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“As serious as the coma that still has Payne Colton in its grip. And equally as serious as ensuring the wrong man doesn’t go to prison.”
“That is why I hired you.” Selina moved up closer and laid a hand on his cheek. “You are a sweet young man. And I can promise you this. I might not have any deep, abiding affection for my former stepson, but I didn’t frame him or set him up. If he tried to do in poor Payne, that was all his own doing, not mine.”
Selina laughed again, shaking her head. Her hair was still perfectly styled around her face but she’d laughed hard enough to make her mascara run. She ran the tips of her fingers under both eyes, wiping away the last vestiges of tears. “You are thorough. It looks like I made the right choice after all.”
Damn straight you did.
Only he didn’t say that. He waited until she collected her purse and shot one last glance toward his office door. Then she turned on her heel and was out the door as fast as she’d sailed in.
Nikolas was still processing the visit when he heard a soft voice behind him.
“Whatever possessed you to take a job for that woman?”
Nikolas turned to face Nova. “It’s my job. People hire me to find answers.”
“Yet you didn’t tell her who I am.”
“That’s not her business to know.”
Nikolas knew he played a dangerous game. He’d known that since Nova walked into his office and told him who she was. He’d believed himself well able to manage the conflict between Nova’s identity and Selina’s case, but he was forced to again question that belief.
He’d dodged a bullet today, but he suspected Fate had several more loaded in her gun.
It was about time he started to accept the distinct possibility that he was going to have to face down one of them.
* * *
Ferdy watched the high-heeled woman hightail it out of the PI’s office twenty minutes after she’d stomped in. He wondered who she was, but after the quick visit, chalked her up to a client, nothing more.
He’d been watching the place for a few days, surprised by how easy it had been to run down Nova in this little Podunk town. The IP address Wally had tracked down had paid off, and he’d found the condo complex his IT whiz had triangulated. A day watching the comings and goings at the complex had easily produced Nova, her head peeking above the dash on some old car.
She looked good. He hadn’t seen her full-on yet but that face staring out over the dash was prettier than he remembered and she looked happy.
Too bad she wouldn’t be for long.
He’d had a long time to think about what he’d say to her and, for starters, he wanted some damn answers. Why’d she leave and what did she know?
The town was a piece of work. He’d driven it from one end to the other, trying to find the right place to drag her for their little conversation. He needed some room to work and privacy and, most of all, a place to dump the body once he was done. There was a small park near the end of town that he thought would work but he wanted one more look at it.
He also needed to figure out who this PI was.
It was clear Nova was shacking up with him. Had she told him what she knew about Ferdy or had she tried keeping it all to herself? He wasn’t opposed to killing the bastard but he needed to minimize his presence and two bodies got even more notice than one. People started connecting the dots with two bodies and he wasn’t interested in having any of those dots lead back to New York.
The boss had finally given him a decent opportunity to prove himself again and he needed to get home. Much as he’d have liked to stick around and play with Nova for a few days before he got out of town, he had work to do.
And in the end, dead was dead and that was all that really mattered.
He settled back into his seat. The piece of crap sandwich he’d picked up at a convenience store was a far cry from one of his beloved subs but he ate it anyway to keep up his strength. Once he got back to New York and managed the next job shipment coming in, he could dine on an eight-course meal of caviar and steak if he wanted.
Right now was a means to an end.
He unwrapped the sandwich, the scent of oil and vinegar wafting back at him. He bent his head to take a bite and when he looked back up, he saw the door opening again to the PI’s office.
The guy walked out first. Tall, dark hair, solid build. He wasn’t heavily muscled but Ferdy figured he wouldn’t go down easy. Nor did he think this one would be easily lured into the woods like that recent job in New York. One more reason to find out what she’d told him and how much he knew.
He reached for his phone to take a picture when Nova stepped through the door.
The sandwich in his hands fell, splattering oil and vinegar all over his slacks, but Ferdy didn’t notice.
