Page 19 of Love & Betrayal

“I understand, boss. If I stay silent around someone long enough, either they fill it with confessions, or I’ll be able to hear what they’re trying to hide,” I said. “I suspect Giselle is no different.”

A beat of silence hovered in the air before Sutton spoke. “Are we even sure that Donovan is his real name? If he’s at all shady, then I’m guessing it’s an alias.” A crease dented the smooth skin in between her eyebrows as she finished her question.

Pierce steepled his fingers together, appearing deep in thought. “As always, we looked into him as a potential client when he reached out to hire us, but if there’s some underlying shit going on, we don’t normally learn that until one of the guys is in the middle of a shit storm.”

I rubbed my chin as I stared out of the window behind Pierce. The green leaves of the hardwood trees swayed in the summer breeze, and I tilted my head slightly, imagining I could smell the fresh air. Once Pierce and Sutton had located the property to build their log home, Sutton had planted hundreds of saplings so that she would have amazing fall foliage in front of her.

My attention returned to the conversation. “Donovan lied to me this morning. Whoever brought Giselle to the house …” Doubt lingered in the back of my mind. Pierce was right. All I had was my suspicions. What if the guy was her friend, and she’d gotten sick while out?

“Zayne, trust your gut, hon. You gave me a license plate to run, so that’s a start.” Sutton gave my forearm a gentle squeeze.

I patted her hand. “I realize there are a lot of possibilities, and maybe it’s nothing, but I have to make sure. One thing I do know, Donovan is rough with his sister.” I cleared my throat. “He’s actually adopted and not a blood relation. Giselle offered those details on her own in ways that sounded like she was looking for distance. Also, did Donovan mention that she was once a prima ballerina for some big ballet company?”

Pierce leaned forward in his seat, clasping his hands in front of him. “No, he didn’t. Which may not matter but does make it clear that he’s withholding information. Did Giselle mention when Donovan was adopted?”

“When he was only a few weeks old, he was abandoned on a church’s doorstep. I know there are laws where someone can drop off a little one without fear of being prosecuted, but I have no clue what the laws are in France. Guess he was one of those instances. Giselle’s parents opened their home for him immediately. I’m not sure how long it took to officially adopt him. In a nutshell, he’s been in her life since he was a baby.” I laced my fingers behind my head.

“From the application that Donovan completed before hiring us, Giselle is almost a year older than he is. Other than why he wanted a bodyguard, he didn’t provide a lot of information about her. When I asked, he was pretty tight-lipped, which always piques my concern. Now that you are in the house and around Giselle, let’s see what we can learn.” Pierce added, “Sutton, let’s look into Giselle’s story to determine if it matches any articles. Find out what company she danced for as well. Maybe at one time she had a different last name other than the ones we know about.”

“I’ll start there and see what I can pull up from the license plate, too.” Her eyes filled with compassion as she glanced at me. She set her pen down. “Are you okay, Zayne?” Her tone was soft, consoling. “If anything is going on, we will get to the bottom of it, but … this assignment has got to be bringing up your past.”

I dragged my hands down my face. I had wondered when the topic might pop up. Although I loved Sutton like a sister and appreciated her checking on me, I wasn’t ready to talk about it. I quickly pivoted the conversation and took control without her realizing it.

“Yeah. I’m fine. I spoke with Brynn last night.”

Sutton sat straighter in her chair. “How did it go?”

I gave her a half-shrug. “Better than expected. She was cool with me backing away. Hell, she practically admitted she had feelings for Chance … and Jace, and River.” I chuckled. “She needs some time to figure shit out. One thing is clear, I’m not the guy for her. It’s fine, though. All that matters is that she’s happy.”

“Your happiness is just as important, Zayne,” Sutton said, crossing her ankles and rubbing her pregnant belly.

I grunted my response. She was wrong, but I didn’t want to correct her. Glancing at Pierce, I realized he was staring a hole through me. Pierce was always upfront with us, though. He would talk to me privately if he had a concern.

He sighed. “Let us know if you learn anything else, and of course we’ll do the same. Since you have a few days off, maybe Sutton will have something before you return to Donovan’s. Until then, will you be crashing here or at Vaughn’s place?”

“Here unless we’re drinking. I’ll text you guys.” I rose from my chair.

“Your room is ready. I made the bed and restocked the towels in your bathroom after we came home.” Sutton gave me a sweet smile.

I held my hand out to bring her close, then tightly hugged her. “Not sure what I’d do without you guys.”

Sutton pulled away and squeezed my shoulder. “We’re family. You don’t even have to ponder that question.”

Pierce stood, his dark brow arching. “Seems like you’re holding my woman a little too long there, dude.” Pierce’s laugh rang out through the office as he approached me. He gave me a quick hug and patted me on the back. “I know this case is difficult on you for multiple reasons, so we’ll be checking in more often than normal.”

“I understand … and thanks. I’ll wait to hear something. For now, I’m heading over to Vaughn and Claire’s.”

I showed myself out, then climbed into the Mercedes. Once the engine started, I rolled up to the gate and waited to be scanned. When Pierce and Sutton had the house built, Sutton had designed a top-of-the-line security system, including the main gate and an eye scanner to enter. Later she added the exit feature so she could log any concerns and time stamps after what Vaughn and Claire had lived through.

Before I was off the property, a tug of war between my heart and head began to play out. A heavy sigh slipped from my lips, and I rubbed my clean-shaven jaw. Flashes of Giselle dropping dead danced before my eyes, and my pulse kicked up. I pulled the car over at the bottom of the private road and white-knuckled the steering wheel.

Screams pierced my eardrums as I dialed in the scope of my weapon, bullets flying through the air, zinging past my ear. I crouched and hid behind the old building, just one among many in the residential area. I sucked in a breath, watching as civilians dodged their military’s rapid fire. I couldn’t wait to get the fuck out of here.

“Son of a bitch,” I said into the comm to my team. “Are you bastards covering me or not?”

“Copy, take your shots! I repeat, take your shots,” my commander yelled.

With a steady hand, I unloaded the clip of my M4A1 rifle, bullets spraying in every direction, the bodies of our enemy dropping like flies.

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