The Eligible Suspect(30)

                All he felt safe in telling her.

                “I learned the name of a man he’s been in contact with,” he said. “I read a revealing email exchange. He and another man discussed a business arrangement they had made together. There wasn’t much detail but I have the name of the man he was communicating with. Damen doesn’t want me to know the man’s name. I didn’t think he’d come after me and try to kill me with what little I discovered. That I didn’t see coming.” He paused. “I didn’t see a lot until recently.” He looked at her. “But no more. I’m going to end this. Damen isn’t going to hurt anyone else.”

                By his vehement conviction, she believed him. But something didn’t add up. “Is that why you were on the way to the cabin?”

                “Partly, yes.”

                Partly? There was more? He was withholding the whole truth. He’d come here to hide. That much she was sure of now.

                “Is Damen a computer scientist like you?” she asked.

                He grinned along with a cynical laugh. “No. He barely graduated from high school.”

                “What does he do for a living?”

                When he hesitated, Savanna suspected he was choosing his words carefully.

                “He’s a con artist.”

                That surprised her. He’d told her. “And he’s your friend?”

                “Not anymore. He ripped off wealthy people who made money by taking advantage of others. Executives of pharmaceutical companies who hide bad results of testing. Banking executives who get bloated bonuses. Unethical entrepreneurs. It was a game to him. He’d find their weaknesses and plan a way to rob them. Somewhere along the line he lost his scruples. Anyone is a target now. Including me.”

                She took in his big form, light gray eyes assessing, seeing how she’d react to this. He was imperturbable. Matter-of-fact. But his honesty touched her and somehow made what he said all right.

                “Did you work with him?” she asked. Con artist...

                Again, he hesitated. His eyes blinked. “Sometimes.”

                Only when hacking was required? He helped his friend steal from wealthy people they’d deemed immoral. Did that make the theft okay? She had trouble with that. She had even more trouble with how she almost justified it along with him.

                She was attracted to him—a thief. He put an appealing twist on his purpose, but that didn’t change the fact that he’d helped his friend steal.

                It was best to keep things casual with him. She wasn’t over her last love. She wasn’t ready to take on another one, especially a six-foot-four hunk who should frighten her rather than make her yearn to get naked with him.

                Unsettled, Savanna took his empty plate and hers to the kitchen. They were paper so all she had to do was throw them away. She went about cleaning up the light mess, leaving the drinking water in the kettle in case either one of them needed some later. All the while she couldn’t pinpoint the source of the feeling that he wasn’t telling her everything. He’d been honest, but there was more. More under the surface.

                So immersed in thought, she didn’t notice him come up behind her until his hand rested on top of hers, stilling her wiping motions. She’d cleaned the counter long enough. It was an automatic action while her mind spun.