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“Yeah. What does he do for a living? Rob banks?”
Pierce smiled. “Sort of. He’s a hedge fund something, and uses money to make money. It’s all sort of vague. He explains it to me, but it goes in one ear and out the other.”
“Emma used to work for people like that in San Francisco. She said they were all disturbed, soulless people.”
Pierce sighed. “I met Harrison in college, we were roommates. He’s sure not disturbed or soulless, but he does have a hard-on for money. He was on a scholarship and never talked about his family, but I gather he had a hard time of it. Harrison’s gay, and I think his family is super religious and didn’t approve, to put it mildly. They also didn’t approve of music, TV, and movies. And their approved reading list was basically the Bible. So Harrison is hell-bent on making money and having fun and more power to him.”
“Okay. Well, good for him. And it looks like he’s done well for himself. I personally am not really that interested in money. You should, um, know that. Once I have the basics, I’m more interested in challenging work than in work that pays super well. Like I said, I have plain tastes, except in food, entertainment and people.”
“Well, we’re on the same page there. ASI pays really well, we have absolutely no complaints. But we’re not in it for the money, and all of us feel really loyal to the company, and the heads are loyal to us. Unlike—”
Pierce’s mouth pinched shut.
Riley waited him out.
Goddamn, Pierce hated even saying it. “Unlike the military.”
His jaw locked. It still hurt like shit. The Navy hadn’t stood by them at all. Had thrown them to the wolves when they reported the murdering psychopath commander who loved shooting civilians.
So very unlike the heads of ASI, two honorable men, John Huntington and Douglas Kowalski. Loyal to the bone.
It had been clear to Raul and him that their military careers were over. They’d both retired from the Navy and ASI had snapped them up.
ASI was much more loyal to its people than the Navy had been.
Riley put her hand over his, snapping him out of his memories.
“I’m so sorry,” she said softly. “That shouldn’t have happened to you.”
Her hand was as beautiful as the rest of her—pale and slender and finely shaped. He could feel her touch all the way up his arm. He was getting a semi-woodie, and now was not the right time for it.
He leaned forward, planted a kiss on her forehead and moved off. “So I’ll see to the food and you get yourself kitted out. See you in the kitchen in half an hour.”
She looked up and smiled. “Don’t forget dessert.”
12
Clothes shopping was surprisingly tedious and boring, even when you could buy whatever you wanted. Or at least Riley got bored in twenty minutes. She knew exactly what she wanted and where to buy it.
Ten of her favorite brand of yoga pants, four pairs of slacks, all exactly like the ones she had at home. Five cotton sweaters, all alike but in different colors, five tank tops, a couple of cotton cardigans, five hoodies, a raincoat, underwear of the plain cotton variety, three light cotton PJs, socks, two pairs of flats, two pairs of boots, two pairs of sneakers. Her favorite brands of shampoo and conditioner, a good day cream, a good night cream, lipstick, eye liner. A roll-on bag in a dull, nondescript shade of gray.
And then her shopping energy sputtered.
There was a pretty summer dress that gave her pause, and she had hovered over it with her cursor but … nah. Where would she wear it? She didn’t wear dresses normally, and on the run? Who wore a dress when they were on the run?
Though it was very pretty …
Everyone promised that everything would be delivered by the end of the business day. So that was that.
Pierce had given her half an hour, so she politely waited until the half hour had gone by and then walked into the dining room.
Pierce was setting the table and looked up, surprised. “Finished so soon?”
She was surprised, too. “You said half an hour. It’s been half an hour. Exactly.”
“I was expecting you to take hours.” He shook his head. “Do you know how much you spent?”
“To the penny, actually. $1,850.38.” All of a sudden, she was anxious. “Is that too much? You did say no limits.”
