burned into my skull.” His expression turned to one of concern. “Sam … she’s cool though, right?”
He was struck at the love and concern everyone showed for Samantha. It was good to know she had so many champions. “As a cucumber, buddy. She’s good. Promise.”
Satisfied, Jake winked and got them back on track. “So, what’ve we got?”
Caleb gave them the rundown.
“We need more to go on. What little Sam has offered isn’t enough at this point.”
Joe nodded in agreement to Cooper’s statement. “We need Samantha to give us more information.”
Unfortunately, Caleb agreed. A sense of dread settled over him as he imagined the conversation to come. She’d refused to give them anything regarding Carlotta Matteo. Her need for silence put her life in danger and Caleb wouldn’t stand for it any longer.
“She’ll tell me what I need to know,” Caleb informed the group.
Joe studied him. “You seem pretty sure of yourself. Why would she talk to you now, when the two of you barely tolerate each other?”
Caleb imagined a naked Samantha, straddling his hips as he’d fingered her to orgasm. They’d done more than barely tolerate each other last night. Was she barely tolerating Alec right now?
Son of a bitch! He needed to get his head out of his ass if he had any chance of getting her out of this mess. He had to stay focused.
“We have a deal.” A deal that meant he’d have to let her go when this was all over. “She’ll talk to me.”
“Then get on it, man.” Joe tapped his wrist. “Time’s a wastin’.”
“I gotta go inside and talk to Rosanna first. I haven’t had time to talk to her yet and she deserves to know what happened here last night. At the very least, she can tell me who all was here when the shit hit the fan.”
Cooper spoke up. “I’ll take care of that. You focus on getting Sam to open up.”
Caleb shook his head, dismissing the idea. “Rosanna can be a little prickly with people she doesn’t know. We’re friends, it should come from me.”
“Go. I think I can handle one woman.”
Cooper was right about one thing. Caleb was anxious to get back to Samantha, although not for the reasons they believed. As for Rosanna, he’d almost pay to see her mop the floor with Cooper’s ego. That alone was worth sending Cooper inside.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
* * *
Scented waves of garlic and spice drifted in the air as Caleb stepped off the elevator. His stomach growled as he faced the plain, unassuming door to his condo.
The smell reminded him of his childhood, and the meals his mother used to prepare.
Sophia Martin had been a kind, compassionate woman who’d loved her family with a fierceness Caleb had admired. And man, did she love to cook. Not a day went by he didn’t miss his mom’s bright green eyes and warm smiles. Amanda was so much like her that, at times, it made Caleb’s heart hurt.
Shaking off unwelcome memories, Caleb punched the code and put his key in the door.
“Welcome home, honey.” Alec joked, not looking up from his laptop screen.
“Funny. How’d it go?” He tossed his keys on the counter and went to the fridge for a beer. Pots littered his stove, the sink was piled with dirty dishes, and Samantha was nowhere in sight.
Alec’s grin crinkled the corners of his eyes. “It went great. I promise we didn’t mess up your sheets. Much.”
“That’s good to know,” Caleb spat. His suspicion about Alec’s relationship with Samantha was eating a hole in his gut. “Did you find anything?”
Alec finally looked at him. “Offer me a beer and maybe I’ll tell you.”
“Your arm broke? Get your own beer.” Caleb grumbled, but retrieved another bottle anyway since it gave him something to do. “And, since when do I have to offer anything? From the looks of it, you’ve already helped yourself to what was in my fridge.”
“True, but I didn’t want to get up. You just saved me the trip.”
“God forbid, you have to
He was struck at the love and concern everyone showed for Samantha. It was good to know she had so many champions. “As a cucumber, buddy. She’s good. Promise.”
Satisfied, Jake winked and got them back on track. “So, what’ve we got?”
Caleb gave them the rundown.
“We need more to go on. What little Sam has offered isn’t enough at this point.”
Joe nodded in agreement to Cooper’s statement. “We need Samantha to give us more information.”
Unfortunately, Caleb agreed. A sense of dread settled over him as he imagined the conversation to come. She’d refused to give them anything regarding Carlotta Matteo. Her need for silence put her life in danger and Caleb wouldn’t stand for it any longer.
“She’ll tell me what I need to know,” Caleb informed the group.
Joe studied him. “You seem pretty sure of yourself. Why would she talk to you now, when the two of you barely tolerate each other?”
Caleb imagined a naked Samantha, straddling his hips as he’d fingered her to orgasm. They’d done more than barely tolerate each other last night. Was she barely tolerating Alec right now?
Son of a bitch! He needed to get his head out of his ass if he had any chance of getting her out of this mess. He had to stay focused.
“We have a deal.” A deal that meant he’d have to let her go when this was all over. “She’ll talk to me.”
“Then get on it, man.” Joe tapped his wrist. “Time’s a wastin’.”
“I gotta go inside and talk to Rosanna first. I haven’t had time to talk to her yet and she deserves to know what happened here last night. At the very least, she can tell me who all was here when the shit hit the fan.”
Cooper spoke up. “I’ll take care of that. You focus on getting Sam to open up.”
Caleb shook his head, dismissing the idea. “Rosanna can be a little prickly with people she doesn’t know. We’re friends, it should come from me.”
“Go. I think I can handle one woman.”
Cooper was right about one thing. Caleb was anxious to get back to Samantha, although not for the reasons they believed. As for Rosanna, he’d almost pay to see her mop the floor with Cooper’s ego. That alone was worth sending Cooper inside.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
* * *
Scented waves of garlic and spice drifted in the air as Caleb stepped off the elevator. His stomach growled as he faced the plain, unassuming door to his condo.
The smell reminded him of his childhood, and the meals his mother used to prepare.
Sophia Martin had been a kind, compassionate woman who’d loved her family with a fierceness Caleb had admired. And man, did she love to cook. Not a day went by he didn’t miss his mom’s bright green eyes and warm smiles. Amanda was so much like her that, at times, it made Caleb’s heart hurt.
Shaking off unwelcome memories, Caleb punched the code and put his key in the door.
“Welcome home, honey.” Alec joked, not looking up from his laptop screen.
“Funny. How’d it go?” He tossed his keys on the counter and went to the fridge for a beer. Pots littered his stove, the sink was piled with dirty dishes, and Samantha was nowhere in sight.
Alec’s grin crinkled the corners of his eyes. “It went great. I promise we didn’t mess up your sheets. Much.”
“That’s good to know,” Caleb spat. His suspicion about Alec’s relationship with Samantha was eating a hole in his gut. “Did you find anything?”
Alec finally looked at him. “Offer me a beer and maybe I’ll tell you.”
“Your arm broke? Get your own beer.” Caleb grumbled, but retrieved another bottle anyway since it gave him something to do. “And, since when do I have to offer anything? From the looks of it, you’ve already helped yourself to what was in my fridge.”
“True, but I didn’t want to get up. You just saved me the trip.”
“God forbid, you have to
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