by K. T. Lee
“You forgot the part about putting my sister in danger.”
“Your sister is tougher than you’re giving her credit for.” Alexis leaned on the kitchen counter. “Her working with the FBI and the CIA in her spare time put her in the crosshairs, but neither of you caused this. A sociopath hell-bent on making his mark in the world is to blame. This isn’t just about Ree – we think Dmitri has been working on this for months. However, now we know Ree has a target on her back. We also know that Dmitri is making his move. For some reason, the transmitter Cole took didn’t do the job. He needs your team for something – we can use that. You also helped us figure out that he’s getting at least some of his information through Peggy, who is likely a sweet, trusting assistant or a hell of a good actor. We need you to help us figure out which one. Now, are you ready to wrap up your pity party, or do you need us to take it from here?”
Stefanie laughed through her tears. “You seemed so nice when you were a bridesmaid. No way I’m backing out – don’t even think about kicking me off the team.”
“I am incredibly nice.” Alexis grinned. “Being sympathetic and understanding would have sent you into another spiral. Telling you to knock it off will help you. So, knock it off so we can get to work. And you’re welcome.” Alexis cracked her knuckles. “Now, I’ve already called Parker and Ree to let them know what’s up. We’re also monitoring Nash’s calls and emails. His activity is normal, but he called his brother to see if a guy named Joey Trenton is actually in the Navy. His brother said he’ll check and let him know if anything is fishy. Cam is reaching out to the brother’s superior officer and the brother. He’ll tell them just enough to keep Nash on our side. We won’t tell him the full story until we’re sure he’s not working with Dmitri.”
Stefanie eyed her. “Please. If Nash was working for Dmitri, he would never have told us they’re monitoring our subs. Nash is just really freaking smart. So what do we do?”
Alexis looked at Joey. Joey rubbed his chin. “We let them do it, but this time we’ll be watching. We’ll take them on their fancy tour, convince them we don’t know anything, and then let them drop their equipment this weekend.”
“We just let them?” Stefanie’s gaze alternated between Joey and Alexis. “That’s it?”
Alexis held up a hand. “Oh, and don’t get hurt. Your sister will kill me.”
“What if it isn’t enough to stop Dmitri?” Stefanie rubbed her temples.
The silence was deafening.
20
Stefanie returned to the harbor for the first time since launching her research platform. It felt like months instead of weeks had passed. Maybe being on the ocean would be good for her. She almost convinced herself that being on the water would help her stress until she spotted her three newest customers waiting to get on the small boat they used to collect data. It wasn’t nearly as spacious as The Dog House but was perfect for the task at hand. She swallowed hard, straightened her back, and greeted them with a friendly smile and a quick tour. Ten minutes later, Nash arrived, giving her a knowing nod behind their backs. Even with Joey on board, her heart started racing immediately. She was barely managing to hold a conversation; her brain was so overloaded with information. Joey had cameras on the boat and would be watching to see if the three men spoke with Nash. That part was handled, so she focused on the task at hand. It was going to be a quick run, with no ROVs to deploy. She’d also be showing her newest customers how to pull up the data from the transmission buoy on her phone.
While departing from the harbor always took longer than she expected, today time had fully stopped. She kept her small band of customers entertained, and no one raised any red flags. Nash asked a number of probing questions of their customers until she shot him a look. Joey hung back, mostly listening to her talk endlessly about marine wildlife, even dropping a hydrophone in the water near where they normally saw dolphins. Fredrick did a poor job of appearing interested. She was almost relieved when his phone rang and he stepped away to answer it. Then, all of a sudden, the earpiece she’d forgotten she was wearing crackled.
Joey’s voice was quiet, and she suddenly noticed he wasn’t in sight anymore. “Patching you in, Stef. You need to hear this.”
Fredrick’s voice came through, along with a fair amount of wind. “We are on the boat now, so I can’t talk long. We’ve had the tour and I think they can handle it.”
A man with a smooth voice and just a hint of a Boston accent came through the line. “You may proceed. As you know, the project is urgent. Our competitors are quite interested as well. This will give us the head start that we need.”
Stefanie found a quiet place and spotted Joey across the boat. She leaned over the railing as if looking for the wildlife she’d described to their passengers. She hissed into the microphone. “So, they’re legitimate?”
Joey gave a slight shake of his head. “That’s a simulated voice – and I recognize it. Dmitri’s used it before. Just warning you to be careful, okay? We don’t know what he means by proceed.”
Stefanie looked around her. Tony had stopped to talk to Fredrick and was now headed her way. She pointed out to the waves to cover her startled jump. “Well, Tony, I was hoping for more wildlife, but you’ll have to settle for some sunshine and pleasant company.” She was glad to be wearing her sunglasses. The wind kept her voice from sounding obviously nervous, but her eyes kept darting around the boat, trying to watch three people at once.
“We have pictures. Our organization will be happy we did our due diligence, and we’re ready to make a commitment to the project. I think that’s a day well spent, don’t you?” Tony looked out over the water with a satisfied smile. He had an easygoing disposition, and her brain was having a hard time reconciling his friendliness with everything Joey had just told her.
Stefanie nodded, trying not to look at Fredrick, who was still focused on his phone. Her own phone buzzed and she fumbled it. She looked down at the dot on her screen and gestured to the cheerful yellow buoy in the distance. “We’re here. This is where we dropped one of our research platforms. If all goes well, we’ll show you the data in real-time.” She pressed a button, entered the platform number, and a small circle spun on her phone. Pretty charts of data slowly began to load, and soon she was surrounded by the team, explaining what each one meant. Now, she had their full attention.
“And you have security features so that you can limit access to the data, say, if you had multiple platforms in the same area?” Fredrick leaned in for a closer look
“Yes.” Stefanie touched the buoy icon and a unique number displayed on the screen. “It’s extremely unlikely we would pick up the wrong signal due to the short range of our transmitters. We also require a unique code to find and access each platform.” The words nearly caught in her throat when she realized why Cole had very likely made sure the company incorporated that particular “security” update to the app. Missing transmitter, her foot. It was out here. Probably somewhere close by. However, the app update meant that without the code, she now had no way to find Cole’s mysterious research platform.
“Very good.” Fredrick nodded his approval. “It shows you don’t have anything else in the area, then?”
“Nope. Just this one device.” A warning tickled at the back of her neck. “And now that we have the data, we’ve got to get back to the office. I hope you don’t mind?”
The team agreed and they had an amiable ride back, though Stefanie kept waiting for something to happen. Joey stayed close after the call but didn’t speak with her much, except through the earpiece. It wasn’t until she got off the boat that she began to shake.
21
When Stefanie arrived at the building the following morning, she couldn’t suppress a yawn, even though she was already two cups of coffee into the morning. When she’d gotten home from the boat trip, she’d checked her security system at least a dozen times before deciding to work the punching bag. Even though she was fully exhausted, she didn’t fall into a fitful sleep
until far too late at night.
Nash spotted her and gave her a knowing look. She waved at Peggy and barely resisted grabbing Nash by the arm to signal that he needed to be more subtle. It was already uncomfortable that they’d had to bring Nash in. They didn’t need to bring Peggy in when she was still on their suspect list. Once they were out of earshot, Nash hissed, “I called my brother. He’d never heard of Joey but was going to check. Be careful, Stefanie. He may not be telling us the full truth. Oh, hey, Joey.”
Stefanie greeted Joey as if they hadn’t been texting for the past hour. What had started as professional check-in had morphed into funny banter and GIFs. And despite her brain reminding her of the inconvenience of the whole thing, she was starting to get a tightness in her chest whenever Joey was around. The twinkle in his eyes when he looked at her definitely didn’t help calm her racing heart.
“Morning, Joey. Any news for us?” Stefanie plastered on a professional smile.
“No, not yet.” Joey set his mouth in a line. “I sent the information to my superiors and they want us to continue as planned. Cole has arranged for a ship to drop their platform on Saturday.”
Nash rubbed his neck. “Did you notice anything funny yesterday?”
Joey shook his head. “Nope. To me, it seems that they just enjoyed the ride. Maybe we don’t have anything to worry about after all.”
Nash gave Stefanie an ‘I told you so’ look. “When are they sending their parts to us?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. Stefanie asked them to deliver the parts no later than the night before, but no guarantees.” Joey shrugged.
Behind her, Cole’s voice made Stefanie jump. “No guarantees on what? Are our newest VIP customers giving you trouble?”
How long had he been standing there? Stefanie cleared her throat. She was the boss, after all. Or at least the boss of deploying whatever their customers had cooked up. “No, sir. Just no guarantees on when our customers will deliver their parts. They’re custom, and we’re building a bracket for their system. It’d be nice to have everything set up at least twenty-four hours in advance, in case we need to modify our system.”
“Oh, I see.” Cole rubbed his chin. “I’ll do what I can, but they may not be able to meet our timeline. They operate on their own schedule sometimes.”
Stefanie nodded ruefully. “Understood. There’s a potential for more technical problems if they deliver it on the day of the trip. Can you communicate that as well? I don’t mind taking the risk, but they need to know about it.”
Cole crossed his arms. He was wearing a suit again. Different than the last one she’d seen him in but still expensive. Cole eyed her carefully. For a moment, she wondered if he could read her mind. “I can do that. Also, I trust that you’ll make sure it goes well, Stefanie. This is a critical job for us and will be a good test of your leadership.”
There was something about his tone that rubbed her the wrong way. “Of course, sir. I won’t let you down. The legal team is handling the permits, so everything should be all set.”
“Great. This will really help us prove we made the right decision when we hired you.” Cole pointed to Nash. “This will be great for you too. Will you be joining us on Saturday?”
Nash checked the calendar on his phone. “I can come if you need me.”
Cole shook his head. “It’s Stefanie’s boat. She’ll make the call.”
Stefanie’s muscles tensed. It definitely felt like a trick question. “Okay, great. I’ll think about that. Thank you, sir.”
“Oh, no ‘sir’ is necessary.” Cole waved her formality away. “We’re all just one big family here.”
Once he’d left, Stefanie closed her eyes and clenched her jaw. Even if he wasn’t working with Dmitri, that interaction with Cole bothered her in a big way. Joey touched the small of her back. “It’s okay. You did great.”
Nash’s eyebrows shot up. He snorted. “You’re not that nice to me, Joey.”
Joey quickly moved his hand and cleared his throat.
Stefanie shook her head. “Ugh, remind me never to refer to my coworkers as ‘family’ after putting that much pressure on them.”
“Maybe he meant it in a good way?” Nash tilted his head.
Stefanie waved her hands as she spoke. “Oh, I’m sure he did. Let’s just say that if I refer to my employees as family, I’ll make sure it’s after treating them the way I would want to be treated.”
Nash tilted his head towards the lab. “Okay, fam. Let’s go. We’ve got a lot to do before Saturday.”
The morning in the lab spent finalizing the bracket design for their mysterious customers did more to calm Stefanie’s soul than any of Joey and Nash’s well-intended platitudes. Before the day was out, they had modified some parts they had in the lab to create an adjustable bracket system for the mystery box. On her way out, Stefanie eyed Cole’s closed office door.
Joey whispered in her ear. “Are you thinking what I think you’re thinking?”
“No. Maybe.” Stefanie sighed. “It doesn’t matter. I have to go teach a class tonight anyway.”
“Can you call in injured? You can beat me up at your house if you want.” Stefanie closed her eyes. She’d been really counting on the stress relief. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to scare you, but I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
Stefanie opened her eyes. “Fine. But I will take you up on your offer.”
“I get to put on pads first, right?” Joey grinned.
Stefanie tapped a finger against her lip. “Hmm. Depends on if you bring me more lasagna from your Nonna-approved location.”
“I can do one better than that.”
* * *
An hour later, Joey knocked on Stefanie’s door with a full grocery bag in hand. Stefanie opened the door, her relief at his presence palpable. “Hey you. What’s in the bag?”
“Dinner.” Joey grinned at her surprised look. “Give me an hour and I’ll make lasagna so good, you’ll forget your own name.” His version wouldn’t be as good as when Nonna Gina let her famous sauce simmer for hours, but it would be close. Even the guys at the fire station, many ridiculously talented cooks in their own right, approved of the recipe.
Stefanie’s mouth twitched. “I thought I was going to spar with you tonight.”
“Ah, you can after you’re full. I intend to fill you with carbs to gain a tactical advantage.”
“Where’s Alexis?” Stefanie looked behind him.
“Setting up some things behind the scenes at the harbor. Getting Waffle used to the competing yummy smells of fish alongside a classified list of other smells.”
Joey pulled out his phone, selected some music, and began unpacking the groceries. He fished out a bottle of red wine and Stefanie quirked an eyebrow. “Drinking before sparring?”
“Only if you want. We won’t go overboard – the last thing we need is a preventable training injury.” He grabbed a bottle opener and uncorked it, pouring a glass for each of them and then reserving some for the sauce. He moved fluidly around the kitchen, preparing a recipe he knew by heart. He’d occasionally have to search for a kitchen essential, but Stefanie’s kitchen was orderly and sensible, like the woman who owned it. He’d expected for her to have her work laptop open or working on one of her art projects, but she sat at the kitchen countertop on her stool, wine in hand, watching him. He flipped a kitchen towel on his shoulder and gave the water with the lasagna noodles a stir. They would finish cooking in the oven but needed enough time in the water to get the job started.
“The sauce smells heavenly. Do you want any help?” Stefanie took a sip of her wine.
Joey shook his head. “Nope. All part of my plan to relax you.”
“Helping relaxes me.”
Joey grinned. He held out the wooden spoon. “I’ll arm you as long as you promise not to whack me in the head with it if I misbehave.”
Stefanie got a pretty blush on her cheeks and he gave her the wooden spoon. A pang of guilt hit him, and he froze in plac
e. Her touch on his arm was so soft, at first, he didn’t recognize it. “Want to talk about it?”
He took a breath. “I’m…not sure you should have to deal with that.”
“I don’t mind. You’ve got to be thinking about it. With everything. But I also don’t mind if you don’t want to talk about it.” She starting stirring the tomato sauce. “So, firefighting on the weekends, CIA during the week. Does that leave you with any time for hobbies?”
Joey strained the noodles. He rummaged for a dish and Stefanie was sensitive enough to not help him. “A few. I mostly work on my property. I have a couple of acres outside of town. No livestock – I travel too much for that. But there is a small barn and woods, and there’s always something to clear or chop down. Keeps me out of trouble.” He leaned with his back against the sink for a moment. She was stirring the sauce quietly, giving him space. “I’ve felt responsible…for Rory’s death for a long time.” He cleared his throat. “And not just because we were dating. Professionally. I was digging up information on her operation and felt like I should have seen a pattern, recognized one of Dmitri’s spies, something. Anything.”
“Did you have all the information?” Stefanie paused her stirring.
Joey shook his head. “No. Just a piece.”
“And even if you did, you know it’s not rational to expect yourself to protect everyone from everything, right?”
Joey fidgeted with the dish towel. “It’s that obvious?”
Stefanie shook her head. “It isn’t. I guess it just takes one to know one. Our brand of perfectionism is driven by fear of failure, a constant worry that we might let ourselves or someone else down. It’s not a huge leap for me to imagine how you would feel. And because I know that, it’s easy for me to say – it’s not your fault.”
Joey swallowed. “I know. But sometimes when I find myself really feeling good, it hits me. Quinn assures me Rory would want me to be happy. I know that’s true, but living it is something else entirely.”