Luc tapped his fingers on the table as he considered the idea. “We could, but as you pointed out, she’s Brent’s daughter. Telling the truth is probably not on her current agenda. No, we’ll go with the original plan. I’ll offer her a job, keep her close, she’ll soon give away what she’s up to, and she may lead me to Brent.”
“Sounds good. But be careful. If Jimmy’s coming back, he’s going to want you out of the way. And this time he’ll make sure it’s permanent.”
Chapter Three
So much for the plan.
Lia felt the nausea churning in her stomach, the occasional tremor run through her body. Taking a couple of deep breaths, she forced herself to calm down.
Her dress was still gaping, and she refastened the buttons with trembling fingers.
“Don’t be such a wimp,” she muttered to herself. This was a public place, what could possibly happen? And with that thought her mind was immediately flooded with a deluge of horrible things and they all seemed not only possible, but highly probable.
She narrowly resisted the urge to bang her head on the table—she had been so stupid to think this would work. What the hell had she been thinking?
“Lia!”
Someone called her name, and she jumped. Slowly, she rose to her feet and forced herself to walk over. Harley gestured toward a seat and she sank into it gratefully; at least he didn’t expect her to take up where she left off.
“No go, darling.”
For a moment, she was engulfed in a wave of relief, quickly followed by a wave of frustration. It couldn’t be over. Perhaps she could still ask about her father. Then Harley smiled.
“How bad do you need a job?”
The smile wasn’t particularly comforting. Lia knew the sensible thing was to get out of this now, but when had sensible played any part in her decisions? All she had to say was that she didn’t need the job after all, and presumably, she could go. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but somehow she couldn’t seem to force them past her lips.
“Desperately,” she lied.
It was sort of true; she was desperate, but a job wasn’t going to help. She needed money and she needed it fast, but more money and faster than any job could provide. Finding her father was her only hope.
“Well, we do have a…”—Harley paused as if searching for the correct word—“…a proposition for you, if you’re interested.”
“A proposition?”
Harley laughed. “Nothing shady, I promise. I’ll let Luc tell you about it.”
“Luc?” she asked.
A man stepped forward from the shadows of the booth and Lia gasped. She recognized him instantly as the man she had watched on the street not twenty minutes before, and up close, it was obvious why he had caught her attention. He was very tall and lean, with midnight black hair and golden skin all wrapped up in a dark business suit, maroon-colored tie and pristine white shirt. At first sight, compared to Harley Watson, he appeared almost normal, safe. Then she looked up into the hard planes of his face and swallowed; he was the most beautiful man she had ever seen, with the sleek, carnal good looks of a fallen angel. A deep scar ran from his right eye down across his cheek lifting the corner of his mouth, turning his masculine beauty into something dangerous, and Lia felt the muscles in her belly clench. Then he smiled. Instantly, he looked younger, almost boyish, the dark edge gone, and warmth flooded her body.
He held out a hand and Lia took it reluctantly, almost jumping at the buzz of sensation that coursed up her arm from the point of contact. He held her gaze and she stared back mesmerized by his eyes. His appearance was all dark Mediterranean except for the eyes; they were bright, jewel green, heavy-lidded, and deceptively sleepy behind a thick fringe of black lashes. As she stared up at him, a faint hint of amusement lifted the corner of his stern, beautiful mouth. He glanced down pointedly, and Lia realized she still had hold of his hand, was actually clutching it like it was some kind of lifeline. She dropped it reluctantly.
“Miss Brent,” he said, his voice like velvet stroking against her skin, sending frissons of sensation skittering down her spine. “My name is Luc Severino. I was a…” he paused for a moment, “…an acquaintance of your father’s.”
Lia clutched her hands together in front of her and forced herself to concentrate. An acquaintance of her father’s? That didn’t sound good. While she hadn’t known much about her father’s business—it was a subject her mother had refused to discuss, ever—Lia had picked up enough hints to be pretty sure none of it was legitimate. She studied Luc Severino warily. He was dressed like a businessman, but he exuded an air of restiveness that she certainly wouldn’t have connected with a boring office job. Then again, he had admitted he knew her father, had been some sort of acquaintance. This was what she had come here for. What she needed.
She cleared her throat. “Er, so what is this proposition?”
“You need a job. I’m in a position to give you one and provide you with somewhere to stay until you get yourself sorted out.”
Lia’s eyes flickered over his face, but his expression remained impassive, those stunning emerald eyes revealing nothing of his thoughts.
“Why would you do that?”
“Let’s just say I owe your father.”
Harley Watson gave a snort, and she saw a warning glance flash from Luc. There was something not quite right here, but she couldn’t work out what it was. And what did she expect anyway? She was in a shady strip joint, in a dodgy part of London, conspiring with at least one very dodgy person. Probably two if Luc Severino lived up to those dangerous looks.
“It’s a legitimate proposition, Miss Brent—Lia,” Luc said smoothly. “I’m in need of some help at the moment and I can repay my debt to your father at the same time.”
All sorts of alarm bells were ringing in her head. “Just what is it that my father did for you?”
“I’m afraid that’s not something I can share with you. You’ll have to ask your father.” He paused and examined her closely. “Have you spoken to him recently?”
The question sounded casual but Lia stiffened. Something was definitely going on here, something she didn’t understand.
“No, not recently.” Here was her chance. “Have you?”
His eyes narrowed at her question, but he shook his head, and they were all silent for a moment.
“So, what do you say, Lia?” Harley said. Lia had almost forgotten he was there. “You get a job and you get to keep your clothes on.” He sounded amused, and Lia glanced at him sharply.