Sins, Lies & Spies (Black Brothers #2)(17)

“I’m just trying to warn you to be vigilant,” he said, his voice flat.

“Did something happen?” I lowered my voice like someone could overhear me on the street outside of my townhome.

“I can’t talk about it on the phone.”

“Oh.” I chewed on my lower lip. “Do you want to meet in person?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I don’t want anyone to see us together right now.”

I rubbed the sudden ache in my chest. I understood why Derrick didn’t like to be seen with me, but it hurt. I didn’t have much of a family. Despite my best attempts, Faith and I had never been close. I worked hard to give her the things I didn’t have growing up, but lately, she seemed more entitled than grateful for all the sacrifices I made for her. My uncle only called me on holidays and birthdays, but I’d do anything for him. When I met Derrick, I thought he’d fill the hole in my heart. For a while it seemed that way, but like everyone else in my life, he had disappointed me.

“Yeah, sure. I get it. Don’t worry about it.” My voice trembled despite my attempts to pretend it didn’t matter.

He exhaled loudly. “I’ll stop by your apartment tomorrow night. It won’t be until late. After ten. Maybe later.”

“What about Ellen? Won’t she wonder where you are?” Ellen was his wife of eight years. I’d never met her. I’d seen her in pictures, but our paths had never crossed. Not that it’d matter. As far as I knew, Ellen didn’t know about me.

“She’s going to her parents’ house for dinner tomorrow night. I’ll tell her I have to work late.”

“Oh. Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He disconnected the call without responding.





CHAPTER NINE




Knox



“How are things progressing with Trinity?” Jack asked.

He looked a little worse for the wear this week. He had bags under his eyes and more than his customary day or two’s worth of whisker growth on his face. His clothes were wrinkled, and I could swear he’d been wearing the same jeans for the past week.

I scooped up my keys and jammed them in my front pocket. “They’re not.”

He snickered. “Why not?”

“She hasn’t gone anywhere in days.”

Sharp creases dented the skin between his brows. “Why not?”

“I don’t know.” I crossed the room. “I won’t be in the office tomorrow. I have a security update I need to do for Black Investments.”

“No problem.” He closed his laptop and stuffed it into his tan messenger bag. The thing was ancient. Threads dangled from the seams, and the bottom looked more black than tan. He’d been carrying it since his days in the Navy. “You want to grab a drink at the bar down the street?”

“I can’t.” I opened the door, and Jack followed me out.

“Do you have a date?”

“Nope.” I pressed the call button for the elevator. “I’m going to swing by Trinity’s place.”

“What for?”

“I don’t know. I guess I’m going to do a little surveillance.” I winked as we stepped into the elevator. “See what she’s been up to.”

He rolled his eyes. “We have people to do that shit. You don’t have to do it yourself.”

“I know, but it’s not that far out of my way.”

He smirked. “Uh-huh.”

I shoved his shoulder. “Back off. We need her help.”

“There are alternatives.”

I stepped off the elevator and pressed the unlock button on my key fob. “Yep, and I’ll pursue those if this doesn’t work.”

***

I sat in my car outside of Trinity’s home. She lived on the main floor of a gray three-story brownstone near the National Mall. An hour into my surveillance, a man in a long, black overcoat jogged down the street with his head angled toward the sidewalk. A dark fedora shaded his face from view.

He took an abrupt right and ran up the steps to Trinity’s home. Without hesitating, he knocked on her door. Seconds later, she opened the door and waved him inside. He handed her his hat and glanced over his shoulder.

“I’ll be damned,” I muttered, leaning forward to get a better view. “What the hell is he doing here?”

After the door had closed, I filled the inside of my car with a string of colorful curses. What was wrong with me? My gut ached like someone had dropkicked me in the stomach, and I knew exactly what I was feeling—jealousy. I could ignore it. I could dismiss it. I could pretend it didn’t bother me, but I knew the truth. From the first moment I saw her, Trinity had become an obsession. Regardless of what I did, I couldn’t get her out of my head. Either I was intensely attracted to her and needed to f*ck her out of my brain or she brought out something in me I hadn’t felt with any other woman. I didn’t like either scenario. Being dependent on anyone for any reason didn’t sit well with me.

Ten minutes ticked by like an hour, and I broke down and I called Jack. I needed to talk to him because I felt like I was coming out of my skin.

“Hello,” he said, answering his phone after the first ring. I heard the rumble of voices and pounding music in the background.