correctly. “Like I said, I don’t want any trouble. Lead on.”
“Upstairs.” The man nudged Casey through the door and up the stairs to Aegar Investigations. At the third floor, the elevator opened and a cocky William Carter stepped off and into the hallway.
“Bring him inside,” Carter ordered.
“Oh, I’m disappointed,” Casey cooed. “Where’s hello, how are you today? You get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, Carter? Haven’t ruined anyone’s life yet today?”
Carter rolled his eyes and waltzed into the Aegar sisters’ office.
Casey’s heart clenched. Michelle was sitting at her desk. Her eyes went wide at the sight of Carter.
“Hi, Michelle, look who I brought with me. The big bad wolf.” He gave her a grin, then turned to Carter’s bodyguard. “Thanks for the escort, but the gun was a little much, big guy. I was coming here anyway, right?”
The bodyguard stood silent, a soldier dedicated to his boss’s evil cause.
Carter shifted to one foot. The smile he wore did nothing for his stone face. “Good morning, Miss Slade. Are you alone in the office?” He didn’t wait for her answer. He sauntered to the sisters’ private office and opened the door. “Yoohoo. Anyone home?”
Casey winked at Michelle. He could see her hands trembling. But she didn’t hesitate. Quickly, she stepped to the office door, cut in front of Carter, and closed it behind her. “Yes, I’m alone this morning. Can I help you?”
Carter stepped back and surveyed Michelle. “Nice of you to ask, Miss Slade. But really, I’ve already secured what I want.”
“Then why are you here?” She stood straight, holding back her shoulders. Casey admired her attempts to stand her ground, but Carter’s smug attitude burned in him like strong medicine.
Carter ignored her question, turned to him, and smiled … again. He put his hand to Casey’s shoulder and squeezed, hard. “I’m sorry I missed the niceties, my boy. How are you today?”
Casey gritted his teeth. The pain in his shoulder from the last night’s bullet stung just enough to let him know it was there. He didn’t miss the subtle point—Carter thought he knew Casey was the masked burglar who no doubt showed up on security footage. He shrugged. “Like Michelle asked, what do you want? I know you’re not here to talk to the investigators. You probably knew they weren’t here.”
William’s eyes slitted and his smile dropped. “I thought I’d kill two birds with one stone since you so obligingly showed up just at the moment I arrived to talk to Ms. Slade.”
Casey slammed his fist on the desk. “Enough. No more glib remarks to entertain your sorry self. What. Do. You. Want?”
“I want you to stay out of my business.” He held Casey’s look for a long moment, then turned to Michelle. “And I wanted to hand deliver this notice, Ms. Slade. You can read it for yourself, but essentially you have thirty days to move out of my house.”
Michelle took the letter, her eyes blank. “Your house? I’m not in your house.”
“Oh yes you are. I signed the papers yesterday at the bank, taking over the mortgage. It’s all in the notice. It turns out the mortgage banker you worked with didn’t work with an ethical title company. The deed you were given is null and void.”
Casey watched, helpless, as William Carter stole Michelle’s life. There was no question now that the man was targeting her.
Michelle dropped the notice onto her desk and pursed her lips. The room emptied of air. “That’s all? You simply wanted to deliver this notice? Surely you don’t expect me to take this at face value.” Michelle’s eyes flamed with anger. “And surely you don’t believe I’m unaware of your motive.”
“My motive?”
She came from her desk and stood staring up at Carter. “You don’t like losing. This is your way of putting me in my place, letting me know you’re not happy that I fingered the rapist, your buddy’s son. It’s not
“Upstairs.” The man nudged Casey through the door and up the stairs to Aegar Investigations. At the third floor, the elevator opened and a cocky William Carter stepped off and into the hallway.
“Bring him inside,” Carter ordered.
“Oh, I’m disappointed,” Casey cooed. “Where’s hello, how are you today? You get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, Carter? Haven’t ruined anyone’s life yet today?”
Carter rolled his eyes and waltzed into the Aegar sisters’ office.
Casey’s heart clenched. Michelle was sitting at her desk. Her eyes went wide at the sight of Carter.
“Hi, Michelle, look who I brought with me. The big bad wolf.” He gave her a grin, then turned to Carter’s bodyguard. “Thanks for the escort, but the gun was a little much, big guy. I was coming here anyway, right?”
The bodyguard stood silent, a soldier dedicated to his boss’s evil cause.
Carter shifted to one foot. The smile he wore did nothing for his stone face. “Good morning, Miss Slade. Are you alone in the office?” He didn’t wait for her answer. He sauntered to the sisters’ private office and opened the door. “Yoohoo. Anyone home?”
Casey winked at Michelle. He could see her hands trembling. But she didn’t hesitate. Quickly, she stepped to the office door, cut in front of Carter, and closed it behind her. “Yes, I’m alone this morning. Can I help you?”
Carter stepped back and surveyed Michelle. “Nice of you to ask, Miss Slade. But really, I’ve already secured what I want.”
“Then why are you here?” She stood straight, holding back her shoulders. Casey admired her attempts to stand her ground, but Carter’s smug attitude burned in him like strong medicine.
Carter ignored her question, turned to him, and smiled … again. He put his hand to Casey’s shoulder and squeezed, hard. “I’m sorry I missed the niceties, my boy. How are you today?”
Casey gritted his teeth. The pain in his shoulder from the last night’s bullet stung just enough to let him know it was there. He didn’t miss the subtle point—Carter thought he knew Casey was the masked burglar who no doubt showed up on security footage. He shrugged. “Like Michelle asked, what do you want? I know you’re not here to talk to the investigators. You probably knew they weren’t here.”
William’s eyes slitted and his smile dropped. “I thought I’d kill two birds with one stone since you so obligingly showed up just at the moment I arrived to talk to Ms. Slade.”
Casey slammed his fist on the desk. “Enough. No more glib remarks to entertain your sorry self. What. Do. You. Want?”
“I want you to stay out of my business.” He held Casey’s look for a long moment, then turned to Michelle. “And I wanted to hand deliver this notice, Ms. Slade. You can read it for yourself, but essentially you have thirty days to move out of my house.”
Michelle took the letter, her eyes blank. “Your house? I’m not in your house.”
“Oh yes you are. I signed the papers yesterday at the bank, taking over the mortgage. It’s all in the notice. It turns out the mortgage banker you worked with didn’t work with an ethical title company. The deed you were given is null and void.”
Casey watched, helpless, as William Carter stole Michelle’s life. There was no question now that the man was targeting her.
Michelle dropped the notice onto her desk and pursed her lips. The room emptied of air. “That’s all? You simply wanted to deliver this notice? Surely you don’t expect me to take this at face value.” Michelle’s eyes flamed with anger. “And surely you don’t believe I’m unaware of your motive.”
“My motive?”
She came from her desk and stood staring up at Carter. “You don’t like losing. This is your way of putting me in my place, letting me know you’re not happy that I fingered the rapist, your buddy’s son. It’s not
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