A_Little_Harmless_Fascination (17 page)

"Are you sure?" Conner asked.

She rolled her eyes. "I think I would know if I had a stalker."

"No, not always," he said.

Her eyes narrowed, and she opened her mouth, but Maria
stopped her.

"There’s always a chance that you’ve had one and had no
idea. Many times the first indication people get is an attack."

She shrugged. "It would be hard to track me. I doubt
very much this is someone interested in me because of my books. I know that
people are never safe, not in today’s world, but I’ve taken measures to make it
harder for anyone to find me."

"What do you mean by that?" Maria asked.

"All of my mail goes to a post office box in Atlanta.
My PA picks it up and handles it."

"Does she send it to you?" Rome asked.

Jillian glanced at him. "No. She scans it and emails it
to me. I really don't get that much physical mail since people use email more often."

"And she’s the contact on your website?" Maria
asked.

Jillian nodded.

"Then we need to know what she doesn't forward to you.
There might be some of it she just deletes."

"Anyone could track you through her," Conner said.

"I don't know how. I have a direct deposit that goes
into her account monthly. I am an LLC that is based in Georgia, so all my
banking is done there. No one knows where I live."

"Even your family?" he asked.

She made a face. "Especially my family. They know I
live on an island somewhere, but they have no idea where. I have an idea they
think it’s somewhere in the Caribbean. Plus, I have a Georgia cell phone
number."

"If the stalker had access to phone records, he could
figure it out," Maria said. "Any kind of cell phone tower hit would
definitely give him the location you were in last."

"Whoa, I don't have a stalker. Probably. Okay, it isn’t
a sure thing, but let’s not go crazy about this. I agree that it needs to be
checked out."

"There are many ways to find a person, especially today,"
Maria said. “You are very visible online.”

"Who knows where you live?" Conner asked.

"You, your sister, and knowing your sister and her
relationship with him, Zeke. Then there are a handful of writers who I've met
up with here. But for the most part, I keep it pretty secret. I don't want
anyone to know where I live."

"So you were worried about a stalker already?"

She shook her head. "My family. With my grandmother's
will, they are stuck getting my approval on everything. I wouldn’t put it past
one of those lazy bastards to show up here on a regular basis to try to get my
approval for all kinds of crap. So I keep it secret from everyone except
Charles."

"Charles?” he asked a little too sharply. That earned
him an annoyed look from Jillian and a knowing smile from Maria.

"He's the lawyer in charge of the family money. Because
of the terms of the will, he needs to know where I am at all times."

He nodded, but he was going to ask her more about her
personal life. Granted, he doubted that it was an ex. He had a feeling that
Jillian kept her privacy. Still, you never know how many people you touch in a
given day. Hell, it could be someone at the swap meet that she saw on a regular
basis. Including the asses who had the house beside her.

"I'm going to take this back to the lab right now.
Trail of evidence," Rome said. He glanced at Conner. "Wanna come with
me?"

He didn't want to. He wanted to stay and ask Jillian about
her ex lovers. And everyone else she talked to. There was something she was hiding
from him, and he didn't like it. But he probably needed to talk to Rome
privately, and he needed time to cool down.

"I can stay here with Jillian," Maria offered.

He didn't know if she did that because she saw the look in
his eyes or if she wanted to ask Jillian work questions. It was probably a
little of both. And, she might find out more from Jillian than he could. The
idea that he was so jealous of her exes wasn’t a good sign.

"Okay. Call if anything else happens."

Jillian rolled her eyes as Maria and Rome walked outside to
give them some privacy.

She settled her hands on her hips and looked at him. "I
think I can handle myself, Dillon."

He stepped up to her, grabbed her by the arms, yanked her
forward and kissed her. When he pulled back, he touched her forehead to his.
"Just promise me you will listen to Maria."

She pulled back and looked into his eyes. "Okay."

He studied her, trying to figure out if she was lying or
not.

“I promise. I’m not stupid, Conner. I know that this is
serious. I will not hide because of it, but I won’t take any stupid chances.
Plus, I’ll listen to the woman who used to be an FBI agent. I am not an idiot.”

“I didn’t say you were. I just want you to understand that
you need to be careful.”

He could tell he had offended her, but he didn’t care. He
would rather have her safe and pissed off than hurt. Still, she didn’t seem to
hold it against him. She leaned forward and gave him a sweet, soft kiss that
had him groaning. Within seconds it turned hot. He pulled back and rested his
forehead against hers again.

“This guy is pissing me off. I had some toys to play with
tonight.”

She smiled. “Well, then, you better hurry back here, stud.”

Maria cleared her throat discreetly from behind him.

He sighed. “Behave.”

She nodded and watched him leave, saying nothing else. He
trotted down the steps to the sedan where Rome waited for him.

"How long have you known Jillian?" Rome asked as
he pulled out onto Kam Highway.

"About ten years."

Rome glanced at him.

"No, not like that. She was my sister's roommate in
college. I knew her, but not really. When I was ordered to take a month off, my
sister decided to get me as far away from the office as possible. She called
Jillian and rented the room from her for me. Not to mention that she bought the
ticket."

The detective glanced at him from the corner of his eye. His
lips twitched. "It's killing you, isn't it?"

He snorted. "Like the devil. Of course, Jillian helps
me take the edge off."

"I had a feeling about that. Micah vouches for her, so
I have a feeling she’s a good egg. And Maria is positively giddy about talking
to her.”

“She’s changed a lot since the last time I saw her.”

“Maria?”

“Yeah. I have to say you are probably the reason.”

He pulled to a stop at a light and glanced over at Conner.
“So, you've known Maria for a long time?"

"Yeah," Conner said, more comfortable with this
line of questioning. "I knew her when she was just a teenager. Even then
she was a know-it-all pain in the ass."

Instead of getting mad, Rome’s lips twitched. Apparently the
man knew exactly who he was marrying. Maria was a good person, but she was
often times too sure she was right about things. Worse, she usually was right
and never let you hear the end of it.

"Was her father as much of a bastard as I think he
was?" Rome asked.

Conner nodded. "He was my mentor, and without him I
probably wouldn't have made it in the FBI. But he was a shitty father."

"You were in sort of the same situation from what Maria
said with your sister."

Conner shook his head as Rome pulled out onto H-3. "No.
Maura was a little older than Maria was when her mother died. She’d already
been accepted to University of Georgia and was entering a year early by the
time our folks were killed in a car crash. Plus, I was lucky she got paired up
with Jillian the first year. She sort of took Maura under her wing.”

"But, if she hadn't been that old or going off to
college? If you had been forced to make the decision...."

He glanced over at Rome and realized that he was weighing
and measuring Conner on some level.

"I would have walked away without a thought because
family is more important than anything in the world."

Rome shot him a smile. "That's the way it is in my
family. Maria's was a little screwy. I'm just hoping I can get her over the
fear that she doesn't know how to be a parent. She about faints every time I
mention that I want to have at least three kids. Being the Italian Catholic I
am, I really want more, but I don’t mention that."

“Good luck with that one.”

Rome nodded. “Going to need it, but not any more than you
are going to need, right? I mean, are you planning on settling here in the
islands?”

It wasn’t until that moment that the idea slipped into his
mind. He didn’t need to live in Miami to run the company. He could stay here,
be with Jillian…and slowly go crazy. He wasn’t made for Hawaii any more than
she was made for some place like DC or Miami. Jillian belonged here and he
didn’t.

“No. My business is in Miami, so I’m only here for the month.”

If Conner didn’t sound that convincing, Rome said nothing
about it. Conner was pretty sure the detective didn’t believe him, but it was
the way it would have to be. They both had obligations and lifestyles.

It was just the way it was.

*
 
*
 
*
 
*

Jillian had been trying to keep the conversation going with
Maria, but it kept trailing off. Jillian was pretty sure she knew what was
going on.

“Go ahead.”

“What?”

“I don’t mind you asking about the business. It will
probably take my mind off things right now. Let’s get comfortable in the living
room.”

Maria practically skipped into the room. If her nerves
weren’t shot, Jillian would get a kick out of her. Newbies could sometimes
irritate Jillian, but there was nothing like being around a novice still excited
about the business. Once they settled down, Maria didn’t hesitate to start her
questioning. After ten minutes, Jillian did not have a doubt that the woman had
been an excellent FBI agent. She shot questions at her as if Jillian was a
suspect.

A flash of light brightened the room telling Jillian the
guys were finally home.

“I didn’t think they would ever get home.”

Maria smiled. “One thing you should be used to here on the
island is the leisurely pace.”

“I guess. I’m just a little on edge.”

“Of course, you are. Hell, I know I would be.”

She studied the former agent. “I don’t think anything would
bother you.”

Maria waved that away. “I’m just really good at hiding it.
Like talking to you about writing. I will probably pass out from the stress of it
when I get home.”

Jillian chuckled. “I would have never guessed.”

“Well, I was very nervous. And excited. I haven’t decided
what to do, but I like that you are so open about the business part of it. I
don’t have to worry about money, thanks to my father’s royalties, but it is
nice to know there are more options out there these days.”

Jillian hadn’t even thought about John Callahan’s work, but
he had penned a few
New York Times
best
sellers on the nonfiction list. And many of them stayed up there even today.

The door opened, and Conner came in with a grim look on his
face.

“Nothing yet, before you ask. It will take a few hours to
get into the lineup to be tested. I doubt they will find much, but it’s worth a
try.”

Rome followed him in. “There was a double homicide in
Waikiki, so you know that’s going to take precedence.”

She nodded. “Makes sense. Did you want something to drink
before you head home?”

He shook his head. “Just need my bed…not to mention my
woman. I hope she didn’t make you feel like a bug on a lens.”

Maria shot him a look that told him he would be in trouble
for that later on. “No one else thinks that. Just you.” She turned her
attention back to Jillian. “Thanks again for all your help. I’ll send those
chapters to you tomorrow. And you,” she said as she gave Conner a kiss on the
cheek, “don’t forget about my gift. I expect something nice.”

“That’s rude,” Conner said, but Jillian could tell from his
voice that he wasn’t mad. In fact, his tone was very close to the way he talked
to Maura.

“Nice doesn’t work with you. And I know you can afford it.”

With that, Rome tugged her out of the house, and Conner shut
the door behind them.

“What took you so long to get back?” she asked

“I had Rome check out a few people for me.”

“What people would that be?”

“Adam and Mick.”

She shook her head. “There’s no reason to check on them.”

“Mick spends a lot of time paying attention to you.”

“Yeah, well, he spends more time paying attention to Adam.”

That had him stopping. “Oh?”

“I guess your snooping didn’t tell you that, huh? Well,
they’ve been living together for five years.”

“They are both former Special Forces.”

“Yeah, I know.”

He frowned. “And you didn’t tell me?”

“You didn’t ask.”

He settled his hands on his hips, his expression fierce.
“Dammit, Jillian, I’m not trying to be an asshole. I’m trying to find out who
scared the hell out of you.”

She took a breath. “I know that, but I know those guys.”

“Well, I had a talk with them.”

She felt the weight of his actions. She didn’t like being watched
over so much. Not really. “Shit. You have to know they would never hurt me.”

“I do. After talking with them, they wanted to beat the
living hell out of whoever scared you. Plus, they gave alibis for earlier
today, and Jamie verified it.” He paused and looked at her. “Are you sure
they’re together? There is something definitely going on with them and Jamie.”

“Really? Well, I guess they could be bi, but even so, they
are definitely together.”

“How could you know? They don’t act like it.”

She chuckled. “What does that mean?”

“I live near South Beach, so I know a lot of bisexuals and
gay men. Hell, my business partner is bi, and it doesn’t bother me. They just
don’t act like a couple.”