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He kissed her forehead again then stood up. “I won’t be long.”
“All right.” She pretended to get comfortable back in bed while he collected a few things from around the room.
He left. She listened for the sound of the front door closing then jumped out of bed and threw her clothes on. Was she really going to stalk him? Again? Weren’t they past this?
She stopped a moment and considered things. She’d finally decided he wasn’t tied to the thefts. Why was she suspicious? Yeah, her detective instincts were prickling, but now that she’d admitted to herself that she loved him she wasn’t sure what to do.
Ugh. She had to go. If this was nothing—a real work emergency—she’d tell him she loved him. She’d tell him everything. But there was no way she’d be able to move forward with things while she was suspicious. She had to clear things up, once and for all. Maybe Atlas would change his mind about her once she told him the truth, but she had to believe there was hope.
Once she watched his car disappear from the spot across the street, she ran outside, hopped into her car, and sped away, trying to catch up to him.
The streets were quiet this time of night at least. His rear lights weren’t far ahead but she kept a good distance between them. When he turned the opposite direction of his computer shop, worry formed a knot in her belly.
Fuck.
What if she found out something she didn’t want to know? What if this ruined everything?
Part of her wanted to turn around and go back to bed where life was simple. Atlas was just a computer specialist and she was a marketing consultant and his arms were warm and safe and they could be boyfriend and girlfriend forever. But she couldn’t do that. She had a moral obligation to finish this. Not to mention she was damned curious what kind of work emergency took him downtown at three in the morning.
Dread and anger tightened in her chest. She tried to make excuses for him. Maybe this was one of the big corporations he worked for and they needed the computers fixed right away for security reasons.
Yeah. That sounded legit.
She followed him past the upper end of the strip where he pulled in to a gas station and parked in back. Creeping forward, she watched him get out of the car and greet Fox, who was already standing outside his parked car. What the fuck? Maybe he needed help?
It would be way too conspicuous to park there, too, and she wasn’t done trying to figure out what was going on. Instead she pulled in to a fast-food lot around the corner. She was too distracted to look at which one.
She grabbed her gun and badge then ran back toward the gas station, hoping they hadn’t disappeared. Her entire body ached from her night with Atlas, and she could feel his come pooling in her panties, yet here she was trailing him like any other criminal.
Please let this all be a misunderstanding on her part.
Two hulking figures were headed toward her on the sidewalk. Fuck. She ducked behind a Dumpster.
“You’re sure it’s still there?” she heard Atlas ask.
Fox snorted. “You don’t go to Madame Sabine’s for twenty minutes.”
Atlas chuckled. “So we have to jump the gate? You sure you can manage, old man?”
The two wrestled playfully as they passed by the Dumpster.
Heart pounding, Mila followed them on foot, staying in the shadows of the buildings they passed. Up ahead, a large gate loomed, with spotlights shining on the words Madame Sabine’s.
Mila was well-acquainted with the brothel. They’d investigated several incidents there. Usually men angered by the workers setting boundaries. Madame Miranda—the new owner since Sabine had passed away years ago—ran a tight ship. She kept her books in perfect order and knew the laws about the sex industry better than Mila did.
What the fuck was Atlas visiting a brothel for? Maybe they ran their computer network . . . but if that was the case, why wouldn’t they park in the brothel’s lot?
Instead of ringing the buzzer at the gate, Atlas and Fox skirted alongside it, past the spotlights and into the darkness.
Adrenaline spiked and she jogged to catch up, trying to hold her breath so she didn’t tip them off. She could question him now but then he’d be able to make up a story and she’d have no proof he was doing anything wrong. Things were looking bad, but they hadn’t actually done anything yet.
She needed concrete proof or this would drive her mad.
Halfway down the length of the fence, Atlas started to climb it, with Fox just behind him. Fuck. She hadn’t climbed fences or walls since the police academy. Working out on the treadmill was one thing, but this was entirely different.
Come on, Mila. Time to see what you’re made of.
Just like in the academy, she wasn’t about to let a couple of men outdo her. Once Fox and Atlas jumped down and started walking away, Mila moved in behind them. She gripped the railings and hoisted her already sore body up. Memories of the academy flooded her. The feeling of accomplishment at having beat her best time. The exhaustion but satisfaction knowing every sore muscle would be worth it because she was doing something good for the world. Putting criminals in jail, where they belonged.
