The kid yanked, trying to escape the solid hold Grayson had on his upper arm. Between his grip on him and the fact that Grayson had almost a foot on the guy and at least thirty pounds, the kid wasn’t going anywhere.
“Thief! Stop him!” again came the female voice and it was growing closer.
Could this guy be the person in question? Grayson gave the teenager a quick once-over. “I’m guessing that’s not yours.” Grayson gestured to the purse in the kid’s hand.
“Yes, it is.”
“It’s not exactly your color.” The purse was brown with pink trim and a pink strap.
The guy continued to struggle, obviously not smart enough to realize that he wasn’t going anywhere until the cops showed up. “Let me go!”
Grayson narrowed his gaze on the guy. “If you don’t stand still, you won’t like what I do next.”
“Dude, you don’t understand.” The kid glanced over his shoulder. “They’re after me.”
“Probably because you stole,” Grayson snatched the purse while the guy wasn’t paying attention, “this.”
The kid with a few scrawny hairs on his chin turned to him. “Hey, give that back.” He glanced over his shoulder again as a crowd formed around them. “Never mind. You keep it. Just let me go.”
“I’ll keep it and you.”
“I called the cops,” someone in the crowd called out.
Inwardly, Grayson cringed. The very last thing he wanted to do now was deal with more cops. A little more than a year ago, he’d answered enough questions to last him a lifetime. He was really tempted to let the kid get away and then Grayson could quietly slip into the thickening crowd.
Before he could make up his mind whether to do the right thing for some stranger or protect himself from yet another interrogation, the whoop-whoop of a police car blasted into the air. Then there was the slamming of a car door.
The suspect in Grayson’s hold fought for his freedom with amazing force for someone so slight. The punch that landed in Grayson’s gut made him grunt. Anger pumped in his veins. No matter what it cost him personally, this guy needed to learn a lesson.
The crowd parted, allowing the police officer to make his way over to them. Thankfully the officer immediately took custody of the feisty young man and restrained him.
“Move aside.” A deep gruff voice shouted. “Let the lady pass.”
Grayson glanced up to find the most beautiful young woman standing at the edge of the crowd. Immediately he could see that there was something special about her. Maybe it was her big brown eyes. Or perhaps it was the way her long flowing dark brown hair framed her face. Whatever it was, she was definitely a looker.
It was only then that Grayson noticed the big burly man at her side. Her boyfriend? Most likely. The stab of disappointment assailed him.
Not that he was interested in starting anything romantic. He’d learned his lesson about affairs of the heart—they made you do things you wouldn’t normally do and in the end, you got your heart broken, or in his case ripped from his chest. No, he was better on his own.
He was about to turn away when he realized the young woman looked familiar. And then it came to him. She was Lady Annabelle DiSalvo—the very woman he was here to meet with.
The police officer turned to the crowd. “There’s nothing here to see. Everyone, please, move on.”
Lady DiSalvo didn’t move. Was she that fascinated? Or could she be the victim in this case?
This was not the way he’d planned for their relationship to start—their business relationship that was. And then her gaze moved to him. He waited, wondering if she recognized him. Nothing a
ppeared to register in her eyes. And then she turned to talk to the man at her side.
A camera flash momentarily blinded Grayson.
Seriously? Could this day get any worse?
* * *
Where is it?
It has to be here.