Dangerous Secrets (Tall, Dark & Deadly #2)(50)

Just as Luke started down the hallway a third man came through the garage and straight at him from another hallway. Luke grabbed him. The man elbowed him in the eye, but Luke didn’t flinch. He maneuvered him and pulled his back to his chest, and wrapped his arms around his neck. The man was asleep in seconds.

Luke hightailed it back to the library and motioned to the window, holding up two fingers to tell Kyle how many forms of trouble remained in the house.

They were out of the window by the time the two men rushed the room, and out of sight in a flash. Ten minutes later, they climbed into Luke’s truck that he’d parked discreetly down the road.

“Well?” Luke asked.

“Empty.”

“Of course,” Luke said, pulling onto the road. “And we lost our chance to dig around elsewhere.”

“Looks like Arel doesn’t trust the judge or he wanted whatever the judge owes him in artwork for free.”

“Or that Dragonfly person mentioned in the journals wants to cover his ass.”

“Or just screw the judge,” Kyle suggested. “They’re already double-crossing Arel. Why not double-cross each other? We need to figure out who Dragonfly is yesterday.”

They did. Kyle was right. “And I need to get Julie out of this today.” He couldn’t get back to her fast enough.





Chapter Seventeen


Julie worked the crowd in the museum, stopping to chat with a bigwig from a national company, trying to focus on the conversation, but all she could think was, where was Luke? It was the question she’d silently repeated over and over between idle chit-chat. Thinking about a man with a gun waiting on them outside that pizza joint only accelerated her heartbeat, and not with fear for herself. It was the certainty that Luke could easily encounter another man, or men, with weapons.

Julie eased through the crowd again to come face to face with a criminal defense attorney she’d once had a brief fling with, and who had never seemed to learn ‘no, means, no.” His gaze swept down her body, giving her a lingering inspection.

“Looking amazing as usual, Julie,” he said in a suggestive voice, his dark suit fitted to perfection. He was a good looking guy, in an All-American kind of way that seemed to appeal to women, just not to her. Not after he’d become possessive and demanding, which was kind of ironic, since the same qualities in Luke actually turned her on.

“Thank you, Jake,” she said. “You do as well. I always have liked your taste in clothes.”

He gave her a boyish grin and straightened the blue silk tie at his throat. “You know, I do try to make an impression.” His gaze heated and Julie cringed even before he asked, “How about dinner Saturday night? We can go to that little Italian place you like so much.”

“I’m afraid all her Saturday nights are otherwise spoken for,” a deep voice responded behind her, as a familiar strong hand settled on her back, followed by the jolt his touch always delivered to her senses.

Luke stepped to her side, looking sexier than sin in all black – jacket, shirt, and tie. Alive. Safe. Here with her. And he had a black eye.

Julie reached up to touch it, but Luke flinched and grabbed her hand. “Introduce me to your friend.” He put his arm around her waist, possessively pulling her to his side.

Julie felt a strange surge of comfort from the action. Luke wanted Jake and everyone else to know she was with him. If any other man had wanted the same she would have quickly put them in their place. Instead, she just wanted to keep her place by Luke’s side.

“Luke, this is Jake,” she said, noting how uncomfortable Jake looked and she suddenly felt sorry for him. “He’s a master criminal defense attorney, very well respected.”

Jake gave Luke’s eye a glare. “Looks like you might need one. Perhaps, you’d have been better off staying by your date’s side, rather than running into people’s fists.”

Luke ignored his comment. “Working late isn’t high on my list, but certainly necessary at times.”

“Appears it was painful as well,” Jake added dryly.

Luke shrugged. “You should have seen the other guy.” He glanced at Julie. “I think I need a drink.” His attention slid briefly back to Jake and he added, “Enjoy your evening,” before maneuvering Julie away from him.

Keeping a carefully guarded expression, she whispered to Luke, “Your eye. Are you in pain?” she asked and then added, “And what happened?”

“I’m fine,” he assured her, “but it seems we weren’t the only ones having a look at Moore’s assets, so to speak.”

Julie stopped walking and stared up at him. Luke urged her forward with an gentle nudge. “Keep walking, babe. Everything is fine.” She let him urge her into a walk again as he added, “If you keep worrying like this I might think you care.”

She stopped again, facing him. “I do care, Luke,” she said in a voice that trembled. She moved her free hand to his chest. “You know that, right?”

“Yes,” he said, softly. “I just wanted to hear you admit it.”

She surprised herself, and judging from the look on his face, him, by saying without an ounce of hesitation, “Freely. I admit it freely.”

His gaze darkened, heat flaring between them. “I’m going to make you repeat that later tonight, you know? When we’re alone.”