Unraveling an Enigma Page 5

  Guilt makes itself known with my gut. The last thing I wanted to do was shroud his department with controversy. That’s why I fought my feelings for Isaac for so long, I didn’t want this to be the outcome, but now that I’m in love with him, I can’t give him up. The only thing I'd change if given a redo of the last three months would be to tell Isaac the truth from the beginning, then maybe I wouldn’t be left defending my honor on my own.

  “Once IA’s investigation is found unwarranted, I’ll accept you back into my team, Isabelle, but until then, you need to gather your belongings and leave the office immediately.”

  With a fake smile plastered on my face, I nod before standing to my feet and heading for the door. Once I have the stainless-steel handle grasped in my hand, I crank my neck back to Alex. “Isaac isn’t the man you think he is.”

  I exit his office, denying him the opportunity to reply. Several eyes follow my brisk track to my desk. Other than my satchel, phone, and FBI-issued revolver, I don’t have any other personal belongings, so I’m ready to leave in mere seconds.

  As I place my gun into my satchel, the heat of a gaze captures my attention. Theresa is gawking at me from across the room. A smirk is stretched across her face, hiding her vicious snarl, and her arms are crossed in front of her chest. Her condescending stature reveals what I already know—the instant I leave this office, gossip about my dismissal will spread like wildfire.

  I stop returning Theresa’s glare when a deep voice says, “I’ll walk you out.”

  My eyes stray to Brandon, who has his backside propped against my desk. “I appreciate the offer, but I don’t want you thrown under the bus with me.”

  He makes a pfft noise. “I don’t care what they think. You’re my friend, Izzy, and until proven guilty, which will never happen, I’ll have your back.”

  I bump him with my hip, pretending his words don’t have me on the verge of tears. “Thanks, Brandon.”

  When we exit the brick-and-mortar building I use to call my office, I squint. When you sit behind a desk all day, you forget how bright the midday sun is. Since winter is approaching, my cheeks are more than appreciative of the warmth.

  With a sigh, I sling my arms around Brandon’s neck. “Thanks for your help.”

  His hug is warmer than the sun, only dampened by his whispered warning, “Fly under the radar, Izzy. Once I have any information, I’ll bring it straight to you.”

  “I will, and thank you again.”

  As I inch back, a smirk tugs at my lips. Not even the brisk weather has reduced the hue on his cheeks. He’s such a sweetheart, and although I’m sure he’s regretting siding with me, I’ll be eternally grateful he is a part of my life.

  “See you around?”

  He returns my earlier hip bump. “You’ll be back here filing before you know it.”

  “Don’t forget the coffees. God forbid Alex would have to fetch his own cup.”

  Brandon’s laugh makes what I’m about to do ten times easier. With a wave, I pivot on my heels and mosey down the sidewalk. I don’t turn back around, but I know his eyes remain on me until I turn the corner. I can feel it deep in my bones.

  I stand on the corner of First Avenue and Welsh Boulevard, a little perplexed on what to do. It's only 11:20 a.m., so it's too early for lunch, but I'm lost on how else to occupy my time. Just as I consider going to Harlow's for brunch, a brilliant idea pops into my head.

  Stepping onto the curb, I flag down a taxi. Because of the early hour, I secure a ride rather quickly. I scamper into the back seat, removing my coat in the process. The driver has the heat up so high, the cab is super muggy.

  “Destiny Records in Hopeton, please.”

  After securing my belt, I raise my eyes, noticing the cab hasn’t pulled away from the curb yet. When my eyes collide with the driver’s in the rearview mirror, he eyes me with caution. “Hopeton is an hour’s journey from here.”

  My eyes bulge. I’ve lived in Ravenshoe for six months, but a lack of free time meant I’ve never ventured far. I had no clue about the distances between towns.

  “How much will the fare be?” Nerves jangle on my vocal cords. Alex said I’m on leave without pay, so I need to be cautious with my spending until IA finalizes their investigation.

  The driver twists his lips. “Approximately one-fifty each way.”

  “Each way?”

  When he nods, I hand him a few bills from the limited number in my purse before sliding out of his cab, taking my coat with me. I just lost my job. I can't afford hundreds of dollars in cab fares. A bus ticket, on the other hand, I’m sure I can scratch up the fare.

  I’m standing at the bus stop, checking the times of the buses departing to Hopeton when a rumbling voice asks, “Where are you going, Izzy?”

  Hugo’s grinning face comes into sight when I slant my head to the side. “I’m trying to fix some errors I made.”

  A bus leaves for Hopeton every hour. With the stops in between, it’ll take me a little over two hours to get there, but I have to do this. I hate that Harlow and Cormack’s blossoming relationship is suffering because of me.

  When Hugo jerks up his chin in understanding, I drift my eyes over the shiny red muscle car he’s sitting in. Two black stripes roll down each side of its candy apple red paint. Its tires are as wide as they are tall, and the healthy purr of its engine is encouraging as many admiring glances as its owner. Upon noticing my appreciative gawp, Hugo revs his engine, startling a baby waiting to board the bus with his mother.

  “A little different from your usual ride.”

  “This is my baby.” Hugo’s tone hints at the fascination he has with his car. “A fully rebuilt 1969 Chevelle.”

  I smile at the pride beaming out of him. Boys and their toys.

  “Get in; I’ll give you a lift.”

  “I’m going to Hope—”

  Hugo cocks his brow. “I know where you're going. Get in.”

  “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

  His brow arches even higher.

  “Okay, thanks.”

  Grinning, I dash around his gleaming muscle car and jump into the passenger seat. After tossing my jacket and satchel into the back seat, I peer at Hugo’s profile. He’s dressed differently today. His black suit and white dress shirt have been switched for dark denim jeans and a long-sleeve shirt. He has the sleeves pulled, showcasing a vast collection of tattoos I didn’t know he had.

  “Day off?”

  A chuckle bubbles in his chest. “Something like that.”

  His gaze strays from the road to me. I’m wearing my standard office attire, which consists of black skinny-leg trousers and a long-sleeve silk blouse. “How about you? I didn’t see you leave the office this early the six months I was tailing you.”

  Although I should be peeved at his admission he was watching me for so long, I’ve got more pressing matters to deal with. “I’ve been suspended without pay.”

  Disappointment is relayed in my tone. Even if IA’s investigation comes back with no factual findings, my personnel record will be forever smeared by this controversy. Sexually cavorting with a target was never recommended during my training. My career won’t come back from this. I’m just praying my personal life won’t be as badly affected.

  My eyes snap to Hugo when he says, “I want to say I'm surprised by your suspension, but I'm not. If you want to live a double life, you need to be more cautious.” I dance my eyes between his, waiting for him to elaborate on his response. Mercifully, he doesn't keep me waiting for long. “My sister’s file was sealed so tightly, not even Isaac’s detective friend, Ryan, could gain access to it, but you, a supposed secretary in legal aid, found out what happened to her.”

  Oh.

  My pupils dilate even more when he says, “That was your second mistake. The first was the morning you followed Isaac when he was attending a meeting with Delilah Winterbottom. You didn’t check your surroundings for potential conflicts before making the call. I heard everything you said.”

/>   “So, you’ve known all along that I’m an agent?”

  A smile furls Hugo’s lips high before he nods.

  “Then why didn’t you say anything to Isaac? Why didn’t you rat me out?”

  He shrugs like it’s no big deal. “Because I knew once you learned who he really was, you’d also protect him.”

  “Also? So you're protecting Isaac… you're his bodyguard?”

  He screws up his face. “Isaac doesn’t need a bodyguard. I more protect those he cares about.”

  Loving his honesty, I test the waters. “Who are you protecting them from?”

  He coughs to clear his throat. “Col Petretti.”

  My hands ball into fists. “Why does Col have a vendetta against Isaac? Isaac may be capable of many great things, but not even he can be held accountable for a traffic accident.”

  My attitude gets nipped in the bud when Hugo discloses, “Col doesn’t blame Isaac for Ophelia’s death; only Isaac believes that. Col believes he’s a snitch.”

  Confusion slips over my face. “Why would he think Isaac is a snitch?”

  “The plea bargain Roberto Petretti got after running my sister was only given after he agreed to supply the DA evidence on his father’s shady deals. Since Col wasn’t linked to any illegal activities, only his business associates were caught in the net of Roberto’s confession. When they served time behind bars, Col’s business immensely suffered, but since Col would never believe his son ratted him out, he blamed Isaac.” He flexes and unflexes his fingers on the steering wheel. “Roberto already made my family suffer. I won’t let his family hurt another.”

  My heart breaks for Hugo. Even though he masks his pain well, he carries the loss of his sister and nephew in his eyes. When I curl my hand over his balled one on his thigh, his eyes drift to mine. “Don’t give up on Isaac, Izzy. He looks at you like my best mate looked at my sister. As Jorgie would say, you can’t fight fate.”

  “I’ll try.” I don't want to give up on Isaac. I just don't like my chances of regaining his trust. It's so easy to break, but it takes more than a lifetime to repair. Doing anything to stop the tears burning my eyes from falling, I ask, “How can you protect Isaac if you're always shadowing me?”

  When Hugo laughs, the grief straining his face slackens. “As I said earlier, Isaac doesn’t need protecting. He's more than capable of looking after himself. If you don’t believe me, ask Col’s right-hand man. He learned a hard lesson on what happens when you threaten someone Isaac loves.”

  My heart nearly bursts from his statement. If I heard him correctly, he’s implying that Isaac is in love with me. If that’s true, there may still be hope for me yet.

  For the rest of our trip, Hugo remains quiet. I don’t mind. It gives me a chance to work through the panic his confession elucidated. Half of me is excited he thinks Isaac is in love with me, whereas the other half is petrified I’ll never get the possibility of discovering the truth from Isaac myself.

  When Hugo pulls into the parking lot at the back of Destiny Records, I swing my eyes to him. “Thanks for the ride…” My praise halts halfway when he throws off his seat belt and curls out of his car.

  I join him on the sidewalk before eyeing him with suspicion. He smiles at my quirked brow before honking my nose. “Have you met Peta, Cormack’s receptionist?”

  I shake my head.

  “When you do, you’ll understand my eagerness.”

  He winks before strutting through the automatic glass door at the front of Destiny Records. When I follow him, no more words are needed. Peta is beautiful, in a sexy, schoolteacher type of way. Her tight, high-waisted skirt paired with dangerously high stilettos makes it appear as if her legs never end. She reminds me of a young Halle Berry. Even their skin tone and facial structure are a perfect match.

  I mill around in the foyer when Hugo makes his way to Peta's desk. I'll let him work his magic since Peta doesn't have eyes for anyone else in the room the instant she spots him. She bats her lashes as her nude lips gnaw on a ballpoint pen.

  After a few minutes of chit-chat, Hugo returns to my side. He rubs his hands together while smiling a blinding grin. “Cormack is finishing up an important appointment, then the next twenty minutes of his schedule is free.”

  A ghost of a smile sneaks onto my lips. Although I’m pleased with Hugo’s negotiating skills, not all my smile centers around that. His gaze never left Peta during his comment.

  “Why don’t you ask her out?”

  With a grimace, he shrugs. If he’s planning to reply with words, he loses the chance when Isaac strides out of Cormack’s office. His demeanor is so commanding, I’m not the only set of eyes watching his every move. He's so breathtakingly beautiful, my eyes hurt while assessing his perfect face and body, so I can’t blame others for enjoying the view as well.

  After shaking Cormack’s hand, Isaac shifts on his feet to face Hugo and me. His outward appearance doesn’t give any indication he has spotted us, but I can feel the heat of his gaze raking my body—it bristles every fine hair on my body and has my knees touching.

  When his attention shifts to Hugo, his jaw gains a new tick. There’s more tension in the room now than there was Friday night when Hugo placed himself between us.

  As he makes his way to the front door, no words are spoken between us, but I’m hopeful my eyes will relay how much I miss him and that I’m sorry for hurting him.

  Once he’s no longer in sight, my watering eyes lift to Hugo. “You're not on a day off, are you?”

  He grins. “Nope. I set a new record by getting fired twice in one night.”

  Chapter 8

  Isabelle

  A smile curves my lips when I read Harlow’s message.

  Harlow: I don't know what you said to Cormack, but thank you.

  After returning her message saying I only did what I should have done months ago, I show Hugo our joint success. Cormack was more than willing to listen to my pleas for forgiveness. I don’t know if it was brutal honesty that got him over the line, or Hugo telling him over a dozen men are lining up to take his place in Harlow's life if he weren't up to the task. From the recognition that dawned across Cormack's face, I'd say it was the latter. Harlow is beautiful. She has a strong work ethic and an even stronger heart. If Cormack waited too long, another man would snatch her away from him without a single regret.

  “At least someone listened to my advice.”

  I wait for Hugo to pull his car into the front of my building before asking, “What happened between you and Isaac that got you fired?”

  His teeth shine in the sun when he smiles. “I told him to pull his head out of his ass.”

  “Seriously?” When he nods, I slap his bicep. “How the hell are you still breathing?”

  His chuckle bounces around the interior of his car. “You can’t punish someone for being honest. He didn’t give you a chance to explain yourself. He should have.”

  His blind faith is shocking, but oh so needed after the shit few days I’ve had. “Why do you trust me so much, Hugo?”

  He shuts down his engine before tilting his torso my way. “If you wanted to pin anything on Isaac, you had plenty of chances before you guys became official.” He licks his dry lips. “I might have also given you a handful of tests.”

  “What kind of tests?” I’m more curious than angry.

  My throat grows scratchy when he says, “The envelopes in Isaac’s apartment, they weren’t real. I planted them to see if you’d take them.” He works his jaw side to side. “I also tapped your phone to see if you reached out to anyone after Isaac met with Henry Gottle at the McGregor residence.”

  I glare at him, furious he invaded my privacy, but also grateful he always has Isaac’s best interests at the forefront of his mind.

  I take back every nice thought I’ve ever had about him when he mutters, “Also, there was the whole club 57 incident—”

  “You said you turned off the cameras!”

  He gags—loudly. “Believe me, I t
urned them off long before anything raunchy happened. I prefer participating in sexual activities, not watching them like some sicko behind a computer monitor, but thanks for your faith, Izzy.”

  I try to hide my smile, but the smallest one curves my mouth. You couldn’t hear the pure disgust in his voice. He’s mortified just at the idea of watching Isaac and me get naughty.

  Hugo tries to do a better job of explaining himself. “Isaac went in brutal, but you didn’t even blink at his aggression.” He smiles a cheeky grin. “Well, you did, but it was more that girly flutter-your-eyelashes-excessively type of blink that makes guys wonder if you have something stuck in your eye.”

  “Kind of like the look Peta was hitting you with earlier?”

  He gives me a playful wink. “Something like that.” He waits for my eyes to stop rolling before adding, “After I told Isaac to pull his head out of his ass, I said the same thing to him that I said to Cormack. Isaac didn’t handle it as well as Cormack did. Even intoxicated, his right hook is hard as fuck.”

  “He hit you?”

  Hugo’s shoulder touches his ear. “He wasn’t aiming to kill. He was just pissed. I’d have been more concerned if he didn’t react to my taunt. You should have been, too.”

  Honestly, I’m torn on the whole situation. Did Isaac respond because he was jealous, or did he just not appreciate Hugo telling him what to do? I know without a shadow of a doubt that Isaac hates being strong-armed, so perhaps it had more to do with that than jealousy?

  With my head not held as high as it was moments ago, I lock my eyes with Hugo. “Do you want to come up? I could use a drink or four, and I’d love some company.”

  I’m also enjoying Hugo’s frankness. He's sharing information left, right, and center today, so anything I can do to extend that, I will. Even after investigating Isaac for six months, and dating him for one, I’m still only just scratching the surface of his enigmatic personality.

  “Are you ready for the repercussion that may bring?”

  I stare at Hugo, confused by his statement.