The Beautiful Thief (Stolen Hearts #2)(30)

“We’re past small talk. I need to know. You want me to trust you? Then give me something to go on.”

He took a deep breath and then let it out. “Fine. I saw my mom killed in front of me. I felt bad for you.” He waited to see what her reaction was going to be. She was either going to think he was lying or she was going to—

“I’m sorry.”

That was exactly what he didn’t want. “You didn’t do it. I’m still a son of a bitch. Sometimes knowing the why doesn’t change a damn thing.”

“Speaking as someone with recent experience, seeing a parent murdered does change things.”

He didn’t respond. Melody sat back on the bed, changing positions every few minutes until she was back to pacing around the room.

“This isn’t going to work,” he finally said as he pushed off the bed. “Let’s go.”

“We’re going after Forbes?”

“No. But staying cooped up here is going to drive you insane. Let’s grab food.”

Even though he was sure she’d be happy to leave the room, she still seemed taken aback at the idea of eating with him. They’d eaten together before, but it was grabbing a quick bite while on the road or achieving a goal. Getting dinner was something friends did. Maybe coworkers.

Not whatever the hell they were.

But he wasn’t going to get any sleep if he thought she was going to bolt any second, and if she was going to be of any use tonight, she needed to be loose and relaxed. Not wound up so tight that the slightest surprise could knock her off her game.

Adam pulled his worn blue hoodie over his black t-shirt and then pulled on his boots. Melody was still in the clothes she’d tried to run out in, a pair of tight jeans and a baggy white tank top.

“Where are we going?” she asked in a sulky tone as he led her out of the room and to the elevator.

“There’s a sushi place nearby.”

“There are probably thousands of sushi places nearby.”

Well, this was a bad sign for conversation. “Then you tell me. Where do you want to eat?”

They both got into the elevator and Melody kept her distance from him. She was quiet the entire way down.

“You don’t need to talk. I can eat without saying a word. And if you don’t say anything, I’m going to go with sushi.”

The elevator doors opened and Melody practically bolted out. Adam rolled his eyes as he caught up to her and matched her long strides, which was easy considering he had half a foot in height on her.

When they hit the street, she turned right and he went with it. Chicago wasn’t his favorite city. For that matter, he didn’t like cities at all. Too many people. Too many smells. Too many people who wanted him dead.

“There’s a place.” Adam pointed to a sign ahead of them.

Melody stopped abruptly. “Maybe we should do pizza or something.”

“No pizza. We need to eat light so we can run for our lives if necessary tonight.”

She sighed. “I’ve never had sushi.”

Adam slowly turned. “You’re the daughter of an international con-woman and I’m a swamp rat. Why is it that between the two of us, I’m the only one who has had sushi?”

Melody sighed. “I don’t know. There had been a few town meetings about getting a place in Huntsville, but—”

“Huntsville? What’s that?”

Her eyes widened as though she just realized she said too much. “It’s nothing. Let’s just go.”

She started for the restaurant. It was a small, bright place without many tables and a sign telling patrons to seat themselves. Adam led the way to a back table with four seats and pulled out a chair for Melody, but she bypassed his offer and pulled out her own seat.

Almost as soon as he sat in the chair that faced the door and gave a view of the kitchen entrance, a server came by to take their drink orders.

“So what’s the plan?” she asked. “If you don’t have a solid plan, I think my head’s going to explode.”

“Fine. We have the apartment, but I’m a hundred percent sure it’s a trap. So we have to be smarter. If Forbes is waiting for us to make our move, he won’t be there all the time. I called the doorman and asked if he knew anything about a Matthew Forbes.”

Melody raised a skeptical eyebrow. “The doorman just told you?”

“Funny thing about guys like Forbes. When you’re an asshole, people don’t do you any favors. And when some stranger starts asking questions, sometimes people just get chatty.”

“And you got this information over the phone?” she asked in a shocked voice.

“Why would I lie?”

“Why would you make this call behind my back?”

“Because you’re a loose cannon,” he said as the waiter came back with their drinks. “Are you ready to order?”

Melody’s mouth fell open as she started to reach for the menu she hadn’t even looked at.

Adam reached it first and quickly used the pencil for a selection of basic rolls. “Here you go.” He handed the menu to the waiter and soon he was running to the kitchen.

Melody took a drink of her water. “We’re going to need to leave.”

“Come on. You have to at least try the California Roll.”