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“Oh, what? Are you mad I spotted you?” Her eyes rolled heavenward. “Give me a break. I tagged you on day one. This isn’t amateur hour. You’re not dealing with Lane Lawson here. Not my first case. I’d be a real piss-poor bodyguard for Alina if I didn’t notice the six-foot-six guy stalking her.”
“I’m not stalking her. And you can’t be guarding her if you’re out here with me.” So go back inside. Now.
“The case is over.” She motioned toward the road. “I’m sure you saw the detectives arrive and then leave. They were sharing the fabulous news that Bowie Dodge was the kidnapping ring mastermind.”
Midas narrowed his eyes.
“He’s dead. Alina’s kidnapping case is closed. All is right in her world again. Except for you. The stalker boyfriend who ghosted her.” She shivered. “It’s even colder out here than it is near the ice. How do you stand this temperature?” Her head tilted back. “And it’s starting to snow. Wonderful.” Small flakes landed in her dark hair. Growling, she looked at Midas. “She asked about you.”
Do not show emotion. Do not. “Did she?”
“Wanted to make sure you weren’t rotting in a jail cell somewhere. Wasn’t that thoughtful of her?”
Midas didn’t speak.
“She looked relieved to discover no charges were pending against you, but then…sad when she realized your fool-ass has been free for the last two weeks, but you haven’t contacted her even once. Heartless jerk.”
Anger beat inside of him. “What the hell am I supposed to say to her? Sorry my dad murdered your mom? But, hey, let’s move past it and fuck some more? I’m sure you’ll love fucking the son of the man who broke your mother’s neck.”
She stepped back. “No.” A definite shake of her head. “You do not say that. You do not ever say that. What is wrong with you?”
Like he would ever actually say those words to Alina. “Go back inside.”
“You should try saying something like, oh, I don’t know…just going out on a limb here… ‘Alina, I love you. We’re not responsible for the past. Let’s try building a future together.’” She blinked. “That was good, right? I’m good.”
Alina, I love you. “Alina does not need to be anywhere near me.”
“But you need to be near her, don’t you? Thus, the stalking.”
“I’m not stalking! I’m keeping watch over her!”
“Because you love her. I just said that. Or something similar to it.” She curled her shoulders and shivered. “So freaking cold. Let’s go inside. You can grovel to Alina. Apologize for ghosting her. Tell her she’s the best part of your life. Then you can take over primary bodyguard duty, and I can get back to the pile of other cases waiting at my PI office. Because bodyguard work is not usually my forte.” Her lips twisted. “Though her dad pays me a ton of cash, so I’m not really complaining.”
“Oliver Foxx actually did recommend you to Ryker.”
“Well, sure. I’m awesome. Oliver knows it. So does Memphis. They’re both references for little old me.”
Midas had never learned the story of exactly how Ophelia and Oliver met. He’d been stunned when she came hurtling through the window at Kiera’s place. Memphis had failed to mention that she was the pair of eyes he’d had on Kiera.
Midas’s gaze slid beyond Ophelia and lingered on the entrance doors that led to the rink. “You should be in there with her.”
“Why? According to the detectives, the danger has passed.”
His jaw tightened.
“Unless you think they are pinning all of this on the wrong guy. If that is the case, I certainly expect you to tell me. As in, now.”
He noted the two security guards who stood at attention near the entrance. Two at the front. Two at the back. And Dmitri was inside with Alina. “I don’t have proof that anyone else organized her kidnapping.”
“But…?”
“But Bowie struck me as a flunky, not a leader. And I don’t buy that he was some fan of my dad’s, who just tossed out that final line about my old man saying ‘hi’ right before Bowie took his last breath.” His hands fisted. The snow fell harder. “My gut says there is more happening.”
“Well, then go find some proof for your gut.”
If he left to find proof…
“Or you could try talking to her. You know, before you cut out on your search for proof. Try telling Alina that you are still uber obsessed instead of leaving her in the dark about how you feel.”
