Here With Me (Adair Family 1)

“Oh, give me a break, Adair. I’m investigating a stalker, not compiling gossip to sell to a tabloid.”

“That doesn’t mean I trust you.”

“Considering you’re the most uptight, mistrustful son of a bitch I’ve ever encountered, I’m not going to take that personally. But Mac trusts me, so you’re going to have to unshrivel your balls and share.”

He spluttered comically. “Unshrivel my what?”

“This is getting us nowhere.” I slammed the laptop shut and picked it up. “When you realize I’m right and there may be a correlation between you leaving for Glasgow and the acceleration of events, call me. I’m staying at the Gloaming until I can find cheaper accommodation.”

I’d just touched the door handle when Adair bit out, “Everyone knew about Glasgow. Everyone in Scotland, that is.”

I turned to face him, surprised he’d given in so quickly.

His tone rang with bitterness. “Someone sold photos of me and Leighanne kissing outside a coffee shop on Buchanan Street. The photos were all over the Scottish tabloids the next day. I made sure Leighanne was okay, that the tabloids had left her alone, then I cut short my stay and returned to Ardnoch. You showed up the next day, and so did a dead deer carcass.”

“I’ll assume that last sentence wasn’t meant as some kind of tonal comparison for that particular day.”

To my utter shock, Adair’s lips actually twitched.

Was that humor in his eyes?

Who knew?

Then I realized what he’d relayed meant we were no closer to narrowing down our suspects. Frowning in thought, I spoke. “Like I said, we have to focus on people with access to the estate.” Our eyes met, and I hated to dispel his unusual moment of almost being friendly, but I continued, “Is there anyone here who you’ve engaged in a relationship with or had bad business dealings with?”

Just like that, the guard slammed shut over his face. “No one who could do this.”

“Lachlan … I’m just trying to help. I promise.”

I didn’t know if it was because I’d used his first name or if my softer tone worked wonders, but he let out a long, weary sigh and slumped into the armchair near his bed. “There are only two people on the estate I’ve slept with. Gabriella Ruiz is one of them. But it was years ago.”

My brain ticked over. “Isn’t she here because Sebastian Stone is a member?”

“Yes.”

“And does Stone know about your past relationship with his fiancée?”

Adair smirked. “It was hardly a relationship. But yes, he does.”

“And his attitude?”

“Shitty.” He gestured to the laptop in my hands. “But Mac has noted that, and his security team have been keeping a close eye on Stone.”

“Okay. And the other person?”

His expression clouded over. “It’s not her.”

“Who?”

I could see the muscle flexing in his jaw. Jesus, he really didn’t want to tell me. It was a shock, then, when he admitted, “Lucy.”

My eyebrows nearly hit my hairline. “Lucy Wainwright?”

“You sound surprised.”

“It’s just … Lucy Wainwright. Wow. I wouldn’t have thought you were her type.”

“What does that mean?”

“I just … I mean, she’s very … I don’t swing that way, but if I did, Lucy Wainwright would be the home screen on my phone, you know? She’s smokin’. And you …” I was just messing with him, but oh my God, it was so worth it to see him affronted.

“And I’m …?” He held out his hands, palm upward, openly offended by the unsaid insinuation that he wasn’t attractive enough to sleep with Lucy Wainwright.

“I’m sorry.” I swallowed my laughter. “I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m sure plenty of women find you attractive enough to forgive the lack of sense of humor. I mean, Gabriella Ruiz obviously did, and she’s gorgeous, so why not Lucy?”

“I have a sense of humor. I have—for fuck’s sake.” He scowled up at the ceiling. “Why the hell am I letting her bait me?”

Covering my grin with my hand, I watched Adair as he finally returned his eyes to mine.

Realization dawned on his face. “You’re awful, you know that?”

Yet his tone suggested otherwise.

Awareness zinged between us and just like that, my smile slipped. Discomfited by the moment, I straightened from the door and cleared my throat. “I, uh … I take it from how Lucy was with you today that things ended well between you? Or haven’t they ended?”

Adair was all business again as he pushed up off the armchair. “Things ended with Lucy over a year ago. It was amicable, and we’re still very good friends. You saw how she was with Eredine. There’s no way she would put Eredine in that position today.”

“Something happened to her, didn’t it? To Eredine. In the past.”

Lachlan stared stonily at me.

Protecting her.

I got it.

Still, I said, “My offer to teach her MMA is genuine. It might help her.”

“If anyone can talk her around to it, it’ll be Lucy.”