“None of the breakfast is for you. You get to stare at it and not eat a single bite.”
Chase sucked in a deep breath. “That is not cool. Friends don’t do that to friends.”
He lifted his eyebrows. “Why are you here this early?”
Chase sobered. “Because I just got some intel that I wanted to pass along to you.” He rubbed a hand over his jaw. “The next shift of agents arrived, so there are still eyes outside. I’m going to the hotel and crash for a while, but I’ll be back as soon as I recharge.”
“What’s the intel?”
Chase glanced over his shoulder. “She still sleeping?”
“She is.” Evie had looked like an angel in bed. He’d woken up hard and aching for her, and he’d wanted nothing more than to make love to her. Over and over.
But, ah, considering how rough he’d been the night before, he’d decided to try a different tactic with her.
Breakfast. She’d see it and think…Maybe he’s not such a prick. He cooked for me.
Or…not. Cole was still working out the logistics on all that.
“We don’t have concrete evidence just yet, but Eric has his suspicions, and he’s got his contacts digging as much as he can. It’s hard, though, because the incident occurred so many years ago and it happened in another country, so it’s not like we can easily get our hands on the vehicle and have our own team go over the evidence—”
“Wait. Back up.” Cole’s voice was low. Chase had been rambling and had lost him. “Another country?” He straightened. “Are you talking about Evie’s mom and step-dad?” Because he knew their fatal car accident had occurred while they were honeymooning in France.
A grim nod from Chase. “Eric thinks they might not have died in an accident.”
That was definitely new intel.
“Some forensic accounting work turned up the tidbit that her step-father’s company was on the brink of bankruptcy. Oh, sure, it looked healthy enough at first glance, but when our techs dug, they could see through the numbers.” A sigh. “Quint White owed a lot of money to a lot of people, and they were not going to get paid.”
Cole stepped back. “The perp told Harrison that he would have to pay what Quint owed him.”
Another nod from Chase. “That’s what prompted Eric to dig deeper into the step-father’s finances.” He moved closer to Cole—and swiped a piece of bacon. “The family was going to lose everything. Even the penthouse that Harrison still resides in. But then Quint White and Evie’s mother died. Everything changed.”
His stomach knotted. “That’s her bacon. Eat another piece and you’ll lose a finger.”
Chase’s gaze lingered longingly on the bacon.
“How did things change?”
Chase’s gaze rose. “Insurance policy. They both had huge insurance policies. Evie wasn’t legal at the time, and Harrison was the beneficiary. He got everything. And, since then, he’s used that influx of cash to turn around the family fortune.”
Cole heard the bedroom door open. His attention immediately shifted to Evie as she advanced toward them. Her face looked fresh and clean. Her hair swayed loosely around her shoulders. She wore jeans that were old and faded and fit her like a second skin. Her blouse was flowing and a deep emerald. Cute little ballerina flats were on her feet.
She looked good enough to friggin’ eat.
He was suddenly famished.
“I cooked for you,” Cole blurted.
“And he won’t share,” Chase muttered. “What a greedy punk.”
Evie hurried into the kitchen area. Her eyes widened when she saw what waited. “You cooked all of this for me?”
What? Were twelve pancakes—chocolate chip with powdered sugar on top—eight eggs, ten pieces of bacon, and four cinnamon rolls too much? It looked right. “Yes.”
Her face softened. “That’s really sweet of you.”
Chase choked.
Cole cut him a glare. If that bastard was choking on a piece of stolen bacon…
Chase waved his hand in the air and coughed. “She thinks you’re sweet!”
“I am sweet. Now move your hand away from the bacon.”
Evie reached for a plate. “I don’t mind sharing.”
Chase gave him a Cheshire cat grin.
“I do,” Cole rasped.
Evie offered Chase a plate.
“Thank you very much,” he told her. “It’s so nice to find someone who is a good hostess.” He helped himself. To a lot.
Cole crossed his arms over his chest.
“I-I heard a bit of what you two were saying.” She bit her lower lip. She hadn’t reached for the food yet. “You don’t think my mother died in an accident?” Worry made her eyes even darker.
Tread carefully. “We don’t know with certainty yet. Wilde is just following the clues to see what we can turn up.” But he had to push and ask her, “Did you know that your brother was the beneficiary on their insurance policies?”
“Yes. He even used part of the money to set up a trust for me.”
Cole and Chase exchanged a glance that clearly said, Mental note. Check out that trust. Make sure the cash is still there.
Because, while Evie might not realize it, Cole completely understood what Chase had been hinting at before.
A fatal crash in the mountains. One that possibly hadn’t been an accident. And suddenly a ton of money for good old Harrison?
Hello, new suspect. It’s nice to see what you look like.
She reached for one of the cinnamon rolls. Brought it toward her mouth.
Voice as mild as a spring breeze, Chase asked, “Did you know that Gia Eastman thinks you and your step-brother are sleeping together?”
She froze. “What?” Evie dropped the cinnamon roll onto her plate. “That’s not funny.”
Chase munched on bacon. “I didn’t intend for it to be,” he replied around a bite. “It was a question. You didn’t answer it.”
Evie shook her head. “No, no, of course, I didn’t know that.”
“Huh.”
Cole narrowed his eyes on his buddy.
Evie’s fingers fluttered around the cinnamon roll. “Why would she think that?”
Chase glanced at Cole. Lifted one eyebrow.
“It was a question,” Evie gritted out as she tossed Chase’s own words back at him. “You didn’t answer it.”
A bark of laughter came from Chase. “God, man, I can see why you love her. She’s got fire.”
Silence. The deafening kind.
I am going to hurt him.
Evie pushed away from the bar. “Cole doesn’t love me. That’s not a funny thing to say.”
Chase choked down the bacon. “I was…kidding.” His gaze jerked to Cole. “Sorry.”
“You will be,” Cole promised him. He could taste rage. He swallowed it. Motioned toward Evie. “You should eat.”
“I’m not hungry.”
He growled. She wasn’t hungry now because of Chase. That sonofabitch had upset her. Cole was going to—
“No, I’m sorry.” Evie sat down on the barstool. “You went to all of this trouble for me, and I really appreciate it. Thank you, Cole. It was kind.”