Love & Compromise (Agents in Love Book 3)

by Chantel Rhondeau

  “I’m glad we discussed this,” he said, “but we have bigger problems to deal with tonight.”

  “We do?” Her face wrinkled in confusion. “I don’t understand. We’re at a dead-end with everything for now, aren’t we?”

  He shook his head, mindful of the fact the cart could be bugged. “Let’s go inside.”

  Jenessa had changed into her comfy leggings and a T-shirt, then curled up next to Kole on the loveseat in the beautiful little cabin. She listened silently as he detailed the things Carter had claimed.

  Kole slipped his hand inside hers, resting his head on the back of the loveseat and closing his eyes. “It seems plausible, but I’m not sure if I’m participating in wishful thinking. I want Carter to be less culpable because threats were made against him and mom, but did it really happen that way? What do you think?”

  “I think...” Jenessa puffed out a breath, not sure what to think. “S.A.T.O. is certainly capable of pulling off a plot like that. Once they were finished with Victor, they took him out. It’s completely possible Carter had no idea the chocolates were deadly.”

  In fact, it wasn’t a large leap of faith to believe that. Over the past year, she’d learned a lot about the way Paul Billings operated. He would have no problem getting rid of a co-conspirator once that person was no longer useful. Less witnesses were a good thing for a criminal mastermind.

  “What about Ross?” Kole asked softly.

  That one was harder to come to terms with, even if Carter truly killed Ross Jenkins to protect Lynn. He still pulled the trigger. He’d taken a life. The man who accompanied him could have been Terrance Couch from the description Carter gave Kole. However, it was entirely possible that Carter had seen pictures of Terrance over the course of working on the anti-terror board and decided to add authenticity to his story by placing Terrance at the scene.

  Then again, if Terrance really was there, Jenessa could think of a great reason S.A.T.O. forced Carter to pull the trigger.

  “Your brother can’t become president.”

  Kole opened his eyes and looked at her. “You don’t believe he was coerced into killing Ross? Do we need to report it?”

  Jenessa shrugged. “If he was coerced into perpetuating a murder by S.A.T.O., that’s double the reason he can’t become the most powerful man in the country.”

  “I don’t understand.” Kole’s eyebrows narrowed. “Isn’t the murder the important part here?”

  “Not really.” Jenessa couldn’t believe she’d been so blind. “I had suspected Caleb Harrington as the best candidate for someone working with S.A.T.O.”

  Kole nodded. “Because you thought Paul would want a partnership with a future president.”

  “Yes, but it wouldn’t necessarily need to be a partnership. If Paul has proof Carter pulled that trigger and Carter becomes president, Paul can control his every move."

  “Because at any second, Paul could ruin his life,” Kole finished.

  “Pretty much.”

  “So, we have to turn him in. His reasons are irrelevant.” Kole’s voice was heavy with emotion.

  No matter how much Carter had hurt Kole, Jenessa understood why he didn’t want to turn his brother in. She wished she could take away his hurt, but at least she could ease it.

  “We don’t need to do that,” she said. “He should turn himself in. If he gives the D.A. information on Ross’s and Victor’s murders, then agrees to testify against Terrance whenever we catch him, he might be able to cut a deal. He might not have to spend the rest of his life in prison.”

  Kole tilted his head, staring into the distance but looking as though he saw something other than the room. “Would they give him immunity if he talks?”

  “Doubtful,” Jenessa admitted. “But perhaps ten to twenty instead of life. It might be a worthwhile compromise.”

  Talking about compromises made Jenessa think about what Lynn had said earlier in the day. Love was all about compromise. Kole trusted her to tell him whether they should compromise his brother’s integrity by letting the truth come out. He also promised to make a huge sacrifice and move to D.C. to date Jenessa after the case was over. What compromises would Jenessa need to make?

  “What about the stupid necklace?” Kole asked, unaware of Jenessa’s confusion and anxiety over their budding relationship. “Do you think S.A.T.O. wanted it for that weapon they were trying to make before?”

  It seemed doubtful. A single necklace would hold nowhere near the diamonds Nick’s group had snatched away from Paul. No other sales had gone through the black market that Jenessa had detected. She suspected Paul either gave up on the idea or found a different way to accomplish his goals. Face-eating chocolates were a pretty good way to control his enemies, and Jenessa knew Paul’s customers would gladly pay for a weapon like that.

  She unfolded her legs and sat up, snatching her phone from the coffee table. “I think we need to look at this necklace. What’s so special about it?”

  Kole shrugged. “I only know that Ross and his wife bought it at an auction several years ago. You might be able to find an article.”

  After a quick search on her phone’s browser, Jenessa found several articles. A large blue teardrop diamond sparkled out at her, nestled in a bed of smaller white diamonds.

  “The third-largest blue diamond in the world,” she read aloud. “Sold for a whopping thirty million to an anonymous bidder last week, later identified as Ross Jenkins of South Carolina, the stone’s value will continue to grow.”

  “Who pays that much for a diamond?” Kole asked, flabbergasted.

  Jen shrugged. “Rich people, I guess.”

  “What would S.A.T.O. want with it?”

  While it was easy to imagine Paul and his assassins being behind every crime that happened, Jenessa thought the answer might be less complicated. “I don’t think they wanted it. I think that was all Victor. Carter yelled at him about a video, and Victor admitted he didn’t really have anything on him. He’d lied to get Carter to steal the necklace for him. I think there is a video, but I think Terrance Couch took it the night of Ross’s murder. Victor was greedy and wanted the jewels for himself. He’d acted as the go-between for S.A.T.O. to get to Carter, but he wanted more for that job than whatever they paid him. He wanted thirty million dollars’ worth of diamonds.”

  “Hmmmm...” Kole tapped a finger against his lip. “Victor had that one big deposit in his bank that we assumed was from campaign funds for his client. Other than that, his accounts were all pretty depleted.”

  Jenessa nodded her agreement. “He was living outside his means, putting on a show with his fancy house and big parties so he could keep his job. I don’t know what happened to all his money. I mean, he was a lobbyist. He should have had massive amounts. I don’t know why I didn’t think about that before. I guess I was looking for people with too much money.”

  “Hang on.” Kole pulled his own phone from his pocket and typed in a message. “I’m asking Dad if he knows anything about Victor’s finances. Maybe there’s a reason he had no money and needed more fast.”

  Within a few seconds, Kole’s phone rang. He clicked the button to answer. “You’re on speaker, Dad. It’s just Jenessa and I here.”

  “I take it you aren’t having the romantic evening implied, but working on the case?”

  William didn’t sound entirely pleased, and Jenessa wondered if he hoped something real would happen between her and Kole. She already knew Lynn wanted that, but she’d thought the farce was pure business for Kole’s father.

  “We’ve come up with a theory,” Kole answered. “We think Victor blackmailed the wrong person.”

  “Blackmail?” William exhaled heavily. “Damn that man. He told me he had things under control.”

  Jenessa perked up at that. “What things, sir?”

  “Victor had a gambling problem,” William replied. “It’s why his wife left him a few years back. He thought he could rebuild his fortune and replace what she got in the settlement with just
a few good bets.”

  Kole gave Jenessa a quick nod. “That’s why he wanted the necklace.”

  “What necklace?” William demanded.

  “Look, Dad, we haven’t been able to tell you everything that happened in Victor’s office that night,” Kole said.

  “I know what your plan was. Did you get into his computer files?”

  Jenessa leaned closer to the phone. “I did, but so far haven’t found anything that looks suspicious. I’ll keep searching when we get back to D.C. on Monday, but I didn’t think it was smart to bring any of my hacking stuff. Kole and I thought it best to leave everything at his place in the safe and avoid suspicion.”

  “Then what are you talking about a necklace for?” he asked.

  Kole shook his head slightly at Jenessa, alerting her that he wasn’t ready to tell William the whole story yet.

  She made a zipping motion across her lips and pointed at him, indicating he should tell his father whatever he saw fit. At least for now. She’d hold off as long as she could, but William was the president and her direct boss.

  “Dad, we have reason to believe Victor was trying to steal a necklace that had belonged to Ross Jenkins,” Kole said. “I couldn’t figure out why he’d want it, and I was afraid it might have something to do with S.A.T.O., but we found out the necklace is worth millions.”

  “What about the blackmail,” William asked, not becoming distracted.

  “It’s a long story, and we aren’t sure of all the details yet,” Kole replied. “It helps us to know Victor was broke and trying to restore his fortune. Do you think it’s possible he owed a large debt to a bookie?”

  William let out a low groan. “I hate my job some days. Victor said he was in a recovery group and no longer betting last time I asked about it and I believed him. I suppose anything is possible, though. He was an addict.”

  “We checked his bank account,” Kole said. “He didn’t have much money, and it seems odd for a lobbyist to be so poor.”

  “I’m sure he lied to me then,” William replied. “Do you think the bookie killed him?”

  “Maybe.” Kole hesitated, raising an eyebrow at Jenessa.

  She shrugged. It was up to him how much they reported. She’d stand behind his decisions.

  “We overheard something about blackmail that night shortly before Victor died. I think he tried to squeeze money out of someone too powerful for him to handle and it backfired.”

  “You heard him arguing with someone? Why didn’t you tell the cops?”

  “We will,” Kole promised. “First, we need to figure out if this is related to S.A.T.O. or not. Once we do that, we’ll tell the cops everything we know so they can catch Victor’s killer.”

  “Fine, son. I trust you to do what’s right,” William said. A peculiar look crossed Kole’s face that Jenessa couldn’t read—perhaps shock. “Look, your mom just turned off the shower. I don’t want her worrying about any of this, so we’ll talk after you finish investigating this angle.”

  Kole stared at the phone, open-mouthed for a few moments. “You really trust me to do this entirely on my own? No questions or meetings?”

  William chuckled. “Don’t be so surprised. You’re the best person for the job. I know you won’t let me down. Yes, son, I trust you.”

  The screen went dark as William disconnected the call.

  Jenessa sat quietly, waiting for Kole to absorb the compliment from his father. He obviously hadn’t expected it. She had to wonder just how strained the relationship became after Carter exploded Kole’s world. Bringing Kole in to solve this case seemed to be less about stopping S.A.T.O. and more about repairing what the elder Sharps broke with their youngest son.

  Kole leaned back on the couch, putting his arm across the back of Jenessa’s portion. “Imagine that,” he said, musingly.

  Taking his arm as an invitation, Jenessa leaned back and shifted her body closer to his.

  As Kole’s arm came down around her and hugged her to his firm chest, she was glad she’d read his signals right. The past showed she didn’t usually understand men.

  They sat in further silence, which forced Jenessa to focus on how good it felt to be in his arms. She’d told herself she didn’t need a man. She still didn’t think she needed one, but it felt awfully good to be held.

  He stroked his hand up and down her back, seeming to be somewhat absent in the motions. His mind wasn’t focused on her body, not the way hers was on his. Still, he’d reached for her in a moment his father had made him vulnerable. That had to count as good karma credits toward a possible future.

  “Are you okay?” she finally asked when she could stand the silence no longer.

  “I’m good,” he replied. “Really good. All these years, I thought my parents believed Carter to be perfect while thinking I was a major screw up.”

  For the first time, she was grateful to be an only child. She never had to question who her parents loved best. “Too bad it went on this long before they let you know that wasn’t the case.”

  “Oh, they tried to talk to me,” he admitted. “You may have noticed that I’m not always the easiest person to deal with. Especially if I think I already know the answers.”

  “You don’t say?” She chuckled. “I thought that was special treatment reserved for unwanted partners.”

  “You aren’t unwanted anymore,” he replied. “And if I don’t get away from you right this second, I might not be able to hold back on what I want to do but shouldn’t.”

  She felt a blush starting once again, but didn’t mind it. His attraction ran as deeply as hers, that was the only thing that mattered. She lifted her head off his shoulder and arched an eyebrow, hoping she looked sexy instead of silly. “Why hold back?”

  “Why?” Kole gave a mischievous smile before leaning inward, placing a hot kiss against her neck.

  Jenessa’s heart fluttered and goose bumps broke out over her flesh. Every part of her body longed to get the same attention her neck received.

  Kole softened his lips against her neck, sucking lightly instead of kissing.

  Her entire body caught fire and Jenessa’s midsection tightened. She’d had such a drought lately in the love department. She was ready to do whatever Kole wanted.

  After a few more moments of incomparable pleasure, Kole stopped and looked at her. “I have to hold back because you were poisoned only a couple days ago, and the doctor says you need your rest.”

  Jenessa wrapped her arms around his neck. “Doctors don’t know everything. Maybe you can rehabilitate me faster.”

  He smiled and kissed the end of her nose. “Cure by sex therapy?”

  She nodded. “It could work.”

  He caressed her face lightly, but then shook his head with obvious regret. “Your lips are still sore, you can’t deny that.”

  “I can still do some really fun things to you without using my lips,” she promised.

  “Good hell, woman. You’re really testing my strength.”

  She laughed. “I have to try the merchandise out. Make sure we’re a good fit for each other.”

  He winked. “Don’t you worry about that. When the time is right, I’ll show you just how good we will be together.” Standing up and forcing her to release him, he held his hand out to help her to her feet. “But for tonight, you get some rest. I’ll sleep on the couch. I have a big day planned tomorrow, and I want you to feel up to it.”

  Deciding she liked the fact that he’d gone to the trouble of planning a date and not wanting to spoil that by being worn out, Jenessa nodded. “Fine, but only because I’m really excited about tomorrow. You could sleep on the bed with me, though. No reason for the couch.”

  “No way.” Kole shook his head. “If I spent all night touching you, I’d never get any sleep because I’d only have one thought in my mind.”

  It pleased her that he desired her, especially after the way things had started out. “I probably wouldn’t get any rest either.”

  “Then it’s se
ttled. Get in the bed. Tomorrow, we start this relationship for real.”

  Jenessa frowned, thinking about the real reason they were together. “What about Victor and the bank account?”

  Kole shrugged. “We know why he wanted money now. We can dig deeper when we get home. I want the rest of this trip to be about you and me, nothing else. I’ve decided, as important as my job is to me, I want us to be the priority. Are you okay with that?”

  Jenessa’s frown morphed into a smile and excited flutters erupted in her stomach. He was talking about romancing her, something she’d never really had. She and Dan hopped right into bed before even a single real date. All her relationships had been like that, which was why she was so anxious to sleep with Kole. However, dating and spending time together without the sex sounded nice. It sounded real.

  “I can’t wait for morning,” she said, turning toward the bed.

  Chapter 15

  Kole held Jenessa’s hand, helping keep her upright as they ice skated around the small pond. The bright sun overhead kept them from becoming too cold. The snow surrounding them glittered in the light, looking like thousands of tiny diamonds. A perfect setting for their first date.

  Jenessa nearly slipped again, pulling back Kole’s attention as she wind-milled one arm. He held her steady with the other, knowing he could easily keep them both upright.

  She stopped moving forward, gripping her free hand over her chest. “How are you so good at this? My heart feels like it’s going to explode with fear every time I almost fall.”

  “I won’t let you fall,” Kole promised. “And I’m good at it because I played hockey all throughout my childhood.”

  “Hockey?” She quirked an eyebrow and a smile graced her lips. “That seems like more of a bloodthirsty sport than I’d expect from you.”

  “I try to tame my actions so people don’t realize, but I’m very competitive.”