Page 58 of The Love Bandits

“Your wife made a compelling case for sticking around.” Or at least I assume they’re married. They have matching tattoos on their ring fingers, and Elaine doesn’t seem to have much use for cheaters.

He nods. “She’s good at that. You decide to make things easy for us yet and let us know who has your brother?”

I consider it, but only for a second. I trust Elaine to do what she thinks is right. I don’t trust them at all. Not yet. I’ll stay here for a few days, get the lay of the land, and maybe then, if they prove themselves…

Only…

Even if I make the leap and decide to trust them, I don’t believe they can bring Roark down. He’s been stealing high-end jewelry and tchotchkes since long before he found us—his golden geese—to be his helpers. He’s made plenty of enemies along the way, people who’d like to make him pay in blood for what he’s taken, and no one’s been able to stick the landing. Sure, he’s getting older, maybe losing his edge, but he’s still sharp enough to cut, and his paid help is well-compensated and very dangerous.

Why would they succeed where everyone else has failed?

“It’s not my habit to make things easy for anyone,” I finally say.

Damien shakes his head with a small smile on his face, as if he didn’t expect any different.

“You don’t seem surprised,” I comment.

“Takes one to know one. You think Nicole and I are the kind of people who give up easily?”

“The only two things I know about you are that you’re P.I.s and you like imprisoning people in your house.”

He studies me for a moment. “Lainey said you don’t like being locked in.”

“Who would?” I ask, feeling a squirming sensation in my gut that I try to shut down with another bite of toast. It doesn’t work.

He grunts, studying me, then says, “Like I said, I don’t blame you for not trusting us. We don’t trust you. But maybe we can see about changing that? Do you plan on spending the next few days idly, or are you a man who likes to keep busy?”

“Busy,” I say through another mouthful of toast. The thought of sitting here for days, doing nothing but programming websites makes me twitchy. At home, I spread the work out throughout the day because I need to be moving. Running. Walking. At the gym. And sure, sometimes I break into places just because I have the itch. The zoo in Central Park. An abandoned house. Not to take anything. But to wander around undetected, knowing I’m not supposed to be there. A real therapist would probably have something to say about that.

But I’ve found my own ways to cope. That sketchpad is one of them.

He nods slowly. “It just so happens that we can make use of a man who knows how to get in and out of places undetected.”

Nicole snorts. “But Lainey might not. Sounds like a recipe for disappointment.”

I ignore her, my attention on Damien’s insinuation.

“You want me to break into places for you? Aren’t private investigators bound to the same laws as the rest of us?”

“We prefer to think of the law as a fluid concept,” Damien says with a smile. “How about you?”

“I don’t really do that kind of thing anymore,” I admit.

They both give me incredulous looks.

“Lainey didn’t tell you?”

“She told us,” Nicole says. “She seemed to believe you.”

“You can believe me or not, but it’s true. This is a one-off thing, because of my brother.” Or so I hope. I know Roark doesn’t want to let me go.

I set down the second piece of toast, half-eaten.

“What about using your…talent to help people who need it?” Damien asks. “People who deserve help?”

“Elaine took that necklace from me because she thought I was someone’s cheating boyfriend. She got it wrong.”

“She’s new at this,” Nicole says, leaning back against the counter. “I believe in on-the-job training and letting people make their own mistakes. But you can bet your ass I was keeping an eye on both of you.”

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