Neil moved forward and opened another chat screen. “Not only is Major Harry not a man, she is in the States. My guess would be East Coast.”
The times Major Harry was chatting online with fellow players were in line with the East Coast, cutting off at night saying she needed to catch the evening news. Neil scrolled up the page and highlighted a post. Sorry I missed the battle, team . . . left my phone in my purse and didn’t charge.
Rick scratched at the hair on his chin, his brain swimming with the information. “So she is playing as a he.”
“And if a she is playing a he . . .”
“Then he could be playing a she.” Neil met Rick’s gaze.
Dean let loose a growl. “Well hell!”
They were all back to square one.
“We should have thought about that,” Rick said. At least he knew he was looking for a picture of a man.
She was still at work. Only came home with the new f**k and didn’t appear worried in the least with her daily routine. She’d even been back on the game, bombing, raiding, and chatting on the loop. Just like nothing had happened.
When a notice came that he’d been attacked by her on his main profile, something inside him threatened to snap. How dare she?
He pinned up the picture he’d taken that afternoon when she went to lunch with her work friends and carefully sliced up the image of her arm. She might wear long sleeves or jackets to hide the scar, but he knew it was there.
They both knew it was there.
The knife in his hand carved the cheap wallpaper behind the picture, shredding it.
The image of her beyond the knife kept him carving. The parking garage had been too brief. Too f**king brief. To feel her tremble . . . feel her fear . . . yeah, that he wanted.
Next time she wouldn’t get away.
And he’d have her all to himself.
“Mike!” Judy threw her arms around her brother and let him lift her in a huge hug.
“I thought I’d surprise you.”
Her brother walking into the office building didn’t make quite the same splash it had the first time. In his hand was a bouquet of flowers, his Hollywood smile framed his face with perfection.
She leaned back, glanced at the roses. “What are those for?”
“I missed the wedding.”
She grinned, took the flowers from him.
He leaned in, placed his lips next to hers. “Rick said you needed fresh flowers to hide the camera.”
Apparently, her temporary husband had already briefed her brother. It had been well over a week since the floral delivery and nothing had happened. Nothing. Housekeepers did their job . . . her colleagues would leave the occasional to-do list on her desk, otherwise nothing.
Judy glanced around Mike, didn’t see anyone lurking, and motioned for him to stand in the doorway.
She turned away and removed the stick holding the camera from the flowers Rick had given her and transferred it to the new bouquet. While she handed the old flowers to her brother, the cell phone on her desk buzzed.
Rick’s message was to the point. Toward the door.
Judy angled the disguised camera toward the opening of her cubicle and waited.
The next message from Rick was a smiley face.
Mike offered a wink when she finished. “So where am I taking you to lunch?”
Five minutes later they were sitting in the café they’d managed a meal in the last time he’d come to her work.
“I heard Dad showed up . . . alone.” Mike broke off a piece of bread and shoved it in his mouth while he talked. Nothing like talking with your mouth full to prove you’re family.
Judy rolled her eyes. “It took him a year to send Zach to check on your marriage. I’m married a few days and poof! Here’s Dad.”
“I’m a guy.” Mike washed down the bread with the bottled water he’d ordered and shoved another chunk in.
“Like that matters. Whatever. Rick must have said something to make him happy. He left the next day.”
“Maybe Mom called . . . talked some sense into him.”
Judy sipped her iced tea. “Yeah, maybe.”
Their meals came and she started in on her salad, while picking fries off Mike’s plate.
He managed a few bites before bringing the conversation to her. “How are you really doing?”
Talking to Mike had always been like talking to an older sister. He was so much more approachable than Zach, and younger than Rena . . . wiser than Hannah. They had a great family, and if given the chance, she’d pour her heart out to all of them . . . but Mike always seemed to have a sensitive ear. Now that he was back in her life, she remembered that fact and let her tongue loosen up.
“I look over my shoulder a lot.”
Mike paused between bites.
“It doesn’t keep me from working, doing what needs to be done. But I question anyone I don’t know when they walk up to me.”
“I guess that’s normal.”
“Yeah . . .” She set her fork down. “Rick has been amazing. I thought he’d get tired of driving me around, checking in with me almost every hour.”
Mike lifted an eyebrow, popped a fry in his mouth. “Karen told me he was into you before our divorce.”
“Karen’s a wise woman.”
Mike nodded with a laugh. “She told me about your marriage.” He looked around them, bringing her eyes up as well. Seemed no one was close enough to hear their conversation. “Think things will last once everything settles down?”
The night before flashed in her head . . . the way Rick had made love to her, made her feel like she was the only woman in the world. “I don’t know, Mike. It’s not like either of us planned this. We’ve been pushed together like something out of one of your movies.”
His plate clean, Mike pushed it away, sat back, and leveled his eyes to hers. “You know he loves you . . . right?”
The words from her brother made her draw in a sharp breath. “I know he cares.”
Mike smiled, lowered his dark sunglasses over his eyes, and tossed a few bills on the table. “Well, sis . . . let’s get you back to work.”
He walked her back to her office, kissed her cheek, and told her he’d see her at home.
For the next hour and a half, she thought about her brother’s words . . . his observations.
She couldn’t help but smile, couldn’t stop the warmth from spreading over her skin when she thought maybe Mike saw something from Rick that he hadn’t yet shared with her. Was it possible with all the chaos to fall in love with the right man?