Page 35

M onday morning, Sara entered the Velvet Lounge and made her way to the break room.

Jim waved from the bar, and West shot her a wink.

Levi was right on her ass and was so close when she punched in the code next to the door that she almost felt his breath on her neck.

They had spent the rest of Saturday and all of Sunday just hanging out, and she continued to find out more of what they had in common.

They both enjoyed Italian food, although Levi loved a steak best while she preferred chicken.

“I’ll make you a bet,” Levi had said, teasing her in the kitchen while she stirred the pasta sauce.

“What’s that?” She glanced up and he was smiling at her. It took her a moment to get her heartbeat under control.

Damn, he was a fine man.

Levi was the guy women dreamed about.

He was tough on the outside, super hot, and rugged while being gentle on the inside.

Although Levi certainly wasn’t a pushover, Sara could picture their child wrapping the man around one little finger.

“I bet I can cook a steak that will have you avoiding chicken forever.”

Sara snickered. “You’re on, but tonight it’s all about the sauce and pasta.”

“Perfect.” He had whispered the word against her ear and wrapped his arms around her. She knew he was talking about more than the food choices. And while labeling her perfect was a bit disconcerting, she couldn’t fault him because she felt the same way about him.

He was as close to perfect as a man could get.

Shoving open the break room door, she walked over and unlocked her locker to put her purse and jacket inside.

“Did your man find the guy?” She turned around and placed her hands on his arms.

It wouldn’t surprise her if they killed the guy who had attempted to kidnap her. Or they had found the man and questioned him without her.

She suspected the latter when Levi glanced away.

She’d bet money that they had already gone and talked to the guy and kept her out of it.

That part grated on her. However, they were the covert ops team, and maybe they just wanted to protect her.

Levi ran a hand over his face, smoothing the cropped hair with his fingers. He didn’t avoid her gaze, which she appreciated.

“Did you find him?” she asked the question again when he didn’t respond.

“Yes.”

“Did you already question him?”

“Yes.”

She glared up at him. “I hate that I wasn’t there. I told you I wanted to be there.”

Levi shook his head and brushed her long hair over one shoulder.

“I know, but it was ultimately King’s call,” Levi said.

“I get that,” she said. “I know you all have procedures you have to follow, but I need to know what they said.”

“I told King that.”

When Levi drew her into his arms, she wrapped hers around his waist tightly.

“Is he dead?” She pulled back just enough to meet his gaze.

“Not yet.”

“Then after work, I need to hear what he said.”

Levi looked indecisive, and she shook him for emphasis.

“I mean it.”

And although she had barely managed to budge him with her shake, he nodded and gave her a rueful smile.

“Which locker was Brenda’s?” he murmured, glancing around.

“There are cameras in here,” Sara whispered. “They don’t pick up sound, but they can see us.”

“I’ll have Rowan kill the break room feed.”

Sara snorted. Levi was so alpha that it didn’t occur to him that some things might not be within his ability. Although Rowan had cut the feed when she’d searched Kevin’s office. She didn’t know if the man could do it at the drop of a hat.

The door suddenly beeped and Mandy stepped inside.

“Hi guys,” the woman said and headed over to tuck her jacket and purse into a locker.

“Hey, you remember Brenda?” Sara asked before Mandy left the room.

“I sure do. She was nice,” Mandy said. “It sucked about what happened.”

“I know, horrible. Do you remember which locker was hers?” Sara pointed to the two rows of closed doors, some with locks and others without.

“Why?” Mandy frowned.

“Because her parents contacted me to see if she had left anything personal here,” she said.

“It was this one.” Mandy walked over and opened an unlocked locker door.

It was empty inside, save for a few phone numbers written on the inside door, a few rock band stickers, and a photograph taped to the metal.

“Guess I forgot this,” Mandy said, and pulled the photo free to hand to Sara.

An older couple along with a young woman were grouped in front of a college campus, smiling into the camera.

Sara flipped over the photo, but nothing was written on the back.

Darn it. Sara gave a quiet sigh.

“I boxed up her stuff and put it in the storage room,” Mandy said. “It might still be there. You can take that to them.”

It couldn’t be this easy, right? What were the chances that Brenda’s stuff was still intact? Sara was positive that Kevin would have dumped the box.

“I’ll check it out. Thanks, Mandy,” Sara said.

“No problem. “I need to clock in!” the woman said and hurried to the door.

It was there that Mandy turned back. “I almost forgot, I wrote her initial B on the box.”

“If there’s only a B on it, then it could still be in there,” she hissed after the door closed.

When Levi didn’t respond, she turned and found him frowning.

“What?”

“I don’t like the idea of you going into that storage room by yourself,” Levi muttered.

“It’ll be okay. I’ll do it while Kevin is distracted.”

“That guy has a radar coming out of his ass when it comes to you. He’s never not watching,” Levi said.

Sara laughed. “Then let’s give him something to watch.”

Levi’s eyebrows shot up, and he smirked.

“Okay.”

Levi reached for her, but she slapped his hands and stepped away.

“Now whose mind is in the gutter?”

Pressing his cheeks together with her palms, she lifted on her toes and kissed his lips. She knew full well that Kevin would be watching, but so the hell what?

This was her life, Levi was her man, and she didn’t owe Kevin squat.

Levi’s big hands steadied her and pulled her close. She felt his hardness through his jeans and gasped against his lips.

The code on the break room door beeped, and Sara stepped lightly away just as Kevin came barreling into the room.

Temper had turned the man’s face and neck red. One hand was clenched in a fist, and the other had a death grip on his coffee cup.

“Hey, Kevin,” she said as if she hadn’t a care in the world and sailed past him out of the break room.

Levi was right on her ass when they stepped into the hallway.

“Come to my office!” Kevin shouted just as the door closed behind them.

Sara snickered and walked down to open Kevin’s office door. With a flourish, she swept her hand at the open entrance.

“After you.”

“You’re poking the bear,” Levi muttered, but he moved past her, pulling her into Kevin’s office just as the break room door opened.

Kevin marched in and sat his coffee cup down with a snap. The liquid sloshed over.

“What’s up, boss?” Sara said, not taking a seat.

Levi parked his big body next to the partially opened door.

“You can leave. She doesn’t need a bodyguard when she’s with me.”

“I don’t answer to you.”

Kevin glared at Levi, and the bodyguard gave Kevin a flat, hard stare.

If Kevin had been a cartoon character, there would have been steam coming out of his ears. Sara schooled her face and leaned against the window ledge that was near the front of Kevin’s desk.

“What’s up? I need to make the entries,” she said, cutting in before Kevin turned things physical with Levi.

“This is a place of business,” Kevin told her between his teeth.

“Um…I know?” Her brow wrinkled.

“I saw you in the break room just now.” Kevin waved one hand toward his computer.

“Peeping Tom much?” Levi asked, his tone heavy with sarcasm.

“It’s my fucking bar. If you don’t like it, you can leave.”

“Not without Sara.”

Where Kevin’s voice was filled with rage, Levi’s was silky calm and goading, as if he wanted Kevin to take a swing at him.

Sara intervened. No way did she want the two men to exchange blows.

If it were true and Kevin was working with a drug crime lord, then there was no telling who he could call for help.

She couldn’t have Levi hurt. Sure, Levi had a whole group of badass men he could call, but at what cost?

“Okay, I won’t kiss my bodyguard at work,” she said, soothing Kevin.

She walked across the room, grabbed Levi’s wrist, and pulled him out the door, leaving Kevin sputtering.