“Well you know how Parker is crushing on Lockwood and McCord. If I were straight, I would do them.”
Sophie couldn’t help giggling. “You’re hopeless. And I understand McCord is happily married.”
That reminded her of her meeting with Maia Pierce later this afternoon. She was shocked to find out that Jack McCord’s wife was not a marketing executive but a Guardian. Sophie had to sign a non-disclosure agreement necessary to protect Maia’s identity, which must be difficult to conceal considering that she had married a high-profile power player in Washington DC.
“Hey, where did you go?” Beth broke through her thoughts.
“What?”
“I was saying Derek Lockwood is quite a catch.”
“You mean I might catch something from him.”
Her friend burst out laughing. “Oh, Sophie. You need to live a little. If any of the rumors are true, he might just make you forget Adam.”
“Great, you just planted a disturbing picture of a naked Derek Lockwood in my head,” Sophie quipped. “Hey, I gotta go. I see Parker gesturing outside my office, I think they’re here.”
Sophie shook her head as she gathered her binder and stood up. Her steps faltered at the door, and she cursed Beth for suddenly making her self-conscious. She dropped her things back on her table, grabbed her vanity bag, and headed into the bathroom in her office. Her hair was already up, so no point in fixing that. She took out her compact and began to powder her face just enough to remove the shine from her nose and forehead. She dabbed some lipstick on and finished off with a spray of jasmine and sandalwood.
She looked at herself in the mirror. Wide silver-gray eyes stared back at her. They looked haunted. Haunted by the memory of a man who was dead. Who, according to everyone, had taken advantage of an innocent girl. She fingered the scars on her wrist. People didn’t know the real Adam, and no one ever would. He had been murdered while serving his prison sentence, and he was never coming back.
***
Derek was squirming in his chair, trying very hard not to stare at Dr. Leroux and failing miserably to concentrate on what Stephen Parker was saying about the latest results from an enrichment experiment. She had been a few minutes late to the meeting and as she swept through the room, her scent made his nostrils flare with some kind of primitive longing. She had the fantasy librarian look down pat; her hair, which was swept up in a messy knot, was the color of pale corn silk and her amazing gray eyes were seductively framed behind cat-eye shaped reading glasses. He could not help himself from picturing her on a desk, her long lean legs crossed while stretching the limits of a tight pencil skirt. He imagined himself walking up to her, ruthlessly uncrossing her legs, shoving her skirt up, spreading her thighs and—
Laurie kicked him under the table, and he glanced briefly at her scowling face. She was clearly telling him to pay attention; after all, he was the main liaison with their design engineers.
“—so based on MDI’s required application, we are very confident that you would be quite satisfied with our process for enriching zefinium,” Stephen Parker finished.
“Yes, the emission levels are more than sufficient to amplify and generate spurts of concentrated beams that can penetrate a half-foot depth of lead,” Jack replied. “I’m a bit concerned about the triggering device, how small can we make it?”
“I have tweaked my design considerably,” Sophie spoke up for the first time. “I’ve sent out my schematic to be cut-out by my manufacturer. I should have it in a few days. It should fit a typical rifle trigger housing.”
“Excellent,” Jack said as he shot Derek a pleased look.
Derek chanced a glance at Sophie and saw her openly observing him. Interesting. Could she be aware of him after all? She quickly averted her eyes as a blush stole up her cheeks.
Very interesting indeed.
“I must say, you are quite brilliant, Dr. Leroux.” Derek tested his theory while flashing her his most charming smile when she returned her gaze to him. “A rare find. Beauty and brains. Your boyfriend is a lucky man.”
Sophie turned from pink to red.
Stephen Parker almost swooned but caught himself before he behaved unprofessionally. Instead he spoke rapidly: “Shedoesn’thaveaboyfriend.” And coughed behind a folder.
Jack leaned into his friend and whispered, “What the hell are you up to?”
Derek did not answer. Fortunately, Laurie, being the perfect assistant she was, distracted everyone by handing out copies of the contract. “Mr. Parker, Dr. Leroux, I believe you all have read the contract. There were no additions or deletions, but you are welcome to peruse it again.”
“We’re satisfied with the agreement,” Sophie replied and flipped through the pages of the original contract that bore the signature sticker and quickly signed and dated the documents. She stood up and looked at her watch. “Gentlemen, Ms. Stone. On behalf of Silver Fire Research, we welcome the opportunity to work with your company.” Sophie bowed her head courteously and walked out the door.
Stephen Parker was smiling as he leveled his stare at Derek. “You flustered poor Sophie.” He signed his part of the document before handing it back to Laurie who passed it over to Derek.
“That wasn’t my intention,” Derek replied with a frown. He felt a tad guilty when it appeared that Sophie couldn’t get out of the room fast enough. Either he affected her the same way he was by her, or she was just socially awkward in handling non-business-related interactions. And he couldn’t reconcile the glorious blonde hair, beautiful face, and willowy body with a mind that could calculate half-lives and radioactive decay.
“My ass,” Jack muttered.
“Gentlemen,” Laurie admonished. Derek chuckled at Laurie’s attempt to curb Jack’s cursing. Cursing and the military way of life went together. Jack and Derek had that habit in spades, particularly when they were riled or dealing with the DoD and when there were no suits from Washington DC around.
“You need to show her a good time,” Stephen told Derek. Obviously, the formal part of the meeting was over.
“You do realize you’re pimping out your boss,” Derek said, his brow arching.
Stephen grinned and then shrugged. “I’m just having fun teasing both of you. She’d never agree to go out with you. Otherwise I wouldn’t have suggested it.”
Was Parker daring him? He, Derek Lockwood, who had no problem getting any woman in his bed? Jack noticed the gleam in his friend’s eyes and shook his head. Too late. The gauntlet had been cast.
***
“Don’t do it, Lockwood,” Jack said sternly. They had dropped Laurie off at the MDI headquarters before driving out to their manufacturing plant located on the outskirts of New Park City.
“That’s unfair, don’t you think,” Derek fired back irritably. “You didn’t let anybody naysay you when you pursued Maia.”
“Silver Fire Research is our business partner. The last thing we want is you screwing around with their CEO.”
“That’s harsh. What if I told you this time it was different.”
Jack snickered. “Are you serious?”
Derek bristled inwardly. He didn’t know why Jack’s response annoyed the hell out of him because it was not unusual for them to rib each other about their sexual activities. It was probably because Derek knew his friend was right, that it smacked of unprofessionalism and intrigue and that was the last thing MDI needed when they had just sunk a 250 million dollar investment in the research lab.
“You’re right,” Derek conceded. “Dr. Leroux looks too uptight for the relationships I’m used to.”
“Or the non-relationships,” Jack added.
“Look, you’ve made your point,” Derek said through grit teeth. “So get the fuck off my case. Not everyone can have what you and Maia have. So stop rubbing my nose in it—OK?”
Derek stiffened when his friend flicked him a worried glance. They rode in tense silence for a while; Derek started tapping his fingers on the side of the car door. He was happy for
his friends, but he definitely doubted the choices he had made. What if he had taken a chance with Maia, would he be in Jack’s sickeningly blissful place right now? He quickly banished the thought. Jack would beat the shit out of him if he knew what he was thinking. Besides, he stopped looking at Maia lasciviously the moment he realized how much he valued her friendship. Now Sophie Leroux though, was a different experience—different but not enough for him to give up his harem, as Maia called them.
Derek kept three women in rotation each week (or month if they were good)—all non-exclusive. One or two would show up at his place when he called them, they fucked and then they left. No sleepovers, no dates. He’d not had a girlfriend since high school; he had women.
“Look, I’m all for you hooking up with Sophie Leroux,” Jack began cautiously. “All I’m saying is don’t lump her with your other women. Maybe you could put...uh...the others on hold while you explore whatever with her.”
“Oh, there will be exploring, but I don’t think we’re on the same page,” Derek laughed.
Jack chuckled. “You’re hopeless, Lockwood. Take it from me, you never know when you meet the One.”
“Marriage has turned you into a sap,” Derek said mockingly.
His friend just grinned, that stupid grin he wore whenever he thought about his wife. Jesus.
The phone on the Escalade’s dashboard vibrated. Speak of the devil. Jack punched the speaker phone.
“Hey, babe.”
“I had to push back my meeting with Sophie Leroux, something came up at AGS. I don’t think I can make it back at the apartment by 6:00 p.m. So we’ll have a late start heading down to see your parents.”
“I hate getting a late start, Maia, 95 traffic can be horrendous,” Jack said. “Why don’t we—”
“It was your idea that I take on the Leroux account,” Maia cut in.
“I was going to say,” Jack stated calmly, “That I can swing back at our apartment, pick up our suitcases, and we can pick you up at Leroux’s place. We, meaning Derek and I. Derek can take your car with him and we can drive from there. That OK, Derek?”
Derek shrugged. He was looking forward to seeing Sophie again, but he would be damned before he made himself too obvious.
“Fine. I should be at her place by 4:00 p.m., I don’t think I’ll take more than an hour.”
Maia ended the call before Jack could reply.
“She’s still pissed at you.”
“Thanks for stating the obvious,” Jack responded wryly.
“I’m impressed by your patience though.”
“I’m feeling guilty for manipulating the situation. She has every right to be pissed at me, so I’m taking whatever she can dish out.”
“Sounds like a marriage.”
“No shit.”
CHAPTER TWO
Sophie pulled up her Honda Pilot beside a silver Mercedes convertible parked in front of her sprawling Mediterranean style home in the exclusive Rosewood Heights historic neighborhood. The house, built in the roaring ’20s, belonged to her grandmother on her mother’s side and was surrounded by four acres of woodland. Sophie was the only daughter of American socialite Theresa Cassidy who had divorced her father when she was eight. She barely acknowledged her mother in thirteen years. She stayed with her grandmother when she was home from MIT, which was rare. The last time she had seen her mother was at her grandmother’s funeral where they hardly exchanged two sentences. Sophie’s inheritance from both sides of her family would have kept her comfortable for life, but what she was making out of Silver Fire Research was her pride and joy. And apparently some people were not happy about it.
A red-haired woman stepped out of the Mercedes and Sophie had to keep her jaw from dropping. She had heard enough gushing from Beth to know that McCord’s wife was beautiful, but meeting Maia Pierce McCord in person could effectively squeeze the air out of your lungs because she—was—breathtaking. No wonder Beth had her panties in a twist whenever she talked about Maia.
“Ms. Pierce or is it Mrs. McCord?” Sophie asked and laughed when Maia winced at the word ‘Mrs.’ “Still not used to it, I take it?”
Maia shook her head and grinned.
“How long have you been married?”
“Six weeks.”
“Ah, still on honeymoon?”
“Oh, believe me that phase is over.”
“Uh-oh, trouble in paradise?”
Maia grimaced and said, “I’d rather talk about your troubles than mine.”
Sophie chuckled. She liked Maia Pierce. Despite looking as gorgeous as she did, she appeared to be well-grounded and a very warm person. She had a rich and swoon-worthy husband, why would she choose a dangerous profession? She led the female Guardian through her front door, turning off her alarm and proceeding to the kitchen.
“Care for some wine?”
“I really shouldn’t, but I could use a glass.”
Sophie walked around the center island and checked the wine rack above the butler’s pantry. “What kind of wine do you drink?”
“Cabernet is fine.”
“Shame on you, I’m half-French you know,” Sophie clucked.
Maia smiled broadly but did not reply.
“We’ll have to settle on a Bordeaux then. I don’t have one up here, but I’ll go get it from the cellar.”
“Oh, please don’t do it on my account. I’ll drink whatever you have.”
“Nonsense, it’s right here,” Sophie said as she walked into a huge pantry and hefted a clay-tile covered trapdoor, revealing a short flight of steps. Maia followed her down the stairs without being invited, which disconcerted Sophie a little.
“Is this just being kept as underground storage?” Maia asked curiously.
“Yes,” Sophie replied as understanding dawned on her.
“You should keep a cell phone and a weapon down here,” Maia said, turning around and ascending the stairs back to the kitchen. She was busy entering notes on a tablet when Sophie returned with the wine.
Maia asked her some standard questions such as when the death threats started. Sophie informed her that receiving death threats was a part of her life as a daughter of a prominent nuclear physicist. However, threats in the last year had intensified before culminating in the attack last week when she was leaving her Kendo class.
“Your attacker had a mask, is that correct?”
“Yes.”
“The police report said you were able to disarm him.”
“I caught his reflection when I was closing my Pilot’s liftgate. I was barely able to duck before he took a shot. Fortunately, he missed. I think I startled him when I went after him with my Kendo stick.”
Maia smiled approvingly before asking, “Who would want to kill you?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did he say anything? Any accent?”
Sophie’s eyes widened. “He did! Come to think of it...hmm...I couldn’t place it. Why didn’t the Metropolitan police ask me about his accent?”
“I need to know who would stand to benefit or lose from your research.”
“I think my current research is not a big player here,” Sophie admitted. “But my father’s research is more controversial. It’s a bomb that can flatten a small town like a nuclear bomb without the after-effects of radiation.”
Maia’s eyes narrowed as she typed ceaselessly into her tablet. “Has anyone approached you about developing it?”
“A couple actually. But Blackstone International seems to be the most aggressive in sending proposals.”
“Christopher Blackstone?”
“Yes. Have you met him?’
Maia nodded. “Blackstone International is rumored to be secretly manipulating African conflicts. I’ll find out what I can.”
Sophie took a sip of her wine. She needed to pay more attention to world news rather than hide away in her laboratory. Blackstone International was her main supplier of raw zefinium and she had known Christopher almost all her life. All Sophie knew was the hi
ghest-grade came from a little section of land between South Africa and Mozambique. There were other sources around the African continent, of course.
Just when she was about to relay this tidbit to Maia, the windows of her kitchen exploded.
***
“Get down!” Maia shouted as she shoved Sophie onto the red-clay tiled floor and drew her 9mm. Assault rifle fire drowned the once pristine designer kitchen in chaos and that simply infuriated her. She saw her decimated cellphone on the floor. It had sustained a direct hit where she had left it on the kitchen counter. AGS would immediately receive notification that she had gone off the grid. The frenetic din of gunfire persisted before a couple of firebombs sailed through the shattered windows.
The assailants were smoking them out!
“Sophie, where’s the phone?” Maia yelled through the noise. The blonde woman had her arms securely crossed behind her head in a protective posture. She unfolded one arm and pointed to the console right at the entrance of the kitchen. “Let’s go.” She shielded Sophie’s body as they ran full tilt out of the kitchen. “Is there another exit?”
“Balcony,” Sophie whispered, starting to choke on the smoke as she grabbed her purse to get to her cellphone. Maia snatched the cordless phone off the small table and started dialing 9-1-1. More firebombs hit the living room. “They cut the phone line,” Maia said as she threw the cordless phone away. She pulled Sophie to a crouch behind an imposing marble half-column.
“Yes, 9-1-1? We’re at...hello? Hello?” Sophie looked at Maia. “I think they’re jamming cell phone reception.”
“Son of a bitch,” Maia muttered. She glanced at Sophie, who appeared to be holding it together, but for how long? “We’re gonna have to make a run toward the balcony. I want you to duck behind the sofa while I check out that exit. They may be waiting for us.”
The two women crouch-walked to the other side of the house. Sophie dove behind the couch as instructed while Maia leaned against the wall and started to push the sliding door. As soon as the door moved, gunfire cracked through the glass. Maia spied a couple of gunmen and squeezed off a shot, taking one down. She could probably barrel through them, but she couldn’t risk Sophie getting hit. She glanced back at the interior of the house. It was going to go up in flames soon, burning them alive. The gunmen had no intention of coming in. They were making sure no one got out.
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