Easy This Time - JH Croix Page 0,36

a full breath until Nash punched in the security code on my door after we were already in the building and upstairs.

I walked quickly across the room, my arms wrapping tight around my waist as I stared out into the darkness. Spinning back, I found Nash standing a few feet away, his gaze pensive as he watched me.

“You okay?”

“I don’t know.” Realizing I would be visible to anyone outside in the darkness, I tapped the button that closed the automatic shades on the windows. The very windows I had loved this morning with the bright sunlight splashing into the room felt menacing now. I felt like a fish in a bowl.

“I only told you my concern about that man because I promised myself I wasn’t going to hide things from you.”

“Mind answering my question now?”

“Mari, I was born and raised here. I never ran with any gang, but I didn’t grow up rich, or in the best neighborhood. It was pretty rough and tumble. I know what’s what and who’s who. Since I work in real estate, I also keep my ear to the ground about everything, and that includes deals in the less desirable parts of town. Gangs have money, and they buy property. I’m pretty sure that was a bodyguard for one of the higher-ups in a local gang. His illegal activities bump into perfectly legal activities, including real estate investments.”

“So maybe they’re just scouting out the neighborhood for some property?” I asked, hopefully.

Nash shook his head slowly. “Definitely not. I own everything on these two blocks. I bought it up five years ago.”

Dread coated my insides. Nash’s next question did nothing to help matters.

“You don’t happen to know if Brett was having some financial troubles? Something where he might have needed a loan in a pinch?”

“Well, he clearly needed money because he was fucking me over by taking credit cards out. I’m not sure I understand what you’re asking.”

“I don’t mean running up bills or getting out new credit cards for start-up funding, which was his superficial reason for wanting to meet with me. Did he owe somebody money that involved a deadline?”

“I don’t know. I really don’t. I’m beginning to realize there was a lot I didn’t know about Brett. Why are you asking that specifically?”

“Because the guy I’m talking about—not the bodyguard, but the guy he works for—is known for short term loans. A loan shark, if you will. If Brett owes them money, that would explain a lot of the stuff he’s been pulling since you two got here. I’m not asking to be nosy, but how serious were you with him?”

I let out a shaky sigh as I paced back and forth in front of the shaded windows. “For the last few months, we hardly saw each other, and I honestly thought we were just dying on the vine. Like I inconveniently mentioned before, it’s been months since we were, well, intimate. When Brett asked me about this trip, I thought maybe…” I closed my eyes and shook my head as I came to a stop. Opening my eyes, I continued, “I don’t know. I guess I thought maybe this trip could be the opportunity we needed to reset our relationship. Lord knows why I would even want that. It’s not like things were great with us. I can be stubborn, and I haven’t had the best luck with men, so I guess the bar was low.”

“Brett was a fucking idiot,” Nash said flatly. “That’s not why I was asking. I’m just trying to figure out if you might’ve had some clue what the hell he was doing.” Pausing, he slipped his phone out of his pocket. “I need to make a quick call.”

I watched as he tapped a number on the screen before lifting the phone to his ear. Restless, I crossed the room into the kitchen area and poured myself a glass of water. I was starting to get scared. Correction: I was scared.

Nash’s questions made too much sense. I might not have known why Brett needed a loan, but it certainly explained a lot of his actions—his out of the blue suggestion for this trip, cutting off all contact, running my credit cards up, and then trying to find me again.

“Hey Trent, it’s Nash. I’m with Mari Channing right now. I just walked her back to the apartment where she’s staying in the residential floor of my office building. I think one of the guys from the payday lender guy,