As usual, that tiny voice in his head was spot on. Cera was a potential client and the victim of a crime. He had no business thinking about how tempting those full, kissable lips of hers were, or the way Cera’s incredible eyes captivated him to the point he’d forget his own name if he stared into them for too long.
Hell, for all he knew, she could be lying through her teeth about the whole stalker thing, and this was all some elaborate bid for attention. Or she could be mentally ill, and what she believed to be true was simply a figment of her troubled imagination.
Either way, Ivan was determined to find the truth. Because that’s what he did. He discovered people’s secrets.
And before this was over, he’d know every one of Cera’s, too.
“You said you went to Sin looking to hire a P.I.” Declan held a small notebook in his hand. “Is it safe to assume you were hoping he’d be able to find and stop the person you believe is stalking you?”
The strait-laced detective kept his game face on as he questioned Cera about what had happened. The more time Ivan spent with Dec, the more he grew to like him.
Physically, Declan and Jax looked very different. Sure both men had dark, almost black hair and matching dark brown eyes. But where Jax was beefy, bearded, and covered neck-to-toe in tattoos, Declan was clean-cut and a virgin to the ink.
On the inside, however, the two brothers were much more alike than either man cared to admit. Though there was one area in particular that Ivan had witnessed over the last year or so. One common thread they unequivocally shared…
Detective or private dick, it didn’t matter. Both Jax and Declan believed in doing everything they could to help those on the wrong side of danger. No matter the personal risk.
A man torn from the same cloth, Ivan shared the brothers’ justice-seeking views. Especially when it came to women and kids.
Even when he was younger, he hadn’t given two shits if the other guys in school thought him a loser or uncool for how close he was to his two younger sisters. If either girl needed him, he was there.
During those annoying teenage years, the boys and ogling friends…the tears. Ivan had been there through it all and then some. If only he’d been around when it had mattered most.
If only…
They were the same two words that had haunted him ever since that fateful day.
If only he’d ignored Nina’s lovesick pleas when he’d threatened to beat her pretentious boyfriend’s ass. If only he’d somehow known what was going to happen.
If only he’d been home on leave a day sooner. If only she’d listened when he’d told her the guy was bad news.
If only the bastard wasn’t out there right now, walking a free man while my little sister lay six feet under.
“That was the plan, yes.”
Cera’s response to Declan’s question brought Ivan back to the present. Pushing his personal shit aside, he regrouped and maintained focus on the conversation at hand.
“No offense, Miss Davidson, but you didn’t think going to the authorities would be a better place to start?”
Frustration tightened the gorgeous woman’s features. “Ididgo to the police. More than once, as a matter of fact.”
“And?” Dec stared back at her expectantly.
“And the detective I spoke to here in Denver never even bothered to take down my name or number.” Cera crossed her arms at her chest. “He apologized for not being able to do more, told me to keep my doors locked, and maybe see if Mr. Monroe would take my case.” Before Dec could respond, she added, “Look, I get the hesitation to help. Really, I do. I mean, before today, all the police had to go on was my word that these things had happened. But you see it now, right?” Cera’s long brown hair swished softly along her shoulders as she turned her head and looked up toward her motel room. “I mean, surelythiswill get an investigation started. Right?”
Declan’s assessing gaze remained steady a beat before he slid his notebook and pen back into his pocket. “I can assure you, Miss Davidson…my partner and I will do everything we can to find the person responsible for the destruction to your room.”
“Cera,” she muttered the correction. “You can call me Cera.”
“Okay, Cera,” Declan agreed. “We’ll process the scene for prints or any other evidence that might possibly give us a lead. We’ll also knock on doors and interview the others staying here, and…” He trailed off as he looked toward the nearby street. In the next beat, Dec swung his intense gaze back toward the motel’s structure before finishing his interrupted thought. “We’ll also check for any security footage that may have caught a glimpse of your intruder.”
Good luck finding that.
Earlier, while sitting in his 4Runner waiting for Cera to exit her room, Ivan had scanned the property for that very thing. Given his background, he knew exactly what to look for.
Mounted cameras, blinking lights, extra electrical cords running from the building’s interior to the outside…
From what he could tell, this place had none of those. Not surprising, given the state of the shithole establishment. He also didn’t see city cameras on any of the street’s nearby light poles. So yeah, Declan and his team could go ahead and look, but Ivan was confident it would prove to be a waste of time.