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“When does the WEST Protection agent get here? Surely he’ll find out what Angelica took from the system before you attend the show.”
Bronte glanced at the time on her phone. “His flight should be arriving soon. If I want to be prepared for this trade show, I don’t have much time to spare.” She stood and smoothed her palms over her red pencil skirt.
Kimmy made her way to the door, tablet in hand. “Is there anything else I can do for you, Bronte?”
“Actually, yes. Would you see if you can make me an appointment to have my hair trimmed before the con?” Having her hair hanging in her eyes wasn’t helping her feel like a confident, in-control businesswoman.
“Sure thing.”
“And Kimmy, please show the WEST agent straight to my office when he arrives.”
She couldn’t wait to find outexactlywhat her ex-partner stole from the system.
ChapterTwo
Great. A big city. Traffic.
People.
Jace had always been a small-town guy, but when did he become a country boy?
He stepped out of the Uber and looked around. Immediately, he noted the striking differences between the Montana mountains and the bustling city. Like the weather. When he left Montana, it was damp and overcast, which meant about three thousand bugs swarmed his face.
There didn’t seem to be so much as a fly in front of the Artemis office building. And it was warm but lacked the humidity of Montana. That was new, especially given he grew up in the South where the air was as thick as pudding in the summer.
This assignment really better not take too long. He hadn’t been joking when he told Ross he’d be on that red-eye flight back to Montana tonight, and hating the city wasn’t his only reason for wanting to make this quick.
He had a lot of plans to make if he was going to hit his goal.
A goal he’d managed to keep hidden from his brothers for the past two months. No small feat, when Judd and Jaren were up in his business like one of those swarms of Montana mosquitoes.
He’d been spending a lot of time talking to the workers on the Wynton Ranch where the WEST Protection office was located. They were all hyped for the annual Stone Pass rodeo coming up in a few weeks. A couple of the guys even planned to compete. Since they were Jace’s friends, he couldn’t wait to see them crash and burn on the back of a bull or mustang. Just like when his younger brothers raced motocross back in Georgia.
That brought him to his second goal…to buy his own horse.
Judd and Jaren had no idea that he’d been working on his riding, something he’d never done before. But hanging around cowboys in his downtime had rubbed off on him in more ways than tight jeans.
He spent his free time researching horses and auctions. He had money set aside, and there was no way he was missing the upcoming auction in a week’s time.
Oh, his family would have a good laugh at his expense, saying he’d gone to the dark side by embracing his new life. But owning a horse didn’t mean he was giving up all the things he loved from his old life, like rebuilding motorcycle engines or riding through the mountains with the wind in his face.
A horn blast from the street at his back reminded Jace that he was in San Francisco and he’d better get a move on if he wanted to leave tonight.
The Artemis office was located on the fourth floor of the building he stood before. When he researched the company, he was surprised to find the tech company rented a space in one of the historical buildings. The entire front consisted of glass and metal with ornate balconies from bygone days.
If he were into architecture, he might say it had a little charm.
When he walked up to the entrance, he told the security officer he was expected at Artemis. The man nodded and pointed the way to the elevator.
The entire ride up to the fourth floor, Jace played over the details of the assignment. The woman in charge of the company feared that her former partner removed files from the system. Just the kind of sleuthing he loved, but he didn’t expect it to take him long.
He exited the elevator and approached the glass doors with the Artemis logo. Though small tech companies popped up almost every day, this one was actually on his radar before the assignment from WEST. They were up-and-coming in the world of software.
As soon as he entered, a woman looked up. Her expression morphed from polite smiles to one of appreciation—the kind he saw when he occupied a stool in the Stone Pass bar. She gave him a once-over that took a little longer than normal.
Pretty, blonde and petite. Just the type he’d go for back in Stone Pass. But he wasn’t here for a fling, and besides, he didn’t mix business with pleasure.
She leaped up and rushed around the desk to greet him, hand out. “You must be from WEST Protection.”
