Free Lethal Bond: Jamie Bond Mysteries Book #3 by Gemma Halliday, Jennifer Fischetto

face?"
    "Yeah." I kept my focus on driving, pretending the traffic was far more interesting than this conversation.
    He took a deep breath and said, "Okay, start at the beginning."
    I could've lied. I did it all the time with clients and even Derek. But lying to Danny was different. He was my best friend, my buddy, my…who the hell knew.
    "I went by this body shop, looking for some information on one of its employees."
    "And you tripped over a spare tire?"
    "Something like that." He didn't need all the grisly details.
    "Which shop?"
    "Um, Ventura's. It's over on…"
    "Century. Yeah, I've heard of it. There's nothing but criminals and drugs there."
    I glanced at him. How did he know that?
    "How could you go there on your own? At the very least, why didn't you bring Sam or Caleigh?"
    "Sam had to pick up Julio from school, and Caleigh is at her apartment with her father planning your wedding."
    That shut him up for a moment. But just a moment. "I thought he was coming next week. Why is he early?"
    I shrugged, glad the conversation switched gears. "He wants to interrogate his future son-in-law?"
    "Look, you should've waited to go to Ventura's until after you'd picked me up."
    Damn, this man had a one-track mind. While the idea that he wanted to protect me was kind of endearing, I hated his belief that I needed protection.
    "I'm a big girl. I know how to handle myself. I don't need hand holding."
    "Your face says otherwise."
    He reached into his duffel bag, pulled something out, then plopped it into my purse.
    Some jerkwad ahead of me swerved into the next lane and then back into mine, so I couldn't take my eyes off the road to have a look.
    "What the hell is that?" I asked, annoyed at both the driver ahead of me and the passenger beside me.
    "A bug."
    To hell with the road, my eyes whipped to Danny. "You just put a bug in my purse?!"
    "It's so I can keep tabs on you." He held up a walkie-talkie like thing that I knew was the listening end to the intrusive bug he'd just planted on me.
    "Seriously? You're baby-monitoring me now?"
    "Obviously you need it."
    Obviously?
    I made a sharp left turn, nearly flinging him into my lap. He groaned as the seatbelt dug into his shoulder. A wee bit of guilt hit me. But just a wee bit.
    "I know you think you're being helpful, but really, you're not."
    Why was it that all men felt they knew best? Or was it just the men in my life?
    "This isn't about me. It's about you throwing yourself into dangerous situations. And this isn't the first time." He clenched his jaw, as if he expected to win this argument.
    I pulled up to his apartment building and slammed on the brakes. "First off, I'm a licensed PI. Danger comes with the job. Secondly, planting a bug on me isn't going to change that. And third…" I pushed the button on his seatbelt. It whipped across him and snapped into place with a crack. Then I leaned across his lap and pushed open the door. "Get out of my car."
    "That's it? You're just throwing me out without discussing this?"
    "Oh, but I thought you knew best for me. Obviously there's nothing to discuss, right? What could I possibly have to say about my own life?"
    "You're behaving childishly." His calm tone only infuriated me more.
    "Out."
    As he reached for his duffle, I snatched the walkie-talkie from his grip.
    "Hey," he said and reached for it.
    I tossed it between my seat and door. "Nope. Now out. I've got dangerous errands to run."
    For some reason he didn't fight me. I expected another round. But he stepped out onto the curb and shut my door.
    And I sped off.
     

CHAPTER SEVEN
     
    By time I reached the office I was no longer irritated, but I still needed that bubble bath. There was something about driving with the top down, the wind in my hair that made my blood pressure drop and left me more capable of a conversation without hissing. My knees ached, and I felt like a stiff, old lady, but at least I was in slightly better spirits. My injuries had to wait a little longer though.