Say It Again (First Wives)

by Catherine Bybee

  “It looks like you have a lot of orange dots.”

  Claire stepped forward and shook her head. “That’s because you’re not looking for the right people. Where is Sasha’s picture?”

  Cooper pointed to the top corner. Her roommates were all accounted for. No black line indicated any of them had died.

  Claire reached up and pulled Sasha’s picture down and pinned it next to Olivia and two other past students who were indicated as missing. “What do these four women have in common?”

  “All the dots.”

  “No, they’re all beautiful, yet nothing that stands out as so remarkable that they’ll be remembered,” Claire pointed out. “And you’re missing a skill.”

  “Which one?” Neil asked.

  Claire and Sasha looked at each other, and then Claire said something to Sasha in Russian.

  “Right.” Sasha walked to the wall, grabbed a marker, and put a blue dot by her image. “Everyone at Richter was mandated to speak German and English. A third language was required, but you didn’t have to pass with fluency. I speak English, German, Russian, French, Italian, some Spanish, and enough Arabic to get me in trouble.”

  The room fell silent.

  “And I speak English, German, Russian, some Italian, and Mandarin. I was going to add Arabic next year,” Claire said.

  “Holy shit. I need to go back to school,” AJ said under his breath.

  Some of the guys laughed.

  “We know I was approached for a job, and Pohl had his eye on you,” Sasha pointed out. “Which means we need to add another factor.”

  Claire must have been on the same page, because she started nodding. “We’re both orphans. No families to tie us down or keep us from taking a dangerous job. And Pohl was my benefactor. I was given incentives to learn more languages than my roommates. Told that when I graduated, I’d have five thousand euros for every language I spoke fluently.”

  “Was there any data in the chip I gave you saying who else was Pohl’s financial responsibility?”

  Cooper shook his head. “No. But we do have who has families and who doesn’t. We’ll cross-reference that information and move forward.”

  AJ’s head spun.

  “What about Claire’s original birth certificate?” Sasha asked.

  “We have boots on the ground in New York and should have that by the end of the day,” Neil said.

  “Any closer to a real identity on Pohl or who he works for?” AJ asked.

  “I’m working on that,” Reed said from the computer screen. “It’s an image search at this point.”

  “That’s all for now, then,” Neil reported. “We get back to work and return before the sun sets and see where we’re at. First priority is clearing Claire’s age. I’d rather deal solely with Pohl than our own police force. In the meantime, we need a rotation on the monitors here at the ranch. Fresh eyes on the screens every four hours.”

  “You got it, Boss,” Cooper said. “You heard the man, let’s get cracking.”

  Claire rubbed her hands together. “How can I help?”

  “Oh, it’s okay, kid . . .”

  With hands on her hips, Claire asked, “How many languages do you speak?”

  Cooper blinked. “One.”

  “Are you telling me there isn’t anything in the headmistress’s file that is in a language other than English?”

  “Okay, fine.”

  Claire did a little victory dance and let Cooper lead her to a computer.

  “Did you want to get some fresh air?”

  AJ’s question had Sasha turning around in surprise. No. What she really wanted to do was dig into the files and look for links herself.

  He leaned in. “That’s my way of asking you to come outside with me so I can have a private word.”

  “Lead the way,” she said.

  Even during fall, Texas was warm. They walked out of the guesthouse and Sasha diverted him away from the main house. “Trina asked the cook to come back to prepare food for everyone. It’s best she doesn’t see me until we can clear my name.”

  They walked toward the stables and stopped at one of the fences that kept the horses penned in to graze. Sasha wasn’t a big fan of country living, but it was hard to look over something as simple as a group of horses munching on grass and not feel her heart rate slow. “What’s on your mind?”

  “You really speak seven languages?”

  “You brought me out here to clarify that?”

  “There you go again, asking a question instead of answering me. No. I wanted to ask about the A-team in there. You said Neil was in security.”

  “He is.”

  “Those guys all look like they do more than watch monitors and eat donuts.”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Neil eat a donut.” She found the thought strangely fascinating.

  “Not my point.”

  “Neil recruits retired military service. That’s why they all look like they can take care of themselves in a fight. I’ve seen a couple of them in action, so I can vouch for them. They’re men who liked the adrenaline but not the drama of working under military orders. They want to work for what they believe in and not whatever political power is in office.”

  “You trust them.”

  “And they trust me. What are you getting at, AJ?”

  He moved beside her, close enough for her to feel the warmth of his body, and leaned against the fence. “The last bit you and Claire were saying about being orphaned and the words emotionally vulnerable—words you said to Pohl: these things might have pertained to you at one point, but not now. I look around and I see family. I see an organized army working intelligence as if they’re in a situation room looking for a mole in the Middle East. I do not see a profile of what Pohl needs. Yeah, you check off all the other boxes, but the one where you need him? No, not you.”

  Sasha leaned back. “When I went back to Richter, I told Linette I was searching for something. Direction. Maybe she thought that meant I was all that you mentioned.”

  “She’s the one who invited him to come and see you.”

  “For a finder’s fee.” The thought still made her sick.

  “Right. What does Linette do with her finder’s fee? She lives on campus, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Does she have family?”

  Sasha shrugged. “I wouldn’t know.”

  “Husband, kids?”

  “Are you suggesting she works for Pohl?”

  “I’m suggesting those guys in there look into her a little more. She runs the school, but who runs her? Board of directors for the school? Is there an advisory committee?”

  Sasha thought of her parting conversation with Linette. Her defensiveness for inviting Pohl and the odd feeling inside of Sasha, hearing the woman act as if sacrificing a normal life for a few students was a small price to pay for all the other graduates that went on to do great things. “You’re right. I think we do need to look harder at Linette.”

  AJ looked pleased with himself. “I may not be retired military, but I’m good for something.”

  She looked him up and down.

  His grin brightened. “I’m good for that, too.”

  Sasha squeezed her eyes shut. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  He laughed.

  “I have a question,” she said as it surfaced in her head.

  “Ask away.”

  “Your address in Florida is in a pretty nice part of town. Did you support that with criminal activity?”

  He scooted closer until their shoulders touched. “I have a trust fund. Grandma Hofmann set Amelia and I up. Amelia didn’t have to work, but it fulfilled her. Or that’s what she said, anyway. I haven’t found the kind of job, legal job, that keeps my interest for long. I skip around with a lot of blue-collar stuff to keep my other activities off the radar, but I don’t depend on them to live.”

  “Hmmm.”

  “Does that worry you?”

  “I’m no angel, Junior. I don’t k
now very many people that don’t have something to hide.” The truth was, she probably wouldn’t be attracted to the guy if he made an honest living as an accountant or some such mediocre job. The edge of danger always did something for her. It wasn’t like she picked up the men in her past at the coffee shop while discussing the difference between the African roasted blends and those harvested in Mexico.

  AJ twisted around until he was standing in front of her and his hands rested on the fence supporting her back.

  She glanced to the side to see if anyone spotted them. “What are you doing?”

  He pressed his body against hers, his intentions clear. “I’m going to kiss you and remind my senses how you taste.”

  There was a smile on her face at the sheer unexpectedness of his pursuit. “And if I don’t want this kiss?” She wanted the kiss . . . shifted her legs in anticipation.

  “You would have already removed my balls if you wanted me to stop.”

  She looked at his lips. “You’ve been paying close attention.”

  “And you like that.”

  He leaned closer but didn’t touch her.

  She pushed her chest into his. “Is this kiss going to happen sometime today, or do I have to wait?”

  “The anticipation kills you, doesn’t it?”

  His lower lip brushed against hers.

  Her body sparked and quickly simmered.

  His laughing smile told her all she needed to know. He was taking control.

  Something she wasn’t used to.

  “If you’re going to kiss me, do it like you mean it.”

  AJ’s laughing smile faded.

  Oh, shit.

  He closed her in.

  Trapped was not a feeling of comfort.

  And then . . . he kissed her. His body pressed against her from knees to lips. Like a boxer putting his whole body into the punch, AJ committed.

  His lips were open on hers, she responded with complete possession of his mouth. Hands gripped the railing, unwilling to pull him in. Not that she needed to pull anything. His pelvis dug into hers, his excitement already evident. The feel of him, oh, man . . . all man.

  One of his hands left the railing beside hers and slid along her waist and to her back. He pressed her closer, her nipples straining against the unfamiliar sweater.

  She wanted his touch . . . needed it.

  There was a weight to his kiss, one that told her this wasn’t something that came around every day. This man knew her more than any she’d let touch her as intimately as he was now. The texture of his tongue along hers, the way his hand exposed a small portion of her back, and the heat of his bare skin on hers.

  She wrapped one leg around his and let loose the railing she was gripping with all her energy.

  The heat of him pressed against her stomach.

  She moaned, wanted the contact lower. Her hips moved closer in response to her thoughts.

  AJ’s teeth grazed her lips.

  Her nails bit into his back.

  The sound of gravel kicking up a few yards away had Sasha opening her eyes.

  Trina had stopped midstride, eyes glued to Sasha’s.

  AJ released her lips, looked down at her, and then over his shoulder.

  “I’m sorry. I, ah, was . . .”

  AJ dropped his head onto Sasha’s shoulder with a chuckle.

  Trina shuffled her feet, turned one way and then another before taking a step back in the direction she’d appeared from. “I’ll just leave you two . . .”

  Sasha watched her disappear while her heartbeat returned to normal.

  “Is she gone?”

  She answered with a single nod and pulled back enough to see AJ’s eyes.

  AJ swiped his finger over her bottom lip and then licked it.

  The action made her whole body clench.

  “Probably best we didn’t do this out here anyway,” he said.

  She felt a smile on her lips.

  AJ’s lips briefly met the side of her neck. “Do me a favor,” he said.

  The neck action distracted her. “Another one?”

  The tip of his tongue met her skin. “Don’t unman me if I sneak into your room at night.”

  She gripped his hips and moved him far enough away to keep his lips from her body.

  Their eyes met.

  “The risk of bodily harm makes it more exciting,” she told him.

  With that, she stepped around him and back toward the war room.

  Chapter Twenty

  Feeding time at the zoo was right up there with the table full of hungry men, a few good women, and a baby.

  Back in her own comfortable, form-fitting black clothing, Sasha sat across from AJ and next to Claire. On the teenager’s knee, Lilly giggled as her diapered butt kept bouncing with every move Claire made. Wade sat at one end of the table, and Trina at the other, her daughter’s high chair to the side, not that it would be used, considering the fascination Claire had with the kid.

  “. . . Mandarin, encrypted at that.” Cooper pointed a fork loaded with tri tip in Claire’s direction. “Claire’s a damn genius.”

  They were talking about some of the highlights of the day’s findings. Apparently, Linette had what they’d dubbed The Mandarin File. Every highly skilled benefactor orphan who fit the portfolio that Pohl could possibly recruit from was cloaked in Mandarin.

  “Gibberish Mandarin. Until Cooper broke the encryption,” Claire explained.

  Cooper shoved the meat in his mouth, talked around it. “We need her on our team, Neil.”

  All eyes went to the largest man at the table.

  Neil glared at Cooper, glanced at Claire. “She’s a child.”

  Sasha saw Claire’s spine stiffen. “Bet she could outrun you,” Claire said, looking Neil in the eye.

  The murmurs at the table quieted.

  Except for Sasha’s voice. “I’ll put money on that.”

  Claire smirked and rubbed noses with Lilly.

  “I’d stay away from that mess if I were you, Neil,” Wade said with a wink. “Women ganging up is never a good thing.”

  “Amen to that,” AJ chimed in. “Try fleeing Europe with these two. Talk about fish out of water. Every time I turned around, Sasha was in a different disguise. Imagine a blonde housewife with that face.”

  All eyes turned to Sasha. Gazes narrowed and disbelief washed over everyone there.

  Sasha locked eyes with AJ.

  He smirked.

  She clenched her jaw tight to keep from offering a single ounce of amusement.

  “That’s tough,” Trina said, her head cocked to the side. “Maybe brunette with lots of highlights . . .”

  “Barbie blonde. Valley accent. I wish I’d recorded it.” AJ bit into a biscuit he’d smothered in butter.

  Sasha lifted a small bite to her lips, hesitated. “I can blend in at a nursing home that only accepts men.”

  AJ pursed his lips together, shook his head. “That’s taking the joy right out of fantasy, Stick.”

  Trina laughed. “I bet.”

  “That shoots all my fantasies to hell,” Cooper added.

  Sasha shot him a snarl. “Zip it.”

  He lifted his hands in front of his face, palms out. “I’m kidding. You’re like a sister.” He took a swig out of his glass of tea.

  She brought her attention back to her dinner.

  “A hot sister,” Cooper said under his breath.

  Neil, who almost never broke a smile, grinned.

  Lilly started to fuss and reach for Trina.

  Trina stood, lifted her daughter from Claire’s arms. She looked across the table at AJ, then back to Sasha. “You’re going to have to stand in line, Cooper.”

  “Ohhh . . .” Eyes fell between AJ and Sasha.

  Heat simmered on her face.

  “Someone needs to be changed,” Trina said as she left the table to attend to her daughter’s needs.

  Claire sat a little taller and changed the subject. “I can teach you Mandarin, Cooper.”


  “And how long will that take?”

  “Two years, if you’re quick.”

  A wave of commentary erupted from the table.

  “You’d be better off learning how to sing,” Wade offered.

  Sasha noticed Claire staring at Neil; disappointment hovered over her brow.

  Neil was mopping up his food and disengaged with the conversation. He didn’t seem to notice that a teenage girl was looking to the largest man at the table for approval.

  Memories of Sasha’s own childhood, and the need for positive affirmation, surfaced. “Claire has a point. Her language skills could prove valuable. At least while she’s in college.”

  Neil lifted his eyes to Sasha, glanced at Claire.

  “Too dangerous.”

  Claire leaned back, her chin lifted. “Who said anything about college? I can’t afford that now.” She reached over, grabbed Trina’s wineglass, and took a drink. “Maybe the Service will have me. I’m a good shot.”

  Sasha lost her appetite, set her fork down. “They’d exploit everything you’ve learned.”

  Claire shrugged. “Don’t all employers? Isn’t that their job . . . find your strengths and use them for a fraction of what they’re worth?”

  The table had grown silent.

  AJ sat forward. “We don’t have to think about this tonight.”

  Claire waved the wineglass at him. “What’s this we thing? I didn’t know any of you a week ago. When this is all over, you’ll all go back to your lives. I’ll just . . .”

  Sasha felt, more than saw, Claire trying to keep it together.

  AJ leaned forward. “Teach me Mandarin.”

  Claire was onto him. “Why do you need to learn a new language, especially that one?”

  AJ glanced at Sasha, then back to Claire. “Fine, teach me Russian. I have a feeling I’m going to need it.”

  Claire shook her head.

  “No one is joining the military,” Neil stated, his voice commanding everyone’s attention. “Last I looked, we’re in the States, and minors aren’t allowed to drink alcohol. Put that down.”

  Hair on Sasha’s neck stood up.

  Claire slowly turned her head, met Neil’s stare. “What’s it to—”

  “Now!” The walls shook.