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good for my rebellion. It took a lot of therapy to break out of my old pattern. I’m enjoying the fruit of my labor.” Her father had expected her to dress business at all times. And for social engagements, nothing sexy had been permitted. Ultra conservative attire all the way down the line. No lingerie, no short skirts, no makeup and no jeans. It felt like breaking out of prison getting away from that.
“Are you running from your ex or your father?” he asked.
“Both.” Her ex had given her a reason to run, not one she welcomed but having to escape him had opened her eyes to a lot of things—namely her father’s control over her.
“Then continue to enjoy it. Just stay out of the investigation and keep the car in your garage. Please. I know it’s been a long time and you feel safe here, but don’t forget the kind of man your ex is.”
She stared at him, unable to deny anything he said. Maybe she had been a little careless driving her car, but how could she stand idly by? But he was right. She had to be careful not to risk all she’d worked so hard to build. She’d escaped her ex—and in the process her father. Ever since then she’d managed to stay hidden. Five years had passed. She’d like to stay hidden. And Steven had experience where she did not.
“All right. I won’t intervene.” Steven felt like a brother to her. And he’d helped her so much. Faithfully and consistently. She could count on him no matter what. But he had to understand that she had to do something.
She looked at him in a way to convey that without words.
As she anticipated, he read her. “Sadie...?”
“I won’t intervene,” she reiterated. “I’ll be cautious. But I’ve been thinking maybe I should hire a private investigations agency.”
To her delight he didn’t reject the suggestion. His brow rose a bit as though he liked the idea. “Good thinking. I’ll check into a few.”
“I already found one.” She put her hand on the overturned printout she’d put on the table when they’d first arrived and slid it toward him. “Dark Alley Investigations specializes in cases like Bernie’s.”
Steven turned the page over and with a glance at her first, read the printout of the About page of the agency’s website. After a few moments, his gaze returned to her. “This would draw too much attention to you. The guy who runs this is an international celebrity.”
“That’s exaggerating a bit much, Steven. International?”
“National, international, it doesn’t matter. He’s growing in popularity. Even I’ve heard of him. You could be caught on camera. It’s too dangerous.”
“They’re the best. They could solve Bernie’s case quickly.”
Seeing he wasn’t convinced, Sadie had to reassure him. “Safety is one of their number one protocols. They just hired a new head of security. Jamie Knox. There’s a paragraph about him on the printout.”
Steven didn’t move to read.
“I’d be safer with them than I am now,” she said.
“Are you questioning the qualifications of the team I sent you?”
“No.” She shook her head. “Not at all. Don’t think that way. This is murder we’re talking about. It goes beyond security.” She needed an expert detective and security. She saw him digest that and begin to understand.
“It sounds like you’ve made up your mind,” he finally said.
She realized just then that she had. “Yes. I wasn’t sure before, but now that you’ve told me Bernie’s case has gone cold, I am.”
“If you’re looking for my approval, you don’t need it. I trust your instinct. Just keep me informed and don’t shut out my team. They communicate with me. I don’t want anything to happen to you, Sadie.”
He was so sweet. “Your girlfriend is a lucky lady.”
“I’m the lucky one. How’d you know I was seeing someone? I just met her.”
“I didn’t.” Sadie hadn’t thought a man like him would be single long.
Taking another drink of his coffee, Steven took out his wallet. “I should get going. I have a late flight.”
“No, no. I’ll get this,” she said, letting go of her sunglasses to dig for her wallet in her diamond-studded clutch. She didn’t care how much it clashed with her flannel.
“I can afford my own coffee.” He shook his head, putting down a bill and then standing. “I pity the man who falls in love with you.”
She dropped her wallet. Her ability to pay threatened his ego? He must be teasing. She could be pushy when she wanted something, but she let him get away with paying.
Standing as well, she picked up her sunglasses and clutch, then stepped to him and touched a friendly kiss on his cheek. “Thank you. I know you mean that as a compliment.”
He put his hand on her upper arm and returned her kiss with one of his own on her cheek. “You’re one of a kind, Sadie Moreno. Stay safe.”
That’s what he always said. Stay safe.
She watched him walk away, hoping she could do as he wished.
* * *
The next morning, Sadie drove toward a parking space in front of Dark Alley Investigations. It was an elegant, historical but unassuming building. She wasn’t sure what she expected but this wasn’t it. Something bigger. Taller. And more corporate. The white stone and trimmed, tinted windows gave no hint of the grisly crimes this agency solved. It could be a department store or an upscale boutique.
Two men walked out of the front as she parked, both stopping when they saw her car. She climbed out, her spiky boots giving her even more height as she straightened and started walking to the sidewalk. She’d forgone her flannel for this meeting. Maybe her meeting with Steven had inspired her to dress in a way that would make her father cringe. Sexy. He’d call it something else, but Sadie didn’t dress inappropriately. She just looked good.
The big Swiss-looking man stared without blinking, giving her an unexpected spark. He liked what he saw, apparently. It had been a long time since a man made her feel this way, and with only a look. She found herself also compelled to stare, taken in by his Viking good looks. His thick blond hair waved slightly in a breeze and she could see the brilliance of his blue eyes from here. She barely noticed the other man, who put on sunglasses, his military short black hair and a dark suit made him look like a star in Men in Black.
Is this what all the Dark Alley detectives looked like? My-oh-my, was she in for a treat. Before she let her excitement get too carried away, she scanned the area as she always did when she went out in public, checking for anything suspicious. She saw nothing unusual. A few people walked along the street and didn’t pay her any attention. A man glanced over at her car but after a few seconds moved on. A few cars passed on the street.
She started walking around the front of the car when she noticed an approaching car slow. Both the driver and the passenger were watching her. That caused her some alarm. Had they recognized her? She stopped, wondering if she should get back into her car. She looked for a place to get out of sight. Only the Dark Alley Investigations building would give her that.
She started to turn when she saw the man in the passenger seat of the dark sedan draw a gun.
She screamed and tried to duck for cover, but the man fired and a bullet slammed through her. The impact sent her jolting backward. She hit the ground hard, vaguely aware of the Viking rushing to her and his partner firing back at the passing car before everything went black.
Sitting on an uncomfortable hospital room chair with his