“Listen, Regan. Wincott and Bradshaw haven’t been twiddling their thumbs. They’re working on this, okay?”
“Yes, okay,” she said, feeling guilty now because she knew the detectives had been putting in long hours. “I’m sorry. It’s just that, the more I know-”
“The less afraid you’ll be.”
“That too.”
“What were you going to say?’
“The more control I’ll have. Besides, I can’t come up with a plan to help catch him unless I know all the facts, now can I?”
“I don’t like the sound of that, and neither will Wincott. Don’t you get in the middle of this.”
“I am in the middle of it.”
“I’m talking about the investigation. Don’t muck it up with foolish plans…”
“You sound like you think I’m going to do something crazy.”
She had one hand on the dashboard, getting ready to brace herself should he swerve or increase his speed.
“Would you like to drive?”
The question jarred her. “No, I wouldn’t.”
“I’m only going sixty.”
“Did I criticize your driving?”
He reached across the console and pulled her hand away from the dash. “Try to relax,” he said. “And no more talk about the investigation tonight. Okay?”
“Yes,” she agreed. She leaned back and folded her hands in her lap. “About those security guards following us…”
“Yes?”
“I don’t want them to follow us inside the club, and I’d rather no one knew that you were my bodyguard. The focus shouldn’t be on me tonight, and I don’t want a lot of questions.”
The only way the focus wouldn’t be on her was if she kept her coat on all evening and no one got a look at her dress. Actually, it was her body inside the dress, he silently corrected.
“I’ll talk to the guards and make sure they keep a low profile.”
“Thank you.”
The clouds suddenly erupted, and within seconds, fat raindrops splattered the windshield. Alec turned on the wipers and said, “I think we’re going to set a record for the most consecutive rain days.”
“That’s our exit.”
“I know.”
“Does Wincott know where Shields is hiding?”
“You’ll have to ask him that question.”
“Aiden wants me to hide too. I’m not going to, though. I’m not running away. I want to help catch him.”
“Aiden’s trying to look out for you,” he said. “I’ve got two younger sisters, and I’d probably react the same way.”
“He’s bringing in reinforcements.”
“Oh?”
“Spencer’s on his way. He’s probably already at the hotel.”
“Wasn’t he coming to Chicago for that meeting you told me about?”
“Yes.”
“But you think the two of them will try to gang up on you to get you to go into hiding?”
“Yes, but it won’t work. Like I said, I’m not going anywhere. And if anyone is hiding, it’s Aiden.”
“Yeah?” He was trying not to smile. She sounded so disgruntled now. “Who’s he hiding from?”
“Me.”
“He’s that scared of you, huh?”
“I wish.”
He did laugh then. “I gather that’s a no?”
“Aiden isn’t afraid of anyone, least of all me. He isn’t really hiding from me,” she admitted. “He is driving me crazy, though. It seems that every time I turn around, there he is, and yet, he doesn’t have time to even schedule a meeting. He keeps hiring more guards too. I’m bumping into them.”
“He’s worried about you, and that’s why there are so many security guards around. Did you ever talk to him about having your car towed away?”
“Not yet, but I will.”
“What about Walker? Is he going to gang up on you too?”
“No. He’s pretty self-absorbed these days, and I’m glad of it. I can handle two, but three against one is more difficult.”
They’d taken the exit and were slowing to a stop at a red light. The country club was a little over two miles away.
“You’re tougher than you look.”
She smiled. “I hope that’s a compliment.”
“It is,” he said. “Families can be complicated. Trust me. I know.”
“From some of the stories you’ve told me, you were pretty wild.”
“I had my share of wild times.”
With women? she wanted to ask.
“How come you’re not married?”
He shrugged. “I don’t have anything against marriage. My brothers Nick and Theo love being married. I just haven’t had time for any kind of meaningful relationship.”
“Women are like potato chips.”
“I’m sorry?” He couldn’t believe he’d heard her correctly. “Women are what?”
“Like potato chips,” she repeated. “That’s what a guy in college once told me.”
“A boyfriend?”
She shook her head. “No, he was dating a friend of mine, and sleeping around on her.”
“Did he tell you why he thought women were like potato chips?”
“Yes. He said he couldn’t eat just one.”
He thought that was hilarious. He’d heard a lot of lame reasons men gave women when they got caught cheating, but this one had to be the worst yet.
“It’s not that funny,” she said.
“Yeah, it is.”
He turned the corner. The rain was coming down in torrents now. They followed a limo through the iron gates. There were gaslights outlining the half mile drive that curved through the palatial grounds to the clubhouse. Whoever had designed the club had wanted to impress, and he had certainly achieved that goal. The opulence of the three-story structure at the top of the rise was close to being an embarrassment of excess. Soft lights shone down on massive white pillars. The brick building reminded Alec of a southern plantation run amuck.
Chapter Thirty-one
The rain didn’t let up. Alec handed his car keys to the valet and followed Regan up the stairs. He was one step behind her, and it occurred to her that he was making himself a target in order to protect her.
“Do you belong to this club?” he asked.
She shook her head. “It’s not my kind of place.”
The comment surprised him. “Not my kind of place either. It’s too…”
“Pretentious?” she whispered.
“Yes.”
Two men in red tailcoats opened the massive double doors as they approached. As Regan and Alec were walking inside, he took her arm and said, “I don’t want you to go anywhere without me. Not even the ladies’ room.”
She turned to him. “Are you going to go in there with me?”
“No, but I’m making sure it’s empty.”
He took her coat, removed his own, and handed both to the coat check woman. His frown told Regan that he didn’t approve of what she was wearing. She almost said something and then changed her mind. She draped the silk shawl around her shoulders and knotted it, and as soon as she did that, his frown eased.
He looked so dashing all dressed up in his tux. His bow tie was crooked, though, and a lock of his hair had fallen down on his forehead. Without a thought as to what she was doing, she stepped closer, adjusted his tie, and brushed his hair back in place.
She made the mistake of looking into his eyes. They wrinkled at the corners, and she knew he wanted to laugh at her. She could have stared at him all night. Time to get hold of yourself, she thought.
She stepped back. “I didn’t mean to… you know.”