For Her Protection(46)
His lungs burned but adrenaline still spiked his muscles, tempted to him to keep running.
Thank fuck the kids were okay but they’d scattered like mice. He tugged out his phone and walked back to his car, mounted on the curb where he’d left it to run.
“Yeah,” Mark answered.
“She’s being followed,” Connor said and slid into the driver’s seat.
“Is it him?”
“Couldn’t tell. Not his car but I got the license plate.” Connor recited the details and listened as Mark looked up the vehicle’s information on the other end of the line.
“Stolen,” Mark said.
“Shit.” Connor blew out a long breath. “Tell me you got something new for me?”
“I do.” Mark went silent for a moment then said, “We’ve managed to trace some of the money back to an offshore manufacturing plant—one that’s linked with Halifax.”
Connor rubbed his jaw and stared out the window.
“It’s only a matter of time before we get to the bottom of what’s really going down there—you don’t think Charlize…?” Mark let the question hang.
He dropped his hand, his chest tightening. “No way. Charlize has nothing to do with anything. Trust me on that.”
“I’ll take your word. But if you want my advice—the woman’s the CEO. If the place is dirty, she’s in the hot seat. If you want to protect her, keep her away from Halifax.”
Connor laughed and shook his head. “Have you met Charlize? There’s no way I could keep her away. She’s made that business her life.”
“I remember a time when you could talk a female witness into anything. What happened—lost your touch?”
There was only one thing he wielded over Charlize and it wasn’t influence. “She’s stubborn.”
“Just do what you can. The less she knows the better.”
Connor pushed the keys into the ignition. “I said she was stubborn, not stupid. They’ve been keeping things from her but she’s on a mission for answers.”
Mike sighed. “Keep her safe, keep her nose clean. I’m not so sure this was a simple revenge attack.”
Connor’s breath rushed out hot. “I’ll do what I can.”
* * * * *
Charlize washed her hands in the bathroom sink, scrubbing sticky cinnamon residue from her fingers. She hadn’t intended on staying so long but somehow she’d gotten conned into helping bake cinnamon scrolls with Aunt Bess. She wasn’t sure what was worse—ending up wearing a frilly floral apron that matched the one her aunt wore—or being plagued with images of domesticated bliss with Connor as she did the one thing she’d thought she’d never do—bake. Images still bloomed in her mind—the two of them in Connor’s cozy family home, her feeding him sticky scrolls with her fingers, wearing nothing but a frilly apron.
She groaned and looked in the mirror. Her long hair hung over her shoulders in black waves, making her look younger than she was. She smoothed it back and flat. It was happening already. She’d started giving in to him. And not just sexually. She wasn’t just kneeling when he said kneel and bending over when he demanded—she’d worn her hair down for him. Soon she’d have no say in her own life.
No one can have it all. Not possible to screw a man who could command every cell of her body without him commanding her heart and existence as well. Tears pricked her eyes and her chest felt hollow. She leaned her hands against the sink and bowed her head.
Steps echoed, dull thuds on the tiles behind her.
“Charlize?”
The voice caused a wave of dread to curdle her belly. Her head snapped up and she met pale eyes in the mirror. “Simon?”
His gaze ran over her rear, which stuck out due to her bent position. She turned, words emptying from her head. There were so many things she’d wanted to say to him, wanted to scream at him. But now all she could think was that he seemed shorter than she remembered. Even so she couldn’t block out the gut-deep pain eating her insides at the sight of him.
“What are you doing here?”
He stepped closer, backing her into the sink. “Don’t look at me like that, Charlize.” He touched her cheek with the back of his knuckles.
She jerked her face away. “Don’t. You’ve lost the right to touch me.”
His gaze grew icy as she’d seen it do so many times. Except now she didn’t have to put up with the tantrum that usually followed.
“I’d hoped we could keep things civilized between us.”
“Why did you come? You knew I’d be here.”
His mouth twitched. “Joyce wanted me to.”