Chapter 2 #2
“Our humble home,” Shana said. “Come on inside.” She sauntered ahead of them.
Ryan gave him one of those eyebrow wiggles with a question in his eyes.
Even he knew there had to be a catch. Or maybe he discerned Shana’s resigned tone.
Dane knew it was about his deception—or lack of full disclosure—bugging her, but it could be interpreted as more, as a general restlessness, by someone else.
Or maybe it was about her general restlessness and he was kidding himself.
They stepped inside the kitchen before Dane answered. Shana had taken out three glasses and was going to the freezer for the Patron. She was pissed.
He said, “Shana and I have been together for a year.” He held his breath. Shana hadn’t bothered to turn her attention to him, but she made a scoffing noise.
Ryan raised his brows again, but this time with alarm. He slapped Dane’s back and they headed for the scratched-up dining table.
“Great place—love the harbor view.”
“We call it the beach shack for a reason,” he said.
Shana plunked the glasses and bottle down and pulled out a chair. Dane wasn’t too sure it was a good thing that she sat next to him. All the better to kick him in the leg if he said the wrong thing. He grinned.
That was his girl.
“So… West Point?”
“You have an accent,” Ryan said.
“You’re evading my question,” Shana said.
Ryan laughed. “I like her. I really like that you have your hands full, Blaise.”
Dane sighed.
“West Point was a long time ago. But a time you don’t forget.
” And to take a page from Forest Gump, that was all Dane was going to say on the subject.
For now. Let her think there was something to hide, some mysterious story or shameful shared secret.
Dane might have a few, but none in any way involving Ryan. They’d been casual friends only.
“What’s going on, Ryan?” He left the half-filled glass of Patron in front of him. He let Ryan take a sip from his glass before answering.
“You know about the…the threat?” He flashed a glance at Shana. Dane kept himself from smirking. Ryan’s deference would annoy her. If he concentrated he’d probably feel the vibration of irritation emanate from her.
Dane nodded.
“I’d like to hear firsthand from you what happened.”
Ryan picked up his glass again and took a quick gulp, then spoke without looking at either of them.
“The threat came in the form of a kitten’s head in a box. The same thing package that Toly got. The package had been addressed to the firm and luckily I signed for it and opened it inside my office. I told my father about it but no one else—except Lara.”
Dane noticed the tightening around Shana’s otherwise flawless mouth and no other tell-tale sign that the story disturbed her.
But then he saw the relief on her face when her phone played the Mission Impossible theme song.
She swept the phone up to her ear and listened for a few seconds, saying something before slipping it away and into her bag.
She looked at him. No smile, no emotion. She was learning. The knowledge disturbed him. She said, “I’m going to the Ivanov house.”
“Let’s call it something else. We’re trying to keep the family under wraps.”
“Okay. I’m going to the big shack. How’s that?” She had that “you’re so annoying” look plastered all over her breathtaking face. His heart warmed and he wanted too much to pull her in for a kiss before she left.
Instead Dane nodded, only half squelching his grin.
He’d asked Toly to call her over there. He needed to confirm his old friend was still the honorable man he’d known all those years ago at West Point.
He figured it would be easier on Ryan if they were alone.
Shana gave Ryan a warm smile and left them in a vacuum bereft of any prettiness.
He and Ryan looked at the screen door for a beat after it banged shut after her. Then he turned to his fellow West Point graduate, a man he hadn’t seen since Ryan had been a plebe and Dane had been a firstie, a senior.
“Spill it.”
“I’ve been thinking about why the hell I—our law firm was targeted.”
“You have a hunch.”
Ryan nodded. “I let it slip at our firm’s client reception last month that my fiancée was the granddaughter of an ex-Russian SVU agent. Lara and I had just gotten engaged and someone asked about her family.”
“Naturally. Who was the someone?”
“Maxim Xavier. A new client. But when I told him, he didn’t seem very interested. Which struck me as odd because I expected some kind of response. It was indiscreet of me. I wanted to impress this man who was seemingly unimpressible—he had a face of granite harder than yours.”
“I would resent that if weren’t true.” Dane kept his voice even and said, “Why are you working with the likes of Max the Ax?”
“Max the what?” Ryan gave him a sideways glance.
“Maxim Xavier is known in my circles as Max the Ax for his association with investors on the wrong side of right and wrong. He handles money laundering schemes for nefarious businesses.”
“I should have known.”
“You don’t seem surprised—maybe you did know.”
He shook his head. “Maybe I didn’t want to know. In hindsight, I should have guessed.”
“I know what’s going through your mind.”
He nodded.
“Who at your firm knew?”
“I’ll find out.”
“Be careful.” Dane didn’t want Ryan to look into it on his own. It could be dangerous. “Be discreet. Don’t let on that you know who he is or what he and his company are about.”
“Don’t you think they’re going to figure out that we know? We hired you.” Ryan smiled. “I’ll bet you a ten spot that Max the Ax knows who Dane the Demon is.”
“We’ve never met.”
“But you won’t take my bet.”
Dane would not take the bet. He’d also need to be careful.
His mind jumped to Shana. His heart jumped too.
The flutter of concern had become an automatic accompaniment to all thoughts of Shana; to the sight of her; the smell of her, and most especially the feel of her.
Maybe it wasn’t all about his concern for her safety.
But right now that concern blossomed in his head and his gut and blocked out all else.
“I don’t take loser bets. You should know.”
Ryan scoffed and said, “What now?”
“If you think you can get the client file without anyone knowing about it—and I mean no one—not even your father or his partner—then get it for me. If not, I’ll see what I can do to have Acerman hack into your system—with your help, of course.”
“He still on your payroll?”
“Payroll? I couldn’t afford him if I had to pay him.”
“You’re a beast. Still collecting on old debts.”
“Forever.” Dane didn’t bother telling him it had nothing to do with who owed who. He and Acer were well past that. If Dane had to say, he figured Acer was like a brother. He’d be guessing, though, since Dane never had a brother. At least not one he knew about.
“Don’t bother Acerman. I think I can handle it. I’m not in his league, but I have skills—and the advantage of being an insider—I’m pretty sure I can handle getting into the system without leaving a trace back to me. I’ll use Haley’s password.”
“Max is Haley’s client, then.” Dane had figured as much.
“The old bastard brought in Max the Ax without me and Dad having a clue.” Ryan stopped and gave Dane a look.
“I don’t think Dad had a clue.”
“Well don’t clue him in now. Not yet. We’re not even sure Haley has a clue, but let’s assume he does.” Dane wasn’t sure about old man Murphy either. This case was going from bad to worse by the minute.
In spite of being called over and in spite of her standing as their security and investigator on the payroll, Shana knocked on the door of the imperious colonial that presided over the neighborhood rather than fitting into it. She smiled to herself. It suited Anatoly Ivanov perfectly.
Lara opened the door and Shana immediately pushed her inside and banged it closed behind them.
“That’s the last time you answer the door.
In fact none of you should be answering the door.
” She said this as she stepped into the great room just inside the entry.
It was open and accessible and she could have mowed them all down within five seconds of opening the door if she were the wrong person.
Shana flashed an accusing look at Toly’s nearest bodyguard, Viktor.
He looked down, but she could have sworn she saw a flush of embarrassment.
He moved toward the entryway and didn’t look her in the eye as he brushed past them.
“What’s this?” Lara said on a laugh and gave her a hug. Shana hated to spoil her bubbly mood—she usually left that kind of thing to Dane—but she did.
“You can’t expose yourself, Lara.”
Toly said, “She’s right.”
“I feel so much better here—away on an island,” Lara said. “Don’t worry. I won’t answer the door. I won’t make your job difficult.”
Shana smiled at her and they joined the mixed group in the living room which included Toly’s second bodyguard, Viktor, and Father Donahue, who Shana knew as Toly’s son.
The only one not in the room was Paulette.
She supposed she ought to feel some measure of confidence with Toly’s two guards, but they were like big fat brothers.
They were still tough, but they hadn’t been tested in a while.
She made a mental note to talk with them.
“What do you think? I know you are thinking,” Toly said.
“I’m thinking we ought to pick a nice quiet spot for the wedding, somewhere hidden—”
“We need to get married in a church,” Lara said. “Surely there is a beautiful church on this gorgeous island.”
Thinking fast, Shana came up with a place that would be as secure a spot as they could find. She’d have to make rash promises to Reverend Hall, but it would be worth it. “There is a church and it would be perfect for your wedding. We can have the reception in the basement—”
“Basement? No basement. We will have a grand reception—what are you thinking, Shana? I envision a grand wedding befitting my granddaughter.”
“Maybe you should envision a box of kittens.”