Nine Rules of Engagement (Barrington Billionaire's Series Book 9)

by Jeannette Winters

  “Does this mean you need me to head back to Tabiq?” Roger asked.

  “That’s the problem. I’m not sure where to start looking.” Brice pulled out a black and white photo of two children. It was in poor condition. The time period wasn’t James’s generation.

  “Who is this?”

  “That’s why I need you.”

  This really wasn’t much to go on. “Where did you find it?” Brice had to know something if he was willing to go to this length.

  “I was the one who cleaned out our father’s personal belongings. This was in a box I hadn’t seen before.”

  “What else was in there?” Roger wanted to see the box and exam it himself.

  “Papers from my father’s early school years. Progress report cards and a few things I assume he made for his mother, my grandmother. I’m not sure. He spoke very little about her. My father said she was all we had as family. But we both know James Henderson was capable of more evil than anyone imagined. I’m sure lying was a way of life for him.”

  Roger had come across some real fucking assholes in his DEA years. None had come close to what he’d learned about James. That was his concern with Brice and the others. Unlike Caydan, they’d grown up under the same roof as that asshole. He knew what Caydan was capable of, the type of person he was. The rest of the family, he wasn’t so sure about.

  “To do what you’re asking means digging deeper into your family’s history. Are you okay with me seeing things you don’t want the world to know?” It was going to be impossible to determine who was in that photo without coming across a lot of confidential information regarding the Henderson clan. If it even was a Henderson.

  “As long as you keep me updated on everything you find, then yes.”

  The hairs still stood up on the back of his neck. Why did Brice want him? It made no sense that he wasn’t utilizing the connections he already had. People they had a history with. Ones they so-called trusted.

  “I thought you had the Turchettas doing your dirty work,” Roger said. “I’m sure this shit is right up Gabe’s alley.”

  “Normally, yes. We worked very closely on addressing certain issues back in Tabiq. But they also have some . . . family things they need to attend to. Besides, they have become quite close with the family. For the moment, I’d like to keep this quiet.”

  Roger understood why Brice might not want strangers to know, but he needed clarification. “So you don’t want anyone, not even your brothers to know?”

  “Not even Caydan,” Brice said firmly.

  And this is why I don’t trust you. Lying to Caydan wasn’t something Roger had ever done. That’s not how friends remained friends. But Caydan found a brother and family. If taking on this job meant Roger would protect his friend, he would swallow his pride and do it.

  “Do you think you can do this?” Brice asked.

  “You know I can, otherwise you wouldn’t have brought me to Boston. Are you only looking for who is in the picture or everything I can uncover about your family’s legacy?”

  With a heavy sigh, Brice reluctantly said, “Everything.”

  Roger stood. “I hope you won’t regret what you’re doing.”

  “My life has been filled with regret. That’s why I’m doing this now. I’ve had this picture for a few years. It’s time to find out why my father had it.”

  Slipping the photo into the breast pocket of his suit, Roger said, “You can’t pay me enough to figure out what your father had been thinking. But I’ll get you the answer on who’s in the picture. Not promising anything more than that.”

  When he left Brice’s office, he ran into Bennett Stone, who seemed surprised to see him there.

  “Are you lost?” Bennett asked.

  Roger shook his head. He understood why Bennett didn’t like or trust him. He, after all, had managed to do what no one else had. Fucked with the Henderson family without getting caught. If it hadn’t been for Caydan wanting to come clean with everything, wanting to show a good faith effort with his siblings, they still wouldn’t know shit.

  “I didn’t know you were back in Boston,” Roger said, avoiding the question.

  “It’s my home. Unlike you, that is.”

  “That might change.”

  Bennett cocked a brow. “You’re moving to Boston. Why?”

  Roger smirked. “Easier for me to keep an eye on you.”

  Bennett didn’t seem amused. “Vice versa.”

  He laughed. “Trust me, my life isn’t half as interesting as the family you married into.”

  “There’s more to them than you realize.”

  And seems like more than you do as well. “At least that’s one thing we agree on. Now if you don’t mind, I have some things to take care of.”

  Bennett stayed, blocking his way. “I hope whatever it is, it doesn’t involve fucking with my family.”

  “If I was, trust me, I wouldn’t be here right now.” With that, Roger pushed past Bennett and headed for the elevator. It was going to be a lot easier to keep things under wrap if he wasn’t so damn visible.

  If he’d known what Brice wanted to discuss, he would’ve suggested they not meet at Henderson Towers. Although the family each had their own businesses, they frequented that place all too often. If he didn’t get out of there, the odds of meeting up with another one increased.

  Sure enough, just before he left the building he bumped into Lena, Brice’s wife. “Aren’t you Caydan’s friend? Roger, I believe.”

  Smiling, he said, “You have a very good memory.”

  “I used to have a better one. Now with two children, I seem to only remember what they need to go to next. Our oldest, Nicholas, is almost eight, and I’m not sure whose schedule is busier, his or Brice’s.”

  “I have a feeling the correct answer is . . . yours.”

  Lena laughed. “You are so right.” She rested a hand on her well rounded stomach and said, “I don’t know what I’m going to do when this little one comes along. That’s why I’m here. We have an ultrasound appointment.”

  “Here?” Roger asked.

  Lena shook her head. “No. But Brice was tied up in a meeting, and I couldn’t wait any longer. Really, I hate to cut this short, but I have to go.”

  She waved a hand, and he watched as she waddled her way to the restroom. Roger knew he was the reason Brice was late to meet Lena.

  Although Brice said no one, that wasn’t going to happen. So far two people knew he was there. Roger was going to need to act quickly if he was going to get any answers for Brice before the entire family started asking questions.

  That meant Roger was going to make sure the people he utilized weren’t ones the Hendersons had or might have crossed paths with. Damn it. I’m going to have to call in some favors to pull this off. I hate wasting them on a Henderson.

  He left the building, grabbed the parking ticket, and climbed into his Maserati. He still felt bad about leaving that woman in a dress that shouldn’t be worn when wet. And she sure as hell shouldn’t have worn a pink bra underneath. But that wasn’t his problem. He’d done all he could do to make amends, and she didn’t want any help. If she had taken my offer for a ride, the meeting with Brice would’ve run a lot later.

  Roger wished he could turn his back from someone in need. His life sure as hell would be a lot quieter if he could. His gut told him that woman was upset about more than his splashing her. If he hadn’t been rushing to meet Brice, he’d have pulled over, gotten out of the car, and spoken to her face to face. The end result might have been the same. Guess I’ll never know. It was too late. She was probably long gone, and the odds of seeing her again were slim to none. Besides, he’d given his word to help Brice. There was only a short window of time to pull off what Brice was asking. It was a waste of time to think about a woman when he didn’t even know her name.

  Let’s keep this as uncomplicated as possible, so I can get the heck out of Boston.

  Chapter 2

  Gia had to admit, getting spla
shed by a limo yesterday was really the only good thing that happened to her. The poor woman who had gotten out looked like she should be on her way to the hospital to deliver instead of rushing into an office building. But she had taken the time to insist the driver give Gia a lift home.

  Now as she sat on her couch, she couldn’t believe she hadn’t given a second thought to getting into the limo. That was crazy. Was it because she had felt beaten down by that time? Surely it wasn’t because she had felt any safer. They were all strangers to her. Yet it was strangers who were being thoughtful. Someone I thought I knew . . . only thought of his wallet.

  Gia refused to let that situation pull her down again today. Being positive was her nature, and all the negative energy from yesterday needed to be left where it was. In the past. She had spent her morning updating her résumé then uploading it to different sites. She felt confident she’d get a call, if not right away, then later in the week.

  She had done all she could for one day. The only thing left was to clean her apartment. It definitely needed some TLC. Gia had been working so much she couldn’t recall the last time she’d dusted. As she ran her finger over the coffee table, she cringed. Way too long.

  Housework would keep her mind occupied. Then again, so would reading a good book. She was just about to close her laptop and get to work when an email notification came in. As soon as she opened the email she knew it was too good to be true. It was a scam. For five hundred dollars they could ensure she was placed in a job within twenty-four hours. She hit delete and closed the laptop.

  Now dusting was even less appealing. Gia got up and looked for her purse. She took her reading tablet to work every day, thinking she’d read during her lunch break. That never happened. Now there wasn’t anything stopping her.

  Where the hell did I put it? She tried retracing her steps. She had been so upset when she got home she stripped down in the bathroom and tossed her clothes in the hamper. Had she grabbed her purse and thrown it in too?

  Gia dumped out everything and found nothing but dirty laundry. Wherever she put her purse, it wasn’t out in the open. I made tea. Walking over, she looked in the cupboards. Nothing out of the ordinary there. A bowl of cereal. She opened the refrigerator and still nothing.

  She had to have left it in the limo yesterday afternoon. But if they’d found it, surely they would’ve reached out and let her know. At least if it was her, she’d open it to find out who it belonged to.

  Great. Now I have to find a limo company without a clue where to start.

  That wasn’t totally true. Someone in that building might know the woman who had been dropped off. If she could find her, she might find her purse. That was progress.

  Gia quickly changed from her bum-around-the-house clothes to a pair of white slacks and a light blue silk blouse. She wasn’t walking through the business district or entering that building without looking as though she belonged there. Who knows, maybe I’ll meet my next boss there.

  She tried to think positive, that everything happened for a reason. Since the day before had been nothing but crap, she hoped this one would make up for it. Gia snickered. I’ll be happy if I can just locate my purse and everything is intact. If she were to be offered a job somewhere, she was going to need her identification.

  Gia hoped her phone wouldn’t ring, at least not right then. It wasn’t as though her job had been critical, but it did require her to pay close attention to detail. Who would hire me if I can’t keep track of my crap, never mind theirs? She didn’t make mistakes as a compliance auditor. Normally she was the one looking for someone else’s.

  As she looked at herself in the mirror, she couldn’t help but feel angry at herself. Gia had the habit of focusing so intensely on her work she missed things happening around her by shutting out the office noise. That was how the client had been able to catch her off guard. She should be more aware of her surroundings.

  If I had been, maybe I’d have noticed my purse sitting on the seat.

  Since she didn’t have her wallet, she had to pull cash out of her emergency fund before grabbing her keys and cell phone.

  At least she had money to get around for a few days. If things got out of control and went on longer, she might have to reach out to her parents and ask to borrow some until she could get another bank card.

  Looking at her watch, she realized she better get her butt moving before the office closed. She hopped on the bus and within twenty minutes she was across from Henderson Towers. She looked around in case the limo was parked nearby. She giggled as there were several on the street. There was nothing to distinguish one from the other. So she was forced to go inside.

  Immediately she was greeted by a security guard. “May I help you?”

  “Yes, I’m . . . ah . . . I’m looking for a woman who was here yesterday about this same time.”

  “Do you have her name?” he asked.

  “No I don’t. But she has long blonde hair and was very pregnant.”

  The man looked at her. “And you are?”

  “Gia Gravel.”

  “Do you have an appointment?” She shook her head. “Can I see some identification?”

  She didn’t realize it would be so difficult to find out if anyone had her purse. “I don’t have any with me.”

  “Then I can’t help you,” he said firmly.

  “But you don’t understand. I need to ask her something.”

  He crossed his arms and looked at her. She couldn’t see behind his dark glasses, but she bet his eyes matched his “ain’t gonna fucking happen lady” body language. She’d been bullied yesterday by two men. No way was he making it three.

  “I’m not asking to go inside. All I want is to know who she is. She gave me a ride home yesterday, and I believe I left something in her limo.”

  “I’m sure if you did, she’ll return it to you.”

  He was unwavering, but so was she. “Then can you tell me if she works here?”

  A deep voice from behind her said, “Depends on why you want to know.”

  And here we go again. She spun around, ready to start the conversation from the beginning if she had to, but the security guard said, “I suggest you tell her nothing.”

  The guy didn’t seem interested one bit in what he was being told. “What’s your name?”

  “Gia. Yesterday it was raining, and I was wet, and this really nice woman offered me a ride home. But I think I left my purse in her limo.”

  He cocked a brow as he asked, “You got in her vehicle? Why?”

  “I was wet and cold, and she was kind enough to offer me a ride.” Not that I need to explain my actions to you.

  “Are you positive she has your purse? Because I’d like to believe she’d reach out to you if she did.”

  “That’s what I told her,” the security guard interjected.

  Gia shot him a look. He didn’t want to help, so he should butt out and let the guy, who seemed interested, help.

  “Well, I’m not one hundred percent positive, but I know I don’t have it, and her limo was the last place I was.”

  “Then let’s go find out.”

  “Hey. I can’t let you do that,” the guard said.

  The man looked at him and said, “I don’t believe I asked you. If you have any questions, call Mr. Henderson. But right now, Gia is with me.”

  It almost sounded like the guard growled. Instead of going farther into the building, he waved for her to follow him back outside. “Where are we going?”

  “To find out if she has your purse.”

  Gia stopped and asked, “You do know who she is, right?”

  “Yes. Lena Henderson, married to Brice Henderson. Funny that I know more about her and yet you were the one who got in her car.”

  “I don’t see how that is odd. She offered me a ride and I got in.”

  “Why did she do that?” he asked.

  Being honest wasn’t going to hurt. “I was walking, and her vehicle splashed me.”

  “I�
��m having a difficult time believing you.”

  Her eyes widened. “Excuse me. Why would I lie about such a thing?”

  “First of all, I know for a fact that Lena didn’t leave with you. She left with Brice.”

  He was right. “I didn’t mean she gave me the ride home personally. But she asked her driver to give me a ride.”

  “So you got into the limo with a guy you didn’t know?”

  “Yes. I know. It’s foolish, but as I said, I was cold and wet.”

  “Well, what is your excuse now? You’re out here with me in search of your purse and you don’t know me, not even my name.”

  Gia crossed her arms. Arrogant ass. “Who said I was going anywhere with you?”

  “I thought you wanted to find out about your purse?”

  She did. But then again, she also wanted to stay alive. “Not that badly.”

  “You’re a very . . . interesting woman, Gia.”

  Somehow she didn’t think he meant that as a compliment. “Are you going to introduce yourself or just continue being rude?”

  “Roger.”

  First name was better than nothing. “And you know Lena how?” She didn’t know why she was asking. Was she making small talk until she could come up with a reason to walk away? That was almost as ridiculous as this so called conversation. Roger didn’t really seem to want to help her as much as he wanted to question her.

  “I’m a friend of the family.”

  “Oh. Then maybe you can call her for me and ask.”

  “That’s my plan.” He pulled out his cell phone and made a call.

  This might be easier than I thought. Well, now at least. But that was short-lived. When the call ended he said, “Sorry, they haven’t seen it. Are you sure it was there?”

  “That or on the bus.”

  “Did you try calling them?” Roger asked.

  She shook her head. “No, I can do that now.” But the bus she’d been on had been towed. That meant they might not have located her purse yet. Or worse, it was lost for good. She traveled with all her identification inside her purse. Gia panicked as she searched for the bus terminal’s number. After being put on hold for what seemed like an eternity, she finally got through to an actual person instead of a computer.