Chapter Thirty
“You up for a ride? I’ve got something I need to do and it’d be better if you went with me.”
Which was Ethan’s way of saying he wasn’t about to leave her there alone. With Byron Mahler dead, the immediate danger was over. But the man who’d killed Delilah was still out there, waiting, perhaps, to make good on his threat to murder another model.
Seated behind the computer in her bedroom late the next morning, Val glanced over to where Ethan stood in the doorway in his usual T-shirt and jeans.
The man was eye candy no matter what he wore, but her favorite would always be Ethan Brodie in a tuxedo—accessorized with a black tactical vest and a big black semiautomatic pistol.
For a moment, she smiled. Then she remembered how terrified she had been, remembered the sound of bullets smashing into flesh, and her smile slid away.
“A break sounds good,” she said. “I’ve got more studying to do, but I could use a chance to get out of the house for a while. Where are we going?”
“Down to my office. Sadie’s expecting me. I’ve got some ideas I want to run past her. Since you’re not just a pretty face, maybe you can help.”
Her smile returned. “Okay.” Besides, she was interested in seeing where he worked. She didn’t know if she could handle the dangerous sorts of jobs he did, but—Val broke off the thought.
What Ethan did for a living was none of her concern. They would only be together a little while longer. Sleeping with him was just a matter of sexual gratification, something that worked for both of them.
Or was it?
How much of a lie was she willing to tell herself?
“Grab your purse and let’s go.” He set a hand at her waist as she walked past him out into the hallway.
Just that light touch sent shock waves the length of her body.
They were definitely compatible physically.
Still, she wasn’t ready for a complicated relationship. She had too much on her plate already.
It didn’t take long to reach Ethan’s Bellevue office. The sign etched into the door read Brodie Operations Security Services, Inc.
Ethan led her inside, into a black-and-chrome interior that was very tasteful and masculine. Nothing like the scarred wooden desks and linoleum floors she had imagined from old detective movies she’d seen.
She spotted Dirk the minute they walked in, sitting at his desk, his feet kicked up on top, staring off into space. There was none of the restless energy she always associated with him, only a darkness she knew instantly had been caused by his breakup with Meg.
“Hey, Dirk,” she called out.
“Hey, Valentine.”
“It’s Valerie now. Or just plain Val.”
“I know. Somehow Valentine always seemed to fit you.”
She smiled, wishing there was something she could say to make the darkness go away. She knew he and Meg were over. Her friend had called in tears. Meg was crazy about Dirk, maybe even in love with him, but she was sure it would never work, and she had Charlie to think of.
Meg was probably right. Neither one of them should have gotten involved with the men assigned to protect them. But when she glanced over her shoulder at Ethan, when she felt his solid, reliable presence behind her, she couldn’t regret a single moment they had shared.
Her chest tightened. She didn’t regret a thing, but looking at Dirk and thinking of Meg, she began to realize how much losing Ethan was going to hurt.
“Sadie’s office is on the second floor.” Ethan led her in that direction. Before they reached the stairs, the front door opened and Nick Brodie walked in, looking as handsome as he had the last time Val had seen him. The family seemed to have amazing genes.
“Hey, Val,” Nick said, then nodded to his cousin. “Ethan. I heard you two were back.”
“We ran into a little problem in Atlanta and the tour was cut short.”
“I heard. You still working the Larsen case?”
Ethan nodded. “That’s why I’m here. I need to talk to Sadie.”
“Good idea.”
“Tell Samantha hello for me,” Val said.
“Will do,” said Nick.
They passed by the conference room with its long mahogany table and black leather chairs. Beneath the staircase, Val noticed a big black gun safe, probably de rigueur for a successful security firm.
They climbed the stairs to the second floor, then headed down a corridor with doors off each side, stopped in front of an open doorway where a handsome blond man sat behind his desk.
The office was large, with a nice window looking out over the street.
The room was furnished in the same black-and-chrome motif as downstairs, with a butter-soft black leather sofa against one wall.
A little girl’s pink plush rabbit sat at one end, carefully positioned as if the animal were there for a visit.
“Ian, this is Valerie Hartman. Val, this is my cousin, Ian. He’s also my boss.”
Ian stood up from behind his desk, tall, athletic, nicely dressed in tan slacks and a yellow Oxford shirt. He walked around to greet her. “A pleasure to meet you, Val.”
“You too, Ian.” They briefly shook hands. She glanced over at the rabbit. “Ethan mentioned you were married. Do you have children?”
His friendly smile widened. “I have a beautiful little four-year-old girl.”
“She and Hannah must be great friends.”
Ian’s smile slipped. “I’m sure they will be, once Ethan gets things worked out.”
A noise sounded in the doorway before she had a chance to respond. Because she had no idea what to say, she was grateful for the interruption.
“Hey, bro. Good to see you.” A tall, lanky, amazingly good-looking man with sun-streaked brown hair and incredible blue eyes sauntered into the office. “This your lady?”
Ethan’s lady? Was she? And why didn’t she correct the impression before it was too late?
“Luke, this is Valerie Hartman. Val, my brother, Luke.”
Those brilliant blue eyes assessed her. “Nice meeting you, Val.” He gave her a lopsided smile. “My brother’s always had good taste in women. He’s definitely outclassed himself this time.”
“Thank you . . . I think. I understand you work here, too.”
“More or less.” At first glance, Luke seemed far more laid-back than his brother. But there was something about him . . . Perhaps it was the same core of steel she recognized in Ethan.
“It’s a family business,” Ian said. “Though Luke tends to be a bit of a wanderer.”
Luke grinned and a sexy dimple dug into his left cheek. In a different way, he was every bit as hot as his older brother. “Wandering’s kind of a job requirement. I’m a bounty hunter.”
“Wow.” The word slipped out before she could stop it. “That sounds . . .” Dangerous as all bloody hell. “Umm . . . exciting.”
Built more like Dirk than Ethan, he shrugged a pair of lean, hard-muscled shoulders. “Money’s good, if you know what you’re doing.”
“I can imagine.”
She felt Ethan’s hand at her waist. She wondered if it was meant as a subtle message. “Come on. Sadie’s waiting.”
They left the office and headed farther down the hall, into a room with an oversized desk and triple computer screens.
The fifty-year-old computer wiz Ethan had talked about, Sadie Gunderson, had very curly platinum-blond hair with dark roots that matched her dark eyebrows.
She was a big woman with more than her share of wrinkles and a serious look on her face.
She glanced away from the monitor and looked up at Ethan. “So . . . more dead bodies, I hear. You seem to be collecting them lately.”
“Two since we left. One in Dallas, one in Atlanta. Unfortunately, the one in Atlanta didn’t die soon enough.” He tipped his head toward Val. “Sadie, this is Valerie Hartman.”
“Valentine,” the woman said. “You’re one of the models. I’m sorry about your friend.”
“We weren’t close, but thank you.”
Sadie’s gaze ran over her, taking her measure in some way. Val fought not to squirm under the woman’s stern, all-seeing regard.
Sadie turned her attention to Ethan. “So where are we now on the case?”
He motioned for Val to sit down, then took a seat himself. “Pretty much back to square one. I’d like you to take another look at Jason Stern. Turns out, he and Delilah Larsen were lovers.”
“Ahh . . . that’s news.”
“Along with that, I need everything you can find on Peter Latham, his wife, Alessandra, and his son Julian. Latham’s the second-largest shareholder in David Klein. They’re loaded, and I mean megabucks. He and his wife live in Atlanta. Julian’s in Miami.”
“Miami. You’re thinking there might be a connection to drugs? Kind of a stretch, isn’t it? Just because the family’s got money.”
“I know. At this point it could be anything. Still, it might be interesting to know how the family made their fortune and what Julian does for a living. Whether or not he’s in and out of the country, how often, and where he goes.”
“All right. Anything else?”
Val shifted in her chair. “Maybe you could . . . umm . . . check out Jason’s wife,” Val said, drawing Sadie’s shrewd green eyes back to her. “I think someone told me her name is Myra, but I don’t know for sure.”
“Myra Stern,” Sadie said with a nod. “I remember the name from my preliminary search.”
“Could be Myra found out her husband was being unfaithful,” Ethan added. “Maybe it pissed her off enough to have his mistress killed.”
“What about the notes?” Sadie asked.
“Yeah, well, that’s the problem. The notes don’t work with that theory, but they could have been sent as a cover.”
“Seems like you’re reaching to me. You know, if you go down that road and you’re wrong, if the guy who killed her is as crazy as he seems, it could get another model dead.”
Ethan rubbed a hand over his face. “I know.”
Sadie nodded. “Okay, then. Anything else?”
Ethan looked over at Val, who shook her head.
“Not at the moment.” He rose from his chair and so did Val.
“It was nice meeting you, Sadie,” Val said.
“You too.” Sadie looked from Val to Ethan, noticed the way his hand rested possessively at her waist. A frown pinched a line between her eyes. “Looks like you two are getting pretty friendly.”
Val felt heat sweeping into her cheeks.
“We’re together,” Ethan said. “If that’s what you want to know.”
Sadie’s dark eyebrows shot up in surprise. Clearly, she hadn’t expected that answer. Val was a little surprised herself.
“Hey, none of my business,” Sadie said.
“You’re right, it isn’t.” But he was smiling as he urged Val toward the door. “I appreciate your help with this, Sadie. I haven’t forgotten those tickets.”
The older woman’s features softened. “I’ll let you know what I find out.”
They left the office and headed back to the Jeep.
“I think your Sadie is afraid I’ll try to take advantage of you.”
Ethan chuckled. “She’s kind of protective. She considers us all part of her family.”
“That’s nice.”
“Yeah, I guess it is. Right now she’s not too happy with Megan. Sadie has a way of finding out what’s going on. She figures Meg hurt Dirk and she doesn’t like it.”
“Meg had to think of Charlie.”
“I think she’s underestimating Dirk, but that’s just my opinion.”
Val didn’t agree. Dirk was wild and, as far as she could tell, not the least bit ready to settle down. “So where do we go from here?”
“I’m at a dead end till I hear from Sadie. What’s on your schedule?”
“I checked this morning. Tomorrow’s the tenth anniversary of David Klein. I’ve got an early morning TV interview on CBS Seattle. I’m supposed to show off some of the more affordable pieces of jewelry Klein sells.”
Ethan shook his head. “I don’t like you back in the media spotlight. It might draw the killer’s attention to you.”
“It’s part of my job, Ethan.”
“I know.” He released a slow breath. “So nothing till morning. Let’s go home. We’ll get on the computer and do a little more digging ourselves.”
Val just nodded. Ethan helped her into the Jeep, then went around and slid in behind the wheel.
“If we stop at the grocery store,” Val said, “I could fix us supper at home tonight.”
“You cook?” The look on his face was priceless.
Val grinned. “What, you think because I’m a lingerie model I can’t fry an egg? Cooking’s one of my hobbies. I started learning a couple of years ago. Samantha and I take classes together whenever we can. I’m not as good as she is, but I’m not half bad.”
Ethan smiled. It was a relaxed, really handsome smile, the kind she had rarely seen.
“You look like an angel,” he said, “and now I know you really are one. We’ll stock up, fill the fridge with everything you need.”
“Do you like veal parmigiana?”
Ethan rolled his eyes. “Oh, man.” Reaching down, he started the engine, eager to get back home.