Page 59 of Once a Killer

“It’s not so expensive,” she said, rolling her shoulders. “It’s on sale.”

He stopped. Spun around to face her. “Is that why you’re buying it?”

“No,” she said immediately. “I put it on and knew it was the one. I had no idea how much it cost until after I took it off and looked at the tag.”

“All right,” he said. “But if you look like a bagwoman, I’m buying you another dress at the hotel. And it’ll be a hell of a lot more expensive than this one.”

She set her hand on his arm. Glanced up at him, her eyes twinkling. “Trust me, Jameson. I won’t look like a bagwoman.”

He studied her for a long moment, then finally nodded. “Okay, Bree. I trust you. Let’s buy this dress.”

Ten minutes later, they walked out of the store, carrying the dress in a garment bag. “You want to get some lunch before we head home?” he asked.

She glanced up at him. “I would love to, but I’m not sure it’s safe. I’ve been watching and I haven’t noticed anyone following us, but you never know. Probably smarter to just go back to your place.”

He’d wanted to take her to a nice restaurant. Sit in a corner booth where he could focus on her and ignore the fact that she was his bodyguard. Pretend they were just two people having lunch together. Flirting with each other. Enjoying spending time with each other.

He’d wanted to pretend they were on a date.

Which made him an idiot.

He could pretend all he wanted, but it didn’t change reality. Bree wasn’t his date. She was his employee, protecting him from whoever meant him harm.

Thank God her head was still on straight, becausehe’dgotten lost somewhere in make-believe-land.

“You’re right,” he said as he steered them down north Michigan Avenue toward where she’d parked the Monster. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“You were thinking you wanted normal,” she said as she walked beside him. Her head swung from left to right and back to the left. Then she glanced over her shoulder. While he’d been pretending, she’d been watching out for him.

“I’d like a little normal, too,” she said, finally looking at him. Her mouth curved in a tiny smile. “I’d like to be able to walk down the street with you and focus on you, instead of watching for a threat. But threats are our reality right now, and that’s what I’m focused on.”

“Throw me a little something here,” he said, taking her elbow to help her across the street. “Will you try the dress on for me when we get home?”

She shook her head slowly, but he thought her eyes had flickered at the word ‘home’. “You’ll see the dress at the reception.”

“Has anyone ever said that you’re a mean woman?”

“Many people, many times,” she said airily, as if she wore that as a badge of honor. “And I’ll take it. I haven’t lost a protectee yet.” She nudged him with her elbow. “And you’re damn well not going to be my first.”

They chatted off and on all the way to the Monster, but he noticed that her head moved constantly. She assessed everyone walking toward them. Everyone coming at them from a side street. And she kept her hand in her right pocket, where he knew she kept her gun.

By the time they were back at the Monster, the constant tension had exhausted him. Bree, however, went over the car thoroughly, then swung up into the driver’s seat when she was sure the SUV was secure.

Before she started the car, Bree pulled up her mapping app and charted the quickest way back to Jameson’s apartment. Then she swung onto Michigan Avenue, merged onto Lake Shore Drive, and headed north.

They were edging toward the right to exit the Drive at Belmont when her gaze kept going to the rear-view mirror. “A possible complication,” she said quietly as she steered into the exit lane. She started down the ramp, then suddenly swung the car to the left and re-merged with traffic, accompanied by the blaring of horns from irritated drivers.

But she smiled as she accelerated away from the Belmont exit.

“What was that all about?” he asked.

“A silver SUV followed us from Michigan Avenue,” she said. “They stayed three cars behind us, but when I put on my signal to get off at Belmont, they accelerated. Came up right behind me. Might have intended to ram the back of the Monster. Which is why I pulled that asshole move and got back onto the Drive. They couldn’t react fast enough, so they had to exit.”

She had a tiny smile, as if she were pleased with herself. As she should be.

“Nice maneuvering,” he said.

Her gaze darted to him, then returned to the windshield. “Thanks. Maybe I should have let them come and tried to identify them, but there was too much traffic. And I know Belmont’s a busy street. I didn’t want any civilian casualties. Wouldn’t be good for business.”

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