Page 307 of The Trouble With Bad Boys

Money gave us access to things that others didn’t have. Though I trusted Sean to do a thorough job with this case, he had other cases on his table and a boss to answer to. Politics often delayed things, so it was better to take matters into our own hands.

“Keep me posted,” I said.

I knew of some people who could also investigate Bleeding Heart, but my plate was swamped. Godfrey could cover this angle.

Maybe Bleeding Heart was just some fucking idiot who thought it was amusing to mimic a popular psycho. People did unimaginable things these days, so anything was possible.

Eva popped into my mind. She was too beautiful, too perfect for this darkness. I didn’t want any of this to touch her.

A reminder buzzed on my phone, and I smiled like an idiot.

“Haven’t seen that smile in a long time.” Godfrey smirked. “You seeing her?”

“Yup.”

“About time, man. You’ve been single for so long—I thought something was wrong with your dick.”

“Fuck you.”

“No thanks.” Godfrey held up his hand.

It was strange how thinking about Eva changed my entire mood. She extracted me from my dark thoughts and pulled me into her beautiful warmth. No woman had done that. My heart opened a little more each time. I supposed it had opened the very moment I spotted her. She was like the mystical key that had unlocked me that day.

“I’m heading to California for a gem show tomorrow.” Godfrey rose from his seat. “I’ll keep you posted on what my men find out.”

“We’ll need to inform the rest of the boys.”

Hudson, Timber, and Roarke had to know the past was sneaking back into their lives, even if it was a copycat.

Eight

EVA

At seven in the evening, I was all dressed in a floral dress with a jean jacket. Kain arrived to pick me up for dinner, wearing a knit shirt and ripped jeans, looking rugged and yummy. The shirt hugged his chest and arms, revealing those powerful muscles I wanted to explore. My core clenched and I bit my bottom lip, trying to stifle this increasing desire.

Like he had predicted, Grandpa didn’t want to go. Apparently, he was hooked on some Egyptian artifact show on the History Channel. Nerves fluttered inside my stomach as I planned out tonight’s date. I wanted to know what it would be like to kiss him, touch him . . . take him inside me. Those thoughts had kept me up last night, but I didn’t wake up tired. I woke up armed with a mission.

My fingers flexed, wanting to squeeze his taut muscles. I wanted to show him some of my “criminal” moves. I laughed at my own thoughts. Being with Kain had sparked a playful side in me I didn’t know existed. It had been a while since I’d experienced this much joy and spontaneity.

I didn’t know the top floor of the Etched Building was apartments instead of retail or office space, like I’d assumed.

Kain drove his Range Rover into a large parking lot filled with luxurious cars. He parked in a spot next to a silver Maserati, which was next to a Porsche that begged to be looked at.

“That Porsche must cost a fortune, probably three times my salary,” I said, opening the door before Kain could. We were past that gesture now. Though I wouldn’t mind it once in a while.

“You want to look inside?” He pressed a button on his key and opened it for me.

I gawked at him. “How many cars do you have?”

“Four.”

“Four?” I poked my head inside and slid into the leather driver’s seat that felt like butter against my palm. It was a gorgeous car. My fingers traced the slick dashboard. I didn’t know why anyone would need so many cars. “Where’s the fourth car?”

“It’s an antique. I have it stored in a different garage.”

We took the stairs instead of the elevator because I wanted to warm up. If I’d been inside the elevator with him, I wouldn’t be able to control myself.

When I entered his apartment, I gasped at how spacious and luxurious it was. My little apartment was a quarter of his. Kain was a man with money, yet he didn’t give any indication of that while he was inside my humble place eating simple food. He could have caviar, Wagyu beef, Iberico ham, and whatever else wealthy people ate. He could hire a private chef.

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