SweetlyBad by Anya Breton

Now all Drew needed was a shot of the guy’s face so there would
be no question who had sabotaged Erica’s lift.
    But when Jared set the tool down and set his grimy hands on
the Ferrari, Drew had difficulty remaining motionless. The guy tried the doors
and the bonnet. Finding them both locked, he headed back to the office,
presumably in search of keys. Jared stopped off at the computer, where he
scrolled back in Erica’s calendar and scribbled a few notes on a notepad.
    Was that how he’d known which cars to sabotage?
    Drew used the zoom feature on the phone to catch the guy’s
next clicks on the computer. He deleted entries Drew himself had
entered. That really burned his balls.
    Fortunately Erica had locked the cars’ keys in a lockbox.
Unfortunately Jared managed to pick the lock. Sifting through the customers’
keys, the guy quickly found the fob with the Ferrari logo. He flipped off the
computer and then started back to the garage.
    Drew remained still as Jared unlocked the Ferrari and popped
the back. He managed to hold his tongue while the guy disconnected hoses and
generally messed around inside his engine block. It took everything in him not
to press Jared to the ground exactly as Steven Brand had done to him.
    A part of Drew wanted to punch the guy in the face the good
old-fashioned way. This guy deserved to have his nose broken rather than simply
being knocked onto his ass with Air. Drew was almost willing to mangle his
knuckles to do it.
    But this was more serious than a punch. This man needed to
be behind bars where he couldn’t put Erica or her customers in danger. That
meant making it back to her place without incident.
    Maybe it was the coward’s way out but Drew didn’t know any
other way to be. He hid in the tree line that edged the parking lot as Jared
slipped out. But he continued recording the video, making certain to get the
guy’s license plate number in case none of the profile shots would be enough.
    Then he sprinted for the car so he could make chase.

Chapter Eight
     
    A car pulled in front of the house.
Erica didn’t budge from the sofa. It was probably a lost tourist. Or maybe it
was Tina, come to verify Erica had a friend over. That would be perfect timing,
given her “friend” had left and taken her car hours ago.
    What had she been thinking? Would insurance pay out if she’d
volunteered her keys to the car thief?
    Based on the exhaust sounds, the visitor had pulled into the
driveway rather than continuing forward. Not a tourist. Definitely Tina.
    Erica should have said she’d babysit. At least she’d still
have her car if she had. And her sister wouldn’t be able to hold this over her
head.
    There was a brief knock against the front door and then
someone stepped inside.
    Erica’s jaw dropped open. “Drew?”
     
    Drew glanced down at himself. Everything looked as rumpled
as it had earlier. So why was Erica staring at him with that comically wide
mouth as if she were shocked? And why had she sounded it as well?
    He took a tentative step inside the house. “Yes?”
    Erica’s mouth closed. “I…” She didn’t finish whatever it was
she…
    He glanced behind him to where he’d parked her sedan and
then back at her. His eyes narrowed. “Why do you seem shocked to see me?”
    “I’m not shocked.” Her gaze swiveled away—avoiding his.
    A lie. Aer all around, she would explain herself if it took
him all night.
    Drew set his suitcase on the floor at his feet. “When you
saw it was me at the door, your jaw dropped open and you said my name as if it
was surprising. Why?”
    “Why would I be surprised it was you?” She let out a nervous
laugh. “You said you were getting your luggage. The luggage was in the Ferrari,
right?”
    “Yes, the luggage was in my Ferrari.”
    Erica lifted one shoulder. “I guess I was just surprised you
were gone so long. I thought you’d gotten lost.”
    His mouth tightened. “Lost in a town of less than two
thousand with only a handful of