Nic blinked several times. “You’d think that would be all over the news.”
“I imagine it will be once the press catches wind of things. There’s really no story there, though. Obviously, I can’t change who I am. It was time.”
Nic’s open confusion had Kenneth rethinking his offer. Dealing with Nic was always a risk. The man was smart. He knew something wasn’t right with Kenneth. Too much time in Nic’s company, and Nic might figure out his scheme. It was obvious there was already some puzzle inside his head that Nic furiously worked to solve.
Kenneth moved to step around Nic. “Good luck uncovering your work mole. I hope you find them before they sabotage your career.” He made it two steps before Nic stepped into his path again.
Heads turned their way.
Nic looked around nervously at the people watching them. “Just dinner, right?”
An unhealthy wave of satisfaction ran through Kenneth. Something twisted rose inside him. Kenneth hadn’t felt this reckless in a while. “Just dinner. No strings and no ulterior motive. We’re just putting this bad blood to bed.”
Nic still looked suspicious. When he finally nodded, Kenneth fought a triumphant smile from stretching his lips. He honestly had no plan and still it felt like a trap had sprung. Nic was as good as his.
Dinner with Kenneth was the dumbest fucking thing he had ever done. The only thing Nic could give himself any credit for being halfway smart about was refusing to ride with Kenneth. He followed him to the restaurant. As he pulled into the parking spot next to Kenneth’s BMW, he still considered leaving. It wasn’t too late yet to change his mind. Then he put the car in park and stepped out, stealing his own chance to run. It was like his body ran on autopilot.
Kenneth smiled. “I see you haven’t lost your touch at tailing me.”
“So you did call my boss?”
“It was a joke.” Kenneth’s confidence never dimmed in the face of Nic’s irritation. It was obvious no one ever put the man in his place. Then again, his place was on top, so… fuck. Nic supposed he had every right to be cocky. Bastard. His light blue eyes and salt and pepper hair just screamed money, and it didn’t even make sense.
Nic tore his gaze away from Kenneth and eyed the building. “I’ve never been here.” In fact, Nic had never seen the place.
Kenneth motioned toward the door. “Then you’re in for a treat.”
The faster they went inside, the quicker this would end. Nic moved to the door. Kenneth reached past him and opened it. The scent of chocolate and spice washed over Nic. He nearly turned his head toward the smell. His stomach muscles clenched as if he braced himself to get fucked. Nic’s reaction pissed him off. Nothing about the slimy senator could be considered the least bit redeemable. He forced himself to keep moving. His attention immediately shifted to the restaurant as he stepped through the door. The place was gorgeous… and empty. Almost like they were closed. That threw Nic. His gaze skirted across the room. Intimate tables with white tablecloths and flickering candles littered the place. Empty wine glasses waited to be filled. Polished silverware gleamed as the candlelight flickered from their shiny surfaces. Not a single table had any guests. A man in a black suit stepped from the recesses of the building as they cleared the door.
“Ah. Senator Yearly. I have your table ready.”
All the tables looked ready. Nic fought a hysterical laugh. Kenneth set his hand on the small of Nic’s back, as if urging him forward. Nic jumped away at his touch.
Confusion crossed Kenneth’s features before quickly disappearing. “Sorry. It’s a habit.” He looked angry with himself as he barreled ahead, leaving Nic to follow. His reaction piqued Nic’s curiosity. He wondered why such a habit irritated Kenneth to the point of needing to break it. Kenneth pulled out a chair, hesitated, and then pushed it back in before circling the table to sit. He looked mulish as he waited for Nic to claim the seat across from him. As he sat, it hit Nic. He had intended to pull the chair out for Nic before changing his mind. Kenneth fought good manners. That was odd. Then again, Nic had jumped away from his touch, so maybe not.
Nic tried moving past the strange moment. “What kind of food does this place serve?”
“Italian.”
He even sounded mad.
“I love Italian.”
Kenneth stared at a spot over Nic’s shoulder. His jaw stayed set in a hard line. He didn’t acknowledge Nic’s statement. Nic fought to save the night. It was a hard pill to swallow, but Kenneth had been nothing but nice to him. Even this dinner was a career-saving move on Nic’s behalf. Nic could try to be a bit more gracious. He opened his mouth, determined to say something nice, but nothing came to mind. Instead, he simply sat back and stared at Kenneth. In the past, it had occurred to him how young he looked for his age, but damn. He really looked young for his age. It was more than staying in shape, which he obviously did. He honestly looked no more than thirty-five despite the gray weaved through his hair.
Kenneth’s light blue gaze finally moved his way, catching Nic staring. His features softened. Nic’s heart skipped a beat for no reason at all. The room got hotter as they held each other’s stare.
“So, that’s a nice flower,” Nic said, motioning toward a lone bright purple rose in a nearby vase.
A smile exploded across Kenneth’s face at Nic’s sad attempt at conversation. A breath caught in his throat. His mind blanked. He wanted to punch himself in the face.
“Tell me about yourself outside of detective work.”
That was a good start. It was a lifeline. “Um. Let’s see. I’m an only child. My dad passed a year ago and my mom moved to a retirement community shortly after. She lives on the west coast, so I don’t see her often.”
“You look too young for elderly parents.”
Nic nodded. He got that a lot. “They waited until their forties to have me. They wanted to be financially secure. Mostly, I was just cheated out of time with them, but whatever. To each their own.”
“What had you moving across the country? Or did they move?”
“It was me. I worked for a small county police department, but the FBI was my dream. I had to spend twenty weeks at Quantico as part of my training. Virginia actually has full seasons. I liked that, so when a post opened at the DC office, I worked my ass off to get it.”
“I can read between the lines. You think I fucked that up for you?”
Like all his cases, and despite his personal feelings about the senator, Nic had cared about finding Kenneth. He had wanted Kenneth to be alive and well. Yet when he turned up exactly that way, Nic felt like a fool for caring. For searching. It had been his job, but still. It had been personal. He felt betrayed in some way he couldn’t explain. All evidence pointed to Kenneth being dead. Then he wasn’t. Something about the entire situation felt wrong. But there was a glaring truth he had to face before it cost him his career.
“You didn’t fuck that up for me. My persistence did. When I took my team to New York, I was one hundred percent certain I had your killer. When you showed up alive and well, it was my inability to stop digging that lost me my team and got me bumped down. I should be thrilled you’re alive. Most cases don’t end that way.” He couldn’t explain why this one time it didn’t feel like a win.