Three Months Later. Krieger Inc Company Garden Party, Los Angeles, CA.YVONNE ADJUSTED THE FLOWING shawl she'd draped around her torso and glanced around the entry to the party. Her baby bump was only noticeable because she'd dressed to show it off. Today was, after all, Baby Day.The calendar she kept on her desk at work had a secret code countdown to this weekend. By some magic, she'd found the perfect candidate to replace her. The woman was a whiz, handled Theodore like a champ and didn't back down. For the last month Yvonne had mostly been warming a seat, doing a pittance amount of work, while wanting to be anywhere else.Her mind was made up, and she had no reservations about today.A warm hand came to rest on the small of her back. She glanced up at Nolan and smiled. He and Vaughn had flown in at three that morning straight from a job he still wasn't ready to talk about just to be with her."Okay." Tabby strode through the doorway leading to rooms closed off for toda
Volume Three: Dangerously DeceivedWednesday. Aegis Group, Seattle, WA.VAUGHN FERNANDEZ WASN'T ready for the real world. Out there, off the job, he had a thousand pound weight to deal with. Things were so much simpler when he was working. Their objective was always clear, get the asset, get out. If only there were clear-cut rules for life.He bent and grabbed his gear bag from the pile in the lobby, intending to head to the bunk room for a few hours of sleep before he caught a plane to Texas. The rest of the team was probably sitting around, bullshitting or going over the upcoming trip to South Africa. Vaughn wished he could get excited about the trip, but not when he was worried about his brother. Again.Mom hadn't asked for his help. They'd been through detox enough that she had her own system down. But he knew she'd appreciate the company at least, on top of all the other things Vaughn did when he was home.Zain Lloyd, the man in charge of the Seattle office, steppe
Thursday. Ashton Khoury's Home, New York City, NY.CARLA HADN'T SLEPT. HOW could she?Jared was family. And now he was gone.Ashton had cried himself to sleep in her lap, too scared of what might happen. He'd been a complete mess since the call from the foreman on site at the resort. Everything was on Carla's shoulders to figure out, like usual.She loved Ashton, but he was shitty in emergencies. That's why he needed her and Jared to manage him. They kept him going, remembered all the details, cleared the way so he could be this powerhouse of energy and ideas. It was a team effort, and one third of their team was now missing.Carla sprayed the mirror and swiped the surface in time to the music.She should be getting ready, primping, something. But she needed this.The moment Ashton saw her he was going to chew her out about how he hired people to do this, blah blah blah, and she'd tell him what she always told him: He should have picked someone that wasn't the maid's d
Thursday. Ashton Khoury's Home, New York City, NY.THERE WERE TIMES when this job took Vaughn to places he'd never have expected a poor kid from El Paso to end up. The penthouse of a New York City sky rise was on that list. If it weren't overcast, he was pretty sure he'd be able to make eyes at the Statue of Liberty.If his mom could see this...He was pretty sure the monthly rent for this place cost as much as the house he'd bought for his mom. Places like this just didn't make sense to Vaughn. Sinking this much wealth into extravagant living didn't make sense to him. It was one thing to have a sturdy built home with some nice, finishing touches, and a completely different thing to have gold fixtures and priceless paintings.Maybe he was just a simple guy with simple tastes?There was nothing wrong with that, just as there was nothing wrong for Ashton Khoury to spend a fortune on his glass house atop a skyscraper.Vaughn turned away from the window at the end of the hal
CARLA BIT HER LIP.Ashton was freezing up, totally in his head. It killed her to see this confident, commanding man reduced to this. One way or another, they had to get Jared back."Give me your phone," she whispered.Ashton dug it out of his pocket and handed it over.If they could get through this quietly, maybe no one would ask why Ashton was willing to jump through so many hoops for an assistant."Did something happen?" An Asian woman stepped forward. She had a no-nonsense air about her Carla liked immediately.It was time for Carla to be the strong one. These things went in waves. Sometimes Ashton had to be strong for her, but now it was her turn to let him lean on her. Only this time the stakes were so much higher."I'm sorry, you are?" Carla glanced around the room.One woman. Five men. These were the ones who'd get Jared back? Didn't they need more people?"You must be Carla. I'm Melody. I'm the team liaison." The woman held out her hand. "This is Grant, he's
Thursday. Ashton Khoury's Home, New York City, NY.VAUGHN STARED AT the door leading to Carla's office. They each had to spend a few moments squaring away their paperwork. He wasn't keen on being alone with her. Looking back at their exchange, it had been perfectly innocent on her side. He'd caught her unaware, he'd assumed her role, and he'd flirted a little.That was on him, not her. But he didn't like that he'd put himself in this position.Would apologizing make it weird? Or should he just push forward and pretend it had never happened?Nolan stepped out of the door, phone in hand. "You're up."Vaughn nodded. He'd dragged his feet until he was the last one for this task. He didn't relish being in the same space with her. Every time their eyes met it was like grabbing hold of a pair of jumper cables. The electrical hit he took looking at her, it made the hair on his arms stand up, his muscles tense and left him with an uneasy sensation in his gut. And that was standing
Thursday. Private Plane, Somewhere over the Atlantic.CARLA WAS GOING to murder Ashton. Preferably after they got Jared back. She wasn't cruel. Unlike Ashton who probably thought he was being funny offering her up to Mr. Sexy Ass like some kind of hors d'oeuvre.She'd rushed through Vaughn's paperwork and had even given him the additional NDA to shut Ashton up, all the while dying on the inside. Since then she'd avoided direct contact while loading everything up and riding in a different vehicle to the airport.If Jared were here, he'd be laughing his ass off to the point he'd be crying. He'd also offer to get her booze until her liquid courage kicked in.She sank farther down in her seat.This just sucked.Instead of joining the others in the general seating area, she'd sequestered herself in one of the small bunk rooms, each comprised of two plush chairs that made down into two beds or one depending on preference and how much trouble it was worth. The curtains were dra
Thursday. Private Plane, Somewhere over the Atlantic.WELL HELL.Vaughn still wasn't sure what to think now that he had more details. The truth was a lot messier than what was in his head that was for sure.His better sense said to go. Put space between him and Carla. Complicated relationships always blew up, and he didn't want to get caught in the middle. Time had taught him valuable lessons.Except being in the room with her, not even touching her, was a full-body experience. It was as though every cell in every part of him was drawn to her. His hand tingled with the desire to reach over and brush her hair off her face or take her hand. It was crazy. He couldn't explain it. Even now he had to physically force himself to lean back, keep a little distance between them, and not touch her.He had to understand this. There was something pulling him toward her he had to wrap his head around."Ashton said you two grew up as friends?" Vaughn wasn't sure what he was doing, but