Page 69 of Tempting Devil

But we weren’t.

Instead, Henry pulled through an ornate metal gate and up a long drive toward one of the massive beach-front homes I often ran by.

“Where are we?” I asked, confused.

“My place,” Gideon answered.

“What are we doing here? I thought?—”

He took my hand in his, brushing his thumb along my knuckles. After losing Ollie, I needed his touch. Craved it.

“Ollie was poisoned, Imogene. I don’t think it was a coincidence it happened right after you mentioned to Liam that a detective had been looking into my death.”

“You think Liam poisoned Ollie?” I asked, feeling like I was going to be sick.

Not because I didn’t think he could do something like this. But because the idea was no longer as far-fetched as it once would have been.

“I could be wrong, but something tells me this wasn’t a fucking accident,” he replied with a hard edge to his voice. “You can be damn sure I’m not taking any chances with your safety, regardless of how you feel about me right now. So you’re going to stay here tonight. You’ll have your own space,” he added quickly. “Henry’s already arranged for someone to install a state-of-the-art security system at your place tomorrow. This time, do not give anyone the passcodes. Not even Melanie. No one but you should know them. Okay?”

I swallowed hard at the intensity in his gaze.

While I hated the idea of being forced out of my home, I wasn’t sure if I could walk in the front door and not burst into tears at the reminder that Ollie was no longer there to greet me. That I’d never hear his paws scampering on the hardwood floor. That I’d no longer be woken up by his stinky breath as he slobbered all over my face.

“Okay,” I finally said with a nod.

“Thank you.” He squeezed my hand.

Henry pulled the SUV into the oversized garage, and Gideon jumped out, hurrying to my side to help me to my feet.

“Sorry about Ollie,” Henry said, approaching me and wrapping me in a hug. “He was an amazing dog.”

“Yes, he was.”

He gave me one last squeeze before dropping his hold on me and looking at Gideon. “I’ll head over to her place early with the crew.”

“Thanks, brother.”

The two men embraced briefly. Then Henry made his way toward the door at the back of the garage.

“He stays in the guest house by the pool,” Gideon explained, answering the question plastered on my face. “At least for now.”

“I see,” I replied, unsure what else to say. I had dozens of questions about Henry’s involvement in Gideon’s plan for revenge, but I was too exhausted to get into any of that tonight.

“Come on. You’ve had a long day.” His hand was warm and firm on my back as he guided me up the short flight of stairs leading into the house.

He punched a code into the keypad before placing a finger on the scanner. With a click, the door unlocked, and he steered me into the darkened interior of his home, entering yet another code into the panel on the wall beside the garage door. Once he disarmed the security system, he returned his hand to my lower back and led me into an open dining and living space, floor-to-ceiling windows revealing a stunning view of the moonlit ocean.

“This place…” I began, turning a slow circle as I took in my surroundings. “It looks familiar.”

Gideon chuckled under his breath. “Liam hoped to buy it. When I found that out?—”

“You outbid him.”

“I didn’t want him living so close to you,” he explained casually, as if it were completely normal for someone to spend millions of dollars on a house just to prevent someone else from buying it.

“How do you have so much money?” I blurted out before I could stop myself.

He studied me for a protracted beat, as if weighing what to tell me.

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