At Wit's End by A.K. Lawrence

the line forming at either end of the serving tables. Anger smouldered in her eyes and gave them a glow Wit wasn’t sure he liked.
    “Let me take you home,” he told her, “and get you drunk.”
    “That sounds like a fabulous plan,” she agreed. Her eyes found and locked on Brandt. He appeared to be flirting with a blonde at the bar. “He’d look damn good with a broken nose though, wouldn’t he?”
    “I couldn’t agree more.”
    Marie turned back to him. “Now that I’ve seen him again, my dithering makes very little sense. Let’s rip him apart.”
    “I was hoping there’d be a good opening for this. I’ve already started.” He laid a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll make him pay, I promise you.”

Chapter 5
     
    “Did that really just happen?” Marie asked as they rode down in the elevator.
    “Did what happen? Did you randomly bump into the guy who stole your life savings at an event you had put together for his brother when that was exactly the last thing you had expected?”
    Marie choked out a laugh. “Something like that.”
    “And you managed to do it without having the cops called. I’d put that in the plus column,” Wit told her.
    “I’m not sure having the cops come would be a bad thing,” she mused.
    “Oh, they could come and you’d tell them your story, he’d tell his and, before you know it, you’d sound like a stalking ex-girlfriend.”
    “It sounds like you’ve seen this happen before.”
    “Not exactly this but similar things,” he admitted.
    “I still feel like the law could take care of him.”
    “Someday it will. Cyber crimes are a relatively new field, if you think about it. The laws haven’t caught up to the technology and, with the way technology keeps taking giant leaps forward they may never be able to.”
    “But there are clear laws about what you do?”
    “Yeah, preventing it. I wrestle with it daily.”
    “The ends justify the means?”
    “ They don’t, not always. If you turn into the monsters that you’re chasing, who’s to stop someone from chasing you?”
    “Who watches the watchers?”
    “Don’t even get me started on that. I balance precariously on a thin line. Usually my research and projects are geared toward evidentiary findings for law enforcement to take over and make an arrest.”
    “You said usually. There are times…?” she left the question dangling.
    “There are times when the guy is too slick, like Teflon.”
    “And that’s when your ends justify your means?”
    “I really wish you’d stop using that phrase.”
    “I’ll consider it when it doesn’t seem as apt.”
    “Fair enough.” Wit allowed the conversation to drift into silence.
    They pushed through the main alcove doors and the breeze cooled Marie’s heated cheeks. She couldn’t believe the depth of rage that had overtaken her when she’d seen Michael. No, James, she reminded herself. She asked, “Do you mind if we walk?”
    “Suits me,” he replied. They turned towards the Mercury Building and Marie set a casual pace. He saw her shiver and angled his body to act as a wind block. When she shivered again he put an arm around her and kept walking, his body heating her side.
    “Thank you for stopping me from creating a scene,” she looked up at him and gave a tremulous smile. “I’m not sure I wouldn’t have attempted murder in there. That wouldn’t have done much for my reputation as a premiere event coordinator.”
    “As your lowly assistant I consider it one of my many duties and responsibilities,” he grinned. “Besides, if you kill him the torture ends much too quickly for my tastes.”
    “Torture? What, exactly, do you have planned?” They pushed through the doors into the Mercury building. The doorman hustled over.
    “Mr Witson, welcome home, sir.” The man wore a green, old fashioned doorman’s outfit complete with epaulets.
    “Thank you, George, it’s good to be home. How’s your family?”
    “They are doing quite well, sir, thank you