I’m glad they can’t see the smug smile on my face. I’m pleased they are getting along. “It’s all about emotional maturity, not age. Move out of the way so I can say goodbye to my woman.”
Marly rolls her eyes but does get out of the screen. Bell sets down her brush and approaches the camera. “Bye. I miss you.” She tucks her hair behind her head shyly. My heart squeezes.
“I miss you, too. I’ll be home soon.”
“Are you going to tell me not to worry?”
“You shouldn’t worry. Your house has good security. You’re not alone. I’ll be back tonight. Plane’s landing. Gotta go.”
I close the security app and grab my bag out of the overhead bin. An hour later, a cab drops me off in front of a storefront with floor-to-ceiling glass windows and discreet black letters in the bottom corner that saysNina Townes Gallery.
If you didn’t know where to look, you would miss it. The door saysBy appointment only, and the security guard behind the glass narrows his eyes when I press the bell for access.
“Name?” he barks.
“Jackson Knight here to speak to Nina Townes about her artist Annabella Cane. I have some information about the stalker.”
The security guard looks confused but after speaking into his earpiece, he releases the security lock and lets me in.
“Wait here,” he orders.
“I’ll look at the art,” I say, and walk toward the west wall, where a large abstract painting filled with pastel brush strokes is hung.
“I said—”
“I heard you, but frankly, if you’re worried I’m going to run off with one of these giant wall hangings right under your nose, I’m worried about both your eyesight and your abilities.”
That shuts him up and pisses him off. His eyes promise that if we meet in a back alley, he’s going to tear into me. I roll my shoulders back. I haven’t been in a good fight in a minute. This might be fun.
Unfortunately, Nina shows up. Dressed in stereotypical all black with her hair pulled back, she looks a little like a strict headmaster at an all girls’ school—a fancy one, I’ll give her that.
She approaches me with caution and a little chilliness. “I’m sorry, but I’m not familiar with you, Mr. Knight. How is it that you are acquainted with Ms. Cane?”
“She lives next door to my sister.”
“Are you sure you are talking about my Annabella Cane? Because she’s an artist who lives in Soho.”
“Lived, past tense. But then her apartment was tossed by an intruder, and you moved her down to Northpoint. She told me all about it.”
“She did?” Nina’s skepticism turns to irritation. “How impulsive of her. But I suppose that is an artist for you. They are ruled by their emotions rather than reason. Why are you here? Did something new happen?”
“Other than my sister’s chickens not laying eggs and Annabella agreeing to marry me, not really.”
“Chickens…marriage?” Nina’s eyes look like they are about to fall out in surprise, and I don’t think it’s because of the chickens.
“Yeah, we’re marrying, and I suspect that Bell is going to be knocked up soon. We’re certainly putting in every effort.” I smirk. “Because of that, I need to wrap up this stalker thing quickly. I can’t have an assailant running around and worrying my newly pregnant wife. What can you tell me about him?”
“You are going to have to leave now,” Nina replies. She waves her hand in the air to presumably gesture for security to come. The guard at the front door starts in our direction. “I have no idea who you are, and Annabella has not been gone long enough to meet a man and decide to marry him. You’re obviously an opportunist who is taking advantage of a delicate artist. I won’t allow that to happen. I have too much invested—I mean, I care too much about her to see her ruined by a man.” She spits out the last word as if it’s laced with poison.
“I’d think you would be more concerned that this stalker hasn’t been caught. I suggest we work together to solve this.”
“I did not move Annabella away from one dangerous man to be exploited by another.”
The guard appears at her elbow. “Ma’am?”
“Escort this man out by any means necessary and make sure he is never allowed inside again.” She narrows her eyes at me. “I will not have Annabella sullied by the likes of you.”
CHAPTER18