Page 24 of Silk Shadow

Izzy sighed again, this time more heavily. "You're right. I need to take this seriously."

Viper hesitated, then asked, "I’m sorry to ask this, but could anyone in the company be sending you these letters? Who benefits if you sold your share?"

Izzy's expression turned dismal. "I thought about that," she admitted. "Robert and Rafael have a few shares, but then so do a lot of other people. Nobody has the money to buy me out. I wish they did.”

“What happens if you sold your share to another company?”

“Then that company would have the controlling interest. Robert and Raff would lose their jobs, or if they were kept on, would answer to a new boss. As it stands now, they pretty much run the company. It's in their best interests to keep me here."

Viper nodded slowly. He was beginning to understand the complexity of the situation. "I see."

Her eyes widened. "What Hernández said about the cartels was frightening. If they got control of the mines, they’d pilfer the profits and run it into the ground or use it to launder their drug money. My father warned me about them."

Viper's face darkened. "It’s a high-risk region, particularly for an American."

"It is," Izzy agreed. "But the investment and infrastructure are so good for the local economy and the communities that live there, that my father considered it worth it. He was a courageous man."

Like his daughter.

“When my father acquired the mining rights, the government was promoting industrial growth and foreign investment. He saw an opportunity to make a difference."

Viper's eyes narrowed as he considered the implications. "How would anyone from La Sombra Roja know where to find you?"

"It's easy enough to figure out someone's address," she said.

"True, although the threatening letters were sent from a U.S. location."

"The cartel could have contacts in the United States. Just because the letters weren’t sent from Mexico, doesn't mean they wasn't from them."

Viper shook his head, frustrated. "I wish we had more clarity. An unseen enemy is the worst kind. You don’t know what you’re dealing with."

He felt so damn helpless. Her life was at stake, and the situation had just escalated beyond levels he was comfortable with. He didn’t even think Izzy realized just how much danger she could be in.

He glanced down at his burger, which all of a sudden didn’t seem nearly so appetizing. This was way more serious than he’d first thought. The threats weren’t coming from some obsessed fan or lustful admirer, these guys were organized criminals who wanted her to sell her father’s company, and if he knew anything about the cartels, it was that they didn’t stop until they’d gotten what they wanted. Even if it meant taking someone’s life to do it.

Viper called Pat as soon as they finished eating. He knew the hardy former Commander wouldn’t mind the late hour. Not if it was work-related. To his surprise, Izzy opened her laptop and started working, content to remain in his room. Every now and then she'd smile, shake her head, or raise her eyebrows.

He liked having her here, even though it meant he had to be on his best behavior. Her presence seemed to fill the room, or maybe that was because her fragrant, floral scent kept wafting over to him, tantalizing his senses and sending unwanted thoughts flying through his mind.

"That your signature fragrance?" he asked, taking out his phone to call Pat.

A smile lit up her face. "Yes, do you like it?"

"It suits you." Fresh, uplifting, with a sensual undertone that he found alluring.

"Thanks, I thought so too." Shit, when she smiled at him like that… he’d slay dragons for her. Hell, he might have to.

Pat was understandably concerned after Viper had filled him in on what Hernández had told them about her father’s accident, the cartel, and their plan to devalue the enterprise in order to purchase it.

"There’s a possibility Beaumont was murdered, sir," Viper said carefully. "In which case?—"

"In which case, Izzy's in more danger than we thought."

"Yes, sir."

She kept working, although she'd stopped typing and was gazing at the screen, her finger idly clicking through images.

"I think it’s time we escalated this. I’ll talk to my contacts in Washington."

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