CHAPTER FOUR
I was blaming his geeky vibe. Or the Boy Scout posture. Or my dry spell. Even my lack of sleep or growing dizziness.
There was no other explanation for my being attracted to Ethan Cross. The jerk arrested me and got in the way of something I’d been trying to fix for years. He took my job after I was betrayed by the agency. He was most certainly trying to advance his career, not that I’d blame him for that. But, damn it, I wanted to blame him for that as well.
You could find a lot of women who would swoon over the bad boy, the one your parents wouldn’t allow you to go out with, the one your friends warned you about.
Not me. My weakness had always been the good guy. The ones fathers befriended, kids loved, and dogs chose. The kind of guy who got excited over nerdy stuff and always finished last—because he made sure you finished first.
As mad as I was with Cross—and I had several good reasons to be—nothing left me madder than getting the vibe from him that he was a geek. A freaking good guy, Boy Scout, redheaded, blue-eyed, rule-follower, sexy geek.
If he wore glasses, I was doomed.
Good thing we were barely speaking. Because I was right the first time I heard his voice over the phone as he talked to Benny. He was a sexy hunk. An infuriating one.
But I promised Benny, Aaron, and Danny I’d make an effort to be civil with him. “Have you thought about what you’re saying at the restaurant as to why you have to leave?”
See? The guys should be there with us to see how hard I was trying.
He was driving us to the restaurant in his truck—my new workspace for the hours he’d be there. “I was thinking family emergency.”
I was proud of myself for not noticing how big his hands were. How they tightened around the steering wheel every time we took a turn. How there was a hint of a tattoo under the hem of his long sleeves. How full his lips were, and how I’d never seen bluer eyes. I was really, truly proud of myself for not noticing any of that.
“Would that be enough? They’re not very fond of letting people go.”
“I was never in their inner circle. They never told me secrets or anything. All the info I gathered was off the record or because I stole their digital files.” He glanced at me before looking at the road again. “I’m going to stick to the truth as closely and as safely as possible. ‘I have to leave because my grandfather needs me.’”
“Does he?”
“Not really. But I did promise to spend more time with him. I’ll try to do so once we leave here.” Great. The jerk was also a family man. “Are you sure you’ll be okay stuck in the truck the entire time?”
I shrugged. “I don’t mind. We need to stick together, but I can’t spend the next two weeks with you at the restaurant. I might show up eventually, but I’d rather set up shop here with the files Aaron and Ms. McAdam gave us. I could also go over the info you collected. It’d be good to familiarize myself.”
He side-eyed briefly and cleared his throat. “Don’t worry about them now. They’re kind of...boring.”
I huffed. “And what exciting thing do you think I’m going to read instead? The Kamasutra? Come on, I need to catch up to what you gathered.”
Ethan even had the nerve to turn red at my mention of the Indian book. Damn him and his good guy vibes.
“Nah. It’s confusing, let me sort it out first.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, and it satisfied me that he was too uncomfortable to look at me. “Is there anything you don’t want me to know, Phoenix? Is Aaron’s good guy hiding something?”
And was he hiding it from me or all of us? Maybe he wasn’t the good guy he seemed to be after all. Instead of being mad or worried about that possibility, I was disappointed.
“You seemed to be close to Aaron and the other guys.”
His attempt at changing the subject was lame, but I let it go for the time being. We needed to work together, and I could use that to figure out if he was the amazing person the guys thought he was, or if he was just one more corrupt fed.
Maybe I should stop antagonizing him? Nah .
“I am. I’ve known them for years and been working with them for quite some time.”
Ethan nodded in relief that I didn’t push him on his files. “Danny and Ben were in the Navy together, right?”
“They did. They joined the SEAL program and were on the same team until they left.”
“They’re married? ”
“In a way. Benny and Izzie had a baby over a year ago, and they’ve been living together since she was pregnant. As you know, Danny is Sofia’s father, and after what went on with Matias, Lisa moved in with them. Izzie and Lisa are perfect for the guys.”
We went through some scary times as they tried to navigate their relationship. Some things could never be fixed—like the loss of my brother and how I was to blame for it. But at least a few good things came out of it.
“We’re all just a big family.”
“Dangerous situations can bring people closer together.”
I nodded slowly. “They also swing, so I guess that has a part in their tightness.”
Ethan’s eyes rounded as he glanced at me. “What do you mean?”
I waved my hand. “You know. When couples exchange partners. I’m not privy to their dynamics, who fools around with whom. But even Aaron joins sometimes.” Benny was right. I was a little shit.
“ Aaron? ”
“Are you really surprised? Come on. All that rigidness is bound to break him at some point. He needed to find a way to let out some steam. I think it’s working.”
His hands tightened around the steering wheel, and he asked me in a tight voice, “Have you ever joined? ”
“I’ve been thinking about it.”
“I see.” The way his jaw tightened shouldn’t be so arousing.
He parked at a safe distance from the restaurant, and the swing conversation was paused. “Are we set for what we agreed on?”
“I’m staying in the truck, collecting data and photos of everyone in and out,” I repeated mechanically what we rehearsed.
“Great. I’m going to tell them I quit, but keep on working so I can install the last program.”
“What is it, by the way?”
“They asked me for a software to balance their customers, vendors, partners, and potential candidates. The idea is to map their engagement inside and around the area, so they can eliminate anyone holding them back and secure anyone that might help increase their sales and visibility.” He turned on his seat and smiled like a kid planning a trip to Disneyland. “I added a backdoor to the software. Once it’s installed, every person who logs in will open the backdoor to their files, their search history, their contacts. I created the software to be logged in from any computer, not only the restaurant one. So, if anyone accesses their account, even if they’re using their personal computer, I can collect all their data without them ever knowing. ”
“That’s...that’s impressive!” Damn geek.
My compliment seemed to remind me I wasn’t his favorite person. Which was okay, because I needed that reminder as well. A man collecting so much information from a dangerous cartel and refusing to reveal it during an investigation wasn’t a good sign of honesty.
I wasn’t sure what made the guys trust Ethan Cross so willingly. Maybe they were into geeks as well. But I wouldn’t let him mar my brother’s memory and jeopardize my investigation.
Since we were working together, I wouldn’t leave him dry. But I’d sleep with my eyes open.
We watched a suited, well-dressed man getting into the restaurant, and I squinted. “I’ve seen him before.”
“I’m sure you did. He’s here quite often. He owns a hotel chain on the front, but he also runs a secret sex club.”
I exhaled. “I can only imagine the kind of money he makes.”
Ethan snorted. “Half of what he used to.”
“What do you mean?”
He leaned closer with a glint in his eyes. “The guy tried to one-up the cartel a while back, and they weren’t very happy about it. He didn’t know they’d taken pictures of him during one of his…sessions. As a way to keep him in line, so to speak. The thing is, he was married. ”
“Let me guess: she wasn’t aware of his extracurricular activities?”
“Bingo! The cartel sent her the photos, and she went ballistic! Smashed his car and all.”
Are we…gossiping?
I laughed at his tale of the unfaithful man as he recounted the woman’s—rightful—revenge, and for a brief moment, I forgot I was supposed to be wary of him.
When he realized his mistake (the same one I did), he leaned back against his seat, putting distance between us, and stared at me with sharp, teacher-y eyes. “Now if things heat up, do you promise me you won’t barge inside, guns blazing?”
“Why would I barge in and shoot?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Do you promise?”
I sigh. “I know it’s not a good idea to do that.”
He fidgeted in his seat and pleaded. “I need to hear you say the actual words.”
After a beat of uncomfortable silence, I mumbled, “Would it be so bad—”
“Oh my God!” He rubbed his face. “You’re actually planning on barging in.”
“I don’t plan on doing it,” I countered indignantly. “I just want to have the option. ”
“Two weeks. We just need to survive here for two weeks.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Fine. I can behave for two weeks.”
We all hoped.