Her search through the books meant pulling on each one in turn and a quick swipe behind for a protruding latch or lever. Time was not on her side as she picked up her pace.
I don’t belong here.
“There’s nothing, guys. Could it be an electronic latch, like from the computer?”
“I’m looking while downloading his hard drive. I don’t think we’re gonna find what we need here. This thing is connected to the net, cleverly, but our guy’s not as slick as he thinks. I’m installing a keylogger to track him and I’ll dissect the files tomorrow.”
“Heads up, Megan. The roving guard is heading out of the break room. Turn off the computer and get the hell out of there.” Luc’s no-nonsense order carried urgency in quiet demand.
“Lexi, are you finished dubbing the hard drive?” Megan’s fingers shook as the book she’d pulled dropped to the floor with a thud.
“Almost. We’ll finish it tomorrow. Shut the computer’s lid and grab the flash, Megan.” In the background, Lexi’s flurry of keyboard clicking increased.
“Damn it, Megan. Move your ass. He’s heading toward the cross section and rattling each door knob. We don’t want him to see you coming out of Reinhardt’s office. It’s already been cleaned.”
It took two tries to snatch up the flash, which she subsequently fumbled to the floor. “Shit.” Though slight, the sound of the lid snapping shut resounded in her ears. “I gotta find the flash or they’ll know what I’m doing.” The slight tremble became a violent shudder as Megan swiped her hand along the floor.
“Fuck. The guard just turned the corner. You’re gonna have to wing it. You can do this.” A short pause before Luc continued, “Tell him you left your duster somewhere and couldn’t find it…that the idea of cleaning the boss’ office made you nervous and you forgot to check your cart before leaving.”
Megan found the flash and snapped it back into its niche on her key fob. For the second time, she stumbled over the rug before getting to her supply bucket. In a moment of blind inspiration, she dropped her fob in the dry pail containing various sprays and cleaning fluids. The opaque sides wouldn’t expose its contents to prying eyes unless thoroughly searched. If the guard searched her person, she prayed he wouldn’t figure out that the middle button of her blouse contained a hidden camera.
Nausea and lightheadedness threatened her composure. She needed a reason to be in the office. Luc’s tone had whispered urgency and plunged her into action. “Feather duster, right. Need something better than that.”
To give Lexi a moment to revert the cameras back to real-time, Megan would have to delay the guard inside Reinhardt’s office. The rattle of wheels jolting from rug to tile inspired a moment of insanity. She folded the rug back and dumped a small pile of dirt on the tile. Retrieving her dust broom and pan, she’d just knelt when the door opened. In feigned surprise, she dropped both.
“Hey, what are you doing in here? You’re supposed to be in maintenance.”
“Sorree. I, um, kinda had to finish in here. My supervisor keeps getting on my case about being slow.” A slight pout accompanied her tugging the bandana from her head, a dangerous move if her earbud fell out. Waves of brown hair floated down and caressed her waist. Men had always touted it as her best feature.
The tall guard stalked closer.
“So, you swept the dirt under the rug and thought no one would notice the lump?” Disbelief in the frown and pursed lips accompanied the guard cocking his head to the side. His expression morphed into appreciation when she affected a come-hither smile.
Despite the crinkles softening his eyes and mouth, he snatched his walkie-talkie and questioned the watchman ensconced in the CCTV control room. “Johnson, everything quiet on the monitors?”
The surly voice answering reminded her of Lucas. “Yeah, except for Santa’s sleigh just landed on the rooftop and his reindeer are headed toward the breakroom for some holiday cheer. You might want to help the big guy with his packages.”
Kilregard’s tight frame loosened as he stalked forward to stand over her. “I realize you’re new, but you can’t be in this section alone. A supervisor has to accompany you in any of these offices.”
To continue the charade, Megan scooped up the dirt and deposited it in the trash bucket before standing. Show time.
The guard’s name, Kilregard, was printed on his light jacket and inspired icicle-like manacles circling her spine. She had to tilt her head back to see his eyes when he stepped close enough for his minty breath to wash over her cheeks.
“What if a guard were to accompany me? Would that be okay?” Megan dropped her alto into a rich, throaty laugh as she rested her fingers on the guard’s chest. Lightly circling the top button of his uniform shirt with a grazing touch, she suppressed the shudder threatening to expose her farce.
“In that case, I’d have to say its okay.” A suggestive glance downward conveyed the path of his thoughts before he continued, “You may have the window dressing of a flake, but your eyes give you away. I see intelligence. What are you up to?”
She had moments to convince him, to give him something that partially verified his assessment yet led to a different conclusion and path.
“I’m just trying to keep a low profile from my ex. He has a nasty temper. Besides, I’m happy enough for the time being.” The slow glide of her tongue along her lower lip redirected his focus. “He’s a coward, but bigger than me.”
“You mean if he sees you with someone else, you think he’ll back off?”
“Exactly. And who better than someone else who’s very, um, large,” she let her gaze drift down his chest and rest on his groin. “A man who wears a uniform and carries a big gun?”
“Huh. Okay. What ’cha doing after work?”
His slight tug on her hair snapped her gaze to his face. Heat. A small amount of mistrust peppered his gaze, but in the end, lust won.
Hmm, never seen that type of reaction before.
In an attempt to assess his determination, she sidled closer. Perhaps he’d mistake her tremulous smile and shivers for excitement. Blood roared through her ears, magnified by the tenuously seated ear bud.
Taller and strong enough to crush her, he personified dominance in the cocky smile, confident stride, and the self-assured, larger-than-life presence. The niggling fear that he was also more than he pretended to be, multiplied the goose flesh covering her arms. He reminded her of the McAllister brothers. A slight flex of her fingers verified his penchant for regular exercise.
“This morning I have to take my son to the doctor.” Though she wore no wedding ring, Megan realized kids were the equivalent of a cold shower to most men. It might also dissuade him from wanting to see her place.
“Okay, perhaps tomorrow morning?” His fingers drifted across her shoulder and up her neck, dangerously close to her right ear.
Fear gripped her heart as her fingers latched onto his wandering hand. Not brazen enough to place it where he’d want it to go, she repositioned it on the upper part of her sternum. The slight dip of his finger while he played with the indentation brought more chills.
When his fingers grazed a little lower, she sucked in a quick breath and closed her eyes. This time when she took his hand, she placed it between her breasts, both as a restraint and a promise. Oh shit. The camera button was slightly larger than the others.
“I’d like that. Give me a few days to line up a sitter.”
“I’m looking forward to it.” A slight side-to-side shift of his hand combined with his other hand at the small of her back held his prey in place.
His hand on her chest froze.
If he’s noted the difference in button size, he’ll do a body search. In retrospect, she didn’t think it was that much different and wouldn’t be noticed. Unless someone is trained to look.
“My supervisor is gonna wonder what I’m doing.”
His lips flattened to a straight line as his eyebrows hooked downward. “Yeah, this isn’t the place or the time.”
Stepping back, she took a deep breath. Checking her cart offered a minute to collect her thoughts.
He escorted her to the break room, his version of idle chitchat including tales of hunting and shooting. I wonder if he prefers four- or two-legged prey.
The blessing came in the form of radio silence, both Lexi and Lucas withholding their commentary. If either had whispered in her ear, she would’ve jumped a foot off the ground.
Upon entering the break room, she smiled at Kilregard, who moved on to make his rounds without mentioning her indiscretion. So focused on putting one foot in front of the other, she’d forgotten to fix her hair.
“Damn, you do move fast when motivated. No wonder you dawdled over your chores.” Disapproval laced the supervisor’s tone.
“Shit. I’ve been trying to get that one on his back since he started.” Meredith’s pout and scrunched nose proclaimed the competition had just begun.
Megan couldn’t tell if the quiet respirations heard were issued from her own throat or her conspirators in the woods. She wasn’t used to such drama and had never aspired to the status of adrenaline junkie.
The plan for her to gather evidence included several weeks as a maid before disappearing and exposing the grand plan. She’d been there two weeks. Her claim of needing money allowed an extra night’s work and time for snooping. If she didn’t complete her objective soon, she’d have an additional problem with fending off the guard.
Chapter Eleven
Lucas clenched his jaw until the throb in his temple escalated to the violent rhythm roaring through his veins. The guttural bellow locked inside his mind fogged his thoughts as well as his vision.
For the first time in his life, he was speechless.
He’d watched his computer’s split screen showing the hijacked feed on one side and input from Megan’s body cam on the other. When she sidled up to the night guard, batting her lashes and pursing her lips in a soulful pout, his fingers seized the laptop with an iron grip. The sonofabitch had taken the bait. What man in his right mind wouldn’t? When she’d placed his hand between her breasts, covering her body cam, he’d lost it. Sweat drenched his face and trickled between his shoulder blades.
Lexi’s restraining grip on his forearm kept him from rushing into the building and taking the bastard apart. Pointing to the hijacked feed, she reassured him Megan was intact.
“What the fuck was that?” The virtual ground glass churning his stomach hurt more than his leg. Two hours had passed since observing the guard freezing with his hand on Megan’s chest.
He still couldn’t come to grips with what he’d witnessed. What if Kilregard had discovered the camera?
“That was excellent cover. And don’t forget, Megan’s still listening.” Lexi pushed a branch out of the way for Luc to pass.
“I don’t give a fuck. She’s not going back in there. We’ll find another way.”
“There is no other way if we don’t get the information first.” Lexi sighed again.
Though her trek back through the woods made little sound, his own stomping pace cracked every branch in his path. Like the sound of me breaking that bastard’s neck.
“Shhh, Lucas. A herd of elephants makes less noise.” Lexi stopped and turned to place a hand on his shoulder.
Lexi’s whispered words fell on ears clogged with the simpering of a vet-turned maid.
“There’s no one out here but us, Lexi.”
“Look, I get why you’re pissed. But Megan’s a girl who thinks on her feet and did what was necessary to defuse the situation. These. People. Kill. For all you know, that guard doubles as an assassin.”
No sooner had the words left her mouth, Lexi gripped his shirt with one hand and the strap to her computer case with the other.
In pivoting on his heel, Luc jerked Lexi off balance. Metallic clinking from his dropped bag echoed in the quiet woods. He used his arms in a futile attempt to maintain equilibrium, but his injured leg couldn’t support his weight.
“Shit.” Twisting his body, he fell on leaf litter covering a fallen branch and smaller twigs. Lexi’s added bulk with an elbow in his shoulder further soured his mindset.
“Oomph. Jeez you’re a clod. And boy do you have it bad.” Lexi disentangled herself and stood. The hand she offered for assistance was ignored.
“Bullshit. She’s been there two weeks and has acted like a harlot. Sooner or later, she’ll be expected to deliver.”
It didn’t help when Megan’s ending conversation with a co-worker detailed sexy lingerie and Halloween costumes she’d worn in past years. One in particular included satin, lace, and a thong, which when worn to an adult party, caused quite a stir.
“She’s fine, Luc. She’s safe. And she doesn’t need your overprotective hovering. She’s getting off now and I suggest you curb the alpha instinct.”
“She better not be getting off now!” Visions of Kilregard and Megan together didn’t sit well. “That prick is too smart to be a security guard. He’s got to moonlight as hired muscle.”
“He’s looking out for ClickChip’s interests.” Lexi glanced back the way they’d come. Patchy moonlight highlighted the sympathy in her gaze.
“Now, he’s looking out for his own interests.” Knowing Megan heard their conversation added insult to injury.
He stood toe-to-toe with Lexi and glared, and was in no mood for a lecture or romantic advice from a computer nerd. His feelings toward the uninvited houseguest revolved around how to achieve their collective goal. And that’s not the truth.
“C’mon, let’s go. I’m tired of woods and critters.” Lexi turned and carefully picked her way around low-hanging limbs and fallen branches.
With successive grumbles, she held a limb for an extra second, then let it fly, forcing him to concentrate and grab it, or get knocked off his feet.
“Caden’s monitoring the video cameras from his car and will let us know if there’s problems. The sooner we get home, the sooner I can decipher the files I’ve cloned.”
“Yeah, but the ones we want aren’t there. That means someone has to go back inside. I don’t like it.” Luc’s primal scream roared within where only he could hear. By the time they got home, Caden would have told the others about Kilregard’s expectations. I don’t need more shit from my brothers.
“None of us like it. But it was Megan’s friend that was killed. It was Megan that received and interpreted the reports. We can’t do this without her.”
“Yeah, fine.” When within range, Lucas growled a warning over the mic to his younger brother, “Caden, stay put until Megan gets off work. Follow her home at a discreet distance, just in case Romeo decides to change the schedule.”
The conspicuous snick of Caden’s door locking preceded his next remark. “From what I saw, maybe we should prepare for company.” A slight pause before he continued, “You think she’s interested in that idiot?” The muffled question came with guffaws and the cat-strangled tune of a wedding march. “Careful dude, jealousy can ruin the start of a beautiful relationship.”
If it weren’t for the proximity of their target’s building, he’d locate the smart-ass and blacken at least one eye. Instead, he stomped along the trail to his SUV before sliding behind the wheel. It took several deep breaths before he stopped shaking enough to drive.
Lexi filled the ride home reviewing bits and pieces of what they’d learned while Lucas tried to come to terms with the realization that he didn’t just care about Megan as a friend. No, he had to lust after her like a dog in heat. Strong-willed, stubborn to a fault, and smarter than a whip, she deserved the latter across her ass for flirting with a suspected killer.
As usual, Matt, Ethan, Billy, and Kaylee, were seated at the kitchen table when Lucas and Lexi returned. Smirks and smothered chuckles greeted his still smoldering worldview.
“I see Caden called ahead.” Lexi smiled as she sat in Ethan’s lap.
“Yup.” Ethan mumbled against Lexi’s lips. “He even sent a video clip.”
“Shut the fuck up, all of you. One word, I’m warning you. One fucking word.” The trek through the woods had magnified Luc’s pain, yet anger stiffened his gait.
“Hey, bro. We’re on your side. Though I’m surprised you left, leaving Megan to fend for herself if she got into trouble.” Billy’s smirk straightened with Luc’s pivot.
Matt jumped up and stayed his younger brother’s stalk with a hand on his chest. “No.” One word carried years of intervening experience.
“Seriously? All she had to do was bat her eyelashes. The freaking prick was toast.” Ethan joined in the ribbing.
“But that’s not all she did, was it?” Luc’s snarl of rage followed visual reminders of the guard’s hand on Megan’s chest. “No, she had to immerse herself in her role.”
“Luc, she got out of the situation using her head,” Lexi palmed Ethan’s cheek before pressing two fingers over his lips. “Babe, Luc’s had enough.”
“No. She got out of it using her body. What do you think is gonna happen if he catches her alone in a bathroom, or God forbid, the maintenance room?” The chair Luc pulled out crashed against the kitchen wall. Scrubbing his hand across his eyes didn’t erase the image.
Luc set his chair to rights but couldn’t sit still once he dropped into the seat. Adopting Billy’s irritating habit of bouncing his heel on the floor failed to disperse excess energy.
“You’re the only one here with that snapshot in your mind, little bro.” Billy shook his head but didn’t add further provocation.
A sour wad roiled in Luc’s gut and threatened revolt. Megan had escaped in part because she was a woman and had used her considerable assets to finagle her way. Unlike his dead partner, she had options and employed them.
“Knock it off. All of you.” Matt’s voice deepened as he glared at Ethan and Billy.
McAllister Justice Series Box Set Volume Two Page 9