Page 25 of Tango
Then, I lean against the door as they turn to face me.
“How did you find me?”
“Your parents told us that you vacationed here as a kid,” Tucker replies. “Then while you were changing my wallpaper, I was able to make it through all of your VPN’s and narrow down the exact location as confirmation.”
“That was only a few hours ago. If you were in Texas, then you shouldn’t be here yet.”
“Who said we were in Texas?” Tucker questions. “We’ve been here in California since late last night. The next cabin over, actually.” He grins. “Like I said, your parents gave us your location. I merely verified it when you hacked my computer. Great choice on the Thai food you ordered for dinner, by the way. We had some too, and it was delicious.”
“So you’ve been watching me.” It’s a bit of a hit to my pride that I didn’t notice it, but I remind myself this guy has a military background, and—well—it’s really not a surprise that I didn’t see him coming. Isn’t that what Special Forces do? Remain in the shadows until they’re ready to be seen?
“Had to know what you were up to,” Tucker replies. “So now that I’m here, are you planning to keep your end of the bargain or not?” He crosses his muscled arms, and my gaze momentarily drops. It’s only a second—less than, even—but given the smirk on his handsome face, he noticed.
“How do I know I can trust you?”
“I guess you don’t. But the fact that we didn’t bring Web Safe or police crawling all over this place should be proof enough that we’re not here to hurt you.” It’s Dylan who responds this time, and his tone is on the total opposite end of the spectrum compared to Tucker.
Whereas Tucker’s tone is challenging in an amusing kind of way, Dylan’s is a dare. As though he’s just waiting for me to step out of line. Intriguing. Two twins, totally different personalities.
I’ve already decided to trust Tucker, so what’s one more Hunt brother? “Good point. Okay, but buckle up, boys, because it’s one heck of a ride.”
Chapter 9
Tucker
Alice Sterling is absolutely stunning.
The pictures of her online and that brief interaction we had at her parents’ house did not do her justice, and as I stand here in front of her, I have to actively remind myself not to stare. Because—she’s breathtaking.
She’s on the shorter side, nearly a foot shorter than my six-foot-two. Her obsidian hair is long and wavy, falling all the way to her waist. I honestly have no clue how she managed to hide that underneath the baseball cap she’d been wearing when I found her in that basement. Or how I failed to notice the length of it when I’d been standing feet away from her in that living room.
Her eyes—a crystal blue—are so pale they don’t seem real.
And then there’s the spark in her soul. The fight that has been evident since the moment we met.
“We can take it,” I tell her, clearing my throat in hopes of pulling my attention away from the dark-haired beauty and placing it firmly in the present where it belongs. I’m here to figure out whether or not I believe Alice Sterling is a murderer and a thief, or if she’s just someone in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“I’m assuming you already know my background.” It’s a statement, not a question.
“Your parents passed away when you were young; you were adopted by the Sterlings when you were thirteen. Graduated high school as valedictorian, excelled in college, degree in cybersecurity. How am I doing so far?”
“You forgot that I prefer crunchy peanut butter to creamy and can’t stand marshmallows.” Her tone is annoyed, and it only amuses me further.
“I’ll be sure to bookmark that for later, though the marshmallow thing is crazy.” I cross my arms. “Walk us through what happened the day Ramiro died.” I settle back in a chair, ready for the story. Tango sits beside me, his gaze firmly on Alice. He’s likely assessing the situation just as I am, waiting for a command. Dylan remains standing, not at all unusual for him, and Delta leans against him—something the animal does whenever he senses Dylan’s fight response triggering. Which, unfortunately, happens fairly frequently.
Alice remains close to the door, a quick getaway her main focus at the moment. Not that I can blame her. If she is innocent in all of this, then she’d be foolish to trust us after everything she’s been through. Even taking into consideration my role in rescuing her parents.
“Ramiro was always the more social out of the two of us. I focused pretty heavily on my job, and that was it. I’d hang out with him, but aside from that, I wasn’t big on company socialization.”
“Any particular reason why?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “I’m not a people person. I’m better with computers.”
“Except with Ramiro,” Dylan comments.
“Except with Ramiro,” she repeats. “He was just different. Focused at work, and fun outside of it. He pushed me out of my comfort zone, and I enjoyed it.”
“Were you two romantic?” A tendril of completely unnecessary jealousy snakes through me. Likely just because she’s a beautiful woman, but it’s unwanted, so I shove it aside.
