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“Dipping back to the pharmacy break in for just a second,” Kasey continued like he hadn’t just sliced each of us open, “That detective who thought to rush DNA input is also going to be sending me as much video as he can find around that pharmacy. Luckily the surrounding businesses for a few blocks all have systems, and we should be able to at least track his movement a little, if not get his face for some facial recognition.”
“You think he’d show up on anything?” The question came from Lake who looked sheepish under the attention of all four men in the room. “This might be an overactive imagination and a penchant for government thrillers, but this guy’s skills probably mean military training, and the government might have also, like, erased him.” I fought the smile that the other three men couldn’t quite hide and Lake’s face immediately reddened as she mumbled a soft “nevermind” toward the ground.
“I like a good Jason Bourne theory as well as the next guy, baby girl,” Kasey said, catching her wrist in his hand and giving it a soft shake. “But we have no idea who trained him. Military, sure, but whose? He could be from any number of countries.”
“I don’t know if that makes me feel better or worse.” She pulled herself gently from Kasey’s hold and collapsed into the chair across from his desk. “I suppose I should feel better knowing that my theory wasn’t completely trash, but also… how did this become my fucking life?”
“How, indeed?” This quiet contribution came from Fitz who had been silently analyzing the different windows pulled up on the “murder board”. “Kasey, clear the screen; we need to go back to basics here.”
Taking him far too seriously, Kasey cleared the screen and opened a simple word document, complete with the animated paperclip. “Too basic?” he joked before making a few clicks and leaving nothing but a white screen and that blinking cursor.
“Robert Harrington’s office received multiple threatening letters that were all but ignored until Lake was mentioned more than once,” Cabot started as Kasey typed out the bullet point on the large screen.
“The letters weren’t postmarked, so they were traceable. No fingerprints of trace evidence on the letters or envelopes, and no surveillance of them arriving with the rest of the mail,” Fitz added as Kasey made further bullet points below his first.
“After the letters began to gear toward Lake alone, Harrington hired Remington on John Landow’s recommendation.” Cabot’s words were added to the screen and I risked a glance at Lake who was trying very hard not to look bothered by the news. I’d seen that look on her face before, and while I’d originally thought it was a cold face of indifference, I could now see the frightened woman behind the mask trying to keep it together.
Taking a deep breath, she seemed to roll her shoulders back and contribute with the others. “X started sending private texts to me, whether it was escalation or because I hadn’t seen the letters, I have no idea.”
Kasey’s typing halted and the room completely froze, only the sound of machines softly whirring as they worked broke the silence. Lake looked confused between all of us, and it was Kasey who spoke first.
“You brilliant, beautiful, sexy, talented fucking goddess.”
She was blushing, Cabot and Fitz were smirking and I wanted to punch Kasey in his smug face. I settled for a warning grunt that sounded more like a growl and he raised his hand dismissively at me.
“Um, why am I all of those things?” Her question was quiet and fuck if a timid Lake wasn’t a whole new brand of sexy.
“If it wasn’t just simple escalation,” Fitz cut in, aware that Kasey elaborating would only piss me off further, “that means this person knows you didn’t read the letters. Only someone inside would know that you had no access to the letters.”
“Great supposition but we can't really prove it.” Ah, Lake was pulling out the expensive words, doubting her own ideas. But Kasey was already adding sub-bullets to the document with the theories.
“It’s a thread, not the whole sweater, Lake.” He chuckled at his play on words as he continued to type out possibilities.
“Let’s not forget that Robert Harrington has had zero contact with ‘X’ as Lake called him.” The new voice at the doorway had all of us turning in surprise. Turner sat in a wheelchair, looking both annoyed and in pain.
“Evan!” Lake was up and rushing over to him, tears filling her eyes as she looked him over. “You’re in a wheelchair? You said it was just a few bruises!”
“He’ll be fine,” Kasey assured. “I’ve already looked over the doctor’s notes.” He’d spoken those words like he hadn’t broken the law to obtain those notes and everyone gave him a pointed look while I pinched the bridge of my nose wondering how we’d veered off track again. It was like herding cats with Kasey around.
“Two direct messages from whoever hired The Wraith, and three encounters with The Wraith, himself.” Kasey continued to type and Cabot broke in with an overly sarcastic comment about how it was three more encounters survived than any of his other targets.
Lake gasped and the entire room turned to glare at Cabot who had the decency to look apologetic as he placed a hand on Lake’s shoulder and squeezed. “That just shows how good we are, princess,” he said close to her ear.
I wanted to forcibly remove his hand and ban anyone from using nicknames with Lake, but I kept the barbaric comments to myself and focused on the screen in front of me with more details fleshing out before us. I tried to put myself in the shoes of our unknown, sending letters to Robert first, but hiring someone like The Wraith to go after his daughter. If Lake was the initial target, why not ignore the former senator entirely?
I wasn’t sure how long I stared at the screen, turning that question over in my mind, but when the screened wall went black, I turned my attention to a determined looking Kasey.
“We need rest. Except for Lake being unconscious and Fitz sleeping off drugs in the car, none of us have actually rested in the last 36 hours and I’m locking everything down until we’ve slept, washed, and eaten.”
“Damn, leave him in charge of the company for a few weeks and he becomes more dictatorial than Decker,” Cabot chuckled, heading for the door. Fitz grabbed the handles of the wheelchair and had a silent glaring contest with Turner before he allowed himself to be wheeled away, and I held out an arm directing Lake forward.
She rose without argument and I was acutely aware that it was only due to exhaustion. She’d have something to argue about come morning; she always did. Silently we took the elevator to the floor that housed my apartment, and I felt a nervous anticipation as we passed the only other apartment on this floor toward my door. Unlocking and opening the door, Lake entered first and stood awkwardly for a moment in the front entryway as if she were about to ask me something.
I had no idea what she wanted to ask, my attention fixed on the fact that she was standing here in my home. My intimate space. I wondered, if the stakes weren’t so high and lives weren’t on the line… if she wasn’t my client, and paying for protection. Could I have closed that distance between us and lifted her into my arms and kissed her the way I’d been wanting to? Would I have been brave enough to take her to my bed and lay her out, worship that perfectly sculpted body, make her come apart on my cock, and repeat it for the rest of the night?
Her eyes met mine and she sucked in a tiny gasp, rocking back slightly. Apparently I wasn’t hiding my thoughts as well as I would have liked because she saw every desire written out in my expression, and, with a cautious step back, she was telling me it was not going to happen. I quickly attempted to school my features and grumbled a half-assed “good night,” as I side-stepped her and made for my room, closing the door behind me with a calm I wasn’t feeling. I needed a cold shower and a few hours of sleep to get this irrational lust under control. It had been so much easier when I’d been denying all feelings and just walking around pissed off. At least I’d been able to control the rage. The lust was a far more dangerous beast.
CHAPTER 20
