Jake swiveled the screen so she could read the report. For a second, the words blurred, as though her brain didn’t want to register the information.
Maybe she was hallucinating. Jake’s orders to put the past behind her had obviously had the opposite effect and conjured up the name in front of her. She blinked, then again, but the letters refused to realign into something more acceptable.
Could it be a different Declan McCabe? Unlikely.
“Sorry. I can’t do it.”
Jake’s brows drew together. “You can’t? I thought you’d jump at the chance.”
She gave what she hoped was a casual shrug. “I’m tied up with a few other jobs right now.”
“So reallocate them. I have an overwhelming urge to see this client eating out of your hand. I looked him up and he’s got a reputation as a ruthless bastard.”
She swallowed. “He does?”
“Yeah. Cold as ice. I’ll tell you what. I’ll make you a deal—you keep him sweet, prove you can do it, and my job is yours.”
Well, that wasn’t good news. What chance was there of her keeping Declan McCabe sweet? None, she was betting. “So why does he need a bodyguard?”
“Someone shot him this morning.”
An unwelcome jolt of shock stabbed her in the solar plexus. “Is he all right?”
“They just winged him.”
She let out her breath in a sigh. Though why she should worry about the asshole bastard who had broken her heart she didn’t know. For many years, she would have gladly put a bullet into him herself. Or if she’d ever thought about him she would have. Which she didn’t. Because she hated him.
Then something else triggered. “You said he asked for me?”
“Yes.”
“Specifically by name?”
“Yes.” A frown was forming between Jake’s brows. “You know this man?”
“No,” she said quickly. Too quickly, and Jake’s frown deepened. She swallowed, then took a deep breath, wiped her palms down her thighs. She had to get out of there, get herself under control before she gave herself away. “I’ll go see if I can reallocate those jobs.” Without waiting for him to answer, she pushed herself up and headed for the door.
“Are you okay?”
Jake’s words halted her as she reached for the handle. She didn’t turn. “Why wouldn’t I be?” And she was out of there.
Her mind hammered against her skull. Declan had asked for her. Why? And who’d shot him? His father had owned nightclubs and been into all sorts of dubious stuff. Maybe Declan had gone the same way. Though she doubted that. He’d always been a sanctimonious prick.
And he’d asked for her.
Bugger.
She needed to hit something. Jake had installed a gym in the basement of the building and she headed down there. Just beat up the punching bag and get it out of her system. Even better, she met one of the other operatives on her way down in the elevator.
“You going for a workout?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he said eyeing her dubiously.
She guessed she looked a little tense. “Good. I feel like beating the crap out of something. I was going to use the punching bag, but I’m guessing you’ll be much more satisfying.” Steve was six foot four and three years younger than her.
Half an hour later and she was breathing hard, but not as hard as Steve. He leaned against the wall, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
“Does this mean you like me?” he asked. “You wouldn’t beat up on me if you didn’t like me, right?”
“Wrong.”
“Come on, Jess. Admit it. Come out for a drink with me tonight.”
“I don’t shit on my own doorstep.” Actually, she didn’t shit on anyone’s doorstep, but that was none of Steve’s business. “Besides, I’m betting you only asked because you want to win the wager.”
She was quite aware the guys had a pool going on who could actually get her on a date. She could have told them to save their energy. Actually, she had told them, numerous times. It was never going to happen. While she was willing to go through with this whole looking-for-a-man thing, she wanted a nice man. Not one of the screwed-up adrenaline junkies who worked here.
“Maybe,” Steve said. “But we’d be good together.”
“No, we wouldn’t.” She was going to find herself an accountant or a lawyer.
“You don’t like men very much, do you?”
She curled the corner of her lip. “What’s there to like?” Okay, so that hadn’t been nice. Must try harder.
“Your loss, but I hate to see such a beautiful woman end up dried up and alone.” He shrugged, but headed back to the changing rooms, leaving her with less than pleasant thoughts.
She leaned back against the wall and slid down until she sat on the floor, hugging her knees. She’d always thought Steve a bit thick, but he was spot-on with this one. Dried up and alone.
But she could change. She was trying. Christ, she’d even joined a dating agency. It wasn’t her fault all the men she had met so far had bored the pants off her. Well, actually, it was her fault; she had filled out the form for the dating agency after all. And she might as well have put “boring” on the necessary criteria. She made a mental note to tweak the form.
Plus, she was the first to admit she had unresolved issues.
Jake’s words came back to her. Could she let the past go? An image of Declan flashed up in her mind, all dark tousled hair and boyish good looks. Perhaps this was fate, and if she saw Declan after all these years, she’d no doubt find he was no different than any other man, just a boring businessman like Phil. And finally, she could cut the hatred from her mind, cauterize the wound, and start over, move on. After all, it hadn’t been all Declan’s fault. She had to take some of the blame. A tiny, tiny little bit of it.
She pushed herself up and headed back to the changing rooms, pulled her phone from her bag, and hit Jake’s internal number before she could change her mind.
“The McCabe job. Set up a meeting for tomorrow.”
She ended the call before she could think any more. Thinking would not be good right now.
Thinking would probably make her realize that this was a really bad idea.
Chapter Two
Something sharp stabbed repeatedly at the inside of his skull. Declan rested his head against the back of his chair, closed his eyes, and tried to ignore the pain.
So far, he’d resisted taking any medication¸ wanting to keep his mind sharp, but now he pulled the small bottle of painkillers out of his pocket and swallowed two, washing them down with a gulp of water.