Page 35 of The Woman with the Wallet

Better locks, a digital security system, and cameras were the top priority. After that, I wanted to make sure weapons were placed an arm’s length away all across the apartment.

Nicole would think I was crazy.

But Megs would understand.

As much as I had shielded her from over the years, she’d also managed to see some shit too. Enough to understand how invaluable the right protections could be.

Then, when the day came that Tyler did move in, I knew they were all safe when I had to go. The apartment was big enough for three, thanks to the fact that I worked a lot. But four people would be pushing it. Besides, they would all want their privacy.

There was an unexpected ache in my chest at the idea of going off on my own. I was so used to taking care of Megs, of having her around, that it was hard to imagine a life without her.

Who the hell would I talk to then? Often, the only people I spoke to on any given day were my roommates.

“Where’d I lose you?” Miko asked, suddenly close, making me jump to find he’d moved across the kitchen without me realizing.

“Oh, uh, preparations for more security,” I told him. It was only a partial lie.

“Think maybe you should sit down,” Miko said. Then his hand was suddenly at my elbow. Unexpected sizzles coursed up my arm at the contact, distracting me enough to allow him to turn and lead me toward the living room.

“What? No, I’m fine,” I insisted when I finally came back to my senses.

“You’re pale,” he shot back.

Then I felt myself pressed down onto the couch.

Before I could even think to stand again, Miko was kneeling down at my feet to remove my shoes.

A blanket appeared seemingly out of nowhere to drape over me.

The TV turned on and tuned to a sitcom rerun.

I wasn’t sure at what point the coffee was taken from my hand.

All I knew was that before the credits rolled on that first episode, I was out cold.

CHAPTER TEN

Miko

Sure, I wanted to get a move on figuring out who stole my damn diamonds. But there had to be some priorities. And the woman who seemed dead on her feet just twenty-four hours after she was brutally attacked in her own home getting some much-needed rest was more important than going over the images on my laptop.

Once she had finally passed out on her side, I pulled the blanket more fully over her, thinking of how her brown sugar scent was going to be all over the material for days. And liking that idea way the fuck more than I should have.

I took her half-drunk coffee back to the kitchen, made a hot one for myself, then checked my texts for a while.

When it was clear Max was out for the long haul, I went into my spare room that served as my office, finding and then loading all the images I had into one file for her to easily scroll through when she woke up.

Though, the more that I looked at them myself, the less sure that any of them were the right guy. Yeah, there were blue-eyed guys. But their hair seemed too dark to be described as blond.There were also blond guys who were too yellow to be called “dishwater” or “dirty.”

I wouldn’t know until I let her look at them, of course, but I was starting to think that maybe it was an accomplice of one of the guys from the company. A friend, brother, or even just someone who overheard him saying shit he shouldn’t have when he was drunk.

All I did know was that with every hour that passed by, the chance of finding the diamonds disappeared. With it, the chance to get back what I’d already shelled out.

I wouldn’t be poor. But I would be busting my ass working other jobs for months, maybe even a year, to recover that buffer I liked to have around.

Still, I couldn’t bring myself to go and wake up Max.

I checked on her twice, finding her still in the exact position she’d been in when she’d first passed out, then went back into my room, peeling off my clothes, and making my way toward the bathroom to take a shower. I needed to clear my head, to let some new thoughts come to me. I’d been rolling the same ones over and over ever since I found out Max had the diamonds lifted from her.

---