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I blinked. “Excuse me?”
“You don’t know what he did the five years he was in France. I want to do a full background history on his time there.”
I leaned against my desk. “Kimble, that’s crazy. I trust Knight. You can trust him too. I know neither of you is a fan of the other, but you don’t need to look for things to dig up on him. He and I actually had a conversation about you. I told him about the kidnapping. I think it might help things between you two.” It was an event I rarely mentioned to him.
His face muscles didn’t move. “I don’t trust him. You shouldn’t either. At least not until we know everything he was up to in France.”
It wasn’t a conversation I was interested in having with Kimble, or anyone else. Kimble had access to a view of my personal life no one else did, but that didn’t give him the right to interject. Our arrangement worked because he stayed silent. He seemed to want to make a change that I wasn’t sure I could allow.
“What he was up to? That’s absurd. He was busy running his family’s vineyards. He wasn’t allowed to come back to New Orleans. You know that.”
“I could have started the investigation, but I thought you should know I plan on telling you what I find.”
I shook my head. “Even if I order you not to?”
“My job always has been to keep you safe. I’m following those instructions.”
I huffed. He was stubborn. He had a single focus. I paid for the focus to be keeping me alive.
“I don’t want to know.”
“You say that now, but you don’t know what I’m going to find. You’ll change your mind.”
I cut a stare at him meant to injure. “I know I can’t stop you from digging into his past, but I don’t want to see the file. I need you to know that. Leave me out of it.” I peered at him. “Tell me something. Why now? What are you trying to do?”
“Are you asking for my opinion about bringing him back into your life?” I didn’t like his tone. The constant insinuation that where Knight was concerned, I couldn’t make a good decision.
“No. I’m not.”
He nodded, but I had left enough room for him to start sifting through Knight’s life in France. It was a sliver that he would use to create an entire canyon of distrust.
“Ms. Martin.” One of the office assistants cracked the door to speak. The interruption was jarring.
“Yes?”
Kimble barely moved to let the poor girl in.
“There was a delivery for you.” She came forward and revealed a courier package.
I smiled when I saw Knight’s handwriting on the front of the box.
“Should I inspect it?” Kimble offered. His voice was gruff.
“No,” I snapped. “You can go. I have work to do.” I was tired of his insinuations. Of the constant distrust that simmered between him and Knight. I didn’t like that he was trying to turn over stones that should be left alone.
The girl hurried out. Kimble paused as if he was going to say something before he left, but decided not to. I was happy for his silence.
As soon as I was alone, I circled my desk. I cut open the end flap of the envelope. A small box fell onto my desk. The small cube was tied with a velvet ribbon. I held my breath as I flipped open the lid. There was a note folded on top.
You left this behind. I thought it was time to Carpe Noctem again.
I lifted the necklace from the cushion. He had kept it. I had been too afraid to ask him after the way I had stormed out of the suite. The diamonds sparkled as the pendant spun in the sunlight. I thought all the days I had worn it. How careful I had been with it. How close it had made me feel to Knight when I had nothing else to hold on to. I fastened it against my neck, feeling the coolness of the engraved side brush just below my throat. The twinge of guilt I had for leaving it behind eased slightly. I wouldn’t leave it again. I’d keep it this time.
I blinked when I looked at the box. There was something poking out from the lining. I lifted the edge. It was a key. I flipped the note over in case I had missed Knight’s explanation for the key, but there wasn’t anything on the other side.
Before I could pick up my phone to text him, it beeped. I saw his name on the screen. I reached for it, reading his message.
Ready for your surprise?
