“Her assistant put the whole crew on alert.” He spoke slowly. You really believe someone I work with is behind this?”
“More likely, he or she is feeding information to whoever hired my kidnappers and the two people who wound up dead today.”
“Obviously the woman and the man you shot weren’t working together.”
“No.” Her brow furrowed. “There are clearly two different factions. The Willis cousins weren’t collaborating with the guy who broke into my apartment, either. The woman in the maroon shirt and the hit man who took her out were on opposing sides. I’d bet anything that asshole was a pro. I’m not so sure about the woman. If the cops can ID either of them, maybe we’ll learn something useful about who hired them.”
“You think someone on our crew is supplying info to two different people who are at cross-purposes? Jesus.”
“More likely, there are two separate sources. I didn’t talk to anyone but Wolf about going to New York. I’m one hundred percent certain no one on the Counterstrike team is tipping anyone off or blabbing about my business.” She raised a brow. “Can you say the same?”
His stomach knotted as he stared at her. “I guess not. I also can’t give you the names of anyone I believe would do something like that. To think that two people I know well would—”
“You told that friend of yours who you used to date where we were going.”
“Lindsey? Are you kidding? Why would she—”
“Money. Revenge. Excitement.” She gave him a speculative look. “I’m honestly not too worried about motive. But I certainly intend to check out everyone who knew we were driving down to New York today.” She hesitated for a moment. “Do you think your daughter told anyone?”
He had to count to ten to keep from shouting. When he was certain he could control his temper, he spoke. “Now you’re blaming my ex-wife?”
Talia let out a sigh. “I’ll investigate every possibility. Do you want to make a list of potential suspects so I can get started on background checks? Or would you prefer to take a run around the block to cool off first? I have a feeling you’d like to throw something right now.”
When his phone dinged, he glanced at the screen. “Pizza’s here. I’ll go get it and think about what I want to do.”
“Okay.” Her gaze held steady on his. “I understand it isn’t easy to question the motives of people you like and trust. Believe me, I’m not trying to make this hard for you. Still, we need to get answers.”
He nodded, but his steps were heavy as he headed toward the door. He had a feeling he wasn’t going to like those answers—no matter how they panned out.
Chapter Eleven
At the quiet knock, Talia opened the door. Wyatt stood in the hall, holding a fragrant box, His expression was sober.
“I forgot my key.”
She stepped back to let him pass. “That smells amazing.”
He set the pizza down on the small table in the corner of the room and rested a hand on her shoulder. “Yeah, it does. Let’s enjoy our dinner and not argue while we eat, okay?”
Her heart ached at the conflict darkening his eyes. “I don’t want to argue at all.”
“I realize you’re just doing your job, but I’m not used to mistrusting the people I work with. Or seeing dead bodies.” He shuddered. “And I certainly haven’t forgotten you got shot today. At this point, I’m ready to scrap everything and simply walk away.”
She gripped the back of the chair pushed up to the table as she contemplated her response. “Honestly, Wyatt, I’m not sure that would solve the problem. This whole spoon thing is out in the open now. Even if we back off, it might not stop these people from making another move. It depends on who we’re dealing with and the motives driving them to do whatever it takes to get what they want, up to and including murder.”
He swore softly. “I stirred up this nightmare. This shit show is on me.”
“No, it isn’t. You exposed a powerful secret, but maybe that needed to happen. Maybe all this underlying ugliness needs to be rooted out—for the public good.”
When he didn’t answer, Talia walked over to the mini-fridge, pulled out two bottles of water, and handed one to him before taking a small container of ibuprofen from her purse and shaking a couple of tablets into her hand. She swallowed them and sat down at the table.
After a moment, he joined her. “Does your arm hurt a lot?”
“The meds the paramedics gave me are wearing off.” She pulled a gooey slice from the box and set it on a napkin. “Still, I’ve experienced far worse pain. Over the counter stuff should manage my discomfort.”
He took a bite of pizza and studied her. “Why do you do what you do? You act like getting shot, even if it is just a flesh wound, is no big deal. Clearly, you’re extremely smart and talented and could make a very good living from your computer skills without subjecting yourself to danger on a daily basis.”
“I make a difference in people’s lives.” She spoke with quiet confidence. “Knowing that feels good.”
“You’re an interesting woman. I’m pretty certain I’ve barely scratched the surface when it comes to what makes you tick.”
She smiled. “Well, it isn’t a bomb about to explode, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“Funny, too.” Desire flared in his eyes as he held her gaze. “And hot.”
Emotion fluttered in her stomach. “You don’t have to butter me up. I won’t make you sleep on the window seat.”
A hint of a smile appeared. “From what I’ve learned about you, I doubt you’ll be sharing the bed with me, anyway.” He let out a long sigh. “I’ll make that list you want. My guess is you’ll spend the entire night trying to ferret out the leak.”
“Or leaks. I think we’re dealing with two distinct individuals. Or two different groups. Probably either political in nature or some crackpot ideology cult. If we can isolate the information source, he or she may lead us to the real power at play here.”
“And then what?”
Talia chewed slowly and swallowed. “We take what we discover to someone with real clout. I’m not supposed to know this, but . . .” She hunched one shoulder. “I may have run background checks on my teammates the same way Wolf did when he hired each of us. Just to make sure he didn’t miss anything. Complete trust is essential in our line of work.”
“You don’t have to make excuses for being cautious.”
“I can’t help feeling guilty. The reason we keep our personal lives private is for our own protection. Anyway, Wolf’s father is a U.S. Senator. He’d be the one to talk to.”
“Sounds like you’ve put a lot of thought into this.”
“We can’t afford to make mistakes, like putting our trust in the wrong person.”
“Which brings us back to my list.” Wyatt wiped his hands on a napkin. “I’ll get on that now.” He pushed back his chair and walked over to sit on the edge of the bed with his phone.
Talia put the leftover pizza in the fridge and then sat down on the other side of the bed to text Wolf. He responded within seconds. There’d been no word yet from his FBI buddy on the identity of the two bodies.
“Crap.”
Wyatt glanced over his shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Don’t mind me.”
He gave her a disbelieving look before turning back to his phone. After a minute, she toed off her shoes and stretched out on the comforter. Her arm throbbed, and her nerves were stretched to the limit, making it impossible to relax. Plus, she couldn’t stop thinking she should have done something differently today. Dead bodies weren’t helpful.
Finally, she pushed up off the bed. “I’m going to take a shower. I feel gross.”
“Okay.” He eyed her silently. “After the day we had, it’s all right to fall apart a little. You can lean on me, you know.”
“I do know.” Her heart squeezed at the concern in his eyes. “I just might. But not until after I wash off the blood.”
“Good idea.
”
When he went back to his list, she dug her robe and a sleep shirt out of her suitcase and headed into the bathroom. A long, hot shower helped put the situation back into perspective. She’d do what she always did—dig into research until she found answers.
Warm, sweet-scented steam rolled out of the bathroom when she opened the door. Her hair was still slightly damp, but she felt one hundred percent better. Wyatt stood in front of the window with his hands stuffed in his pockets. She padded across the carpet toward him.
He turned and smiled. “That took a while. Did you have any problem replacing the dressing on your arm?”
“Nope. I’ve had practice with previous wounds.” When she reached his side, he slid his arm around her, and she leaned against him.
“I finished the list and emailed it to you. Contact info and notes about everyone’s position on the crew. I also included Lindsey, as instructed, and my ex-wife and her husband since I’m sure Bree told them where we were going.”
“Thank you. Someone on that list is bound to have connections that will set off alarm bells. It’ll give us a place to start, but it could take me a while to uncover anything noteworthy.”
“It’s late.” He checked his phone. “After ten. Why don’t you get a decent night’s sleep and tackle this project in the morning? As you said, answers won’t come quickly.”
“True.” She let out deep sigh. “We can’t hang out at this bed and breakfast forever. We need to figure out where we’re going next, someplace where I can spend some quality time with my computer.”
“Home.” He turned her to face him and rested his hands on her shoulders. “I want to see my daughter. Also, if you’re investigating the people I work with, they’ll all be in the L.A. area. I got a text from Rita while you were in the shower. She intends to scrap filming at Bedford House, at least for now, and head back to California to reassess the situation.”
“You want me to come with you?”
“Very much.” He tilted her chin with one finger and softly stroked her bottom lip. “My desire to spend time with you isn’t just about those damn spoons.”
A quiver traveled through her as he pulled her a little closer. “Okay. I’ll go home with you.”
He paused. “No argument?”
“Nope. We’ll catch a flight in the morning.”
“And tonight?” His aqua blue eyes darkened to turquoise as he tugged her up tight against him.
“We’ll do what I’m pretty sure we’ve both been wanting to do since we first met on your front porch. To hell with playing it safe and worrying about tomorrow. Right now, I just want to feel alive and connected and know someone actually cares.”
He lowered his head and kissed her, taking his time. “What’s between us is a heck of a lot more than simple caring, Talia.” He punctuated his words with a string of kisses down the side of her neck. “Even if you do make me crazy sometimes.”
She smiled and closed her eyes. “I have that effect on people.”
“Hopefully they don’t all want to do this.” He untied the belt on her robe and slid the soft material down her arms. It fell in a fuzzy pile at her feet. After throwing back the comforter on the bed, he scooped her up and lowered her onto the sheet. Somehow, when he pulled away after a few more kisses, her T-shirt came with him, leaving her naked on the bed except for the square patch of gauze covering her arm.
She couldn’t stop smiling. “That move was pure skill.”
“We all need a hobby.” He yanked his shirt over his head and dropped it on the floor. His shorts followed, leaving him wearing a pair of boxers printed with books.
“Interesting choice in underwear.”
“Undressing women isn’t my only hobby.” Instead of climbing into bed with her, he squatted down to open his suitcase.
Amused, she waited while he dug through the contents. “Looking for your jammies?”
He glanced up and grinned. “I don’t think I’ll need them. But I hope these will come in handy.” He rose and set two foil packets on the nightstand, then walked over to turn off the lights, plunging the room into darkness. Cotton rustled as he dropped his boxers.
Finally, he crawled into bed beside her and pulled the comforter up over them both. She cuddled into his arms and rested her cheek on his bare chest. Heat radiated from him, and he smelled faintly of some woodsy aftershave. Beneath her ear, his heart thumped steadily.
“God, this is nice.”
“Nice?” Laughter rumbled in his chest. “I’m definitely losing my touch if that’s the best adjective you can come up with.”
“I’m all about numbers, not words. But there’s nothing wrong with nice.” She pressed her nose against his neck and touched the pulse beating at the base of his throat with the tip of her tongue.
He quivered and rolled her beneath him. “I don’t want to hurt your arm.” His voice sounded strained.
“You won’t.” She wrapped her legs around his hips. “I think this is where we were the last time we got interrupted.”
“Nothing is going to stop us tonight.” His warm mouth teased hers open.
She was drowning in sensation as his hands cupped her breasts. Her breath came quickly, even as she tried not to give up all control.
“Don’t think.” His voice was a whisper in her ear. Foil ripped, and the back of his hand brushed against her moist, sensitive skin as he covered himself. “Just feel.”
She sank deeper into the moment until there was nothing but Wyatt . . . inside her, around her, urging her toward release. She cried out and collapsed backward as his weight pressed her into the mattress.
Eyes closed, she drifted slowly back to reality. To the thump of his fast-beating heart and quickened breathing. To the damp melding of skin on skin and earthy scent of sex. “That was a whole lot better than nice.”
“You’re amazing. Together, we’re combustible.”
She could only nod in response. When he left the bed a few minutes later, she murmured in protest, already half asleep.
“I’ll be right back.” He dropped a kiss on her shoulder above the bandage before pulling the covers up.
Talia woke sometime in the night, her body tingling with awareness as Wyatt buried his face between her breasts. She wrapped her arms around him and held on tightly when he inched upward to cover her lips with his and slide deep inside her. Letting out a moan, she clung, knowing she’d never before experienced anything like this man. Certain she never would again. Hoping with every part of her heart that they could make it last. Make it real.
When it was over, he cradled her against his chest as she drifted back to sleep. Feeling safe. And loved.
* * * *
Wyatt threw open the front door of his house and waved Talia inside. “Make yourself at home. Mi casa es tu casa.”
She strolled into the living room and set her suitcase and computer bag down next to the couch. “How’s your daughter going to feel about me staying here?”
“She seemed excited about it when I talked to her. Based on your brief meeting the last time you were here, she thought you were very cool.”
“That’s a plus.” She poked her suitcase with the tip of her flipflop. “Should I take this to your guest room.”
“My guest room is a futon mattress in my office. Bree isn’t going to freak out if you sleep in my room.”
Talia gave him a long, considering look. “I don’t imagine I’m your first overnight guest, but I don’t want to make your daughter uncomfortable.”
“I can count on one hand the number of women who’ve slept over when Bree is around, and I wouldn’t even need all my fingers. I’m not a Hollywood playboy, if that’s what you’re imagining.”
A smile tilted her lips. “After that move with my shirt, what did you expect me to think?”
He grinned in response. Out on the street, an engine decelerated as a car turned into the driveway. “That’ll be Bree now. Come meet my ex so she won’t accuse me of exposing our daughter to some
bimbo.”
“I definitely don’t look like a bimbo. No makeup. My hair is wild, and this outfit isn’t exactly seductive.”
He eyed her up and down, and his heart melted a little. Despite the lack of makeup, maybe because of it, her natural beauty shown through in her glowing skin and intelligent eyes. Instead of her usual sleek ponytail, her hair hung down her back in waves, and she wore a pair of loose cotton shorts and a sleeveless shirt that exposed the square gauze bandage on her arm. They’d rushed to catch a flight out of LaGuardia that morning, and she hadn’t had time to do much more than throw on clothes.
“Most women would kill to look like you do, with or without the trimmings.” When a car door slammed, he took her hand and pulled her with him. “My guess is you and Serena will hit it off.”
“If you say so.” She walked beside him across the porch but let go when he ran down the steps to hug his daughter.
“I missed you.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “It seems like it’s been way longer than a week since I was home.” He met his ex-wife’s gaze over their daughter’s head as he released Bree and bent to pet Stella when she barked sharply and pranced around his feet.
“Serena, I’d like you to meet a friend of mine.” He straightened, pushed the dog away with his foot, and put a hand at the small of Talia’s back as she reached them. “This is Talia Davis. Talia meet Serena Van Horn, Bree’s mom.”
The two women politely shook hands. Serena wore tailored slacks with a silk blouse, and her makeup was skillfully applied to accent her subtle beauty. Her hazel eyes held a hint of concern that seemed to fade as she studied Talia.
“Nice to meet you. Bree mentioned you’re from Boston. Will you be in California long?”
“I’m not sure.” Talia glanced up at him and grimaced slightly. “I’m helping Wyatt with . . . uh . . . research for his current show, and the situation is fluid.”
“It’s a big story, and we’ve had a few setbacks. I’m happy Talia agreed to use her computer skills to help me make some headway.”
Ominous Legacy (Counterstrike Book 4) Page 14