Sawyer waved a hand. "This is Barrett's not-fuck-buddy."
My arms folded over my chest, my eyes lowering. "That's rude."
"So is not introducing yourself, babe."
"You didn't introduce yourself either," I snapped. "I put two and two together."
"Sawyer Anderson," he said with an exaggerated bow, then waved a hand at Tig. "Tig you-don't-need-to-know-his-last-name. Happy?"
"Somehow I doubt you have the capability to make anyone happy," I said before I could stop myself. Tig's laugh was a sound that filled the small space, making it feel like it vibrated up into your skin from the walls and floors and reverberated through all your cells in your body. I felt my lips tip up in reaction to the sound. My eyes slid over toward Sawyer to find that he had really nice, straight, white teeth. I knew this because he was actually smiling.
"Like it when a kitten shows her claws," Sawyer said, his eyes warm. "You got a name?"
"Obviously."
"Gonna tell me or make me run your plates on that sweet Porsche?"
Of course he would know that was my car. I sighed. "Elsie Bay."
Tig, who had started across the room toward Barrett, froze mid-stride. "Of Edward Bay?"
"The one and only," I said and even I could hear the bitterness in my voice.
"You called my office," Sawyer said as Tig moved behind me toward Barrett. It almost sounded like an accusation.
"Yes. I was looking for a PI."
"And you picked Barrett over me? Babe, I've got ten years of experience on him. What the fuck were you thinking?"
"Arrogant much? If you must know, Barrett seemed really tech-savvy and less intimidating."
"Don't you think that maybe having a intimidating private investigator is the way to go? Especially if you got yourself wrapped up with that piece of shit that had you up against the wall when I first got here?" Yeah, well, hindsight was twenty-twenty and all that cliche stuff. Though I was still convinced I made the right choice seeing as Sawyer was not only intimidating, but a cocksure asshole. At my stubborn silence, Sawyer sighed, shaking his head like I was an idiot. "Well, like it or not, I'm tapping out Barrett and stepping in. Don't know what the fuck you got yourself involved in, but make damn sure I will find out. I'm gonna be visiting my brother in a hospital room for a good three days and I want to know why. So you can go ahead and try to hide in a gated community behind security guards, but mark my words, babe, I'll get in and I'll get my answers."
I was just opening my mouth to snap when Tig was suddenly beside me, Barrett in one of his arms like he weighed nothing. Which, well, was somewhat true. His other huge hand lifted and moved out toward my neck. I felt myself stiffen, unsure, but all he did was brush the hair away and run a finger down the column of my throat gently, way too gently for someone so massive. "Ice and ibuprofen," he said, dropped his hand, and moved with Barrett toward, then out, the door.
I watched him go before looking back at Sawyer whose piercing eyes were on me, looking right into my soul. Then he wasn't by the door, he was stalking across the room toward me in such a predatory way that I took a few steps back before Barrett's desk stopped me. He kept coming until the toes of his shoes touched mine, his face mere inches from mine.
"Keep your head down until I can figure your shit out. Get your nails done. Have twenty dollar cocktails with your girlfriends. Don't poke your fucking nose in any more of this. I don't have the time to be visiting your clueless ass in the hospital too."
With that, he was gone.
I sank down onto the desk for a second, my heart thumping against my ribcage so hard it was almost painful. My hand rose to the lowest point of my neck and settled there and I realized for the first time that there must have been a bruise there. That was how Tig knew I needed to ice and take pain medicine. Great. That was just great. I would need...
"Get your tight ass in your sweet fucking car and get home," Sawyer's voice barked at me from the doorway. I yelped and jumped to see him standing there, looking decidedly displeased.
"Jesus," I gasped, putting a hand over my heart.
"Now Elsie. I don't have all night to stand here and watch you get all hysterical. Do that shit at home."
"You're such an asshole," I snapped, getting off the desk, snagging my purse off the floor and looking around for my keys.
"Under the pile of shit in the corner."
My brows scrunched together as I moved across the room to where he indicated, not seeing a single key sticking out. But lo and behold, when I moved the papers, there they were. "What, you have x-ray vision too?" I asked, storming over toward the door and slamming him hard in the shoulder to get him out of my way so I could step outside.