“For the hundredth time, baby… I’m a private investigator,” Graham said pointedly.
“Just because you’re a PI doesn’t mean you’re all-knowing, all-powerful. Hello? That’s Santa. And last I checked, you do not have a belly like a bowl full of jelly.”
“This morning, then?” His smirk was amused. “Think that’s the last time you conducted a thorough examination of my body…”
“Don’t you flirt with me, Graham Graves!” Gwen snapped, but there was no heat to her words.
I looked at Welles. “Take me home, please.”
“You got a leash for the dog?”
I jolted slightly at his question. I’d nearly forgotten Socks! I seriously needed to get some sleep.
“Um… yeah. Right over there, on the coffee table.”
Before I could move to get it, Welles crossed to the coffee table, scooped up Socks’ leash, and snapped it onto the puppy’s collar without a word. He then proceeded to march, Socks in tow, to the door and jerk it open for me to walk through.
“Let’s go,” he said, hazel-gold eyes on mine. “I have shit to do tonight that doesn’t include chauffeur duties.”
Oh, boy.
He wasbossy.
I waved goodbye to everyone and bustled toward the door. Before I stepped through it, I mustered the courage to turn back. My gaze sought Graham’s sharp-edged green one. It seemed to cut into me like a blade. Fighting the urge to shy away, I forced myself to ask the question I knew, if I didn’t, would haunt me all night.
“Cade,” I whispered softly. “Does he know, too? About me? About… my past?”
Graham’s eyes flared with emotion. He gave a shallow nod of confirmation.
Shit.
Cade knew.
Of course he did. It wasn’t exactly a secret. Still, I felt my stomach clench and my thoughts begin to spin in a dangerous direction. One that told me to run, runnow, run before things began to deteriorate.
“Imogen,” Graham said.
My unfocused eyes flew back to his face. It was set in a very serious expression. “Y-yes?”
“Who you are is not who you were,” he said in a flat, matter-of-fact tone that was oddly comforting. “Hightower knows that. We all know it. Why don’t you?”
Why didn’t I?
I had no answer for him. So, I gave a lame little goodbye wave, turned on my heel, and walked out the door.
* * *
Welles was not chatty by nature. I learned this on the ride home, during which he said approximately five words. (Two of which were “buckle up” and three which were profanities he muttered at other cars as he weaved in and out of the thick Saturday evening traffic in the black-on-black SUV.)
I stared out the window as we drove, feeling like I’d been tossed down a flight of stairs. Then, kicked for good measure when my body hit the bottom. I was exhausted — physically, mentally, emotionally. My limbs were leaden. Even my hair was tired. I couldn’t decide what I needed more desperately, a shower or a meal — I just knew I wanted both to be of thehotvariety.
Caught up in the numerous aches and pains of my body, I failed to notice Welles was not driving in the direction of The Sea Witch until we turned onto Cade’s street.
“Um…” I glanced over at him. “I thought you were bringing me home?”
Welles didn’t even look at me. “Give me about twenty seconds, babe. You’ll be there.”
“NotCade’shome. Home, home. My home. The Sea Witch.”