by Rebecca Deel
A table in the corner at the back of the room opened up. Brent indicated for Adam to follow him and moved with his computer to the new location. The coffee bar was too busy and noisy for a conversation with Adam. He knew the other man needed to sit with his back to the wall. All his people were twitchy with strangers too close. Brent’s lips curved. He was just as bad, but he had a great motive for ignoring the fake spiders crawling on his skin. Rowan.
“Thanks for coming, Adam,” Brent murmured.
A snort. “You don’t have to thank me, boss. I’m happy to be off the couch. Has the doctor’s report on me come through yet?”
He shook his head. “Should be in any day now.”
“What is her problem?” Adam Walker scowled. “It’s been a week already.”
“I called her office. She’s out because of a family emergency and not expected back for another week. She left a message that she’d be working remotely on case files.”
Adam’s eyes glittered with annoyance. “Good thing I’m not sick.”
“Isn’t it? I imagine she has someone covering her day-to-day patients. Reporting results like yours for Fortress isn’t a priority.”
“They are to me.”
“Won’t be much longer, Adam.” Brent laid the blank flash drive on the table, then handed over Heather’s. “Take a look at this. The drive on the table is empty. Make a copy of the original to work on.”
“What am I working on?”
“I think it’s a list of names written in code.”
The aggravation in Adam’s gaze disappeared to be replaced by curiosity. “This related to a case?”
“Yeah.” And much more. Brent summarized what happened with Rowan and her family.
Adam scanned the busy room until his gaze found Rowan. He inclined his head in her direction. “Your woman?”
His cheeks burned. Hard to justify calling Rowan his woman, but he didn’t correct his operative. “That’s Rowan. I think her niece’s disappearance is related to what’s on this drive.”
A short nod. “I’ll work on it.” Adam unzipped his backpack and grabbed his laptop. “Anything else?”
“Keep an eye on Rowan. Someone may try for her again.” And with people in the shop, many could be hurt in an attempt on Rowan. “I’ll be down the hall.”
Rowan walked up with two mugs of coffee and set them on the table. “Hi, you must be Adam. I’m Rowan.”
The Force Recon Marine laid his laptop on the table and stood to shake her hand. “Nice to meet you, Rowan. I’m sorry to hear about your family.”
“Thanks.” Rowan cleared her throat before continuing. “The coffee is black. I’ll be happy to add flavored creamer.”
Adam grimaced. “No, thanks. That’s my sister’s thing, not mine.”
“His sister, Claire, is married to Zane,” Brent added.
“Zane’s a good man.”
The operative shrugged. “Z’s an all right guy. Claire’s happy and that’s all that matters to me.”
“Would you like a snack?” she asked both of them.
“Sure, as long as you eat something yourself,” Brent said.
“When Lacey arrives,” she promised. “Any preference on the snack?”
“Whatever is not selling today,” Adam said.
“Scones. They’re usually my bestsellers.”
“Their loss, our gain.” A small smile curved his mouth. “We’re not picky, Rowan. Whatever you bring will be happily devoured.”
She grinned. “I’ll be right back with your food.”
“Nice woman, boss. Pretty, too.”
Brent froze, his gaze darting to his operative. “True on both counts,” he growled.
Adam chuckled. “I have no intention of pursuing her, Brent. She’s interested in you although I can’t figure out why.”
“Thanks a lot.” Was she interested in more than casual dating? He hoped so. The more time he spent with her, the more Brent admired her.
Rowan returned with a tray of assorted pastries. “Let me know if you need anything else. We also have water and soft drinks in the refrigerated case by the coffee bar if you want something other than coffee. Everything is on the house.”
“Thank you, baby.”
She smiled and returned to the coffee bar.
“You good, Adam?” Brent asked.
“I’m fine. I’ll watch over Rowan.”
He clapped the other man on the shoulder and stood. Tucking his laptop under one arm, Brent carried coffee and a scone to Rowan’s office. As he swallowed his last bite, his cell phone chirped with an incoming message from Zane.
Brent called his friend. “What do you have for me?”
“Nothing good. The Navarro cartel is after the ambassador’s family.”
“Oh, man.” He sighed. Of all the cartels to tangle with, this group in particular had it in for Fortress. Brent had lost count of the number of skirmishes his people had gotten into over the years with Navarro. In fact, the antagonism had gone all the way back to the end of his SEAL days. The cartel had been new back then, but they’d been big and powerful even then. “They have a complaint against the ambassador?”
“Alvarez is pushing against drugs, gun-running, and human trafficking. If it’s illegal, Navarro is making a profit from it. The federales are coming down hard on Navarro because of Alvarez.”
“Fantastic. Activate Rodriguez. I want him piloting St. Claire and his unit.” Julio Rodriguez was the best pilot Fortress employed. The guy was combat trained, a top gun pilot.
“Copy that. I’ll keep monitoring the Chihuahua province.”
Brent dropped his phone on Rowan’s desk and rubbed his face with his hands, considering his limited options. He didn’t want to send Durango back out, but St. Claire might need additional help if the mission went critical. With them operating in the heart of Navarro territory, that was almost a given.
Rowan walked in. “Lacey is here. Do you want to go to the police station now?”
“Let me check with Adam, see how he’s doing on that list.” Laptop in hand, he made a beeline for Adam’s table. On the way, he noticed a pretty blond behind the coffee bar with Chase. Must be Lacey. “Progress?” he asked Adam.
“Here.” He slid a flash drive across the table. “I brought an empty flash drive with me. I figured Taylor would want a copy as well. The document is definitely in code. There are a few popular options I’ll check first. Might take a while,” he warned.
“I understand. Do what you can.”
“You’re sure it’s a code, Adam?” Rowan asked, a thoughtful look on her face.
“Yeah, why?”
“Heather loved secret codes. When we were kids, she always made up her own to leave me secret messages about boys she liked or if something one of our parents did upset her. We weren’t allowed to complain out loud. Got us in even more trouble.”
“Would she have used one of your childhood codes?” Brent asked.
“I doubt it. Heather played around with so many she probably couldn’t remember any one in particular.”
“Did she have a computer at home that was hers?” Adam folded his arms and leaned on the table. “Or would she have used her husband’s computer?”
“She had her own. Jay didn’t want her or Alexa in the study.”
“I’ll keep working the code,” Adam said to Brent. “It would be easier if I had access to Heather’s computer. She probably researched secret codes on the Internet. If I access the same websites, I’ll know which codes she didn’t use and eliminate them.”
“Their house is a crime scene,” Rowan said. “We can’t get in there.”
Amusement lit Adam’s gaze. “If I don’t make progress by the time night falls, I’ll take a look inside their place. Do you know where she normally kept her computer?”
“Her bedroom or Alexa’s. But their place is huge,” she said, dropping her voice. “How will you know which rooms to focus on?”
“I’ll draw him the layout.” Brent squeezed her shoulder. �
��He won’t have a problem.”
“What if you get caught, Adam?” she whispered.
He grinned, the smile lopsided because of the scar on his cheek. “I’ll call the boss to bail me out of jail.”
Brent almost laughed out loud. Adam Walker wouldn’t get caught.
The shop door crashed open. A big, beefy guy stormed inside, and headed for the coffee bar.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Fury burned through Rowan at the sight of Frank Wright heading for Lacey. The jerk boyfriend had shown up here again. Rowan had warned him the next time he showed his face, she’d call the police. “Excuse me,” she murmured to Brent and Adam. “I have a creep to throw out of my shop.”
As she walked across the room, she was aware of the two men keeping pace with her, expressions grim. Nice to have some muscle to back her up this time. The last time she’d gone toe-to-toe with Frank, Rowan had been left with bruises. Lacey had begged her not to press charges. Frank wouldn’t be that lucky this time if he laid a hand on her or Lacey.
“Frank, what are you doing here?” Lacey asked, her voice shaking. “I left you a message that I had to work. Rowan has a family emergency.”
“We had plans. I’m not canceling just because your lazy boss doesn’t want to do her job. She has no right to interfere in your life so she can indulge herself. Now, get your stuff and let’s go.”
“Please,” she said softly as Rowan, Brent, and Adam moved closer. “You’re embarrassing me.”
“You need to leave, Frank.” Rowan covered the remaining few feet and circled the coffee bar to stand with her assistant manager.
“Rowan, don’t,” Lacey pleaded.
“Sorry, Lace. Frank knows he’s not welcome here.”
“Yeah?” Frank sneered. “What are you going to do about it?”
“She’s not going to do anything,” Adam said evenly. “We are.”
A glare turned his and Brent’s direction. “Who are you?”
“Rowan’s friends. You need to turn around and walk away.”
“Or what?”
“We’ll make you.”
“Nobody makes me do nothing I don’t want to,” Frank growled, jabbing a finger against Adam’s chest.
Between one heartbeat and the next, the operative grabbed Frank’s hand and put it into some kind of hold, a painful one if his expression was anything to go by.
“Let’s take a walk,” Adam murmured and, without relinquishing his hold, escorted Frank from the store without a word of protest from the jerk.
“I should go,” Lacey whispered and tried to move around Rowan.
“Lacey.” She couldn’t let her friend go without making one more effort to convince her how unwise the relationship with Frank was. “You know what happened the last time he was in the store.” Her gaze darted to Brent for a second before shifting back to her miserable friend.
“He hurt you.”
Brent’s eyes narrowed. Jaw clenched, he turned and walked outside.
Oh, boy. Rowan wanted to follow herself to stop Brent from laying into Frank on her account. The last thing she wanted was for him to face any kind of prosecution because of a few bruises that had long since faded.
“Lacey, this guy is dangerous,” Chase said, his voice low as the last of their customers walked from the shop. “You shouldn’t have anything to do with him.”
“Chase is right.” Rowan wrapped her arm around Lacey’s shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze. “Find someone better.”
“He’s a good guy,” Lacey protested.
“Honey, a good man doesn’t hurt women. He treats her with respect. Is that how Frank treats you?”
She sighed. “No.”
Rowan was afraid to push too hard. Maybe this time, Lacey would listen. Her eyes stung. If she didn’t, Lace might end up like Heather. “Let me make you some tea. Earl Grey all right?”
Lacey smiled. “Perfect. Thank you.” The smile faded as she glanced toward the door. “Frank will be angry. What if he hurts your friends?”
“He’d be foolish to take on either of those two,” Chase muttered. “Anybody with eyes and two brain cells to rub together can see those guys aren’t ones to mess with.”
Rowan glanced toward the door again. She wasn’t sure Frank recognized how dangerous and trained Brent and Adam were. Guess it wouldn’t take long for reality to sink in. Brent and his friend wouldn’t allow Frank to hurt anyone.
Figuring Lacey needed to keep herself busy, Rowan asked her to make more coffee. If the afternoon progressed as it normally did, they’d have another mini-rush around two. She busied herself making Lacey’s tea.
With the fresh coffee brewing, Rowan said, “Sit down for a bit, Lace. I’ll bring your tea in a minute.”
“I’m supposed to be helping you,” she protested.
“You will be. You’ve had a shock. Give yourself a chance to recover for a few minutes.” She led her friend back to Adam’s table. “Sit here.”
“But this is your friend’s table.”
“Lace, Adam won’t mind. He’s working on a project for Brent. In fact, I’d like you to make sure he has everything he needs. Water, coffee, snacks. I think he’ll be here until Coffee House closes. He works for Fortress, Brent’s security company. Adam will make sure employees and customers are safe. I didn’t want to take chances after what happened last night.”
Relief flooded Lacey’s face. “That’s a good idea. I have to admit I was worried about being here at night. I promise I’ll keep him comfortable.”
“I knew I could count on you.” Once Lacey’s tea finished steeping, Rowan brought the mug to the table. The bell over the door rang. Brent and Adam entered the shop.
“Take care of the garbage?” Chase called out.
Adam nodded and approached the corner table. “You okay?” he asked Lacey in a quiet voice.
“Thanks to you.” Lacey’s gaze swept over Adam. “No injuries from Frank?”
He exchanged an amused glance with his boss. “He didn’t lay a hand on either of us.” Adam sobered. “I don’t think he’ll be bothering you again, Lacey. We made it plain what would happen if he approached you again.”
“You don’t know what he’s like.”
Brent lifted one shoulder. “He’s a bully. We don’t need to know him to deal with him.”
That’s when Rowan noticed his reddened right hand. When he caught her staring at him, he winked at her. She could guess the type of persuasion they’d used on Frank. Hopefully, whatever they did worked because threatening to call the police sure hadn’t.
“Thank you, Adam,” Lacey said. “Brent, too. Frank can be difficult.”
“You deserve better than Frank,” Adam said.
Lacey’s eyes glistened. “You’re right.”
Maybe the message would sink in. Rowan hoped Frank stayed away for good. “Brent and I need to go to the police station. You’ll be fine with Chase and Adam here. Call in extra help if you need to.”
“Will do. We’ll keep Coffee House going for you. Don’t worry about a thing.”
Rowan leaned down and hugged her friend, then picked up her purse where she’d dropped it to confront Frank. Brent’s hand rested against her lower back as he escorted her to his SUV.
He opened the passenger door for her, then leaned in to give her a lingering kiss. “Thank you,” he murmured.
Trying to think despite the haze enveloping her brain after that romantic display, she asked, “For what?”
“Trusting me to handle Frank.”
Her eyes narrowed. “He is still alive, right?”
“He’s breathing.”
Rowan noticed Brent didn’t say how well Frank was breathing. She hope Frank was reminded of the warning to stay away from Lacey with every breath he took. “Will he call the police?”
“Why?”
“I’m trying to figure out if I have enough money in my checking account to post your bail.”
Brent burst into laughter. “Won’t come to tha
t. He slunk away like the coward he is.”
“Good. Let’s get going. I want to know what Cal learned.”
“He may have gone home, sweetheart.” Brent climbed behind the wheel. “He works third shift, which means he’s well into the time he normally sleeps.”
She groaned at the prospect of having to wait longer. “I hate to deprive him of sleep, but I hope he’s still awake.”
They were in luck. In the bullpen, Cal Taylor sat at his desk, peering at his computer screen. He glanced up as they approached. “Perfect timing. I just finished interrogating your unwanted guest. He’s sticking to what he told Brent. Salazar is also not the sharpest knife in the drawer. He didn’t wear gloves when he broke into Rowan’s place. I lifted clear prints.”
“You have plenty of charges to keep him locked up,” Brent said.
“Oh, yeah. With his fingerprints, your eyewitness testimony, and his confession, he’s not going anywhere.”
Great. One potential assassin down. Who knew how many others might be offered the job? Depressing thought. “Do you know anything about Alexa?” she asked.
“I’m sorry, Rowan. I’m working on it. The FBI is also on the case now.”
She hated to ask the next question, but Rowan had to know how to plan the next few days. “Do you know when I’ll be able to hold a funeral for my sister and brother-in-law?”
“That I do know. The ME will release their bodies tomorrow.”
“What about their house?” she asked. “When will you be finished? I need clothes for Heather and Jay.” Her voice choked off. Brent’s strong arm drew her against his side.
“It will be a few days before I release the scene. I can escort you into the place to retrieve the clothes, but I can’t let you in there without me or another officer.”
Irritation rolled through her. She wouldn’t remove anything except the items she needed for Heather and Jay. And Alexa, she reminded herself. She also needed clothes for her niece when she brought Alexa home. “I understand. I’m grateful for whatever you can do.”
A nod, then Cal waved them to the chairs by his desk. “Have a seat.” He handed each of them a piece of paper. “Read your statements to make sure I didn’t miss anything. If there are no changes, sign them.”