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Gray and I headed for the “El.” I was at a loss as to what step to take next, and my foot hurt like the Dickens. I suggested a midday snack. Just something light, like a burrito. Fortunately, there was a perfect little place under the red line on Addison.
“What should our next step be?” My words come out jumbled around my mouthful of burrito, but I knew Gray would pick up what I was putting down.
“You mean your whole ‘go get ‘em plan’ revolved only around breaking into his apartment? I expected more, Nancy Drew. Knowing you, I thought we’d be interviewing his parents and grandparents by now. Just in case.” Gray winked at me, making it clear he was just giving me a hard time. Again.
“Cute.” I stuffed my face with another big bite. The truth was, I didn’t have a plan. I didn’t know what I expected to find at his apartment or what I expected to happen there, but I was stuck. I’d woken up feeling ready to take on the world, but looking back, my whole plan of, “End this with Ben,” only involved breaking into his apartment.
I looked around the restaurant for inspiration. I used the term ‘restaurant’ loosely. It was really just a small, one-room square. Door, flat-top grill and counter, three small tables. Bam, done, restaurant. Kind of. Posters were tacked up on the walls offering everything from apartment finders to dog walkers, with bar specials in between. I hoped inspiration would strike quickly because it was getting harder to avoid Gray’s eyes. I chanced a glance across the table. Gray sat military straight staring at me, slowly chewing his food. Oh, and smirking. I think he found humor in everything. Usually, I found that endearing, but sometimes, like today, it could be annoying.
“Something funny?” I asked.
“Just waiting for your game plan.”
I took another bite and stared back. My poster inspiration wall hadn’t helped, but maybe I could get a confidence boost by beating Gray in a staring contest.
“You won’t win. You never do.” His gaze bored into mine.
“Oh, yeah?” I was so smooth. Zinger!
“No.”
“Why?” I took another bite, but my gaze never left his.
“Because Ben is right behind you.”
“That won’t work. I’ve got this.”
“I’m not lying. Or fibbing, as you like to call it.”
“Fibbing is for the small stuff that doesn’t count as a lie. Ben being behind me is a huge lie.” I leaned forward, widening my eyes. Gray mirrored my move. “Plus, you’d never just sit there if he was behind me. What if he did something?”
“He knows better than to try something. He knows I could take him in a fight,” Gray said.
If I hadn’t been looking into Gray’s eyes so intensely, I would’ve missed it. When he said, he could take him one-on-one something flashed in his eyes. Pleasure. I think Gray would love nothing more than to have a go at Ben again.
“We have other things to discuss now,” Ben said.
Goosebumps ran up my arms, and my neck twitched from the whiplash as I spun around.
“Told ya, I win. Join us.” Gray reached next to him and pulled out a chair. I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. Yesterday Ben was breaking the window out of my car. Today, he’s having lunch with us. Gray had transformed in front of my eyes. He looked the same, yet different, harder. His facial expression took on a stony look, his eyes were masked, and his voice deepened. I was sitting in front of a stranger. Where had my fun-loving, always-ready-for-a-joke boyfriend gone?
“I think you have something to say to Regan, also,” Gray said.
I faced Ben. Nausea crept up on me as my world tilted. Something wasn’t right. I just knew it. Something other than Anya, something other than the weird invoicing, just . . . something.
“I’m sorry, Regan. I never would’ve actually hurt you. There were other motives behind my actions.” He reached out to touch my hand, but before I could pull mine back, Gray stopped him. Gray’s knuckles were white with the effort. The grip must have felt bone-crushing, but Ben never blinked. He seemed almost relaxed compared to Gray. Gray reminded me of a jungle cat ready to pounce.
“Excuse me?” I needed more time to adjust. My mind was just not adding up what was really going on.
“I can’t explain now, but it was just an act. You weren’t supposed to be there. No one was.”
“So, that makes it okay? You scared me half to death.”
“For the record, you hit me first. I tried to just talk to you.”
“If that’s all you really wanted, then why did you chase me down the stairs and then break my window? You’re paying for that, by the way.” I gave him my sternest look fearing I fell short of threatening.
“I will,” Ben said. He managed to look contrite.
“He won’t. We don’t need his help,” Gray said. I rolled my eyes at him.
“You don’t? Are you sure?” Ben asked.
“You willing to tell us who you are working for and why?” I asked.
“No.”
“Then Gray is right. We don’t need your help.” I started to slide out of the booth.
“Just let me help.”
“Who killed Anya?” I asked, pausing in my escape.
“I don’t know.”
“Why was she killed?”
“I’m unsure.”
“You don’t know who did it. You don’t know why. What is your end goal in this?”
“Don’t you know yet, Regan?” Gray asked.
“I guess not,” I said.
“His goal is to protect his client. That is his only goal. He doesn’t care if the mystery is ever solved. He doesn’t care if it is. As long as his client isn’t incriminated in any way.”
I absorbed what Gray said. I hadn’t factored in Ben’s ultimate goal at all. To me, everyone should want the murder solved. It was part of my black-and-white world. Crimes got solved. Criminals got punished. Bad people got caught.
“You won’t tell who your client is or what he is hiding, but will you tell us the why?” I asked.
“The why is always the same, Regan. To protect someone they love more.”
“More than what?”
“More than themselves,” Ben said.
“Did you lock me in the warehouse room?”
“Yes.”
“Did you throw a snake at me? Which was worse than being locked in the storage room.”
“Yes.”
“You won’t tell me about your client’s motives, so appease me and tell me yours.”
“They are the same as the clients.”