Page 49 of Hot Tycoons Boxset

She huddles into herself, all the excitement having leached out of her, only to be replaced by a stark sharp look.

“How did they find me?”

I scowl.

“I don’t know yet. But I plan on finding out.”

The rest of the car drive is spent in strained silence, and I can’t help but worry over how Charlotte is avoiding my gaze.

As soon as we entered the apartment, she quickly goes to our room.

“I need a shower.”

I stare at her retreating back. For the best, probably. Just moments after I hear the sound of the water turning on, the buzzer for the front door goes off.

Fergus and Ian look angry after I recount the details of the small encounter, while Zayn has his usual poker face on, although I sense that he is just as pissed.

“Why would they go after her, knowing that she’s married to me?” I growl, pacing the floor. “She’s in the public eye now. Picking her up sounds like a foolhardy idea.”

Zayn is silent, while Ian leaves the room to attend a call. Then he speaks slowly.

“You might have to consider the fact that we could be dealing with someone else. The kind of men we’re talking about here, loan sharks, they wouldn’t risk their necks like this. There’s a very good chance they aren’t behind this.”

Fergus frowns.

“I’ve brought in the security tapes from the restaurant, both exterior and interior. We can figure out if someone tipped them from the restaurant on Charlotte’s whereabouts.”

I nod at him, my eyes still trained on Zayn.

“Are you saying someone else is behind this?”

Zayn just stares at me.

“Every possibility. I found out that the men in the church are underlings, far below in the organizations of the men that Charlotte identified. They could be acting on their own under somebody else’s instructions.”

“It would make more sense,” Fergus scowls. He leans against the table, supporting himself by his hands. “I’ll have Greg take another look at Erik.”

; I shake my head.

“I don’t think it could be Erik. From how Charlotte talked about him, he seems more of a spineless moron. I doubt he has the brains to pull off something like this. But take a look at his father, maybe.”

“Or his girlfriend,” Charlotte’s voice comes from behind me, and I turn around to see her wearing my shirt, over a pair of loose pants.

She looks completely dwarfed in them, and when she walks over to me, I tuck her under my arm.

“Thebrunette?”

“The way she looked at me when Erik was trying to insult me; she didn’t look smug or self-righteous. She looked absolutely hateful. And then she walked out with her phone to make a call.” Her tone is sharp, and I can sense the anger in it.

Ian walks back in, in time to hear her words, and he studies her as he asks, “Are you sure?”

Charlotte frowns.

“I have a feeling she might be involved.”

I purse my lips as I recall the conversation I overheard between Erik and his friend on the day of the wedding, and I say slowly, “She certainly seems to have a lot of control over Erik. It wouldn’t hurt to check her out.”