Chapter 18
Eighteen
brENDAN
A n hour into the meeting with a panel from the FBI and Drug Enforcement Agency, a knock sounded on the boardroom door.
Please be Genevieve. Her testimony would help move things along—to have someone previously connected to the inside operations verifying their word along with all the other witnesses they’d collected from Manning Cole’s network and around town. Brendan understood her aversion to delving into the details of her ex’s crimes, so he hadn’t pressed.
Manning’s head of security, Farris, marched into the room, his full red beard and bald head somehow amplifying the stoutness of his brawny frame. “Mr. Cole, sir, I require an immediate private audience with you and Mr. King.”
Brendan’s heart lodged in his ribs. He’d been waiting for this—Jed Marshall’s retaliation. All the intel they’d gained showcased how he wasn’t a patient man. Marshal covering up Brendan’s involvement with the flash grenades rather than going straight for him had downright impressed him. It demonstrated that Marshal had some intelligence mixed in with his ruthlessness, but should he really be surprised? The man would have to be not only smart but creative to take on Genevieve.
Brendan had an uneasy feeling in his gut when Genevieve had wanted to go shopping alone, but he would never attempt to control her. She was a clever, independent woman who could make her own sound decisions. He’d voice his opinions, but every choice she made would always be hers regardless of whether some of them drove him wild with worry. He closed his eyes and sent out a prayer for her safety.
Popping his lids open, Brendan glanced at his knuckle-headed best bro. “Quill, can you please join us?”
Quill nodded, letting out a relieved breath.
As much as Brendan wanted to knock some sense into him regarding Genevieve, he knew that Quill only wanted the best for him—they just currently disagreed on what that was.
They followed Farris into a security control room, and Brendan tugged on his dress shirt collar. After popping the top button loose, he took off his suit jacket, tossed it over the back of a swiveling office chair, and wiped the fresh beads of sweat from his brow with his white shirt cuff. Whatever this was about, it wasn’t good. Please let Genevieve be safe.
Farris nodded at a surveillance officer who adjusted his glasses in a fidgety gesture not much different from his own. The surveillance officer nodded in response, released his round lenses, and motioned toward a large flatscreen. A video clip began to play, and ice shot through Brendan’s veins as a tall, slender man with aqua-colored hair jogged up to Genevieve and pulled her into a side hallway. Their conversation quickly resulted in an intimate embrace, followed by Genevieve willingly leaving The Golden Star with him through an emergency exit door.
Brendan faltered, grabbing onto the back of the chair that he’d draped with his suit jacket. Was Quill right? Did Genevieve plan to betray him all along? Why else would she walk into potential danger without contacting him first? It didn’t make sense. The blood drained from his face as another agonizing thought entered his brain. Was it possible he’d been duped by a carefully crafted escape plan with one of her ex-lovers?
Too stunned to speak, Brendan vaguely registered that all eyes were on him. He clenched his jaw, looking first at Manning’s unreadable face, followed by Quill’s bitter one. Yeah, I’ve got no fucking clue, guys, but I’ll risk ending up on my deathbed to find out. He took in some air, guilt washing over him. There’s an explanation. There has to be. She loves me. I know it. He dropped his head, spinning his wheels.
“Audio, please,” Manning ground out in an irate tone.
Not so unreadable after all , Brendan thought, cracking a weak grin. He wasn’t too surprised, knowing that he’d earned a lot of respect in the man’s eyes. Everyone here wanted the best for him.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Cole,” the surveillance officer returned. “The man must have had an audio jammer on him. All we got from their conversation was muted static.”
Brendan’s head popped up. “Audio jammer?”
Quill bared his teeth at the video as it replayed. “Who is that guy?”
“No idea,” Manning finally said when no one else spoke.
Quill swiveled his head toward Brendan, pursing his lips. “I don’t want to be right, bro, I really don’t, but this reeks of betrayal.”
“No way.” Brendan tightened his grip on the chair, fisting his suit jacket between his fingers. “There’s an explanation. Somehow, this is Jed Marshall’s doing. I’m sure of it. The audio jammer is suspect. We need to pull up the footage and track them.”
The surveillance officer shot a frantic look toward Farris and Manning, tensing before he met Brendan’s gaze through his round lenses. “Mr. King, I tried, but we can’t determine what vehicle they left in. The camera facing the exit door that Ms. Hart left through was broken, and there were multiple cars that left the garage around that same time due to a conference letting out. Probably a hundred vehicles or more.”
Not a coincidence . “It was orchestrated,” Brendan said with full confidence. “The camera was broken?—”
“A couple of weeks ago,” the surveillance officer interjected, shaking his head. He shot another worried look toward Farris, followed by Manning. “I’m sorry, Mr. Cole. We’ll check in with maintenance as to how this oversight didn’t meet our same-day repair regulations.”
“She loves me,” Brendan whispered. “I know it.” Doesn’t she? Or is it just hopeful desperation at this point?
Quill sighed like he was dealing with a toddler. “She loves you? Really, Brendan? In the span of a week?”
“It’s in her eyes every time she looks at me. She?—”
“Are you listening to yourself? This woman learned to outwit Jed Marshall with her acting skills. You seriously don’t think she used those same tactics with you to get what she wanted?”
“The evidence doesn’t align with that.” Brendan dug his fingers into the back of his neck. “An audio jammer, Quill, why?”
Quill groaned. “We’re pros at analyzing issues from every angle, but you, my friend, are not. The audio jammer could have been used so that you didn’t know where she and her man friend ,” he emphasized, making quotation marks with his fingers, “were headed. I think if you opened your eyes, what you’d see is that Genevieve played us for protection, and now that this guy, whoever he is, was finally able to stealthily rendezvous with her, they ran off together. You think she cares for you that deeply after a little over a week? ”
“You keep saying that,” Brendan clipped back, beginning to pace, “but I’ve known her for over two years.”
“You’ve never known her. You still don’t.”
Brendan thrashed his head from side to side. “You’re wrong about this. It took you years to trust me without ever having a single reason to doubt me. You lost trust in her before she even gave you a reason. You’re letting your own past experiences taint your judgment.”
“Oh, yeah, I’m wrong because of my past,” Quill said sarcastically. “That’s your answer. Deny logic and what’s right in front of you for the first time in your life. You never do that.” He tossed up his hands. “Your head is in the lovesick clouds. Look at the facts, man. She’s hugging this guy like he’s her lifeline.” Pointing at the video screen, he gritted his teeth. “Who the fuck is he, bro, and why didn’t she tell you about him? She’s had a week to mention him. Instead, she ran off with him without notifying you. People you trust don’t do that, especially when they’re being stalked by their psycho ex.”
Quill released a frustrated sigh before continuing, “I wish I could reach into your brain and disconnect your impeding emotions, but all I can do is try to spur your frontal lobe into action by repeating the same frustrating shit.” He began to tick points off on his fingers. “Why didn’t she tell you about this guy? Why didn’t she tell you where she was going? Why did she risk her safety by going shopping alone in the first place? Why, Brendan, when she claims to love you?”
All good questions and the same ones I have myself. “She meant it when she said it,” Brendan whispered, sounding less and less confident even to himself. “I saw it in her eyes.” Didn’t I? Or am I just a na?ve sap who got played for what I was worth until she reconnected with an ex-lover and ran? Or could it be that she felt trapped in her relationship with me and bolted because of that? He’d done everything he could to not act anything like her scumbag ex, though he never would have, regardless, even if he wasn’t already self-conscious about it.
Swallowing through a budding ache in his throat, Brendan locked eyes with his new friend. “What’s your opinion, Manning?”
“Of Ms. Hart’s devotion to you?”
“Yes.”
“From what I observed since you’ve been at The Golden Star, I’d be inclined to believe her.” Manning tilted his head, tightening his eyes.
Brendan drew in a slow, tense breath. “But?”
“But I witnessed her in action at various high society events in Reno before I met you. I witnessed her hang on the arm of Jed Marshall like he was her own personal miracle.” His mouth spread into a grim line. “So, unfortunately, Brendan, considering this new evidence, I agree with Quill. Before I saw this, she had me convinced she’d been trapped in a world she wanted no part of. I thought her worrying about your safety and prodding at you not to live in Reno was proof of that. Now”—Manning shook his head—“walking off with this man when she knows Marshal is desperate to get his hands on her. It’s too suspicious. It doesn’t make sense for her not to have alerted you.”
Brendan slouched his shoulders, his heart crumpling in defeated pain, and flashed his eyes to his most trusted friend. “I love her, Quill. I want to believe there’s an explanation. I can’t…I can’t imagine what we’ve shared not meaning something to her.”
Quill braced his hand on the back of his neck, letting out a string of profanity. “I want you to be happy. You’re the best man I know. More than anyone, you deserve it, so let’s hope I’m wrong.” Nodding firmly, he repeated, “Let’s hope I’m wrong,” though his face still expressed concerned doubt. “Let’s finish this. I’m the one who’s convinced you that she’s playing you, but what if I am wrong? I’ll never forgive myself if I get in the way of your happiness. We’ll take down Jed Marshall in the courts and see what happens from there. We won’t stop until we’re sure of her intentions and you have closure. That’s what you want, right? You want to see this through?”
Brendan nodded, his stomach somersaulting. “Yes, I have to know. I’ll never give up on her until I know for sure.”
“She’s one lucky lady to have your interest—that’s all I can say.”
“It goes both ways,” Brendan whispered. “You’re still making assumptions.”
“Sound ones.” Shrugging, Quill crossed his arms. “But I hope I eat my words.”
“So do I.” Resuming his back-and-forth pacing, Brendan gritted out, “More than you know.”
“If I’m wrong, then I’ll pay for it with your girlfriend’s absurd plan to make me into her own personal reality TV show.” Quill lifted the corner of his mouth. “Blind dates, ugh.”
A strangled chuckle erupted out of Brendan. “I wouldn’t have said this a few hours ago, but I sure as heck hope that happens now. If she’s as loyal to me as I am to her, you deserve to pay for making me doubt it.”
Holding a pleased smirk, Quill nodded, probably glad to see some energy back on Brendan’s face.
A knock sounded on the door, and a blonde woman in a senior security uniform marched in, her jaw rigid. “Boss.” She nodded at Farris, then Manning. “Mr. Cole.”
“What is it, Pansy?” Farris asked in a tone that did little to hide his irritation at the timing of her interruption.
“I heard security talking over the radio about how Genevieve Hart has gone missing, and I came to deliver an urgent message to Mr. King. ”
“Go ahead,” Brendan said, snapping his eyes up to meet hers. His skin prickled, goosebumps pebbling up his arms.
“Mr. King, Genevieve asked me to tell you that if she ever disappeared from The Golden Star, she and I hid a tracker in a hair clip she’s been wearing daily. She also said to tell you that if she goes missing, it’s either because someone took her or she went to save someone she loves. The only two people that she cares about that way besides you are her mom and Archer.”
“Archer?” Brendan asked, his tone piqued. “Who’s Archer?”
“Her best friend from her Reno days.” Pansy studied Brendan’s expression, then added with a sideways smile, “Genevieve told me he’s gay, so if you’re worried that she’s skipping town to be with him, don’t—at least not romantically, she isn’t. That woman couldn’t talk about anything other than how you are basically the sun in her sky for seven straight days. Do you suspect that she went somewhere with Archer?”
Brendan nodded.
“Then, if I had to put my money on it, Genevieve went with Archer because she’s trying to protect her mom. She has some serious guts, but she still should have rallied security for backup first. Going it alone is dangerous.”
“What does Archer look like?”
“She didn’t tell me a lot. He’s a hairdresser at The Outlaw.” Pansy pointed a quick finger at Brendan, her expression suggesting that she had just recalled a conversation they’d shared. “He just dyed his hair an awful shade that makes him look like a merman. Genevieve told me she pretended to like it but doesn’t think it works for him.”
Brendan narrowed his eyes at Quill and lifted a challenging brow.
Quill winced. “Shoot, I’m sorry, Brendan. When I’m wrong, I say I’m wrong, but it still doesn’t explain why she ran off with him without letting you know. ”
“Only one motive makes sense. He knows where her mom is.”
Quill nodded, an inquisitive look on his face. “Why would she go without backup, though? You told her how dangerous that would be.”
Brendan closed his eyes, clenching his fists until his knuckles throbbed. “He’s working for Marshal.”
“I think so, too,” Quill returned softly. “The guy fed her some convincing lines about her mom, and she rushed out to save her.”
“Her best friend betrayed her? You really think so?” Or Archer’s intentions are pure.
“Maybe,” Quill mused, “or maybe he really intends to help Genevieve rescue her.”
“Agreed.” Brendan released his fists, fanning out his fingers. “Let’s get moving. No matter Archer’s intentions, we need to get to Genevieve before Marshal does.” He swiveled toward Pansy. “The program for the tracker?”
“Here”—Quill reached out—“hand it to me. That’s my wheelhouse.”
Brendan hesitated. “Quill, I’m not expecting you to?—”
“Shut it, bro, I’m coming. Don’t argue.”
Brendan smirked. Where would he be without Quill? No matter how much of a pain in the neck he was.
Handing the tablet to Quill, Pansy pointed at the touchscreen. “I already peeked. They’re headed toward the outskirts of town.”
“Thanks, Pansy. We’d be in a bind without your help.” Brendan took a few steps toward the door and lurched to a stop. “Manning, Quill and I need to borrow a car.”
Manning shook his head. “My security team needs to assemble first, and we need to alert the FBI.”
“Like hell,” Brendan said, clenching his fist. Genevieve’s expression shot a dagger through his heart while oddly motivating him at the same time. “That’ll take too long.” Brendan glanced at Pansy. “Got another tablet that can track Genevieve’s location?”
Pansy nodded. “Sure do.”
Brendan locked eyes with Manning. “Follow behind us. I’m not waiting to rescue the woman I love.”
Manning walked to a panel of keys on the wall, selected a key fob, and tossed it to Brendan. “That’s to one of our Hummer Alphas. It’s parked right out the door here. It’s bulletproofed, and there are weapons in the trunk. I’d prefer it if you didn’t tell the cops or FBI that the weapons came from me. Some of them aren’t legal.”
“Sweet ride,” Quill whispered.
“Thanks, Manning,” Brendan said. “I owe you one for this.”
“Not if we put Jed Marshall behind bars,” Manning returned. “I think you’re forgetting how much I benefit from this if we succeed.”
Brendan clapped Manning on the shoulder and nodded toward Quill. “Let’s go.”
Both Manning and Pansy yelled, “Wait!” at the same time.
Manning braced a hand on Brendan’s shoulder. “I was just going to add, don’t get yourself killed, King. I’d prefer to have you around.”
Brendan let out a weak-sounding chuckle. “Hopefully, I can pull another stunt out of my hat as impulsively effective as the flash grenades. I won’t survive otherwise.” He turned toward Pansy. “Was there something else?”
Pansy glanced between him and Manning. “I’ll be in the backup crew if Mr. Cole and Farris approve it. I respect the hell out of Genevieve, and just so you know, Mr. King, I equipped her with some tactical and surveillance items. Besides weapons, she also has a voice-activated recorder sewn into her bra. ”
“ What? ”
Pansy shrugged. “It was her idea. She might have been tempted to go it alone because she knows she can end this if she weasels a confession out of Jed Marshall.”
Brendan jerked his head back. “Confession?”
“Yeah, she and I talked about how valuable a voluntary admission of his crimes would be for your court case—you know?—if she could catch his words on a recording. The only way she’ll ever get that is from on the inside when he doesn’t expect it.”
Brendan’s mouth slowly parted open before he blinked himself into action. “Shit, we need to hurry, Quill. I now have no doubt she’ll put herself at risk if we don’t.” He tightened his fist around his new key fob. “Genevieve didn’t tell me about this on purpose. She knew I’d oppose and try to talk her out of it. Stubborn woman.”
“Come on.” Quill grabbed Brendan’s arm and tugged him through the door into The Golden Star’s private security parking garage. “We can attempt to dissect her plan while we’re on the move. Never thought I’d say this, but I’m starting to become a believer in your lady. Let’s go help her kick Marshal’s tail so I can pay the price. Damn, until I get married . Why in the hell did I agree to that?”
Even through his heightened nerves, Brendan snickered at the prospect of Genevieve setting Quill up on endless, drawn-out blind dates. “Because she outsmarted you, and she’s outsmarting Marshal too.” Brendan nodded with confidence as he clicked on the key fob, lighting up a black Hummer Alpha. “Genevieve knows what she’s doing, but she’s counting on us to come through for her.”
“We will.” Quill smacked the hood of the Hummer as they rounded the sides. “Let’s roll, King. It’s time to take out the law in this town.”