“You’re killing me.” I let out an exasperated sigh and leaned against the back of my chair, my fingers tapping lightly against my almost-empty wine glass. The guy was as stubborn as a mule. Working for someone as determined as Jett wasn’t going to be easy, but I had never backed down from a challenge. Even if it meant working my ass off knowing it was a dead end. “Right now I’ve no idea where else to look. Alessandro’s on his deathbed. Why don’t you just wait until he—” I had asked that same question only a day ago. However, I figured I had nothing to lose by starting one last persuasion attempt. “Once the estate is in the hands of charities, you’ll be able to entice them with a much lower offer. You could save money, which would result in a higher profit for your company.”
“It could take years. Besides, they might decide to sell to someone else.”
“There is no one else,” I said. Jett’s silence made me look up in doubt. “Is there?” He remained tight-lipped, but the dark shadow clouding his features said more than a thousand words.
There was.
“I didn’t want to tell you.” His tone softened.
“Why not?”
“Because I didn’t want to get you involved.” He shrugged, as though it didn’t matter, but I could tell from his dark expression whatever he wasn’t telling me bothered him a great deal.
“You didn’t want me to get involved in what? In my job?” I laughed, even though I felt like strangling him. “How am I supposed to do my job when you’re detaining vital information from me?”
“You don’t understand, Brooke. They’re dangerous.” His voice came so low for a moment I wasn’t sure I heard him right. The meaning of his words slowly sank in, causing an involuntary shudder to run down my spine. I thought I had landed a relatively safe job: meet up with prospective clients, rent or sell their properties, cash the check, done. Okay, Mayfield Properties was playing on a higher scale, meaning they did a bit more than that, but still. I had no idea how or why the people I might meet could constitute any danger to me. It surely didn’t say in my work contract.
“What kind of people are we talking about?” I asked carefully.
He winced. “Let’s just say—not the kind you want to meet.”
And then it dawned on me. In a twisted way he was trying to protect me, while letting me do my job. “Is that why you went to today’s meeting alone?” His expression remained dark and impenetrable. Blank. But I didn’t need his confirmation to know. “Oh.”
Holy cow, no wonder they paid me so much. I was basically rubbing shoulders with the local thug, or worse.
Well, sort of.
Jett brushed his fingers through his hair and closed his eyes for a few seconds during which we remained silent. A strong tension hung in the air and mirrored in his face. He seemed torn, though I had no idea about what.
“You should tell me everything. As your employee, I have a right to know,” I said eventually.
“No, Brooke.” Short and to the point. Adamant. This was the Jett I had glimpsed through his business correspondence. This was the Jett I had feared I’d meet one day. The hard lines around his mouth deepened, just like the determination in his eyes. I was seeing a new side of him but, unfortunately, it didn’t lessen my attraction to him. In fact, I found myself wanting to throw myself into his arms and let him take me places I had never frequented. Instead, I groaned and shot him the dirtiest look I could muster.
The corners of his lips jerked and his frown smoothed, but his tone remained hard as steel. “You’re safe with me and I’ll keep you that way. I won’t get you involved in this crap, no matter how hard you push, beg, glare, or otherwise.”
Whatever.
He had obviously never seen me in investigative mode.
My intuition told me there was more to this estate than Jett let on. How was I supposed to find a loophole with more mystery than an Agatha Christie murder mystery, particularly when the information he gave me barely scratched the surface?
I crossed my arms over my chest and regarded his beautiful face. “Is that why you tore out the last page? Because you didn’t want me to see what’s on it?”
For a second I thought I saw a spark of fear in his eyes, and then it disappeared just as quickly, leaving nothing but a blank expression behind. Damn him and his ability to bluff. I wished I could control my face like that. All other human beings would negate the claim vehemently, which in itself would be proof they were lying. Just not Jett. He simply remained silent while staring me down, unblinking, unmoving, unwavering, unwilling to put himself into any position, be it to his or my advantage.
I could definitely learn a thing or two from this guy.
“Fine. Don’t answer.” I grabbed my fork and began shifting my food around my plate.
“Let’s finish up, baby,” Jett said, his tone changing from cold marble to smooth velvet and sweet honey. “I think you’re ready for your surprise.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
What surprise could Jett possibly have in store for me? I mused over the question as I forced myself to finish my dinner, even though a hundred fluttering butterflies seemed to have taken shelter inside my stomach. He steered our conversation back to the house, local history and what not, but I couldn’t force myself to pay attention to his effortless chatter. My sudden nervousness kept pushing my thoughts in one direction only. I didn’t know what to expect and, being a planner all the way, I didn’t like the feeling one bit. Surprises for me were like…opening Pandora’s box. You never know what’s inside until it hits you.