by D. R. Grady
“Are Verity and Cian coming along?”
“I don’t think so. They’re still unraveling a bunch of files that relate to Nesla. It would serve us better if they remain on the computer.”
“I thought Chad was doing that.” He glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
“He showed them the system and how to navigate it. Chad is brilliant with computers and he will get the job done…” She sighed.
“But he’s easily distracted.”
“Very much. See, he has his idea notebooks, which he didn’t have previously. We won’t get much from him for the next little while.”
“Right. I’ll arrange for us to leave right after breakfast.” He checked his phone face. “The locksmith won’t be open until then anyway.”
Harlow agreed even though she preferred to leave this very moment. However, fueling her body for the excursion made sense. She also wanted to have the house thoroughly cleaned…
After breakfast they climbed into Keith’s SUV and headed to the locksmith shop. It didn’t take long to obtain the keys and she paid the bill. The keys and instructions on how to use the new digital pad didn’t look anything like the access from her youth. It didn’t matter. She needed secure access to her house.
As the SUV swept around the final curve in the road the house stood in all its glory against the backdrop of the ocean behind it and settled into the hills at the forefront. “This is one of my favorite views.”
“It’s beautiful.”
The house rose majestically out of the landscape, not as large as the twin’s mansion but still magnificent and elegant. Part of why she loved it so much was because her ancestors had built this home to be a monument to their cause. To remind the island that they had prosperity because of honesty and integrity.
She gritted her teeth over the wasted years the Nunes family had usurped. They had been everything the Horgates stood against. The antithesis of all her family had built and created.
In the depths of her being, Harlow vowed to bring that woman to justice. She would face the consequences of her crimes. Harlow would never stop hunting her. Now that they had proof of her misdeeds, she would bring the monster to justice.
Keith swept up the driveway and parked in front of the massive front door. He should feel at home in this house. Even if it hadn’t been designed with someone of his proportions in particular, he’d appreciate that he wouldn’t have to duck.
“You won’t hit your head in our house.”
“That’s excellent news. Although I’m used to ducking.”
“At least here in your own home you won’t need to worry about it.” She headed for the front door, instructions and keys in hand. “Welcome home.”
He smiled as he followed her inside.
§
Keith marveled at the airiness of the foyer. His first impression was of a spacious, light filled home. A good first impression.
Harlow, on the other hand, wrinkled her nose. “These paint colors are hideous.”
Upon closer inspection, the dark wall colors might be considered moody. He had to agree that the dark neutrals weren’t his idea of a house color. His preferences hopefully ran along similar lines to Harlow’s.
“We’ll need to have the entire house cleaned and painted.” He had expected that.
She turned to him. “You read my mind.”
“These colors don’t work for us but they’re easily remedied.” Keith wanted to see the rest of the place.
The kitchen hadn’t been updated in a while. “Ugh, she didn’t do anything in this room.” Harlow again expressed distaste and he could see why. This important room hadn’t seen much love over the years of the hostile takeover.
A few of the cabinet doors and drawer fronts hung cock-eyed, several didn’t close, the countertops weren’t stone and looked chipped and scuffed, the appliances had been sold multiple decades ago, and ominous stains marred the once white sink. The well marked wall above the countertops had clearly never seen a backsplash.
“Did it need updating when you lived here?”
“It did. My parents planned to tackle that project after they lived in the space for a while. None of the women in my family have been interested in cooking. My dad wasn’t either.”
“Ah, that makes sense. So this is what it looked like when you lived here?”
“It is. It had become outdated when I lived here however many years ago.” She inspected the space. “The good news is that we can update the house to be exactly what we want.”
“Do we know what we want?” He couldn’t imagine the space any different, but would like to see what she had in mind.
Harlow laughed. “Oh yes. There are several ideas running through my brain. I’ve also pinned some of my favorite kitchen and bathrooms. I’ll share those with you once we return to the mansion.”
“I like the kitchen there.”
“It’s nice, yes. But I have a few ideas I’d like to add here.”
“If you’re thinking in terms of that one then good choice. I’ve enjoyed cooking in that kitchen.”
“That’s the main function, isn’t it?” She frowned slightly. “Only I don’t cook much so you’ll have to focus on the functionality. I’ll focus on the aesthetics.”
“Deal.” He could manage the functionality. Keith followed her into the other main floor rooms and eyed the masculine study with covetous eyes. “I really like this space.”
“This has been the home office for the men in my family since this house was built.” She turned glowing eyes on him. “Now this will be yours.”
That sounded great to him. “Where will you work?”
She lead him into a similarly sized, feminine library of sorts. “This is where the women in my family have always called their home office. My mother didn’t use this space much but the other women certainly did.” She eyed the stains and wear and tear on the shelves.
“Remember all of this can be fixed.”
Harlow nodded faintly. “I keep having to suppress rage.”
“Right. But this house is ours now. It’s back in your family.” He tried to send calming vibes. Yet he understood the sense of betrayal and anger she must be continually squashing.
“I hoped to move in immediately but that’s not going to happen, is it?”
“No. Not until this woman is caught. Besides, we need to stay where we are.” He stroked a finger down her cheek to caress her bottom lip. “There are three couples who would also like to be married and living their lives together but one sociopath is standing in the way of their dreams and hopes too.” He thought of what he’d learned about Savannah. “From all accounts, Savannah’s home in Nashville is really nice. She also owns a home in Los Angeles, but she’s here in Toliliel, sleeping in a bunk room with a bunch of other women and not one complaint.”
“I don’t think any of us mind that we’re living communally if you will. We understand on an instinctual level that we’re much safer together. I’m sleeping better with Verity below me and knowing that four other women share the room with us. I trust all of them.”
“It’s true. Those women all seem to trust you as well and are happy to be safe. We’ll have to wait until we catch this woman before we’re free to move in. Obviously we need to do some remodeling anyway so the timetable should work.”
They climbed the stairs after seeing all of the spacious, airy rooms downstairs. Copious amounts of paint and a hard wood restoration would brighten the space considerably.
Next they inspected the six bedrooms on this floor. The master was from another era and still lovely, although it showed signs of age. It required work but nothing like the kitchen, even the bathroom remodel wouldn’t be as extensive.
One of spacious guest rooms appeared to be Nesla’s choice as the master showed a heavy coating of dust.
“Why didn’t she sleep in the master?” Keith questioned Harlow.
“My guess is that her grandfather was still alive when they moved in here and he c
hose that suite. Then she killed him, or he died, anyway, and she had already settled in this other room. Which is a master suite of sorts.”
“It is.” The room still boasted a nice sized bathroom and a walk-in closet. Multiple windows allowed for ocean breezes and plenty of light and a French door opened onto a graceful balcony that offered spectacular views.
“This house is amazing.”
“It is. I’m thrilled to be back.” Harlow lifted her face to his. “And I’m thrilled I won’t be living here myself.” She held up a hand. “Although you can’t move in until we’re married.”
He laughed. Then bent to kiss her. “We’ll be married, yes. But I’m not proposing in this broken down house.”
“No. It’s not quite time yet, is it?”
“It isn’t. But it will be.” Keith sounded sure of this because he was.
He and Harlow would be married. They would move into this spectacular house. Once all this danger stuff got sorted out and became a part of their history.
Chapter 29
Tuesday morning brought the need for a stimulant and a text from the Horgate Industries security team.
Thwarted an arson attack early this morning. Arsonist got away.
“Of course she did.” Harlow glared at her screen. She hadn’t left the shared bathroom yet as it was still plenty early. Verity overheard her.
“What’s up?”
Harlow handed her friend the phone. Verity read the notice and when their eyes met she remembered why they had become such close buddies. Everything she felt was reflected there in Verity’s eyes. “We’re going hunting.” Not a question, but quiet satisfaction.
“It’s beyond time.” Harlow received her phone back and tucked it away. “This woman has hurt so many people and she’s going to keep coming after me. Someone is going to get hurt, maybe killed.” She added toothpaste to her toothbrush.
“I enjoy hunting monsters like her.” Anticipation rolled off Verity.
“You are my kind of woman.”
“I know.” Verity didn’t crow but the sentiment was there. “And you’re mine. I’ve never met another woman so like me it’s scary.” Said as though taken for granted. Harlow knew better. Both of them had walked this earth alone for so long that they’d never take this new friendship for granted or as a right.
Nor would she take the gift she’d been given in Keith as anything other than a privilege. Two amazing people in her life and she couldn’t be happier. Except for the monster on the run who needed to be imprisoned before she hurt or killed additional people.
“What are the men going to say about this?” Harlow almost didn’t care. She brushed her teeth.
Verity offered their equivalent of a shrug. The tiniest of muscle movement. “Doesn’t matter. We know she’s a problem and we have the unique skills to capture her. The police are overworked as it is.” Verity joined her at the next sink to brush her teeth.
“So we just leave her trussed up in front of the police department?” This appealed to her sense of humor. Perhaps it was warped. She spit toothpaste into the sink.
Verity laughed. A soft, throaty version she had to hate. “That’s exactly what we’re going to do. You’re brilliant.”
“They’re not giving me the corner office at Horgate because I’m a fool.” Harlow could joke about her pending job change with Verity because this woman understood.
“You’re going to do fine as the CEO.”
“I’ll figure it out. But I’m going to miss my current job.” That might be where her issues stemmed. She enjoyed the physical aspects of what she did. She rinsed her mouth and the toothbrush.
“You’re getting married. That usually leads to kids. How are you going to do your current job pregnant?”
Okay, good point. “I hadn’t thought that far in advance.”
“Yeah, I’ve had to figure this out so I can catch you up. We should never stop training, never stop exercising and the diet.” Verity slanted a wicked grin at her. “Imagine the bad guys’ reaction when they realize the CEO they thought they could grab turns the tables on them. And she’s a woman.” Verity rinsed her mouth.
Harlow laughed. “Okay, you’ve reassured me. Thank you. I will keep up with my training, especially in light of Keith. He intends to keep up his as well. And you and Cian aren’t going to slow down.”
“No. That would get us killed. You can’t really retire from our job.” Verity’s lower lip jutted momentarily. “We didn’t think that through when we decided we wanted to be spies.”
“You were eight.” Harlow still marveled at that.
“Right, my prince decided for me but he didn’t make a mistake. The evidence was always there. I’d have made a great criminal too. Except they tend to come to a bad end.”
Harlow guffawed. “You as a criminal…” She shook her head. “We should probably concentrate on the criminal we intend capture.”
“Yes. I think Chad, Cian, and I can track her. Chad is close and he’s scary good with a computer.”
“He is. It’s both a gift and a curse. Remember, Asperger Syndrome.”
“Yeah, there’s always a catch, isn’t there?”
“There is. He’d like to have better social skills.” Long years of practice helped her push those longings aside. “We’ll take knowing Nesla’s location as a consolation prize. Then we go in and take her down.”
“How many people will she have with her?” Verity’s eyes narrowed.
“No one. She’ll have crossed her associates or killed them by now. This type of criminal doesn’t attract loyalists. If they do, they terminate the association on a permanent basis.”
Verity nodded ever so slightly. “Ah, she’s that type. That makes our job easier.”
“It does. We still need backup as per standard procedure. But I think we should make this as simple as possible.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“We allow her to find me.”
§
“I hate this plan.” Keith voiced his opinion, well aware he’d be outvoted.
“I know.” Harlow was sympathetic. “But it’s the simplest and the best one we’ve got. We could track her but then she has the home turf advantage.”
“She knows the house really well. She’s lived there for the last fifteen years?”
“Something like that.” Harlow growled, but she kept on. “She might have lived there, but I doubt she knows the house’s secrets. Nesla doesn’t seem like the type to learn new things unless they directly impact her plans.”
“What’s special about this house?” Hunter cocked an eyebrow at Harlow.
When she finished explaining Verity and Hunter appeared both impressed and convinced.
“I still hate this plan.” Keith didn’t back down. He could point out several places where it lacked strength…
“I’m aware of that. But she tried to burn down my company last night. She knows she can’t get us here, so she’s going to harm innocent people. That will not bother her.”
Harlow didn’t need to make her point so passionately. He’d known the instant he heard about the attempt on Horgate that they needed to do something. He just hated the notion of Harlow being the prey.
Supposed prey.
“You don’t believe this Nesla understands your skills?” He needed reassurance right now. A lot of it.
“She believes I’m like her. A spoiled rich girl, albeit legitimate. It used to grate on her in our youth that she wasn’t legitimate. I am. And I’m taking over the company business. That’s no secret in our circles. She also has a grudge against me because I saw through her facade as kids.”
Harlow spelled out things in a cringe-worthy list. Nesla had some serious mental issues. They’d already determined that. No empathy in a woman was rare, at least in his experience. Baring the small percentage who had learned to fake it he hadn’t encountered many women who didn’t possess some empathy. Harlow had explained that over the years this woman had learned to fake empathy.
This added to her likableness. And she learned from her mistakes.
This made her a master manipulator.
“She’s going to come after you until she feels you’ve suffered enough,” Verity stated flatly. “Or until we bring her down and hand her over.”
“Shouldn’t be too hard.” Harlow didn’t sound intimidated or daunted by this task.
“This woman might have killed countless times.” He and Hunter exchanged looks. “At the very least she has committed more crimes than we probably know. She’s a gun-runner.”
Both women stared back at him, extreme patience etched across their faces. “Right, this isn’t the first time either of you have encountered this sort of person.”
Keith faced the reality that he had signed up for life with a woman who had probably seen worse stuff than him.
“The drug lord in Columbia was a little daunting. He had high tech everything.” Harlow’s tone turned musing.
“Yeah, same. Didn’t know if I’d make it out of that mission alive.” Verity added her own experience.
He shot Hunter a look. Who explained what he’d faced. “I believe my last mission might have been with this woman you’re after. She almost got caught in her own trap. Otherwise I’d be dead.” He lifted his shirt to show the scars across his stomach. “This was my last mission. Don’t underestimate her.”
Both women studied his stomach. Or at least the scars that crisscrossed his midsection. Hunter’s impressive muscles didn’t hide the map of scars that indicated the wounds he’d suffered. He was lucky to be alive.
“I wonder if that was her first time doing her own dirty work?” Harlow’s narrowed eyes made him reconsider.
“You don’t think she did her own dirty work?”
“Her grandfather was a posh businessman. He certainly did not. But Nesla wouldn’t have the trust of most of his associates. And they’d have to pay for those services. I can see a narcissist like her believing she could perform the same duties as a hardened professional. Chances are good she did some of those things as a teen.”