it used to.
“Great.” He grinned. “I know just the place.”
A few minutes later, he pulled up outside Sushi Ya.I side-eyed him. There was no way this was a coincidence. Not after he’d brought the berry Danish this morning.
“You know my favorite sushi place,” I said.
He put the car into park, switched off the engine, and unbuckled. “You should assume I know everything, Fifi. I usually do.”
“Stalker.”
He touched his hand to his heart. “I’m hurt you could think that. I’m just thorough. No stone left unturned.”
“I’m counting on it.” Perhaps I found his attitude frustrating, but if it got me out of hot water, I wouldn’t complain. Besides, despite being unsettled that he seemed to know far more about me than I did about him, I couldn’t help being flattered that he’d been interested enough to find these things out about me. Many of the men I’d dated over the years hadn’t bothered to learn as much about me as Zeke had, and I’d have willingly told them anything they wanted to know.
He escorted me inside and we removed our shoes at the door and sat on cushions on the floor around a low table. A waiter took our orders and brought us a jug of water. I filled two glasses. My phone buzzed, and I glanced at the screen to see that I had a message from Sage. I opened it.
Sage:Are you okay? I’m sending you positive energy.
A smile stole across my face. I adored Sage. She was an absolute sweetheart, and I immediately felt better any time she got in touch with me. I tapped out a reply.
Fiona:I’m doing as well as I can. Thanks for checking in.
“Who’s that?” Zeke asked.
“Sage,” I murmured, slipping the phone into my bag. “Just checking up on me. She’s so lovely.”
“She is,” he agreed. “Too good for Kade, but she doesn’t seem to realize it yet.”
I rolled my eyes. He and Kade cared for each other, even if they would never admit it. They liked teasing each other far too much. “They’re perfect together.”
“They’re okay.” His expression softened. “She’s good for him.”
“She really is.” Kade had always been kind, but he’d also kept himself at an emotional distance for the first few yearsI’d known him. It was only now that he was beginning to thaw and let us see more of his real self.
I glanced at Zeke across the table. I still hadn’t seen past his emotional barriers, but I appreciated how hard he was working to help me even if he’d never let me in.
“Thank you, if I haven’t already said it enough. I appreciate everything you’re doing for me.”
For a moment, his dark eyes seemed to warm, and I thought he might say something real, but then it was as if a shutter slammed closed.
