Page 53 of Return Ticket

“I think we need condoms.” She held her gaze steady on his. “I’m not getting pregnant, James.”

He stared down at her, mouth slightly agape.

She reached up and gently closed his jaw.

“I can get condoms,” he told her.

“Good.” She leaned in closer, and he closed his arms tighter around her.

“You were going to tell me what has happened in your life these last few days,” he said. “Go on. I need the distraction.”

She smiled against his chest. “Do you remember the man who I fined in the green Jaguar? The one where you pulled up and got between us?”

“I remember it clearly. I’ve never seen someone react like that to getting a small fine.” He rubbed a hand down her back.

“He’s been following me. I think for quite a long time. He even waited outside station headquarters for me. When I tried to approach him, he roared off.”

“Gabriella.” He pulled back to look at her. “It was definitely the same car?”

“Different license plate—I compared them—but it was the same man. Then, when I got home on Saturday night, he was parked outside, watching the flat.” She tightened her hold on him, preventing him from whirling away to pace. “Solomon, George and Jerome noticed him.”

James tensed. “Will someone be finding his body somewhere?” His voice was careful.

“No, no. It was all very cordial.” She paused. “Well . . . not cordial, but no blood was spilled. On either side. Turns out the car’s in his wife’s name and she wants to know what he was doing parked in that part of town where I fined him. Apparently she’s hired a private detective to ask me which house he came out of.”

“He’s having an affair?” James guessed.

Gabriella lifted a shoulder. “Probably. Whatever it is, he’s dead scared she’s going to find out, and he was trying to threaten me into silence.”

“I might still have his details.” James’s eyes were narrowed.

“It doesn’t matter. He’s been convinced to keep away from me.” She sighed, still enjoying the feeling of relief as he drove off. “But that isn’t the main news.”

“You have more?” He pulled her toward her window seat, the only place other than her bed or the tiny kitchen table where they could sit together, and slid her onto his lap.

She nestled in close. This was nice. “Ruby Everett found my father for me.”

His hold tightened. “For sure?”

Her lips twisted. “As sure as possible. My friend Ben works as a junior solicitor at Temple Chambers. He and his senior are going to handle the confirmation for me.”

James frowned. “Why so formal? Why not just approach him?”

“Because it turns out he’s a viscount. A married viscount.” Gabriella watched as the implications hit him.

He blew out a breath. “That’s . . . crazy.”

“And I’m not exactly going to be popular. With either him or his new family.” She thought that was probably an understatement.

James pulled her back into his arms. “This has to be hard for you.”

She sighed. “I think it’s going to be harder for him.” She listened to his heart beat in his chest for a while, then straightened up. “Now, your news. There’s something wrong that you’re not telling me.” He was too dragged down, too low for it to be simply a hard case.

The look on his face was almost funny. She could see he didn’t think he should tell her anything.

“Come on, you know you want to.” She held his gaze.

He leaned back against the wall with a sigh. “Whetford set Hartridge up in a compromising situation while I was away. I’ve always known he was dirty, but Hartridge told me what happened, and it’s worse than I thought. He’s got another DS working with him, Galbraith, and they seem to be shaking down low level criminals for their own gain.”

---