Page 91 of Full House

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, but we need to talk.”

She rolled in his arms, and he gave her room to maneuver, coming to a rest with her forehead against his and her hand on his hip. “I’m listening.”

“I just got off the phone with a PI that I know. Had him run the plate of the car that hit us today. The long and short of it, he got the name of the renter.”

It took her a moment to respond. “Why do I get the feeling I’m not going to like the answer.”

“Because you're as smart as you are beautiful.”

“Oh, God. Buttering me up. It must be really bad.”

He rubbed a soothing hand down her back. “It was Byron.”

His announcement was met with a long silence before she finally sighed. “Funny thing is, I’m not that surprised, though I should be, I guess. But I don’t understand his motive. He wants me to do another movie. I’m no good to him dead.”

Nate shrugged. “Who knows, maybe he’s just trying to scare you for some reason. If you think about it, the accidents haven’t really been life-threatening, they’ve just been dangerous enough to…” he paused, his whole body chilling.

“Just dangerous enough to what?”

He swallowed, squeezing her tighter. “Just dangerous enough to hurt the baby. If you weren’t pregnant, he thinks you’d jump at another role and in all likelihood, he’d be right.”

“I guess now would be a good time to tell you I invited him over here tomorrow. He wanted to talk.”

Nate reared back, getting up on an elbow. “No fucking way. Call him now and tell him there’s been a change of plans.”

“I think I should keep the meeting.”

“No.” He was adamant. Byron wasn’t going to come within fifty feet of her. “We’ll let the police pick him up.”

“Just hear me out.” She sat up, sitting cross-legged. “The police aren’t taking the accident seriously because they think they already have the right person in custody. And even if they do listen and we give them Byron’s name, there’s no guaranteeing they can link him to the two other accidents.

“Byron’s getting desperate. He knows we’re leaving. When we’re gone, he’ll miss his opportunity to hurt me. I think he’s planning something for tomorrow and if we can catch him in the act, the cops will have all the proof they need.

“We can set up a sting,” she said excitedly. Too excitedly, Nate thought, feeling a lump of dread form in his stomach. “You can be close at all times. And I can put my phone on speaker so you can listen.” She did a little bounce on the bed. “We can have a safe word!”

Nate fell to his back, rubbing his hands over his face, yelling into his palms. He took one hand away, glaring an eye at her. “I don’t like this idea. Not one bit.”

She gave him a smirk. “But you’ll do it?”

He lowered his other hand, giving her a long look before finally giving in. “Let me call Carter.”

“I don’t know how I let you guys talk me into this. This has bad idea written all over it,” Nate said the following morning from the passenger seat of Carter’s POS nondescript Ford. They were parked out front of Byron’s house, waiting for him to leave.

“‘Cause you’re a sucker for a pretty face?” Carter raised a brow. “Or maybe something a little lower?”

Nate gave him a dirty look. “Tell me, again, why you thought this was a good idea.”

Carter grinned. “You know how much I love doling out assholes’ comeuppance.”

Nate rolled his eyes.

Carter tipped his head toward the windshield. “That our guy?”

Nate turned and looked. Sure enough, Byron was walking to his car parked in his driveway. “Yeah, that’s him.”

Carter started the car but waited until Byron got halfway down the street before following.

“Don’t lose him.”

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