CHAPTER TWENTY
Pierce kept one hand at the small of Charley’s back as they headed inside, more out of instinct than thought.
The crowd in the lobby had thinned out a little, but there were still enough people milling around, and nobody needed to hear the conversation they were about to have.
So, they all headed upstairs to Charley’s office, where they could have some privacy.
Charley seemed to be holding herself together better than most would have with a strange colonel showing up out of nowhere and flashing around a photo of the same man who had approached her outside the building and presumably had sent her mysterious notes.
But Pierce could feel the tension in her all the same.
A short time after all of the speeches had wrapped, Ray had gotten the call from his contact. He and Pierce had stepped far enough away from the crowd to hear, and what little the man gave them had been enough to deepen the mystery.
Ace and Alex had been close by when the call came in, and once the call ended, Pierce filled them in on the situation. Of course, Alex’s whole expression had changed as she was more concerned for Charley.
Now, as they made their way up the stairs, Pierce’s thoughts circled back to the moment Ray had recognized the man who had been speaking with Charley.
Colonel Reed was the same man whom the three men had reported to during Operation Storm Current.
The pieces lined up fast enough to make the hair on the back of Pierce’s neck rise.
Pierce didn’t like coincidence on his best day, and this didn’t feel like a coincidence.
Not with Reed showing up here and flashing that photo around.
He just hated that Charley found herself in the middle of whatever this situation was.
By the time they reached her office, Pierce’s protective instincts had honed in.
Charley stepped inside first and set the colonel’s business card on her desk before turning to face them. Ray closed the door behind them, and Jessica took a seat in one of the chairs in front of Charley’s desk. Pierce stayed close to Charley without crowding her.
She looked between all three of them and let out a breath. “Okay,” she said, folding her arms lightly across her chest. “There’s something you guys know that I don’t.”
Pierce exchanged a glance with Ray, then looked back at her. “Ray got a call from his contact.”
Charley’s attention sharpened. “And?”
“And the contact confirmed the three names are tied to Operation Storm Current,” Pierce said.
“He didn’t have much more than that, not yet, at least. He said that their files are locked down tight and harder to get into than he expected.
But he also said he’s going to keep digging because something about all of it feels off. ”
Ray pushed away from the door and took a few steps closer. “Whatever details are in those files are buried deep. It’s almost like they don’t even exist anymore.”
Charley frowned. “That’s comforting.”
“Tell me about it,” Jessica muttered.
Pierce almost smiled, but it didn’t quite make it all the way there. “There’s more. Ray’s contact also mentioned the three men had reported to a Lieutenant Colonel Reed during that operation.”
Her eyes widened. “The same Colonel Reed that I was just talking to?”
“Yeah. He and I ran in the same circles back in the day. That’s how I recognized him,” Ray said.
For a second, Charley just stared at him. “You’re telling me the man who showed up here with a picture of the guy who approached me also had a connection to the operation mentioned in the second note?”
Pierce nodded. “That’s exactly what we’re telling you.”
She looked down and shook her head, like she was trying to organize information that didn’t want to fit neatly together. “What the hell is going on?”
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Pierce said, keeping his voice even though his gut was anything but. “All we have right now are pieces.”
Charley looked at Ray. “Did your contact have photos of the men? Of the three names on the note? Could the guy in the picture that the colonel showed me be one of the names?”
Ray shook his head. “No. He didn’t have access to that part of the file. As far as the guy in the colonel’s photo being one of the names mentioned…well, that is a definite possibility.”
Pierce watched her carefully. She looked composed, but he could see the strain sitting just beneath the surface.
The encounter with Reed had rattled her.
She was handling it, but only because that was what she did.
She held herself together, took care of everyone else, and kept moving.
It made something in his chest tighten. He stepped closer and rested a hand lightly on her hip, not possessive so much as steadying.
“We already talked to Alex,” he said. “She knows what’s going on.”
Charley looked up at him. “She does?”
He nodded. “Ray got the call while she and Ace were nearby, so we filled them in.”
A tiny sound of relief left Charley, though it didn’t last long before worry moved back in. “Great. So now she’ll be stressing.”
Jessica gave her a look. “Sweetheart, all of us are stressing.”
That pulled the corner of Charley’s mouth upward for half a second.
Pierce used that small break in the tension to keep things moving. This next part, he wasn’t too sure how she would react, but after Ray, Ace, and Alex discussed it further, they all decided it couldn’t hurt. It was better to be safe than sorry.
Then, as if right on cue, there was a knock on the door.
Ray stepped over and opened the door, letting Seth, Cole, and Zane enter before closing the door again.
Pierce watched recognition flicker across Charley’s face as her gaze landed on the three men stepping into her office.
“Charley, this is Seth, Cole, and Zane,” Pierce said, introducing the men to Charley.
Charley offered them a small smile, which they returned with chin lifts and nods.
“We, meaning, myself, Ray, Ace, and Alex, thought it was for the best for now, at least until we can get more information, that someone we trust be here during business hours.”
Pierce waited a second for Charley to let that sink in. He knew when it did because she turned her gaze towards him and narrowed her eyes.
“You mean like security guards?”
Pierce nodded. “Yes.”
Charley held his gaze. “Pierce—”
“Nope. This isn’t up for a debate.” His tone came out firmer than he intended, and he made himself ease it back.
But he needed her to understand that he and the others weren’t taking any chances.
“I’m not trying to bulldoze you, sweetheart.
It is just for precaution—for your safety and the safety of the other employees and clients that come in.
” He wasn’t going to tell her that it was his idea.
She seemed to think about it. Her expression softened a little. “Okay.”
“Thank you,” Pierce said. And he meant it. With their relationship being new, he didn't want to overstep and come across as some overbearing caveman, but he wasn’t playing around when it came to her safety.
Ray motioned toward the three men. “You can trust these guys, and you won’t even know that they’re around.”
Charley looked at three men and nodded. “Okay. I’m good with it. If they want, I can set them up in the small conference room right at the front door. It has a glass wall to see into the lobby.”
“That will work fine, ma’am,” Zane said.
“Perfect. I’ll let the receptionist know. If you guys need anything, just let me know.
Ray stepped forward. “Great. Now that is settled. Do we want to discuss Colonel Reed?”
“That man had shady written all over him,” Jessica stated.
Pierce nodded in agreement. “He definitely knows more than he is letting on. And I don’t buy that crappy ass excuse about why he was looking for that guy.”
“I say we keep this between us until we can get a little more information,” Ray said, and Pierce agreed.
“What about the guy. What if he shows up again?” She paused for a minute as if trying to gather her words.
“If you all saw and spoke with him as I did, you would see that he isn’t a danger.
I still believe that he’s seeking help, but something has spooked him, and maybe he isn’t sure who he can trust.”
Pierce hated the helpless edge creeping into her voice.
Hated even more that he didn’t have enough answers to give her.
He brushed his thumb once over her side, a small motion meant only for her.
“If he needs help, then we’ll help him. It’s obvious he has some trust in you, or he wouldn’t have left those notes for you. ”
Ray nodded. “He’s right. And I think he’ll show up again. And right now, I think he’s our only hope in figuring out this mess.”
Jessica straightened and clapped her hands softly once.
“Okay. I don’t know about the rest of you, but if we stay in this office any longer, I’m going to start climbing the walls.
Plus, Ace, Alex, Irish, and Bailey are waiting for us at the restaurant.
Not to mention, I’m starving and definitely need a drink after all of this. ”
Ray huffed a laugh and then looked around the room. “Well, I believe the boss has spoken.”
Jessica glared at Ray, which made Pierce chuckle. He then glanced at Charley. “Are you still up for dinner and drinks with the others?”
She blew out a breath and picked up her purse. “Yeah. I think sitting here alone with my thoughts sounds like a terrible idea, and like Jessica, I think I need a drink too.”
They headed out together, Ray and Jessica taking the lead toward the stairwell while Pierce took Charley’s hand and walked with her. Seth, Cole, and Zane followed behind.
Once they got downstairs, Pierce stopped Charley and turned her gently toward him.
“Are you sure that you’re good with everything we just talked about?”
She smiled. “Yeah. I’m good.”
He searched her eyes, looking for any sign that she wasn’t telling him the truth, but all he saw was pure honesty.
He leaned down and softly brushed his lips against hers.
“Everything will be okay,” he told her. And the smile she gave him told him that she believed him.
He took a strand of her hair and tucked it behind her ear. Then he gently squeezed her hand.
“Let’s get some food in your belly. Plus, I think there’s a little girl who can’t wait to spend some quality time with her Aunt Charley.”
That statement right there made Charley’s smile grow even bigger.
“Well, we don’t want to keep her waiting. Believe me,” Charley said with a slight laugh as they walked out of the building hand in hand.