What was she doing, lecturing the man?
“I’m flattered.” He poured them both a cup of tea without expression.
Gabriel might not be crouching like the lifelike set of lions on his floor downstairs, but the resemblance was still uncanny. Like his metal counterparts, he, too, seemed to be waiting to pounce. Yet she couldn’t dismiss the idea that he was silently laughing at her.
“Why are you here, Cassiopia?”
She swallowed hastily. “I want what Beacher Coyle gave you.”
He stilled. Though the kitchen lights were on, an ominous darkness seemed to fill the room.
“Is that right?”
The mildness of his tone was a clear rattle of warning. She hoped her quaking was all on the inside.
“We’re engaged to be married.”
A mistake. She knew it the moment the blurted words were past her lips. She’d never been any good at lying. Why hadn’t she thought ahead, prepared something to tell him?
His glance went to where her left hand lay clenched at the edge of the table. “He never mentioned a fiancée.”
She wanted to look away but couldn’t. Her gaze riveted on that terrible scar. Gabriel and Beacher were close friends. Of course he knew she was lying, but she had no choice now but to keep going or admit the truth.
“We haven’t made a formal announcement yet.”
If only she’d had a few minutes to come up with something better than a phony engagement.
“He hasn’t bought you a ring yet, either.”
Her mouth went dry. “No.”
“Do you know the password?”
Cold, then heat, flooded her. Was he serious? He looked serious.
“You’re making that up!”
She was certain he’d made it up, but his expression never altered. Gabriel waited. Unnerved, she tried to think of something plausible to say and failed.
“Why would he tell you to sneak in through a window?”
“He didn’t. But I could hardly call you again and ask for an invitation, now could I?”
Dropping her fork to the plate with a clatter, she glared at him, defying him to contradict her. “You would have hung up on me again.”
Was that the faintest trace of a curve to his lips?
“Actually, I wouldn’t have answered your call at all,” he told her, unperturbed.
He reached for his tea cup and took a swallow. “Why didn’t Beacher come himself?”
Danger. This lion was waiting to pounce and tear her to shreds. She took a breath to steady her nerves.
“He couldn’t.”
“Why?”
Her heart raced. He was toying with her, she was almost certain of it. “I think he’s in some sort of trouble.”
“You think.”
She held his gaze. “Just give me what he gave you.”
“Let’s both go to see him.”
“No!”
“No?”
His misleadingly docile tone sent every nerve in her body clanging in alarm. She’d made a hash of everything.
Gabriel leaned back in his chair with an inscrutable expression, but she knew she’d lost. If Beacher had found the toxin and given it to him he wasn’t going to tell her.
He bared his teeth. It was not a humorous smile.
“Want to try again?”
“You don’t believe me!”
His mocking expression was confirmation.
Defeat lay like bitter ashes in her mouth. Everyone seemed to agree that her father had taken the toxin and all the research from the lab itself, even though he had no motive. The working theory was that he’d conspired with Gabriel, and possibly Beacher, to steal the toxin and sell it to the highest bidder.
The authorities further decided that Gabriel had double-crossed her father and set charges to kill him and destroy any evidence. They believed her father had come home unexpectedly and set off the explosions before Gabriel could get away. There was no other explanation as to why Gabriel had been at the house that day. As far as she knew, he’d never even offered one.
She wasn’t sure where Beacher fit into this scenario, but there were a lot of things no one was telling her. She only knew the consensus was that the three men had conspired to steal the missing toxin and all the research that accompanied it. She assumed the authorities believed Gabriel and Beacher were simply waiting for the furor to die down to sell what they’d stolen. But it never had. The investigation had stayed as active as if the theft had happened yesterday. She couldn’t count the number of times she’d been questioned.
“Beacher didn’t send you, did he?” Gabriel asked.
“Of course he did.” She tried to sound forceful. He might feel sure she was lying, but until he spoke to Beacher he couldn’t be positive.
He took another bite of cheesecake and leaned back. She would not squirm under that intense stare no matter how much she wanted to. Instead, she focused on a small scar on his neck that his turtleneck didn’t completely cover.
Was he scarred all over? Was that why his fiancée had broken their engagement while he was still in the hospital? Cassy had never spoken with Andrea Fielding, but she’d seen the beautiful lab assistant with Dr. Pheng. Dr. Pheng had sent the toxin to her father in the first place, which wasn’t surprising. They were the top men in their field, friends as well as rivals since they had been graduate students together.
Cassy knew Dr. Pheng and Andrea Fielding had come under tight scrutiny as well. Everyone remotely connected to the toxin had, but only her father and Gabriel had had the opportunity to steal it.
With a sigh, she set down her fork. “Are you going to have me arrested?”
“Arrested?” He seemed to savor the word. “I don’t think there’s any need to have you arrested over some minor damage.”
She ignored the heat in her cheeks once more. “I’ll send you a check for the drapes.”
“And the screen?” he asked blandly.
“Yes, blast it. The screen, too.”
“I think we can come up with a more suitable punishment to fit this crime, don’t you?”
Cassy moistened suddenly dry lips. She was completely alone in a house with a man everyone believed was a criminal and worse. And she’d let down her guard!
“I’d rather be arrested.”
“Do I make you nervous, Cassiopia?”
Did lambs sleep with lions? Of course he made her nervous. If her palms grew any damper she’d drip all over the table, but she’d never give him the satisfaction of admitting as much.
“I’m not afraid of you.”
His dark expression lightened. If he smiled at her now she’d toss her cheesecake at him.
“Good,” he said neutrally and took another sip of tea.
She released the breath she’d been holding. “I’m going to leave.”
“Without what you came for?”
“Are you going to give it to me?”
“No.”
So Beacher had given him something! Or was he toying with