by Grady, D. R.
“Not always. Some of them didn’t start out with ease. Look at Lainy and Mitch. They met while living in two separate countries.”
“Lainy is the brunette chasing after the little girl there?” Greg asked, and used his head to indicate a woman closing in on her offspring.
“That’s right. She’s been helping me locate John Morris.”
“Her and General Emma?”
“Yes.”
“Neither of them ended up on that pirate site?”
“No, but Lainy would have shut it down.”
That was news. “She knows computers?”
Janine sent him a knowing look. “She’s the civilian equivalent of her brother, Ed Morrison.”
“Ah. Right. Have either she or Emma visited Jonathan Morris’s site?”
“Emma has.” Janine frowned at something in the distance, but he doubted she saw what her eyes focused on. She appeared lost in thought. “I imagine they all will now that he’s contacted me.”
He nodded, but didn’t say much. More thought was required at this point.
Janine sat up straighter in her chair and turned to stare at him. “What is your fear about him?”
“Remember when I told you about my first assignment?”
“The one that went terribly bad?”
“Yeah.” Greg automatically blocked the heinous images that arose in his mind.
“What about it?”
“The man who owned the warehouse where I worked and had to gather information was Jonathan’s father.”
Janine sat up abruptly and turned on Greg. “What?”
“I’m certain Jonathan’s father owned that warehouse.”
She blinked in the dying light, trying to see his face in the dimness. How on earth did that connect? She couldn’t seem to capture any one thought long enough to dwell on it because her thoughts kept scattering.
Frustration sounded like a horn in her brain. Better ask him outright, since her thoughts wouldn’t settle. “What does this mean?”
“He’s somehow connected to that night.”
“Wouldn’t he have been a teenager?”
“Not quite.”
She tried to hold onto a thought, pin it down so she could assess it, but like wispy clouds, there was nothing of substance for her to grasp. “I don’t understand.”
“I just find it odd that the man who contacted you, after you visited his website and signed his guestbook, is related to the man I suspect was an arms and drug dealer.”
“Do you think he knew what his father did?”
Greg stared at the kids playing, nothing showing on his face for her to read. Not that she had the mental capacity to read him right now anyway.
“He would have been nine or ten. It’s doubtful.”
“What about his mother?”
“She died recently.”
“Do you think he came across some old papers he wants answers to?”
“What exactly did he say in his e-mail?”
“Basically that he had next to no family left. He sounded interested in finding some. I got the impression he was the last of his line.”
“He has a sister.”
“He mentioned that. Do you think she knows anything?”
“They’re twins, so she would have been young, too.”
“What would possess a married man with children to go into arms dealing? And drugs?”
Greg’s left brow rose. “Money.”
“Oh, right.” Janine let that sink in. “Still, that’s a huge risk when you have a family. Is the family well thought of?”
“They feature in the gossip columns frequently.”
“Where do they live?”
“A small island near Trinidad and Tobago called Toliliel.”
Janine nearly choked on her gasp. She rocketed out of her chair, hoping to open her airways.
“What?” Greg sounded alarmed as he followed her.
She turned to him, finally able to bring in enough air. The added oxygen didn’t appear to help her mental capacities, but she could focus better.
“Greg, that’s the same island I’m from.”
He stared at her, an uncomprehending look on his face. Or maybe he was just working out what she said. Janine hoped he had better luck fitting these odd pieces together.
“You’re from Toliliel, and so are Jonathan and Tasmin Morris. You all share the last name of Morris. You believe you have a common ancestor, named John Morris. On a sidebar, there’s a pirate website by that same name who might also be an arms dealer. Back to the main story, there’s an excellent chance Jonathan and Tasmin Morris’s father probably was an arms dealer and dabbled in drugs on the side.”
When he spoke them out loud, the facts sounded bad. Janine didn’t cringe, because she didn’t have the energy. Instead, chaotic thoughts kept filtering through her brain, knocking around the pieces of the puzzle she tried to fit together.
The more she thought the more confused she became. This was not an ideal situation. Janine dropped back into her chair. Beside her, Greg followed suit.
“Someone also blew up your car.”
He nodded. “Then there’s that. And that kid broke a branch from the tree conveniently located outside your bedroom window.”
“Yes.” She frowned. “Really, we don’t have a whole lot to go on, do we?”
“No.” He didn’t sound as frustrated as she felt, but then maybe he wasn’t frustrated.
Aggravation welled like a war wound in her gut. Not knowing was far worse than knowing. At least with the knowledge of what was to come, she could prepare. This way, they didn’t know how to act or react.
The wound was squirting now, and she allowed visions of her special place to intercede. The tranquility she associated with that scenery calmed and centered her. She sucked in a few deep breaths.
“I think we need to research this Jonathan Morris.”
Janine had closed her eyes and now popped them open again. “You can read his email if you want.”
Maybe she better reread it. There might be something in there she’d missed. Janine left the chair and headed for her aunt’s office. She located her purse and fished out her phone. It took a few moments for her to open her mail then swipe through her messages until she found the one from Jonathan.
Greg’s eyes swept over the page, and she watched his face. There wasn’t much.
“Weird things have been happening?”
“I also thought that was strange. Of course, if he landed on that pirate site...”
“We don’t know that. Has he contacted you since?”
Janine shook her head. “I haven’t checked recently.”
Greg stared at the phone screen, and Janine wondered what thoughts spun through his mind. She hoped they were deep, because they needed some answers, and she was useless right now.
“Let’s hope he doesn’t connect you and those strange happenings together.”
Janine stared at him, startled by his observation. “Why would he?”
Greg raised a brow. Janine didn’t think the gesture was necessary. “You’re a secret operative’s team member. A former military woman.”
“He doesn’t know any of that. Besides, my secret operative is dead. I’m retired from the military. I’m just a common emergency room surgeon now.”
“Right,” Greg answered dryly. “I wouldn’t call you common anything.”
“Okay, normal then.”
He still didn’t look convinced and somehow that comforted her. They were still new at this normal behavior stuff. Janine remembered being a typical American citizen. A long time ago.
It shouldn’t be so hard to adjust back. Yet, until they discovered the reason behind their own “weird happenings,” they were stuck in limbo between extraordinary and ordinary lives. Unless their experiences had changed them so much they’d never be able to adapt to being regular people. Her stomach clenched at the thought. What would they do then?
“Do you think our circumstan
ces and Jonathan’s are connected?” She glanced at Greg, who still held her phone. He stared at a particularly good painting on the wall above General Emma’s desk.
“It seems coincidental, doesn’t it?”
“We don’t believe in coincidence.”
He continued to stare at the painting.
She bit her lip. “Should we bring the admiral in on this?”
“Probably.” Greg tapped to refresh her messages.
While they waited for them to download, Janine kept thoughts of her special place uppermost in her mind. She needed to remain unaffected by this. Even thinking of her retreat kept her grounded and steady.
Especially when, in the midst of trying to figure this out, thoughts of kissing Greg also taunted her. She slanted a look at him and caught him in the same act.
Her lips tipped up. His echoed hers, and before she could blink somehow they ended up in each other’s arms again. Their lips connected and Janine shoved the thoughts of her special place away. She didn’t want to miss any part of this kiss.
Greg acted pretty interested in their embrace too. A comfort because if he wasn’t as into her as she felt about him it would be an awful place to dwell. Unrequited love wasn’t included in her lifelong plans. For that matter, romantic love hadn’t even been on her To Do list. She had enough love just figuring out her family, yet she wanted him.
Do you want him even over your family? The voice in her brain sounded snide, and Janine couldn’t answer the question. So she kicked it out.
Was her heart affected by Greg?
The little flip it exhibited every time she saw him told her she obviously was. She’d never received or offered such honest kisses before. With Greg she barely had to try. The emotions welled from some unknown, little used place within her. An area of her soul she wasn’t familiar with but that she thought she might like to get to know.
When their lips disconnected, Greg’s tilted up and her heart somersaulted. “Thanks, I needed that.”
“So did I.”
She wanted to kiss him again, but his eyes strayed to the phone still in his hand, and she realized immediately she’d lost his attention. Janine swallowed her disappointment as she turned to stare at what had captured his interest.
Her phone must have dinged to alert her to a new message. Leaning forward Janine read the message over his shoulder and enjoyed Greg’s masculine scent.
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Subject:RE:Information
Hello Janine,
Thanks for your message. I appreciated knowing there are other Morris’s in this world. My grandfather’s name was John Morris, and he is deceased. He died about twenty years ago. He would be in his early hundreds now, if he was alive, so it’s likely he’s the man you’re looking for.
I still miss him.
From what I can gather, I think he did hail from the United States. I couldn’t tell you much more than that. I’d have to go through his papers, all of which I have. I know he had a wife before my grandmother. I think she was an island woman. Are you mixed?
I still don’t know all the details of my father and grandfather’s deaths. I know they died the same night. But we know very little about what happened. Their deaths sent us into shock.
What information are you looking for exactly? We’ll try to help if we can.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Morris
Janine sucked in a breath as she read. John Morris had been married to another woman before he married Jonathan’s grandmother. That meant she and Ben were legitimate heirs of John Morris. Not that she cared about an inheritance, but knowing her grandfather and grandmother had been married meant a lot to her.
She wanted to tap out an immediate response, but with Greg here she refrained. Besides, she needed time to think.
“Why would this guy tell you your grandmother and his grandfather were married?”
“What?” She frowned as she stared at her phone screen.
“From what the society pages say, he’s loaded.”
“Maybe the money came from his parents and not his grandparents.”
“Could be.” Greg didn’t sound convinced and Janine was hard pressed to care. If this John Morris was her grandfather, she and Ben had a family history. Hopefully John was also Aunt Tilly’s long lost brother, because then they had a direct connection to the Morrison family.
Janine’s eyes widened when a revelation snapped across her brain. Even if her grandfather and Aunt Tilly weren’t related, she didn’t care. The Morrison family was still hers. They still meant the world to her, and a biological connection wouldn’t alter how she felt about them.
She didn’t care about blood ties any longer. Knowing her family history would be nice, but it was no longer important. What was important was that Janine had found her family. Besides, her uncle had been related biologically and he couldn’t have treated her much worse than he had.
An exultation of relief and joy swept over her. Janine wanted to shout out her new understanding. She wanted to kiss Greg senseless. She wanted to dance and sing.
One look at Greg’s face though, and she realized she’d better rein herself in. Because his eyes were cold and calculating.
“What?” She thought it best to just ask him what went through his brain rather than try to figure it out.
“I just wonder what this guy wants?”
“Maybe he’s lonely.”
Greg didn’t snort, but his eyebrows lifted.
“Maybe he wants to find out who you are so he can figure out whether he has to share his fortune with you.”
“Why would he have to though?”
“If you’re a legitimate heir....”
Janine waved a negligent hand. “I don’t care about the money. I just want answers.”
“He doesn’t know that.”
“He doesn’t know if I need his money, either.”
“If he’s got computer skills or knows someone who does, he could figure it out without too much trouble.”
“I’m not hurting.” Janine kept all emotion out of her voice. She didn’t brag, but she certainly didn’t need money. As it was, she had more than she needed.
So what did she need? Greg?
“What about Ben?” he asked before she could continue with that thought.
“I think he and Treeny are fine. She inherited some money from her grandfather, and the house they live in. I don’t think they need the income, either.”
“SEALs don’t make a lot of money.”
“No, but Treeny’s a doctor. And Ben is an officer.”
Greg nodded slightly, his head barely moving. He appeared deep in thought. Janine turned back to her phone.
“What should I write to Jonathan in response?”
He didn’t answer her for a moment, and she let the silence hover in the air between them. Better to let him think about the right response rather than push him into a reply that wouldn’t further their purpose.
At this point, Janine had also begun to wonder why Jonathan Morris had contacted her. She still thought it was because he was lonely and wanted some family connections. But then she realized she had placed her own needs and wants in there. His might not match hers. Jonathan Morris might not be John Morris’s heir and grandson and therefore her cousin.
As the thought occurred to her, Janine swallowed. “What if this Jonathan Morris isn’t even related to the John Morris I’m seeking?”
“Who else could he be?”
“What if he works for the Temites or whoever?”
“Always a possibility.”
Janine resisted the urge to roll her eyes and sigh, loudly. He could give her the information without her yanking it out of him.
“I know it’s a possibility, that’s why I mentioned it.” Exasperation colored her words.
“I think we need more information.”
Well, there was that.
So much for more kisses tonight.
> Chapter 25
The sound of Janine tapping the keyboard to her aunt’s computer helped to center Greg again. His head felt ready to explode, and he knew it was because Janine’s kiss had far exceeded his expectations. Their third kiss had well surpassed their second. He hadn’t thought that possible.
Kissing her hadn’t been on his agenda, but then it hadn’t been the last time they locked lips, either. She was everything he’d ever wanted in a woman, plus.
He trod on shaky ground, uncertain of how to proceed, how to live like a regular citizen. Yet the thought of sharing his “normal, civilian” life with Janine proved far more tempting than he ever thought possible. Could he risk another woman? Should he?
Greg emptied his mind, needing to concentrate on the task before them. What were they supposed to be doing again? Janine was a true distraction. Clearing his brain of all the thoughts whirling like a hurricane wasn’t easy with her delicate scent wafting over him.
Her aunt had checked in on them and told them to use her computer, since that’s what it was there for. The system was a new model but he didn’t enjoy watching it move through its paces nearly as much because Janine kept stealing his attention.
He liked the serenity that flowed from her to him. She distracted him, but she also lent a calm he appreciated and needed.
Okay, back to work, he coached himself sternly. Right now they needed to learn more about Jonathan Morris. They traded seats so he could man the computer and show her what he discovered in his initial research.
“You’ve already been on the society pages?” Janine’s voice sort of helped to shift his mind back to their earlier conversation.
“Yes. We can revisit them, in case there’s something new.”
Greg flicked through several sites before hitting the one he’d read before. He chose a link and watched as the story downloaded.
“We already know his mother recently died,” Janine said with a frown, but she leaned forward to read over his shoulder. “His mother died in an arson attack?”
“See, that’s new information.”
“Someone tried to kill her?”
Greg grunted. Definitely looked that way, but he couldn’t remember the other accounts of her death reading like this one.