Nerds in Force

by D. R. Grady

  Including Harlow’s own father. And it sounded like evidence pointed to her great-grandfather’s death as well. Her grandfather had also shown suspicious symptoms.

  “Have you spoken to your grandfather?” He asked this as soon as it occurred to him.

  “Yes. This morning. He sounds so much like himself again, it’s unreal.” She wiped the back of her neck.

  “Was Chad with you?” Her brother’s adjustment period to the large number of people in the house proved to take longer than anyone else’s. This made sense since he was on the autism spectrum and enjoyed spending time alone. His safe space upstairs helped, as did the small bedroom he used while here. No one in their group had known either space existed, mostly because the doors were concealed.

  Gage had told him they had done that for Chad and he still used those rooms. They had been designed for him and continued to work. Plus the cell like room where he slept now was close to his safe space, so he appreciated that.

  “He was. He seemed glad to hear Granddad doing so well.” Her face beamed ever so slightly. He could tell she was pleased. Amazing that he’d only met her on Monday but could already tell a few things about her. Eric and Savannah both admitted she was difficult to read. Keith couldn’t say he agreed.

  Verity and Cian also seemed comfortable with her.

  For a reason yet unknown to him he found that amazing and amusing. He was happy for all three, who probably didn’t have many friends. Harlow and Verity understood each other on a level most women couldn’t connect. She and Cian shared an admiration for Verity but they also had experienced some ugly situations, so this would aid their friendship.

  Keith and Verity had always gotten along and he wondered if Cian might become one of his closest friends as well. In a similar manner to the former secret operative, he had seen the seedier side of life and lived to tell the tale.

  And that thought brought him right back to the woman who kept stealing his thoughts.

  She viscerally got what he’d been through and she supported him rather than displayed even an ounce of fear.

  Keith needed that in a woman.

  Chapter 11

  Harlow settled in front of her computer in a side room at the twins’ house. Intended to be an office space for guests, she had used one of the four in the past. Now she settled in and called up the programs she used for work. She had kept up with email since the fire, aware that her administrative assistant, her grandfather’s assistant, and their consultant held the company together but she wanted to keep in the loop. Their vice presidents could all also be counted on.

  Finn and Gage were cousins, somewhere in her family tree, but she had others too who had proved their capabilities and loyalty through the years. One of them had called to her attention the mysterious deaths so eerily similar to her father’s. He hadn’t gotten as far as her in the research as his skills were limited.

  She called him now, a terrible thought rumbling through her brain. “Hi Charlie.”

  “Hey Harlow. I heard you’ve had a tough week.”

  “Yes, it’s been a trial. Are you okay?” She also named their other cousins in that questioning. All of them people she loved and had known her entire life. They were steadfast, wonderful family members who all had each others and her back.

  “I’m not sure what you’re asking?”

  “No one has tried to kill you?”

  Charlie sputtered. “No.” He cleared his throat, coughed a few times, and then came back on. Uh oh. She must have asked that while he sipped coffee.

  “Someone did try to kill you? That rumor is true?” He wheezed and she could commiserate. She never wanted to repeat her smoky Monday night experience.

  “Yes. The attempt count so far is three times. And there’s evidence to prove that someone tried to poison my grandfather and they succeeded with our great-grandfather.”

  “That’s bad.” Charlie was one of the most level-headed people she knew.

  “Please don’t do any research on those deaths you alerted me to.”

  “You think that’s why you’ve been targeted?”

  “I do. I’ve met two of the children of the employees who died. They also started looking deeper into their parent’s deaths and have since been targeted. Both of them were shot at.” Harlow hated to scare him but he needed to be warned.

  “I’ll alert everyone to stay clear of further research. Thankfully we haven’t had a lot of time to focus on that.”

  “What’s going on?” She listened as he outlined the business week.

  Her grandfather hadn’t formally retired yet and had agreed not to do so until she cleared their family name in her last job as the company troubleshooter. And until another cousin retired from the military and took over her duties. He wasn’t slated to do so for another month at least.

  No one had expected her grandfather’s health to fail so suddenly. Although with as robust as he sounded this morning she hoped that he would soon pick up the reins again. In the meantime, they had this consultant the twins recommended and she trusted him to do his job. “Have any of you heard from Granddad?”

  “I haven’t. But his assistant might have.”

  “It wouldn’t surprise me. I’ll check.” Actually, she should be able to tell whether he had logged on through some of the programs they used. She could also message him.

  She and Charlie discussed the course of action for the business at hand. Harlow had every confidence that Charlie, their consultant, and their staff would handle any issues. They already had and after her input they’d be able to leave for the weekend and not worry about business until Monday morning. They finished their conversation with both of them jotting some notes and ended the call after Charlie expressed for her to be careful.

  “I will, I promise. Please personally tell everyone not to look into those deaths. No matter how tempting because someone is shooting at, and/or trying to kill anyone who does.” She could not stress that enough.

  “I’ll see to it as soon as we get off the phone.”

  “Thank you. And happy weekend.”

  “Same to you.” Charlie hung up and Harlow reflected on the weekend ahead of them. Chances were good she’d end up working through most of it. She didn’t sigh. This was so common as to be boring.

  It’d be nice if she had some plans but they were confined to the house, for the most part. Keith and Eric seemed to be the only ones who ventured outside on the beach. Savannah’s bodyguards did as well.

  She didn’t know if she had met them all or not. Gage and Finn probably popped outside as well but they had asked her and Chad to remain inside. Savannah and Beau were also expected to lay low. Really, Eric should do the same.

  Frowning at her computer screen, she decided to call this to his brother’s attention.

  §

  Keith hadn’t had much time to catch his breath since leaving the military. It had been his life for the last sixteen years. He had intended to retire after twenty years. However, active duty in a foreign land had altered that. His PTSD was minor, but the injury to his knee wasn’t. He could walk and even run now. But he’d never be able to trust it in really tight situations.

  And that is what had propelled him out of the military. He hadn’t been ready until he heard about what was going on in Eric’s life and learned they’d gained a new sister. His entire world had changed in that moment.

  His life consisted of no job, a new sister, crazy people after them, living in the Rembrandts’ home, with a lot of people, and no idea what he wanted to do for a living or where he wanted to live. He had gotten an education while in the army. Back at the start he’d decided to go for engineering and he had the degree to prove he followed things through.

  Word on the ground was that the local army base had need for engineers. He had looked into it. At the moment he hesitated to apply because a new job would take him away from protecting his family.

  He loved his family, but looking around the empty family room, realized he was the
only one not actively engaged in doing something related to work. Ugh. Since he didn’t have work at the moment he couldn’t…

  Harlow entered the room and her face changed when she spotted him. “Just the man I was looking for.”

  He didn’t know if his heart tripped a beat due to her expression or her statement. No woman’s face had ever lit up like that when she spotted him. Keith had to admit he liked it.

  “What can I do for you?” Several interesting options spun through his brain but he kept them to himself.

  “The twins asked me, Chad, Savannah, and Beau to refrain from activities on the beach.”

  “Right.” He had been there when they explained their reasons.

  “Is it just the four of us who are under house arrest?”

  He grimaced at her take on the situation, but really, it must feel that way. “I believe everyone else is able to come and go as they please.” Trace and Molly had been warned to be careful as well. They had more freedom than the four Harlow mentioned, but they faced a few restrictions.

  “Right. I figured. Eric is permitted the same liberty as the bodyguards yet he’s Savannah’s brother.” She settled an intense look on him. Really the woman defined intensity. Masses of energy poured off her. Eric exuded the same vibe.

  Then what she said penetrated. An exclamation escaped his lips as he thought more in depth over her statement. “He is Savannah’s biological brother.”

  “We would be naive to believe whoever is after us doesn’t know this. Maybe Eric hasn’t done a search for his father or on the other men but they have to suspect he’s related.”

  Keith weighed her thoughts, looking at the points from as many angles as possible. His conclusion did not look good for his brother. “He’s going to take issue with this.” At the same time, he tugged out his phone and texted his little brother.

  Who responded that the security meeting he was in would soon conclude.

  “He’s in a security meeting but plans to join us as soon as the meeting ends.”

  Harlow’s nod was barely there.

  This woman’s skills spoke to him on levels he hadn’t known he had. What did that say about him? Maybe that he liked his women with a lethal edge?

  Then he thought about Verity and determined he’d never take her on in any phase of his life. Verity didn’t do for him what Harlow did. Harlow brought that admirable intensity and a body that attracted all men. He appreciated that she didn’t use her amazing figure to her advantage, didn’t seem to care about her assets in that way.

  She values her skills far more than what her mama gave her, the little voice in the back of his head coached.

  Exactly.

  Her reasoning skills appealed, as did the way her brain worked. His mama could add practicality to her list of assets. Harlow brought that trait in spades.

  Harlow viewed life through the lens of what needed done and when. As he did.

  “He’s not going to like what we have to say.”

  “No, he’s not. But he’ll have to deal.”

  Eric breezed into the family room. “Who is going to have to deal?”

  He seated himself in the chair near him, much as Harlow had. They all wanted to keep the large window in view, and none of them were comfortable putting their backs to it. That spelled poor judgment for anyone with their skill set.

  Harlow looked to Keith to explain her conclusions to his little brother. He reluctantly did so. Eric’s jaw tightened the longer Keith spoke. He had expected that.

  Denial coursed across his brother’s face and he shook his head, but Harlow held up a hand. “Your biological mother also died while working for my company. Your biological father disappeared and his body has never been found, no signs of him have been located, exactly like my father. There is every reason to believe someone silenced him and they certainly don’t want a former Navy SEAL snooping into their business.”

  She didn’t raise her voice, didn’t have to do so in order to further her thoughts.

  Eric offered a small sigh. “I don’t want to stay…” He trailed off as soon as his gaze met Harlow’s hard one.

  “Yeah, neither do I. But I am because someone has tried to kill me, likely three times. If my instincts hadn’t kicked in, I might be dead from the bombs that took out my house.” She indicated the charred remains of said house in the distance.

  “You need to join the ranks of Savannah and DuBois. As well as Harlow.” Keith offered his own take.

  “Beau, you, and I are never going to tolerate being protected.” Harlow lifted her chin ever so slightly. “However, we can exercise some common sense and be careful while we protect others.”

  “I’m not about to lose my new sister or my brother.” Keith called on his big brother energy. He also didn’t intend to lose this amazing woman who spit in the eye of danger. Women like this one might not come along in three lifetimes.

  No one had ever accused him of being stupid—and Keith had no intention of altering his record.

  §

  Harlow reluctantly pushed to her feet after their conversation. At least her part of the conversation. She had stated what she needed to state and now it was up to big brother Keith to convince little brother Eric to tow the line. Whether he chose to do so or not wasn’t her problem.

  What she did need help with was figuring out which equipment to purchase to replace their current outdated models that had an unfortunate tendency to break down. She headed to the office again, aware of the two men still talking behind her.

  When she settled in front of her computer Harlow forced herself to read the specs and attributes again. She reread all of the reviews on them. Much of the language soared over her head and each model only boasted a small number of reviews. Maybe this evening she’d have to ask the twins if they had ideas. They had more experience in this than her.

  When she contacted her grandfather this morning, he had logged on, but hadn’t spent much time on company issues. Since she didn’t have any idea about this equipment she contacted him directly. But when she asked about which machinery to order he didn’t have much input.

  A new thought sprang to mind. Harlow called their general manager. Ten minutes later and his feedback proved he didn’t have any more clue than her or her grandfather. Desperate as another option popped into her brain, she tried the man who operated the equipment. Surely he’d know what might work for them.

  “He started vacation today, Miss Horgate. He’ll be off for eight business days total, I think. He’s got some vacation time to burn. He and his wife are planning to visit family in Florida.” The woman who answered the phone had been with them for less than a year. Harlow doubted she had the necessary experience to offer valuable input, despite working on the current line. She thanked the woman and ended the phone call.

  After an hour of chasing her tail, or at least that’s what this felt like, she rose to seek out a drink. At least she needed to distance herself from the information on her computer. When she entered the kitchen Keith was there puttering.

  “I thought you had work to do?”

  “I’m supposed to figure out the right equipment to replace what we have for sugar cane processing but I have no idea.” She opened the fridge and inspected the various drinks arrayed there.

  Keith had organized this space to something of near beauty.

  She blinked. “Wow.”

  He stepped beside her. “With so many of us living here it made sense to make finding what you’re looking for as easy as possible.”

  “I’ve never seen this fridge look so organized.” Choosing a drink had turned into a retail store experience. She grabbed an energy drink.

  Keith’s eyebrow rose. “I wouldn’t have taken you for an energy drink kind of woman.”

  “I have a slight addiction to them. Therefore I limit myself to two a week.”

  “Probably a good idea. That one tastes like sour apples, right?”

  “Yes. It’s my favorite. It could be bad now that I know th
ey’re here and easy to find.” She contemplated the can for a moment before popping the top and savored her first sip.

  “What kind of equipment do you need?” Keith leaned against a counter and crossed his ankles and arms. Oh but he’s pretty. If all those muscles on display constituted pretty. Her hormones purred.

  “We’re a supplier of all things sugar but our equipment is so outdated it’s not producing as fast or as efficiently as it should be.” She took another sip. “And it keeps breaking down. Maintenance staff are spending far too much time fixing the equipment and then other areas are being neglected.”

  Keith nodded. “You’re having trouble figuring out what kind of processing equipment you want?”

  “No, I’m struggling with what kind we need. There are several options but I don’t know what would work.”

  After pursing his lips, Keith asked, “Can you explain the manufacturing process to me?”

  “I have a video I can show you. I visited the facility last week and took a video to help myself. But I don’t have the engineering knowledge to know which is best.”

  “Can I see the video?”

  “Sure.” She lowered the can. “Why are you interested?” The process interested her because learning about it aided her job. But she couldn’t imagine someone else being all that into the video.

  “I have an engineering degree. I should be able to help you.”

  Her mouth dropped open for a few seconds before she took control of herself. “Thank you. I’d love some advice.”

  She about faced and headed to the office she had chosen. He followed. Harlow waved him to the other seat at the desk. His masculine scent teased her. It took a moment to quell the ridiculous urges she didn’t give credence to as she parked in front of her computer and called up the video of the sugar cane process.

  Keith tugged his chair closer and she caught his woodsy scent and a whiff of spearmint all over again. It’s Friday, you can indulge. The temptress in the back of her mind whispered what Harlow wanted to hear. She breathed a little deeper, enjoying the man’s underlying masculine scent too.