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Mia had her clothes and books unpacked and put away, taken Honey out for a late-night pee, and then settled the dog in her bedroom for the night, when she heard a loud banging on the front door. Seconds later, the banging sounded again. It was accompanied by shouting.
Mia crossed gingerly to the window to pull aside one of the curtains enough to be able to look out into the street. As she’d suspected, Darius’s SUV was parked outside.
She barely had time to realize the banging had stopped before she heard the pounding of heavy boots—Darius’s?—coming up the stairs.
Mia had moved to the corner of her bed, her back against the wall, with Honey pressed protectively against her side, by the time her bedroom door was thrown open and Darius stood silhouetted in the glow given off by the overhead light on the landing behind him.
He didn’t speak, just stood there, tall and brooding, body tense, his face in shadow.
But Mia could feel the fury coming off him in waves, swallowing up the air in the room and deepening her apprehension. Until she remembered that file Darius had in his possession, detailing everything about her.
Her chin rose. “What do you want?”
“What do Iwant?” he repeated with soft incredulity.
Her self-confidence wavered slightly at his tone and expression, but she quickly brought it back under her control. “I’m grateful for your help earlier today, but as you can see, I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”
“Really?” He continued to stand there, eating up the air and space around him, his eyes glittering darkly. “Will you be so sure about that when a member, or two, of one of the largest criminal gangs in London, headed by Anthony Bart, mainly involved in drugs but having a finger in the pie of every organized crime in the city, comes to pay you and your housemates a visit?”
Mia felt the color drain from her face. “Casper discovered who was responsible for killing Giles?”
“He did, yes.”
She winced. “He is dead, then?”
Darius nodded. “Casper has also confirmed the DNA of the blood on the wooden floor and outside the building matches a hair taken from the hairbrush in Fletcher’s bathroom.”
She swallowed. “Does Casper know why Mr. Fletcher was killed?”
“He’s still working on the motive.” His mouth twisted. “But I think it’s safe to say if Anthony Bart was responsible for ordering the hit, then the lawyer was involved in something he shouldn’t have been.”
Mia snorted softly. “Frankly, I’m surprised Casper found the time to find out any of that with all the other investigations you’ve had him doing on your behalf.”
Darius stilled. “Would you care to explain that remark?”
The fury she’d suppressed earlier came rushing back with a vengeance. “You’rethe one who needs to explain!” She moved up onto her knees in the middle of the bed, putting her on more of a level with Darius’s imposing height. She was so busy glaring at Darius, she was barely aware of Honey jumping down from the bed. “You had no right to have your brother put together a file of my background and my life!” she accused angrily.
Except she knew the hot sting of tears in her eyes wasn’t from anger, but because she was hurt that Darius had done something so intrusive.
“I would have told you any of those things myself, if you had bothered to ask me,” she continued emotionally. “You didn’t have to instruct your brother to sneak around poking into my private life.” Her eyes widened as Darius slammed the door and then prowled toward her with all the stealth and purpose of a big cat stalking its prey. “What are you… Oomph!” She landed flat on her back, her hands having moved up instinctively to rest against Darius’s chest as he loomed above her. His thighs straddled hers, a fist planted in the pillow either side of her head.
He scowled. “Firstly, you must have been the one sneaking around andpokinginto things to have found the file, because I know it wasn’t on public display. Secondly,” he continued in a hard voice when she would have spoken, “Casper didn’t sneak around looking into your private life. In fact, neither of us are guilty of the things you’re accusing us of because I didn’taskhim to do that either.”
“But I saw it!”
“I’m sure you did, but neither Casper nor I are responsible for its existence.” He grimaced. “But I will admit totryingto look you up on social media after our initial encounter in the elevator.”
“I don’t have a social media presence.”
“I’m now aware of that.” He nodded. “Why don’t you?”
She snorted. “Because every moment of my life, from when I was abandoned at six months old, was officially documented in one file or another during the years I spent at the orphanage. Probably even when I used the bathroom. I decided that once I aged out of the system, none of my life would be out there for others to look at ever again. I do have a website for my dog-walking business, but otherwise, I prefer my private life to remain exactly that.”
“Hm, that makes sense.”
“I’m glad you think so,” she derided.
Mia’s hand on Darius’s chest told her that some of the tension had begun to ease from his body.
