AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Is it alright if I get another pair of panties to put on, get dressed so we can have the proper discussion? Maybe turn on a light?” Her defiance had returned.
“Of course.” I snagged her weapon, shoving it into the pocket of my jacket that I’d placed on the chair before grabbing my gun, sliding it behind my back. When she opened the closet door, I issued a tsking sound. “Be careful of the choices you make. I am well aware that you have a weapon in your closet. For now, I’ve removed the bullets and the extra two magazines you have. I’ll return them when I leave. You will need to be very cautious of your actions from now on.”
“You mean against you, the bad guy?” She ripped open one of her dresser drawers, yanking out another thong before turning on the same light I’d turned off after returning to her house. “How dare you.”
“I’m not the enemy, Sabrina. You can choose to believe me or not but the sooner you do, the better off we’ll both be and the more likely we are to determine who is behind the horrific overdoses and the murder.”
“Let me see. Didn’t you break into my house earlier today?” She struggled to don the purple thong, almost tripping before managing to get one foot in through the hole. That only made me want her all over again.
“I wanted to learn more about you.”
“I’ll take that as a yes. That makes you the very criminal I investigated and made notes about.” She backed away, staring at me with venom in her eyes. I didn’t bother coming any closer, merely watching as she grabbed the clothing from the bathroom, turning her back on me while she dressed.
“I make certain I learn everything about those determined to bring me down much the way you do when handling your investigations. Imagine my surprise in learning your true identity.”
“Imagine mine.” She threw me a look, the smirk on her face as seductive as her voluptuous body.
“Understood. While I realize you have no intention of believing me, I assure you that when I walked into that bar, I wanted nothing more than a stiff drink or two.”
She jerked the shirt over her head, tugging on her hair until it was free from the collar. “So you just picked me out of the blue.”
Now I had to laugh. “If I remember correctly, and I’m never wrong, your girlfriends challenged you to come on to me, throwing a drink in my face and slapping me for perceived insolence. Isn’t that the truth?”
“So you weren’t stalking me.”
“I’m certain you can easily discover I’d just gotten into town.”
Sabrina chewed on her bottom lip, which gave me my answer. “Fine. I’ll concede to your ridiculous comment. However, that doesn’t give you the right to break into my home.”
“Alright. I’ll give you that, but I had no idea what your intentions were. May I suggest that for now we set aside not only our differences but our anger and have a drink while we discuss options?”
“The only option is to arrest you and your… brothers, which is a joke, isn’t it? They’re your soldiers.”
“You do understand crime syndicates. Is that because you grew up in LA?”
She took a deep breath, trying to hide her continued surprise. “Wow. You did want to learn everything about me. Do you know my bra size too?” She left the bathroom, turning off the light. The way she looked in glorified sweatpants was far too sexy.
The women I’d been used to had been hardened by status and wealth, well-coiffed, their bodies sculpted by private trainers. While they’d been tasty arm candy, they’d also been devoid of any substance. They were movie and rock stars, women that provided no sense of wonder. Sabrina’s continued defiance in the face of the man she truly considered her enemy was a testament to what she was made of.
“I suggest we dispense with the nastiness between us. That won’t do either one of us any good.”
“However, it will make me feel much better.”
Her hateful glare continued. “This case is very personal for you. Is that because of your brother?”
Even though the iciness remained between us, I sensed I was right, the pain her eyes unmistakable. “My brother is off limits. You and I aren’t friends, Diego.”
There was something different about the way she studied me while she debated my truthfulness and her ability to regain control over the situation. I shoved my hands into my pockets, cognizant she’d thrown my jacket another look.
“You won’t reach it in time, Sabrina. You know that as well as I do. Perhaps we can never be friends, but how about that drink? I think we can both use it.”
“Fine.” She spun on her heel, taking long strides from the bedroom. I trailed behind her, taking my time while she hurried to get away from me.
By the time I made it to the kitchen, she’d already yanked out two glasses and a bottle of whiskey. And she’d grabbed a knife from the thick block placed on her counter.
I crowded her space, using my formidable form to drive her against the refrigerator. “Go ahead and use it, Sabrina. If that will make you feel any better, drive the knife you’ve hidden up your sleeve straight into my heart.”
“You don’t have a heart.”
