THE BILLIONAIRE AND THE DETECTIVE

wall and taking her first drag from a cigarette

ought I'd gr

y packs then in." She pulled the ciga

nks. l do

yee lounge. Eric gives me a break and lets me use his of

are kill

rself one of those bubbling footbath things. Put s

l do

kept her dark red hair cut short and the makeup subtle. Her nails were short and unpainted, her hands ringlees. Li

was the silver hoops t

nto tending bar?"

me a time l was looking for what you could call gainful employment, Eric asked me if l wanted a job. T

through one shift busing befo

ou can handle wha

erson's considering

short observation you don't strike me as the type w

ere. And paying the

equaled half a month's rent on her own apartment. "Well, if you want to cli

rushed out the butt, "Gotta get ba

They were probably lovers, she thought as she went back inside. Wh

n to cull out marks, to pass the information along. The bar fac

me and account number led to addresses.

s, short and long, to calculate who the target might be. He pegged three p

he table Ella wa

e you ho

oken any of yo

you want

b, thanks all the same. l'd rather

food at eleven, so t

llel

her arm before she

ner Joel

cuse

in, you cam

shining a light in her eyes and smacki

her butt a pat. As Jones watched she stopped dead in her tracks, turned slowly and gave him one,

f," Nelly said f

e does, re

doesn't whine about it, l lik

comment and only stared

nd shook his head. Oh, tha

feet since eight that morning. Her fondest wish now was to go home, fall into be

. "We'll go over closing tom

l mean it

la into the lo

Nothing l like better than a crowded c

l can stick m

ck. "Anderson, pour

dy on i

u change your mind," he said as he unlocked the door. "Just pull up a

whistling thro

he was just putting the jacket on when Rose breezed in. "What's up, hea

ago." Ella paused at the door.

etter if you walk around on flat or skinny heels." She went

Well, go

, shuttling the door behind he

ou park?" h

car at home, so l walk

drive y

alk. lt's

e morning. A blo

's sake, Eri

y, bullets bo

fingers, shocked her to silence. "You're not a cop at the moment," he murmured. "You're a

ay,

away, but he beat her to it an

, grinning at them as they passe

. Later, Joel. N

oel lifted his brandy snifter and Anderson

n they stepped out in the cool air.

g goodnight to frie

ain. You gave those people the very disti

, either, until Nelly made some rema

how do you figure that having people think there's

ears. l hire you, out of the blue, when you have basically no experience. The first assumption from people who knows me is l'm attract

ned how those deduct

ink twice if l give you a little leeway, if yo

it run through her head. Then sh

ween his body and the car door. There was a moon

ng to want to st

everything that's happened to her. She's hoping for a moment here. A long

just under her breasts. Her mouth went dry and th

to have to di

ly one." But he released her, stepped back. "Don't worry,

t a double shield agai

s, because l sure as hell like t

nd waited until the door shut before letting ou

again. Cool off, she ordered herself, but her heart was bumping madly against

ady. "Where to?" When she rattled off the address, he aimed one h

as rush hour.

s just

she rounded on him. She didn't even recognize the vibration of her

om her skirt, che

purse she pulled out her ce

ith. Yeah, l got

e shoved the phone b

lay cab driver, let's get goin

me the

e home so l c

ddress, Ella. W