Page 42 of Out of Control

I knew I’d never get past her guard, but here on the ground I had the superior strength—assuming she didn’t have an empty glass to smash into my skull.

So we grappled on the floor, legs flying and her fists swinging until I had her on her stomach. I grasped one of her wrists, trying to hold on tight while she bucked under me, trying to topple me. I looked around for my handcuffs, not sure where I lost them in the struggle, but that was the only opening sheneeded. She managed to turn her body over and got one leg out from under me and folded up against her chest. Too late I realized what was happening as her kick to my abdomen sent me flying back into one of the whiteboards. I went crashing to the floor, the big board tipping over under me.

I took a moment to gather my wits again before moving. Athena was on the ground a couple feet in front of me, half-sitting as she leaned back on her elbows. Her hair was a mess, her chest heaving with each breath. Her eyes were wild, lips were quirked up in a triumphant grin.

I was sprawled less gracefully on my back across the fallen whiteboard. My shoulder blade was crushing something hard. I sat up awkwardly and looked. A little baggy of cassette tapes? I sat up fully, seeing various pieces of paper ripped and crumpled under me. The words splashed across the top were partially wiped off, but still clearly visible:Trail of Evidence.

What the hell? I looked up at the two boards that remained standing. The one to my right was labeled “Adversaries” and had pictures ofmyadversaries: the Morellis and their little peons. The board to my left said “Good Guys” and had information on me and Mark and a couple other men I didn’t recognize but were labeled as cops.

“What the hell is going on here?” I asked, truly bewildered.

Her exasperated sigh was less annoying than I would have thought. “Maybe if you’d been asking that from the start you wouldn’t have a bruised ass.” But she still got up, holding a hand out to me. I took it, letting her help me up to a standing position.

“This is my investigation into my mom’s death,” she said. “When I was packing up her things I found evidence that the Morellis killed her and made it look like an accident because she asked too many questions.”

I nodded, already looking through the different documents on display. I hauled the whiteboard back upright, experiencing another bought of surprise when the board rotated to the other side and a whole ass timeline was printed there in marker, ready for me to peruse.

Jesus. Athena was working for our side the entire time.

“Why didn’t you tell me any of this?” I asked.

“Why didn’t you trust me in the first place?” she challenged back.

“Why did you lie to me when I asked you flat out what you knew about the Morellis?”

“Why did you assume I knew anything to begin with?”

“Are you always this infuriating, or is it only with me?”

“Do you distrust all women, or only the ones who stand up to you?”

I grunted in frustration, tearing my gaze away from her. If I wanted her to answer my questions I had to answer hers. “I don’t distrust women as a rule, I just don’t have the luxury of trustinganyoneI don’t know. Trust gives someone the opportunity to betray you.”

“It’s only you.”

I paused, stopping to meet her gaze. “What’s only me?”

“It’s only you, Lucas,” she practically whispered, her voice lowering along with her eyelashes as she looked up at me. Without any shoes on I was a couple inches taller than her, butI felt like a giant when she looked up at me like that. “You’re the only one who makes me act like this.”

Her eyes held mine, only leaving to flick to my lips before meeting my gaze again dead on.

“Are you going to be good and cooperate with me now?”

“Am I still under arrest for being so bad?”

“You need to stop that or I’m going to have to give you a spanking.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

It was just like when she pushed me—it had to be her choice to move forward with this. I wouldn’t make the first move; I wouldn’t force something on her, but I needed to put it all on the line for her.

“Come on, Athena. You can be a big, bad warrior goddess and kick me across the room, but you won’t just say what you want and kiss me? Are you suddenly chicken?”

“I’m not chicken. Maybe I just don’t want to kiss you. You ever think of that?”

No, actually, not even as she said the words. Her face was still getting closer and closer to mine. I could taste the sweet tea on her breath. Did she always drink that? I just raised an eyebrow at her in response.

“Aren’t you worried about fraternizing with a person of interest in your investigation?”

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