“Yeah, right.” Nick coughed. “I, uh, left some of my stuff out on the balcony.”
“Get it,” Sam said. “And then go.”
Nick pretended not to hear the order, but he went out onto the balcony and collected the rock-climbing equipment. When he came back inside, Sam followed him down the short hall and into the small foyer. Newton accompanied them.
Nick opened the door. The outer hall was empty. He gave Newton one last pat and then straightened to give Sam a hard, cold look. He lowered his voice.
“If anything happens to Abby, I’ll be holding you responsible,” he said.
“Understood,” Sam said. “Believe me, if I thought she would be safer far away from this situation, I would have arranged that. But running wouldn’t do her any good. Problems like this tend to follow a person. And even if you escape for a while, they’re lying in wait when you return.”
Nick thought about that for a few seconds. Then he nodded. “You’re right. Guess that makes you her bodyguard.”
“That’s pretty much what it comes down to,” Sam said.
“That gadget you used on me is sort of impressive. Can I assume that you’ve had some practical experience in the bodyguard business?”
“I’ve done some occasional consulting work for a private firm that gets most of its business from a government agency.”
Nick widened his eyes. “You’ve got experience as a consultant? Gosh, darn, that sure makes me feel a whole lot better. Which government agency are we talking about? The post office?”
“Close enough. Time to leave, Sawyer.”
Nick looked down at Newton. “At least you’ve got Newton to help you.”
“Right.”
Nick narrowed his eyes. “Don’t underestimate the dog. Or Abby.”
“I won’t.”
Nick went out into the elevator lobby and vanished into the emergency stairwell.
Sam closed the door, threw the dead bolt and looked down at Newton. “Just you and me, pal.”
Newton looked hopefully at the leash hanging on the coat tree.
“Forget it,” Sam said. “It’s two o’clock in the morning.”
He went back into the living room. Abby was in the process of closing the sliding glass door. The chilly breeze stirred the wild curls of her hair and caused the hem of her robe to flutter around her ankles. She had very nice ankles, Sam thought. Dainty, feminine, sexy.
Abby got the door locked and turned around to face him.
“So do you date a lot of cat burglars?” he asked, before he could stop himself.
Abby made a face. “That is not amusing. But just to be clear, Nick and I never dated.”
“Why not? Seems like you two have a lot in common, what with being in the same business and all.”
Why was he pushing her like this? he wondered. They had more important things to talk about, such as the lab book. But he knew the answer. He had been feeling increasingly territorial all afternoon and evening. Watching Sawyer come through the balcony door and then act as if he had every right to do so because of his personal relationship with Abby had triggered some very primal responses.
“Nick is a friend,” Abby said quietly. “He and Gwen and I go back a long way together. The three of us are like family. For the record, Nick is gay.”
“Huh.” Okay, now he felt like a certified ass. That’s what the old primal-response thing did to a man, he thought. It made him stupid.
Abby watched him with her mysterious eyes. Energy continued to swirl gently in the atmosphere around her. He realized that he was still running a little hot. An edgy hunger stirred things deep inside him.
“That gadget that you used to stun Nick,” she said after a while. “Is that your own invention?”
“Works on crystal energy. But it can only be triggered by psychic currents.”
“In other words, only someone with talent can use it?”
“Yes. I think of it as a bug zapper.” He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to suppress the restlessness. “This isn’t a good time to talk about technology. We both need sleep.”
Newton appeared from the hallway. He looked plaintively at Abby.
“He wants to go out,” Abby said.
“He went out earlier. I can’t believe you’re in the habit of taking him out at two in the morning every night.”
“Of course not,” Abby said. “But we don’t usually have so much excitement going on in the living room at this hour. Now he’s wide awake, and so am I. We could both use a stroll to work off some of the adrenaline. I’ll take him up to the garden.”
“In your nightgown and robe?” It dawned on Sam that he sounded like a scandalized husband.
Abby was amused. “Calm down. I’ll put on a coat and a pair of shoes. No one will know that I’m in my nightgown.”
Sam thought about saying something along the lines of “It’s the principle of the thing” but decided that it would only make him look like a Neanderthal.
Abby went down the hall and opened a closet door. Newton trotted enthusiastically in her wake.
“Hang on,” Sam said, resigned. “You’re not going up there alone.”
They took the elevator to the rooftop terrace, went through a set of glass doors and out into the crisp summer night. Low-level lamps marked the winding path through the elaborately planted rooftop garden. Abby and Newton went ahead, to the gate of the section that had been set aside for dogs.
Sam pulled up the collar of his jacket. At least it wasn’t raining, he thought. Abby was bundled up in a long trench coat. She had on a pair of shoes that his sister, Emma, would have called slides, but they looked a lot like slippers to him.
He watched her stoop down to unclip Newton’s leash. As soon as he was free, Newton hurried through the gate and began to investigate a row of bushes, selecting just the right spot. Choices, choices, Sam thought. It seemed like there were always choices to be made in life. And once a man had made his decision, he was committed.
He moved to stand beside Abby, savoring her scent and her unique vibes. She did not try to put any distance between them.
“Sorry I zapped your friend tonight,” he said.
“Nick had it coming. He had no business sneaking into my home tonight to go through my mail. As long as there was no permanent harm done.”
“He’ll be fine. At least I think he will.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Relax. According to my design calculations, there won’t be any permanent damage.”
She looked up at him, her eyes pools of mystery in the darkness. “Have you ever used that gadget on anyone else?”
“No. Haven’t had the opportunity. But I’ve had some experience with a prototype.”
“Great. Wonderful. I’m so relieved to hear that.”
He exhaled slowly. “Nick asked me if I was qualified to act as a bodyguard.”
“You’re not my bodyguard,” she said quickly. “You’re my hired investigator.”
“Comes down to the same thing. And you have a right to know my qualifications.”
“As a bodyguard or as an investigator?”
“Both. I told Nick that I’ve done some consulting for a private contractor that does some work for a government agency.”
She smiled. “The post office?”
“You know, you and your friend have a warped sense of humor.”
“Nick already made that joke?”
“Yeah.”
“Sorry. Couldn’t resist. Go on.”
“I’m trying to explain that I do have some experience in this kind of work. Thought it would make you feel better.”
“You don’t need to tell me your credentials,” she said. “Although I admit I’m curious. But the bottom line is that I know you can handle my situation. I wouldn’t have let you spend the night under my roof if I thought otherwise.”
“What makes you so sure I’m qualified for the job?”
“My intuition, of course. Hey, I’m psychic, remember? You give off all the right vibes.”
He turned to face her. “What kind of vibes would those be?”
“I knew the moment I met you that you’re the kind of man who does what he says he’s going to do. No excuses. In some ways, you’re as hard as any of those rocks in your collection, but you can be counted on to complete the job or go down trying, and it would take a lot to bring you down. You’ve committed yourself to protecting me while we hunt for the blackmailer and the lab book. You would not have made that commitment unless you thought you could carry it out. I realize you have your own agenda, but that doesn’t mean you won’t honor your commitments.”