She cocked her head to the right. Her black hair skimmed her jaw. “Is that right, Mr. Barclay? Will I find those files on your computer?”
“I want a lawyer,” Ethan said, his face flushed red and his eyes dark with fury. “This is a bullshit case. Chance Valentine is setting me up. He’s mad I hooked up with his lady and he’s invented this whole scene!”
“So there’s nothing on your computer?” Faith asked. She started strolling—as slow and easy as could be, as if she didn’t have a care in the world—toward the PRIVATE door. “If that’s the case, then it won’t matter if I take a peek.”
“No!” Ethan shouted. “You need a warrant! You can’t go in there!”
“You just assaulted three officers…” Faith said.
The three officers nodded. “Damn straight,” one spat. It almost looked as if that officer had broken his nose in the scuffle.
“Getting a warrant isn’t going to be hard.” Faith smiled that icy smile of hers. One that was both gorgeous and chilling. Chance had seen plenty of men fall before that smile. “So why not save us both some trouble and just confess right now?” She put her hands on her hips. “Have you been stalking Gwen Hawthorne?”
Ethan’s jaw jutted up. “I. Want. My. Lawyer.”
“And here I didn’t think you were the kind of man to hide behind a suit,” Faith said, rolling her shoulders. “So much for the word on the street.”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed.
“But the bigger they are,” Faith added, “the harder I take those bastards down.” She waved toward the cops. “Get him to the station. He’s not going to be stalking anyone today.”
He wasn’t going to be stalking Gwen ever again.
The cops pushed Ethan toward the door. So much for getting to search the back office. At least, for the moment. But Chance wasn’t done, not yet.
When the group passed him, Chance eased closer to Ethan. “It’s over,” Chance said.
Ethan’s gaze slid to him. If looks could kill…
“I’m not the threat to Gwen,” Ethan snapped back, his words a low snarl. “You’ll see that. I just hope it’s not too late for her when you do.”
The guy was still threatening Gwen?
“It’s someone else!” Ethan raged.
The cops dragged Ethan toward the door. Chance followed. His steps were slow, certain, and his gaze stayed locked on the SOB. When they exited Wicked, a light flurry of snow fell on them. A police cruiser was parked to the right. Another to the left. Gwen and Lex stood under the building’s awning.
The redheaded guy who’d first let them in to Wicked paced a few feet away.
“Daniel!” Ethan yelled at him. “Call my lawyer, get Sophie!”
Daniel nodded.
Then Ethan spotted Gwen. He tried to lunge for her. Chance tensed.
The cops hauled Ethan back and shoved him toward the patrol car.
“Gwen, Gwen, I’m not the one hurting you! I wouldn’t! I—”
The cops slammed the car door shut. Ethan’s yells were blessedly cut off. A few moments later, the patrol car roared away from the curb.
Chance turned to look at Gwen. She was staring back at him. And there was…suspicion…in her gaze.
Hell. He’d been afraid this would happen. Now he had to play this game very, very carefully.
***
“It’s not me,” Ethan said as he twisted in his seat and looked back through the windshield at Gwen. The snow was falling on her. Chance Valentine was closing in on Gwen. Like a hungry lion. “Don’t trust him!” Ethan yelled, but Gwen couldn’t hear him.
Gwen thought Chance was one of the good guys out there. She was so wrong. Chance was—hell…
He’s as bad as I am.
Chance had walked away from Gwen’s life before. What if the guy walked away again? Then what would Gwen do? She’d be out there, on her own, the perfect prey.
He sagged back against the seat. This shit was his fault. He was paying for sins he’d committed too long ago. And things were about to get so much worse. He knew what the cops would find on his computer. He knew exactly how bad the situation would look for him.
But he also knew…he had one fine attorney on retainer. Sophie Sarantos was about to start earning that hefty retainer fee he paid her. She’d get him out of this, she’d get him away from the cops…
And then he’d go back to Gwen.
Chapter Six
“Have you been lying to me?”
Okay, so she hadn’t meant to just blurt out that question as soon as they were back at Chance’s office. But…
They were back in his office. The door was shut. Lex and Dev weren’t around. It was just her and Chance. And she was desperate to know the truth.
Chance strode behind his desk. He didn’t sit, though. He just stood there. All big and sexy and strong, and he stared at her.
She stared back. Then she marched across the room. Gwen was really happy that her knees didn’t knock together when she walked. She thought—hoped—that she looked as cool and in control as he did. She stopped in front of his desk and notched up her chin. Her father did that. He lifted his chin whenever he got pushed into a corner. She’d learned that move from him.
I definitely feel like I’m in a corner. I have to know the truth.
“The guy is fixated on you, Gwen,” Chance said, his voice deep and rumbling. “He would have said anything to get himself out of trouble today. He’s been videoing you—”
Yes, and that creeped her out plenty. “I’m not talking about Ethan right now. I’m talking about you. About me.” She sucked in a deep breath. “Have you been lying to me?”
“I’ve been back in your life for less than twenty-four hours,” Chance said. “Dammit, Gwen, I—”
“Did my father pay you?” She was looking for a reaction. Sharp denial. A guilty flush. Something. Anything.
But his self-control—damn that self-control!—held strong. He didn’t change expressions at all. His breathing didn’t so much as hitch.
“Why did you come looking for me?” Gwen asked. She had to keep pushing him.
“Because you’ve been in my head for months.” His gaze held hers. “I want you…I need you. And I was done waiting.”
She wanted those words to be true but… “My father tried to give me a new guard last week. I ditched him.” Because she hadn’t wanted to live in her father’s cage. Of course, back then, I didn’t realize someone had planted cameras in my home! She might not have been so angry about that extra protection if she had known. “I’ve pretty much ditched all the guards he’s put on me over the years.” Her smile felt sad. “Except for you. Did you ever wonder why that was?”