Sweet Seduction Shield(42)

"You did? He said you might," she said excitedly. Had Pierce known I could hear him while I was out cold? Did he do it knowing I'd remember his voice in my dreams?

"I'll have to thank him, then," I offered, wanting my daughter to know I was behaving myself, even if my mind kept spewing up doubts about this man.

"That would be the right thing to do, Mummy," she advised, as though she was the parent and I was the five year old child.

"When did you grow up to be so big and clever?" I asked, giving her one more bone crunching hug.

"I always been clever, Mummy. I take after you. Deetetiv Pierce said that."

A huff of a laugh left me, as a genuine smile graced my lips. Well, that settled it, didn't it? I had to go offer the 'deetetiv' some support, after all. It was the least I could do having just heard that.

I kissed Daisy on the forehead and left her to her Country music concert in her penguin painted room, and followed behind an amused Gen and Kelly towards the kitchen.

Voices could be heard before we'd walked too much farther down the hall. Raised, agitated, and clambering over each other for attention.

"Well, I still don't see what was so all-fired important that you had to take that kind of risk?" Abi insisted.

"We weren't to know there would be another person in play," a stranger's voice replied.

"No?" Abi again. "You didn't think once, that McLaren's thug would call on contacts and lay a trap? At the only place Marie could have gone other than her work? What do they teach you in Police college?"

"Red," Ben warned.

"No! Don't give me that, Ben. You were hurt and it didn't need to happen. Admit it, Pierce. You wanted something at Marie's, and it had nothing to do with her clothing."

I sucked in a breath and held out my arm to the two women with me, preventing them from walking further and announcing our presence. I needed to hear Pierce's reply to this.

"Abi's got a point," Ben offered quietly. "Just what was so damn important that you'd make a rookie mistake?"

Silence.

"Pierce?" Another male voice I didn't recognise, but wasn't the stranger's of before. "You compromised one of my men, I'd sure as hell like to know why?"

More silence.

"You can stand there all fuckin' day and scowl at us, but you will answer this god damned question." Ben again, and he sounded really pissed off now.

"It's clear there's something between you two." Adam this time. "We've seen it before," he offered. "A bloke making stupid fucked-in-the-head mistakes all because of a woman. Is that what this is all about?"

A few disgruntled, but also understanding grunts sounded out around the room.

Someone made a frustrated growl. I was picking it was Pierce. I could just picture him running a hand over his goatee as he glared at every one in the room.

"It was a calculated move, nothing more," Pierce said, the words sounding like they were forced out between gritted teeth.

I stopped breathing.

"Calculated?" Abi asked. I couldn't tell if she was still pissed off, or incredulous, or just wary.

"Yeah," Pierce replied, and this time sounded defeated. "She's got something on McLaren. I took a chance it was in her home and that she'd use the opportunity to retrieve it."

I fell back against the wall, and just breathed. Kelly let out a snort of disgust, as Gen gently stroked my upper arm in support.

"You son of a bitch," Abi said on an exhaled breath of air. "You fucking used her, compromised my man, all for the sake of your fucking investigation."

"You fuckin' bastard, Pierce," Ben said in support of his woman. "Always the fuckin' investigation. Never the fuckin' victim."

"That's bullshit!" Pierce exclaimed, just as someone else said, "Well, did you at least get this thing she's meant to have?"

Silence again, only broken by the thudding of my heart in my chest.

"There was nothing in her bag other than clothes, books and toys."

Oh, hell no.

I pushed off the wall and stormed into the room, Gen and Kelly hot on my heels.

"You fucking arsehole!" I shouted, crossing the space as soon as I spotted him, and lifting my hand up to slap his cheek.

Steel arms banded about my waist, and before my palm could connect with flesh I was hauled backwards.

"Easy," Ben said in my ear. "He's feelin' bad enough as it is."

I shook my head, my eyes boring into Pierce's shocked and sad ones, and then let out a frustrated scream.

Everyone jumped. Pierce took a step towards me.

And I twisted free of Ben's grasp and stormed out the back door.

I couldn't look at him. I couldn't contain my anger. I could hardly breathe.

He'd used me. A means to an end. That was all I was to him.