Mitch frowned. “A few days...”
Gage asked, “What do you mean, mostly? Do people you know, like friends, hire you to steal stuff?”
“Let’s get this straight once and for all.” She pointed to herself. “I am the Asset Repossession Specialist Extraordinaire. My reputation precedes me, so sometimes I work for people I know.”
Gage’s face broke into a grin. “You know what the acronym is, right?” Alex sent him a black look, but Gage still chucked. Logan fought to keep from smiling. Mitch saw the humor, but it didn’t move him. The only arse in the room was him, by the sounds of things. A few days and, damn, she might have even changed it up after Friday afternoon on the yacht. He was a complete idiot. It had taken him weeks to put together that security plan, but it had only taken her a day to break it.
“So,” Gage continued, “Diana Sterling hired you to get the car back. Why didn’t she just call the police?”
Alex shot him a look of disbelief. “She’d never ask the cops. It’s too humiliating. She wanted it handled quickly and quietly, which is what I specialize in.”
“Except for the bomb part,” Gage threw in. She frowned at him.
Logan leaned forward in the chair. “No one else approached you about any other job regarding Drake? No one else asked you to steal something for them?”
Alex gritted her teeth. “I do not steal random things. I am an asset reposs—”
“Yes, we heard you the first time,” Mitch ground out.
“Well, obviously not because you keep getting it wrong!” she shot back. “Look, I don’t just steal random things from people. I don’t case their houses and decide I like a painting and take it. That’s not me. I am not a thief.” She looked at all three brothers to make sure they were paying attention. She shot a glance at Lacy, who gave her another slight nod.
“I only retrieve sentimental belongings for people, things they might have given to someone they thought they loved. It’s a little different in Diana Sterling’s case, but it’s the same principle.”
The brothers were all looking at her like she was an alien.
“Okay, say person A met person B and fell in love or whatever. They entered into a relationship. Person A then gives B something that is important to her, that has special significance to her. B is thrilled with it and is happy. Then A and B break up for some reason. A who gave B uh, say her grandfather’s watch, now wants the watch back but B likes the watch, so he refuses to give it back. A hires me, an asset repossession specialist, to retrieve the watch from B. After all, it’s not B’s family heirloom, so why should he get to keep the watch? I get the watch from B and give it to A. A is happy, or as happy as a broken-hearted A can be. And B, well B is no worse off than he was before. Make sense?”
The room was silent. Mitch was stunned. Alex wasn’t a thief so much as she was a...a what? As asset repossession specialist. He could feel his lips breaking into a smile. All this time, he’d been worried he’d fallen for a thief but, really, she was just out there righting wrongs, as she saw it.
Relief washed over him and then ice water ran through his veins. Fallen for? No way. No. Back up the bus. He swallowed hard. Shit. It was true. He’d fallen for her. That’s why he’d been so mad that she bested him at Drake’s. He didn’t want her to be the enemy. And why he’d been so terrified in the park. The thought of her getting hurt had his palms breaking out in a sweat even now. He closed his eyes. Fuck! This was not good. Not good at all.
“So, you are saying you don’t know anything about the prototype or the bomb,” Gage said. “What did you think was happening when the bomb went off?”
She glanced at Mitch. “I... Honestly, I had no idea. I just got the hell out of there as was my plan. I delivered the car and got out of town. I didn’t hear anything about it until much later.” She met Mitch’s gaze. “I am so sorry one of your men got hurt.”
Mitch nodded his thanks.
“I really had nothing to do with it, and I know nothing about it. I—” She paused for a second and then continued. “It occurred to me that someone took advantage of my breaking in to wreak havoc and blame me for it. I don’t know why, but if you say this prototype is missing, then maybe they used me and the bomb as a distraction.”
Logan spoke up. “We agree with you on part of it. We think the bomb was a distraction, and we know you had nothing to do with it.”
Alex’s gaze shot back to Mitch. He nodded again. “I’ve been over the video a million times. I know for a fact you were nowhere near the area the bomb went off before you took the car, so you couldn’t have put it there.”
She closed her eyes slowly and exhaled. Her shoulders lowered and relaxed. She’d been worried. Really worried. It just solidified his opinion of her more. She was one of the good guys. Even if her methods were questionable, her motives weren’t. “Dan getting hurt wasn’t your fault.”
“Dan. Is that his name? How’s he doing?” Lacy asked.
Mitch sat back and linked his hands behind his head. “He lost his spleen, but the doctor says he’ll make a full recovery. He says he doesn’t remember anything, though, so he’s no help.”
Logan leaned forward, poured more water into his glass, and then took a drink. “That brings us back to the prototype. Alex, you say you didn’t steal it.”
“I didn’t.” She shook her head emphatically.
“Actually, you did.” Mitch leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees. “The prototype was in the car, and you...retrieved the car.”
“Then it has to still be in the car. I didn’t take anything with me except what I brought.”
Mitch shook his head. “It’s not in the car. I checked, and so did Jake. Not there.”
Alex blinked and looked at Lacy. She shrugged. Alex licked her lips. “I swear I didn’t take anything from the car. Just my stuff.”
“Are you sure you didn’t accidently pick it up?” Gage asked as he stood up.
“No. I don’t even know what this prototype looks like or what it’s for. There was nothing in the car to take, as I recall. It was empty.”
Gage walked over to the fridge and grabbed a beer. He held it up and looked around the room. Logan frowned and shook his head. Mitch nodded. Lacy shook her head, but Alex gave a nod.
He got three bottles out of the fridge and took off the tops. “Is it possible that it got mixed in with your stuff somehow?” he asked as he walked across the room and handed Mitch and Alex their beers. He went back and sat down on the fireplace hearth again.
“I don’t see how. What does it look like?” Alex took a swig of her beer.
Mitch swallowed a gulp of beer. “It’s a memory stick in a circular tube. Silver.”
Alex started to shake her head no, but froze.
“What?” Mitch demanded.
“When the bomb went off, I yanked the steering wheel hard and my bag upended. After I pulled the car into Sterling’s garage, I went around and stuffed everything back in my bag. I grabbed a tube from under the seat and threw it in my bag. I didn’t look at it closely. I just assumed it was my Chapstick, but I guess it could be the tube you’re talking about.”
Mitch asked. “Where is it now?”
Alex opened her mouth, but closed it. She looked at Lacy. Lacy seemed to understand something from the look they shared because she piped up. “Alex cannot answer that question.”
Logan frowned. “Can you go get it and bring it back here?”
“Yes, I guess it’s possible.” Alex glanced at her watch. “But it will have to be tomorrow.”
Mitch stood up. “Why tomorrow? Why can’t we get it now?”
“Because it’s not available now,” Alex said simply.
“It’s five p.m. in New York City. What is not available at this hour?” Mitch’s frustration was mounting. He needed the prototype back so he could give it to Drake and go out with a win. Then maybe Drake wouldn’t tank their company’s reputation. As it was, Dex said there were a few clients calling with questions. T
hey couldn’t afford to have any client jump ship. The remodel of the space plus all the equipment on the third floor had cost a fortune. Everyone had sunk everything they had into this venture. No way was he going to let it go under without a major fight.
“I’m sorry, but it can’t be reached until tomorrow morning. That’s just the way it is.”
When Mitch took a step forward, Alex stood up to face him. “I’m not trying to be difficult. I’m just being honest. I can’t get it until tomorrow morning. I won’t tell you where it is because it involves other people. Currently, I know it’s safe and they’re safe. If we run around and try to find it now, we’ll just be attracting attention, and it could put a lot of people in danger. I can go first thing tomorrow morning and get it. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to be satisfied with that.”
Mitch ground his teeth. So close, and yet it still wasn’t in his grasp. He nodded his agreement but moved away from the seating area to walk over to the window. He needed a break. He was tired and frustrated, and he wasn’t sure what he was feeling when it came to Alex. Or rather he was afraid of what he was feeling.
“Alex, if you wouldn’t mind, I have a few more questions.” Logan gestured toward the couch, and Alex sat back down. She reached out and took a long swig of her beer.
“If we go with the idea that you were part of the distraction, then we have to suppose that someone who knew when you would be there set this whole thing up. So, who knew about this job for Sterling and who knew your schedule?”
“Myself, Diana Sterling, and my handler. No one else knew all the details. Diana didn’t even know all the details.”
Gage frowned and took a drink from his beer. “But no one on that list seems like a decent suspect unless... How well do you know your handler?”
Alex immediately held up her hand. “Stop right there. We’ve been together for years, since the beginning. He’s my rock. He’s my partner. I love him to bits, and he loves me. There’s absolutely no way he’d do this without telling me.”
Mitch felt like he’d just been sucker-punched. Alex had a partner that she loved. He looked over at her. He had no idea what her relationship with the other guy was, but he sure as hell was going to find out.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“So, you’re sure that no one else knew of your plan? Did someone else know about you taking the job?” Gage asked as he got up from the hearth and sat in the chair Mitch had vacated.
“No. No one. I don’t talk about my work, and neither does my handler. It’s safer for everyone.” All this talk about Leo made her mouth dry so she took another sip of beer. She wouldn’t give Leo up no matter what.
Logan leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers together. “Who told Diana Sterling about your services?”
“I can answer that,” a man said as he strolled over from the elevator.
Alex whirled around to see who spoke. She’d been so caught up in worrying about Leo, she hadn’t heard the elevator ding. The man was tall, over six feet, and lanky. His hair was blond and styled just so. He obviously took pride in his appearance. He was wearing dress pants and a button-down on a Saturday.
“I just got off the phone with her. Took me all afternoon to get her to talk to me, but as luck would have it, she just had another fight with her husband and needed a sympathetic ear.”
Gage grinned. “Which you were happy to provide.”
He took a small bow. “Which I was very happy to provide.” He grinned and brushed a blond curl off his forehead.
“Ladies,” Gage said, “this is Dex. He’s one of our technical crew but really a jack of all trades. He also happens to be very charming, and the ladies love him.”
Dex made another small bow.
“Dex, this is Alex and Lacy,” Gage said as he pointed to each one in turn.
“It’s nice to meet you both.” Dex smiled. “To get back to Diana. You know, she’s actually a nice lady. Her husband seems like a huge asshole. Have no idea why she took him back. You women are strange.”
“No comment,” Alex said.
“What did she say? How did she get Alex’s contact information?” Mitch asked from his spot by the window.
He was leaning against the wall, sipping his beer. He appeared relaxed, but after spending time around him, Alex knew that he was stressed out at the moment. Something was bugging him. Their eyes met, but he turned away. Whatever it was, he had no interest in telling her about it. And she had no interest in hearing it, she reminded herself.
“Well, now—oh look, snacks.” Dex immediately crashed down between Lacy and Alex on the sofa and proceeded to stuff crackers and cheese in his mouth.
Both Alex and Lacy laughed as they got re-situated. “By all means, make yourself comfortable.” Alex stole a cracker with a piece of cheese on it from Dex’s hand and popped it in her mouth.
“Hey,” he called, but his smile said he wasn’t remotely upset.”
“Dex,” barked Mitch.
“Yo,” he called back. “Oh, you want the deets. Sure, well Diana Sterling said she first heard about Alex’s prowess in getting items back for their rightful owners from her good friend, Monica.
“Monica raved about your work, Alex. According to Diana, Monica thinks you are”—Dex changed his voice so he sounded like a woman—“just an angel. Monica was devastated by the loss of her favorite Matisse to that scoundrel John. Alex bringing it back to her has lifted her spirits and made her feel able to face the world again. She’s like a new woman.”
Alex laughed. “I remember Monica Moore. She was devastated. Her fiancé was having an affair. Getting the picture back really made her happy. Glad to hear she’s doing well.”
“I don’t suppose Monica Moore would want the prototype?” Logan asked.
Alex tilted her head. “I don’t think so. She’s always had a trust fund. Her father made millions and handed it down the line. I don’t think she’s had an actual job, like ever.”
Logan stated, “Maybe we’re missing something. Let’s go over everything again.”
Alex groaned. “I’m done. I’ve already told my story.”
“Well, I didn’t hear it.” Dex gave her a big smile. “I’d love to hear your story.” He leaned back on the sofa and put his arm around behind her while he stretched his long legs out in front of him. Mitch made a noise that sounded like a growl, but when she looked over at him, his face was blank. Weird.
Lacy started to get up. “I think I’m done as well. I have other things I must attend to.”
“Yes. We should be going.” Alex rose from the sofa.
“Ladies,” Gage said as he stood, “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we can’t let you leave.”
“Excuse me?” Lacy shifted her weight evenly onto both feet, and her hands went to her hips. It was her fighting stance. Alex recognized it right away. “We made a deal that you wouldn’t keep us here against our will.”
Logan stood up as well. “We’re hoping it won’t be against your will. But someone out there is shooting at you. We can only assume it’s about the prototype. It’s not safe for you to go out there on your own. We can protect you here.”
Lacy’s eyes narrowed slightly. “The problem with your theory is that you can’t be sure it was us the shooter was after. We were just fine before you showed up. Maybe this has nothing to do with us, and it’s all about you.”
“That’s a possibility,” Logan acknowledged. “However, the fact that Alex was involved, even if by accident, with the bomb going off at Drake’s makes it far more likely that someone wants her out of the picture, although for the life of me, I can’t figure out why.”
Alex swallowed hard. It hadn’t really sunk in that someone wanted her dead. The shooting earlier seemed so...random. She hadn’t really taken it seriously. Someone wanted her dead. She swayed a bit on her feet. Dex shot off the sofa to help her, but Mitch got there first. He held on to her. “Are you okay?”
“Uh, yeah. I guess I...just hadn’t really thou
ght about it like that.” She looked up at him. “Someone wants me dead.” She swallowed the tears building in her throat. She would not cry in front of this man. He already thought she was weak.
She closed her eyes for a second and then squared her shoulders. Opening them again, she gently pulled her arm from Mitch’s grasp. “I have no idea who’d want to kill me. I’ve repossessed lots of items, but nothing worth killing for.” She looked back at Mitch. “Do you have any ideas who’s behind the bombing?”
“Yes and no,” he said as he sat down on the arm of Gage’s chair.
“Perhaps you could explain that a bit.” Lacy sat down again on the sofa and Alex followed suit. Dex sat between them and resumed eating crackers and cheese.
“We don’t know for sure. We know someone is after the prototype, and we were sure they were going to try and steal it. We know they hired a guy named Tolliver to try and intimidate Drake into selling it. When that didn’t work, we thought you”—Mitch turned to Alex—“were the person Tolliver hired to take it.”
“John Tolliver?” Alex asked.
“Yes,” Gage said quickly. “Why? Do you know him?”
Alex grimaced. “Yes, unfortunately. John Tolliver is Monica Moore’s ex-fiancé, the one I reclaimed the Matisse from. He’s a real son of a bitch.”
Alex reached out and grabbed a bottle of water. She opened it and took a long swallow. She was buying time. She had never revealed any of her clients’ stories before. They weren’t her stories to tell, but Tolliver was an asshole of the first order, and telling Monica’s story might help with the current situation. Everyone was staring at her, waiting for her to continue. She shrugged and made a mental apology to Monica.
“John Tolliver is one of the meanest pieces of shit I have ever had the misfortune of meeting. Monica got my name from another client. She called my handler and begged for a meeting. Tolliver had come in and swept her off her feet. Wined and dined her, lavished gifts and attention on her, made her feel like she was the most interesting woman in the world. She was mad for him.
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