Lina appeared in the doorway behind her and I breathed a sigh of relief.
“What can I do for you, Chief ?” Lina asked. Her tone was icy. “Do you need to know what I had for lunch today? A list of every person I’ve spoken to since I got here?”
“I’m on that list. We’re BFFFs,” Mrs. Tweedy piped up.
“BFFFs?” I repeated.
“Best fuckin’ friends forever,” she said. “You got a problem with Lina here? You’ve got a bigger problem with me. Oh, also I need you to stop by and fish my watch out of the garbage disposal again.”
Lina’s lips quirked. But all amusement vanished when she caught me looking at her.
“Mrs. Tweedy, if you let me speak to Lina in private, I’ll stop by after to get your watch out of the sink.”
“And hang my new shower curtain.”
“Another new shower curtain? What the hell happened to the last one?”
She took a rebellious sip of bourbon. “That sounds like a no to me, don’t it, Lina?”
“It sure wasn’t a yes,” she agreed.
“Fine. Watch and shower curtain. Now go away,” I said.
Mrs. Tweedy patted me on the cheek. “You’re a good boy, Nash. Try not to leave your head up your ass for too long. Sooner or later, the condition’s permanent.” She turned to Lina. “See you at the gym tomorrow morning. Bright and early!”
“It was nice meeting you,” Lina called after her.
All amusement disappeared the second the door closed across the hall.
“If you came here to continue your interrogation—”
I rested my forearm on her doorframe. “No, ma’am.”
“Don’t you ‘ma’am’ me. This is northern Virginia. Y’all barely say y’all here. You can’t ‘aw shucks’ your way out of this.”
Mrs. Tweedy’s door cracked open behind me.
“I came to apologize,” I said, ignoring the eavesdropping audience.
Lina crossed her arms.
“Not gonna make it easy on me, are you?”
“Why should I?”
I decided to push my luck. I put a hand on her shoulder and gently but firmly backed her inside, then shut the door behind me.
“Sure. Come on in. Make yourself at home,” she said dryly.
It didn’t look as though she’d done much on that front.
The only personal belongings I spotted were a houseplant hanging out in one of the front windows and that box of files on her table.
I backed her up another step and then removed my hand. “Turn down the music. Please,” I added when she shot me eye daggers.
She made me wait long enough that I thought I was going to have to do it myself before she finally walked over to the table and picked up her phone. The music lowered to a dull roar.
It didn’t escape me that she took a detour to put the lid back on the files.
“You ever have a near-death experience?” I asked her.
She went still.
“As a matter of fact, I have,” she said evenly.
“I’m gonna want some answers on that later,” I warned her after a beat. “But for now, I’ll assume that you know better than most what it’s like to wake up and realize you’re still here when you almost weren’t.”
She didn’t give me anything other than a level stare from those whiskey-colored eyes.
I blew out a restless breath. “Angel, I almost bled out in a ditch. Most of me is still here, but part of me didn’t make it out. If you’re here because of any part of that, I deserve to know.”
She closed her eyes for a beat, long lashes fringing tan skin.
When she opened her eyes, she held my gaze. “I’m not here for you.”
It rang like the truth.
“Is that all you’re willing to give me?” I pressed.
She pursed her lips. “We’ll see how the apology part of your presentation goes. And it better include an ‘I’m sorry I’m a dumbass and let a U.S. marshal think we’d had sex.’”
“I’m sorry for the interrogation. I don’t have my feet under me, and I’m just doin’ the best I can in a shit situation. It felt like you were hiding something, especially when I saw Pain in My Ass Mustache making a move on you this morning. I’m used to trusting my gut. Still getting used to the fact that I can’t anymore.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Why can’t you?”
“Because I walked right on up to that car.”
Lina dropped her arms to her sides and let out a sound of aggravation. “Now, how’s a girl supposed to hold a grudge against the whole broody, wounded hero routine?”
“I’m hopin’ she can’t,” I admitted.
She drew in a breath and let it out. “Fine. I am in town looking for something.” She held up a finger in my direction when I opened my mouth. “I didn’t come here because someone put a bullet or two in you. I’m looking for something someone stole from a client. A couple of leads pointed me in this direction. Nolan and I crossed paths years ago on a different job. I didn’t know he was in town and vice versa.”
“Are you planning to cross paths with him while you’re both here?”
There was about two feet of space between us and I swear I felt the air crackle like lightning was about to strike.
“I’m wondering why you would think that was your business,” she said.
“I’ll tell you if you say you accept my apology.”
“Fine. Apology accepted.”
“You’re quick,” I observed.
“Quit stalling,” she ordered.
“I’m gonna be honest here and you’re probably not gonna like it.”
“Only one way to find out.”
“I like stirring you up. I provoked you, and for that I’m mostly sorry,” I admitted.
“Why?”
“Why am I sorry?”
“No. Much as you acted like it this morning and tonight, you’re not an idiot. You know I could be a scary neighbor to piss off. Why did you provoke me?” she asked.
“You make me feel things. And after going long enough without feeling anything, feeling something—even if it’s anger or adrenaline—is better than the nothing.”
The spark of light in her eyes turned to a smolder.
I took a slow step toward her. “Every time I’m near you, every time you laugh or look at me like you’re looking right now or get pissed off, I feel something.”
“What kind of something?”
I took another step and closed the distance between us.
“Good,” I said, taking a chance and cupping my hands loosely around her biceps. She didn’t pull away. “Though to be honest, good is pretty much anything other than what I’ve been feeling. I might be working up the courage to fight for the right to stay close. I can’t do that if you’ve got another man in your bed.”
She pursed her lips and considered. “There’s no one occupying that space at the moment,” she said finally.
“Does it bother you when I touch you?” I asked.
She rolled her eyes. “I take it Knox opened his big mouth?”
“He may have mentioned you had a problem.”