AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Nico frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“I saw your name in the file too. You were involved with Sara’s case in Boston.”
He stepped back. “They shouldn’t have shown you that.”
“That’s not an answer, Nico.”
“I didn’t tell you, because I didn’t want you to know,” he said. “It’s ancient history that I’d rather not revisit. Can that not be enough?”
“It can,” she replied. “Only because it’s the same reason I didn’t tell you about my own history with her.”
After a pause, he took her hand. “Guess we both have some trust issues to work on.”
Lexie looked down, watched their fingers twine together like they belonged that way. “I guess we do.”
“It’s kind of crazy, when you think about it.”
“What is?”
“How closely our lives have been intertwined all this time, and we didn’t even realize it.”
Lexie smiled. “Yeah.”
This was good. Mutual ground. In the space of a few sentences, they’d both admitted to being somewhat dishonest with the other, and things hadn’t completely fallen apart.
Nico moved away from her. “I have something for you.”
“Oh, bad move,” she teased, trying to lighten the mood. “Gifts already?”
His smile hushed her. Once again, she got lost in the hard planes of his handsome face, though as she looked closer, she could see the fatigue etching his features, the dark circles lining his eyes. These murders were taking a toll on him. She had a feeling she didn’t know the half of it.
Reaching into his desk drawer, he said, “It’s not exactly jewelry, but . . .”
Lexie followed the line of his outstretched arm, saw the shiny silver barrel and sculpted wooden grip of the gun resting in his palm.
“This is a Smith & Wesson nine-millimeter revolver,” he told her. “Small enough you can put it in your purse.” He took her hand and gently passed it over. She felt the weight, the cold metal on her skin. “How do you feel about guns?”
“I don’t like them,” she answered without hesitation. “Do you really think this is necessary?”
“I think if you wait until a weapon is a necessity, you’re already dead.”
“That’s bleak, Nico. Real bleak.”
He shrugged. “Just my opinion. Legally, I can’t actually give you this one, but I was hoping you’d let me take you shopping for one of your own. I can show you how to use it—”
Lexie pointed the gun to the floor, released and rotated the cylinder, before returning it back into the frame with expert ease.
Nico went silent. His mouth hung open while he wordlessly took the revolver and slid it into a leather holster with an impressed and surprised expression.
“I was raised by a single father who loved to hunt,” she said. “I said I didn’t like them, but you bet your ass I know how to use them.”
“Remind me never to get on your bad side,” he replied, and kissed her again.
Nico stood on the breezy shore, hands resting snuggly in his jacket pockets. Sunglasses shielded his eyes from the mid-morning glare as he watched the Garrett’s yacht steadily come into port. Kyle was the last to disembark. When he spotted Nico across the dock, he flipped him off with gusto.
Nico chuckled. Aside from his dislike of the man, he had no good reason to continue suspecting him of murder now that his alibi had checked out. Still, it didn’t mean he wasn’t a danger to him, or to Lexie, so he’d be keeping close tabs on the asshole for a while yet.
With the first task of the day ticked off, Nico strolled back to his car and got behind the wheel. The next one would be far less easy.
