“Van rental. Hescott is only a few hours from here. Might be somewhere he’s using as a base that isn’t registered under his name.” I hand her the papers, leaving the receipt on the top. “You can look through some more of these on the way. See if there’s anything else useful.”
“Okay.”
Doesn’t take me long to be back at the front door again and waiting for her. She stays in the back room, though, and I end up going to find her. She’s nowhere to be found. “Neve?”
Nothing.
I run up the stairs to the second floor, head ducking in rooms. I eventually find her in what I guess is the main bedroom, her eyes directed at the bed.
“He killed Daddy,” she says quietly. “And he lived here, and he planned it. I never knew him at all.” I look her over, watching the way she’s almost trembling with anger or fear. Don’t know which. Don't know her well enough for registering her thoughts either. “And he has to pay, Noah. He has to.”
“Alright.”
She glares at me. “Why are you so calm all the time?” I chuckle and turn for the stairs again. Testy little princess. I don’t have time for that kind of aggravation. If she wants to get snarky, she can go find this Lewis dick and offload it on him.
It isn’t until I get down the stairs and hear her feet following that I remember I wasn’t calm at all earlier. I was wound up tight as a fucking kingpin, and that was all because of her touching my shit. If she wants to get in an argument, I’m reasonably happy to have it.
“I’m sorry,” she says, coming into the lounge after me. It immediately defuses what was steadily building in me again. Annoying really. “I’m just … desperate.” She walks over and looks up at me. “I shouldn’t have snapped.”
I gaze, looking at big, blue eyes and full, pink lips. “Takes more than that to piss me off, Neve.” Usually. She looks at the floor, then back at me, struggling to keep eye contact again. “You ready now?”
She nods and takes a final look back into the space before heading to the door with me. By the time we get to the car, she’s already looking through all the paperwork. I look over at the receipt and start plugging in the address for the farm.
“I should check in on Murph,” she says, flipping through the sheets. My eyes roll. Fucking little shit needs shooting. “He’ll need more food soon.” Or starving. “How long will it take us to get there from here?”
“At this time of day? An hour in traffic.”
“Do you mind?”
I start the engine and pull out onto the road. What does it matter what I mind? This is her little hunt into proving her innocence. The longer we’re out doing this kind of shit, the more fucking I get. Sounds callous, but I'm not sure I care one way or another if she manages her quest. Might even be funny to watch a Broderick get sent down. Not that she ever would be. Pretty sure Landon would see that that never happened.
“Noah?”
“Yeah.”
“Are we going back to mine?”
“If that’s what you want.”
I drive as she looks through the papers again, part thinking about her and part thinking about what I’m doing with her. It’s all fucking stupid, and yet here I am testing my own resolve for a piece of arse. Nice arse, to be fair, but still.
I chuckle mildly, amused at myself if nothing else. Help a Broderick princess and get laid. What a deal to have made.
Chapter Twelve
NEVE
I’m nervous. I shouldn’t be. We’re just going home – to my home, and Murph. My heart squeezes in my chest at what he must think of me after leaving him for so long. And as Noah drives the last few minutes, I dig around in my bag for the keys – not that we’d need them with Noah’s skills, but hey.
All of this feels a little like an out of body experience – like I’m watching a film of myself and this mysterious, dangerous man solving a crime. Only I wish it was all a dream, for the most part. I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t enjoy one small but physical aspect of what’s happened to me. I swear I can still feel Noah on my skin, in the way my muscles are still a little loose. That’s not what happens after sex, is it? And I shouldn’t like what he did to me, either. It was a contract we made, nothing more.
So why did I like it?
“We’re here.” Noah pulls up and kills the engine. I sling my bag on my shoulder and jump out of the car in a dash for the door. As soon as I’m through and have turned off the alarm to my apartment, I can hear Murph crying.
“Oh, baby. I’m so sorry. I’ve missed you. I have.” I reach down, and he lets me pick him up and fuss all over him. His purr turns into a little motor as he settles in my arms, rubbing his head up against my chin.
“Can you just feed the devil and be done with it.”
