Page 49 of Bad Seed

About four hours in, she was looking at the paperwork with Wilhem’s forged signature. After finding out the accountant was a major link in hiding money, they had assumed he’d done it, but he’d never had a chance to make a full statement because his lawyer had been waiting to see what deal he could make for Paget’s testimony.

Harley’s mind was racing. Who else would have been close enough within the organization to have had immediate access to Wilhem’s business? She shoved the laptop back in disgust and got up, muttering to herself as she opened the sliders to the freezing air. The cold felt good on her heated face, and standing in the dark gave her a false sensation of security. But within seconds, she realized how vulnerable she was, silhouetted against the light behind her, and hurried backinside, locked the sliders, and pulled the drapes over them.

All it would take was a sniper with a zoom scope on a high-velocity rifle, and she’d drop, just like the others. The worst-case scenario to her occupation was really happening.

Why did I assume the feds would dig further? I gave them the whole setup. I gave them the location and access to the gang. They freed the women and children who’d been kidnapped. It was a feather in someone’s cap. Maybe they didn’t want to dig any further, or maybe they were still investigating and that’s why the agent was murdered. And now here we are… God! I knew better!

Frustration gave way to fear, and fear to tears. When the knock sounded at her door, she jumped a foot, and then remembered she had asked Brendan to come by. Now she was worrying about even mentioning it and getting him involved, then rolled her eyes. She’d already involved everyone by coming here. She swiped the tears from her cheeks, peered through the peephole, then opened the door.

Before she could say a word, Brendan saw she’d been crying and didn’t wait to be invited inside. He walked in, kicked the door shut behind him, and then gently grasped her shoulders.

“What’s wrong?”

It was the set of his jaw and the flash of fire in his eyes that set her course.

“I think there’s a hit man on my tail.”

A blood rush of shock, then anger rolled through him. He took her hand led her to the sofa. “Sit. Talk.”

She nodded, took a shaky breath, and spilled the whole story, right down to the text she’d just received from Wilhem Crossley.

“I’ve been debating with myself all afternoon as to whether I stay here and unintentionally cause someone else to come to harm, or leave and have the hit man wind up here and start killing people in an effort to find out where I went. This is a nightmare,” she said, and in frustration, shoved her fingers through her hair.

“You don’t run,” Brendan said. “Whatever is coming needs to end here.”

“That’s my first instinct, too, but I need to let the police here know the possibilities. I don’t know if they’re equipped to deal with something like this.”

“They took down their own human trafficking ring a few years back. They’ve solved murders. Solved a theft that originated from the Library of Congress in DC. Caught murderers who trailed their victims to this place. Do you remember when Wolfgang Outen supposedly died in a chopper crash?”

She nodded.

“That crash happened here. And to make a long story short, a daughter Wolfgang never knew he had was living here. During that long, complicated investigation, the Jubilee police, including my brothers, were assisting the FBI and the FAA. My brother Sean took a bullet meant for Wolfgang’s daughter and nearly died.”

“Okay, I’m convinced,” Harley said. “Does his daughter still live here?”

“Yes, she’s a CPA. She has an office downtown next to the bank, but she lives up on the mountain with my mom.”

“Really? Why?”

“Because Sean married her. They were already planning the wedding when she found out she had a father. Getting shot didn’t change a thing.”

Harley sighed. “I am scared to death of something happening to you because of me, but I don’t think I have any other options here.”

“Will you let me help you?” he asked.

She was still locked into his steadfast gaze when he held out his hand. Without saying a word, she grasped it.

“I’ll talk to both brothers tonight. They’ll talk to Chief Warren, and then they’ll likely need to talk to you. But I’m guessing the fewer people who even know you’re here, the better, so I’ll see if they’re willing to come to you.”

Harley curled her fingers around his. “Thank you.”

He nodded. “Order everything from room service. Don’t leave your room until we work out some kind of guard situation.”

“This is crazy. I don’t even know who to guard against.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Brendan said. “I’ll talk to Cameron. His wife, Rusty, was an undercover agent forthe FBI. Even though she quit the force after they got married, she might still have some contacts.”

“Jubilee is a deceitful little place. It looks so picturesque and innocent,” she said.

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