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“There are four éclairs,” he argues, his mouth still full.
I join the three of them at the counter and pick one of the three remaining up. “And your point?”
“You can’t eat four,” he declares. “I’ve seen you garbage disposal downtwo, not three, anddefinitelynot four.”
“You sure do have an attitude lately,” I reply. “And for your information, Kane can garbage disposal down two.Threeon a good day, but it won’t be a good day today, now, will it?”
Jay’s brown skin turns pasty white. “Fuck.” His gaze rockets to Kane’s. “Man, I’m so sorry.”
“Do I look like an éclair kind of guy to you?” Kane asks dryly.
Jay sets down the donut and holds up his hands. “I can’t win. I don’t want the donut.”
I’m laughing inside, but it will ruin the hell out of giving Jay a hard time if I let it bubble past my lips so I hold it in. It’s not easy but I manage. Kit does not. Kit barks out laughter. “Holy fuck, man, when will younotbe this naïve?”
Jay glances around the island. “Does that mean I can finish the donut?”
“Maybe you should save it to deflect bullets,” I say, and my cellphone buzzes with a message from Rollins:Autopsy confirmed for two. I’ll meet you at that pizza-by-the-slice joint across from the location. Unless you want to come and sit in on interviews?
I type my reply:You don’t need me for interviews. I’ll see you at the pizza joint. I have someone I want to visit. A lead I’m digging up. I’ll tell you about it if it’s worth sharing.And then glance up to find Jay finishing off his éclair, with chocolate all over his face.
“Lick the chocolate off your face,” I order, pointing to it. “No respectable bodyguard of mine wastes the good stuff. We have a witness to go talk to.”
Kane downs the rest of the coffee in the cup he’s holding. “Drop me at the office and you can have the team to yourself.”
It’s not a casual comment despite how casual he makes it sound. And “the team” means both bodyguards. Kane has been worried about me since the day his chopper went down in a way my job chasing killers never worries him. He doesn’t like the unknown, and doesn’t like not knowing who the enemy is working with Miguel. On this, I am one leg up on Kane.
I am not only used to hunting the hunter.
I enjoy it.
Chapter Twenty-Six
I’m in the backseat of the SUV Kit favors as a driver, and I have yet to argue with Kane over the security details, which has to shock him.
But the truth is, Kane has plenty of men on staff that stay close to him as well as security at his office. He doesn’t need Kit and Jay, and from my perspective, Kit is more likely to kill somebody than me, and that works for me right about now. Maybe. I don’t know. I seem to be morally conflicted over the right and wrong of putting a monster behind bars or killing him and letting everyone else bury the body.
It’s a lighter-than-usual traffic day, which translates towe’ve survived a bowling alleyby the time Kit pulls the vehicle up to the front door of Kane’s office building. Kane immediately motions for Kit and Jay to exit and leave us alone, waiting for their departure before he turns to me. “While you hunt your killer, Kit and Jay will have your back.”
“I’m pretty good at watching my own back,” I assure him, not to push back, but because I think this is what he needs to hear. Almost dying in that chopper crash might not have created a fear of his own mortality, but it reminded him of mine, too. And so did Miguel last night.
“Which is not up for debate,” he assures me. “But the snake in the grass nearest you is the most dangerous, bella. Whoever this is coming for us has evaded me at every turn, and that means they know me—and us—a little too well. Be careful.”
“You as well, considering you gave me and my father your best men.”
“I gave your fatherourbest men, bella, and it had nothing to do with protecting him. It’s about protecting you and us.” He cups my face, kisses me hard and fast, and exits the vehicle, almost as if he had to do it now or never. I sink back into my seat and don’t allow myself any deep thoughts about what Kane just said to me. Nor do I point out how weird it is for Kane to be this on edge. He rules the world around him. He usually knows this. For now, I focus on my job. I made the decision this morning to catch a killer before he kills again, which has a two-pronged win. I have to get this case and hunt off my plate, and then free myself up to deal with Miguel.
I pull up Landry’s office address and text it to Kit. He climbs back inside the vehicle and shuts the door. “I got the address,” he confirms and sets us in motion.
So much for light traffic.
Oh, how quickly it changes in New York City.
When traffic is too backed up for my timeline, I reach for the door. “I’m taking the subway. Jay can go with me if he can catch up. We’ll meet you at the pizza joint across from the ME’s office.”
“No, Lilah,” Kit growls, but it’s too late.
I’m out of the car in a blink, pulling my Burberry trench coat around me, and pushing for space between me and the SUV at a rapid pace. So much so, that Jay doesn’t catch up with me for a block and right as I’m headed down into the tunnel.
