Page 13 of What Started In Deception

“Keep your enemies close,” she whispered as she picked up her phone, dialing the number on the card, closing her eyes as her heart thundered while it rang.

“Yeah,” Ty said after the second ring, his voice deep and sleepy.

“I’ll—I’ll help you.”

He cleared his throat as she heard a lamp twist on in the background. “Okay, good. This is good. Let’s meet tomorrow—or I guess that would be later on today—and we’ll talk some more. Wherever you want. We could meet at the park again.”

“No. Meet me at Moby’s Bar and Grill. At five. If I’m entering a life of duplicity, I’m not doing it where my students play.”

“Okay. I’ll see you at five.”

“Fine.” She hung up, hating everything about this awful situation, detesting that she was stuck.

Chapter Six

Ty waited by the hood of his truck in the early evening heat as Lydia pulled into a parking space at the busy bar and grill. Moments later, she got out, wearing cute black shorts and a snug white tank top that accentuated her excellent figure. She’d pushed her hair back with a headband, giving him a good look at mutinous hazel eyes as she walked his way. “Hey.”

“Hey.” She kept moving toward the restaurant. “Let’s get this over with.”

He sidled up next to her, wearing blue chino shorts and a white collared shirt, breathing in her familiar flower and vanilla scent as he snagged her by the elbow. “Why don’t we take a minute before we head inside.”

She stopped, looking at him. “Why?”

“I don’t know. Typically, when people meet up for conversation and a drink, they’re happier about it. Maybe you could look a little less like you want to kill me.”

She huffed out a laugh as she crossed her arms. “Oh, it’s tempting.”

He grinned, feeling absolutely no danger. He was confident that Lydia didn’t have a violent bone in her body. “You know, I can’t deny that I like you.”

“Good. Hopefully, that means you can erase that part.”

He frowned. “Erase that part?” He shook his head now, still trying to figure out what that meant. “I’m not following you.”

“On the recording.” She stepped closer, talking to his chest. “I was mostly just kidding.”

His frown deepened as he took a step back. “What are you doing?”

“I want them to understand that I wasn’t really threatening you.”

“Who?”

“The people listening.”

He grinned again, getting a hell of a kick out of her as the last few moments now made sense. “I’m not wearing a wire.”

She raised her brow. “Isn’t that what you’re supposed to say?”

He lifted his shirt, showing her his stomach and chest. “See? No wire. And there’s no one here but you and me.”

Her gaze tracked around the parking lot, most likely looking for some sort of stakeout van. “But my family’s under investigation.”

“Yeah, but you’re not. Our meetups don’t require any sort of surveillance. I’m a one-man operation at this point.”

She frowned as she looked at him again. “Oh.”

“Should we head inside?”

She nodded.