Her focus had to be on removing herself and Anya from the crosshairs, and then she needed to resolve the obstacles preventing her plants from opening up in Sweden. Until that happened every day was a money-losing day for the company. When Daniel found out, he was going to be furious that she hadn’t done her best to watch the bottom line.
Though, thinking about it, he’d be one hell of a hypocrite if he dared to call her out when he’d failed to tell her where he had gone and why. Actually, when he came back, she was going to make it a point to give him a piece of her mind.
Making her way to the kitchen, she found Zoey sitting at the table, tapping away on her computer. “Oh,” she said, “good morning. Is it okay if I get some coffee going?” she asked, pointing at the empty coffeepot on the nearly barren kitchen counter.
“Hey,” Zoey said, looking up from the screen. Her eyes were red and tired looking, making Mindy wonder if she had even bothered to go to bed the night before. “Go for it. Or if you want, I can do it.” Zoey moved to stand up, but Mindy stopped her with a wave of the hand.
“You stay there. I’ll grab you up a cup, too.” She walked over and started to fill the carafe. “Did you get any sleep last night?”
Zoey shook her head and clicked off her computer before Mindy had a chance to take a good look at whatever was on the screen. The way she moved made her wonder if Zoey was hiding something.
Jarrod hadn’t talked about his family very much and, until now, she hadn’t really thought to ask much about them. She tried to quell the anxiety and distrust that moved through her as she made the coffee. Zoey was helping with the investigation—nothing more.
Zoey slipped her computer into the case by her feet. She started to stand up, but then stopped herself and reached back into her case. “Hey, I have something for you.” She pulled out a phone and handed it to Mindy. “Jarrod said something about you losing yours, so I updated my old one and set it up for you. It’s not much, but it will get you through until you’re back in the city.”
“Wow. I...uh, thank you,” Mindy said, taking the phone from Jarrod’s sister and clicking it on. It was almost identical to her old one. As she scrolled through it, she was struck by how much Zoey seemed to know about her, though—admittedly—the phone thing might have just been a coincidence. “I appreciate you doing this... I thought I was going to have to hunt down a new one out here in the middle of nowhere.”
Zoey laughed, the sound loud and reverberating through the seventies-style kitchen and over the percolating sounds of the coffee maker that was likely from the same era. “I figured as much. You’d almost have better luck finding gold than finding a good smartphone out here.” She grabbed two cups from the cupboard and poured them each a mug of the only half-brewed coffee. “You should have seen me when we first got out here. I thought I had found the actual middle of Nowhere, America.”
Mindy laughed. “It’s a far cry from the city. I’m not gonna lie, I don’t think I’ve ever heard crickets that loud before. Even with the windows closed in our bedroom it sounded like they were in the room with us.”
“Knowing this place, they may well have been.” Zoey gave her an apologetic smile, as if their home was a poor comparison to what she’d been used to in the city.
“That’s not what I meant at all... I guess I’m just not a country girl. I like the amenities that come with city life—constant sirens and all.” She took a sip of her coffee, strong and bitter.
“I bet you are thinking about espresso at this very minute. I know I am.” Zoey laughed.
She feigned ignorance as she buried her face in her mug and suffered through the next drink of the boiling hot road tar. “I guess making coffee should be put on my list of skills that need a little more work.” She reached over for Zoey’s cup, but the woman pulled it away.
“No, I don’t mind a hearty cup of coffee. In fact, when we’ve been working overseas there are times when I would give my left leg for even this.”
“What is it that you do?” she asked.
Zoey’s face tightened. “Well, I’ve been in the investments game for a long time. Once in a while I travel around and look into whatever our next investment will be, as well as checking my current ones.”
Though Zoey’s answer made sense, something about it rang false, and she was once again reminded to check her cynicism.
“What kind of things do you invest in?” She knew she should drop the subject, but at the same time she just had to stir the pot and get to the bottom of why she was feeling suspicious.
“This and that,” Zoey said, giving a vague wave.
“Jarrod said that you are a genius when it comes to tech. Have you been following everything with Elon Musk?” she asked, trying to make conversation and go a little bit deeper with the woman.
Zoey nodded. “He’s an interesting man, but I tend to steer clear of his promises. Though, years or so ago, I went to one of his dinners in Hollywood when he was looking for investors in his latest project. That turned out to be PayPal. So as many successes as I have had, I’ve had just as many failures and missed opportunities.”
“Can you imagine how much those stocks would be worth now?” Mindy asked.
“Millions. That was, if we had played it right. But investing is a gamble. What works for one may not work for another. I mean just look at the Bitcoin boom some time ago. Our company made a substantial profit, but others we know lost nearly everything they had and had to start over. Most of the time, we’ve been lucky.”
“Is that why you all moved here—you got lucky?” Mindy sat down at the table as Zoey stood up, walked over to the counter and poured a bit of sugar into her coffee.
“Yeah, that and a few other reasons.” Zoey’s face was again pinched, but Mindy wasn’t sure if it was from the coffee or from something else. “Did Jarrod tell you about Trish?”
She shook her head.
“Oh,” Zoey said, staring into her cup. She took a long breath. “Trish is our sister. She died. A few months ago. It’s been hard on the family.”
“I... I’m so sorry.” Mindy tried to not feel hurt that he had kept a secret so big from her. And on the heels of that was a twang of pity. Here she had been so consumed with her life’s upheavals that she hadn’t paused for a moment to consider he had things going on in his private life, as well.
Zoey shrugged, but she could tell from the look in Zoey’s eyes that it pained to even mention her sister’s name. They must have been close.
The door to the kitchen opened and Jarrod walked in. There was a sleepiness to him and his eyes looked heavy. “Hey,” he said, walking over to the pot of coffee and pouring himself a cup. “I thought I heard someone talking down here.” He glanced over at her and gave her a tired, sexy grin that reminded her entirely too much of their time together on the plane. Her cheeks warmed.
“You hungry? I think there are some frozen waffles or something.” Zoey motioned for him to help himself.
“What, no breakfast feast this morning?” he teased.
Zoey gave him a look. “You know how to cook. Feel free to make yourself at home.”
“Oh, come on now, sis, you know you want to make me breakfast.”
Mindy stood up. “I can make myself useful and start breakfast if you like. It’s the least I can do for your generosity in having me here.”
Jarrod’s smile disappeared, and there was a strange look on his face as he turned to his sister. Zoey cocked her head, quickly glancing between them like she was trying to understand why Mindy would offer to be so nice.
“Seriously, it would be my pleasure. I don’t want to impose, and if this is a way I can make your lives easier—”
“No,” Zoey said, standing up and walking between her and the stove. “My brother is just kidding around—he knows I hate to cook. Besides, he’s lucky that he isn’t eating expired MREs while holed up in a cave somewher
e. He should consider himself lucky.” She glared at him, but there was a faint smile playing across her lips. She walked to the freezer, pulled out a box of Eggos and threw them at him. “Here. Now, stop your whining.”
Nearly dropping his cup, he caught the box as it hit him in the ribs.
“While you’re at it, why don’t you whip up a couple extra for me and Ms. Kohl. We have business to discuss.” Zoey grabbed her phone and clicked it on.
“Did you find something?” Jarrod asked.
“Actually, we may have,” she said with an excited grin. “The sourcing came back on the chemical samples you sent me from the attack.”
A black hole formed in the center of Mindy’s chest. She was desperate to hear who may have been behind the attack on Hans, but at the same time, she wasn’t entirely sure she was ready. As soon as they located the source and found out who was responsible everything was going to change. It was possible that Jarrod would even leave her here. He had no reason to stay with her and Anya now that she was tucked into the safe harbor of his family’s ranch. He was definitely the kind of man who was more comfortable traipsing around the world on a moment’s notice than sticking to one place.
Not to mention what it would do for her professionally and personally if her company or her brother had something to do with the attack. Their futures might well be in jeopardy. Not only would their business with Sweden be deemed out of the question, she could easily find herself on the fast track to prison.
But Daniel couldn’t have had anything to do with the attack. He would never have ordered such a thing. He wasn’t the type. And he certainly wouldn’t have done something so rash and put her in danger. That is, unless he was tired of having her at the company. What if he wanted it for himself? As of now, they were profit sharing. Sure, they were both making a decent amount of money, but with her out of the picture he would be making millions more. And he had Anya to support now... Maybe he felt he needed that extra income.
She tried to calm herself and put those kinds of thoughts out of her mind. Her brother didn’t hate her. Sure, they weren’t the closest of siblings, but for half brother and sister they were certainly a lot closer than most. But then again, Daniel was all business. He was always about the bottom line and how to put more money into his pocket.
Jarrod walked over to her like he could somehow sense her turmoil. “You okay?” he asked, leading her out of the kitchen and away from his sister. “Why don’t you just sit down out here on the couch? Let me talk to Zoey for a while, unless you want to come along?” He sat a plate of waffles down on the table in front of her.
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m fine. Just...” She didn’t know exactly what to say to convey her true feelings of terror and uncertainty. “I need to take a break, maybe get some work done.”
“Okay, babe. But know that I get what you’re feeling. You’ve been through a lot in the last couple of days. But everything is going to be okay. You have me.” He walked her over to the couch and flicked on the television to some stupid early-morning talk show and handed her the remote. “If you want, just take a break. Veg out for a bit.”
As he smiled, relief moved through her. Yes, for the first time in years, she finally felt as though there was someone she could trust.
Chapter Twelve
Jarrod could kick himself for the charade he was being forced to play with Mindy. He made his way to the kitchen, looking back one more time to make sure that she was settled on the couch.
She trusted him.
Hell, from the look she had just given him, her feelings had developed past the almost one-night stand. He might have imagined it, but he could almost have sworn that he saw genuine emotion in her eyes.
For her sake, he was going to have to nip that in the bud. Nearly sleeping with her on the plane had been one heck of a mistake—one he couldn’t repeat, no matter how much he wanted to take her in his arms and bed her.
He grabbed his mug and stood in front of the sink, taking a long drink as he remembered how sweet Mindy’s lips had tasted. If only he had been able to taste all of her.
“How long have you loved each other?” Zoey asked. “Is this a new development or would you say that you loved her from the first time you laid eyes on her?”
“Zoe, you can be a real pain in the ass sometimes. Did anyone ever tell you that?” he asked, turning to face his sister.
“You. And all the time.” Zoey picked up the waffles and returned them to the freezer. “So, really, is this thing you have going with Mindy going to cause a problem with your work? If it is, then maybe it’s best if you let me get the truth out of her and you can nose around her company. You know our handlers at the CIA aren’t going to patiently wait around for answers, especially once they find out that you are screwing the biggest lead in their case.”
“Knock it off, Zoey. You don’t know what you’re talking about. We haven’t screwed. We won’t screw. And if we did screw it would be none of your business.” He spit the words like they tasted as pithy and dismissive as they sounded.
“Actually, it is my business, Jarrod. It’s all of our business. If you don’t fly straight with the CIA, it’s going to affect us all. They are working overtime, just like I am, to get us out of the Gray Wolves’ sights. You can’t risk pissing them off. If Bayural finds us, we are as good as dead. We have to show the director that we are up to whatever task they give us. And that you can keep your pants on.”
His sister had a point about their connections within the CIA, but that didn’t mean that she had any right to treat him like this. He was the head of this family, not her, no matter how badly she wanted to take the helm. He wasn’t stupid and he surely didn’t need her treating him like an idiot. At the same time, there was no use picking a fight with her nearly the second he came home. She was just making a show of her role in the family, nothing more. In a few weeks, they would be back into the swing of things and working together in a way that suited them both.
“You just worry about you.” He dumped the rest of his coffee in the sink, letting the bitter contents swirl down the drain. He had enough of a burning in his gut. The last thing he needed to do was throw a little battery acid on top of it. “About the nerve agent attack, what did you find out?”
She walked over to the kitchen door and peeked out, checking on Mindy and making sure that she was still watching television. “It looks as though they used a nerve agent called VX. It was the same one that killed the North Korean leader’s brother. But this time the attackers chose to turn it into a powder form—and that was likely the only reason you both survived. Had they made it into an aerosol, there is nearly a one-hundred-percent chance that you and Mindy would have never walked away.”
“Then I guess it’s good that I’m lucky,” he said, trying to make light of the attack.
“Yeah, right. That, or the people who threw it weren’t looking to kill en masse, rather just a few targets.”
“If that was the case, why didn’t they just shoot them? Or take care of Hans in his hotel room?”
“My best guess is that they may well have been trying to send your girl, and maybe you, a message. It’s more than possible,” she said, coming closer so that she could whisper to him, “that this could be somehow connected to our enemies in Turkey. Maybe it was a quick hit by an offshoot gang from the city. Maybe it was just a screwed-up attack. Maybe they meant to go after you and thought they were close enough. Maybe it was supposed to send a message to our family.”
“I thought you said you had answers. If I wanted to have everything even further up in the air, I could have taken this all to Chad and Trevor.”
“Hey, jerk.” Zoey punched him in the arm with a little laugh. Finally they were making some sort of progress with one another, even if it came off as ribbing. “There is more. As far as the sourcing, like I said, we got a manufacturing point. In fact, based on the stront
ium levels contained within the source compounds, it appears this batch was made in North Korea.”
Turkey and North Korea had well-known ties within the black market, and there had been whispers that there was a secret armistice between the two opposing governments that made them common enemies of the United States, whispers that he knew to be true. Which meant he very well may have been the target in the nerve agent attack and that perhaps this had nothing to do with Mindy and Daniel as he had previously assumed.
It only made him feel more like scum.
* * *
MINDY CLICKED ON her phone and entered the passwords required to sync her account. As of this morning, she had close to seven hundred emails that had piled up since she had been gone. While most of them could wait, there were plenty that needed her approval or insight. She moved down the list, approving everything from compliance statements to work orders that had defaulted thanks to her brother’s absence.
Maybe she had made a mistake in coming to Montana. Maybe she and Anya would have been better off holing up in one of her factories on the West Coast, taking in the warm fall weather on the southern California coastline.
Then again, there was no way she would have refused Jarrod’s offer to bring them here. He could have asked her to go to the moon and she would have followed him.
She would have to work on that...at some point.
There was a press release about Hans’s death. From the Riksdag’s letter, it appeared that there would be a private service for the man, and a public memorial would take place next week. If the situation was different, and her safety wasn’t in question, she would have flown to Sweden in order to pay respects to the man and his family. It was the least she could have done, though they weren’t exactly what she called allies.
In His Sights (Stealth Series Book 2) Page 10