Vote Then Read: Volume II

by Lauren Blakely

  “I had to tell Rav you were on Raptor land. I didn’t know how you were involved with his disappearance, and if I didn’t tell him then, my ass would’ve been fired. And I like you, Isabel, but not enough to lose my job.”

  “I spent several hours in jail, Brad.” She crossed her arms and glared at him. “After I saved your boss’s life.”

  “You’re out now—”

  Another hush fell over the crowded taproom. Isabel glanced up to see Alec Ravissant in the Roadhouse doorway.

  Crap. She knew she should have walked home, screw the rain.

  Isabel was in the Roadhouse, just as the woman at the jail had said she’d be. Alec had intended to make a beeline for her table, but between the glare she cast him, and the fact that she was seated with the leader of Falcon team, he decided to grab a table and bide his time. He needed to talk to Isabel and didn’t want an audience.

  He was in the midst of ordering a beer when his compound director appeared next to the chair opposite him. “A beer, Rav? Really?” Nicole took off her damp coat and draped it over the seat, then dropped into it. “I haven’t laid eyes on you since you returned from the land of the lost, and I find you here.” Nicole glanced at the waitress, “Jenna, I’ll have a whiskey sour, please.”

  Alec noted the waitress’s name. No wonder Isabel had been so smooth with the first name. In filling out the paperwork to pay her bail, he’d noticed Hayes was her middle name. The real Jenna left to fill their orders, and he faced his director, to whom he did owe an explanation, as he’d purposefully avoided her when he was at the compound earlier. He’d wanted to deal with Isabel before diving into the massive workload that had only gotten worse thanks to his unscheduled campout with Isabel. No doubt Nicole had followed him into town.

  “I’m tired and hungry, and the last day and a half have been brutal.” He grimaced. Given his aches and pains, brutal was likely an apt description of his missing hours. “I decided to stop for a bite because I hear they have good burgers here.”

  “Bullshit. The burgers are lousy. It’s the chowder that’s good.” Her wide, toothy grin always reminded Alec of Julia Roberts’s megabucks smile. “And Joyce told me you followed Isabel here.”

  He shrugged and let out a small laugh. Small towns. So much for keeping secrets. “You went to the jail?”

  “I was going to bail her out.”

  “Ballsy move, considering what she was arrested for.” The words were said with admiration, not judgment. Nicole was the highest-ranking woman in Raptor and earned the position by being tough as hell. Tall, blond, and striking, there was much about her that probably set other men’s hearts racing, but he didn’t fool around with employees, and he respected her too much to think of her as anything other than the highly skilled director of his favorite sector of the company—the military training division.

  She shrugged. “I know her well enough to believe she’s innocent and couldn’t stand the idea of her being stuck in the lockup all weekend.”

  Alec didn’t know Isabel at all, but he’d come to the same conclusion. “Why didn’t I know you and she are drinking buddies?”

  Nicole met his gaze head-on, no intimidation, which was one of the things he liked about her. “Because I didn’t want you to know.”

  “Were you concerned I’d question your loyalty?”

  “No. I was worried you’d want me to use the friendship to have her declawed.”

  Alec leaned back in the chair and considered Nicole’s statement. If he’d known, would he have asked her to figure out Isabel’s weaknesses to disarm her and send her packing?

  He didn’t think so, but it was possible.

  The waitress arrived with their drinks. As soon as she left, Nicole leaned forward and spoke softly under the din of the noisy taproom. “I’ll be honest. I first became friends with her for just that reason. I figured I’d determine if she was nuts or grieving or vindictive. Then I got to know her and…I like her. I can’t really help but feel protective of her. I’m sorry she managed to halt the trainings for two months, but given how her brother died, the closure probably should have happened sooner, and at least that gave us the opportunity to retool the simulated village and upgrade the shoot houses.”

  Yes, Nicole had found a way to make lemonade out of that fiasco, yet another reason he liked her. He had yet to tour the village and God’s Eye to inspect the improvements, but tomorrow, with Keith’s help, he’d get this trip back on track.

  Alec watched Isabel over Nicole’s shoulder. “Is there anything between Isabel and Fraser?” he asked. Sure, the operative had denied it, but seeing them together had triggered another twinge of jealousy.

  The blow to his head must’ve messed with his brain.

  “No. Isabel doesn’t go out with operatives.” Nicole shrugged. “Since moving to Tamarack, Isabel hasn’t gone out with anyone. And it’s not for lack of offers; the ratio of single men to single women here is four to one.”

  It was a really bad sign that this news pleased him. And yet, it did.

  6

  Isabel’s seat faced Alec. He boldly stared at her, which both unnerved and excited her. And that was just plain wrong. The man had me arrested. She twisted in her seat and met the gaze of one of the operatives Brad had abandoned at the other table. Chase Johnston. Unlike Alec, the young man’s stare gave her the creeps.

  “Chase’s watching me again,” she said to Brad. “I thought you were going to talk to him.”

  “I did. He both denied it and said he’d stop. He’s just a puppy with a crush, Isabel. He can’t help it.”

  “I think he’s the one who’s been stalking me, and he’s probably the guy who shot off bear bangers outside my cabin when the compound was first closed.” She met Brad’s gaze, daring him to deny—again—that anyone had been stalking her, let alone had shot off the loud noisemakers designed to scare bears away.

  Being a wise man, Brad just smiled and sipped his beer. “How’s the chowder?” he asked.

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re lame at deflecting conversation.”

  “So we’ll talk about how lame I am instead.” He winked at her.

  She couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re taking a chance sitting with me in front of the big boss.”

  He shrugged. “Rav’s cool.”

  “Cool is not the word I’d use to describe Alec Ravissant. Ungrateful is more like it, followed by ass.”

  “Speaking of,” Jenna said as she set a beer—which Isabel hadn’t ordered—in front of her. “Did you see Ravissant’s ass? Ohmygod, he is ten times hotter in person than in pictures. I think he’s even hotter than Ted.” She plopped into the empty seat next to Brad.

  Isabel laughed. “Eh, his ass is okay, but his chest is better.” She secretly agreed he was hotter than Ted.

  “Go ahead, have your girl talk,” Brad said. “Pretend I’m not here.”

  Jenna playfully punched him in the shoulder. “If you ever get off your ass and take me out on a real date, I’ll stop treating you like one of the girls.” Jenna had never made a secret of her crush on Brad. She turned back to Isabel. “Seriously, isn’t he smokin’?” She fanned herself with the laminated bar menu, which was a bit over-the-top considering the room was anything but hot, with the heavy rainstorm raging outside. But then, she clearly wanted to make Brad jealous.

  Brad’s eyes narrowed on cue. It was equally well known that he enjoyed Jenna’s crush—they were Tamarack’s very own star-crossed lovers. Isabel had long suspected they were secretly screwing each other’s brains out, a suspicion that only solidified with the hot look he cast Jenna’s way.

  It was rather sweet, seeing the sparks between them.

  “Jenna! Order up!” the bartender shouted.

  Jenna bolted to her feet and took off across the bar.

  “Why do you two keep it a secret?” Isabel asked.

  Brad grinned. “She gets better tips if guys think she’s single.”

  “Does watching other guys flirt with her bothe
r you?”

  “It used to. But we’re solid. I trust her, and she needs the money to support her dad.”

  Isabel nodded. Jenna’s dad was disabled, living off Social Security and his Alaska Permanent Fund dividend—which didn’t go far when milk was eight dollars a gallon.

  Brad’s gaze was on Jenna as she served drinks to a table of loggers. “Plus, she enjoys sneaking around. It amuses her.”

  “And you?”

  “Yeah. It amuses me too. We pretend it’s not serious, but she’s the real deal for me.”

  Given the way his gaze followed her around the taproom, Isabel believed him.

  He stood and picked up his beer. “We cool?” he asked.

  She nodded. She didn’t really blame Brad for getting her arrested. He’d been smart to include Westover in the search team, and he’d had no way of knowing what—or who—they’d find in the cabin. No, her ire was all reserved for the ungrateful ass across the room. “We’re cool.”

  Brad retreated to the table of operatives, which included Nate Sifuentes, Dev Kalla, and Chase Johnston, who was still staring at her.

  Unfortunately, Isabel had learned, after attempting to file her first complaint, there was no law against staring.

  The oddest part was Chase had never—not once—spoken a word to her. She would suspect him of being part of what happened to Vin, except he was hired by Raptor only four months ago. Vin had died eleven months ago.

  She returned her attention to her chowder and beer, wondering if she’d be charged for the unordered drink, which had been a ploy for Jenna to banter with her secret boyfriend. Knowing Jenna, she’d put it on Brad’s bill.

  A shadow fell across her table, and for the third time that evening, a hush fell over the bar. She slowly lifted her gaze, knowing in her gut exactly who was standing over her.

  Her body flushed with anger, adrenaline, and something even more disconcerting as she looked into topaz-blue eyes.

  Alec guessed Isabel itched to slug him in his swollen eye, and couldn’t really blame her. He suspected she refrained simply because she was under suspicion of having kidnapped him and didn’t want assault added to the charges. Not that he’d pursue it if she did. He had it coming. Big-time.

  “We need to talk.”

  “Go away.”

  “Hear me out, Isabel.”

  A loud seventies tune suddenly blared through the taproom sound system. He glanced toward the jukebox and saw Nicole, browsing the playlist and feeding the ancient machine coins. The woman more than deserved the raise that was coming her way.

  Isabel stood and spoke softly under the music. “What’s your game here, Ravissant? Are you hoping I’ll kick you in the nuts in front of all these witnesses so you can have me locked up again? News for you, much as I’m tempted, I’m not that stupid. I made bail. I’m out. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

  “I’m the one who posted your bond.”

  She took a deep breath as if she was about to say something loud and angry, but his words stopped her. After a moment of frozen silence, she let out the breath. “Are you here, then, expecting me to say thanks? To you? After you choked me, waited hours to say thanks for all I’d done to help you, and then had me arrested? I don’t think so.” Her eyes scanned him from head to foot. “I see you got to shower, while I got to hang out in a six-by-six cell with a stainless steel toilet with attached sink to wash up in.”

  He deserved her anger and more, but he would still present his case. “Once I realized how badly I screwed up, I went straight to the post to bail you out, and found out the bond had to be paid at the Fairbanks courthouse. I sent one of my employees to handle it.” He’d tried to talk Westover into letting her out sooner, but the officer wouldn’t budge, and Alec couldn’t hang around at the jail waiting for her release. He’d been in Alaska for over twenty-four hours at that point and hadn’t even made it to the compound yet. He had an investigation to start and had no intention of leaving it up to the police to find out who had gotten the best of him.

  He’d gone to the compound to be checked out by the staff physician, a former ER doctor, who’d documented his injuries for the FBI investigation. Abrasions around his wrists indicated he’d fought against restraints at some point, and a long bruise across his stomach argued he’d been beaten with some sort of rod. Doc Larson had cleaned and rebandaged the gash on his temple, giving Isabel praise for her application of the butterfly bandages as he did so, as the wound had already begun to knit.

  After seeing the doctor, he’d taken a shower and returned to Tamarack. “I deserve your anger, your derision, and another kick in the balls should you want to deliver it, but I got you out of there as fast as I could. I hired a lawyer for you too. She’s in Fairbanks and will contact you tomorrow.”

  “It might have been nicer if you didn’t have me locked up to begin with. Then I wouldn’t need your damn lawyer.”

  At least she was smart enough not to refuse the legal aid he was offering.

  She grabbed her coat from the back of her chair and picked up her backpack. “I’ve lost my appetite. I’m leaving.” She pulled out a clear plastic bag containing cash from the backpack and took out a twenty, which she dropped on the table.

  Alec pulled out his wallet. “Let me pay for your dinner and give you a ride home.” The woman at the jail had explained why Isabel had gone to the Roadhouse, which had triggered more guilt. Thanks to Alec, she was without a car. He’d assured the woman he’d get Isabel home safely.

  “Keep your money and your ride. I don’t want anything from you.” She turned and headed for the front door.

  Alec returned to his table and grabbed his coat. To Nicole, he said, “I want a meeting with Falcon in two hours.” He nodded toward the table of operatives in the center of the room. “Tell them I’m sorry to spoil their night off, and pay their bill with the company card.”

  She nodded, leaving him free to chase after Isabel. He pulled on his coat as he ran down the street. Half a block away, he caught up with her and grabbed her arm. “Isabel, wait. I’m sorry. Please let me give you a ride home.” It was still raining, not as hard as it had been when he first arrived, but it wasn’t a light sprinkle either. She was soaking wet and shivering.

  “Get your hand off me. I have nothing to say to you.” Her voice caught. She was on the verge of tears.

  Shit.

  She’d been chatting and smiling at Fraser and Jenna; he hadn’t guessed it had been an act. Now he realized she’d been banking her emotions, probably intending to let them out when she was alone.

  And he hadn’t even allowed her that.

  He released her arm. The blow to the head must have done more damage than he’d thought, because he was screwing this up badly. He might be a novice politician, but he was better than this.

  Isabel, apparently, brought out the ass in him.

  “Please let me give you a ride home, because I have a lot to say to you. Starting with thank you and ending with I’m sorry. But in between, I need to know everything about when you found me yesterday. I need to find who did this to me. I need your help.”

  “You’ve had my help. You’re on your own now.” She stepped around him and started down the sloppy, wet street.

  There was only one thing he could offer that she wanted. “Isabel, if you’ll hear me out, if you’ll help me, then I’ll hear you out. I want to know why you think my men killed your brother, and why you blame me for it.”

  She froze. “I told you all that in my letters. The ones you never responded to.”

  “I read every word. I looked into your claims. My investigators didn’t find anything. The police didn’t find anything. My lawyers said responding to you would be a mistake. Here’s your chance to tell me. Face-to-face. Everything. I’ll listen.”

  She took another step away from him.

  Rain soaked his hair and dripped between his coat collar and his skin. “I’ve figured out one thing since having my ass handed to me yesterday.” He paused an
d waited. He’d laid the bait. She’d bite. This was one skill he’d mastered in his months on the campaign.

  “What’s that?” she asked, her voice low. Reluctant.

  He smiled and mentally turned the reel, setting the hook. “You’ve been right all along. There’s something bad going on inside the compound. Odds are, my men—my own employees—did this to me. I can’t trust them to investigate. The way I see it, the only person I can trust right now is you.”

  7

  “I’m surprised Tamarack hasn’t been flooded with reporters,” Isabel said as Alec drove down the main highway that cut through town. It looked like a typical rainy Friday evening to her.

  “My campaign put out a statement that my disappearance began with swerving to avoid a moose and running off the road. I was unconscious for a number of hours. It is unknown whether or not foul play was involved or if I wandered in the woods after the accident, seeking help—which I found in the form of a female hiker.”

  “And the press bought it?”

  “No idea, but I booked and paid for every motel room in Tamarack and the two nearest towns to make coming to Tamarack unappealing to the press. The statement also said that given the ongoing investigation, no interviews would be granted, period. I think the rain has played in our favor. No one wanted to get stuck in Tamarack with no good leads and no place to stay.”

  “Was I named as the ‘female hiker’?”

  “No.”

  “I’m worried that whoever beat the crap out of you might think I can identify them.”

  She caught his grimace at her wording, but he didn’t deny it. “You’re safe as long as they don’t know who found me.”