“This isn’t going to bring you down. This won’t destroy you. Do you hear me?”
Sniffling, trying to pull herself together, Sophia accepted the tissue Devon handed her.
“I’m shattered,” she admitted, blowing her nose.
“Well, you don’t have time to be shattered,” Devon stated like a drill sergeant. “It happened. You were sucker-punched. Now you need to be strong, so we can find this bastard and make him pay.”
The vehemence in Devon’s tone caused her to look at the woman in a different light. “Have you been through something like this?”
Devon nodded. “You can let it destroy you. Or you can fight back. Your choice.”
A hardness in the depth of her core expanded, created layer upon layer of anger, until it built to the point of vengeance.
Finally, she met Devon’s sharp gaze with her own. “I’m ready. What do you need to nail this bastard?”
*
“Guess we know why Devon called me up.” Adam stated the obvious.
When his brother placed his hands on his shoulders, Liam threw them off. “Fuck that.”
“Okay.” Adam shrugged. “What are you going to do about it?”
Filled with restless energy he couldn’t legally expend—one reason to miss being a bounty hunter—he said, “I’m going into the hive.”
Adam’s eyebrows shot toward his hairline. “You know how impossible they can be. What’s your plan?”
“Sophia revealed a lot of information about ‘Todd.’ I’m going to pelt the techies with questions until they wish their queen bee would come save them.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Adam nodded. “I’m game. Let’s go intimidate the nerds.”
Along their warpath, Liam had to say, “This isn’t high school. We aren’t bullies.” He looked sternly at Adam. “We pay these guys.”
Adam grinned deviously. Liam paused for a second to wonder how much of their shitty childhood had left a mark on his brother. And how deep. “All the more reason the hive should give us the answers we need about the douchebag who brought your girl to tears,” Adam said.
“She’s not my girl,” Liam said. Her trust had been obliterated. The last thing on her agenda was finding herself a new relationship. That pissed him off even more.
Still, Liam didn’t want his brother reenacting the childish, age-old battle between the jocks and the geeks. Then Marissa, with her combination of sweetness and strength, entered his mind. She’d never let her future husband engage in bullying. She’d take him to task in a heartbeat.
For now, Adam had one goal. Liam appreciated his support.
Deciding not to argue, and let his brother prove how far he’d come from the guy he used to be, Liam forged ahead with his brother at his back.
Adam had his back…for the first time in a long time.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Before Devon forged ahead on the warpath, Sophia needed to know the extent to which Todd had taken advantage of her.
Unable to visit a physical location, in her present frame of mind, she called her bank. She demanded to speak to a manager.
The news was worse than her worst nightmare.
Not only had Todd drained her checking and savings accounts, stealing checks. He had gone far beyond that—too far, destroying her in the most personal way. He’d emptied the second savings account, where she’d transferred the life insurance money left to her by Mom. Every cent she’d counted on to start her own business was gone.
It was all gone.
Fresh tears flooded her eyes. He had not just stolen from her, he’d raided her seed money, a precious gift from her deceased mother. And he knew—damn it, Todd knew—what that money meant to her. They weren’t simply extemporaneous funds. They paved the path to a dear dream.
Or, they would have, if he’d possessed an ounce of empathy.
By putting his psychopathic greed above basic human decency, he’d managed to infiltrate and obliterate every facet of her life.
Her stomach twisted in agony. She almost threw up.
Devon handed her another tissue—or three.
When Sophia finally shook off this latest, deeply personal and degrading betrayal, she raised her head. She inhaled and exhaled three calm, steady breaths.
Then she fisted her hands around the wet tissues. Todd didn’t deserve any more of her emotional investment, not even her grief.
Hard-eyed and determined, she wanted justice.
With an air of triumph, Devon nodded. “That’s my girl. Lift your head up. Pull on your big girl panties, lace up your combat boots, and let’s kick this guy’s ass.”
Some of her pride and a few shreds of her dignity restored, Sophia said, “I’m ready.”
As Devon took a seat at her desk, facing her computer, she typed in key search words then paused. She tipped her head in compassion. “I’ve been in your position.”
“My position?” Shocked, Sophia couldn’t picture it. “But you’re brilliant at computers and programming—and hacking.”
Sympathy tugging at her features, Devon shrugged. “Getting duped by people with evil intentions happens to the best of us. A few years ago, I thought I’d seen it all in the programming world. Then an obsessed hacker infiltrated my firewall and highly encrypted security system. And my husband’s company. To keep a long story short, Trey and I went through hell. Finally, the hacker lured me to a creepy building under heavy construction. I never thought my own employee would threaten my life. The kid worked for us, and I’d personally hired him with high recommendations.”
“Ouch.” Sophia asked, “How did you escape?”
A secret smile played on her lips. “You might think on first impression Liam’s brother, Adam, is all brawn and no brains. But he came up with an ingenious idea for an SOS device that my team ran with. We patented it. Today, it’s one of our best-selling technologies, beyond of the bodyguard business. That device saved my life. Trey came through for me, too,” she added with a wink.
Sophia found herself reassessing Liam’s brother. She wouldn’t have guessed Adam had fostered an idea that his company developed into a tech gadget Devon considered ingenious.
“These Soren men are mysteries wrapped in enigmas, aren’t they?”
Grinning, Devon nodded. “Couldn’t have said it better myself. They’ll keep you on your toes, for sure. They started as a bunch of back-alley street fighters, and came out respectable businessmen. I’m so proud of Trey and his family—our family.”
The woman beamed as she spoke of her husband, her acute gaze turning soft and dreamy. Someday, Sophia hoped to reflect a similar expression about her own husband. If such a relationship materialized. She severely doubted it ever would.
“Hey.” Devon caught her attention. “No frowns allowed. For the next few hours in my office, we’re all about discovery and demolition. Target: Todd.”
Sophia experienced a rush of empowerment. “I’m so onboard with that.”
As she’d suspected with Logan Stone, Sophia assumed Devon Soren had many more vital cases that required her focus and skill. That she took her time to help Sophia made her chest to swell with gratitude.
How lucky Liam was, to have all these devoted people in his corner. People with stellar track records, impressive intelligence, tech-savvy, and access to higher intel than she could’ve gathered on her own.
Even if she’d hired a private investigator, Liam’s team would put him to shame. She had no doubt.
An hour into Devon’s detailed investigation, Sophia sat forward, feeling the need to express her gratitude. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate what you’re doing for me. You’ve gone above and beyond.” She swallowed. “Everyone has.”
Devon lowered her chin in acknowledgment. “You haven’t had many people on your side, have you?”
Sitting back in her chair, Sophia lifted a shoulder. “I have great people in my life. I have good friends. I just wish they hadn’t all moved out of Las Vegas.”
A ge
ntle laugh came from the woman. “Until I met Trey and his brother and cousins, I only had few people in my corner. The Sorens are so tight-knit. Their camaraderie is infectious. They grow on you, until you want to become a part of them.” She sighed with a trace of nostalgia. “I know I did.”
Reflecting on Devon’s insight, Sophia agreed. “I grew up the only child of a single mom. It was her and me, against the world.”
Devon’s intense gaze settled on her. “I had the same experience. Me and Mom. Then I met Trey, fell in love, and was welcomed into the Soren clan. Trust me. There are no better people on the planet you want on your side.”
“I believe that,” Sophia said quietly.
Devon returned to typing. She invented, investigated and discarded numerous strategies as she explored ways to find Todd. Without shifting her gaze from the three monitors on her desk, she mentioned off-hand, “Maybe someday you’ll be a part of our crew.”
How would I do that? Sophia wondered. She kept the question to herself.
After these extraordinary people so generously helped her solve this conundrum and prove her innocence, she intended to return to Vegas and start her practice. She wasn’t looking for a new job, or to move.
Sophia needed to find Todd like the Knights Templar sought the Holy Grail.
Devon continued typing. “He’s not like Todd, you know.”
“Who?”
“Liam. He’s as opposite Todd as a man can get. I want you to know that.”
Giving a pained laugh, Sophia agreed. “I know. I just feel too…”
“Raw? Vulnerable? Exposed?” Devon nodded. “So did I. It was mind-bending and surreal to be up against an invisible stalker I couldn’t take on by myself. But I wasn’t alone. At the same time, I didn’t want to rely on anyone else, not even Trey. He convinced me otherwise, and I thought, what do I have to lose? Why not take a chance on him?” Her red lips curved. “Well, you can see how that worked out. I wouldn’t go back to change a thing.”
Still leaning forward, Sophia took notice of several framed photos on Devon’s desk. One of her and Trey, brushing noses, smiling blissfully—what looked like a wedding picture. One of her holding a baby in her arms, both of them fast asleep. The third was of her and Trey, the baby, and two small children in front of a Christmas tree. The colorful bulbs on the tree wrapped the family in a warm glow. The other two children were dark-eyed, like Trey and Devon, but appeared to have more exotic lineage.
“Yes, we adopted.”
“Oh.” Sophia blinked. “That’s great.”
“Just throwing it out there, because people are naturally curious. I couldn’t have kids. My pipes are broken,” she said with blunt honesty. Sophia adored Devon’s straight up, no BS attitude. “So we came to an agreement together, chose an adoption agency, traveled to Guatemala, and returned an instant family.”
Before she could inquire further, Devon snorted.
“Okay, it’s wasn’t so instant. There was a big adjustment period, but we’re so incredibly happy. All our dreams have come true.” Her eyes glittered. “I learned to speak Spanish in less than a month. That was an adventure all its own.”
Sophia smiled. “One of hundreds of changes and compromises, I’m sure.”
“You know,” the woman reflected, “it’s pretty amazing. If you keep an open heart, you never know what miracles lie around the corner.”
Those wise words had only a few seconds to soak into Sophia’s mind. Then Devon shot up in her chair.
“No shit. I think this could be your guy.” She rubbed her hands together, her pen clicking against her huge, glittering engagement ring and wedding band. “He’s got the family, the breeding, the degree from Harvard in computer science, and—” She clicked her mouse two more times. “Check this out. A swanky, east-coast society news blog just popped up. There’s a picture of the spoiled brat in question shoving cameras out of his way. The caption says: ‘Byron Todd Beckless Denied Entrance to Downtown Clubs - Parents Cut Him Off.’ The first sentence reads, ‘Oh, how the arrogant mighty have fallen, without Daddy’s trust fund…’”
Byron? A knot formed in Sophia’s throat.
Once Todd had relayed how his French mother had fallen in love with the nineteenth century romantic English poet, Lord Byron—some aristocratic baron who’d been funded with the luxury of pursuing poetry. Todd had seemed mesmerized by the idea of doing nothing all day, except scribbling words on a page and receiving acclaim.
God, this really could be him. Her fingers began to shake until she clasped them tight in her lap.
Glaring at the screen, she clicked her mouse once more. She crossed her arms. “You’re a piece of work, aren’t you?” she accused, condemning the two-dimensional person captured in the pixelated image.
An industrial-grade printer, stationed near the cluttered table, spit out several pages.
Nerves jangled inside Sophia like discordant sounds she could practically hear, creating awful music. An entire orchestra out of tune. She cringed.
Walking over to the printer, Devon swiped the printouts and held out the picture from the blog. “Is this him?”
Sophia pinched the edges of the sheets, almost afraid to touch them. The familiarity knocked the wind out of her. She gasped. “That’s him.” She glanced up at Devon with excitement and horror thrashing through her. “This is Todd.”
“No, he’s Byron Todd Beckwith.” Wearing a victorious grin, like she’d won a championship chess game, Devon returned to her computer monitors. “Excellent. I’ll bring up his entire history, and run it by you.” Off-hand, she remarked, “Aren’t serial killers always referred to with three names?”
“Don’t make this worse than it is,” Sophia groaned.
Within minutes, every single point Devon produced matched with what she knew about Todd.
Once all the information was compiled and printed, so she could see the reality in black and white, shook her head. She wanted to collapse. She didn’t have that luxury. She rubbed a hand down the side of her face. “What a train wreck.”
To Sophia’s surprise, Todd hadn’t lied as much as she’d expected. Then again, every good storyteller based his fiction on truth. He’d grown up on Martha’s Vineyard, an island playground for the old-money rich and famous, the only son of an obscenely wealthy family. His father had continued the fortunes his grandparents had made in the stock market, and then married Todd’s mother, a French model.
As Devon dug into his past and financials—Sophia didn’t want to know how the woman could access that information in so short a time—sure enough, Todd’s parents had cut him off four years ago. Just like he’d said.
“Where is he now?” Sophia’s tone held the hard edge resolve.
Devon tapped her pen against her lips. “Let’s consider that.”
Looking beyond the woman’s shoulder, Sophia noticed for the first time the beautiful view out her office’s broad windows. Snowcapped mountain peaks framed the city skyline.
A lifelong resident of the palm-fronded, cactus-riddled desert, she wondered what it would be like to stand at the top of one of those slopes. The steepness taking her breath away as she stood on narrow skis, buttoned up against the snowy chill, sunglasses deflecting the blinding glare.
The imagined scenario felt all too real. She stood on a precipice, about to wing herself onto the slippery slope below. She had no idea where she’d land, or if she could even navigate the slick, unknown terrain.
Sometimes in life, a person has no choice but to take the plunge. And trust that something greater than herself would see her through to the end. Hopefully without encountering too many pitfalls or hindrances that might leave bruises along the way.
In her mind, she launched herself from the safety of the ledge. She could almost feel the sharp wind whipping against her cheeks. The rush coursing through her. Gliding at speeds she’d never reached, maneuvering easily around obstacles she’d never faced.
A hint of panic tightened her chest. She’d neve
r done anything like this. What if, now that she’d taken this path, she couldn’t stop in time? What if she couldn’t face what lay at the bottom of the hill?
“Sophia?” Devon’s voice pierced her vision.
Tapping her toes against the floor, grounding herself like she had when she’d awoken in a strange place, panicked, back in Liam’s guest room. She drew her energy down into a place of solid, uncompromising knowing in her gut. She focused on Devon.
Fearless determination flooded her veins. “Hit me with it. Whatever you’ve got, I’m ready.”
The dossier on Todd was extensive. Shocking. Sordid. Disgusting at times, in turn pathetic at others.
What a lost soul—a lost boy, trying to be Peter Pan. Instead of aiming at the second star to the right, going straight on ‘til morning, he’d missed his turn landed in the dung heap of reality.
Yeah, funny, she couldn’t muster any sympathy. Or find whimsy in his unfounded fantasy.
Life was hard. Sometimes it just sucked. Get dealt a blow, and a person finds a way to overcome it. Nothing worth pursuing is ever handed to you without effort, free of charge.
That’s when people like herself and Devon—and Liam and his family—picked themselves up, dusted off the flies, and pressed onward. Worked their butts off. And discovered the path to success.
All Todd wanted was a quick shortcut. No matter who or what stood in the way of his selfish destination.
No wonder his work ethic had always bothered her.
Within the scope of the information Devon relayed, the facts reinforced the rock-solid instincts her gut had been trying to tell her all along. The red flags he’d waved in her face, that she’d conveniently ignored. The truth buried in his lies.
According to everything Devon described, she and Sophia came to the inevitable conclusion that Todd had purposely sought her out. For instance, their “random” introduction at the coffee shop, where they first met. Just like Devon had predicted, but she couldn’t have comprehended his manipulation at the time. Her laptop had gone dark and she’d approached the counter, asking if something was wrong with the shop’s wi-fi. He’d hovered close by, waiting for the baristas to produce his coffee drink—waiting to spring his trap. Naturally, he’d magnanimously offered his help, luring her into a state of trust, capitalizing on her distress. Oh, and he’d been all too happy to lend his genius computer skills to save a damsel in distress.
The Billionaire's Seduction (Billionaire Bodyguards Book 5) Page 14
