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"Who else saw you there?" Nik growled. "Give me names or I'm going to make sure you hurt before I leave."
Jarvis's lips trembled, but he did as Nik ordered. Naming the bartender as well as several regulars whom Mikayla knew as well.
"Very good, Jarvis." Nik smiled, the hard, cold curve chilling in the danger it represented as he released the other man and stepped back. "I will be checking this latest story out, you understand."
With his fingers massaging his throat, Jarvis nodded jerkily. 164
"Do you know if Eddie found anyone else to do the work he wanted you to do?" Nik asked as he moved to the door.
"I don't know." Jarvis's voice wavered. "But I know he was still scared that last day, when we argued. I knew Eddie, and I know there was fear in his eyes that day." Nik didn't turn; he didn't ask more questions. Opening the door, he escorted Mikayla from the house and back to the truck.
"Do you believe him?" Mikayla asked as Nik backed out of the parking space and turned to leave.
"I think I do," Nik sighed. "And that just fucking pisses me off. Because he was damned good suspect material."
Mikayla's lips thinned. "He looks nothing like Maddix." Nik nodded. "And he leads us right back to Maddix. I have no doubt in my mind Maddix wouldn't kill Eddie if he caught him attempting to sabotage that project." Mikayla stared at Nik silently, nearly holding her breath.
"Now what?" she asked, wondering if he would even mention Maddix Nelson.
"Now?" Nik shot her a resigned look before turning the truck to the interstate.
"We see if we can't catch Holbrook again; then we check out this newest tale of Mr. Dalton's."
But Reed Holbrook, this time, couldn't be contacted. According to his secretary, he was unavailable and she had no idea when he would be in the office. It was more than obvious they were being avoided, and Mikayla could feel Nik's ire as he glared at Reed Holbrook's closed office doors.
Leaning his palms flat on the desk, Nik lowered his upper body until his face was only inches from the obviously wary secretary.
"Inform Mr. Holbrook he has twenty-four hours to contact me," Nik told her quietly. "After that, I know how to get nasty."
Rising, he lifted a pen from the desk, scribbled his name and cell-phone number on the pad on it, and turned away.
With his hand riding on Mikayla's lower back, he led her from the offices and back to the truck.
"Another wasted trip," Mikayla murmured as they headed back to Hagerstown.
"Supposedly." His voice was tight and hard.
"He obviously has no intention of talking to you," she pointed out. "He was seen meeting with Eddie; maybe he was the one Eddie was working for."
"Anything is possible," Nik growled as he slid a pair of dark sunglasses over his eyes and headed for the interstate.
"Why don't I just sit over here and keep my mouth shut while you continue to pout?" She crossed her arms over her breasts as she glared at his profile. He had been like this most of the day. Short answers, his manner controlled and obviously patronizing. She was getting sick of it. She wasn't a child he needed to keep information from.
"Why would I be pouting, Mikayla?" His lips thinned, a muscle at the side of his jaw clenched and unclenched in obvious annoyance.
"I have no idea why you're pouting," she bit back in irritation. "But I have three brothers; I know the signs. If you're still put out because I insisted on coming with you, then I personally think you're taking it to extremes."
165
"I'm certain you do," he agreed.
God, she hated it when her brothers did this to her, and it was even worse now that Nik was doing it.
"What is your problem then?" she huffed out. "It's not as though I'm asking you to take me into a war zone here. Nik, I have every right to be a part of this."
"You have no right to distract me, Mikayla." Anger simmered in his tone now.
"You're my lover, not a mark, a suspect, or a client. For this moment in time you're my lover, and every minute you spend with me places you in more danger. Do you think I enjoy that?"
