Full Disclosure (Real Estate Relations Book 1) Page 9

  “We’re alone,” he whispered.

  “I’m going to check every room and closet carefully. You’re going to lock yourself in the office and stay there while I do it.”

  He nodded. “Okay, yeah.”

  I led him down the hall and ushered him inside. He watched with wide eyes as I shut the door and I stayed in the hallway until I heard the lock engage. “Be back soon,” I said through the door.

  “Please don’t die,” he muttered from his side.

  “I’ll do my best, kid.”

  I made my way down the hall toward the half-bathroom on the main floor, and once that was cleared, made a sweep of the living and dining areas. I was fairly certain even before I put Lee in the office that no one was here. Plenty of time had lapsed since we entered the house. But I methodically made my way through all the first-floor rooms, then crept up the stairs to the second story.

  By the time I returned to Lee, I was exhausted from the tension that had held my spine rigid for so long and the adrenaline crash coming on hard now that I was no longer in a hypervigilant state.

  I rapped on the door. “It’s me, Lee. We’re all good.”

  The lock clicked, and the door opened. Lee stood there looking more vulnerable than I’d ever seen him. “You’re sure?”

  “I’m sure.”

  He moved toward me, opening his arms for a hug. I was used to emotional witnesses who needed comfort, so I wasn’t bothered by it, but Lee aborted the action at the last second. He dropped his arms and stood awkwardly before me.

  “Okay, good. What now?”

  “Now we make a trip to the hardware store to reinforce the doors and windows. I didn’t want to put in a security system on a house we’re about to sell. I figured it’d look weird, especially in a small town known to be safe. But screw it. Better safe than sorry.”

  Lee frowned. “If someone was here for me, they wouldn’t break in, ransack a room and leave. They’d wait here and then put a bullet in my brain.”

  I nodded, acknowledging the truth of that statement. Reason was returning now that Lee’s fear had retreated.

  “I agree it doesn’t make sense, but we need to be vigilant. It could be coincidence. Someone saw the “for sale” sign and assumed the house was vacant, maybe. Camden did mention that one incident of people on the property before we ever arrived.”

  “Yeah, but I figured he was lying,” Lee said.

  I smiled. “Camden’s not the type to lie. His face would give it away in a second. But like I said, it could be coincidence, but if it’s not, wouldn’t you rather we took measures to prevent that bullet from reaching your head?”

  “Good point,” he said with a shudder. “So what if we look paranoid, right? We’re from a big city. We can blame it on that.”

  “Exactly,” I said lightly, recognizing uneasiness in the tense set of his shoulders. Lee a bit more frightened wasn’t a bad thing. A scared witness was a cautious witness. Still, I didn’t want the guy waking me up with nightmares or shaking in his boots when he should be calmly talking to customers and co-workers.

  I nudged him. “Come on, let’s get you changed and then we’ll head out to buy new locks and an alarm system. We’ll make sure no one gets in here without us knowing about it again.”

  Chapter 10

  Camden

  I’d just wrapped up another showing and watched Ted and Martha drive away when my cellphone rang. I answered, hardly daring to hope it might be a lead on another client. But Reid had come to me as a surprise call, so I could never quite squash the flicker of hope that flared at moments like these.

  “This is Camden Lewis.”

  “Mr. Lewis, this is Jeff Wallace. We talked about me taking a look at 126 E. Ivy Lane?”

  Not a buyer, but a contractor who could give them an idea of the mountain of expenses Reid was preparing to climb. I wondered again if I should try to sway him to a quick sale with no improvements as Sherrilyn had suggested in that unpleasant phone call. Something told me it would be a waste of time. Reid seemed more interested in improving the house than dumping it.

  “I remember. Do you have some estimates then?"

  “Well, no. I’m outside now, but no one is answering."

  That was odd. I’d approved the time and date with Reid, and I thought we were on the same page.

  “I’m only a few blocks away. I'll stop by and let you in.”

  While driving the few blocks to Ivy Lane, I called Reid. There were four rings before voicemail picked up. I didn’t bother leaving a message. We must have had a miscommunication. Reid was probably out running an errand. Luckily, I had a spare key and could get these repair estimates under way.

  I parked behind the large white pickup Jeff drove and met the man on the porch.

  “Sorry for the confusion. Guess we got our wires crossed.”

  Jeff looked down at his clipboard. “That’s okay. I looked at the exterior while I was waiting. I’m going to go out on a limb and say you need a roof.”

  “What tipped you off? The shingles lying on the lawn or the hole on the northeast corner where rainwater pours in?”

  I pulled out my key to unlock the door, only to remember Reid had installed new locks. I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten. Reid had been a bit paranoid about installing new locks and security after he suspected someone had been in the house. He’d questioned me about the initial report that had been made before he and Lee had arrived, but I couldn’t tell him much.

  The key wouldn’t go into the lock, and a flustered apology rose to my lips. Jeff was going to think I was a complete flake.

  “So sorry, but I just remembered …”

  The door knob turned under my hand. Surprised, I pushed open the door and peeked in. All seemed fine. Between Reid’s suspicion of an intruder and the break-in at my apartment, I was uneasy, but everything appeared to be in its place. Reid wouldn’t leave the house without locking up, but maybe he was somewhere in the house he couldn’t hear the knocking?

  An empty coffee cup sat on a wooden coffee table that had held up significantly better than the ratty sofa covered in a throw blanket. It looked too new and fluffy to have belonged to Mr. Winters, and I smiled to think of Reid cuddled up on the couch. When I followed that thought to the logical conclusion Reid most likely cozied up there with Lee, the smile dimmed. Something about that was very difficult to picture. Lee didn’t seem like the snuggly type. More than that, though, Lee didn’t seem like Reid’s type at all. Or maybe that was wishful thinking.

  “Point the way to the kitchen? We can start there,” Jeff said. “Kitchen and bathrooms tend to be most in need of renovation.”

  “Sure.”

  I started across the living area when I noticed movement on the stairs. Before I could process what I was seeing, Reid leapt from the bottom step and pinned Jeff to the floor.

  Jeff shouted in surprise, and I — to my embarrassment — shrieked.

  Pressing a hand to my thundering heart, I flinched to see Reid raise a gun.

  “Move and I’ll fucking—”

  “Reid,” I gasped, “what are you doing?”

  Reid’s eyes rolled wildly, as if he were searching out all corners of the room for danger, before they focused on my face and widened. He looked back down to the man beneath him. Jeff wisely had chosen not to fight him, but he was breathing hard.

  “Cam? Who is this?”

  “This is the contractor you agreed to meet here. Let him up!”

  Reid scrambled back, and Jeff climbed to his feet, looking wary.

  “I’m sorry. I heard a sound and I thought it was an intruder.”

  It was a plausible explanation after his certainty someone had been in the house, but it hardly justified his actions. Who in their right mind came diving out of nowhere with a gun because they’d heard a noise in the middle of the day?

  “PTSD?” Jeff asked, sounding far more understanding than I would be after being flattened to the ground.

  Reid scowled, but he didn
’t deny it. He did have a look in his eye sometimes, something that told me he’d seen some serious shit in his life.

  “Sorry. I forgot the appointment,” he said finally.

  “You didn’t answer the door or the phone, and I didn’t see your car. I thought you were out.”

  “Car’s in the garage. Guess I dozed off.” Reid looked a little embarrassed. “Late night.”

  I cleared my throat and looked away, trying not to imagine what might have kept him up. Like his young, attractive boyfriend.

  “No, not like that.” Reid chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck, flushing a little. How did he know what I was thinking? I hated that my expressions were so transparent. “I was working on the house.”

  “Want to show me around?” Jeff asked, getting us back on track. “I’ve got 20 minutes until my next appointment.”

  “Yeah! Of course.” Reid turned to me. “Are you staying or do you have somewhere to be.”

  I truthfully didn’t have anything else to do. Job hunting might be a better use of my time, but my best chance of getting ahead was selling this house. Getting a better idea of the projects that lay ahead would be a good use of my time.

  “I’ll stay.”

  Reid’s wide smile was almost payment enough.

  ***

  Reid

  I almost wanted to console Camden as Jeff laid out plans and potential costs. The kitchen should be upgraded, but because of the layout, a more modern kitchen would cost big bucks. The bathrooms were also in dire need of upgrades. The downstairs bathroom was pretty much a gut job, with an estimate in the $5,000 range. That expense wouldn’t be so bad, without the added cost of a new roof, an updated kitchen, sheetrock, flooring and paint work.

  Each time Jeff ticked an item off the list, Cam’s brow wrinkled and his eyes squinted as he attempted to do more math in his head. I knew he was subtracting the cost of each project from the potential sale price of the house, and by the time Jeff had added his exterior improvement estimates (replace rotting window sills, replace windows, replace roof), Cam’s smile goodbye was more of a grimace.

  I let Jeff out and returned to find Camden slumped in a chair at the dining room table, a hand pressed to his chest.

  “You okay?” I asked, holding back my amusement with effort.

  He glanced at me. “You can’t do all this. You’ll never get your money back. This neighborhood tops out at 100, and that’s a best-case scenario.”

  A hundred thousand dollars wouldn’t buy you a closet in LA, but in Kansas, the price of real estate was far lower. That price tag would get you a decent family-sized house in Fields, if not a beautiful showcase home with top-of-the-line materials.

  I swung a leg over a chair and straddled it backwards. Crossing my arms over the top, I propped up my chin and studied this guy who made my stomach flutter in weird and abnormal ways. He had no idea the power he held over me, and that was with the limitations of my cover as Lee’s boyfriend standing between us. I would do whatever made Camden happy. Period.

  “I know,” I said with a casual shrug.

  “But if you don’t make improvements, you’re looking at 65K,” he said. “Maybe less if the home inspection turns up any major problems.”

  “So, we’ll split the difference.”

  He turned his blue eyes on me, and my heart fucking skipped a beat in my chest. I officially had a schoolboy crush. I almost rolled my eyes at my own internal reactions to him.

  “Okay,” he said, glancing around. “The bathroom is a must. The kitchen, you might be able to get away with superficial modifications. Plenty of people live without an open floor plan or a big fancy island.”

  “I can do some work myself, too,” I said, then added as an afterthought: “With your help.”

  I was happy to focus on the house’s needs — knowing it was Camden’s first concern — so he wouldn’t think too deeply on why I’d nearly murdered a man in my living room. I still couldn’t believe I’d fallen asleep, and with the door unlocked. That was unlike me, but I wasn’t lying about the late night. After our break-in, I’d been keeping odd hours so I could make regular rounds of the house throughout the night to check our security. I’d installed sensors on the doors and windows, but I wasn’t taking any chances now that I’d seen signs of an intruder. It was probably an excess of caution, but better safe than sorry. Of course, had any killers shown up today I would have been easy pickings. I resolved to keep the door locked at all times from now on, even if it seemed paranoid.

  Jumping up from my chair, I held out a hand to Camden. He eyed it skeptically, as if it were some kind of trick, before pressing his palm to mine. I curled my fingers around his hand and tugged him out of his seat.

  “Come on,” I said. “Let’s figure out where we can start. We can go to the hardware store, get supplies and go to town on this place.”

  ***

  Camden

  I eyed Reid. “You want to start now?”

  “Yup.”

  I glanced down at my suit. Not exactly appropriate attire for home improvement projects.

  “Lee might have something that could fit you,” he suggested.

  “Absolutely not.” I winced, realizing the words came out more sharply than intended. I couldn’t possibly bring myself to wear clothes belonging to Lee when I secretly wanted his man. It just felt wrong.

  Reid didn’t appear to notice my tone. His gaze traveled down my body. “You could strip down to your underwear,” he said with a grin. “I won’t mind.”

  Just when I thought we were on a more professional footing.

  I still needed to bring up the call from Sherrilyn and her insinuations Reid didn’t take me seriously as a real estate agent, but I didn’t want to rock the boat. I needed this listing and any other work Reid wanted to throw my way. It bothered me that he saw me as a sex object, though, and not only because he had a boyfriend. I’d spent my whole life being perceived as an air-headed twink, instead of a professional. I’d spent too long as Austin’s kept man, which only enhanced that viewpoint. Jeremy’s insult, comparing me to a kewpie doll, came to mind. Hell, maybe it was even true. This real estate business wasn’t taking off like I’d hoped. But one thing I wasn’t ready to do was give up.

  When I didn’t speak, Reid didn’t get the hint to drop it. Instead, his voice became more teasing. “Okay, fine, I’ve got a towel around here somewhere. I know how you like them.”

  Heat flooded my face, more frustration than embarrassment.

  “I’ve got a gym bag in the car,” I said curtly. “I’ll change, and we can start on your house today, but I’ve got conditions.”

  “Okay.”

  “I need to be paid for my time.”

  “Of course,” Reid said. “How much?”

  I didn’t have a quick answer for that. I took my hourly rate for humiliating myself as a hot dog, added to it significantly, and hoped Reid wouldn’t think I was an asshole. “Um, $25 an hour.”

  “Done.”

  I blinked. “Really? That’s not too much?”

  Shut up, Camden. Seriously.

  “Sounds good to me. Everything here seems mega cheap compared to the West Coast anyway. It’s no big deal. Any other conditions?”

  I bit my lip. I wasn’t sure Reid would take this next part well, but I had to do it.

  “Yeah. I need to know why you flipped out on the contractor, and why the hell you have a gun. If I’m going to be working here with you — and I really want to help you with these projects — I need to feel safe.”

  “Jesus, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  Reid took a step closer, a concerned expression on his face.

  “I’m not scared,” I protested. “But I need to know it’s not going to happen again.”

  He grimaced. “It won’t. I know I over-reacted. It’s just that we had that break-in the other day. So, when I heard voices, I reacted.”

  My eyes widened. “And you just happened to have a gun lying around?
”

  I wondered if his intruders might have been the same people who’d supposedly been in the house before he arrived in town, but I could never find any signs of breaking-and-entering. Then there was my apartment getting ransacked. Could this have something to do with me? That seemed a big leap, and I couldn’t possibly imagine why someone would be targeting me. I was nobody. I was a fricking hot dog, for crying out loud.

  “Yes, I have a gun. I work in security—”

  “I thought you meant like home security. Installing alarms and that kind of thing?”

  Reid looked away. “Right, that.”

  Something about his words rang false to me, but I couldn’t say why. He turned back and met my gaze. “But I’ve worked in other types of security before, so I’m trained in firearms. I won’t put you in danger, I promise. I won’t be taken by surprise like that again.”

  I nodded, though it still seemed an over-reaction to tackle first and ask questions second, especially with a gun in your hand. What if it had gone off? But then maybe he had the safety set. What did I know? I didn’t like guns, and I’d never learned anything about them. I knew I’d never keep one in my house, so it seemed pointless.

  I decided to accept his explanation for now, rather than push him too far.

  “Did you figure out if anything was taken?”

  “No, but I hadn’t exactly memorized the contents of the house. It could have been anything.”

  I nodded. “That’s true. You don’t think there’s a connection to my apartment break-in, do you? I mean, my sign is in the yard. If it’s personal …”

  Reid rubbed his chin, his eyes taking on a distant cast as he thought. “It’s possible,” he said. “You ever ask the police to look at Austin as a possible suspect?”

  “No.”

  He gave me a stern look. “Might be time to do that. I suspect the two break-ins are coincidence, but you are the one thing they have in common. Better safe than sorry, right?”