Neo looked from the cruiser, where Black was calmly waiting, to me, then to where Gentry had disappeared.
He took off over the hill, disappearing again.
Black rolled his window down and said, “I was coming out here to discuss a case with him.”
My eyes went to his passenger.
“She’s here to hand off the case files.”
“I didn’t see any case files,” I pointed out.
Kelly blushed.
“Where are they?” Black turned to her.
“In my car at the gate,” she answered.
Black looked back at me. “I’ll go drop her off and come back.”
I nodded.
When he disappeared, I went back into the house and put some coffee on.
By the time I’d poured myself a mug, Black was back and ringing the doorbell.
I opened it for him and gestured for him to come inside.
“I’m sorry that she came like that,” he admitted as he swept past me.
“She’s a bitch,” I pointed out. “And Gentry literally ran for the hills.”
Black snorted. “I figured. It’s nice to officially meet you. I’m Black.”
He held out his large palm to me, and I slipped my much smaller hand into his.
He gave it a solid squeeze, not hard, but not soft either, and let me go.
I gestured toward the coffee and said, “Help yourself.”
He poured himself a mug of coffee and took a seat at Gentry’s table like he’d done it a million times.
His gaze caught on my discarded sweatpants and I flushed. “I was in a rush. I wanted her to think that there’s more here. So she’ll leave him alone.”
A single brow rose. “And you think that appearing happily married will matter to her? I swear she thinks it’s fun to ruin relationships.”
I scowled. “Then why do you retain her services?”
Black scrubbed at his face.
But it was Gentry’s voice that answered from behind me. “Black can’t fire her because she’s his brother’s daughter.”
“That would be niece…” I pointed out. “Why not refer to her as that?”
“Being a niece means they would have a relationship. They don’t. Black can’t stand her.”
“Just Black?” I teased.
Gentry reached the kitchen sink and he bent over it and washed his face and chest in the water before using a kitchen towel to dry off.
