in the room.” He pulled on a light jacket, covering his holster. “Here.” He pressed a switchblade in her hand. “I don’t think you’ll need it, but better safe, right?”
It took a moment of looking down at her clothes for her to figure out where to put the knife, finally opting to slide it into the side of her boot. “You’re going to tell me the angle one of these days, right? I mean, other than find Tian, use whatever means I need to get him alone, and then give him to you.”
“No, that’s it. We’re going to wait until after he’s done with his deal. He’ll work the club a bit. Mingle. Talk to the right people. Tian isn’t small time anymore, and he likes to take advantage of that fact. Now, near the restrooms in the back is a fire exit leading to an alley. Get him to follow you out that door.” He gestured with his hands as he spoke, as though they were standing in the middle of the club instead of his living room. “Lead him north, to the narrow road behind the buildings. There’s another parking lot at the edge of the block. Tell him you’re parked there.”
“And you’re going to be there in the Mustang?”
“I’ll be there. But if he’s with a man a little taller than me with brown and white hair and a stud in his nose, then it’s off. That’s Cesar, and he’s crazy.” Nathan’s tone and eyes were dead serious. “You avoid him. Isaac doesn’t think he’ll be there tonight, but he’s Tian’s shadow. He shows up, you leave.”
“Avoid the crazy. Got it.”
With one last nod, as if he was confirming the plan to himself, Nathan led her out of the apartment and down to the car, silent the entire way. Remy was dying to talk to him about, well, anything, but he seemed lost in the grim reality of the night stretching in front of them, focused on the job at hand. She wasn’t even sure he had looked at her again since first appraising her attire. Her disappointment that his work was more interesting to him than she was took her by surprise.
“So, this Isaac,” she said, once he had pulled onto the freeway. “What’s his story?”
Nathan checked his watch and drifted into the far left lane. “What do you want to know?”
Remy shrugged. “I don’t think he likes me very much.” She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, but his attention was still on the road ahead. “Does he go mama bear on all the bounty hunters he hires, or does he hold a special spot just for you?”
Nathan smiled. Well, only the corner of his mouth moved, but Remy thought it counted as a smile. “Isaac doesn’t have anything against you. As for his mother bear tendencies, he’s just cautious.” Nathan paused. “We used to be partners.”
“Really? Huh. I wouldn’t have pegged him for a bounty hunter.”
Nathan chuckled. “No, Isaac would never be a bounty hunter. He’s LAPD.”
That explained more than if he’d offered some lengthy dissertation on what his relationship with Isaac was. If there was something Remy understood, it was cops.
She froze. Fuck. She was lusting after a cop.
Ex-cop, she hastened to correct. Used to meant Nathan had quit, and now hired out his services for what he was worth, rather than relying on altruism that would only earn him an early grave. Being hot for a bounty hunter was still twisted, but more realistic than if he’d still had a badge.
“It’s good to have somebody watching your back. I miss that.”
“He’s always been there.” He looked at her and opened his mouth, closed it again, focused on the road. Long minutes passed before he asked, “Does it bother you?”
This time, she shifted to look at him. A bevy of potential answers tumbled through her head, but without being certain what he meant, she wasn’t sure which one he was looking for. “Does what bother me?”
“Isaac? That I used to be a cop? That you miss having somebody to watch your back, somebody you can watch after in turn?” Nathan shrugged. “Take your pick.”
His
It took a moment of looking down at her clothes for her to figure out where to put the knife, finally opting to slide it into the side of her boot. “You’re going to tell me the angle one of these days, right? I mean, other than find Tian, use whatever means I need to get him alone, and then give him to you.”
“No, that’s it. We’re going to wait until after he’s done with his deal. He’ll work the club a bit. Mingle. Talk to the right people. Tian isn’t small time anymore, and he likes to take advantage of that fact. Now, near the restrooms in the back is a fire exit leading to an alley. Get him to follow you out that door.” He gestured with his hands as he spoke, as though they were standing in the middle of the club instead of his living room. “Lead him north, to the narrow road behind the buildings. There’s another parking lot at the edge of the block. Tell him you’re parked there.”
“And you’re going to be there in the Mustang?”
“I’ll be there. But if he’s with a man a little taller than me with brown and white hair and a stud in his nose, then it’s off. That’s Cesar, and he’s crazy.” Nathan’s tone and eyes were dead serious. “You avoid him. Isaac doesn’t think he’ll be there tonight, but he’s Tian’s shadow. He shows up, you leave.”
“Avoid the crazy. Got it.”
With one last nod, as if he was confirming the plan to himself, Nathan led her out of the apartment and down to the car, silent the entire way. Remy was dying to talk to him about, well, anything, but he seemed lost in the grim reality of the night stretching in front of them, focused on the job at hand. She wasn’t even sure he had looked at her again since first appraising her attire. Her disappointment that his work was more interesting to him than she was took her by surprise.
“So, this Isaac,” she said, once he had pulled onto the freeway. “What’s his story?”
Nathan checked his watch and drifted into the far left lane. “What do you want to know?”
Remy shrugged. “I don’t think he likes me very much.” She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, but his attention was still on the road ahead. “Does he go mama bear on all the bounty hunters he hires, or does he hold a special spot just for you?”
Nathan smiled. Well, only the corner of his mouth moved, but Remy thought it counted as a smile. “Isaac doesn’t have anything against you. As for his mother bear tendencies, he’s just cautious.” Nathan paused. “We used to be partners.”
“Really? Huh. I wouldn’t have pegged him for a bounty hunter.”
Nathan chuckled. “No, Isaac would never be a bounty hunter. He’s LAPD.”
That explained more than if he’d offered some lengthy dissertation on what his relationship with Isaac was. If there was something Remy understood, it was cops.
She froze. Fuck. She was lusting after a cop.
Ex-cop, she hastened to correct. Used to meant Nathan had quit, and now hired out his services for what he was worth, rather than relying on altruism that would only earn him an early grave. Being hot for a bounty hunter was still twisted, but more realistic than if he’d still had a badge.
“It’s good to have somebody watching your back. I miss that.”
“He’s always been there.” He looked at her and opened his mouth, closed it again, focused on the road. Long minutes passed before he asked, “Does it bother you?”
This time, she shifted to look at him. A bevy of potential answers tumbled through her head, but without being certain what he meant, she wasn’t sure which one he was looking for. “Does what bother me?”
“Isaac? That I used to be a cop? That you miss having somebody to watch your back, somebody you can watch after in turn?” Nathan shrugged. “Take your pick.”
His
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