East Bound by Nana Malone (big ebook reader txt) 📕

"So you'll take me in, and then what happens?"

"I get the respect I’ve earned."

"But you don't need respect; you already have it. Your colleagues, whether they like you or not, they respect you. Well, except Denning. But that has to do more with his fragile ego than anything else."

"How do you know Denning?"

"Like I told you, Agent Kincade, there's very little about you that I don't know."

"Are you stalking me?"

"No, my dear. I am far too old for those kinds of pursuits. That's really where your boyfriend, or partner, prevails. Which is it now? Have you two reconciled or not? Quite frankly, I was saddened when you split the first time."

My jaw unhinged. "What?"

I knew he'd been watching us, but that closely? Holy hell.

"Stay out of my business."

"Well, my dear, I wish I could. But since you're doing me a favor, technically working for me, your business is my business.”

“I’m really over the patriarchal shite.”

“It’s not about controlling you. It’s about getting what I need. Where are we on Warlow?”

“We’re working on it. You sent us in to find a needle in a haystack.”

“Is that an excuse from you, Agent Kincaid?”

I clenched my jaw tight. “No. I know what’s at stake. I’ll find him.”

“See that you do, Agent Kincaid. See that you do.”

Chapter 21

East

Theroux’s impromptu visit at Nyla’s had us pressing to research Henry Warlow. Our inability to find anything on him returned us to the one place we had a lead. We needed a better look at that image in Lord Jameson’s office.

Nyla was due back at Ben and Livy’s as soon as she was done with work. And I couldn’t deny I was pretty antsy to see her. Since Theroux had shown up at her flat the night before, I was nervous when she was out of my sight.

Bridge stared at the map of the Jameson estate. “So we’re really doing this bit of crazy?”

Ben nodded. "Yeah, we really are." He leaned closer, dropping his voice like he had to keep a secret. "Yeah mate, speaking of crazy, what the hell is going on with you and Mina?"

Bridge rolled his shoulders. "There's nothing going on. Everything is fine."

Ben laughed. "Okay, if you say so. Except I don't believe you."

Bridge rolled his eyes like Ben was nothing more than a gossiping schoolgirl, which to be honest he really did resemble. "Emma and Mina had a disagreement at the house last night during the team meeting."

"What, did Mina catch you and Emma in another disagreement and tell you to play nice?"

He shook his head. "She found Emma and I talking, made her own conclusions, got in an argument with Emma, and it didn't end well for Mina."

“What do you mean by ‘didn’t end well’?”

He sent his gaze heavenward. “She called Ems a whore. Ems said that she was the one who was the whore. Mina slapped her.” My jaw unhinged. “Then Mina tried to kick you lot out and I might have reminded her that until we get married she’s not lady of the house.”

I winced. "Holy shite. Why didn't you call us to come in and watch? That sounds epic."

He sent me a glare. "Come on, as if you would want to watch that. This is not about your sex life, East."

"I regret telling any of you that I like to watch. Remind me to never tell you lot anything again."

Drew just chuckled. "Wait, Mina actually slapped her?"

"Yeah. Legitimately. No questions asked. It was a full on I'm-not-fucking-with-you slap."

Drew's laugh was low. "Mate, what did you do after? Knowing Mina, she must be well ticked off?"

"Later, I told her that she was never to lay hands on Emma again if she knew what was good for her."

We all just stared at him as Ben said, "Jesus Christ, mate, have you no sense of self-preservation?"

He shrugged. "Well, she did deserve it. She had no right to call Emma a whore, for Christ’s sake."

I winced. "True. What the hell is wrong with her?"

It was Ben who cleared his throat and asked the question, "Did she have a reason to think Emma was behaving like a whore?"

Bridge scowled at Ben. "Fuck no. She’s Toby’s fucking sister."

Ben just held up his hands. "Easy mate. I'm just asking a question. Questions are important. I was just curious if you and Emma had ever gone there, because sometimes it seems like you have."

"I never would have done that to Toby. She’s his little sister, mate."

Bridge had always had this thing about Toby's little sister. It was as if Emma couldn't look after herself, couldn't have destroyed any man who looked at her cross-eyed. Emma Varma was a force, and the only one who couldn't see it was Bridge.

"Mate, do you have a thing for her? Because that changes everything."

He scowled. "I do not have a thing for Emma. I’m engaged, remember?"

I shrugged. "Okay, if you say so."

Ben just chuckled. "I remember when I told you I didn't have a thing for Livy.”

“Ah, the good old days,” I muttered to myself.

Bridge wasn’t having it. "I don't. I just... Long before he died, Toby asked me to look out for her if anything ever happened to him. You know, some basic shit we all say. But I took it seriously. Obviously, I didn't know what was going to happen, but now it's like I can't let it go. He said look out for my sister, so I do the best I can. At least as much as Emma allows anyone to look after her, which isn't much, because she's stubborn, and mule-headed, and a pain in the arse."

Ben, Drew, and I exchanged glances. We were all desperately trying to hold back our laughs.

How could he not see that, for all his protests, Emma had wound her way under his skin?

"So, just to make sure I have this right, Toby asked you to look after Emma."

Bridge nodded. "He did."

"And you thought what, that was for perpetuity?"

Bridge rolled his eyes. "All I know is