was. He put his head on the chopping block and now Presley is about to chop it off.”
That did seem to be the case. Samantha watched Miami became a blur as Alex drove toward the Graham building. “But if Presley had it all working for him, why try to kill us?” she asked, thinking aloud.
“Because he couldn’t let us return from Tennessee and tell Brian and C.B. who he really was before he finished whatever it is he’s doing tonight,” Alex said.
Maybe. Samantha was still having trouble believing it. “Why tonight? Why not a month ago?”
Alex cocked his head at her, his smile heart-stopping. “I’ll ask him when I see him.”
She leaned back in the seat unable not to think about Caroline and Presley. No more an unlikely match than she and Alex. C.B. would do everything possible to prevent Caroline from marrying Presley even if it turned out that his only crime was lying about his background—and possibly losing Graham money in one of his schemes.
She glanced over at Alex. He was already the black sheep of the family. Imagine how C.B. would react if he knew about her and Alex. If C.B. knew about her past. It wasn’t as if a person could keep something like that a secret. Hadn’t Caroline and Presley known that?
“You know my whole life history,” she said. “But I don’t know anything about you.”
“Your whole life history?” He chuckled as he was forced to stop for a light. “Not likely. You know as much about me as I do you.”
She shook her head. “I told you why there was no man in my life.”
The light changed. Alex seemed to concentrate harder on his driving. A muscle jumped in his jaw. “You and I have both been hiding. The last woman I trusted proved to want nothing more than my money. I guess I’ve always had a hard time believing a woman could love me for anything but my money.” He shot her a glance. “Once they hear the Graham name…”
Samantha smiled ruefully and nodded. “The exact opposite of Presley Wells.”
Alex’s lips turned up at little. “At least he knows Caroline loves him for who he is. Or did.”
Ahead, the Graham office building loomed up into the Miami sky.
“This car, it’s the part of you that I’m just getting to know, isn’t it?” Alex said, his face serious as he parked and shut off the engine.
“Yes.” She felt his gaze flick over her as they both exited the car and headed for the security entrance. The question was: was Alex Graham man enough to handle that woman? At least that was the question she imagined he was asking himself.
Samantha on the other hand had been convinced a long time ago that Alex Graham was plenty man enough for both of her lives.
In the end, he would have to make that decision. Whether or not he could live with her being an agent.
Or she would be faced with her own decision. Could she live without Alex Graham?
Samantha glanced back at the street and saw a tan sedan drive slowly by. They’d been followed from the hospital. She reached into her purse, her hand closing on her gun as Alex put in a call to his father.
“I need the code to get into the Graham building,” he said into his cell while Samantha watched the street. “There isn’t time to explain. For once, Dad, just don’t fight me. Give me the code now.”
Alex listened, then pressed the key pad. The door opened and he ran toward the stairs, Samantha right behind him. The door thunked shut as a set of headlights swung past, reflecting in the window in the door.
“Dad, I have to go. I don’t care if you call Brian. I figured you would the moment you hang up anyway,” Alex said into the phone. “But when you do, ask him where his PDA is.” He closed his phone and pressed his back against the wall of the stairwell next to her.
Samantha heard the outer door open and close. A moment later the elevator doors hummed open. She waited next to Alex until she heard them close and the elevator begin its ascent.
Pushing open the stairwell door, she looked up to see what floor Presley got off on. Fourth.
Behind her, she heard Alex already running up the stairs to the fourth floor.
Chapter Seventeen
Samantha caught up to him. Alex was trying to open one of the doors. “Here, let me,” she said, stepping past him and