Page 9 of Tracking Payton
Alex gulped. Colin never swore unless he was upset, and it took a lot to piss him off. His hard-earned control was well known. When he blew, you’d better get out of the way.
Alex should have known better. He was never very good at keeping secrets from Colin, and now he’d just offended Colin’s intelligence but lying to his face. “I’ll tell you later. When we’re at a more secure location.”
“More secure than Nick Weber’s house?”
“Walls have ears. I promise, I’ll tell you.”
“You better,” Colin warned with a pointed finger.
No more secrets. Honestly, Colin’s help could be beneficial. “What did you find?” He nodded at the binder Colin was holding.
“It’s not evidence, but I found this in the colonel’s room.” He opened the book to reveal pictures and reports on him and Colin. Page after page of their growing through the ranks to Colin’s accident.
“Dad liked to keep tabs on you guys.” Came a feminine voice from behind them.
Chapter 5
Colin dropped the binder, and Alex hid the envelope behind his back, tucking it in the back of his pants as they turned to their surprise guest. “He was really proud of both of you.”
“Darn it, Payton. You just scared ten years off my life.” Colin covered his chest as Payton leaned casually against the doorframe.
Alex didn’t question why she was there. The damn woman was a nuisance. She wasn’t going to give up trying to find her dad, instead of leaving this to him and Colin. People who actually knew how to track people down.
“You boys are getting sloppy if you didn’t hear me.”
“You shouldn’t be here, Payton,” he snapped instead of responding to her accusation. It had been sloppy. He should have heard her; there was no excuse.
He watched her hackles go up as she pushed off the doorframe. “It doesn’t change the fact that I am.”
God, this woman. He didn’t know whether to strangle, kiss her, or both. “This isn’t some kind of game.”
“I never said it was.”
Alex was done playing games with her. He’d tried to be nice about this. Not anymore. He stalked toward her until they were chest to chest. He didn’t have to bend down far until their faces were inches apart. “I get you want to help your dad, but you are out of your league, little girl.”
“And I suppose this is your league?” she asked with a grin, again not intimidated.
He nodded. “I’m more equipped to handle the situation than you.”
Payton nodded as if agreeing. “Are break-ins a specialty, Hotshot?”
That statement gave him pause. “What? Colin and I didn’t break in; we had a key.”
“Not you,” she said as if talking to a simpleton. “The two idiots at Dad’s office pretending to be cops are downstairs raiding my father’s office as we speak.”
What? “How do you know they’re fake?”
“I can tell the difference.” That wasn’t much of an answer, nor did he have time to find out more.
“Why didn’t you call the police then?” he accused as he pulled her into the room and looked out into the hallway. Now he could hear the voices downstairs and the sound of things being knocked over.
“I thought you were equipped to handle the situation,” Payton challenged, crossing her arms over her chest. “I figured you’d want to know to, you know, save the day,” she said, waving her hand in the air in a show of indifference.
Alex glowered down at her. He didn’t know why he bothered. He had yet to intimidate her. She just made him so flustered. “You know, for someone’s father’s house being burglarized, you’re awfully calm.”
“I have big bad men to defend me. Why should I worry?” His didn’t miss the fire in her eyes. She hated that he’d told her that she was a little woman and needed to stay out of this. Though to be fair, he was trying to keep her safe. If the men downstairs posed as police and were now in Nick’s home rooting through his office, there was a chance they were after what Alex had. He couldn’t let them get it.
“Look, I’m sorry I said that.”
