Defenseless, p.23
Defenseless, page 23
“Potential plan,” he muttered. “Stella and Hunter would have to sign off on it. They aren’t going to like putting their best cyber lead in front of a man like Jacobs any more than they are going to want to throw a civilian into the mix,” he said with a nod to Kara. Sabina refrained from pointing out that HICC wasn’t a military organization so technically, they were all civilians.
“What do you think of the potential plan?” Kara asked.
The wheels of the plane touched down smoothly on the Miami runway, and the cabin filled with the sounds of the engines reversing as they slowed to a taxi. Finally, when it quieted enough to speak again, Chad sighed. “Jacobs might not take the meeting. And even if he takes the meeting, he might not talk. Not even when he believes you’re not wired.”
“But?” Sabina pressed.
His shoulders dropped as he met her gaze. “I don’t like it, but I don’t have anything better to offer.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
They landed in DC six hours after touching down in Miami, and Chad was still feeling uneasy. They’d called Stella and Hunter from the plane, laid out the rough workings of the plan, and gotten sign-off. If they could get Jacobs to agree to meet in a public place, Chad didn’t think he’d do anything too dangerous. But that didn’t mean he might not try something either before or after the meeting. He’d already shown himself as a man who didn’t shy away from violence. And the way Jacobs had taunted Sabina with the postcard made Chad’s skin crawl. As if he enjoyed tormenting her.
And yet here he sat, awake in the early hours of the morning, staring out at the DC skyline contemplating the plan. HICC had booked a hotel for them not far from the Capitol building, and they’d only stumbled in an hour ago. Sabina was sound asleep in bed, and he assumed Kara, Ethan, and the others were as well. But not him.
Kevin Jacobs was a guilty man. Guilty of murder. Guilty of funding and benefiting from criminal activity. And probably guilty of everything the SEC and the election commission were investigating him for. Chad understood Sabina and Kara’s desire to bring him to justice. What he couldn’t wrap his head around, though, was their willingness to put themselves in his crosshairs to try to get a confession that Chad had some serious doubts they’d get. Jacobs might be an arrogant prick, but he wasn’t stupid.
A man darted down the street below the hotel, and it sparked an errant idea. Was it worth sneaking out now, catching Jacobs off guard, and doing his best to get a confession out of him? Jacobs might be smart, and he might be a little twisted, but Chad had learned a thing or two in the army and FBI that he was quite certain the pampered senator wouldn’t be able to withstand.
“Come to bed.”
Chad turned to see Sabina walking toward him, her silhouette lit by the ambient light coming in through the window. She’d been a part of his life—a part of him—for so long, and yet everything between them was new. And not.
She wrapped her arms around him from behind and rested her cheek against his back. He’d always hoped they’d end up here. Not quite in this scenario, but here, like this, together. It felt more right than anything had in a long time. They were good together. She made him laugh, made him think, and made him a better person. He hoped he did the same for her.
“Are you out here planning how you might torture Jacobs into confessing?” she asked. He could feel her smile against his back.
He grunted. “Maybe.”
“You know confessions gained through torture aren’t generally admissible.” Now she was laughing at him. Not outright, but he heard it in her voice.
“I’m not sure why you think I’d care,” he countered, fighting his own smile. It was kind of a ridiculous conversation. He wasn’t actually going to torture Jacobs. But he did like the idea of it.
“You care, because I care,” she said. “I know he might never get convicted of the murder, but I do want him to admit to it. It’s not all that logical. What good is a confession if it doesn’t lead to him paying for his crime? But it’s how I feel. He’s manipulated so much over the past decades, and I guess this is Kara’s and my way of saying enough.”
He turned and wrapped his arms around her, resting his cheek on the top of her head. “I know. I get it.”
“But you don’t like it.”
He shifted, a little uncomfortable. He wanted to support her—he did support her—but he couldn’t lie. “It doesn’t matter if I like it or not. I love you, and this is what you want. You deserve this opportunity.”
She drew back and looked up at him, her eyes sparkling in the dim light. “You love me?”
He studied her face, not understanding the confusion he heard in her voice. Not confusion, exactly. But maybe uncertainty?
“Of course I love you. I have for a long time,” he said. “Even when I wasn’t sure I wanted to, I couldn’t stop myself. That’s why I kept my distance from you. It hurt to only get bits and pieces of you. It was like a constant reminder that I wasn’t good enough. Keeping my distance was the only way I could feel like I wasn’t torturing myself. But once I fell in love, there was no way I was falling out. Not even on those rare occasions when I wished I would.”
She blinked, and his heart stuttered. He’d made her cry. “Please don’t cry,” he said, tipping her head up and brushing kisses along her damp cheeks.
“That’s the first time you’ve said it,” she said, squeezing her arms around him and burrowing her face against his chest.
He ran his hands through her hair as he stared into the dark room. “Is it?”
She nodded against him. “I’ve said it. But you haven’t. Not until just now.”
A wave of emotion crashed through him, leaving him almost unable to stand. She had told him she loved him. More than once. And he’d not said anything in return. Once she’d put herself out there, she’d held nothing back. Her courage humbled him, and he pulled her tight against his body.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
She shook her head. “Don’t be. I wouldn’t want you to say that until you meant it.”
He touched his lips to the crown of her head. “I mean it, every word. And I will always mean it.” Of that he was certain. All relationships had ups and downs—he’d seen it with his aunts and uncles and even with his grandparents. But he’d also seen enough of love to know that what he felt was true and lasting.
“Say it again, please?” she asked, her voice muffled against his chest.
He smiled. “I love you.”
She sniffed. “Good, now can you take me to bed, make me lose my mind for a little while? Then in the morning, we can plan exactly how we’re going to bring Kevin Jacobs to his knees?”
Her train of thought had him chuckling. But despite his misgivings about confronting Jacobs, her plan for the next few hours sounded pretty good.
“Happily,” he said. Then he swept her up and carried her to bed, where he proceeded to make her lose her mind for more than just a little while.
“Tomorrow at nine a.m.,” Tess Jackson said. Chad, Sabina, Ethan, Kara, Stella, and Hunter were at the conference table with her. Ava, Leo, and Collin were on speakerphone. Teague and Killian had gone off with some of the DC-based operatives to hit the gym and, presumably, learn more about the company.
“That easily?” Ava asked, raising a question Chad had been pondering.
“Not easily,” Tess responded. “But I convinced his lawyer it would be good for Jacobs’s optics. If he didn’t have anything to do with Emer Houseman’s death, how would it look to have him refuse a meeting with her daughters? Especially when they’ve been in hiding, fearing for their lives, for the past eighteen years. After all, he was a man who cared for their mother, right?”
Chad smiled at that. Tess might have laid it on a little thick, but apparently, it worked. Although Chad suspected it only worked with the lawyer because the lawyer didn’t know his client was guilty.
“Have we scheduled a press conference announcing that you’ll be pushing to reopen the case of Emer’s murder?” Hunter asked.
Tess inclined her head. “At three today.”
That gave them three hours to grab lunch and prepare. As if reading his mind, Stella spoke. “Lunch is being delivered in thirty minutes. We’ll eat here while we plan.”
“What kind of wires are you going to wear?” Leo asked.
“The basic run-of-the-mill wire for the obvious one,” Sabina answered. “But the secondary one is a small prototype we’ve been developing.”
“Prototype?” Collin and Ava asked at the same time. Only the excitement in their voices was the exact opposite of what was going through Chad’s mind.
“You’re going to test a prototype on something so important?” he asked.
Sabina started to respond, but Hunter cut her off. “We’ve tested it. Rigorously. It will be fine tomorrow.”
Chad fixed his gaze on his boss. To his annoyance, Hunter grinned. “Relax, Warwick, it’s fine. It’s only still considered a prototype because we haven’t been able to produce enough of them to use in the field. That’s in the works, and the operatives will start using the devices in about four months.”
“Everyone will be able to listen in as well,” Sabina said. That gave Chad some assurance. He, Ethan, and Tess would be nearby in case the shit hit the fan. Something he didn’t want to think about too much, but knew he’d obsess over until they walked safely away from the meeting. But it would be good to have his HICC colleagues on both coasts listening in as well.
“And where is the meeting?” Leo asked.
“His office in the Capitol building,” Tess answered. “Neither the House nor the Senate is in session tomorrow, so there will be fewer people around. It was a compromise I made with his attorney, but one that also works in our favor. With less activity, there won’t be as many distractions for Jacobs.”
“Sabina, we should start testing the wires,” Ava suggested.
Sabina looked at him, and he nodded his agreement.
“Kara and I will head down to the equipment lab in a few minutes, and we’ll call you from there,” she replied.
“Sounds good, boss. Talk soon,” Ava said, then hung up.
“With Sabina and Kara testing the equipment, what’s your plan?” Hunter asked him.
“Ava got a picture of Vitor from some camera feed. I’m going to see if I can chase down who he worked for,” Chad answered. He was better at tracking people physically than electronically, but he wasn’t a slouch, either.
“And you, Ethan?” Stella asked.
“We studied some of the big crime families in the police academy. I’m sure the information we had wasn’t as in-depth as what HICC has access to. I thought I’d start looking into a few of those,” he answered.
“That’s a big pond to wade into,” Hunter pointed out.
Ethan nodded. “But Sabina found her father by tracing his movements. I thought I’d trace Jacobs’s movements in the past few years and see if there are any crossovers with the key players of the families. It’s possible that everything was done over the phone or computer. A lot of those people are old-school, though, and I’d bet at some point, they met in person. It is a big pond, but if I don’t drop a line in, I definitely won’t catch anything.” He paused and looked at his new bosses. “Unless there’s something else you think I should be doing? If so, I’m happy to do that,” he said, looking at Stella and Hunter before glancing at Chad.
“No,” Stella said. “That sounds like a good plan. As you say, it might net us nothing or it might net us something, and we won’t know unless we try. If we can tie Jacobs to a specific family, it will make it easier to track his illicit activities.”
Beside him, Ethan let out a quiet breath, and Chad fought back a smile. His cousin might appear the epitome of calm and confident, but it was nice to know he was human.
“That’s it then, folks. Sabina, Kara, let us know if you need anything,” Stella said, rising from her seat. “Lunch should be in the kitchen in a few minutes if you want to grab something before you head down to the equipment lab. Chad, you can show Ethan around.”
“I’m going back to my office to prepare a few more talking points,” Tess said. “I’ll expect you all there around half-past two,” she said, sweeping her gaze over the sisters as well as him and Ethan.
A few minutes later, the room was empty except for him and his cousin. It was hard to believe that this thing was almost over. In some ways, this hunt had only started a few days ago—a quick op as ops went. But to Chad’s way of thinking, it had been going on for years. Years that Kara and Sabina had to hide who they really were. Years that they lived with questions that had no answers. Years that they kept their distance from everyone they cared about, including each other.
All of that was almost over.
“Let’s get ready for the final curtain,” Ethan said.
Chad grinned. “You took the words right out of my mouth.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
It was five o’clock by the time they walked out of Tess’s law firm. The press conference had run for forty-five minutes, but they’d spent some time going over the plan for the next day. Tess, Ethan, and Chad would accompany the women to Jacobs’s office, although knowing it would stifle Jacobs, none would participate in the meeting. Chad hated the idea of not being in the room with Sabina, but he wanted her to have this moment. He wanted her to have this chance to confront the man who had changed the course of her life.
He held Sabina’s hand tight in his as they made their way to the parking garage where the HICC vehicle they’d borrowed was parked. The K Street Corridor was starting to let out, and men and women in suits were beginning to fill the streets.
Ethan and Kara had opted to walk back to the hotel and planned to stop somewhere along the way for a drink. Chad suspected a drink would turn into dinner, and it was up in the air whether they’d invite him and Sabina to join.
“Will you miss this?” he asked, watching several people in suits bustle down the street. Sabina had lived in DC for longer than he had. She didn’t live near K Street, but it was still her city. Once they eliminated the threat from Jacobs, she’d be able to come back. He didn’t think she’d want to. Not anymore. But a small part of him still couldn’t quite believe that everything he’d wanted was within his grasp. Nor was he certain that what he wanted was what she wanted. She wanted him, he didn’t doubt that. But staying in Mystery Lake, maybe marriage, maybe kids? They hadn’t really talked about that and, despite their two-year buildup to getting to where they were, it felt too soon to be discussing such things.
Beside him, Sabina shook her head, her strawberry blond hair swinging with the movement. “I loved my time in DC because I loved my work, and being in a city let me hide. But growing up, well, Lexington isn’t as big as you’d think. I was part of the community there. I knew families and businesses and which Little League team won the championship. I miss that.”
His hand squeezed hers. “And you think Mystery Lake will be enough for you?”
She paused then drew him to the edge of the sidewalk close to a building. Surprising him, she then dropped his hand and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. He didn’t hesitate to respond, and his arms came around her and he hugged her tight.
After a beat, she pulled back enough to look him in the eye, but their bodies were still touching. “Mystery Lake is everything I ever wanted and never thought I’d have. Provided that you’re part of it. I get to have work I love, a man I love, a community I can be a part of, and a large extended family. Assuming the Warwicks take me in like I think they will. On top of all that, my sister is only five hours away and I will get to see her whenever, and as often as, I want.”
He stared down into her blue-green eyes and though it was too soon—or perhaps not soon enough—images of them together at his house danced through his head. Quiet nights with the two of them, family nights with the extended Warwick clan, barbecues, birthday parties, and, maybe someday, kids running in the yard. There might even be a dog or two.
“It’s everything I ever wanted and didn’t think I’d ever have, too,” he said. “Don’t think for a second that I ever plan to not be a part of that with you.”
“Good,” she said, then smiled and tipped her head up. Obligingly, he lowered his and kissed her.
He was starting to think it would be a good thing if Ethan and Kara didn’t call when a throat cleared to his left. With an annoyed huff, Chad drew back. Really, it wasn’t as if they were playing tonsil hockey on the street, and so what if they were? He made a face at Sabina, making her smile, then turned to the source of the disruption.
Instinct had him reacting and in a flash, he was standing between Sabina and the person who’d interrupted them. In front of him was not a man annoyed at two adults sharing a kiss on the street. No, this man had come looking for them. For her.
Chad scraped his gaze over the intruder, taking in every detail and wishing he had enough time to reach for his weapon.
“Yes?” Chad snapped. Though dressed in a suit, the man was not someone he’d underestimate. He was skilled enough in hand-to-hand and, if needed, he could at least hold him off long enough for Sabina to get away. But judging by the cold steel in his eyes and the dark energy radiating from his lean six-foot-five body, Chad wasn’t sure it was a fight he’d ultimately win. The only good news Chad could see was that he didn’t seem to have a weapon either.
“Sabina O’Malley,” he replied, his voice heavily accented. Much as Vitor’s had been.
Sabina was smart enough to recognize the uncertainty of the situation and remained silent.
“You are?” Chad asked. The man’s attention shifted from where he’d been trying to get a glimpse of Sabina tucked behind him, to Chad.
Chad held his gaze with a steely one of his own. The longer they stayed in this weird sort of standoff, the more populated the streets would get. Not that the adage “safety in numbers” was always true, but it was definitely safer than if they met alone in an alley.
