Just in the Neighborhood
Maddox
Cal was giving me that look again – the same one he'd been giving me off and on for maybe twenty years. "You did what?"
I shrugged. "I found her myself."
"You're joking."
Cal should've known better. I wasn't known for being a funny guy.
He was standing near the windows of my downtown office with his hands tucked into the pockets of his dark jacket. Built like a tank, he was the kind of man nobody smart would underestimate despite his gray hair.
As usual, he looked completely unimpressed by the view high above Chicago. Traffic was light, and the building was quiet. Then again, it was a Sunday morning.
I asked, "Do I look like I'm joking?"
He studied my face for several beats before saying, "No." But then he ruined it by adding, "But you are acting funny."
It was vintage Cal.
Growing up, he'd been my personal bodyguard, which meant he'd had the dubious task of doing half the stuff my actual father hadn't been around to do. Hell, Cal and I had even tossed a baseball back and forth a time or two.
Or a thousand.
Back in the day, Cal had one hell of a throwing arm.
He probably still did – even if he was semi-retired. But guys like Cal got stir crazy if things were quiet for too long, which was why I had him on retainer for surveillance work, background checks, and special things that needed doing.
The guy knew his stuff. He was excellent at reading people, including me. Then again, he'd been watching my back since I was twelve, which went a long way in explaining why he refused to kiss my ass.
Normally, it was refreshing. Not today. It's not that I wanted my ass kissed. I just had other things on my mind.
Delaney Sinclair. She'd haunted my thoughts half the night and most of the morning. Maybe I was acting funny.
The truth was, I felt funny, warm and distracted in a way that was completely foreign.
Foreign, but not unwelcome.
Cal's eyes narrowed. "So, how'd you end up finding her?"
"I just ran into her, that's all."
He gave me a look like he wasn't buying it. "Where?"
"Her sister's apartment building."
He frowned. "When?"
"Yesterday."
"And you're just mentioning it now?" He said it like I'd been sitting on the info for days, not less than twenty-four hours.
I shrugged. "Maybe you didn't need to know."
He gave me that look again, like he knew I was full of it. "The sister's building, huh? And what were you doing there?"
That was easy. "I was in the neighborhood."
No lie. I'd been checking out a property two blocks away when I realized I was within throwing distance of a place a friend had asked me to keep eyes on.
One thing had led to another, and there I was – colliding with Delaney Sinclair.
Not too long after that, we were talking over dinner. And soon, we would be having coffee. I had questions. She'd have answers – some I'd been planning to pass along.
Call it a favor for a friend – except now, I wasn't liking the idea of involving the friend at all.
I liked her. And now that I'd gotten to know her, I was wishing I'd told her everything from the start.
I might've come clean last night during dinner, except in the beginning, it had seemed too soon and by the end, it had seemed too late.
She might've been spooked.
And definitely pissed off.
If the roles were reversed, I'd have been pissed, too.
The last thing I wanted was for her to bolt.
Still, I'd need to fix it and fast, because subterfuge wasn't my style, especially with people who deserved better.
Cal's gaze sharpened. "You're definitely acting funny."
Shit. "Maybe. But I've got my reasons."
Make that one reason. And the reason had a name – Delaney Sinclair, who sometime yesterday had become more than a name and a favor.
Exactly what she was, I didn't yet know. But I was liking the idea of finding out, which might be tricky with me living on the other side of town.
But I did have options.
Last night, those girls had mentioned a penthouse someone had rented for a party. Was it available?
Sometime this morning, the thought had lodged itself in my head. Being in the same building made sense – especially if trouble came calling.
What kind of trouble, I wasn't exactly sure. But I'd been asked to find her for a reason. And until I heard her story, I would be smart to keep her close – or rather, keep myself close, just in case.
Cal's voice interrupted my thoughts. "So what now? I'm off the job?"
In my mind, I could still see Delaney lugging that suitcase across the sidewalk. And yet, she'd still found a way to smile. It made me want to smile, too – until I thought of her in danger.
That wasn't happening.
And this, I'd handle personally.
I told Cal, "Nah. I'm thinking you should switch gears."
His eyebrows lifted. "Meaning?"
"Keep an eye on the dipshit instead."
"Evan Carver? But you've already got a team watching him."
I glanced toward the windows. "So watch the team. Never hurts to have more eyes."
As for myself, I would be watching Delaney Sinclair – and not only because I owed Ryder Vaughn that favor.