Matthew glanced from side to side, then took a step toward me. “Well, they need to change again. You have to go back.”
I frowned. “What? Absolutely not.”
“Nina, I’m not kidding. Get your shit and go. This is too important. I—”
“You what?” I demanded, suddenly unable to hide my irritation.
This was why he was so dangerous. Not just because he made me feel things I had no right to feel, but because when I was around him, my filter seemed to disappear completely. And that was going to get me into trouble.
It also no longer mattered. “This is my family’s estate,” I rattled on. “I don’t know why you think you can order me off it, but you can’t. And you still haven’t answered my question. What are you doing here anyway?”
He said I was the one who evaded questions, but he did it too with ease. “I thought it was Eric’s estate,” he corrected me. “He inherited it, right?”
“Actually, my mother did.” Why did men always think they knew better? Even this one? “My mother. Or, she will, once they are finished with probate. Eric just heads up the board of trustees.”
The explanation sounded as pedantic as it felt. What did it matter which part of my family supplied the money for which part of its holdings? The point was, it was my family. And this cocky, overly self-assured know-it-all still hadn’t explained his unannounced presence here.
Matthew was silent for a long time, as if he were evaluating my response. Lord, the man never did stop investigating, did he?
“Well?” I prodded.
He pulled his hat lower over his face, like he was trying to hide his expression. “I was invited too,” he said again. “I just thought I’d come a little earlier than the bigger party.”
“An entire day earlier?” The actual barbecue for Eric’s clients wasn’t until tomorrow.
“Do we really have to argue about this, Nina? Yes, Jane and Eric invited me too—we are actually friends, in case you forgot—”
“I did not forget,” I bristled, but he just kept going.
“Eric thought I would have a good time.”
“And you really thought it was appropriate to spend days with my family given that you’re trying to lock one of us up?” I lowered my voice, stepping closer in case anyone heard us.
Mistake. His scent of ink, sweat, and the light cologne he favored swept past my nostrils. I crossed my arms to keep myself from reaching for him.
“Us, Nina? Really? Since when do you care if your husband gets put away? Or have you had a change of heart?”
My entire body seized up at the sudden defensiveness in his voice. “How could you possibly say that to me?”
He raised a black brow. “I don’t know. It’s been a few months. Maybe that last time did it for you. One last ride on the horse, so to speak, before you went back to your perfect life. Maybe in the end you don’t really want me to bust it wide open.”
At my side, my hand twitched with the need to slap him. Lord, when he got like this—stubborn, with the uncanny ability to stab at every insecurity I had—I really just wanted to take every bit of frustration out on him.
“I cannot believe you would suggest such a thing.”
Matthew examined me for a moment more, then sighed. “Shit. You’re right.” He pulled off his hat, ran a hand over his brow, then put it back on. “I’m sorry. I had no right.” He shook his head. “Look, I couldn’t say no. It was too good an opportunity to pass up.”
“Opportunity for what?”
“Observation.”
He quieted again, apparently waiting for me to piece things together. When I didn’t immediately, Matthew blew a long breath through his teeth.
“Nina, part of learning about a particular suspect is exploring the people around him.”
And then, of course, everything clicked. “You’re here to investigate, aren’t you?”
His chest dropped as he exhaled. My own tightened. I was right.
“Yes,” he admitted quietly, looking around for potential eavesdroppers. “I am. Calvin’s into some deep shit, but the investigation is at a standstill. He and his known associates are cockblocking my office’s attempts for interviews. I have to get at the people who know him another way. And before you offer anything, you know I have to figure this out on my own.”
“So, what, you’re going to dig into the rest of my husband’s life?” I asked. “His family and friends, go snooping around all our private lives instead of just allowing me to give you what