But now that that sense of security was gone, I was angry.Pissed.And if I was honest, a little insecure. He shut down the second I questioned his offer, found my blade to his throat a cute little hat trick, and threatened me with a bouquet of flowers.
I thought that maybe he was disgusted by me reacting the way I did when I was in his lap. But, no, I’d seen firsthand,felt it,when he was turned on.
I just knew the insecure part of me who struggled to love parts of herself said otherwise. She was my worst enemy—Iwas my own worst enemy.
Always had been.
After weeks of silence, and on the day I realized no one was following me anymore, I snapped. It had been a month, dammit, and he was acting uninterested in me. Whichcouldn’tbe true. He started following me for a reason, and Iknewhe wasn’t done.
He was playing games. Had to be. No way would he go from fucking stalking me to not caring. He’d approached me to off one of his men. No way was he done.
I stormed down the dimly lit hallway of the precinct, my footsteps echoing with purpose. Without hesitation, I barged into Marcus’s office, my eyes zeroing in on him as he sat at his desk, a warm and welcoming grin plastered on his face.
“Detective Reyes,” he greeted me, his voice smooth and gentle. “You look lovely as always.”
I gave him a warm smile; he’d always had a crush on me. But I ignored his flirtatious tone and got straight to the point. “I need a favor.”
Marcus leaned forward, seemingly unfazed by my brusque demeanor. “Anything for you. What do you need?”
“I need you to track someone’s phone and send it to my app,” I said tensely.
His eyebrows shot up in surprise. “That’s easy enough. What case are you working on?”
Thinking quickly, I fabricated a story. “It’s still in the early stages, but I have a promising lead. The suspect is Maverick Mercer, owner of a nightclub in New York.”
Without missing a beat, Marcus began typing away on his computer. After a few moments, a red triangle flashed on his screen. “Is this him?” he asked, turning the screen toward me.
My heart skipped a beat when I saw Maverick’s black and white driver’s license photo staring back at me.Twenty-nine years old.Quite accomplished for his age. “Yes,” I managed to say, my voice catching in my throat.
“It’s already on its way to your phone,” Marcus said cheerfully.
Grateful for his efficiency, I gave him a quick pat on the shoulder. “Thank you so much. And please, can we keep this between us?”
Confusion flickered in Marcus’s eyes before he nodded. “Of course, everything okay?”
“Absolutely,” I replied with an unconvincing smile. “I just don’t want to spook him this early on in the investigation. He’s a powerful man with a lot of influence.”
Technically not a lie.
I couldn’t tell Marcus the truth—that I had just abused my power, and not for the first time, as a cop so I could get information for personal reasons.
***
I tracked Maverick’s location like a scorned ex-girlfriend for two freaking days. Staring at my screen and that little moving dot was an addiction. Couldn’t stop myself from monitoring how long he spent at certain locations.
But then, on Friday night, I decided to venture into New York City. For no real reason. None at all. Not like I’d run into him in such a big city. By complete accident, becauseno,I was not stalking him! And I was absolutelynotwearing a flattering blue dress that was the same color as his eyes—all dark and sexy.
I was walking along the sidewalk, glancing down at my phone, when suddenly his little dot stopped. I was only a few blocks from him, having kept a safe distance, but I immediately recognized the location.La Petite Jolie.A fancy French restaurant I’d been to myself on dates before. I knew exactly how intimate it was, and I was most definitelynotokay with it.
I fumed down the few blocks separating us, trying not to throw a jealous fit. Pulling the doors open, I paused at the hostess stand. She arched a brow.
“Reservation for Mercer,” I told her, praying she wouldn’t question it.
“Mr. Mercer’s guest is already here. I have a party of—”
“Three,” I interrupted. “I would know. I made the reservation.”Please buy it, please buy it, please buy it.
She gave me a judgmental look. “But I have two—”
