Exposure - Kelly Moran Page 0,71

cutie named Jones in the main gallery. Nicole's eying him like candy. I may hook them up.

He barked out a laugh, first at her antics and then over the fact that she typed the word "sigh" in a text. Cutie? He'll be fired at once.

lol. Glad you're feeling better. McCannon says they got nothing on the text. It came from a throw-away. Police are done with my apartment. They got nothing. Can we just send in exterminators to fumigate?

He rubbed his jaw. The news wasn't surprising, but it was still disappointing. I'll take care of the apartment. He thought about ways to distract her from all this, remembering how she'd trembled in his arms after receiving the text. Don't leave work without me. I'll pick you up.

K. xoxo

Another thing he loved? The way she started putting X and O after everything. Damn, he was sunk.

He called for his guard.

The front door opened and Hintz stepped inside, filling the entire doorway with his size. "Yeah, boss?"

"We're leaving in twenty. Have two guys ready."

"You got it."

Noah showered and changed, grabbing a banana for the road. On the counter by the sink was Raven's watch he'd given her, as if she'd taken it off to cook and forgot about it. As an afterthought, he shoved it in his pocket and left.

Along the way, he called McCannon and got the same story Raven texted, but he was assured the FBI agent had put a man in a car outside Elements, just in case. Noah suspected Rizzoli's hitman already had an in with her, or had made contact before. He had no basis for this, but his gut was rarely wrong. All of her exhibits and meetings with artists just left her wide open for attack. He didn't like it.

And it seemed like the guy was screwing with them. Texts and notes and car tails. Almost like he was taunting them. Any professional would've had this wrapped up by now.

The pitting sensation in his gut dropped when he saw her apartment again. The bastard had left no drawer unturned. "Box up her books and knickknacks," he said to the guards. "Leave the furniture." He'd send a cleaning service in for the rest.

Making his way to her bedroom, his hands clenched at the violation. Her panties and clothes were strewn everywhere. Her jewelry box was broken in pieces on the dresser. Hell. Nicole had given her that.

"I need a box," he shouted and thanked Hintz when he brought one.

He threw most of her clothes into garbage bags for charity. She could be upset if she wanted, but it was all polluted. He'd buy her new clothes. Most of the ones she wore had been transferred to his place anyway. Kneeling in the closet to pack her shoes, he found pink paper on the floor.

He collected the letters he'd written and leaned against the doorframe. Seemed like a long time ago, after all that had happened. A desperate, lonely man had penned these, wishing for something he couldn't have. And now that he had her, they were threatening to take her away. He rubbed his thumb over the stationery, surprised she'd kept them, even more surprised at the well of emotion rising in his chest knowing she had.

A few other miscellaneous items littered the closet floor. He put them in the box and rose. Before leaving the room, he texted a list of things for his assistant to purchase and shot it off to Veronica, asking that she have them delivered to the condo.

Leaving the rest to a cleaning crew, he headed to the Super's office downstairs and gave him a check covering the remainder of Raven's lease.

As they pulled away from the building, regret tore at him. They'd had many Friday night dinners and good times as friends in that apartment. He sighed and rested his hand on the box beside him. They'd evolved since then into something not even he had hoped for. And no way in hell was he letting anything come between them.

***

"What would you like to do for dinner?"

Raven glanced up at Noah, leaning on the doorframe to her office. He wore faded jeans and a black Henley under his thick down jacket. And she thought him in a tux was sexy. "Hi. You look better." She closed her program and reached for her coat.

He nodded to Max, who stepped out. "Don't put that on yet."

"My coat? Why?"

From her office viewpoint, she watched Max and Jones set the alarm code, cut the