“How did you know I was out of the Navy?”
“Your sister told me.”
Wyatt went quiet then, making the point that he wanted no part of his family. Yet Beth had a relationship with his younger sister Jessica, and happened to know that she hoped to reunite. The falling out between Wyatt and his family didn’t make sense, but now was not the time to bring it up. She’d pressed her luck enough for one day.
“Where are you staying?” Wyatt said.
“At the Omni.”
Wyatt widened his eyes. “Nice.”
“I’m not poor—yet, anyway. If my uncle has anything to say about it, I will be, so I might as well enjoy it while I can.”
“I’ll escort you to your suite,” Wyatt said, tossing some money on the table.
Beth nodded at the cash. “I can put it on the tab.”
“No need to.” Wyatt stood up and reached for her hand.
“I can get to the hotel on my own.”
“That’s not how it works. Until we take off for New York, I’ll guard you.”
The bodyguard situation may be too confining. Beth hated to be closed in, and hadn’t expected Wyatt to watch her every move. All she’d wanted was for him to be around, in case she needed protection. “I’m not sure I like this arrangement.”
Without flinching, Wyatt said, “You came to me, remember?”
Beth stood and allowed her new bodyguard to follow her out. Now what had she gotten herself into?
*****
Once he’d seen Beth to her hotel suite, Wyatt had gone home. But not before checking the place for bugs and looking around to be sure it was safe.
Beth had glared at him with her arms crossed. “It’s the Omni.”
“I know what hotel we’re in.”
Wyatt ordered her to lock the door behind him, and not open it until he returned. She swore that she looked forward to a long soak in the tub and a good night’s sleep, since she was travel-weary. He didn’t trust her any more than he had to, and planned to be at the hotel by the time she was ready for breakfast.
The next morning, Wyatt went to the gym very early. He pounded out the miles on the treadmill, mulling over his current assignment. He wasn’t sure what Beth was up to. He believed that she was concerned for her safety, he just didn’t know why. Her uncle wouldn’t physically harm her in order to write her out of the will. There was more to the story, and Wyatt intended to find out what.
It wasn’t surprising that Beth had come to him. Wyatt had protected her many times in her youth. One time in particular, Beth had gone swimming in a restricted area. She’d pushed the envelope by jumping off a bridge into the water, which was deep enough, but the fall could have been the end of her. Her brother had snitched, aware that Wyatt tended to look out for her.
Wyatt had arrived in time to see Beth perched high on the bridge, teetering toward the dark water. “Beth, don’t!” But his shout didn’t stop her. She was fearless and, with a wave at him, she’d propelled her small body toward the water.
She’d screamed all the way down and splashed into the glassy surface. At the time, she’d been eight years old, but already defiant. Wyatt had torn off his shoes and jogged to the water’s edge. She hadn’t surfaced, so he dove in. Luckily, he’d found her beneath the surface. A bump on the head had knocked her out.
Beth had lived to see another day. Wyatt had made sure she was breathing, then run home with her in his arms. And that hadn’t been the only time he’d run interference between Beth and disaster. After all these years, he’d hoped that she’d outgrown her propensity toward accidents.
From what Wyatt could tell, Beth hadn’t reformed. She was still a rebel, a woman of her own mind, out to prove something. He just hoped that he could save her this time. For there to be a chance of that, Beth would have to come clean and tell him what was really going on.
A visit to her family was a step in the right direction. Wyatt could see her family and witness the interchange firsthand. If her uncle wished her ill, then there would be signs. It was a damned good thing Wyatt would be there with her.
Beth wasn’t a child anymore. Her arrival had caught Wyatt off guard in more ways than one. It was a surprise to see her at all, but he couldn’t have predicted his reaction to her. The constant bickering with her continued, as if he hadn’t been out of her life for so long.
But there was something else. Beth had developed into an alluring woman. Was it just the mystery that surrounded her, the excitement attached to her? That was part of it. Yet underneath the thick, dark eye makeup, the tricked-out hair, and the ear piercings, Beth was attractive.
There had been chemistry between them before Wyatt had left for basic training, but he’d brushed it aside. Beth was a unique woman. For all the messes she’d gotten into, she was a good person. He couldn’t have known her as long as he had without witnessing her good side.
But she persisted in being the tough girl, proving that she didn’t care, that not much could get to her. At one point, Wyatt would have agreed. And he’d moved on with his life, committed his skill and talent to his SEAL team. Yet now Beth was here again.
The best course of action was to ignore any attraction. Beth was not the woman for Wyatt. He’d have enough of a challenge rescuing her from the tight spot she’d gotten into, much less getting personally involved. That wouldn’t be good at all. He’d do his job, then let her get on with her life.
Drenched in sweat, Wyatt hopped off the machine. He toweled off and headed for the shower. When he got his bag from the locker, he checked his phone. There was a text from Rip:
Preliminary security risk analysis complete. Client has dysfunctional family. No other threat detected.
Wyatt replied: Something has her worried. Keep looking.
If Wyatt didn’t uncover the truth soon, Rip would. His abilities as security analyst were akin to supernatural powers. More than once, he’d come through with vital info that had escaped the usual channels. Working in combo with Cooper, a computer tech who could hack into anything powered by electricity, unsavory types didn’t stand a chance.
And that was what Wyatt counted on. For now, he’d do his part and accompany Beth to her brother’s birthday party. It should be interesting, at the very least.
*****
Beth secured first-class tickets to New York, but the seats were cramped anyway. The plane took off, and Wyatt looked out the window. His thigh was pressed against Beth’s. It wasn’t intentional, and he would have moved, but there was nowhere to move to.
When the flight attendant came by, Wyatt ordered Coke and Beth had a glass of white wine. “I need the boost of courage,” she said.
“Are you worried about seeing your family?”
“No, actually, I’m looking forward to it…but for all the wrong reasons.” Beth held the plastic cup in both hands and took a sip.
“You haven’t explained what you need me for,” Wyatt said.
“Moral support.”
Wyatt laughed. “That would be a first.” He swished his drink around, melting the ice into the soda. “I’ve known your family for a long time. I can’t get my head around any one of them wishing you harm. Oh, I’m aware of jealousies and the cutthroat tactics that your uncle or your brother would resort to. But hurting you is entirely different.”
“I hope you’re right,” Beth said. She held a pencil and sketched figures on her napkin.
“You’re still into sketching?”
Beth shrugged. “It’s no big deal, just a way to pass the time.”
“Why won’t you admit how talented you are? I saw your stuff, way back when. You’re good.”
“Shut up, Wyatt. It’s none of your business.”
Clearly, Beth turned a blind eye to her talent for cartooning. She should have been proud of her work, but instead, she hid it. As a young girl, she’d sketched with a passion, but refused to share. Wyatt had encouraged her, but it had fallen on deaf ears. Did she assume she’d be laughed at, that no one would ta
ke her seriously? Wyatt wanted to ask, but since she’d bitten his head off, he kept quiet.
Beth crumpled the napkin, then looked over at him. “Should we take a detour and visit your family when we arrive?”
“I’ll skip that, if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t get you, Wyatt. Your family cares about you. Why do you shut them out?”
Mercer Resources had holdings in oil and gas. His father Patrick Mercer had built the company from the ground up, which would have been a feat to admire, except that the man’s ruthless tactics weren’t. Any achievement had been blotted out by how the success had been achieved.
Wealth and power wielded over those less fortunate had left a bad taste in Wyatt’s mouth. His father had pressed him to follow in his footsteps, but Wyatt hadn’t been able to get the hell out of there fast enough. The college scholarship and living on campus had been a breath of fresh air.
His father had berated him for it, and harangued him to accept an apartment, fully paid for. Wyatt refused. He wanted no part of the ill-gotten wealth, and preferred the dorms. Then he’d gone into the Navy, welcoming deployment, as it put him beyond his father’s reach. Even the wealth of Mercer couldn’t penetrate the Navy SEAL organization. Thus, the awesome and powerful Patrick Mercer had been effectively cut off from his son.
“Okay, so I know you didn’t get along with your dad,” Beth said. “I get it. But your brother runs the company now, and Jeremy has different principles. He isn’t a replica of your father. You should give him a chance.”
“We’ll see.” But Wyatt doubted it. He had no reason to reconnect. All these years away had been good for him. His only regret was that he’d left his sister Jessica behind. It wasn’t her fault that her dad was an ass. She’d been much younger than Wyatt and had looked up to him. At one time, he’d been close to her. Now he didn’t even know how she was, or what she’d done with her life. He was a sorry example for a brother.
*****
The plane touched down early, and after checking into the hotel, there was plenty of time before the party. “We have a stop to make on the way,” Beth said.
“Where is that?”
“Foster International.”
“I thought you were booted from your position?”
Beth nodded. “But I’m going to hack into my brother’s computer and see what I can find.”
“I don’t like the sound of this.” Beth seemed to gravitate toward trouble. No wonder she was embroiled in some family situation. “If you get caught, your brother will have all the more reason to go against you.”
“I won’t get caught. I’ll make sure he’s not there. It’s his birthday, so it’s my best chance of getting in there when he’s away.” Beth scrolled on her phone then hit the button. “I’ll check with Susan.” She looked over at Wyatt. “His secretary. She likes me. We’re sort of friends. She’ll tell me.”
Wyatt shook his head. As far as he knew, hacking a company computer was illegal, even if you were the owner’s daughter.
“Susan…it’s Beth. Yeah, I’ve been kind of tied up. I need to drop by, but you know that my brother is mad at me.” Beth winked at Wyatt. “He gets in those moods. But I need to stop by and get something. It’s best if he’s not there.” She paused. “Oh, he isn’t? Perfect. I’ll ring when I get there and you can buzz me in. You’re a real friend…and Susan, it’s probably better if you don’t mention to anyone that I was there.”
Beth put her phone down. “Susan says that Kyle hasn’t been in all day. He told her it’s his birthday and he has plans. She doesn’t know about the embezzlement thing. I told her that he’s miffed at me for some stupid reason, but he’ll get over it.”
“I should talk you out of this.”
Beth grinned. “Have you ever been able to talk me out of anything?”
Wyatt expelled a breath. “You made your point. Let’s go grab a cab.”
*****
Foster International was as imposing as Wyatt remembered. The rambling four-story complex took up an entire city block. Beth led him around back and lifted a phone, then announced her arrival.
“It’s the back way in,” she said, looking up at Wyatt.
A buzzer sounded and the door clicked. Beth yanked it open. “Follow me. I’ll try to be fast.”
Wyatt followed her down a long hall, and past some glass windows. Beth gave a woman, who must have been Susan, a thumbs-up as she passed by. Then she shoved open the door to an expansive office. The desk alone cost a fortune. It was long enough to take a nap on.
“Don’t gawk,” Beth said. “We have a job to do. You keep watch and I’ll get the data.”
Wyatt stood by the door, prepared to block entry to any intruder. If it was her brother, he’d shove him in the hall and concoct some cover story. Beth went to work on the computer, but swore when she couldn’t decipher the passcode.
“My brother’s not that clever. Tech support must have set this up for him,” Beth said. “That gives me an idea.”
Beth clicked away on the keyboard, while Wyatt’s anxiety built. He wasn’t afraid of an encounter, since he was trained for defense. But if Beth was caught in her brother’s office, she’d have more than a little explaining to do.
“Come on, Beth. What’s taking so long?”
“Hey, you want to come over here and crack this thing? What kind of password could they have used?” Beth was talking to herself now, coaxing the computer system as if it might take pity on her and cooperate.
As the minutes ticked by, Wyatt lost patience. He was about to grab Beth and get out of there, when she had success.
“Got it. Now I’ll transfer all the data to this drive. I don’t have time to look it over right now.”
“Damn right you don’t. Copy it fast, and let’s go.”
The copying took a while. Apparently, there was a lot of data on her brother’s system. Finally, Beth came over, holding up a small drive. “This is what we need.”
“What exactly are you looking for?”
“I’m accused of embezzling, remember? Well, let’s just see what’s going on in this company. I didn’t steal any funds, but if I can figure out who did, I can clear my name.”
“It a start.” Wyatt grabbed her hand, hauled her out of the office, and back down the hall without delay. The sooner he put distance between Beth and Foster International, the better.
Chapter 4
Beth slipped the tiny flash drive into her pocket, and Wyatt ushered her into the cab. There could be valuable information on there, evidence to shed light on the accusations against her. Later she’d have a chance to review the data and see what she could come up with.
“Where to now?” the driver asked.
“I have plenty of room at home, if you want to stay there,” Beth said.
Wyatt didn’t hesitate. “Give him the address. A hotel is out of the question. It’s my job to stick close to you.”
Beth gave the address to the cab driver. Then she leaned back to catch her breath. Breaking into her brother’s computer had her nerves on edge. It was like a scene from a spy movie. She could have asked Kyle first, demanded that he confess his role in kicking her out of the family.
But Kyle could lie. It was better to get the goods, then see what he had to say. Unless her brother had wiped out anything incriminating, Beth would find at least a clue to the intrigue. She doubted he’d thought of safeguarding information, and probably considered a password sufficient. But with Beth around, such flimsy methods were inadequate. Luckily for her, Kyle hadn’t figured that out yet.
On the way to her house, Wyatt didn’t say much. That was just as well, since the cabbie could overhear any conversation. Beth glanced at her hunky bodyguard, wondering what he thought of all this. He hadn’t been keen on sneaking into Foster, but she had a right to be in her father’s company offices. Even if her uncle or brother would argue that she didn’t.
Her home wasn’t far, so Beth would have an opportunity to change clothes before going
to the party. She’d lived alone for a while, and it would be different to have a man in the place—particularly Wyatt. He’d been a part of her life before, and now he was again.
Beth wasn’t sure how to handle it. She couldn’t pretend indifference. After all, Wyatt knew her better than most people did, and he was her friend. Or, at least, he had been. Many years stood between that friendship and whatever relationship Beth had with him now.
She needed to keep it light, treat him as a hired protector. That might not be easy. Wyatt was a hot alpha type. He’d been a SEAL, and the toughness showed, in his confident demeanor and his rugged build. Any flesh-and-blood woman, Beth in particular, would find a man like that attractive.
Beth resisted the chemistry, and steeled her resolve to focus on her dilemma. Once that had been handled, Wyatt would leave anyway. He had no reason to stay in the city, not even for his family. And his career was on the opposite coast. What did she care? Her life didn’t include involvement with a former military man, not even one she knew well.
The cab pulled in front of her building, and Wyatt leapt out to jog around to open the door for her. She hadn’t expected that. “The service had a good effect on your manners,” she said. Wyatt ignored her comment.
When the driver got out and opened the trunk, Wyatt paid him. “I got it,” Wyatt said, and lifted their suitcases out.
At the house, Beth punched in her security code and opened the door. She motioned toward the elevator, and Wyatt followed her through the marble lobby, wheeling the luggage.
“When did you move in here?”
Inside the elevator, Beth leaned against the handrail. “It’s been a while. My father wanted to be closer to the office.”
The doors opened and Beth stepped into the foyer. “I’ll show you to the guest suite. You can settle in there. I’ll get dressed and meet you in the library. I’m sure you can find it.”
When her father had been home, a butler had seen to guests. But now that she was the only one living there, Beth saw no reason for such an extravagance. Plus, she preferred privacy.
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