Evening Bags and Executions(71)

Whatever he’d been doing when he’d finally called me at my office required that he be in stealth mode.

Jack looked great in stealth mode.

He had on black everything—pants, shirt, jacket. I looked great in black, too. We’d make great partners.

Jack took the chair across from me. “Something major is going down?”

The table I’d selected for our meeting was situated away from the other customers to ensure our conversation wasn’t overheard. I glanced around because it seemed the covert thing to do, then leaned toward Jack.

He smelled fabulous.

Maybe we wouldn’t make great partners. I think I might get distracted a lot.

“I’m making a ransom payment tonight,” I said quietly. Jack’s brows drew together and he straightened his shoulders like he was ready to come out swinging—at what, I don’t know. Then he dragged his chair close to mine and said, “Talk to me.”

“I’m planning a major event for Sheridan Adams. It includes a charity auction of collectible memorabilia,” I said. “The set of Beatles bobbleheads was stolen from her house, so I have to deliver the twenty-grand ransom and get them back.”

Jack shook his head. “Tell her call the police.”

“She won’t,” I said.

“Tell her to hire a professional. It’s too dangerous,” he said, and looked as if Sheridan was crazy for getting me involved.

“I volunteered,” I said.

Now he looked as if I were the crazy one.

I get that a lot.

“There was a mix-up at the office,” I said. “I didn’t hire security for the memorabilia. Sheridan is blaming me. If I don’t get the bobbleheads back she’ll get me fired—not that it will really matter, because she’ll tell everybody what happened and put L.A. Affairs out of business.”

Jack shook his head. “It’s too dangerous.”

“It’s the only way I can make it right,” I said.

“No. No, you’re not doing it,” he told me.

“I need you to talk me through the ransom exchange,” I told him. “Just give me some tips.”

His expression darkened and he leaned into me. “People who resort to kidnapping aren’t what you’d call stable,” he told me. “You could get hurt. Do you understand that?”

“Then lend me a gun,” I said.

Jack rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair.

“It’s just for one evening,” I said.

“No.”

“A few hours.”

“No.” Jack shook his head. “Absolutely not.”

I appreciated that he was concerned about my safety, but now he was kind of getting on my nerves.

“Look, Jack, I’m doing this,” I told him, “whether you help me or not.”

He leaned into me until we were eye to eye. “No, you’re not.”

We glared at each other—which, under other circumstances would have been totally hot—but no way was I backing down.

“It’s not your call,” I said.

“I’m making it my call,” he told me.

“It’s none of your business.”

“You made it my business,” he said.

He was right about that—which totally annoyed me.

“Look, Jack, you can’t pick and choose when you want to be involved with what I’m doing,” I said.

Yeah, okay, I knew that didn’t really make sense, so what could I do but keep talking?

“Like the thing in the parking lot at my apartment,” I told him. “You can’t tell me you’re treading lightly, then threaten a guy you see kissing me.”

His jaw tightened. He drew himself up. His breathing got heavy.

“You kissed a guy?” he demanded.

Oh my God. What was going on?

“I’m treading lightly, doing the decent thing, giving you time to get over your breakup,” Jack said. “And you kissed a guy? In your parking lot?”

“He was nobody,” I told him

“You kissed nobody?”

Yikes! I’d never seen Jack so riled up.

“It was nothing,” I insisted. “I’d forgotten all about it.”

Jack leaned in, even closer this time. “When I kiss you, you won’t forget it.”

I figured that was true—but I wasn’t going to say so.

This seemed like an excellent time to change the subject.

“So here’s the thing,” I said. “I’m supposed to deliver the ransom money tonight, but the kidnapper hasn’t called with the instructions like they said they would. Why would they do that?”

Jack fumed for another minute, then shifted into private detective mode again.

“It could mean anything, but there’s nothing you can do about it. It’s their game. Just be ready when the call comes in,” he said. “Get there as early as you can. Keep your eyes open. Watch for anybody who looks like they don’t belong. It might be a partner. And don’t—don’t—turn over the money until you see the bobbleheads.”