Page 9 of Conner's Choice
“I’m much better, thank you. Shall I cook breakfast?”
He shook his head. “No. I’m not hungry.”
“Dinner, then?”
“Maybe. I’ll let you know.” Kevin stepped into his dress shoes, adjusted his cuffs, and bent to kiss her perfunctorily on the lips. “Have a great day, Lizzie.”
“I will.”
As Elizabeth took a shower and dressed for work, she mentally examined the conversation she’d had with Kevin from every angle. She’d been affectionate and wifely while her husband had been his usual self. There hadn’t been any indication he’d discovered her intrusion into his private room. He wasn’t as good an actor as she was. If he knew she’d been snooping, he wouldn’t have been able to control his temper. He’d be livid.
On the way to her business, Elizabeth’s thoughts strayed toward her dinner with Conner. For the first time in a long while, a man listened to her and cared about her opinion. Yes, he was still suspicious of her, but she hoped to change his mind about her. She wanted to see pleasure in his incredible, deep brown eyes instead of wariness. Letting out a deep breath, she pulled into her reserved parking spot and headed inside to work on her accounts.
Conner tapped apencil on the notes he’d jotted from memory after his grilling session with Elizabeth the previous evening. He had briefs to write and cases to handle, but he couldn’t get the gray-eyed beauty off his mind. He’d given Britain’s theory regarding the murder of the Parkers serious consideration, and it made perfect sense. Conner needed to know the truth; he needed more help than William could give him. The ex-FBI agent had connections and resources, but Conner knew someone who had a wealth of information at his disposal. Mitchell “Surfer” Malone.
He first met the computer genius at Notre Dame. Malone was the senior resident assistant in Stanford Hall, the dorm assigned to Conner and Christian when they were freshmen. Malone’s need to protect others was inherent, so he took the fledgling Griffins, as they were called, under his wing. He warned him and Christian to stay away from Julissa Montgomery, but neither listened to their older friend. By the time she dumped Christian and broke his heart, turning him into the cynical and distrustful man he now was, Malone was deep into his career with the Department of Defense, working in military intelligence.
After a mistake led to massive civilian casualties in Afghanistan, Malone left the DOD for the private sector. Now, he ran his own security company, and Conner half suspected the CIA recruited him to work for them. Malone used his considerable skills to help defend and protect the innocent, and Conner needed him to help protect Elizabeth. He only hoped he wasn’t making a huge mistake by trusting her.
He punched in Malone’s number. Malone answered on the second ring.
“It’s Surfer. Talk to me.”
“You’re still using that old nickname,” Conner replied, smiling. “No one surfs the net better than you.”
“I’ll be damned. Con-Man.”
“You remember.”
“I remember everything.”
They spent a few minutes catching up. When Conner told him about Christian and Britain, Surfer commented, “So, you’re sitting on Chris’s secret and letting him and his woman twist in the wind, causing them unnecessary pain because you’re jealous. I thought I taught you better than that, Con-Man. By the way, I could probably locate Chris’s son in minutes, certainly in less than an hour if he exists.”
Conner winced as he heard the censure in Surfer’s tone and held his tongue. He didn’t like himself very much right now. “Look, Surfer, I’m sure Chris and Britain will find their way back to each other, especially after their baby is born next month. Anyway, that’s not why I called. I’ve got something else to discuss with you. I need your help.”
After Conner explained his case, tense excitement resonated in Surfer’s voice as he declared, “All right, Con-Man, I’ll help you and your woman.”
Conner snapped to attention. “My woman? Surfer, Elizabeth is myclient.”
Surfer chuckled softly. “Yeah, right. She’ll be your woman before this is over.”
“Who?” Conner pretended ignorance.
“Don’t act dumb, Con-Man.” Surfer outlined his plan and ended with, “I’m sending you a small pair of gold earrings with a tracking device inside for Elizabeth. She must always have them on her so I can keep tabs on her. Do you think you’re in danger, too?”
Conner grinned as he joked, “I’m a divorce lawyer. What do you think?”
Surfer guffawed. “I’ll send a tie clip for you. When you’re not wearing a tie, keep it in your pocket. Any questions?”
“No. I appreciate this, Surfer. My gut tells me that Warner is far more dangerous than anyone realizes.”
“I do what I can to help and protect my friends, Con-Man. I’ll be in touch.”
His woman.
Conner shook his head. No way. Elizabeth Warner was off-limits. Period.
He called her. “Did you see Kevin this morning?” He knew he sounded curt, but damn it all to hell! Why did Surfer have to refer to her as his woman and put ridiculous notions in his head?
