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There was a long pause "Stalking?"

He rubbed a hand over his face "I don’t want to get into the details"

"Shit, man I didn’t realize I don’t knohat to say"

He didn’t expect his brother to say anything If he could just convince Izzy to get out of Coconut Bay, she’d be out of harain "There’s nothing to say Tell me more about what Devlin said"

"I’ll e over some new resumes but I want you to check out their credentials too before I add thehed after they disconnected Leaving his brother with so much responsibility wasn’t fair Adam knew that, and if the roles were reversed, he’d probably be annoyed too The men they picked had to be reliable Not only did they need the right background and training, they needed good credit and they needed to be able to leave within twenty-four hours so contract employees their database had to be up to date at all tiether and stuck everything into her purse His hand itched to dial Edward Ballantine, but what if the old ?

Adaht be ten kinds of stupid to stay, knowing things were going to end badly, but in the end, what choice did he really have? He couldn’t risk leaving Izzy unprotected

Chapter Six

Izzy couldn’t explain the sense of liberation at what she’d done It was s soave her a sense of pride So she hadn’t expected

She certainly didn’t want to bartend the rest of her life, but she knew she couldn’t work for her father until soed between them After the way he’d interfered with her old job, she could only ihtmare it would be if she actually worked for his cohts away, she slid the copies of the drawings into her purse She joined Ada near the exit with an unreadable expression on his handsoap between theed Ever since she’d convinced hi different

Distant And she couldn’t figure out why

The bal lot "Do you regret what’s happened between us?" The words were out so fast she hadn’t realized she was even going to ask him She hated when she did that Think before you speak It was her mantra, but one she could never quite seelanced at her, but the ansas immediate and firm "No"

The tension in her chest loosened a little Adaoing on with hi to do with the phone call he’d taken Either way, it didn’twith her until he left, she didn’t care

The sudden thought of hione soon, but the reality of having to give him up now that she’d had him was like a punch to the stomach

She paused for a moment as he held open her car door "Your ht,"

she said as she slid into the passenger seat

For a brief second, his dark eyes flashed with…so indefinable Pain? It was there so quick, then it was gone She wasn’t sure if she’d iot into the driver’s seat, she thought about letting it drop, but her curiosity wouldn’t allow it "You lanced at her as he started the engine

"That’s not a question, Izzy"

"I know" She chewed on her bottoot a question, just ask it"

"You never mentioned your parents"

He rolled his shoulders in a casualto tell My grandmother raised us"

"Oh" He hadn’t satisfied her curiosity about his fah alone

Minutes later they pulled into the s lot Two squad cars and three non- her door before she’d even gathered her stuff together

The si was basically deserted A row of ee colored walls, and a wo’s sat behind the receptionist’s desk

She smiled when she saw them "How can I help you?"

"We’re here to see either Detective Simmons or Dennis," Izzy said

"You’re in luck Detective Dennis here Who should I say is asking for him?" She picked up the phone and stared at her expectantly

"Izzy Ballantine"

Instead of sitting in one of the unco chairs, Izzy took a step back so the wo her

Seconds later, a door she assumed led to the interior offices opened, and out stepped Detective Dennis He was by hiht frown lanced back and forth between them

"I stopped by Andrea Barclay’s place this afternoon" She pulled out a couple copies of her drawings "I asked her to describe the ht She’s seen him out before"