Page 10 of Stone
“Having fun?” he asked, brushing one of her long curls over her shoulder.
She grinned. “You’re practically vibrating with a need for all the details. It’s a little intense.”
Again, he reminded himself this was only their third date. “I don’t like the idea of you being scared, but is it too intense?”
She cocked her head. “Couldyou dial it back?”
An odd question, but one he sensed meant something more to her than idle conversation. Because of that, he gave his answer some thought before speaking.
“I could try,” he replied. “I don’t know if I actually could, though.” The first time he’d met Juliana it felt like stepping into a tornado—a brilliant, joyful whirlwind-of-a-woman tornado. She’d rushed around the library helping him and Mantis find what they sought, delighted to be assisting, intrigued by their requests, and insightful beyond measure. She hadn’t been allsunshine and smiles, though. By the time they left, they understood the brutal realities of the early days of California’s statehood, had copies of the critical documents they needed, and knew more about the darker side of Mystery Lake’s first few decades than most of the longtime residents.
The combination of her keen intelligence, the joy she took in her work, and her ability to be fascinated by both the wonder and horror of history had sunk him.
He’d tried to tell himself that what he felt for her could mean anything. But after their first coffee date—an interminable month after their first meeting—he’d stopped lying to himself.
He knewexactlywhere he wanted this relationship to go. Still, the surety felt a little uncomfortable, and he very intentionally hadn’t—wouldn’t—burden her with it. No need to scare away the woman he hoped to have in his life for a good long while.
He wouldn’t lie to her, though. If she was scared, or in danger, he’d doeverythingin his power to neutralize the cause.
“Does it bother you?” he managed to ask when she didn’t respond right away.
“You mean it, don’t you?” she countered. He tilted his head. “That man coming to the door really bothers you,” she clarified.
“Hedoesn’t bother me. What bothers me is that he scared you.”
She studied him again, then much to his surprise, lifted up onto her toes—which had to hurt—and kissed his cheek. When she was back on her feet, she grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the stairs. “I’m glad you’re here to help, because I need it.”
6
Simon’s hand engulfed hers as she led him down the stairs, the skin of his palm rough against hers. Other than her best friends Alyce and Chiara, no one else had ever been in her corner. Not truly. Knowing Simon was, and that he couldn’t seem to stop himself from being there, had her feeling almost effervescent. She didn’t totally understand it, didn’t understand whyheror what it might mean, but she didn’t doubt him. Growing up, she’d been surrounded by people who lied as easily as they breathed. After a few years away from that world, she’d developed a different perspective and could now spot bullshit a mile away. And Simon was no bullshitter.
“Have a seat,” she said, letting go of his hand and gesturing to the kitchen table. “I need to grab my laptop.”
As she pulled her computer from the drawer of the hutch, he did as asked, the chair scraping lightly across the floor. “I was at the opening yesterday in San Francisco,” she said, turning back in time to see him nod. “And, well, I overheard something that is…” She paused and took a deep breath. “I overheard two men plotting the murder of a third.”
Simon stared at her. His expression didn’t reveal his thoughts, but she could all but see his mind spinning. Four seconds passed—and yes, she counted—then his lips thinned. “Sit down and tell meeverythingthat happened,” he said.
She did. Over the next twenty minutes, she relayed the details of the conversation between Suit and Blue, described both men to Simon, then went over all of it again. When she finished, his gaze rested on her computer.
“You did research when you got home, didn’t you?” he asked.
She nodded as she opened her device. “I found Blue pretty fast. It was easy with the SFPD website listing their leadership. His name is Lieutenant Dean Polinsky.” She brought up the site, then Polinsky’s profile. Simon studied the man, but didn’t reach for her computer.
“And the other?” he asked.
“That one took longer,” she said, typing in a URL. “Most of the attendees at the event were people who worked on the exhibit, donors, board members, or political folks. I wasn’t sure which he was, but I eventually found him. Supervisor Aaron Lowery.”
Simon remained silent, and she wondered if his mind raced like hers. Who was the third man they referred to? What was he blackmailing them with? What did “Barlow him” mean? And because she couldn’t help it, she wondered if either man had a family. If so, would they be shocked to learn of the men’s treachery? There was never any question that their actions would come to light. She’d make sure of that.
Several minutes ticked by as Simon remained silent, then he raised his head and opened his mouth only to be interrupted by his phone ringing.
“Hold on.” He pulled his device from his pocket. “Yeah,” he said by way of answering. He listened for a beat, then spoke again. “We need to have someone on him. Can you arrange itwith Mantis?” He paused and listened. “Thanks. I’ll fill everyone in when Juliana and I get to the clubhouse.” He listened again. “It’s the only place I trust to bring her,” he said. Whoever was on the other end of the line must have said something because Simon mumbled another “thanks” and hung up.
“Clubhouse?” she said.
“These men,” he said, gesturing to her computer. “They know who you are and where you live. It’s not safe to stay here. Not until we have a better idea of what’s going on.”
She couldn’t argue that. She’d already planned to check into a hotel room for a night or two. Or drive down to LA and stay with Alyce. She had the week off work, so leaving wouldn’t be a problem. Staying at the Falcon’s Rest clubhouse had never entered her mind, though. She’d never been to a motorcycle club clubhouse before and while the idea intrigued her, would she be jumping from the frying pan to the fire? Simon seemed like a good person, and she’d met Mantis, who also came across as a perfectly decent man. But what about the rest of them?
