The Beautiful Thief (Stolen Hearts #2)(14)

Adam took one step forward, a subtle reminder of how trapped she was. “You don’t really believe that, do you?”

“I didn’t come here for revenge on you. I came to find your accomplice. The one who did the shooting.”

“And if I give you that name, all will be forgiven? Maybe we can be besties. Email each other our daily activities.”

She frowned. “I don’t think you know what the word ‘bestie’ means.”

The corner of his mouth turned up at the unexpected remark. “You don’t live in a place like this if you like being around people.” He took one more step, bringing him within reach of her. “But you strike me as the type who doesn’t respect other people’s privacy.”

“I’ll pay you. Whatever you want.”

He snorted. “Look around you. I don’t need a massive offshore savings account. I don’t need a Lamborghini. I already have everything I need.”

She didn’t look surprised. Good. His opinion of her would’ve been sorely lowered if she thought she could barge in here and buy him off.

“Fine. If you agree to help me, I’ll let you live.”

That one had him laughing out loud as he took that one final step that brought him right in front of her. “Aw, darlin’.”

She took a nervous gulp, and the cords in her neck and collarbones strained under the tension. She was going to have a headache for weeks after this little exchange.

He didn’t mean to, but his hand reached out of its own accord. When the pad of his thumb brushed her bottom lip, she didn’t jerk away or hit him. She just sucked in a breath and stood stock-still as her eyes drifted shut. “I think you’re forgetting who’s the hunter and who’s the prey here.” His hand fell back to his side.

After a few breaths, her eyes opened again, not showing a hint of the fear he could see racing through the rest of her. “Here are your options. You can help me and we both get what we want. I can kill you for what happened to my mother.”

“Or I kill you.”

“Or you kill me,” she agreed. “Except I’m not alone.”

Bluffing didn’t become her. “I know this land better than anyone in the world. If someone was here with you, I’d know.”

“Not here. But I have family. Two sisters who think the world of me. A pissed-off ex-cop with anger issues. A hit man for hire. And one of the world’s best thieves. I’ve left enough breadcrumbs for them to find me, or my body. You might be able to take me, but all of them? I’ve already seen how you do four on one.”

Well, damn. If he wasn’t turned on before, he definitely was now. “It’s getting dark, darlin’. Get inside.”

She started to turn but Adam set a hand on her shoulder. Before she moved those crafty hands out of his sight, he was going to take care of something. Her eyes darted from where his hand was on her shoulder and back to his eyes. “Before I let a snake into my home, you gonna give me that gun?”

Melody had the nerve to look him right in the eye and say, “What gun?”

He couldn’t help his predatory grin. He liked her so much better when she was trying to kill him. That probably didn’t say anything good about him. Raising a challenging brow, he ran his fingertips down her arm until he reached her bag. She didn’t stop him as he unzipped it and reached inside.

He was close enough to smell her. He allowed his eyes to close for the briefest second as he appreciated her nearness, but then he was back to business as his hand closed around the butt of the gun and pulled it out. In a quick motion, he ejected the magazine, unloaded the round in the chamber and then disengaged the slide, effectively making the remaining parts of the gun useless before he set it back in her purse, keeping the slide and bullets for himself.

“That’s better.” He walked around her and inside the cabin. Probably wasn’t much to her. Hell, it wasn’t much to him either, but every time he’d tried to be a land dweller, things just didn’t work out.

He pulled open the fridge and heard the screen door open and close, signaling that Melody had come in. Her footsteps were soft, but at least she wasn’t running at him from behind.

Adam took two bottles of beer from the fridge and kicked the door shut. Setting one of the cold bottles under his arm, he twisted off the cap before he handed it over.

Melody eyed the bottle and he could practically see all the calculations she was going through in her mind. She eventually took the bottle from him but didn’t drink. “Last time you messed with my beverage, I was out for twelve hours.”

“Well, you didn’t come all the way out here because you like playing it safe.” He twisted the cap off of his own bottle and took a deep drink. He still had no idea what he was going to do with her. It was getting late, but he knew this bayou well enough to navigate the waters at any time of night.

But he didn’t want to. Assuming she wasn’t here to kill him, Adam wouldn’t mind having her around longer. He doubted she’d want to pass the time the way he wanted to, but she’d invaded his space. He was allowed to fantasize.

“I don’t get it.” She brought the bottle to her lips.

He had to fight off his envy of the neck of that bottle, but she barely tipped it back. He doubted she’d even drank any. Smart girl. “Well, you have me all to yourself. Ask me anything you want.”