Chapter 32
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Atlanta—Present Day
Declan exhaled and tightened the cord holding his temper in check, reminding himself that Brady was goading him on purpose. The man was walking a very thin line. “What have you found?”
Brady glanced at Vincent. “Mind if I go first?” Vincent shrugged. “I've located your missing witness.”
Declan sat forward, anticipation fizzing through him.
“I haven't made the approach yet.” Brady frowned. “It’s a delicate situation. She has a family now—husband and two kids. It’s possible no one in her current life knows about her past. I don’t know how willing she's going to be to come forward and admit that until five years ago she worked as a high-end prostitute.”
“I'm sure we can come up with some form of persuasion,” Declan drawled.
“I know this is important to you…” Brady’s voice was uncharacteristically harsh.
Declan smothered an annoyed sigh. “I only meant everyone has a price. A mortgage to pay off, college education… Figure out hers and give it to her.”
Brady’s posture relaxed slightly, his voice back to its normal, casual tone. “Do you want me to put feelers out? Speak to her? My guys can be pretty charming when they want to be.”
“I don't know how susceptible she'll be to charm,” Vincent pointed out. “She was pretty traumatized the night of the accident. It might be better if it’s me. I’m the one who helped her get away.”
Brady snorted. “Right. I’m sure that didn’t involve any threats about keeping her mouth shut.”
Vincent slowly turned his head to stare at Brady, but didn’t bother to deny it.
Declan leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the desk. “I’ll go.”
The other two men glanced at each other.
“You aren’t exactly warm and fuzzy,” Brady observed.
“She won’t buy warm and fuzzy. This woman survived as a sex worker for Courtney’s escort service. That can’t have been easy. She’s probably better at sniffing out liars than you are.”
He steepled his hands on the desk in front of him. “It has to be me. I’m the other person whose life changed forever that night. She might respond to that.” He smiled at Brady’s dubious expression. “I can be charming.”
“Said the spider to the fly,” Brady muttered, but shook his head. “You’re the boss.”
The younger man wasn’t happy about it, but Brady’s feelings didn’t factor into Declan’s decision. Shifting topics, he asked, “Has Wes made any progress?”
The two men standing in front of him exchanged another look, and when Vincent shifted his weight from one foot to the other, Declan narrowed his eyes.
“Yup. We did a test run.” Brady nodded.
Declan didn’t take his eyes off Vincent. “What?”
Vincent hesitated. “The peanut is… unhappy.”
It took every ounce of Declan’s restraint not to roll his eyes. Vincent had broken hundreds of laws, domestic and international, not to mention bones, in service to the Bloom family. However, when it came to Declan’s baby sister, the man was a marshmallow.
“She’s worried that if the hack is discovered, the authorities could trace it back to her husband.”
Declan grit his teeth. “I told Cara I wouldn’t let anything happen to him. Wes will not go back to jail.”
He knew his sister wasn’t happy about Wes being involved, but his new brother-in-law was an extremely skilled hacker, though these days he used his talents in a strictly legal capacity. When he offered to help, Declan hadn’t hesitated. “How does Wes’s app work?”
Brady retrieved a cell phone from his pocket and set it on the desk in front of Declan before explaining. “Essentially, once the app is pulled up, someone simply needs to place the copying phone within nine inches of the target phone they want to clone. Wes said it can access everything cont?—”
“How long?” Declan didn’t care about the details. “How long for it to copy the new passcodes to my father’s estate?”
“One minute. Provided there isn’t extra firewall protection.”
Declan glanced up from the phone with a frown. “And if there is?”
“Two to three minutes. Wes is confident his app will crack whatever defenses Chris’s phone has installed.”
Declan nodded, satisfaction surging through him.
They were so close.
“After, I'll send one of my guys to?—”
“No.” Declan cut him off.
Brady’s brow creased, but Declan saw by the look on Vincent’s face, the older man understood Declan’s intentions.
“Even with the codes, it’s going to require a certain amount of skill to slip in and out undetected.” Brady was persistent.
“I’m not worried about that.” Declan pushed the phone back toward Brady. “I have no intention of hiding that I was there.”
Brady scowled. “He could go to the police.”
“He won’t. There would be too many questions. Particularly if I find my father’s urn. Besides, I know the house better than anyone.” His face darkened. “It was my home. I have the best chance of getting in and out before security is alerted.
Brady looked at Vincent, but the man’s expression didn’t change. Vincent knew it was pointless to argue with Declan.
“Last place I saw the urn was on the fireplace mantel in your father’s study. It’s been almost two years. She might have moved it,” Vincent added.
“If it’s in the house, I'll find it.” Cold promise rang in his voice. “If my lab discovers thallium present in the ashes, we will have what we need to overturn the will. It’s proof my father was murdered. Between Trey’s recorded confession to Cami about Chris ordering the thallium…”
“That won’t hold up in a court of law. It’s hearsay.” Brady grinned at Vincent’s dumbfounded expression. “What? I know things.”
Declan stared at the man. He didn’t explain that he only needed someone to officially open a case in his father’s death. A few favors called in, along with some well-placed bribes. Declan had no doubt he would get the ruling to set aside his father’s last will.
However, Declan was also sure that Brady would report back to his brothers if he said anything like that. Luke and James might suspect the lengths to which Declan would go, but he didn’t see any reason to add to the family tension. He didn’t want his family involved. The risk would be his alone.
Declan pushed to his feet. “How soon can you get me the cloned phone?”
“How’s Rhodes undercover?” Brady asked Vincent.
“Excellent.”
“I’ll tell him to get on a flight. Tomorrow night soon enough?” Brady looked at Declan. “By the way. Your invoice is going to have a new name.” He grinned. “We’re now Elite Security Solutions, and our rates have gone up.”
“You’re working together?” That surprised Declan.
After David Bloom’s death, Vincent sold his services as a mercenary. It was hard to imagine the man behind a desk. “You’re going to settle in Atlanta?”
If he hadn’t been watching the man’s grizzled face so closely, Declan would have missed the faint red that appeared on his cheekbones.
“Getting too old for the field.”
Brady laughed, clapping the man on the shoulder. “He wants to play Grandpa when your sister has kids. Let me call Rhodes and get him in motion.”
When Brady stepped away, Declan watched the red deepen in Vincent’s face, and for the first time in a long time, Declan was caught off guard. The former head of security was protective of Cara, and to Declan’s surprise, the idea of Vincent taking on a role in their family didn’t bother him the way he would have expected.
Over the last year, Cara had to confront the truth about their father, and Declan was aware she still grieved for the man she thought he had been. Then again, David Bloom had always been different with his youngest. Cara deserved another father figure in her life, and Vincent would look out for her, even at risk to himself.
Vincent watched him warily, waiting for Declan’s reaction.
“She’ll like that.”
Relief flashed briefly across the man’s face, before his regular stoic expression slid back into place.
“Rhodes is in South Carolina, so he can be here in a few hours. He’s going to make the approach at that country club Chris joined.”
“He seems to be making a home for himself in Atlanta,” Declan growled.
This was the worst possible scenario. Declan didn’t want Chris anywhere near his family or Olivia, because things were going to get worse before the final confrontation. He didn’t want Chris to have easy access to the people Declan loved. Especially when Chris realized how he’d been outmaneuvered.
“It might be a temporary membership,” Brady hesitated, and then pulled a stack of papers from a folder and handed them to Declan. “Yesterday’s report on Chris, complete with photos. He’s hanging out with your girlfriend. My operative said they looked very… cozy.”
“I know Olivia had dinner with him last Saturday.”
Brady’s eyes flickered, his only acknowledgement of Declan’s severe tone. “I meant Fiona Carrol, your other girlfriend. The one waiting to talk to you on the other side of that door. She’s the one who has Luke and James so pissed off. You are marrying her, right?” Brady smirked, and then said, “Olivia, huh?”
“My private life is none of your business,” Declan snapped.
Brady narrowed his eyes. “I don’t give a fuck about your private life. I’m giving you the report you paid for.”
Declan ground his teeth. “What was he talking to Fiona about?”
Brady’s posture was still tense, but he let it go. “I'm not sure. They were sitting at the clubhouse bar.”
His heart rate picked up. “Fiona is a member of the club, too?”
Brady shook his head. “She was there on a guest pass. The only other item of interest is Olivia’s ex-husband joined them for several drinks.” Brady’s lips quirked. “My guys saw each other in the parking lot which doesn’t normally happen for us. Anyone else at the club you want to add to your account?”
Jackass.
Ice curled in Declan’s stomach. The three of them together was not a coincidence.
Were they comparing notes? On him? On Olivia?
Fiona was swiftly becoming a bigger problem than Declan expected. The animosity between Chris and himself wasn’t a secret, and Fiona wasn’t stupid. What was her angle?
“Keep an eye on Chris.” Declan paused. “If you and Vincent have joined forces, does that mean you are offering body work?”
Brady cocked his head. “That’s our plan. Do you need a bodyguard?”
Declan’s lips firmed. Could he put someone on Olivia without her noticing?
No, not only would she see through it, Declan couldn’t justify the need for protection.
Not unless Chris had figured out Olivia was Rose.
“No.” The word felt like razor blades in his throat.
“Okay, let us know.”
“I don’t care how late it is. If your guy gets what he needs from Chris’s phone, bring it to me immediately.”
“Got it.” Brady gave him a mock salute.
Declan turned to Vincent, refusing to rise to the bait. Brady was as annoying as his little brothers. “I’ll need a plane that can't be traced back to me.”
Vincent nodded. “Not a problem. I’ll have one on standby.”
“Are you going to tell your brothers?”
Declan turned his gaze on Brady. “Your contract is with me, not my siblings. I don’t care how close you are with them, you would be wise to remember that.”
Brady’s jaw flexed, and his eyes glinted angrily. Something much more cut-throat replaced his normal carefree expression, and Declan realized there was a lot more to this man than the insouciant devil-may-care attitude Brady presented to the world.
“Business is business,” Brady gritted out.
The man didn’t drop Declan’s gaze, and his respect for the security specialist climbed. “Good.”
Raised voices sounded through the door, drawing all three men’s attention.
“This is unacceptable,” a shrill voice shouted.
Brady grinned. “Sounds like our cue to leave. One of your girlfriends needs you”
The door slammed open, and Fiona strode in, not sparing a glance for either man standing in front of the desk.
Declan ignored her even as his temper threatened to run free. “Inform me as soon as you get what I need.”
With a curt nod, they left the room.
“I can’t believe you left me waiting.” Fiona spat at him. “Do you know how humiliating that is?”
Declan leaned back in his chair, gazing at her with her hands on her hips. “I was in the middle of something.”
“I’m your fiancée,” she practically screamed. “You were in here with her again .”
“Olivia works here.” Declan kept his tone mild, but inside he was moving dangerously close to the edge of his temper. He wouldn’t tolerate anyone saying something negative about Olivia.
Fiona must have read the message in his eyes, because she suddenly backed down with what he suspected was supposed to be a sweet smile. “I’m sorry. I was excited to see you, and I’m not known for my patience.” She giggled, but Declan didn’t miss the anger still burning in her eyes.
“Do you need something?”
Her smile thinned. “I wanted to have dinner with you this week.”
“You said you were in Atlanta for a baby shower? That was a week ago.”
Fiona waved a hand in the air. “I extended my stay. Tracy’s on bed rest now but she introduced me to some of her friends, and it turns out Atlanta has a lot more to offer than I expected.” Her expression turned sly. “I assumed you’d be happy about that. Isn’t it a good thing that I like it? You said you wanted us to have a home here, near your family.”
Declan grunted. The idea of sharing any home with the woman was repugnant. It was time to adjust his plan.
“I’m going out of town.”
Fiona frowned. “Where are you going?”
Declan lifted an eyebrow.
“Fine,” she snapped, before flouncing to the door. “You have to make more of an effort, Declan. I can’t make this relationship work by myself.”
Relationship? Was the woman actually insane?
Declan picked up his phone. “Todd, can you have Cecile come to my office as soon as she is free?”
Time for Plan B.