Page 19 of The Negotiator

Chapter Six

Garrett hung up the phone from the briefing with Wren and Matthias as soon as Lauren walked in the door. Her cheeks were red from the wind and she rubbed her hands together despite the gloves. Christmas was coming fast, as was the snow. He’d hoped to be gone and in a cabin alone somewhere by the time both hit. He didn’t see that happening now.

For the first time in years, he might not be alone on the anniversary of his parents’ deaths. He had no idea what to think about that. He traditionally spent the day sitting, thinking, maybe listening to music. Nothing stressful. Not doing anything that made him think.

Helping Lauren, finding Carl’s killer, would keep him busy. Detective Cryer made it clear there were a limited number of suspects—Lauren, Maryanne, Jake and Bob, the silent business partner. That was a tight pool and Garrett had already eliminated one of them. He needed to talk to her about the others so he could start putting the pieces together.

Once he collected the information he’d pore over the records. Debate scenarios with the detective, Lauren and Matthias. Run through everything, then do it again. He negotiated for a living. He assessed and analyzed. He vowed to put all of those skills to work for her, no matter how long it took.

He watched her peel off her winter coat and the bulky zip-up sweater she had on underneath. By the time she was done stripping out of her winter layers, he was sweating and she wore a white oxford shirt and faded jeans. The woman looked better in old jeans than most women he’d seen did in expensive ball gowns.

She was so comfortable with who she was. He never appreciated how sexy that was until he met her. She might be mysterious and private but she held herself with a certain confidence that said she could handle anything, including kicking a little ass.

Then he really looked at her. Saw the strain on her face. He knew why it was there but he asked anyway, giving her a chance to get it out. “You okay?”

She treated him to a small smile as she plopped down on the couch next to him. “Kayla told you.”

“Technically Kayla told Matthias, who called me.” Garrett was pretty sure they all knew how to send a group text but no one seemed to be using the skill. “Apparently we’re in seventh grade. Next thing we’ll be passing notes at recess.”

She stretched her arm along the back of the sofa until her fingers just grazed his shoulder. “I’m not sure you still get recess in seventh grade.”

He was dying to lift her, put her on his lap and take that shirt off. Seeing her was all it took. Hell, when she walked across a room his body flipped to launch mode.

He fought to keep his voice steady. “Don’t ruin my bad analogy.”

This time she really touched him. Her fingertips skimmed his arm. “She was pathetic, Garrett.”

He could hear the concern in her voice. In her place he’d be celebrating, enjoying the fact that the other woman in his marriage had gotten dumped. Not her. No, Lauren was decent and kind. Tough on the outside but loving inside.

That’s what attracted him at first. Her loyalty to Kayla. How hard she worked and the sound of her laugh.

Damn, he had it bad for her.

Which was why he was so desperate to protect her. She may not want it, but he planned to help anyway. “Is it possible she was playing you?”

She shrugged. “I guess.”

She didn’t sound convinced, so he tried again. Nudged a little harder this time. “She did run off with your husband and what little money you had.”

“She didn’t exactly win anything with that move.”

He let out the breath he didn’t even know he was holding. Every time he mentioned Carl he waited for a look of pain to shoot across her face. For any sign that she cared for him or still loved him. He couldn’t spot any.

“True, but being left behind or tossed aside, or whatever happened, might have made her angry enough to kill him.”

Lauren frowned at him. “She could barely finish a sentence.”

The woman had been conned and still thought people were basically honest. He had no idea where that bone-deep belief came from. He sure didn’t share it. He’d seen the worst in humanity. Watched people destroy each other over things that didn’t matter. He hoped she never knew that truth.

“Last I checked finishing a sentence wasn’t a requirement for killing.” Not that he’d ever seen. “Revenge, money, love... those are three of the top reasons.”

She continued to toy with his sweater, twisting it in her fingers then smoothing it out again. “Maybe.”

“I love that you want to see the best in her.”

She snorted. “It’s not that. Don’t make me out to be a saint.”

He found her to be pretty human. That was the point. Flawed and compelling and just secretive enough to have him wanting to dig for more. “Okay, then what is it?”

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