“Or she’s complicit and she set the dogs on you to take you out,” Gabe interjected.
“I thought you said you didn’t think she was a threat.”
“No, babe, I said I didn’t think Piper, Anaya, or Kalee were targeted. I said it looked like she was sending you warnings. I said you were safe with us. Never did I say Delilah Watts wasn’t a threat.”
“But she didn’t try to hide her identity, Gabe. She’s in IT. She can’t be that stupid.”
“I’m not denying that. What I want to press upon you is we don’t know who this woman is and since we don’t she’s the enemy.”
“The enemy? But—”
“No buts, Evette. I won’t take any chances with your life. All we know is, Delilah Watts works for Abrams, she sent you emails and pictures, and now we can’t find her. She’s not an anonymous source helping you with a story.”
Damn. How did he know that was what I’d started to consider her?
Before I could respond—not that I had a ready response since Gabe totally had my number—he turned and moved to the door. Before he exited he looked over his shoulder and said, “Let me know if Garrett’s bringing you home tonight.”
“Huh?”
What was he talking about?
“Dinner with Garrett,” he bit out.
Gabe lifted his chin toward his friend and that was when I saw it. Cold eyes and masked features.
Or maybe that was wishful thinking and he really didn’t care one way or another and he wasn’t masking anything because there was nothing to mask.
Damn. That hurt. It shouldn’t but it did.
And since I was hurt and didn’t want him to know I played along.
“I’ll let you know.”
The only change in his bland expression was a small tic in his jaw and if I hadn’t been staring so hard I probably would’ve missed it.
I waited for Gabe to leave and swiveled my chair to face Garrett.
“You did that on purpose,” I accused.
“Sure did.”
“What? You’re not gonna deny it?”
“Why the hell would I lie?”
That was a weird question. Everyone lied when they got called out or caught.
“Because I caught you?”
“Is that a question?” Garrett’s smile could only be described as sinful. If I’d been the slightest bit interested in him he’d be dangerous.
“I don’t get it.”
“Just go with it,” he recommended.
“I’m not sure I want to.”
“Trust me. Gabe just needs a kick in the right direction.”
“Garrett—”
“Babe, trust me.”
I had to be the stupidest person on the planet because I wanted to trust Garrett. I also wanted to rip off Gabe’s dumb mask and stomp on it until it was beyond repair and he could never wear it again.
At that point, I had nothing to lose.
Except my heart.
Nah, who was I trying to fool?
I’d already lost my heart.
Chapter 11
“I didn’t take you for a sports car type of guy,” Evette said from the passenger seat.
I’d opted to exchange the company SUV with my Lexus. What could I say, I missed driving my baby.
“No? What’d you take me for?”
“I don’t know. A truck guy, I guess.”
Evette’s innocent comment sent shards of irritation through me.
Garrett drove a truck. Maybe that was what Evette liked. Smiling, happy men who didn’t have a shedload full of bad history who would have no issue taking what she was offering and do it while driving a jacked-up pickup truck.
“Right,” I snapped.
Silence fell in the car and I instantly regretted biting at her. Yet I offered no excuses for my rude behavior, nor did I make an attempt to clear the air.
I couldn’t begin to find the words to apologize when all I could think about was Garrett asking her out and why I was taking her home instead of her going out to dinner with him.
Fuck.
Maybe they’d set a date for another night.
Unholy jealousy reared. I spent the rest of the drive working myself up until I was pissed the fuck off.
What the hell did I care if she went out on a date with Garrett? He was a good guy, maybe Evette was just what he needed to help him move on. So why did it make my stomach clench every time I heard the two of them laughing together?
She wasn’t mine.
But she could be, asshole, if you got your shit sorted.
When we got home—not home, to the safehouse—I pulled my Lexus into the garage, cut the engine, and used the remote to close us in.
She didn’t speak.
Neither did I.
It was an uncomfortable silence, the kind that went beyond awkward. The kind that filled the interior of my