Page 77 of Sleigh Bells and Snowstorms
It was probably a brilliant suggestion. If he’d been planning to speak to her at the Snowflake Ball because he found her attractive, she was already halfway there. And what man wouldn’t appreciate her attention?
But Natalie on a date with him? I hated the idea so much I wanted to rip his arms from his shoulders.
“Jensen?”
Realizing I had the steering wheel in a death grip and my teeth were clenched, I tried to relax. “Sorry. I was thinking about how that would work.”
“He saw me at the Snowflake Ball with you, so he might have suspicions about me, too. But what if I could convince him wejust met. It’s not even a lie, we basically did. If I needed to, I could convince him I have no idea what you do. That I was just arm candy. Maybe I’m even furious with you because I thought you were interested in me, but you blew me off.”
My brow furrowed. I hated that plan. But she was right, it was a good one.
“I need to think it through.”
“Okay. But I really think I can do it. I know all I’ve done so far is follow you around and do what you tell me. But I bet I could get him to invite me over. And once I was inside…” She trailed off for a moment. “I admit, I’m not sure what I’d do once I was inside.”
“Get me in,” I said reluctantly. “You’d find a moment to slip out of sight and unlock a door or a window.”
“But all those cameras.”
“I can deal with them.”
From the corner of my eye, I could see her excited smile. “Then let’s do it. Jensen, I promise, I can do this. You can trust me.”
I did trust her. Whether or not it made any sense, I did. And her plan was solid. Despite my misgivings, I was impressed. She was thinking like I did. Working through the problem to find a creative solution.
But I still hated it.
“We just need to figure out how to put me in his way,” she said. “And make sure I look good when it happens.”
“That part won’t be a problem.”
The problem was going to be me. And it wasn’t just the raging jealousy. Could I allow her to walk into danger? I’d need to coordinate with Maple—make sure we knew as much as we could. I didn’t want to get into something worse than it seemed. Not when she was the one at risk.
And as for her fake date with another man, when it was over, I’d make sure she knew she was mine.
CHAPTER 20
Jensen
Mine.
The word ran through my mind on repeat as I paced around the flat. Maple had the audacity to be busy—having dinner with her bloody husband. But despite my restless energy, it wasn’t an emergency. I could wait.
I needed her to find everything—literally everything—about Julian Myers. If Natalie was going in without me to keep her safe, I couldn’t risk a single surprise.
Did he own firearms? Had he ever hired security? Did any of his artistic acquisitions imply an interest in binding, torture, or captivity? Were there any missing women with a connection to him?
She wasn’t his. She was mine.
Natalie wasn’t mine, strictly speaking. Not outside my bedroom, at least. And why was that a problem? I’d never laid claim to a woman. Why would I? That wasn’t how my life worked.
It wasn’t how I worked.
Maple finally rang.
“It’s about time.”
“I’m allowed to eat,” she said, not bothering to mask the irritation in her voice.
