With her pulse racing, she remembered the same words Jack had said to her. “Why?”
He pulled his hands away and stood, balancing himself by leaning on her desk. Wiping away the tear, he stumbled toward the door. “Danger. Danger,” he mumbled.
“Steve, did someone at the firm kill Jack? Who shouldn’t I trust?” Lila placed a hand on his back, trying to steady him.
He leaned against the wall. “Stay away from this. Too much danger. They are too powerful.”
“Let me help you get home.” Lila walked him to the door.
He shook his head. “There’s nothing left. I’m staying here. Sleep it off. Nothing like a night in the lion’s den.” He slowly walked out and turned the corner.
Chapter 22
When Lila climbed into his SUV, Cody zeroed in on her grim expression. He expected her to be upset with Jack’s funeral hours earlier, but he suspected something more troubled her. “Anything you want to talk about?” He glanced at her as he pulled out of the building’s parking lot.
“No. I’m wiped out.” She turned her head and stared out at the urban scenery whipping by.
Cody peered at her before turning his attention back to the road. Something was wrong.
Five long minutes of silenced elapsed before she spoke. “Thanks for picking me up. You’ve been really…decent during all this.”
Decent hadn’t been the description he’d hoped for. He swallowed. I want her, plain and simple. The crushing reality of knowing he wouldn’t get what he wanted mimicked a gut punch. She sat only inches from him, but he couldn’t touch her. Even thoughts of cold showers and baseball couldn’t squelch his desire. Gripping the steering wheel, he wanted to throw a punch out of frustration. How life had changed because of one mistake.
He shook away the thought, refocusing on an area where they were in sync. “Did you notice anything weird at the funeral?”
Lila shifted in her seat, then angled toward him. “This whole day has been very weird. Do you mind if we don’t talk about it right now? I need to think.” She turned her head toward the window again.
Lila usually wanted to take her time and process a problem before talking it out. Cody had always given her the space she needed. “Sure.” He started singing the song, “Closing Time” by Semisonic. Whenever she’d asked him for time to think, Cody would sing any song he could think of with the word “time” in the lyrics.
She glanced at him and smiled. “Good one.” Laughing, she said, “I’d forgotten about your annoying habit.”
“What annoying habit? I’m over here minding my business, giving you time to think.” Cody grinned.
“Scratch that—I forgot how much of an asshole you were.”
She smiled again, and Cody wanted to switch to a new song, “Hallelujah.”
“It’s a genetic trait.” Cody nodded.
“Admitting it is the first step.”
They had slipped back into their unique brand of banter. Cody didn’t want to do or say anything to shatter the moment. Dealing with Lila was like trying to lure a skittish doe near a human.
“Remember the talent show junior year?” Cody asked.
“I’ll never understand why Darryl thought serenading Brittany would make her fall in love with him. Especially when he couldn’t carry a note.” Lila chuckled.
“By that night she sure knew who he was.” Cody merged onto the highway taking them away from the city.
Her smile dissolved as she rubbed her temples. “Remember our last years of high school and first few years of college? Even though the constant threat from Lance and The Order existed, we didn’t seem to let the threats take over our lives. Now, everything seems more…dire.”
“I meant what I said—I will do whatever I can to keep you safe. We may not be together any longer, but that doesn’t erase the fact I still care for you.”
She pushed a strand of hair away from her face. “Ever since we reacquainted, I’ve been thrown off with Jack’s death and the two attacks. I don’t have to tell you I’m angry…about a lot of things. I appreciate what you’ve done for me but, I don’t know…” She inhaled and stared out the window. “I can’t shake the feeling something even more horrible is about to happen.”
The Alliance members assembled in the living room of the farmhouse with takeout dinners. Lila would have preferred dinner from her father’s restaurant The Ranch, but she couldn’t risk leading the wrong people anywhere close to her family.
“Holly is on a conference call. She’ll be down soon,” Reid picked up a glass of tea from the table. “We didn’t see anyone at the funeral resembling the man in the newspaper,” Reid said. “But with the number law enforcement in attendance, we didn’t want to announce our presence.”
Adam dug into the carton containing roasted vegetable gnocchi. “My contact confirmed what Lila and Cody revealed—Garvin Jennings lives about thirty miles from here. He’s seventy-two years old, married to Sheila Jennings, a retired teacher, no children. Grew up in Missouri.” Adam shrugged. “This is all basic information, maybe a little too basic.”
“His data has been scrubbed,” Cody said.
“Looks like it, which makes Jennings all the more important.”
Lila picked up a bottle of water and sauntered to the patio door. She gazed out into the backyard with half her mind on the conversation surrounding her and the other half on the woman at the funeral. Something stirred inside her, sparking a memory.
“I say we pay Jennings a visit tomorrow.” Cody placed a slice of prime rib on to his plate, groaning after he took a bite. “So good.”
“Are you sure that’s a good move? We still don’t know much,” Carson said.
“We can’t continue to play it safe.” Cody set down his fork. “I understand you’re reasoning, Carson, but it’s time we kick our proactive plans into high gear.”
“The lack of information is a red flag,” Reid said.
Adam scooted to the edge of his seat. “With Cody’s help, we discovered Jennings was once barred in Texas, New York, and Missouri. Went to law school in Missouri and ended up working for a local law firm after graduation. Dunkirk and Associates.”
Lila whipped up her head. “Hold on. Dunkirk and Associates?”
Adam glanced at the paper he had in his hand. “Yes, that’s it.”
“Steve clerked there.” Her heart pounded. “He’s been acting weird. One minute he’s the same jovial Steve and the next he’s…I don’t know—dark and brooding. In fact, I found him drunk this evening. He asked me a lot of questions about Jack. Even going as far to ask me what I knew about issues inside the firm? He said he was the cause of Jack’s death. When I questioned him further, he began muttering about danger.”
“What background information do you have on Steve?” Reid asked.
“Nothing that rang any bells, but there’s something going on with him.” Lila sat on a chair in the corner and rubbed the area of her arm containing the tattoo.
“We have Steve linked to Jennings and now his curious statements tonight. Lila review your file on him again and let me know if anything stands out based on this new information.” Reid set his plate on the table and wrapped his arm around Holly, who sat next to him.
“Again, we need to pay Jennings a visit because…” Cody’s voice trailed off. “What’s wrong, Lila?”
She hesitated then bit her lip. “Something happened during Jack’s funeral. I don’t even know how to explain it.” She jumped up and rounded to the back of the couch. “An elderly lady at the cemetery commented on how good a person Jack was. Then she said she knew me and began tapping her cane.” Lila crossed her arms. “The tapping was more like rhythmic thuds against the ground. As she tapped, images flashed in my mind. I think they were memories. You know how you wake up after a dream and can’t quite grasp what your dream was about?”
Cody nodded.
“The images or memories were like fuzzy pictures flashing through my mind. I couldn’t see anything, but I remembe
red being afraid. Then just as suddenly as she started tapping her cane, she stopped. The next thing I knew, the woman was gone and I was talking to Gia.”
“Had you seen the woman before?” Carson asked.
“No. She was tiny.” Lila placed her hand at shoulder level. “She came up to here, and she had a green-and-white striped cane.” As her voice cracked, she heaved her shoulders up. “The stripes looked like they could have been made with colored duct tape or paint.”
“Did she say how she knew you?” Marissa crossed the room and placed an arm around Lila.
Lila leaned into Marissa. “No, but I wasn’t afraid of her. I’m more concerned about the memories. All these weird things that have happened don’t appear to be connected yet if they weren’t it would mean a hell of a coincidence.”
“Almost sounds like she was trying hypnosis. Justin, is that even a real thing?” Carson asked.
“It is real and can be a good therapeutic tool. However, employing the techniques of hypnotherapy during a public event isn’t the best way to put someone under. Holly could probably speak more on it,” Justin said.
“I don’t have a good feeling.” Cody approached her.
“This is getting dangerous.” Carson sat on the edge of the sofa.
“It’s worse than you know.” Cody explained the threats leveled against Lila if he didn’t continue working for Veridian. “They have the technology to dig into people’s lives.” Cody met Lila’s gaze.
“So, they know about me…and you? I mean the Veridian people know we’re acquainted?” She watched Cody bristle at the word “acquainted” and immediately regretted the word choice. Although they’d never slept together, they had planned to in Hawaii, so they were more than acquaintances.
“Yes, they know.” Cody replied. “Veridian has the means to find out almost anything.”
“This is crazy. They can’t make you work for them.” Carson jumped up. “The threat sounds like something Lance would do.”
Lila nodded. “Carson is right. Cody, if you want to quit, don’t worry about me. I’m armed, and I know how to use my weapon.”
“I won’t take any chances with your life. You’ve already escaped two near-death accidents. Plus, we need the intel on Veridian.” Cody swiped a hand through his hair.
“Cody, do you think they were responsible for Lila’s accident?” Reid asked.
“The threat came after her accident but it’s hard to tell. Rick and Tally showed the footage of me carrying Lila out of the water. Then Lila and her friend Gia at a café. Scary shit.”
“Where did they get the footage?” Lila wrapped her arms around herself. “The spot I went into the water was in a remote area. Why would there be cameras there? What the hell is going on?”
“I believe they were following me, probably with a drone. They said my license plate was flagged in their satellite images.” Cody sighed and placed his hands on his hips.
“Do you think the threat was a strong-arm tactic, or do you believe they could carry it out?” Reid leaned forward, his elbows resting on his legs.
Cody told them about the types of testing his project team had been conducting. “Yes, I absolutely believe they’d make good on their threats.” He turned to Lila. “I won’t let that happen. Which brings me to another idea. I have a friend and former grad school classmate, Angie Spurlin. She dabbled in hacking years ago and is brilliant. She works at Veridian and we can trust her. I’d like to bring her in to help gather intel.”
“I can’t consider this without talking to Yvonne and running a background check,” Reid said.
Adam blew out a breath. “Regarding Jennings—we need to talk to him.”
“Cody and I are the logical choices to go in. He knows Veridian and I know HTP,” Lila said.
Cody nodded. “I agree.”
Later that night, Cody stared up at the ceiling, trying to envision the night sky on the other side of the roof. Every constellation ended with images of Lila. He tiptoed out of the room and into the kitchen, then stopped dead.
Lila stood in the darkened kitchen, wearing a T-shirt and shorts.
Cody sucked in a breath, frozen as he watched her. Shapely legs extended out of the gray shorts reminding Cody of how he used to marvel at her silky-smooth skin. Her brown hair was tousled and fell in waves down her back. Sexy didn’t come close to a description. He wouldn’t be surprised if he was drooling.
Lila turned and their gazes clashed.
His eyes swept over the gap between her shirt and shorts, exposing a small section of her belly. Frozen in the moment, Cody forced his feet in motion and stepped toward her. “Didn’t know anyone was up.”
“I guess you couldn’t sleep either.”
“Nope.” He stopped a couple of feet from her.
“It’s all starting again. There something to living in denial, but when the bubble bursts, it’s a hard landing.” Lila adjusted her shirt, covering the small peek of stomach he’d think about for days.
“If you’re not up for talking to Jennings tomorrow everyone will understand,” Cody said.
Lila shook her head. “No, I’m going. We’ll both be armed, and we’ll have back up.” She huffed out a big sigh. “Jack was a good man. If for no other reason, I’d like to see this through for him.”
“What about you?” Cody moved closer. “You deserve to live a life where you don’t have to look over your shoulder.”
“I hesitated on moving here. I didn’t want to put my family in jeopardy but then I thought I could watch over them if I was close. Time will tell if that was a good move.” She shrugged. “A lot of people have been hurt and killed because of my biological family. I don’t want anyone else to be hurt. Including you,” she added facing him.
Cody’s mouth went dry and he wasn’t sure what to say. Instead he reached out and caressed her cheek. A current sparked under his hand, igniting sensory receptors along the way. He moved even closer and wrapped her in his arms.
For the moment, time stood still as he relished the feel of her body next to his. In the quiet darkness they connected, reestablished a tether to one another. Cody had no way of knowing if this would last but Lila was in his arms now and it was all that mattered. “I missed you,” he whispered.
Their lips met, and Lila appeared as hungry for the connection as he. He deepened the kiss and for a second, pure bliss showered him. Then she pulled back. Their eyes locked, confusion clouding hers. Shifting her head, she stepped out of his embrace and walked away.
Chapter 23
At nine the next morning, Cody slid into the drivers’ seat of a blue, ten-year-old car borrowed from Jeb. The car lacked a navigation system and many of the bells and whistles most people desired. Funny how Cody had spent most of his life with advanced technology and now his life depended on old-school ways.
Lila ran past Reid and Adam seated in Adam’s gray SUV, which matched his car in barebones electronics and climbed in next to him.
Lila and Cody both called off work for the morning, claiming personal issues they needed to attend to.
“Ready for this? Did you turn off your phone and remove the memory card?” Cody asked. He shelved the memory of their kiss. As wonderful as the kiss was, her walking away left him with more questions. But none of that could screw with his brain today.
“Yep.” She reached into her purse and lifted her Glock. “I’m hoping neither of us will need weapons. Jack mentioned this Jennings guy for a reason. Maybe he has more information. The way I see it, if I’m going to be a target I want to know as much as possible about who may be targeting me, even if it’s Lance.”
He squinted in the bright sun and pulled away from the curb. “Understandable. Let’s hope this pans out.” He glanced over his shoulder and spotted Adam, with Reid riding shotgun, merging into traffic several cars behind.
Traffic was light by Dallas standards, so they crossed into the Toval city limits in under an hour. A wooden sign with bright yellow letters spelling out the town’s nam
e greeted them. Cody arrived at a white brick ranch-style house on a tree-lined suburban road. Red roses bordered the house and the scent of fresh grass smacked his nose. The driveway was devoid of cars.
“Adam’s research indicates Garvin has a wife, Sheila, who is four years younger. We don’t have much information on her,” Lila said.
Cody placed a hand on her arm. “If things don’t look right, we’re out of there. Got it? We’re not taking unnecessary risks.” They’d decided on meeting Garvin during the day in hopes that the neighborhood would be less populated with people at work and school in case something should happen.
Lila nodded.
As they approached the door, Cody scanned the neighborhood. The street had little activity in the early afternoon hour. Halfway down the block, an unoccupied cable repair truck sat parked outside a house. He spotted Adam and Reid’s vehicle along the curb about five houses away. Cody’s gaze swung to the house on the right next to the Jennings’ home. A tricycle lay on its side, the three wheels mud caked and still.
Cody focused on the house to the left of the Jennings’ home. A curtain at the front window fluttered closed. “We have a nosey neighbor,” he said.
They continued to the front door and Cody rang the bell.
Seconds later, the door wrenched open. “Can I…” The man stared at Lila.
Cody pulled her close and gripped the gun in his pocket. What the hell? The man stared at Lila as if she were an alien.
“Mr. Jennings?” Lila asked.
Cody sensed her alarm.
“Yes.” He smiled. “You’re Lila Sinclair.” The man stepped back. “Please come in.”
Lila didn’t move. “I’m actually Lila Caldwell. How do you know me?”
Mr. Jennings nodded. “That’s right. You have your father’s last name.” He leaned out the door and glanced up and down the street. “Do come in. Hurry.”
Lila shot Cody a look of surprise then stepped inside.
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