Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
S troking her hands down the side of her black skirt, Siv looked at herself in the mirror.
Not bad.
Her white shirt was tucked into her skirt, and the skirt was knee-length and hugged the lines of her body. Her hair was in a twist, with two sticks in it. They looked decorative, but also made really good weapons, if required.
Her makeup was heavier than normal, but professional. She slipped into some low, black heels.
Her gaze fell on a framed photograph on her dresser.
It showed two little blonde girls. She was the tall, gangly ten-year-old, while Inger pressed against her side, dainty and petite.
Siv’s sister was only six in the picture.
It was just before she’d gotten sick. Siv pressed a finger to that smiling face.
There was a knock at her front door.
Stepping back, she headed out of her bedroom.
She was renting a place in South Beach. The two-bed condo was spacious, with lots of windows that flooded the place with light.
The gorgeous, wooden floor had a red tone to it, and she had a great view of the Oracle Park baseball stadium.
There was plenty of space for her mom when she came to visit, as she said she was planning to do at Christmas.
Best of all, it was a short walk to the Norcross Security office, and had a pool and a gym, too.
Siv had buzzed Ryder up, so she knew it was him at the door. She swung it open.
Then she almost swallowed her tongue. She thought she’d gotten used to hot guys in suits working at Norcross, but she’d never taken the time to appreciate Ryder Morgan in one.
It was dark blue, and paired with a pale-blue shirt with the collar open. The silver glint of a fancy watch flickered at his wrist. His long hair was pulled back, leaving that handsome face front and center.
Her panties went damp.
God .
His mouth opened, his gaze traveling down her body, then he pretended to clutch his heart. “Ms. Pedersen, you are gorgeous .”
She stepped out and closed the door behind her. “I’m sure you say that to all the girls.”
“Nope.” He reached out and touched the collar of her shirt.
That tantalizing citrus cologne, mixed with his scent, teased her nose.
“If I gave you a sexy set of glasses for you to wear, you’d make all my hot-secretary fantasies come to life.”
She snorted. “Really?” They headed for the elevator.
“Yes, I’d be your boss, and I’d definitely be bending you over the desk.”
An image of that scenario flashed in her head. She tried to keep her face blank, even though her belly was hot. “I think you should focus on the task ahead.”
The elevator opened and they stepped inside.
He let out a breath. “Fine, but I can play the wealthy investor and still fantasize about you. I do that all the time, anyway.”
Siv shook her head, wanting to laugh.
Ryder was too charming, too easy to be around. He wasn’t scaling her defenses, he was making them melt away.
When they exited her building, the sight of the car parked out front made her stumble to a stop.
The sportscar was sleek, modern-looking, and electric blue.
“That’s yours?”
He flashed his sexy smile. “It sure is. BMW i8.”
The doors opened up, butterfly style.
“We have to look the part,” he said.
She slid inside, and noted him watching her legs as she did.
He circled the car, got in and started the engine. It was silent.
“It’s electric?” she asked.
“Hybrid.” He pulled out into traffic. “It has a turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder gas engine with an 11.6-kilowatt battery pack and two electric motors. All of that combines for a total of 369 horsepower.”
For a man who didn’t seem to drive a lot, he was good at it. He zipped through the traffic and obviously knew the car well.
“So, what’s our cover story?” she asked.
“We’re potential investors. I’m Ryan Moore, and you’re Stella Peters. We go in and look rich.”
Right . She crossed her legs. “Will we make contact with the Fosters?”
“We’ll play it by ear.”
They headed south and hit the highway. It took about forty minutes to reach Palo Alto, one of the principal cities of Silicon Valley, and home to numerous headquarters of major tech companies.
When they reached the event center, a steady stream of people in suits were heading into the auditorium. As Ryder parked the car, the i8 gained quite a few covetous glances.
Siv slid out and straightened her skirt.
“Let’s go, Stella.” He took her arm and tucked it into his.
“I don’t think business associates hold arms.”
He just smiled at her.
They headed inside. The large banners in the lobby featured images of the Fosters. Christian was in his trademark black turtleneck, channeling Steve Jobs. Caroline looked svelte and elegant in a fitted, gray pantsuit.
The auditorium was large, and quickly filling up. She and Ryder took their seats, just as the lights dimmed.
“Welcome,” a warm female voice said. “I hope you’re ready to help make tomorrow’s future a reality today.
” Caroline walked out in a navy-blue dress and matching heels.
Images flashed on the massive screen behind her.
They showed a history of medicine in old black-and-white pictures.
Old hospital wards, Marie Curie in her lab, nurses in old-fashioned uniforms. The images flashed faster and faster, showing medicine and equipment getting more modern and advanced.
Soon, there were full-color images of modern hospitals and research labs.
The slideshow finally stopped on a smiling child, with a small, medical patch on her arm with the Chiron logo on it—a stylized, circular twist of lines.
“That’s right,” a deep male voice said. “With your help, we can end the fight against cancer.” Christian stalked in from the other side of the stage.
“That guy must own a lot of turtlenecks,” Ryder murmured.
Siv’s lips twitched.
The Fosters launched into their opening spiel. Pictures of them as kids flashed up, then at school and at Stanford. They were charming, eloquent, and made you want to trust them.
Siv didn’t like them at all.
They reminded her too much of her father and Johan. All flash, with no substance underneath.
They started to talk about their research. Pictures of labs packed full of lab-coat wearing scientists appeared.
“Our dedicated team is working around the clock to get Trelaskin ready for human trials,” Caroline said. “We are on the cusp of changing the lives of so many.”
“I’m not sure I’m buying this story,” Siv whispered. “They’re too slick.”
Ryder grunted.
“But what they’re hoping to achieve…” An old, faded sadness welled inside her.
“Hey.” Ryder took her hand. “You lost someone to cancer?”
“Most people have brushed up against it.” She knew she should pull away, but she left her hand in his.
“I had a younger sister. Inger. She died of leukemia when she was seven.” It had been the death knell for her parents’ shaky marriage, although knowing her father, he would’ve already been sleeping with his assistant.
Ryder squeezed her fingers.
“I would’ve given anything for something like Trelaskin,” she said.
“Yeah, if it is as good as they say…”
The Fosters finished to loud applause. Christian took his sister’s hand and they gave a small bow.
Ryder rose and tugged Siv up.
“So, Ms. Peters, shall we have a chat with our hosts?”
Siv smoothed her skirt. “Yes, Mr. Moore. An excellent idea.”
* * *
A lot of people liked the Foster twins. There was a small crowd of people around them, all vying for the chance to talk with the pair.
As Ryder and Siv approached, he saw them smiling and nodding. Caroline pressed a hand to a woman’s arm, sympathy on her face.
“I’m so sorry that you lost your daughter. Stories like yours drive me. Inspire me to work toward a world without cancer.”
Caroline’s gaze flicked up and hit Ryder. He saw the spark of appreciation and he made himself smile back.
He grabbed Siv’s hand and pulled her closer. Finally, they reached the pair.
“A fabulous presentation,” Ryder smiled. “It’s wonderful work you’re doing.”
“Thank you.” Christian’s smile was wide and well-practiced. It reminded Ryder of a politician.
When he did a poor job of eyeing Siv’s legs, Ryder felt less friendly.
“I’m Ryan Moore. A local businessman. We’re always looking for good investments.” He smiled. “Not only with a good return, but one that can change people’s lives, like your drug.”
“Excellent. We need all the help we can to bring Trelaskin safely to market.” Christian eyed Siv. “And who’s your colleague?”
Siv shot the man a smile. “I’m Stella—”
“Stella Peters.” Ryder slid an arm around her. “My wife, business partner, and love of my life.” He kissed her temple.
He didn’t miss the flicker of annoyance in her eyes, but she was good and hid it fast.
She’d make him pay later.
He couldn’t wait.
“Lovely.” Christian poorly hid his disappointment. “Caro, darling, meet Mr. Ryan Moore and his wife Stella.”
“It’s Ryan,” Ryder said.
“A pleasure,” Caroline drawled. She held Ryder’s hand a little too long.
“We enjoyed your presentation,” Siv said. “Truly a cause we can get behind.”
Caroline smiled serenely. “We’re happy to hear that.”
“I’d like to take a closer look at your trial results,” Siv said.
“Stella’s the brains of our operation.” Ryder squeezed her closer. “She has degrees in science and biotechnology.”
The twins’ smiles stayed pinned in place.
Christian inclined his head. “Brains and beauty. Of course. Everything is in our prospectus. Trelaskin has a little way to go, but the results are so incredibly promising.”
Caroline cocked her head. “What business are you in, Ryan?”
He smiled. “Tech, some property. I like to dabble.”
Siv’s laugh was a tinkle. “He likes to make money.”
“Busted. But I love you more.” He pressed a quick kiss to her lips.
He felt the twins watching them.
“It’s wonderful to see such a committed relationship,” Christian said. “It’s rare these days.”
“I wouldn’t be where I am without my Ryan.” Out of view of the Fosters, Siv pinched his side. Then she turned back to the pair. “So, your research is done at your Palo Alto lab. Is it possible to get a tour?”
“Our facilities are state of the art,” Christian said.
“We’re so proud of our lab,” Caroline gushed. “But I’m afraid we don’t do tours. To protect our work. Corporate espionage is a real problem.”
Christian nodded, face solemn. “We’re investing so much money, time, resources—”
“—and heart,” Caroline added.
Her brother touched her arm. “Of course. And it’s not just us. All our investors who are helping us realize a healthier future have a lot at stake.”
“So, no tours,” Caroline said. “We invest in some of the best security to keep the lab and our work safe and secure.”
“Well, that’s a shame, but understandable,” Siv murmured. “I look forward to going over your prospectus.”
Both twins flashed smiles.
Caroline touched Ryder’s arm, fingers stroking. “And we hope to have you on board as partners on this incredible, and vitally important, journey.”
Siv leaned into Ryder, and pressed a hand to his chest. “Ryan and I will go over everything on Chiron and Trelaskin in great detail. Won’t we, darling?”
He was a little distracted by the feel of her hand on his chest. He cupped her jaw and saw the flare of something molten in her eyes. His fingers brushed her neck, and he felt her pulse racing. “Yes, we will.”
But his gut clenched. The little faker. She’d been banging on about not being interested in him, but her pulse said something else. She wasn’t quite so cool under that sleek, Norwegian exterior.
“Of course,” Caroline said. “We look forward to hearing from you soon.”
Ryder took Siv’s hand, and other people pushed forward to talk to the twins. Siv and Ryder headed out into the sunny day.
“What did you think?” he asked, as they walked toward the car.
“I don’t like them, although I can’t say exactly why. They’re just too slick, too practiced, and too polished.”
“Yeah, they’re really pushing the successful, young entrepreneur thing hard.”
“I guess that’s what gets people to hand over their money.” Siv cocked her head. “Caroline sure liked the look of you.”
They reached the car and he smiled at her over the roof. “Legions of women do, my Norwegian flower.”
Siv rolled her eyes, then she scanned the car. “Can I drive?”
The doors opened. “Not on your life.”
They strapped in and he started the car. Ryder headed back toward the city and the Norcross office.
“If their drug can do what they say, then it will be amazing,” Siv said quietly.
The look on her face said that she was thinking of her sister. “Yeah. A part of me hopes this has nothing to do with Robbie’s death.”
“The info they give out will look good, won’t it?”
Ryder nodded. “Right. They’ll only show all the good stuff to potential investors. Ace can probably dig deeper and check that it’s legit.”
He touched the dash and the call went through.
“Hey, Ryder.” Ace’s voice echoed through the car. “How did it go?”
“The Fosters are as shiny as their dental veneers. It all sounded good. You turn up anything?”
“I’m poking around their system. I can’t crack their lab in Palo Alto though. It has a hell of a cyber security system on it, including non-networked machines.”
“It makes sense.” Ryder tapped his fingers on the wheel. “They’re keeping their research heavily protected.”
“Wall Street loves them. The business magazines and conferences are full of them. There are murmurs they’ll be on the cover of Time.”
Siv crossed her arms. “I don’t like them.”
“They’re looking legit. Wait.” Ace paused. “Shit, I just intercepted an email. Christian Foster has asked his security team to look into you two, or your aliases, and a few other potential investors.”
“Fuck,” Ryder said.
“Ace, are you on this?” Siv asked.
“Hell, yeah. I’ll have to work fast and plant an online back story for you both.”
“We’re married and in love, by the way,” Ryder said.
“Congratulations,” Ace said, sounding amused.
“Stella kept her maiden name, and she’s also got degrees in science and biotechnology.”
“I’ll make sure to put that in.”
“Keep us posted.” Ryder ended the call and then drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “There is only one way we’ll find out what we need on Trelaskin.”
“How?” she asked.
“We get into Chiron’s lab and take a little look around.”
A smile curved her lips. “Are you suggesting a little B and E, Morgan?”
“Why, yes I am, Pedersen.”
She paused. “I should go in with one of the other Norcross guys. This is more my thing than yours.”
Hell, no . He wasn’t going to be left behind. “But I’m the one with the medical knowledge. I’ll know what to look for. Besides, while I don’t work in private security, I’m not inexperienced, Siv.”
She took a breath, then finally nodded. “You have to follow my lead.”
He grinned. “I’ll happily follow you anywhere.”