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But once more, he effectively blocked her path by moving to intercept her, and as he did so, he opened his coat to reveal a badge affixed to the waist of his pants. And she also saw the really big pistol in the shoulder holster he wore. Fear spiked through her blood until she was dizzy from it.
“What do you want?” she croaked out.
“Ms. Hawthorn,” the man said in a low voice. “May I have a moment of your time, please? I won’t take long. I promise. But it’s about a very important matter. A police matter.”
23
“What do you want from me?” Evangeline managed to squeak out.
He gave her an impatient look that suggested he didn’t buy her dimwitted act. Only it wasn’t an act! What could the police possibly want with her?
“Your boyfriend is Drake Donovan, correct?”
An icy chill slithered down her spine, and then her back went rigid and she notched her chin up defiantly.
“I fail to see how my personal life is any of your business, and it hardly constitutes a police matter.”
“Do you know just what all he’s into?” the cop asked, his expression darkening.
“He’s a businessman,” Evangeline snapped. “He owns several businesses, as a matter of fact. One of them is the club Impulse. Perhaps you’ve heard of it.”
The cop shook his head. “You’re too naïve and trusting for your own good, Ms. Hawthorn. He’s been linked to organized crime, as well as heading an organized-crime syndicate. The men escorting you around? All soldiers in his organization. He’s got his fingers in a lot of dirty pies all over the city. He’ll take you down with him. You know that, right? If I were to guarantee you police protection, would you be willing to be an informant? Pass along any information pertinent to our investigation?”
Her mouth fell open in horror. “Are you out of your mind?” she exploded. “No, I won’t spy on him for you, the cops or anyone else for that matter. He’s a good man. Why don’t you focus your efforts on taking down the real criminals in this city?” she added acidly.
He shook his head regretfully and then reached into his pocket and pulled out his card. “If you ever change your mind or if you get into a situation where you need help or you come across something you feel we should know, don’t hesitate to contact me. I’ll make sure you don’t come to harm.”
She snatched the card from his hands, not because she had any intention of ever using it, but because Drake needed to know who was asking questions about him.
“Drake does a perfectly good job of keeping me safe. Now, if you’ll excuse me, my lunch is getting cold.”
She pushed by him and this time he let her go and she stalked down the hallway and back into the restaurant, her gaze scanning the area for Hatcher. He was only a short distance away on his phone, but when he saw her, he came to alert and shoved his phone in his pocket.
“Everything okay?” he asked sharply, staring intently at her expression.
“I’m fine,” Evangeline said stiffly. “Let’s get back before our food gets cold.”
Not waiting for him to agree or disagree, she walked rigidly back to their table but made a concerted effort to mask the tension and upset in her features. Fortunately for her, the food hadn’t arrived yet and both Thane and Zander were staring inquisitively at her but the waiter interrupted, bearing a tray loaded with their plates before they could question her.
It was just as well, because she needed time to compose herself and figure out her best course of action before she went off and did something half-cocked. But the further into the meal they got, the more furious and sick with worry she became. She couldn’t just go shopping like nothing had happened. Drake needed to know immediately that he was evidently being investigated by the police. For what, though?
Her thoughts drifted back to the time she’d asked him exactly what he did and his soft request for her to let it go. For him. And she’d agreed. In that moment, she was wholeheartedly glad he hadn’t confided in her because her conscience was clear. She couldn’t very well tell the police anything if she didn’t know.
After they finished eating, she pondered her options, but this time she suffered no remorse whatsoever for deceiving Drake’s men. She flashed pleading eyes on Zander. He might well be gruffer and more of a Neanderthal than the rest, but she knew he’d do what she asked of him with no hesitation. Especially if she hinted that she needed to warn Drake.
“I’m afraid I don’t feel very much like shopping after all,” she said, pushing back her half-eaten steak. “My stomach is pretty upset and my head is starting to hurt. It’s probably nothing, but I’d rather go home and lie down. Perhaps we can go shopping another day this week?”
