“You’ll have to save the verbal guilt trip for later,” Ash said into what felt like a century of silence.
If she wanted to play the stranger card, he’d follow along. For a while. “What am I doing here, Ash?”
Liv’s eyes narrowed on his brother. “Ash?”
“Asher Cameron Blackwell,” his brother explained. “Only my family calls me by that name.”
Zeke folded his arms. “He needed a clean break when he became a G-man. Isn’t that right, brother?”
Ignoring him, Ash answered his previous question. “I can’t say anything until the SRA arrives.” He indicated Liv. “This is Special Agent Olivia Westcott. Olivia, my smart-mouthed brother, Ezekiel, and CEO of Blackwell Asset Recovery Services or BARS, for short.”
She was a fucking FBI agent.Why hadn’t that realization come to him yet? Because he was too focused on seeing a trace of recognition in those devastating blue eyes.
Zeke thought back to their encounter two weeks ago, to the large group of men and women wearing matching lanyards, to Liv sitting at the bar perusing a booklet—no doubt a program schedule, to her sensible conference shoes.
He shook his head at his own stupidity, his own subconscious desire that she not be one of them.
Why in the hell had she been sitting alone?
“Zeke,” he corrected through clenched teeth as he lifted a hand in Liv’s direction.
She stepped around Ash and grasped Zeke’s hand in a firm grip. No hesitancy. No bolt of electricity when skin met skin. No recognition of the hours they’d explored each other’s bodies.
Her features softened in greeting, an expression she’d probably delivered a thousand times. Nothing special. No hint of her sexy hot tub smile.
Did she not remember him?
The thought made his stomach turn.
Ash waved a hand toward the oval conference table surrounded by six leather chairs. “Have a seat.”
Liv and Ash took seats next to each other. Zeke sat across from them.
“Sorry, I’m late,” a blond forty-something man with narrow-set eyes said. “I’m Senior Resident Agent Mitch Lawson.” He held out his hand. “Good to meet you, Mr. Blackwell.”
“Zeke.” He threw Ash a disgusted look before turning back to Lawson. “We’ve already met.”
Lawson paused in the act of sitting. “Have we?”
“Two weeks ago, in Charlotte. You and some woman hijacked my dinner date.”
“The woman was Special Agent in Charge Shanice Williams from the Charlotte field office,” Ash said, sending Zeke a warning look.
Lawson studied Zeke a moment. “That’s right. Now I remember.”
Something about the entire exchange felt off to Zeke. If he had to guess, he’d say that Lawson recalled their first meeting before Zeke’s reminder. Why would he act otherwise?
Secrets already. Great.
Lawson reached across the table and drew a remote from a basket at its center. “What I’m about to share with you cannot leave this room.”
“I’m not surprised, given the mysterious nature of my brother’s call.”
“Special Agent Blackwell was under strict orders to get you here. That was it.”
“Then he was a good little special agent.”
His brother cut him a sharp look.