“Shadow Team is different from the others, Eva. The shit they deal in is so secret none of us know what it is.” He swallowed around the curl of fear tightening his throat. “What they do puts anyone involved in extreme danger.”
“Oh.” Her shoulders dropped a little, eyes falling to one side. “Does Harlow deal with Shadow Team?”
“If she doesn’t now, she will.” Brock moved from smoothing her brow to sliding his fingers through her hair. The slow strokes of the dark strands helped calm him. “My guess is Pierce intends for you and Harlow to work together with Bess when she gets back.”
“Will I like Bess?”
He didn’t want Eva to be considering this. Brock wanted her to not think twice about it as she packed up her Gram-Gram kill-shot suitcase and boarded a plane back to Cincinnati.
But she was thinking about it.
Hard.
Finally her attention came back to him. “You don’t want me to do it.”
She didn’t ask because she already knew.
“No. I don’t.”
Her lips barely lifted. “But you won’t stop me if it’s what I want.”
“No.”
Her head tipped in a half nod. Eva stood, propped against the table for a few seconds longer. Suddenly she straightened, wrapping both arms around his neck. “I really like you, Broccoli.”
He held her close, the feel of her body against his keeping him centered. “I really like you too, Tatum.”
“I know.” She gazed up at him. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Talk it over with Mona. See what she thinks.”
Eva’s lips shifted to one side. “I’m guessing that means Chandler would not be included in this offer?”
“From what I’ve heard he would be bought out of the company.”
“I feel bad about it.” She shrugged. “But I guess he was ready to cut me out.”
“What about Mona?” Brock stroked up the center of her back. “Wasn’t she in on it?”
“Mona is different from me. If Chandler made her feel cornered she would go along with it just to avoid conflict.” Eva’s brows went up. “But she’s been in a room alone with Harlow for the past hour, so who knows what could happen when Chandler drags his ass out of bed to come be a pain in the ass.”
Brock laughed. Harlow was exactly what they needed and her arrival had been a fucking gift. She was smart and fearless and ready to fight anyone who dared cross her or anyone she cared about. “He should probably keep his ass in bed then.”
Eva’s nose lifted on one side. “He won’t, though. He’s got his panties all in a bunch over my team quitting.”
“He’s using it as an excuse.”
Eva heaved out a long sigh. “I know. Mona said he’s been talking about changing things up for a while now. Trying to figure out how to take the business to the next level.”
“That might happen without him.” Brock expected the realization to make her happy, but Eva frowned up at him.
“I’m not trying to cut him out.”
“I know that, Sunshine.” He pulled her close. “But you need to be prepared for him to think that’s what’s happening.”
“I didn’t say I was going to take Pierce up on his offer.” She tried to push away.
Brock didn’t let her. “What you do is up to you and Mona.” He paused, making sure what he was offering her next was the absolute truth. It’s what she would want from him.
No lies.
“I don’t care where you are, Eva. Live here. Live in Ohio. Hell, move to fucking Nova Scotia for all I care.”
“That’s just Canada.”
He laughed. “But it’s the other side of Canada.”
Eva leaned back to look him in the eye. “What will you do if I go?”
He stared down into the face of the woman he didn’t have a chance against. Not from the first second.
He was gone before she even had her Gram-Gram suitcase off the rack.
“I want to go with you.”
She lifted a brow. “You would walk away from all this?”
“In a heartbeat.”
Eva rubbed her lips together. “Shit.” She pushed out of his arms and fast walked to the door. “Damn it, Brock.”
He smiled as she fought the lock. “Turn it to the left.”
She shot him a quick glare. “Thank you.”
The door was open and Eva had one foot into the hall when he stopped her escape.
“Eva.”
Her back straightened at the sharpness of his tone. Slowly she turned to face him.
“I’ll see you at dinner.”
CHAPTER 20
“WHAT’S WRONG WITH your face?”
Harlow stared at her as Eva stormed into the room Shawn set them up in.
“Nothing’s wrong with my face. This is just how it looks.”
Mona eyed her up and down. “She’s freaking out.”
“I’m not freaking out.” Eva went to flop into the chair sitting in front of her computer. “I’m fine.”
Harlow laughed. “Looks like it.”
“You know what he said?” Eva scooted her chair under the desk before shoving it back out and standing to pace across the room. “He said he would just walk away from all this if that’s what I wanted.”
“Sounds about right.” Harlow’s attention was on her computer now, her expression bland. Like the conversation suddenly got boring.
“How does that sound right?” Eva fast-walked to Harlow’s desk and leaned over it until Harlow looked at her. “Why in the hell would he leave his whole life? That doesn’t even make any sense.”
Harlow leaned to look around her to where Mona sat at her own computer. “She always this dense?”
“Yup.” Mona glanced up from her work. “Sometimes worse.” She lifted one shoulder. “It’s not her fault. She was engaged to a guy who ditched her to move to California.”
Harlow’s head bounced back as her dark eyes shot to Eva. “And you chose to stay in freaking Ohio?”
Eva gnawed her lip.
Harlow’s eyes widened. “Oh shit.” She winced. “He didn’t invite you.”
“He was a dick.”
Both women turned to look at Mona.
“What? He was.”
Eva straightened. “You never told me you thought he was a dick.”
Mona’s shoulders sagged just a little and her eyes dropped. “I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”
Harlow picked up a binder clip and chucked it at Mona. “No apologizing.”
Mona dodged the airborne office supply, leaning to the left so it sailed past her. “Sorry.”
“Seriously?” Harlow picked up another clip and sent it after the first one.
Eva blocked this one, knocking it to the ground before it could gain any real altitude. “Stop. She’s trying. You have to give her time.”
“What about you?” Harlow sent the next clip Eva’s way. “Are you even trying?”
Eva smacked the clip back at her. “Don’t come crying to me when you need a clip.”
“First of all, I don’t cry.” Harlow stood up. “Second, you didn’t answer my question.”
Eva groaned, letting her head fall back. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Fine.” Harlow dropped back into her chair. “Be all weird and screw this thing with Brock Star up.” She smiled at Eva. “I’m sure you won’t regret it at all.”
Mona let out a long, loud sigh from her spot.
Eva spun to face her. “Do you have something you would like to say?”
She normally watched her tone with Mona, but right now all that mattered was shutting this down. Quickly.
Mona rubbed her lips together, one foot tapping on the floor as Eva stared her down.
Just when Eva thought Mona was going to let it go, her best friend shoved her chair back and stood up. “Yeah. I think I do have something to say.” Her chin lifted and her shoulders straightened.
Finall
y her eyes came to meet Eva’s. “Your mom sucked too.”
“No shit.”
Mona didn’t even flinch. “Your mom sucked and so did Walter. That’s why you were with him. Because you knew he wasn’t attached enough to care if you turned out to be like your mother.”
Harlow snorted behind her. “You were engaged to a dude named Walter?”
Eva snapped her head to look back at Harlow. “He was very good-looking and had a very big penis.”
“I still don’t think I could do it.” Harlow grabbed the edge of her desk, head rolling back a little. “Walter.” She said it in a breathy voice as one hand came up to rumple her dark hair. “Fuck me harder, Walter.”
“The fuck is going on in here?” Dutch stood in the doorway, all his attention locked on where Harlow was faking an orgasm with a surprising amount of accuracy.
“Deciding if I could fuck a guy named Walter.” She focused on Eva. “Pretty sure the answer is no.”
“Who in the hell is Walter?” Dutch’s nostrils barely flared.
“Eva’s ex-fiancé.” Mona tilted her head at Dutch. “Do you need something?”
Dutch quickly stepped across their office and dropped a file onto Harlow’s desk. “This is the information you wanted.”
Harlow smiled up at Dutch. “Thank you.”
Her voice still carried the breathiness of her performance a few seconds before.
Dutch stood in place for a beat. “You’re welcome.”
He turned and was out of the room before Eva could blink.
Harlow ignored the file, instead leaning back in her chair and resting the heels of her feet on the desk in front of her. “Back to Walter the ex-fiancé.” She pointed the tip of her pen at Eva. “You picked an ass hat on purpose?”
“She did.” Mona answered for her.
“Brock Star isn’t a dick.” Harlow dished it out like Eva didn’t already realize that information.
And recognize it for the problem that it was.
Harlow didn’t give her anymore time to stew on it. “Are you like your mother?”
“No.” The answer snapped out. Strong, immediate, and loud.
“You’re good then.” Harlow dropped her sneakers back to the floor. “Let him do what he wants.”
She would have followed Walter if he’d asked her. Eva would have left it all behind for a man she only liked because he was safe. Unattached.
It kept the fear she carried at bay knowing he couldn’t care less if she turned out like her mother. He would simply move on unscathed.
But Brock wouldn’t, and with him her genetic predispositions were only half the problem.
The rest came from a family trauma that would hang over his head forever.
“He’s a grown man, Eva.” Harlow looked up. “He kills people for a freaking living for God’s sake. Let the man choose for himself. He doesn’t need you to protect him.”
“Uhhh.” Mona’s mouth was dropped open, her eyes moving from Eva to Harlow. “What was that last part?”
“Hmmm?” Harlow’s head cocked. “The part about Brock Star not needing Eva to protect him?”
“Ladies.” Pierce walked into the room and his presence sucked out what little air was left in the space. “How goes the hunt for Howard Richards?”
“He’s not using his credit cards. His bank account hasn’t been touched in weeks.” Mona picked up a stack of papers and handed the top one to Pierce. “Credit cards are the same way. I’d say he’s living on cash, but there have been no large withdraws recently to prove it.”
“He could be living off money he’s been accumulating.” Harlow picked at one of her fingernails. “I could see him not trusting the bank with all his money.”
Pierce pulled some slack into the legs of his pants before sitting on the edge of Harlow’s desk. “Has he been employed since he was fired from Investigative Resources?”
“I found a short period where he was being paid by a private security company, but that ended six months ago.” Mona handed Pierce another paper. “His bank account shows a pattern of deposits that indicates he was receiving payments of some sort on a regular basis.”
“Maybe working under the table for someone?” Pierce took the paper and scanned it. “That’s a substantial amount of money.”
Says the man in the suit that probably cost thousands of dollars.
“A skill set like ours is valuable and when I fired Mi—” She stopped. “When Howard was fired from our company he had almost completed the required training.”
“So he can do what you two can do?” Pierce’s cool gaze shifted from her to Mona.
“No.” Eva straightened. “No one can do what Mona and I can do.”
It was why their business was thriving. Why they had a waiting list a mile long of companies knocking down their door trying to hire them to handle all their background checks and any other data digging they required.
It was also why they had no fewer than ten attorneys calling each day begging for their help.
Because they were the best.
“That brings me to the reason for my visit.” He paused long enough to pull an envelope from the inner pocket of his suit jacket. “Part of it, anyway.” He held the envelope out to Eva. “I would like for you to do something for me.”
Eva took it. “We have a waiting list.”
“I suppose I should share the rest of the reason I’m here.” He glanced back at Harlow.
“I get it.” She stood and walked to the door, grabbing the handle. “I’ll be in the break room when you’re finished.”
The room was silent except for the soft click of the door as it closed behind her.
“I would like for you two to come work for me.” Pierce stood. “Exclusively.”
“We can’t just shut down our company.” Eva crossed her arms over her chest. “We have employees. Building leases. Contracts.”
“I could make it worth your while.” Pierce turned to Mona, most likely realizing she was the one who would be easier to deal with.
“We have a third partner, mister...” Mona lifted her brows.
“Pierce.”
“Mr. Pierce, Eva and I aren’t the only owners of Investigative Resources. We can’t make any decisions without including our third partner.”
Pierce’s lips barely twitched at Mona’s misunderstanding of his name. “I understand your partner is currently ill.” Pierce paused in front of Mona. “I would be happy to wait until he has recovered to continue this negotiation.”
“It’s not necessarily a negotiation, Mr. Pierce.” Mona stood straight and as tall as her small frame could be, facing down Pierce like a champ. “And it certainly won’t be once Chandler’s involved.”
“I did hear something about that.” Pierce was completely focused on Mona now, his eyes studying her in a way that would normally have had her shrinking and ready to disappear.
Not this time.
“I believe your friend Chandler was intent on cutting Ms. Tatum out of the business. Am I correct?”
Mona’s eyes barely flicked to Eva. “It was an argument he was making, but it never would have happened. We need Eva. She is an indispensable part of our company.”
“What about Chandler? Is he indispensable?”
Mona barely wilted.
“Chandler handles all of our financial matters.” Eva moved in to Mona’s side. “Taxes, payroll, bills, all of it.”
“So a job any accountant could handle.” Pierce didn’t wait for them to respond. “I feel I should let you know that my offer does not include Chandler. My interest is solely in the two of you. I don’t need another accountant.”
Mona’s eyes bounced to Eva. “He won’t be happy.”
“I don’t imagine he will, but it is what it is.” Pierce gave Mona a knowing smile. “And money can cure many upsets, Miss—”
Mona blinked at him.
Eva elbowed her.
Her friend barely jumped. “Ayers.”
Pierce hel
d out his hand. “I hope you will decide to stay with us a while, Miss Ayers.”
Mona took his hand. “Thank you, Mr. Pierce, but I’m not confident that will be the case.”
His lips barely quirked. “We will see, won’t we?”
Pierce finally turned his attention to Eva. “I will send over a full written offer by day’s end for you to look over. I hope you will find it convincing enough to consider.” He left the room, silently closing the door behind him.
They stared at the shut door in silence for a minute.
“He’s—” Mona turned to her, pressing one hand to her stomach. “I thought I was going to throw up for a minute there.” She laid the other hand against one flushed cheek. “Could you tell?”
“No.” Eva moved Mona’s chair in behind her knees. “Not at all, actually.” She held the wheeled seat in place as Mona dropped into it. “That was really impressive.”
“Harlow’s right. I need to stop being so...” She looked to Eva to finish the sentence.
That wasn’t anything she was going to touch. Mona was going to have to do that one on her own.
“Passive?”
“I think you should be whatever you want to be.” Eva crouched down in front of her sweet, kind, sensitive friend. “If you don’t want to change, then don’t. You’re amazing just the way you are.”
“People walk all over me.” Mona’s eyes dropped to her lap. “I should have shut Chandler down the first time he said something about buying you out. I’m sorry.”
Eva smiled. “You don’t have to apologize to me. I know Chandler can be a dick. I don’t blame you for not wanting to rock his boat.”
“I know, but you were barely off the plane. It was like he’d been waiting for the chance to own more of the company.” Mona looked up to the ceiling. “I know the company is doing well, but it’s because of you. I don’t know why he would think cutting you out would be a good idea.”
Eva stared at Mona.
Why did Chandler immediately jump to cutting her out of the company?
Cutting out Mona or Chandler would never have been even close to the top of the list of things Eva would consider. Hell, she was still resistant to it even after he’d tried to do it to her.
“Without my team the income for Investigative Resources will be cut in half.” She eased down to her butt on the ground. “Did he have anyone come into the office after I left?”
Counterfeit Relations (Alaskan Security: Team Rogue Book 2) Page 19
