Lethal Game

by Katie Reus

  Graysen scrubbed a hand over his face and tried to mentally shake off the memory, but it was useless. “Come on, girl.” He patted his leg and Peaches ran up to him, the most loyal dog. He’d never admitted it to anyone, but if it wasn’t for Peaches, the last year would have been even harder.

  At least when he came home at night there was someone there happy to see him. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Isa. But he wasn’t giving up on her, on them. He simply couldn’t.

  Part of him wanted to give her the file he’d been sitting on. The file that had all the dark truth about her father—what he’d done, how many people he’d gotten killed and in some cases, tortured. But…he didn’t want to be the cause of more of Isa’s pain. It would go a long way in explaining why Graysen had done what he’d done, but he didn’t know that he wanted to be the one to give her all that brutal truth.

  * * *

  Emerson wrapped her arms around herself as she and Carlito stepped outside into the chilly night air. She loved that he came to her father’s nursing home with her every week. Everyone loved her dad, and some of her other friends came with her as well when they could, but those were her girlfriends.

  Carlito was… Well, she wasn’t quite sure what he was. They were friends, had been for the last six months. Lately, however, she was starting to have feelings for him. And definitely not the “friends only” kind.

  She nearly jumped when he placed his jacket around her shoulders. He was a lot broader and wider than her. He had a lean, cut physique, something she didn’t want to be noticing. They were friends—she shouldn’t be so sexually aware of the man.

  When they first met she’d been aware of how attractive he was. Obviously—she’d have to be blind not to realize how sexy the man was. He was handsome and polished, not what she pictured when she thought of a detective.

  But he was always put together, his suits perfect and pressed. She could never keep herself so impeccable, but it seemed effortless for him. His bronzed skin seemed to glow year-round and his cheekbones would make supermodels envious. There was an edge to him, however. Probably to do with his job, considering how much death and other awful things he saw. So when he looked at her with those piercing gray eyes it was hard to ignore the sex appeal factor.

  So yeah, she’d noticed all of that when they’d first met, but she hadn’t been thinking about the opposite sex in terms of dating or anything romantic at the time. Not after her last breakup.

  “Thanks,” she said, pulling the jacket tighter around her. It was way too big and smelled like him, a distinctive spicy cologne that made her want to inhale deeply.

  She’d left her thick coat in the car, thinking she wouldn’t need it. But it felt as if it had dropped ten degrees since they’d been inside. Or more likely the heat had been turned up so much in there that it just felt colder now. The fact that he was so considerate touched her. Her father had commented on it, because he seemed to think Carlito wanted more than friendship. He always asked her when she and Carlito were going to get married. She nearly snorted at the thought. This sexy detective wasn’t going to be settling down anytime soon. She knew what kind of reputation he had.

  “So are you still coming over for Christmas?” he asked.

  “Of course, unless… Did your plans change or something?” Carlito’s sister Camilla had said something to Emerson earlier today about him dating someone new, so she wasn’t sure if that was why he was asking. Six months ago the thought of him dating wouldn’t have fazed her, but now…

  She didn’t like that ugly, twisting sensation in the pit of her stomach. It wasn’t like he belonged to her. It wasn’t like they were anything other than friends. But she found herself feeling oddly possessive of him lately. Okay, maybe more than just lately. It had been a gradual buildup until one day she realized—she wanted more than friendship from Carlito. Way more.

  It was part of the reason she hadn’t called him earlier today. When Camilla had told her he was seeing someone else she hadn’t wanted to hear the truth from him. Emerson wasn’t sure she’d be able to act nonchalant about it. She wondered why he hadn’t said anything—even as she was happy that he hadn’t. She didn’t want to hear about him and some other woman.

  He let out a short laugh. “Never. My mom would kill me if I didn’t show up for Christmas. And she’d probably kill me if I didn’t bring you.”

  The sharpest sense of relief slid through her veins. She adored his whole family but especially his mother. Her own mom had died when she’d been young and part of her had always felt as if she was missing something. “You never told me what I should bring.”

  “Just yourself. And your dad, if you think he’s up to it.” He gave her a strange look as they reached her car.

  They’d driven separately since they lived in opposite directions, and now she wished they’d ridden together in one vehicle because she wanted to spend more time with him. An hour or two at a time was never enough. It didn’t matter that they talked on the phone—when they got to spend time together she always wanted more, more, more.

  “What?” she asked, feeling self-conscious under his scrutiny.

  “Is everything okay? You seemed a little distracted today.” The concern in his gaze was real and she adored how sincere he was about everything—and not just with her, but with everyone. It was why he was such a good detective.

  What she’d heard about him from others was different than the man she’d come to know. One of her coworkers had mentioned that she thought Carlito was a player, but so far Emerson hadn’t seen any truth in that. Or he could just keep that stuff on the down-low. The thought of him with another woman, touching her, kissing her… Nope. Even thinking about it hurt too much.

  “I’m good. Just have a lot going on with this new job.” She wished she could tell him about it, but in addition to the standard nondisclosure she’d signed when she’d been hired by Red Stone Security, she’d also had to sign another nondisclosure specifically for this job.

  “Okay.” He nodded slightly, those pale gray eyes she could get lost in narrowing as if he didn’t believe her.

  Some days… Gah. Some days she swore she saw hints of heat in his gaze. But that was likely wishful thinking on her part.

  “Do you have plans Saturday?” she blurted before she could stop herself. If he was dating someone new, of course he would already have plans.

  To her relief, he shook his head. “Unless something comes up at work, then I’m free.”

  “One of my friends mentioned something about a boat parade. And I’ve never been so I wanted to know if you wanted to go with me? Since you’re the local.” She’d moved here from Orlando when she’d gotten the job with Red Stone, and while she’d been to Miami over the years she’d never been here for the holidays.

  “I’d love to.” He nodded, that delicious mouth of his curving up into a smile that made her think wicked, wicked things. Mainly naked fantasies about him—she’d seen him in swim trunks at one of the get-togethers at Grant and Belle’s place, and holy hotness, the man looked incredible without a shirt on. He should go around half naked all the time.

  And at the thought, her face heated up. She cursed her fair coloring in that moment and hoped he didn’t notice.

  Before she could respond he continued. “I’ll pick you up at four on Saturday? That way we can be sure to get there early and get a good spot.”

  “Sounds perfect.” If he was going with her, then he wasn’t with some other woman. Maybe his sister had been wrong about him dating someone new. The truth was, if Emerson was seeing a man like Carlito, she’d want all his spare time. Who was she kidding? They weren’t dating and she still wanted to see him all the time. She hated that she was too much of a coward to ask him if he was currently single.

  But she definitely wasn’t brave enough to make a move on him. After getting burned so badly before she still didn’t quite trust her taste in men. And if she was really honest with herself, she was more scared of screwing up the friendship they h
ad by asking if he wanted something more with her. She didn’t want to risk ruining one of the best relationships she’d ever had with anyone.

  With him, she was always herself. Never felt like she had to put on a show or be anything other than who she was. So the thought of losing that? Nope, she wasn’t going to risk it.

  But if he made a move on her? That was a different story.

  Chapter 10

  Going about his daily business when he’d be leaving the country soon, leaving his entire life behind and never looking back, was harder than Alan had thought. Excitement and fear hummed through him 24/7.

  It was impossible to sleep and he was barely eating. He just wanted to be done with this life, to have his money and get the hell out of this country with the woman he loved. No more ex-wife, no more debt. Nothing but sandy beaches where he’d live like a king. If he could just get through a couple more days without detection.

  When a phone buzzed in his jacket pocket it took him a moment to realize it was the disposable phone he’d been using to contact his buyers and other individuals helping him to get out of the country once he had his money.

  A quick glance at the screen revealed that it was a private caller—no surprise. Anyone who called this phone had a blocked line. He answered immediately. “Yes?”

  “It’s me.”

  He recognized Yuri’s voice. The Russian contact who’d first reached out to him about a way for him to make a lot of money.

  From the digging Alan had done into his buyers he knew that Yuri himself was an exceptional hacker.

  So when Hamilton had brought in two new employees this week, he’d sent their information to Yuri to look into them. At this point, he couldn’t take any more risks. Everything had to go off without a hitch.

  “What have you found out about the two newest employees?” Because there was no other reason for Yuri to be calling right now—unless something had gone wrong with the current op. Ice slid through his veins at the thought. Everything was good on his end.

  “The woman works for a company called Red Stone Security. Her name is Isa Harper, not Johnson. I’m still not certain what she does there, but she doesn’t work for the company listed on the resume you sent me.”

  He felt all the blood drain from his face, his hands going clammy as he listened. He lived in Miami, knew exactly what Red Stone Security was. They were involved in private security for dignitaries and other wealthy individuals, but they had other divisions as well. Top secret ones.

  Yuri continued. “The founder is a man named Keith Caldwell. Three sons now run the company full-time. They have ties with various government agencies and it appears as if the father used to work for the CIA.”

  That only confirmed the rumors he’d heard. He cleared his throat. “And you have no idea why she’s here?”

  “No, but it can’t be good. And there is more. Her father’s name was Jeffrey Harper.”

  Jeffrey Harper? The name sounded familiar—he racked his brain trying to think where he’d heard it before. But Yuri continued again before he could ask who the man was.

  “He was killed a little over a year ago by your FBI. He was selling state secrets to the highest bidders all over the world.” There was a short pause. “I did business with him once about five years ago. His information was solid.”

  “What does that mean?” The woman’s father had been a traitor to his country? How did that tie in with anything going on here? Why would she be working here now?

  “Maybe nothing. It’s just information I have, and you wanted to know everything about her. I do not like her involvement with your company this close to the end of our operation.”

  Yeah, no shit. “I spoke to Hamilton, and she shouldn’t be here longer than another week or so. It’s possible that she really is here to help him clean house.” Hamilton had made it clear Isa was working closely with him to see where they could make cuts. It made sense his boss wouldn’t be honest about what company she worked for. Hamilton wouldn’t want to give anyone information about her if she was basically targeting jobs.

  “I still don’t like it.”

  Neither did he. “What do you want me to do?”

  “Keep an eye on her for now. Did you implant the software into her laptop to shadow her?”

  “I did.” He’d had someone else do it as a safety measure to himself. Someone Alan considered expendable. “So far she’s been looking into various employee files but there’s been nothing to make it seem as if she’s looking for…” He cleared his throat, not about to say the words out loud. His office and this phone might be secure, but some things he didn’t need to spell out. “I’ve also started monitoring the phone in her office.” Something Yuri already knew, but he wanted it clear he had this woman under surveillance.

  That he was in complete control.

  When Yuri just grunted, he continued. “What about the man, Garret Evans?”

  “So far he appears to be who he says he is. His resume appears to be legitimate, and if it is, he has a lot of experience in your field. According to the paper trail I followed, he and your boss have been in contact for a while, farther back than when you decided to sell your…product.”

  He nearly snorted at the word “product.” He wasn’t selling a tangible item. Not technically. But product was as good a word as any.

  “So it seems unlikely that he brought this Evans in because he’s suspicious of you. More likely he’s been trying to lure him away from his previous job for a while and Evans finally agreed. That is what it looks like on my end.”

  “Okay, good.” At least one of the new hires was a non-issue. The woman, though…

  He didn’t like her snooping around all their files even if it was her job. From what he’d garnered, she had unlimited access to everything. That alone was terrifying.

  When his intercom buzzed, he quickly ended the call with Yuri. “Yes?” he said after a moment.

  “Something big is going on,” his assistant Cynthia whispered from out in her office.

  The excitement in her voice made him stand without answering. Opening the door, he headed into her office area. She had her cell phone pressed up against her ear and was whispering to someone. Seeing her on her cell phone surprised him since she was always the professional. And cell phones were banned at work, for the most part.

  After whispering “Hold on” to whoever was on the other line, she covered the receiver of her phone. “I just heard from someone on the fifth floor that Gina Scott is getting arrested.” Her blue eyes were wide, almost as if she was asking him for confirmation.

  Shock reverberated through him. If Scott was being arrested, it was something he should be aware of. Instead of responding audibly, Alan just gave Cynthia a nod and headed toward the elevators. As he reached the closed doors his regular cell phone buzzed in his pocket. Because of his position in the company, he was one of the few people permitted to have his cell phone on him. Of course, no one knew about his burner phone.

  He answered on the first ring when he saw that it was Hamilton. “Yes?”

  “I need to see you in my office, now.”

  “Is this about Gina Scott getting arrested?” He couldn’t believe the woman had been arrested, couldn’t even imagine what for. She seemed like such a straight arrow. She was bitchy enough, always had a stick up her ass about something. But she’d been good at her job. Or so he’d thought.

  “Yes.” Hamilton disconnected before he could ask anything else.

  That wasn’t out of the ordinary for Hamilton, otherwise Alan might be panicking more. Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside the elevator and pressed the button for the floor above him. If Hamilton knew what he was up to, he was totally and utterly screwed. But it was too late to run now.

  Chapter 11

  Isa took off her coat before sliding into the booth across from Mara, grateful to be out of Raptor Aeronautical while everything was going down. She hadn’t seen Mara since Monday night anyway.

  In the past
few days Isa, Graysen, and Emerson had been very busy. Two people were being arrested today and another was being escorted out of the building for further questioning—and would likely be arrested. She didn’t need to be around for that. Hamilton hadn’t come out and said it, but she had a feeling a lot of people would put two and two together and realize that she was part of the reason people were getting arrested.

  Mara smiled when she saw her. As usual she looked stunning in a simple green three-quarter-sleeve dress that matched her eyes. And her pixie-style haircut showed off her sharp cheekbones. “Hey, glad you made it. I ordered us an appetizer so I hope that’s okay?”

  “Of course. I’m starving. Today has been stressful.” A fallout would follow from the two, potentially three, employees getting arrested, not to mention the fallout for their own families. After having her life ripped apart after her own father’s sins, she couldn’t help but feel bad for the immediate families of the people involved with stealing from the aeronautical company.

  “I bet. How much longer will you be on this job? Or can you tell me that?”

  “Another day or two, maybe.” Which meant she might have to go in on Monday just to wrap up a few things, but this job had gone much quicker and smoother than predicted—and after Tuesday she didn’t have to work with Graysen anymore so it was perfect timing. But there were a few more people she wanted to look into. Just for her peace of mind. She wanted to make sure when she and Graysen were gone that the company was as secure as it could be. At least from this point forward Raptor would be implementing new security measures overall.

  “I know you can’t tell me specifics, but this job seemed to stress you out more than normal.” Concern glittered in her friend’s green gaze.

  “For more reasons than one.” The other night she’d opened up to Mara about everything that had happened with Graysen a year ago. She was pretty sure that Mara already knew everything, considering the vetting process Isa’d had to go through when getting hired at Red Stone. Even if Mara didn’t work for Red Stone, Isa thought maybe Harrison had said something. Either way, her friend had been very supportive when Isa had opened up to her.