In Her Sights (10 page)

Good. Now they were thinking the same. “Let’s cut the
bullshit. You don’t know me that well, and I don’t know you that well. I want
the dagger.”

“I want to protect my image.” She put a hand to his chest
and pushed, but he didn’t back up a step. Her brow lifted. “I need to make sure
people still see me as helpless.”

He widened his stance and stuck his hands in his pocket. She
could push on him all night if she wanted. He wasn’t budging until he was ready.
If she didn’t like it, she could turn and walk the other way. He had a feeling
though, she wouldn’t back down. Not to anything. “I can do that. Reid can, too.
Be honest and tell me you have the dagger.”

“Fine.” She breathed. “I have the dagger.”

“After all these cops clear out. I want it.”

“No.” She crossed her arms under her chest. “I have it
hidden and secured. Until this is done, it’s my house and my life that’s at
risk. I’m going to keep it until this is over.”

She had a point. And tonight’s break-in confirmed that
whoever wanted the dagger from Arnold knew it was in this house. Or, at least,
they’re taking the same gamble as Clayton had. If something happened and she
was threatened for the dagger’s return, she would need it. “We can deal. I want
to know where it’s at so I can better secure it.” And if he felt the need for
it, take it.

“No deal. Tomorrow you can have free run of my house. From
top to bottom. Search as you like. If you find it, it’s yours. Take it. You don’t,
it stays where it’s at.”

That rocked him back on his heels and had him taking a step
back. Free run of her entire three-story mansion? “It’s a big house. I can’t
search it alone thoroughly in one day. Does this deal extend to at least two of
my men?”

She nodded and walked past. “That’s fine. Damage anything
and you’re responsible. I’ll alert Alex to what you’ll be doing so you won’t be
questioned. Just let him know which two men will be joining you on your search.”

She was being very agreeable about this. He wasn’t sure if
that was a good sign or a bad one. “Just so you know, if we don’t have this
place locked down by tomorrow evening, then I will have men stationed here for
the night.”

She turned and leaned against the front of her desk. “Will
you be investigating those men you caught tonight?”

He nodded.

“I want to see what you find. Tonight.”

Tonight
? No. He didn’t know what she was up to, but
he wasn’t playing her games. This was his business, his livelihood, and
whatever curiosity she had could wait until after he reviewed everything and
had a plan of action. “It’ll be late before we finish here, likely near dawn
before I even hear anything.”

“I don’t have a curfew, but I’ll need the information
brought here.”

His investigation, his rules. “Out of the question.”

She walked closer to him and gave him the face with the eyes
and the look. The one where she managed to talk people into things. “Only if
you refuse. You’ll have to review the information they find at some point. Why
not here, where I can see it, too?”

He wasn’t going easy. This request would have his investigators
doing extra steps. He wanted a damn good reason first. “Why do you want to
know?”

“Because it’s my house.”

But still his investigation. That was something that seemed
to be slipping her mind. This was his investigation to find further information
on the dagger. She hadn’t hired him to investigate the break in. Which meant he’d
brief her with an overview out of the goodness of his heart. He could mention
that little fact, but for now, he’d keep it to himself. “And what are you going
to do once you know?”

“Sleep better.”

No. She said that too fast. And she was smiling about it. “I
thought we agreed to cut the bullshit?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Because if these men are from the area where
I’m putting a lot of money, I want to know.”

Now, that was different. Something he could respect. Hell,
if he was spending a lot of money on people and those people in turn wanted to
rob him, he’d have a little conflict of issue himself. “There. Was that so hard
to be honest with me?”

“I don’t answer to people or explain myself.”

“If you want my help with your image problem, you will
answer to me and explain yourself until I’m satisfied.”

Chapter Nine

Sometimes, maybe it would be easier to deal with a dead
body. This afternoon, the arguing had been fun. Not so much this evening. Lexie’s
nails bit into her palms as Clayton walked out of her office. She stood in the
room just a moment and breathed before stepping into the hall and having to be
the helpless woman the police knew her as. Her cheeks burning crimson weren’t exactly
going to have her looking as pale as a bed sheet. She pulled in a deep breath
and let it out in one long, slow exhale.

“Feel better?”

She yelped and looked up. Clayton leaned against the wall.
Just casually hanging out there with his arms over his chest. She flicked hair
off her shoulders and straightened her shirt. “Thought you went on.”

“Thought it would look a little strange for a woman to be
alone in the dark so soon after being burglarized for the second night in a
row.”

At least the dim light of the hall hid her clenched jaw
until she could calm her temper. She licked her lips to relax and flipped on
the lights. “Thank you for thinking ahead.”

He walked toward her and stopped in her personal space again.
Overwhelming it. The sigh he let out was heavy and long as his squared
shoulders softened. “Fighting isn’t what I want between us. If you insist on
being in the know on every detail, to the point you find out information in the
moment instead of waiting for an update, I’d like a working relationship.”

“I’d like that too.” She stuck her hand out. “Truce?”

“This means I won’t be treating you as just a client
anymore.”

She wasn’t sure what that meant, and she lowered her hand. “Okay.”

“I won’t be dancing around your feelings, and I won’t always
be nice. This is my business. My reputation too.”

Now she got it and raised her hand back up. “I understand. I
can handle your crummy attitude.”

His hand covered hers. Grip firm, but then his thumb stroked
along the back of her hand. He gave her a shake, but he didn’t release her. “I
don’t have an attitude.”

“If you say so.”

She walked next to him down the hall, through the doorway
and into the brightened, wide entrance area of the house that was crawling with
police.

Time to play the part. She rubbed her arms, forced her gaze
down as Clayton continued to guide her through the room. She slumped her shoulders,
angled them forward, and did her best to look worried sick at what had happened.
At least the lack of sleep gave her face the appearance of stress.

It was the same detective from last night, and she
maintained the same stance. Worried, frustrated. Nervous and scared.

“Detective…? I’m sorry, I can’t remember your name.” She
glanced across the room to the cuffed men the officers were pulling to their
feet. The closest had a tattoo on his arm with initials. A little excited jolt tripped
through her heartbeat, but she needed a closer look. She was almost certain
there was a gang mark with that tattoo that would tell her exactly who they
were dealing with. She shook her head, looked at her toes, and rubbed her
temples. Time to focus on this, and the less eye contact with anything, the
better. Addison’s men would surely get photographs on these guys and she’d be
able to see there.

The detective’s eyes remained friendly. “Adam Breeze.”

She looked up through her lashes and nodded. “Right. Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” His tone softened. “These are probably the same
men from last night.”

She nodded and didn’t dare glance at Clayton as she dabbed at
the corner of her eyes.

“Lexie, is there somewhere quiet we can go to get your
statement?”

Statements. Now or never to see if Clayton was going to hold
up their agreement. “Of course. I don’t have much. I was in my office. When I
heard the alarm sound, I hid under my desk.”

“Let’s sit somewhere private, and we can go through it from
the beginning.”

Adam looked to Clayton, and she knew this part. They would
be questioned separately, as would everyone in the house. Protocol. Clayton
backed away. “I need to check in with my man, make some calls.”

“Is there somewhere down that way we can talk?” Adam pointed
down the hall.

She cleared her throat and took him to the privacy of her
office. It took minutes for her to retell what she’d already said. She heard
noise. She stood, and the alarm sounded. She was afraid and hid under her desk.
Some of it was true.

“Thank you, Lexie. I think that covers it.”

She stood from her chair. “Could you please pass any
information to me that you find out on those men? I would like to know who they
are and what they’re after. After two nights in a row, I believe it would help
put my mind at ease.”

“I’ll personally see to it myself.” He nodded, backing up
his statement.

He walked her to the main room. The thieves were gone. An
officer waited by the front. The other man who had run in with Clayton stood
against a corner by the stairs. Reid, he had called him. He had to be at least
six foot six and was built. The man was huge.

She glanced to Adam. “If you’ll excuse me?”

“You’re free to do as you want.”

Reid’s arms were over his chest. Dark eyes watchful as she
walked toward him. Legs were braced apart in a solid stance. The number of
people he scared off was likely uncountable. While others may be afraid of his
physical size, she worried about what was going through his head and if he saw
as much as Clayton claimed. “Nice work.”

Reid looked at her. “You too,” he whispered. “You’re fast.”

That confirmed that. Every martial arts coach always had the
same compliment: she was fast. She stepped next to him for small, friendly
talk. Like everything was normal. Like he hadn’t seen her in action twenty
minutes ago. Sometimes, the perception of normal was all that was needed for
moments to feel normal.

“You’re strong.” She smiled and patted his arm and started
the sucking up part of the evening. The more they liked her, the less trouble she
would be in.

“Just doing my job, ma’am.”

“You probably have good, solid punches.” She was stating the
obvious now. The guy’s arms were bigger around than her butt. “Would you be
interested in joining me next time I spar for practice?”

His brows nearly hit the top of his head he raised them so
fast. “Uhh. Sure.”

She forced a smile, trying to be friendly. “Great. Most of
the guys I work with are long and lean. You’re built like a boxer, though. It
would be interesting.”

He just blinked at her.

Right. She probably shouldn’t speak. Ever again. As the
awkward silence stretched, she knew she had to say something. “Clayton said he
was looking into who these men are.”

Reid nodded. “He has his two best investigators on the way
to the offices now to start. I suspect by the time we finish with the police
and get over there, they’ll have something.”

She nodded. “That’s faster than I expected. They’re coming
here instead so I can see the information.”

Reid’s brow managed to inch just a bit higher.

She cleared her throat. Right. “I want to know who they are.”

“I wasn’t questioning what you wanted, ma’am, but Clayton
will probably argue with you.”

“I already worked that out with him. And you don’t have to
ma’am me.”

“You’re a client, ma’am.”

Not anymore, according to Clayton. By the way he’d treated
her so far, she couldn’t wait to see how it would differ being she wasn’t
officially a client anymore. No more politeness and nice guy. More of the rough
argumentative man who set that heat in her belly. Because thinking of him in
any sort of manner aside from a professional one was the exact kind of thoughts
she needed to be having. She bit the inside of her cheek to ground her back in
reality and what she needed to be focusing on.

As if he knew she’d been thinking of him, he walked back in
the room, an officer next to him. Clayton looked her way. The officer followed
his gaze and watched her. Time slowed.

Her chest squeezed while the officer tucked a small notebook
away. This was it. Had he held his word? Maybe instead of trying to play nice
to win them over, she should have threatened. It was just more difficult to
threaten two men versus one. Besides,
Lexie
couldn’t walk around threatening
people right and left.

Image and perception, as always.

Also, Clayton was the quickest way to solve this issue with
the dagger. Kyle could find out a lot, but she had to pay a price for that
information. She was having to pay with Clayton, too, but it wasn’t with her
time and expertise. She wasn’t sure what she was paying with, but he seemed to
enjoy testing her patience.

Clayton walked toward her. And the officer followed. She
took a step back. Her life wasn’t completely over if he hadn’t kept his word.
It’d become her word versus theirs, and in this instance, it wasn’t a major
detail. It would just become a blemish on her cover. Lexie Olympia did not go
around breaking noses and cracking kneecaps.

She started to move another step and Clayton lifted a brow,
stopping her. She rubbed her arms. This was stupid. He wanted her help and she
wanted his. This was nothing more than a test and of course he’d held his word.
She needed more than three hours of sleep in the morning, two hours in the
afternoon. What would he gain by being honest in this situation? Right now, she
still had something he wanted.

Clayton stopped before her and pushed his hands into his
pockets. He did that a lot. Curse Julia. Lexie probably wouldn’t have
noticed had the woman not mentioned looking at his hands. “Julia asked if I’d
walk with you.”