10. Lancelot
LANCELOT
I glanced at Julian as I pulled out of his driveway.
I hated that he’d had to change out of his flannel pajama pants.
I’d loved the way they hung low on his hips, but his aging jeans were almost as sexy.
His fingers were digging into the armrest. His cheeks were red, and I hadn’t missed the catch in his breath at the word pleasure.
He was interested. He didn’t want to be, but he was.
Business first. I couldn’t screw this up again. Things seemed to be spiraling out of control.
When I turned into the library parking lot, Julian directed me around to the back. Like when I’d been there earlier, I didn’t notice any security personnel.
“You have a guard on duty during the day but not at night?
“That’s right. We used to have night security, but the city said they couldn’t afford it anymore. There’s a security system, but I have the alarm code.”
“Then let’s go.” As I opened my door, something raised the hairs on the back of my neck. I laid a hand over Julian’s thigh. I felt him stiffen, and I wanted to tighten my grip, but I didn’t. This was serious. Something was off.
“Someone’s been here.”
“What?”
“I came here first thinking you’d be working late. Someone’s been here since I left.”
He frowned. “How do you know that?”
“See that bush?” I pointed to one on the left side of the rear entrance. “The limb’s broken off. I remember moving it out of my way and thinking someone should’ve trimmed it.”
Julian frowned. “I almost broke it off myself this morning, but couldn’t a squirrel or something have done that.”
“I don’t think so.” Someone entering the library didn’t necessarily mean something was wrong. It could have been one of the other employees. I looked around to see if anything else was different. There was a light on in one of the rooms on the second floor.
I pointed to the bright window. “What room is that?”
Julian’s eyes got big. “That’s a storage room where we keep materials we don’t have room for in the regular archives, things we would have available if we had more space, and some materials that need repair. No one should be up there.”
“Who else has a code to turn off the security system?”
“Gwen and all the other librarians. The director. The board president.”
“None of them should be here now?”
“No. If they were, it would only be to get something they left at their desk. They wouldn’t be upstairs.”
Someone could have left the light on earlier in the day. Maybe I didn’t notice it before. But I didn’t think that was likely. “Stay in the car.”
“What? No, I can’t?—”
I ignored his protests and approached the building, gun out. I wasn’t going to take chances.
I heard a car door close and turned to see Julian heading toward me. I gestured for him to go back to the car, but he ignored me. “You need the alarm code if you’re going in.”
Shit. He was right. I’d been so concerned about keeping him safe I hadn’t even thought about that. “Tell me the code, then get back in the car.”
He punched in the code and started to open the door.
“Jesus, at least get behind me. Why are you so fucking stubborn?”
“I’m stubborn?”
Neither of us said anything else as I eased the door open. I moved slowly, sweeping the short hallway, then the offices on either side. Julian had the sense to stay glued to my back. I could feel him, his heat, the occasional brush of his body against mine.
If I hadn’t been worried about an intruder, I might have pushed him up against a wall and found out how quickly I could turn him from prickly to desperate.
I didn’t think it would take more than a few seconds.
I could practically feel the tension in him, vibrating below the surface.
He needed a way to release it. I could help him with that, but first I needed to make sure we were the only ones in the library and retrieve this damn information Remy’s contact had hidden in the most idiotic place.
Of course, if the asshole hadn’t insisted on hiding it in the library, I wouldn’t have met Julian, and Julian would still be living his boring day-to-day existence.
He needed something to brighten up his life.
I couldn’t wait to properly introduce him to Tony.
I was sure he would like my little friend once he got to know him.
Everyone did, even Remington, though he’d never admit it.
“I need to check the second floor,” I whispered.
Julian nodded.
He wrapped a hand around my arm to lead me toward the stairs.
I needed to focus on our surroundings, to listen for any hints that someone else was in the building, the sound of movement, something they might have dropped or moved, but all I could think about was the heat of Julian’s hand and the way his fingers gripped me more firmly than I would have expected.
He pulled a keyring from his pocket and reached for the doorknob.
I grabbed his wrist, nearly hissing at the electricity that shot through me as my skin pressed against his.
I wanted to pull his hands to my mouth and kiss the fast pulse that thrummed against my fingers.
Had anyone ever distracted me this thoroughly?
It was a damn good thing Julian wasn’t working for the enemy.
Before he touched the door, I examined it to see if there was evidence of someone opening it recently, like obvious fingerprints.
Once I verified there was nothing there, I motioned for him to go ahead and unlock it.
I kept him behind me as I climbed the stairs.
If someone was up there, we were poorly positioned.
They’d have the advantage of the high ground and the ease of pushing us down the stairs.
I wanted to send Julian back to the car, but I didn’t think he’d go.
My cardigan-wearing little librarian was braver than he seemed.
I liked that about him. I didn’t want someone who would just roll over for me. I liked a challenge.
I didn’t see or hear anything as I moved quickly to the landing, hoping to level the playing field if someone came at us.
I swept the area before letting Julian ascend to the top of the stairs.
We were in a large, utilitarian room with a tile floor, a drop ceiling, and dingy white walls.
There were rows of bookcases, which meant a lot of hiding places.
Julian stepped up behind me, and I held onto his arm, keeping him still while I listened and looked more carefully. I didn’t hear anything at first, but then there was the barest sound, a slight rustle of paper and the hint of movement, maybe a hand moving across a shelf.
I looked back at Julian and put a finger over my lips.
His eyes widened, and I nodded, hoping he understood that I’d heard someone.
I pointed to a shelf, wanting him to hide behind it.
I thought he would protest, but finally, he stepped away from me.
I hated seeing fear in his eyes. Whoever was in here was going to pay for putting it there.
I moved slowly, not making a sound. My best guess was that the sound I’d heard had come from two or three rows away.
I looked down one row and found it empty.
When I made it to the second, I saw a figure dressed all in black and wearing a ski mask. He was attempting to edge around the end of the shelf.
“Don’t move,” I yelled.
He took off, and I followed. As I rounded the corner, I saw him shove up a window sash and jump.
I ran for the window and looked down. It wasn’t that far of a drop, but not one I’d have taken so recklessly.
He was already on his feet and running. I could have taken a shot, but in this neighborhood, I had no doubt the police would be called, and I was supposed to be keeping a low profile.
Even if I was willing to risk the drop, I couldn’t go after him and leave Julian here since I wasn’t positive we were alone in the building.
I heard movement and spun around, gun aimed and ready. Julian stood a few feet from me, white as a sheet.
He pointed toward the window. “Did he… Is he…
I realized he expected there to be a body down there on the sidewalk. I shook my head. “He recovered and took off running.”
“Wow. That’s… How did he do that?
I didn’t like the admiration in his voice. “I could survive that. No problem.”
He raised his brows.
“Seriously. I could.”
“Okay.” I wanted to be offended, but he actually grinned at me, looking happier than he had all evening. I could take a hit to my ego for that.
“Come on. I need to check out the rest of the building.” He stayed with me as I checked the other rows of books upstairs.
I didn’t find anyone there. Once we were back downstairs, Julian pointed out materials that had been moved around on his desk and books that were askew on shelves.
This time his persnicketiness came in handy since he noticed every detail about the place.
“I need to make sure everything in the city archive is intact.”
I was all for that because I needed to find what Remington’s contact left as quickly as possible.
I was hopeful the intruder hadn’t found anything since he’d obviously started there before going upstairs.
If the information was as well hidden as Remington insisted, then I doubted it had been located.
“Is anything out of place?” I asked as I followed Julian through the door.
Julian shook his head. “No. I don’t think anyone’s been in here.”
I checked the door more carefully. There was no sign of attempted entry. “If someone tried the code and failed, would an alarm go off?”
Julian shook his head. “I wish, but we just hope people think it will.”
They definitely needed better security. “I need to see the newspapers now.”
“I don’t like this,” Julian said. “I don’t like any of this.”
“I need to know what information was left in order to protect you. You do understand you’re in danger, right?”
“Yes, but how do I know you’re not as big of a danger to me as whoever was up on the second floor?”
“I’m very much a danger,” I said smiling at him, “but I’ll never hurt you.”
“Okay, I believe you probably wouldn’t shoot me, but?—”
“There’s no maybe about it. You’re safe with me.”
He narrowed his eyes as he looked at me. “You’re not really on my side.”
“The side of protecting the library? I’m all for that. And so is my brother.”
He huffed.
“Julian, I meant what I said to you. I’m going to take care of the funding problem, and I’m going to make sure you and all your colleagues are safe.”
“What else are you going to do?”
“Not telling you the details is part of keeping you safe.”
He rolled his eyes, but he headed down an aisle and returned a few moments later with a large stack of newspapers. “These are the months you requested.”
“You’d think the guy could’ve been more specific.”
He frowned. “What guy?”
“The contact who told my brother to come here and look at these papers.”
“What exactly are you looking for?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Julian leaned over me, fidgeting as I opened one of the papers. “Be careful.”
“I’ll be as gentle with it as I can.”
As it turned out, I didn’t need to carefully leaf through page after page like I expected.
When I got to the newspaper that contained what I was looking for, all I had to do was unfold it once, and it fell right out.
Except it wasn’t a USB drive or a cryptic handwritten note like I’d expected. It was the stolen necklace.