Chapter Fifteen
Mac gave Jameson a side eye as they drove to the farmhouse. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“Nothing to say. Caroline needs space and healing. It’s the least I can do.”
Mac rubbed the scruff along his jaw. “I see you’re still acting the martyr. How’s it working for you?”
“How’s it going with you and Delaney?” he shot back.
When Mac didn’t reply, Jameson pursed his lips. “It seems like you’re good at dishing it out, old man.”
Sighing, Mac glanced at Jameson. “I’m not too damn old to keep from kicking your ass.”
Jameson grinned. “Seriously. What’s going on with the two of you?”
“Delaney has an ex. He’s messing with her head, and she’s not letting me in.
It can’t be good for the baby,” he worried.
“She’s got another six weeks to go and testy as a hornet’s nest. I’m considering driving her to Corpus Christi and leaving her with him.
There’s nothing more dangerous than a mad pregnant woman. Keep it in mind, son.”
“Sure thing, Pa,” Jameson quipped as they got out of the truck.
“One of these days…” Mac muttered as they entered the house.
“Damn it, Rachel. Don’t hang up on me. I mean it,” Matthew warned as they came around the corner to his office. A second later, he slammed down the phone, glanced up at the ceiling, and swore under his breath.
“Did your little she-cat get under your skin again?” Mac asked, chuckling.
“Stay out of it, old man,” Matthew called from his desk. “I swear she’s in a mood. If this keeps up, she’ll be the death of me.”
Julio entered from the kitchen, carrying bottles of water for everyone.
“How did it go today?” Julio asked Jameson.
“As well as expected,” Jameson said, unscrewing the cap and taking a swig.
“Rome wasn’t built in a day,” his leader responded.
“It seems all of us have women trouble today,” Mac muttered as he sat down on the couch. Matthew joined him while Julio and Jameson took the armchairs.
“Victoria Rostov landed about an hour ago and decided to bring her husband, Ivan. She ordered us not to disturb her while she’s shopping for all the Serenity kids and her two sons, Lucas and Nick. They’ll arrive tomorrow morning to speak with Caroline,” Julio informed them.
Matthew chuckled. “Have you warned the citizens of Embers to wear cups? Victoria’s got a mean way of grabbing and twisting a man’s balls. She accidentally took out one of the Serenity Securities men, Shadow. I swear he still flinches when she walks by him.”
The other men joined in, recalling Victoria’s antics.
“Why did Ivan accompany her?” Jameson asked. “Let me guess, he didn’t trust me with his wife.”
“We all know Victoria can handle herself,” Julio chastised him. “Don’t take it personally. She flew down here per your request. Give her some credit.”
Jameson frowned, staring at his water.
“Rebecca planned to join us, but her director called her,” Julio said. “The Feds located Cain. He’s in Colorado. They’re hoping he’ll lead them to the trafficking ringleader there.”
“I preferred it when he stayed on the East Coast. I don’t want him coming near Caroline,” Jameson growled.
“We’re monitoring the situation,” Matthew assured him.
“How do we know for sure he won’t try coming for her? He purchased Caroline from my father,” Jameson pressed.
“Your father kidnapped women from all over. There’s no reason to suspect he knew where Caroline came from, other than James’ mansion. Since there’s no way he can get inside there, Cain has no reason to arrive in Texas, much less Embers,” Julio explained. “Do you have reason to believe otherwise?”
“Caroline’s father offered for her to stay with them. It means she’ll be closer to Corpus Christi than us. I don’t like it,” Jameson admitted. “Unfortunately, she’s considering it.”
“Ask her to hold off,” Matthew suggested. “It’s a security risk.”
“I can’t. They’ve already spent time apart. Her dad seems frail. It’s not fair to keep her from them,” he argued.
“Jameson’s right. I’d fight anyone who tried to keep Rebecca from me after we found her. I’m assuming if she allowed you to drive her to Corpus Christi, she might agree to let you guard her.”
“Let’s not forget about the little blue convertible,” Matthew reminded them. “How long will you convince her it’s a company vehicle? If she says anything to Rachel, it’ll take two point five seconds before my fiancée gives it away.”
“What’s up with Rachel?” Jameson asked. “You sounded pissed earlier.”
Rubbing his forehead, Matthew glanced at the ceiling.
“Rachel wants to set a date for the wedding. While I admit she’s changed since moving here, I have some concerns about some of the things she’s doing.
She bought Riley a pair of Jimmy Choos shoes, knowing damn well the bride planned to wear cowgirl boots.
Guess what’s sitting in Rachel’s closet now?
Then, she went to an all-day spa and ran up almost six thousand dollars in one day of shopping.
We sit down and budget, she agrees, and then I get the credit card bills. ”
“Caroline said something earlier. She asked if Rachel shops as a way of coping. You know her better than the rest of us. Does it sound plausible?” Jameson asked, playing with the wrapper on his bottle.
“I don’t know,” he said honestly. “Rachel plans on attending her father’s trial.
I hoped to get it out of the way before we set a date.
The more I’ve thought about it, the more I like the idea of having a couple of rugrats running around the house.
Rachel acts like she’s allergic to kids.
It’s not a dealbreaker if she’s opposed to having them, but I’d like to discuss it. We need to sit down and talk about it.”
“I don’t know, brother,” Julio said, leaning forward. “Having kids seems like a big topic to avoid.”
“Coming from the man who didn’t hesitate to get an emergency foster parenting license when Megan returned home with Rebecca,” Jameson added.
Julio smiled like a proud dad. “You know why Megan’s special. As soon as Rebecca told me about her, I knew they came as a package deal.”
“Do you plan on giving her a brother or sister anytime soon?” Matthew asked while he booted up his computer.
“No, not yet. Becca’s not ready for more children. She’s focused on getting Megan the therapy she needs, and she’s still recovering. Plus, the CIA has kept her busy lately,” Julio said, pulling files from the table beside him.
“We have two women who went missing in Dallas. The bureau asked us to consult with the police. They think it might be linked to trafficking locally,” Julio said, passing the files around.
“They resemble each other. Both worked as nurses on the night shift at hospitals. Mac, since you’re helping us, Riley will take over when she returns.
Line the men up for the next week. I want you and Matthew to track down the leads.
Jameson, stick with Caroline. You can give her some space while Victoria and Ivan stay here.
Nobody will get within their radius. If she decides to move into her father’s, we’ll work out security arrangements.
Our new hire, Caden ‘Spider’ Renner, will start next week once Garrett and Riley return from their honeymoon. ”
“Didn’t we agree to vote as a team?” Jameson argued. “Why did you hire him on without consulting with us?”
“It’s my doing,” Matthew volunteered. “He met with Leo to interview for a job with Serenity Securities. Recent events with his family have led him here. Leo sent me his file, and I jumped on it.”
“What’s special about him?” Mac asked.
“He’s a Ranger. Spider belonged to a sniper team, underwent specialized training, and completed some high-stakes missions I can’t talk about.
With Jameson’s cover blown, we need someone else to infiltrate the trafficking ring,” Matthew explained.
“I have two other men we’ll vote on after I get their background searches. ”
“If he’s this talented, why does he want to join our team?”
Matthew glanced at Julio, who nodded, giving him permission to share the information.
“Spider’s wife and daughter died five years ago in a car accident while he went on a crucial mission.
They couldn’t pull him out at the time. When he returned, he discovered his wife and child already buried.
One of Leo’s friends asked him to speak with Spider.
When Leo called, he said the man needed a purpose.
He’s spent the last five years doing odd jobs.
His family owns a ranch outside of Embers.
His mother became chronically ill, and medical bills have eaten most of the profit.
Spider needs the job to help support them. ”
“Damn,” Mac said. “It seems none of us will get a break. The poor man has gone through the wringer.”
“Let’s help him get settled when he arrives in the next couple of days,” Julio ordered. “Jameson, how did Caroline handle you taking her to her father’s house today?”
“It went fine. She’s still processing what I told her. I bought her a car to give her some freedom from me. I can follow her and ensure she’s safe.”
“You don’t think saving her life was enough for her to get over who your father was?” Mac asked. “Buying her a car seems like a risky move. James Stanton used money to make problems go away. What message do you want her to get from this grand gesture?”
Jameson swiped his hand through his hair. “Caroline thinks it’s a company vehicle. We can’t have two people always shadowing her. We’re still building the team. At least this way, she won’t have to ride with me every day.”
Matthew leaned forward. “Don’t do it, brother.
You’re pulling away before she can make a choice because no one picks you first. This boils down to your childhood and your history with the Serenity Securities Team.
What you refuse to get through your thick skull is Leo gave you a second chance by sending you here.
You know if Spider walked in the door and lied about who he was, we’d never trust him again. This gives you a second chance.”
“All my life, my father’s name has determined my acceptance and closed doors. I took a bullet from James to save their family, and they barely visited me except to ask questions. The women sent packages. We both know Kassie Winters pushed Leo to give me this job.”
“I’m the one who determines who works here,” Julio said firmly.
“If I didn’t trust you, you’d be gone. Caroline has spent the last six years fighting for her life because of your father.
The way I see it, you have two options. You can pull away and miss out on something special, or you can help her see the man in front of her.
The one who went days without sleep, dropped everything to follow up on a lead, and feared for her. If she doesn’t see it, it’s her loss.”
Jameson didn’t respond. He became used to never getting chosen.
His mother made it clear she didn’t want him.
She named him Jameson to slight James Stanton’s current wife, Victoria.
As his mistress, she didn’t have access to all the finer things in life.
James sent Phillip to several first-class schools, while Jameson attended public ones.
When James discovered his mother dead, he asked one of the servants to tell him.
It started the long, slippery slope of people unwilling to accept him.
How could he expect Caroline to feel any differently?