Page 50 of When He Protects

“Twitchy in a way that told me more was at play. I called in some favors from the local PD. Got a tail on him. You’re not gonna like this but…the guy took off in his private jet first thing this morning.”

“And where the hell did he go?” Shit.

“The plane landed in Vegas. Except I can’t actually find anyone there who hasseenJorlan.”

Great. “Are we compromised?”

“Be on guard. No need to relocate yet. You have friends in that area, we both know it. They can watch your six.”

“Just how many enemies are going to be closing in on my Esme?”

“Uh,yourEsme?”

A slipup. “She’s my charge, isn’t she?”And she’s wearing my ring.Okay, yeah, he needed to cool his ass down. The ring was just a prop. The relationship was pretend. The job? Real. Keeping her safe? A very, very real priority. No, a necessity.

“She’s your charge, all right,” Gray agreed readily enough. “And don’t you wonder why she was so dead set onyoubeing her companion?” Curiosity darkened the words.

Tyler knew why she’d wanted him. For some reason, hedidn’t share their past with Gray. Instead, Tyler asked, “How many enemies are closing in?”

“I don’t know! Find out from her. This would be the wholeget closebusiness I was referring to moments ago. For seven million dollars, every eager hitman in the world will be gunning for her. You know this. So, if I were you, I’d probably lock the woman inside the safe house. Keep her fully secure and under watch at all times.”

Lock up Esme? He almost snorted. “A little late for that.” She’d already been out and about and catching plenty of attention from the locals. Her low profile was a thing of the past.

“Tyler, donottell me something that will make my blood pressure go up even more than it already is.”

Fine. He wouldn’t tell Gray about the supermarket incident.

“It’s not the number of enemies that concern me,” Gray continued doggedly. “It’swhohas enough cash to actually put seven million on her head. And when I think about that, I keep going back to one man.”

Like Tyler hadn’t already made the connection. “Jorlan.”

“Right. The psycho bastard has money to burn. You know I think he’s been tied to murder, drug deals, and the weapons trade. Getting the charges to stick, though? Whole different matter.”

The task force hadn’t just been about stopping the jewel theft ring. That had been the story Tyler and Gray had sold to Jorlan. The real truth was that they’d been looking for evidence to use against the SOB. They’d wanted to catch the thieves, and they’d wanted to take down Jorlan.

The first part of the mission had been achieved.As for stopping Jorlan? That hadn’t happened. And now, “He’s vanished.” A very bad sign.

“He won’t come for her himself.”

Nah. Jorlan didn’t seem like the kind to get his hands dirty. “Thus, the seven million hit.”

A grunt from Gray. “UnlessyourEsme has made some other insane billionaire furious with her. It’s your job to find out the truth. So go and act like you think the woman is amazing. Pretend that you’ve fallen under her witchy spell or some shit. Play the player and get the mission accomplished.”

“You did not just say that to me. ‘Play the player.’ Are you drunk?”

“I saw the way she looked at you.” No humor in Gray’s words. “Use it, okay?”

How had Esme looked at him?

“Just make sure that she doesn’t useyoualong the way, got it? Stay emotionally detached or you’ll never get the job done.”

Esme was the job. “Don’t worry about me. I can handle her.”

“Good.”

Tyler hung up. After a few moments, he made sure all the alarms were set, and he turned off the lights downstairs. He didn’t intend to bunk down on the floor again.

With slow, deliberate steps, he made his way upstairs. He went straight to the bedroom on the right. The bedroom that he knew Esme had selected the night before. The door was shut. His hand lifted, and his knuckles rapped against the door.

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