North was casually dressed in a pair of jeans and a black V-neck t-shirt. She’d showered and pulled her hair back into a low ponytail and had skipped makeup. I liked her this way, although she’d be wearing my FBI t-shirts around the house from now on.

Easy access.

He set the pile of papers he’d brought with him down on the desk between them, kept a leather portfolio in his hand.

“Thanks,” she said, giving him a small smile. “Sit. I’m sure you have a list.”

He settled into the leather chair next to mine, glanced at me. Ignored Eddie who was already snoring.

“Oh, you remember Jed Barnett. He works for John Marshall. He stopped in to thank me for finalizing the land deal. The wire went through,” she added. “Thanks for taking care of that.”

“Of course,” Julian said.

“Jed was wondering after the logging lease.” North looked at him with an open expression. Expectant.

Julian was one cool dude. He paused for a second, if that. “What lease?”

North played it cool and shrugged her slim shoulders and looked to me. “Jed can explain it better since I didn’t know about it until a few minutes ago.”

Julian shifted his focus to me.

“Caston Logging,” I said. “Macon was telling me about his arrangement. Before he died.”

One—definitely waxed—brow went up on Julian’s forehead. “He talked to you about it?”

I nodded. No question Julian knew how shady Marshall was. Since he believed I worked for him, then I was too.

I set my forearms on the arm of the leather chair. Crossed my ankle over my knee. Tried to play it casual instead of holding a gun to his head to get him to talk. No judge was going to accept a coerced confession. I couldn’t allow him to walk free because of something I did. “It’s in play now that she finalized the land purchase.”

Julian’s eyes ping ponged between us.

“You know we’re… a thing,” North said. Her blush wasn’t a lie. “I mean, you had to have heard us at the wake.”

Julian flipped open the portfolio to the pristine notepad within. “It’s not my place to comment.”

“And that’s why you’re so good at your job. Your discretion,” she added.

He preened at that. I wasn’t happy that he’d overheard me getting North get off, although I hadn’t cared who’d heard at the time. While the house had been emptied of guests, there’d been caterers in the kitchen and other people working the wake. I had to assume even a funeral director since there had been a casket in the foyer. Obviously, Julian had been somewhere in this monstrosity during the event.

“We’ve been together for over a month,” North said.

Julian frowned, as if having this get past him wasn’t something he’d considered.