Thunderbolt over Texas

“I’ve got a missing brooch.” She waited, hoping his ego would force him to give out his own information.

“We know the age of the fake,” he said.

“Of course we do.” She waited again.

“We know it’s the Erickson family.”

Sydney nodded, concentrating on keeping her expression neutral. Had he talked to Grandma? Had he been to Texas?

“You talked to them?” asked Bradley.

“I’ve got Cole Erickson with me now,” she admitted. Maybe if she focused on Cole, Bradley wouldn’t realize Grandma was of any significance.

If Bradley was surprised that she volunteered Cole’s name, he didn’t show it. He probably chalked it up to his superior interrogation techniques, thinking he had her right where he wanted her.

“He the guy on the phone?” Bradley asked.

“Yeah.” Sydney gave a long sigh, trying to appear tired and vulnerable. “He hasn’t given me anything. You want to give him a try?”

This time, Bradley did eye her with suspicion.

She hoped she hadn’t overplayed her hand.

Then he grinned, reaching out to touch the bottom of her chin. “Not.”

Relief shuddered through Sydney. By sheer force of will, she didn’t brush his hand away. Instead she raised her eyebrows in a question.

“Don’t want to make him nervous.” Bradley chuckled. “I think he’s got the hots for you. Not a good idea to bring him face-to-face with his competition.”

She nearly choked on that one.

Bradley moved in closer, dropping his voice to an intimate level. “Why don’t you talk to him? I can come up with a few questions for you, and you can tell me what he says, hmm?”

Sure didn’t take much for the man to think they’d joined forces. “Okay.” Sydney agreed with a nod. If Bradley focused on interrogation questions for Cole, he might just stay out of city hall wastepaper baskets.

Bradley snaked an arm around her waist and she forced herself to remain still.

“Don’t be afraid to get persuasive,” he whispered, his hot breath irritating her skin.

What? She was supposed to break Cole’s legs?

“You know what I mean.” Bradley rubbed his knuckles up and down her arm. “Flirt a little. Give a little.”

Sydney tightened her jaw and swallowed hard against her scathing retort. “Right,” she said instead.

“That’s my girl.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Cole watched with disbelief as an overpolished, ridiculously urbane-looking man kissed Sydney right there on the sidewalk. He gripped the steering wheel and everything inside him clenched to stone. He reached for the door handle, intent on ripping the jerk’s head off, but a horn sounded behind him.

He looked up to see the light had turned green. Then he glanced back at Sydney. She was smiling at the man, their posture intimate and telling. Cole’s nostrils flared and he stuffed the transmission into First.

No wonder she’d been so anxious to get rid of him this morning. She had something going on the side, and he was in the way. Whether this guy was a lover or a secret contact, her interests obviously weren’t those of the Erickson family.

Cole wasn’t about to sit still for that. Miss New York’s plotting days were over. He was taking over as of right now. He was calling up the best PI firm in the country and putting them on retainer until the job was complete. Sydney could get the hell out of his way.

He pulled into the hotel underground and parked the car. Then he grabbed an express elevator and stomped his way down the hallway. He’d call Kyle, see if his brother had come up with any leads from the neighbors. Then he’d call Joseph Neely and get some PI firm recommendations.

Kyle didn’t have any new information, so Cole moved on to Neely. Five minutes later he was armed with a list of the top-ten firms.

“Cole?” Sydney’s voice wafted through the connecting doorway.

He picked up the phone, planning to start with the L.A. firm.

Her footsteps sounded on the carpet behind him. “You find any… What are you doing?”

He turned to look at her lying, cheating, beautiful face. “Better question is, what are you doing?”

She glanced from him to the phone and back again. “I’m looking for the Thunderbolt.”

“Find it?”

“Uh…no.”

“Find anything new today?”

She shook her head.

“Nothing at all? Nothing interesting?”

“Cole?”

That was it. She’d blown her last chance.

“I’m calling P.I. firms,” he said, punching in the last few numbers.

She took a step forward, but something in his expression made her hesitate. Smart woman.

“Why?” she asked.

“Amber and Associates,” came the voice on the telephone.

“I’m interested in hiring a private investigator,” said Cole. “I need to find some missing jewelry.”

Sydney moved around the bed, stopping directly in front of him. “Don’t.”

He ignored her.

She shot a telltale glance at the disconnect button.

He covered the mouthpiece. “Don’t even think about it.”

“I’ll put you through to Dean Skye,” said the receptionist.

“Thank you,” said Cole, warning Sydney with his eyes.

“Hang up,” she insisted.

“No.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“So I can find the Thunderbolt.”

“We are finding the Thunderbolt.”

Cole scoffed out a sound of disbelief.

“Cole!”

“Dean Skye speaking.”

“Mr. Skye,” said Cole, ignoring Sydney. “I have a situation involving-”

Sydney’s hand shot out.

Cole grabbed her wrist. But he was too late. The line went dead.

He squeezed. “What the-”

She winced and he immediately let her go.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he bellowed, slamming down the receiver.

“You can’t do this.”

“Yes. As a matter of fact, I can. It’s my brooch. It’s my problem. You don’t even need to be here.”

“But-”

“You’re dead weight, Sydney. Go home.”

She blinked. “I don’t understand. What happened?”

He’d seen her in the arms of another man. That’s what happened.

And he knew in that instant that he couldn’t trust her. He also knew she was under his skin. He’d spent one single night in her arms, but there was no denying the acid spray of jealousy that burned through his body.

He was making decisions on emotion here. He had to send her away before he did something really stupid and