a body builder—rose in greeting.
“Ms. Smith?” Matt called. “What are you doing here?” He glanced down at his desk. “I don’t have you on the calendar.”
She peered over her shoulder and watched Devlin drive away. Her hand slid into the pocket of her jeans and curled around the flash drive, a drive she’d slipped away from Devlin without him even noticing. “I’m so confused,” she murmured and grimaced. “All the stress…I think it’s getting to me.”
He nodded sympathetically.
“Will you do me a favor?” Julianna asked. “Call me a cab? Please?”
“Of course.” Matt instantly reached for his phone.
Good. Because I’ve got someplace I have to be.
Chapter Six
Devlin stopped at the red light. His fingers drummed on the steering wheel. He didn’t like leaving Julianna alone. His body was tight with tension, worry. Something was off. Just…wrong.
His hand slid into his pocket, looking for the flash drive. Maybe that little drive could help Julianna’s case.
Only…that little drive wasn’t in his pocket.
He had a sudden flash of Julianna. She’d been sliding her hand down his arm. She’d brushed her fingers over his hip.
And that woman took the flash drive right out of my pocket!
What the hell? Just where had Julianna Patrice McNall-Smith learned to be a pick pocket?
A car horn honked behind him. Swearing, he accelerated because the light had changed—who knew how long ago—but he quickly pulled a U-turn and rushed back to Sophie’s law firm. When he was a few blocks away, he saw the unmistakable flash of Julianna’s blonde hair.
She still had his coat on and she was waiting at the corner of the street.
So much for a meeting with Sophie.
Hell, didn’t the woman get it? He was trying to help her.
But she was…what? Lying to him? Stealing from him?
Seducing
him? Avery’s accusation flashed through his mind, but Devlin shook his head. Fuck, no, he’d been seducing Julianna just as hard. That hadn’t been any kind of one-way street. Yet the knot in his stomach told him this whole set-up was wrong. Innocent people weren’t supposed to lie. They sure as shit weren’t supposed to trick the bodyguard that had been hired for protection.
A taxi pulled up at the curb. Julianna instantly jumped in the back of it, and the cab took off. Devlin waited for two cars to get between him and that taxi. He waited, then he began his pursuit. Julianna wasn’t slipping away from him. This wasn’t amateur hour for him, despite what she might think. She wasn’t going to manipulate him.
He was there to protect her, but he was also there to find the truth. With every second that passed, the suspicion within him grew ever stronger.
Innocent people don’t lie. They don’t run.
He knew that with certainty. His parents hadn’t been innocent, not by a long shot. They’d run. Far and fast. And they’d left him behind.
Just as they’d left a wake of destruction in their paths.
Had he been wrong to let down his guard with Julianna? Hell, he’d been blindsided by her from the beginning. He rarely ever looked at a person and saw a victim, but from the very first moment, he’d looked at Julianna and just wanted to protect her from everyone and everything that might hurt her.
He kept following that cab. Maybe she was just going to a hotel. Or perhaps even going back to VJS Protection or—
The cab stopped. It didn’t stop in front of a hotel and that building sure wasn’t VJS. The car had braked in front of a club. One that was, unfortunately, too familiar to Devlin.
Wicked
.
It was a club owned by a fellow that Devlin couldn’t stand on the best of days and on the worst of days—well, he figured Ethan Barclay was a straight-up killer. VJS had been through enough run-ins with the guy that Devlin knew the fellow was trouble.
Why was Julianna going to his place?
Devlin braked near an alley. For just a moment, he remembered another night. A night that he’d gone running down that
“Ms. Smith?” Matt called. “What are you doing here?” He glanced down at his desk. “I don’t have you on the calendar.”
She peered over her shoulder and watched Devlin drive away. Her hand slid into the pocket of her jeans and curled around the flash drive, a drive she’d slipped away from Devlin without him even noticing. “I’m so confused,” she murmured and grimaced. “All the stress…I think it’s getting to me.”
He nodded sympathetically.
“Will you do me a favor?” Julianna asked. “Call me a cab? Please?”
“Of course.” Matt instantly reached for his phone.
Good. Because I’ve got someplace I have to be.
Chapter Six
Devlin stopped at the red light. His fingers drummed on the steering wheel. He didn’t like leaving Julianna alone. His body was tight with tension, worry. Something was off. Just…wrong.
His hand slid into his pocket, looking for the flash drive. Maybe that little drive could help Julianna’s case.
Only…that little drive wasn’t in his pocket.
He had a sudden flash of Julianna. She’d been sliding her hand down his arm. She’d brushed her fingers over his hip.
And that woman took the flash drive right out of my pocket!
What the hell? Just where had Julianna Patrice McNall-Smith learned to be a pick pocket?
A car horn honked behind him. Swearing, he accelerated because the light had changed—who knew how long ago—but he quickly pulled a U-turn and rushed back to Sophie’s law firm. When he was a few blocks away, he saw the unmistakable flash of Julianna’s blonde hair.
She still had his coat on and she was waiting at the corner of the street.
So much for a meeting with Sophie.
Hell, didn’t the woman get it? He was trying to help her.
But she was…what? Lying to him? Stealing from him?
Seducing
him? Avery’s accusation flashed through his mind, but Devlin shook his head. Fuck, no, he’d been seducing Julianna just as hard. That hadn’t been any kind of one-way street. Yet the knot in his stomach told him this whole set-up was wrong. Innocent people weren’t supposed to lie. They sure as shit weren’t supposed to trick the bodyguard that had been hired for protection.
A taxi pulled up at the curb. Julianna instantly jumped in the back of it, and the cab took off. Devlin waited for two cars to get between him and that taxi. He waited, then he began his pursuit. Julianna wasn’t slipping away from him. This wasn’t amateur hour for him, despite what she might think. She wasn’t going to manipulate him.
He was there to protect her, but he was also there to find the truth. With every second that passed, the suspicion within him grew ever stronger.
Innocent people don’t lie. They don’t run.
He knew that with certainty. His parents hadn’t been innocent, not by a long shot. They’d run. Far and fast. And they’d left him behind.
Just as they’d left a wake of destruction in their paths.
Had he been wrong to let down his guard with Julianna? Hell, he’d been blindsided by her from the beginning. He rarely ever looked at a person and saw a victim, but from the very first moment, he’d looked at Julianna and just wanted to protect her from everyone and everything that might hurt her.
He kept following that cab. Maybe she was just going to a hotel. Or perhaps even going back to VJS Protection or—
The cab stopped. It didn’t stop in front of a hotel and that building sure wasn’t VJS. The car had braked in front of a club. One that was, unfortunately, too familiar to Devlin.
Wicked
.
It was a club owned by a fellow that Devlin couldn’t stand on the best of days and on the worst of days—well, he figured Ethan Barclay was a straight-up killer. VJS had been through enough run-ins with the guy that Devlin knew the fellow was trouble.
Why was Julianna going to his place?
Devlin braked near an alley. For just a moment, he remembered another night. A night that he’d gone running down that
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