She scowled, then opened her mouth just as the door opened.
“We’re ready.” Ajax stepped out. Then he looked over at the two of them, surprise making his eyes widen. “We interrupting something?”
“No,” Ria snapped.
“Yes,” he answered, ignoring her glare. “Can you give us five minutes?”
“Sure, I’ll get Sophie to the car.”
He had a hold of the other woman’s good arm, leading her down the balcony to the stairs.
“He’s being too hard on her. She’s not really a criminal.”
“Honey, she stole money. That means she’s a criminal.”
“But not a real criminal. People do all sorts of things when they’re desperate.”
“Not all of them steal, or break the law,” he told her in a low voice.
She groaned. “Jesus, you’re black and white, aren’t you?”
“What?”
“Everything is black and white for you. There’s no gray. Areas where people can mess up and be forgiven.”
“There’s plenty of gray in my life.” Jesus, he wasn’t that rigid. “But there is a difference between messing up and breaking the law.”
“She broke it because she was desperate. Not because she wanted to.”
“She had other options, Ria.”
“Well, guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree, won’t we?”
He sighed as she turned to storm off. “Ria, wait.”
“No. There’s nothing more to say.”
“There is if we want to catch this guy.”
She stilled then turned. “We?”
He wanted to keep her out of this. Wanted to keep her safe. But she was in this and he wasn’t entirely certain she wouldn’t go off on her own and do something stupid. Something he wouldn’t know about until it was too late and she ended up hurt. Keeping her close was the only way he had of protecting her.
Well, other than tying her up and putting her in a safe house. But he didn’t exactly have just cause to do that. Not when she wasn’t his.
“You’re going to let me help?”
He understood the skepticism in her voice.
“Perhaps,” he allowed.
“Why should I trust you? You
lied about who you were.”
“I never lied.” He just hadn’t told her everything. See, he knew about gray areas. “You know who I am now. I’m not holding back anything.”
She snorted. “Everyone has secrets.”