She was showing him that she’d not only guessed his intention but had checkmated him.
How had she guessed? He’d only decided to take second best and kill the Walkers after he’d been thwarted today when he knew he’d be forced to wait for Kendra. He’d desperately needed some form of immediate satisfaction. No, not desperate, he was better than those other mindless killers who couldn’t control their emotions. He had just wanted and deserved those kills.
And she had guessed because she was more intelligent and intuitive than those other detectives. It was really a compliment to him that he’d been clever enough to choose her.
Very well, he was calmer now. He could recognize that Kendra had kept him from a kill that he wanted. It was not possible now, but he could always go back later and take both the mother and the child.
He could do without that hot surge of pleasure until he could savor it more fully, he told himself. He would just add them to the list that was growing constantly as he continued to discover how to bring down the world of Kendra Michaels.
He watched Kendra and Lynch get into Lynch’s car. They were smiling, talking, laughing, as they always did. Friends. Partners. Lovers? He had not seen signs of that connection. But should he be devoting more attention to Lynch?
He had no time to consider it right now. He was too angry and impatient, and he was done with sitting back and plotting. He had all his plans in mind. He had his chosen victims in his sights. It was time to move forward.
He could feel his excitement growing, building.
His gaze returned to the smile on Kendra’s face.
By all means, laugh, Kendra.
But make sure you do it tonight. It will be your last chance.
*
“WHAT DID YOU HAVE to do to make Griffin send those two agents?” Kendra asked quietly as Lynch drove into her parking garage at her condo. “They were falling over each other to assure us that Janice would be safe.”
“The usual.” He parked the Ferrari. “Promised him my first-born son.” He got out of the car. “You knew there would be a price.”
“Yes. If I hadn’t been worried about the timing, I would have negotiated with him myself.” She glanced at him as they headed for the elevator. “I’ll still try to do it, but he might not think my services quite as valuable as yours.”
“Bullshit.”
She shook her head. “I’m limited. You can help him on a global level. Griffin always goes for the big game.”
“Zachary isn’t global.”
“But he’s causing a hell of a lot of unpleasant media coverage with which Griffin doesn’t want to be associated.” She glanced at him as she punched the button. “You know all that. You wouldn’t even be involved if you hadn’t come to try to help me.”
“Try?” He grimaced. “If you’ll notice, I’ve done more than try. I might value that first-born son someday.”
“I can’t imagine you with a child. He’d never see you.”
“I can.” He smiled. “I’d just pack him in my suitcase and take him with me. I’d make sure he enjoyed it.”
I bet he would, she thought. A son with Lynch’s genes would be brimming with the same intelligence and sense of adventure. She was beginning to picture them together. “I believe you’ve left out a key element.”
“We’re speaking hypothetically. I address key elements when hypotheticals fall by the wayside.” He tilted his head. “I don’t think you want to go there?”
That melting heat was suddenly appearing again, and she had to get away from all intimacy. “No, I don’t even know how we got on the subject. I was only trying to thank you. You didn’t have to do that for me.” She shook her head. “There was no real reason why you should. I had no proof that Janice and Ryan are in danger. Maybe they’re not. And I didn’t even ask you, I told you.”
“And you didn’t even give me a sombrero.”
“I’ll go back and get you one.”
“Too late. You screwed up, I’ll have to look for other payment.”
“Stop joking. I’m trying to tell you I panicked and I’m sorry if I didn’t—”
“Be quiet, Kendra.” He kissed her. Hard, fast, hot. “I knew exactly what was going on with you. I could see you going through all the stages. Once you reached the point where there was a possibility of the Walkers being in danger, I wasn’t about to try to put anything in your way.” He kissed her again. “But now we might have to go into that matter of payment … Sombrero or something infinitely more satisfying?”
She couldn’t breathe. Her entire body was readying and she wanted to reach out and—
“Damn you.” She stepped back and pushed the hair back from her face with a shaking hand. “I won’t let you do this to me. You’re not being fair. I told you that I won’t have Zachary thinking you’re another target. You said he knew the studio was my turf, what do you think about this?” She threw her hand out at the parking garage. “He could be here watching right now.”
“Good. Let’s go hunting.” He held up his hand. “I checked it out as I was driving through it to your parking spot. No one lurking.”
“But there could be.” She punched the elevator button again. “He’s clever. You might have missed him.” She met his eyes. “Just as I might have missed him at the studio. I’m not going to take any chances. He’s been too quiet. That makes me uneasy. But he seems to know things, and I won’t let him know that you’re important to me.”
“Important? Ah, an admission at last.” The elevator doors slid open and he gestured to her to precede him. “Not the payment I had in mind, but far better than a sombrero.”
“You’re not staying in my condo tonight.” She entered the elevator and pressed her floor. “So you might as well go home.”
He didn’t answer.
“I mean it.” She didn’t look at him. “If you don’t, I’ll go check into a hotel. Though I’m safer with Olivia and Jessie on the floor below.”
“I’ll make sure no one knows I’m here.”
“I’d know.” The elevator stopped and she looked at him. “Want another admission? We both know I want to have sex with you. I’m very vulnerable right now. If you pushed even a little, I’d probably end up doing it.”
He went still. “Is that supposed to discourage me?”
“Just an explanation why there’s no way I want you here. Because I’m not like you. You’re an expert at masking your feelings and pretending. As you told me, I’m too honest. I’m like Gina. Anyone who was the least observant would probably realize that I was sleeping with you. And Zachary would probably be the first to notice.” She got off the elevator. “It ain’t gonna happen, Lynch.”
“I hear you.” But he caught the door as it was about to close and got off the elevator. He held up his hand as she opened her lips. “You win. Though I’m having all kinds of erotic fantasies about what a turn-on it would be to watch you try to hide—” He was unlocking her door. “But you’re having enough problems at the moment. I’ll come in and search the condo. Then I’ll go downstairs and bunk with Jessie and Olivia for the night.”