Page 42

CHAPTER 42

Birdie

Detective Torrance shows up for our book club for two at eight o’clock sharp, or so I’ve been informed. It’s Marcus who takes me from my room, but Tristan is the one waiting down the stairs with his permanent scowl. Torrance is nowhere in sight. He must be standing outside still. Tristan’s orders.

I come down, and my gaze meets Tristan’s. The lines between his eyebrows ease when he gets the full view of my little black dress. His face is everything a woman would like to see at her graceful stair descent after she’s spent hours perfecting her look. But it lasts for one fleeting moment before his jaw hardens, and his brows hook tighter.

The second I reach him, he says, “If you let him touch you, he’s dead.” Then he marches to the front door.

Wow. Okay. This evening is going to be interesting.

Marcus accompanies me to the door. Tristan, who, based on his expression, must be picturing a hundred different ways to kill Torrance, barely makes room for me, his eyes never leaving the detective. Torrance, on the other hand, is waiting calmly in a dashing black suit with a bouquet of flowers in hand.

His charming smile makes a reappearance when he spots me. “You look absolutely gorgeous.” He hands me the flowers. “These are for you.”

The arrangement surprises me. No tacky red roses. They’re purple and golden—glitter sprayed on demand—tulips. Tulips are my favorite flowers, and gold is my favorite color, but I don’t think anybody knows that. Coincidence to match the purple or chosen on purpose? Perhaps he just has impeccable taste. “They’re…lovely. Thank you.”

A low growl rumbles next to me as Tristan pushes his jacket aside just enough to show his gun. Torrance puts a hand in his pocket and makes the same move with his suit jacket to show his weapon. “Shall we, Birdie?”

“Not before my team sweeps your vehicle for any threats,” Tristan says. “Unless you’d like to follow us to the restaurant, all by yourself.”

“Is that what you want?” Torrance asks me. “I’m good with whatever makes you feel safest.”

“I’ll ride with you as planned. Let me put these in water first.” I frown when I turn and face Tristan. “Mr. Morra, please help me find a vase other than the one you broke yesterday.”

Once we enter the kitchen, I hiss, “What’s wrong with you? You can’t play whose gun is bigger with Torrance.”

He shrugs. “You’re right. It doesn’t matter. You saw my gun and will never see his.”

“For God’s sake, this is serious. Stop threatening him. Have you forgotten he’s a cop?”

“I don’t give a shit who he is. It’s you who forgot your divorce isn’t final yet. Or now you’re not scared Abel will find out and use your date against you?”

“This is not a date.”

He snorts. “Yeah, the dress, the flowers, the dinner, they’re all for a business meeting. How stupid do you think I am?”

“Tristan, you promised. Whatever we feel toward each other, it can’t develop past what it is now. You can’t pull that jealousy crap anymore.”

His glare intensifies to the point of pain. “Then tell me why the fuck you said yes when he asked you out.”

Because I can’t wrap my mind around the sudden interest Torrance has in me or the change in Saldana’s case. I believe Torrance is hiding something. His intentions for this dinner aren’t entirely pure. Cops will do anything to get what they want no matter the means or how deceitful they can be. Perhaps he’s fishing for information, and asking me out is his way of getting me to talk. He must think I’m a battered wife, desperate for any kind of attention, who will do anything for a man who promises safety and care.

So I’ll play that role, let him believe he’s playing me and winning, until I discover what he really wants. Then I’ll make my move. I’ll use him to find Butterfly Man before all is lost.

However, if I’m being paranoid and all of this is only in my head, if he’s as genuine and good as he claims to be, Jacob Torrance can be the breath of fresh air I need in this suffocating web of lies.

I retrieve a vase from the cabinet and fill it with water. Then I put the flowers in it.

“You’re driving me crazy. Answer me, Birdie.” Tristan searches my face. “Do you like him? Is that why?”

Do I like Jacob Torrance? That’s not a question I’m prepared to answer now. “As my head of security, your job is to ensure my safety, not police my personal decisions, intentions or interactions,” I say in an attempt to set boundaries.

Tristan opens his mouth to argue, but I cut him off. “Unless you have credible reasons to believe Detective Torrance poses a threat, you need to stand down.”

“I can’t know that for sure because you didn’t give me enough time to do a proper background check.”

I sashay back to the man I’ve kept waiting more than he should. “It’s a good thing you’re coming with me then.”