Her breath hitched in her throat as she struggled not to cry. Breathing was suddenly difficult. Niko scooted his chair closer and put his arm around her. As he pulled her close, she inhaled his scent and was overcome with desire. All she wanted to do was leave this room with him and Reeve and wrap her arms around their strong, sexy bodies. She didn’t want to talk about her great-grandfather or ex-husband. She didn’t want to be afraid any longer. She wanted her life—and her freedom—back again.
“Happy now, Gregory?” Reeve’s voice was full of hate. He moved his chair close to hers and gently wiped her face. “Can’t you see she’s terrified of him?”
“Oh, now I get it.” Gregory’s smirk was almost snakelike. It sent shivers down Sofia’s spine. “You two are fucking her.”
“Oh, that’s it.” Niko jumped out of his chair and slammed his palms on the table. “Are we going to address this e-mail or not?”
“I think I found something—” Gregory and Niko yelling at each other across the table cut off Emmett’s words.
“Why do we need to address it? He sent her here.” Gregory was on his feet now, his face red and his eyes so narrow they almost disappeared into his face.
“Are you really that fucking stupid? Why would he taunt her if she was working with him?”
“She probably sent it to herself to throw you two off the trail.”
“Why are you so damn hell-bent on making her the bad guy here?”
“Shut up, you two. I found something.”
Emmett’s words sounded like a lifeline to Sofia, but Gregory and Niko hadn’t even heard him. The door opened, and Tiffany pushed a cart loaded with food into the room. Reeve rose to help her.
The shouting stopped, but not before Tiffany glanced around the room with a guarded look on her face. “If you guys need anything else, just let me know.”
After she left, Reeve addressed Emmett. “What did you find?”
Emmett’s face was serious. “I found something on her computer. It’s a software program that tracks keystrokes. It’s not malware or a virus. Someone had to have installed it, and it’s been on there for over a year.”
“What?” Sofia got to her feet and came around the table, pushing past Zach to glance over Emmett’s shoulder.
“See here? That’s the date it was installed and the name of it. You couldn’t have known it was there. It’s hidden except to authorized users.”
“Then how did you find it?” asked Gregory, his voice full of disbelief. He reached for a sandwich as the tray went around the table, and Sofia didn’t miss the fact that he was the only one who seemed to be interested in eating.
Emmett grinned. “I’m better at digging around in computer settings than you are.”
Sofia stared at the screen. “Son of a bitch. He put that on there before I moved out.”
“I can uninstall it, but the damage is already done, and he’ll know it’s been uninstalled the next time he tries to access the information it’s been recording.”
“How has he been getting the info?” asked Niko. “Wouldn’t he have to have access to her computer to retrieve it?”
Emmett shook his head. “He’s been accessing it remotely.”
“Get rid of it,” she said. “Now.”
“Wait a minute,” said Zach. “If we do that, she won’t have proof.”
“Proof?” Sofia turned toward him. “Proof of what?”
The men glanced around the table at each other, and slow smiles broke out over their faces. Sofia felt like she’d entered a horror movie. What the hell was so damn humorous about this?
“Gregory, as I said before, I think it’s time you contacted Jordan.”
“Who is Jordan?” she asked, glancing from one man to the other.
“Jordan Cranston.” Gregory regarded her with a serpentine grin. “My FBI buddy.”
“FBI? Seriously?”
Demetrius laughed. “Gregory was friends with J. Edgar. They were drinking buddies back in the day.”
Sofia frowned as she regarded Demetrius. Clearly he wasn’t taking any of this seriously. She caught Zach’s startled expression at Demetrius’s comment.
“Ah, what he means is, Gregory has a long-standing history with FBI contacts.” Zach’s voice held a warning note, and he glared at Demetrius as though the man had just given away military secrets. Why was he overreacting to such a silly comment?
“Yeah, that’s what I meant.” Demetrius donned a deer-in-the-headlights look that further confused Sofia.
“Okay,” she said, “but seriously. You think the FBI can help with this?”
The glance that passed between Niko and Reeve sent chills down her spine. They looked at each other as if a nuclear disaster had just been averted. Sofia decided to ignore it for the time being because she wanted her question answered, but the air in the room had taken on that odd charge to it, just as it had during dinner with Reeve and Niko the night before.
Something strange was going on in this resort.
“I’ll call him right now,” said Gregory, turning to leave the room.
“Hang on,” said Reeve. “I think we should talk about what you’re going to tell him. Either that or make the call from here so we can all listen and contribute. This goes deeper than a guest being stalked by her ex-husband.” He glanced at Sofia. “Niko and I told them everything you said about Rake.”
She shrugged. It hardly mattered anymore. Everything she’d done on her computer for the past year was in Rake’s hands. Her banking, shopping, the e-mails with her cousins and friends, and the few times she’d logged into her Facebook account. She might as well toss the laptop in the trash and buy a new one. At least it explained about the e-mail address, but how had he found out where she was?
“We should ask Jordan if I can uninstall the program,” said Emmett.
“I don’t care anymore. I’m never using it again.”
“I can also wipe the hard drive if you want. That way you can just reinstall Windows and still use it. It will be like brand new.”
“How did he find out I’m here?” She glanced around the room, but there were no answers in their confused faces. She pointed toward the laptop. “That program can only see what I do on this machine, right?” Emmett nodded. “I didn’t tell anyone I was coming here. Not even my supervisor.”
“How did you make the reservation?” asked Zach in a quiet voice.
Sofia stared at him for a few seconds then goose bumps broke out over her arms and neck as she realized she already knew exactly how Rake had found out where she was. “I called the resort directly from the landline in my apartment, and then I filled out the questionnaire online. Oh God. That means he knows the fake name and address I used as well.”
“Fuck,” muttered Niko, not quite under his breath enough to keep the word from reverberating around the quiet room.
“Do you think my phone might be bugged too?”
“It might be. We can have Jordan check it out, just in case.”
“How would Rake have accomplished that?”
“Who’s been in your apartment since you moved in?”
Sofia tried to think. All of her cousins, aunts, uncles, and several coworkers had been in. Her landlord had a passkey, and routinely let people in to do work or drop off packages. There was no telling how many people had been in there during the past year. “Everyone.”
“Rake?” asked Gregory.
She gave him a droll look. “I haven’t spoken to my ex-husband in over a year. If he’s been in my apartment during that time, it was without my knowledge or consent.”
“He wouldn’t necessarily have to get inside to bug your phone,” said Emmett. “He could have tapped it from the street, or more likely he had someone else do it.”
Niko glanced around the table. “Anyone have an objection if Sofia stays in the room while Gregory makes the call?”
Gregory looked like he was going to say something then finally he shrugged. “Okay. Fine. She can stay.”
Chapter Thirteen
Sofia took her seat again between Reeve and Niko, and forced herself to eat a sandwich. Passing out from hunger wouldn’t help this matter. They placed the conference room phone on speaker, and she half-listened to Gregory make small talk with Jordan. The men sounded like old friends, and that thought led to Demetrius’s comment running through her head again. She wondered again about the exaggerated reactions from most of the men. What had they meant? Surely Demetrius had only been making a joke.
While Gregory outlined for Jordan everything they’d learned about Rake, Sofia’s computer, and her landline, she studied Demetrius’s face. He looked to be roughly the same age as all of them—midthirties. Only Zach and Emmett showed subtle signs of being a bit older than that.
Her mind wandered back to a conversation she’d overheard between two guests her first day here. During it they mentioned the owners were all cousins. It wasn’t that unusual to have cousins the same age. She had plenty who were all within five years of each other. The owners here shared the same two last surnames, just like she shared a surname with at least half of her cousins.
So why did she find their reactions to Demetrius’s comment so unsettling? And why did the air feel hot and electrified whenever one of them showed strong emotions? She recalled the odd sensation she’d had of feeling like she could dive into Niko’s eyes and never resurface. That could have been the booze talking, but it was one of the many bizarre things that went on here.
“Sofia?” Jordan’s voice snapped her back to the present. She’d stopped listening to the conversation, even though the conference room phone was on speaker.
“Sorry. Did you ask me a question?”
“Just a couple of things I want to reiterate. Who is picking up your mail?” asked Jordan.
“Oh. I had a hold placed on it at the post office. Didn’t want my landlord to know I was out of town that long.”
“What about the people you work with? Are you sure you didn’t share your plans with anyone?”
“Positive.”
“All right. Gregory, I’ll get on this right away.”
“Thanks, Jordan. I owe you one, man. We’ll wait for you to call again before doing anything to her computer.” Gregory disconnected the call.
“What did he say about my computer?” she asked.
“Don’t take the program off yet. And he’ll probably want to take it and have their IT people look at it.”
“Fine by me.” Sofia had no intention of using it again, even if the hard drive was wiped clean. She’d never trust her landline again either. “What about my phone?”
“He’s going to send an agent over there and have a look at the outside lines.” Gregory glanced around the table. “Everyone okay with Sofia extending her stay on the house if need be?”
“What?”
“Sofia, were you listening at all?”
“Sorry. I’m a bit distracted.”
“Easy, Gregory,” said Niko. He placed his hand on her back and rubbed gently. “Jordan suggested you stay here if possible until he can finish investigating. For your own safety.”
She glanced at him. “And what makes him think you can protect me from Rake and the cops?”
“Love, he’s FBI. They aren’t going to ignore a dirty cop. This falls under public corruption as far as Jordan is concerned.” Niko grinned. “You really weren’t listening, were you?”
She shook her head.
“He also said he doubts IA is covering this up. More than likely Rake and his friends simply covered their tracks too well. The entire Chicago police force is not in on this. He may have a few friends on the inside, but the FBI will reach out to IA, and Rake’s friends won’t be able to cover this up any longer.”
“But why am I any safer here than at home?”
“We outnumber him.”
She couldn’t help but smile at the silly grin on Niko’s face. For the first time since her divorce, hope began to build. Sofia was afraid to let it take hold, despite the fact that staring into Niko’s beautiful blue eyes gave her a sense of peace. But how was she going to extend her stay? She had a job to return to. “I don’t know if I can get more vacation time from work.”
Niko ruffled her hair. “Worry about that when the time comes. Right now, at least we have someone we trust in your corner.”
“Thank you,” she said quietly. As she glanced around the table, she was overcome with how this group had banded together for her. It was nothing less than she would have expected from her own family, but these men were strangers. “I guess you need to get on with your meeting.”
“We’ll walk you back to your suite,” said Reeve.
She waited until they’d reached her suite and Niko had opened the door for her then embraced both of them. It felt so good to be in their arms. “I wish you didn’t have to go back.”
Reeve stroked her hair. “So do we.” When she took her arm from around his waist, he kissed her tenderly on the lips. “We’ll see you in the morning, along with your cousins.”
“Okay.”
Niko kissed her as well then softly stroked her cheek. “We’ll call up here as soon as they arrive. Sleep well, Sofia.”
“I will now. Thank you, both of you.”
“Our pleasure, love.”
Sofia leaned against the closed door and tried to make sense of her feelings. She wasn’t falling for them. It was merely that they believed her story and had defended her against Gregory in the conference room. That and the fact they were offering to keep her here for free until the FBI could investigate Rake. That’s all it was. It couldn’t be anything else. She hardly knew them.
* * * *
Sofia wasn’t even dressed when the phone to her suite rang. She fumbled it twice before finally answering it.
“Your cousins are here. We’ll wait for you in the lobby.” Niko’s voice was too bright and cheery. Did he ever sleep?
“Okay. Give me twenty minutes.”
“Take your time. They’re sharing all your childhood secrets.”
Sofia groaned as she rolled out of bed. God only knew what those three were telling Reeve and Niko right now. She took the fastest shower on record then threw on jeans and a sweatshirt. Before she rounded the corner after stepping off the elevator, Michael’s booming voice reached her ears.
He was standing in the center of the group, surrounded by Vince, Jerry, Reeve, and Niko. All four men were riveted to whatever story he was telling them. Sofia caught the words “pond” and “underwear,” and she groaned inwardly. He was telling Niko and Reeve the story of how she’d walked home in nothing but her underwear after falling into the pond where they’d been fishing.
Granted, she’d only been ten years old, and they’d shielded her from public view by walking in a circle around her, but she still cringed when she thought about that day. Trying now to explain the rationale behind her decision probably wouldn’t do any good.
“Sofia!” Michael spotted her first, and sprinted across the lobby to engulf her in a bear hug. He twirled her around, nearly taking her breath away. Vince and Jerry hugged her as well, and an overwhelming feeling of nostalgia bubbled up inside at the smell of Jerry’s aftershave—Polo. He’d always worn so much Sofia swore he bathed in it. It brought back memories of happier times.
“You look skinnier than the last time I saw you,” said Michael, with a quick glance toward Reeve and Niko. “Aren’t they feeding you here?”
“I’m eating fine. I’m just tired.”
“You okay, kiddo?” Jerry’s big brown eyes were filled with concern.
“As well as can be expected, considering you’re telling Niko and Reeve every embarrassing childhood incident I’ve ever had.”
Niko grinned. “Underwear gets wet, too, when you fall into the water. You know that, right?”
“No. Really?” She slapped her palm against her forehead. “If only you’d been there when I was ten.”
The men laughed, and Sofia’s heart gave a stran
ge lurch at the look of admiration in Niko’s eyes. Time to get them down to the basement and turn the focus off her most humiliating moments. “Have you seen the space yet where they’re holding the party? It’s amazing.”
Sofia hung back and let her cousins do the talking and negotiating with Reeve and Niko. They were the ones who’d be doing the work, after all. She watched the easy camaraderie between them, marveling at the way both men had simply accepted her family. Then again, they were in business to do that. They were running a resort, after all. This was the way they treated everyone who walked through the doors, right?
So why had they both defended her last evening and convinced the others to get the FBI involved? Surely they wouldn’t do that for all their guests. How would they find the time? And for that matter, how did they find the time to seduce all the female guests, as Susan’s cousin had strongly suggested they did?
Sofia walked around the perimeter of the room and tried to dismiss the envy that enveloped her like a shroud. The thought of another woman in Niko or Reeve’s arms, making love to them as she had done, made her feel sick to her stomach.
What was wrong with her? She’d known what went on here when she booked the trip. Granted, that hadn’t been the main reason driving her decision to come here, but she hadn’t exactly said no to either one of them when they’d seduced her. She had no right to expect anything else from them.
“Sofia is going to help plan the party.” Reeve’s voice brought her out of her reverie, and she strolled back toward the group.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“Are you sure you want her to help?” asked Vince, his dark eyes sparkling with humor. “The last party she planned was for her sixteenth birthday.”
Vince’s grin was teasing, and she resisted the urge to punch him in the arm. They were determined to embarrass her this morning. “Vince, I had no idea that company sent strippers to parties, and you know it.”
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