“How much?” Carmine asks. My gaze meets his, and I shake my head.
“They don’t want money.”
“What in the hell do they want?” Rafe demands.
“Me.” I toss the envelope onto the table and try to control the shaking in my hands. “Also, they’re implying that I knew about Rich’s drug distribution, and state that if I don’t give them what they want, they’ll turn me in.”
“Blackmail and extorsion,” Ivie says. “They’re a bunch of overachievers.”
I grin at her. It’s either that or throw something. “Clearly, they won’t get me.”
“What, exactly,” Rafe says, rage coming from him in waves, “do you mean by they want you?”
I lick my lips. “Sexually.”
“Motherfucker son of a bitch,” he growls and starts prowling my dining room. “I’m going to fucking kill them. Every one of them. Slowly.”
“Let’s look at your security footage,” Shane suggests.
“Good idea.” I walk past Rafe but stop to lay my hand on his shoulder. “It’s going to be okay, you know.”
“As soon as I kill the son of a bitch who’s doing that,”—he points to the table—“yeah, it’ll be fine.”
I pat his shoulder, try not to acknowledge the bulging muscles under his shirt, and go to fetch my laptop.
Ivie holds her hand up for it and grins at Shane.
“I got this, babe.” She opens the computer, taps the keyboard, finds my software, and narrows her eyes. “Okay, so this would have been dropped off between four-thirty and six. Let’s see what we’ve got.”
She blows out a raspberry. Shane looks over her shoulder. The rest of us just stare at her, waiting with bated breath.
“Got him.” She taps a key, and we all crowd in behind Ivie to see what she found. “Look, right here at five-fifteen.”
“He’s in a hoodie and a mask,” Nadia says.
“And stays close to the wall,” Carmine adds. “We can’t see enough of him to figure out who the fuck he is.”
“I agree,” Ivie says with a nod. “But he messed up. He runs back to his car and drives in front of the house. I can blow this up and pull the plate.”
“What if it’s John Doe again?” I ask.
“I have a good feeling about this one. Give me a little room and a smidge of time.”
“That’s code for stop crowding her,” I say as we back away. “I need more coffee.”
“I’ll take another donut,” Nadia adds and joins me in the kitchen. “Talk to me. We’re alone.”
“What do you want me to say?”
“Tell me how you feel, sugar.” She takes my shoulders in her hands and gives me the look. The one she always uses when she thinks I’m not telling her everything.
“I’m pissed.” I sigh and push my hand through my hair. “I’m just so mad, Nadia. Who the fuck is doing this, and who do they think they are, thinking they can treat me like this? I didn’t do anything to anyone. I just want to live my boring life in suburbia. Mind my own business. But that just can’t seem to happen, and it’s driving me crazy.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re past feeling sorry for yourself and landed squarely in being angry. It’s a nice change.”
I narrow my eyes at her, but she just grins.
“Okay, I’ve got something,” Ivie calls out. “The plates aren’t linked to a John Doe but rather a Larry MacDonald. We have a place to start digging.”
“Thank God. What do we do now?”
“We’re going to the office,” Shane says. “We have better equipment there. I’ll do a deep-dive on this MacDonald asshole. If we’re lucky, we can pay him a visit later today.”
“I’ll come with you,” I reply.
“No.” Rafe shakes his head. “We don’t know who we’re dealing with, and you haven’t trained for this, A.”
“So I just sit here and let you all do my dirty work?”
“Yes.” Nadia kisses my cheek. “You’re too pretty to kill people, A.”
I roll my eyes and watch as they all gather their things and go, leaving Rafe and I behind.
“Aren’t you going with them?”
“No.” He shifts his feet. “I’m staying here with you.”
“I don’t need a babysitter, Rafe.”
“Didn’t say you did. But you need a friend.”
I sigh. “Is that what you are? My friend?”
“Absolutely.” He smiles that charming smile I can never say no to.
“Fine, you can stay. I have some work to do, so I’ll be in my office if you need me.”
“Where can I set up shop?” he asks. “Here in the dining room?”
“It’s not very comfortable.” I frown, taking in the formal table and stiff, high-backed chairs. “There’s a desk in the guest room. It’ll be more comfortable. Come on, I’ll show you.”
He lifts his bag off the floor and follows me up the stairs. I can feel his eyes on my ass. He always did have a thing for my behind.
“It’s just a butt, Rafe.”
“A grade-A one,” he agrees, his voice filled with a grin.
God, I missed flirting with him.
The guest room is on the second door on the left. I open it and usher him inside.
“You can use anything you need. But really, Rafe, wouldn’t you be more comfortable at the hotel?”
“Are you kidding me? You think a hotel is better than this? No.” He grins and sets his bag on the bed. “Thanks for the loan. Do you mind if I borrow the shower in this attached bathroom?”
Rafe is going to be naked. In my house.
Lord have mercy.
“Of course, not.”
His blue eyes sparkle as he winks at me. “Thanks.”
“Okay. I have some charting to catch up on, and I need to review cases for next week. If you need anything, I’m just downstairs. Oh, and you can’t stay here tonight.”
“Annika.”
“Nope. No way.” I shake my head and turn to leave the room.
Rafe Martinelli will not be sleeping under my roof. No way, no how.
He’s in his car again.
I pace my bedroom, sipping wine. He’s just so damn stubborn, that’s what it is. He thinks he has to protect me. But Shane and Ivie are this close to figuring out where all of this is coming from, and then it’ll be over. Probably by tomorrow.
He doesn’t have to stay.
Okay, so it feels kind of good knowing that he’s right there, in the very slim chance that something was to happen.
“You can’t let him sleep outside again.” I walk through the house, set the wine on the table by the front door, tighten the belt on my robe, and walk outside.
Rafe watches as I approach his car. He rolls down the window.
“Problem?” he asks.
“Yes. You’re in my driveway. I know, I can’t talk you into going to the hotel. Come on. You can crash in the guest room.”
“I’m fine out here, if you’d rather.”