Page 13 of The San Marco Heist

Noah’s death was all my fault. I should have kept him safe. But our comms went down, he wound up in the car behind me, and by the time I saw him lose control, it was already too late.

I missed him so much.

Deep breath.

Never again. Never fall in love with someone in the business again.

Kelley nudged me with a foot. “You in or not?”

I pushed the memories aside and threw a quarter into the kitty. He’d come up twice in one day. First at work, now tonight. Not a good sign. “Anyone want wine? I feel like opening a—”

My doorbell chimed, and everyone’s brows furrowed. I lived in a friendly area on the waterfront, but people didn’t just come to my door after the sun went down.

“You order pizza or something?” asked Heather.

“No.” I pulled out my phone and launched the home security app Brie had written for each of us in the company. One car pulling out of the driveway, one person at the front door.

Kelley leaned over to look at the wide chest and squared jaw standing outside. “I don’t care what he’s selling, let that man in.”

The hair on the back of my neck rose. It was Blue Eyes.

But it couldn’t be.

“Is it Emmett?” asked Jenn, the blush on her cheeks deepening.

How did he know where I lived?

I stood so quickly I nearly knocked my chair to the floor. Something wasn’t right about this, and my friends weren’t getting in the middle of it. I put on my professional face—no matter how much I hated showing it to them—and said calmly, “Get your stuff, girls. You’re leaving.”

“Let me see him.” Heather reached for my phone, but I dropped it into my sweater sleeve faster than she could react. “I want to meet this guy!”

I looked Kelley square in the eyes once she’d stood. “Back door.”

Her eyes widened, hands curling around her belly.

“Don’t worry, Kell. He’s just a friend.”

Drunk Heather, on the other hand, raced from the dining room and through the foyer to the front door, like it was some game. I wasn’t fast enough to stop her. She unlocked the door and swung it open.

I paused, waving Kelley and Jenn toward the back door before continuing to the front. At least I could keep two of them safe if this was as bad as I feared.

Heather gave him a once-over so obvious I could tell she was doing it from behind her. “Well, hello there.”

“I’m sorry, I must have the wrong house. I’m looking for—” He stopped when I joined her at the door, a tight smile gracing his lips. The fall of his shirt and pant legs said there was no gun unless it was in his back waistband. But there was something underlying the smile and it wasn’t good.

The faded jeans and navy-blue Henley were a far cry from the tux last night at the party. A casual look, as though he belonged in this neighborhood. But polished brown Oxford shoes and an Omega watch. This man did not belong.

I maintained a neutral expression. He was an intruder. A danger to be evaluated, no matter how hot he was. What next? Play it up for the girls? Pretend he was a boyfriend or a late-night booty call, so they’d leave me to him? Or a protective stance? Get in between him and them? “This is a surprise.”

“Sorry for dropping by unannounced, but I saw Emmett this afternoon and he asked me to say hello.” His deep voice rumbled inside me, lighting up pathways better left dim. “Any chance we can talk?”

“I’ll talk to you,” said Heather, wavering slightly. The alcohol must have hit hard when she launched from the table. She thrust a hand out to shake, miscalculating and slamming it into his stomach. She batted her eyelashes. Maybe it wasn’t an accident. “I’m Heather.”

I lowered her arm before Big Blue could introduce himself, swiveling her toward the living room and the rear door without taking my eyes off him. “Kell needs your help getting home.”

“Me, too!” came Jenn’s voice from the back of the house. Good. At least they were listening.

Heather careened into me as she spun and said in a stage whisper, “Do you need condoms?”

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