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I grin with pure satisfaction. By the time I turn back around, she’s already halfway on the table. She stretches out on her stomach, putting her face into the half-round cradle at the end of the table. Her body is stiff, her hands balled into tight fists.
“Relax. I’m just going to show you what a real massage feels like since you’ve clearly never had one.”
She mumbles something under her breath. I can’t make it out, but I don’t have to hear what she’s saying for my grin to widen. She isn’t the kind of criminal I usually deal with, but she isn’t a Goody Two-shoes either. Something has her scared of the cops, and that’s a fact I gladly store for later.
Stepping closer to the massage table, I lift my arms to place my hands on her back, only to stop a few inches from her shirt-covered skin. Even with her fully dressed, giving a stranger a massage feels odd.
Before I can change my mind, I lower my hands and place them on her rigid shoulders. She jerks away from my touch but quickly stills when I massage her tight muscles.
“Now, let’s try this again.” I keep my voice soft and calming while gently rubbing my thumbs along her shoulder blades. “What do you know about the guys who sent you?”
“Mmh… Not much…” she says after a moment. “One called the other one Dave. That’s the only name I have.”
Dave. I try to rack my brain to put a face to the name Dave, but I come up empty.
“How did they get here?” Cameras surround the building, so I can easily figure it out myself. However, knowing what to look for will shorten the work.
“They drove here in a black SUV. I don’t know what kind. I’m sorry, I don’t usually pay attention to that kind of stuff.”
“It’s okay. We’ll figure it out.” I’ll have Tank and Griffin figure it out. One way or another, we will eliminate the threat; we always do.
“Tell me about yourself.”
There is a long pause. I’m about to repeat myself when she finally responds.
“There’s really not much to tell. After finishing high school, I wanted to go to college, but I needed to save money first. I’ve been working different jobs since.”
I let that information sink in, already thinking about double-checking everything during the thorough background check I’ll be doing on her later. “What about your family?”
“It’s just my brother and me.” There is a deep-rooted sadness in her voice that bleeds through each word. “My parents died in a car crash ten years ago. My brother had just turned seventeen at the time. He still managed to get custody of me.”
“Even though he wasn’t an adult himself?”
“He had to become one. The foster care system was all too glad not to have an extra teenager to worry about.”
“That must have been tough.” I can’t imagine what she must have gone through. Natalie and I lost our parents as well, but we were both adults when it happened.
“I can’t believe I’m telling you all of this.”
“I’m glad you are.” Less I have to dig up later.
“What’s going to happen now?”
“You’re going to stay here and relax until the hour is over. Then you’ll walk out of here like everything went as planned. Can you do that?”
“Mmhhhh…” she moans softly when I find an extra tight spot on her lower back.
“What about your girlfriend?” Her question catches me off guard.
“Girlfriend? I don’t have one.”
“Oh, I assumed… the blond woman.”
I can’t help but chuckle. Nat is probably in the bathroom right now, washing her eyes out with bleach after seeing my junk.
“That’s Natalie. She’s my assistant.” I don’t tell her Nat is also my sister. No need for her to know more than she already does.
“Sorry, I just—”
“You apologize too much.” It’s a learned behavior. A habit she needs to break.
“Sorr—” She catches herself halfway through yet another apology.
God, this woman is annoying. I’ve known her for five minutes, and already know exactly what kind of person she is—a pushover. Someone who lets other people use her, and then she’s the one who apologizes for it.
“I’m just worried, that’s all,” she whispers.
“What is it you’re worried about?”
“What if those guys know I’m lying? I’m scared they’ll hurt my brother.”
“You don’t have to think about that. No one’s going to hurt you or your brother. I promise, and I don’t make promises lightly.” I’ll send Griffin out to shadow her until I know they are safe. I don’t need a civilian’s life on my conscience. Not another one.
“How can you be sure? Those guys were really scary.”
I suppress a scoff. She really has no idea who I am. If she did, she wouldn’t question my promise. She would know that there’s no one scarier in the city than me.
