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“What the fuck?” Nat throws up her arms while Tank scans the room for any threat.
Teagan stays completely still; her face has gone ghostly pale, and her eyes brim with fear. An unfamiliar feeling erupts in my chest. Something close to compassion. I hate these kinds of feelings. They are nothing but a distraction. So I do what I always do with unwanted emotions. I shove them down.
“Everything is fine. You can go,” I order out loud, but then I look at Tank and mouth the next part.She has a bug on her; make sure it’s not turned on.People have always told me I’m crazy for having a second-in-command who is non-verbal. They don’t realize the perks. Reading lips is at the very top of that list.I’ll take care of her. You make sure this thing is destroyed.
Pinching the tiny device between my fingertips, I pull it out of her pocket and hold it out on my palm for him. He closes the distance between us and grabs the bug before exiting the room. Natalie remains in the doorway, squinting her eyes at me like she is waiting for a detailed explanation.
“Get out,” I order, firmer this time. Nat gives me one final eye roll before joining Tank in the living room. The door closes behind her, leaving me alone with Teagan once more.
Only then does she drop her hands from my chest. “I’m sorry.” She lowers her head again, her eyes closed this time. “I’m really sorry.” She looks so young, like a misbehaving child about to get grounded. She wraps her slender arms around her torso, which makes me notice the slight trembling. “Can I go now?”
“No,” I blurt out a little too aggressively. She flinches, and I curse myself for not keeping my anger under control. I’m not angry with her. I’m angry with my staff for letting her get through. “The hour is not over. If you leave now, the people who sent you will know something is off.” It’s not a lie, but it’s not quite the truth, either.
“Oh… okay.” She keeps her eyes shut, and I take the opportunity to give her a once-over. Her light brown hair is neatly pulled into a ponytail at the top of her head. The white Elite Massage shirt is a size too big on her.
“Don’t move.” I have no issues being naked, but it clearly makes her uncomfortable, so I decide to grab some shorts from my dresser. “You can open your eyes now.”
She slowly opens one eye at first, then the other, carefully scanning her surroundings. Once she realizes my dick is covered up, she sighs softly in relief.
“I need you to tell me more about yourself.” At my request, her eyebrows pull together, and she presses her lips into a firm line.
Interesting. She barely hesitated when telling me about her brother and the people who sent her, but talking about herself is off-limits.
“Why? I’m nobody, and I’m not involved with these people.” She takes a tiny step back, crossing her arms in front of her chest defensively. She is building a physical and mental wall. If I’m not careful, she won’t tell me a thing, at least not without me breaking the rules.
“Lie down on the massage table.” I nod toward the table.
“What? No!” She shakes her head, swinging her ponytail from side to side.
“Fine.” I shrug. “I guess I can just call the cops and have them deal with you.” I spin around, pretending to walk to the door.
“Wait! No cops!” she yells after me. “Whatever. I’ll do it.”
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.
