Rebecca’s stomach growled for the fifth time in ten minutes.
Delaney looked up from her device. “I promise we don’t usually starve our protectees. As soon as Kurt gets here, I’ll go pick up some food.”
She’d at least had a good breakfast, but that was the only thing she’d eaten all day. It seemed to be becoming a pattern. Delaney rummaged in her duffel bag and pulled out a protein bar. “Will this help?”
Her stomach growled yet again. “Apparently my stomach doesn’t trust me to answer correctly. Yes, please.” She ripped open the wrapper and chomped down on the nutty goodness and was pleasantly surprised at the taste of chocolate. She bit another three-inch bite and leaned back into the hotel sofa. Her laptop whirred to life on the coffee table in front of her.
Delaney had gone a different direction than the last hole-in-the-wall motel. They were now in a suite at Vista’s main competitor, a resort and spa that sat right on the lake and even boasted having the world’s only floating golf hole. Rebecca had yet to use any of her vacation time that’d been building for the past few years, aside from a stray day here and there to stay with her parents during the holidays. With all the traveling she did, she never craved more time in a hotel, but this resort and spa was something else.
The clock that hung on the beige wall said it was nine o’clock already. It’d taken ages for the police to have all their questions answered and to get their computer expert on the phone to help her access Levi’s computer. Detective Hall had grown quite grumpy. Apparently he should’ve been at his daughter’s concert, and he wasn’t too thrilled that Kurt had enlisted Rebecca as his asset to check the files.
They’d copied all the financial files to the police’s evidence cloud as well as hers. Kurt promised to make sure all evidence was deleted from it once Rebecca was done evaluating the numbers. It didn’t matter that she’d pointed out that, under her auditing contract signed by Vista Resorts, she was supposed to have all of the financial files anyway.
And while she couldn’t wait to dive into the numbers to understand what Levi had found, the adrenaline had dissipated. She was exhausted and hungry and frustrated that her body didn’t understand that a man was out to kill her so she didn’t have time to be human.
Kurt was getting a change of clothes at his place, which she didn’t begrudge him since he still had brown paint on his back, but she was about to demand room service if he didn’t show up soon. At least Delaney had supplied her with a couple of clean outfits. Most of the pants had elastic waists since Delaney didn’t know what size she wore. They were at least comfortable.
Delaney followed her gaze. “Now that I know we’re the same size, I’ll bring you some jeans in the morning.”
Her phone rang. “It’s the judge. Can I answer?”
Delaney nodded. “Go ahead and take it. Feel free to use one of the bedrooms for privacy.”
She tried to flash a grateful smile, but as tired as she was, it might’ve looked more like a grimace, especially since she was trying to get herself out of the deep couch. She hit the accept button as she walked around the coffee table. “Grandpa?”
“It’s so good to hear your voice, sweetie. I’m on my way back to town.”
He had nothing to come back to since the bomb. An invisible heavy weight settled on her chest. She hadn’t spoken to anyone in her family since the last two near misses, and the longing to be with them almost crushed her. “You know everything that happened?”
His sigh held so much weariness. “I do. I’ve been told I can still live in the house, though. They’ve got the windows all boarded up, and I’ve got crews coming to repair everything in the morning.”
“Prepare yourself. It may be okay for you to stay there but it’s going to stink. I didn’t get a look after the fire was put out, but I’ve heard the kitchen is totally gutted.”
“Don’t you worry about me. I hated having such a huge house to myself, anyway. I suppose I’ll be glad tonight because my room is the farthest from the dining area. Your grandma loved that kitchen.” His voice wavered. “She designed it.”
“I know,” she whispered.
“Deputy Marshal Brock got in touch with me a few minutes ago. Honey, I never would’ve recommended you for the audit if I thought I was putting you in danger. Not even for a second. I was going to tell you after you finished your report. There was no intent to deceive, though I must admit, I probably wouldn’t have given Putnam’s suggestion to invest a second thought if...” He coughed. “Who am I kidding? There might’ve been some hidden motive to get you to visit me.”
Her heart twisted. So much work to get a visit from her. “I’ll come more often. And you can come to Ohio anytime, you know. I don’t think I’ll be traveling as much.” Once she got home, she would see about transferring to a position that allowed her to stay put and make connections easier.
“Let’s just focus on keeping you safe for the time being. You should know I’ve called your father.”
She gulped. “Are you two—?”
“We’re still talking, for now. He’s furious with me and worried about you, but since it looks like this has nothing to do with my job, I think in the end we’ll be okay. I wanted to apologize for my part in this, for bringing you here. I asked your dad to let you rest so he won’t call you just yet, but he’s eager to speak to you. That marshal still not handsome enough to tempt you?”
She laughed at the sudden change in conversation. “Well, he is pretty handsome, Grandpa.”
“That’s what worries me. Is he behaving himself?”
“Of course. As if you even need to ask.”
“Are you?”
She gasped at his question. A knock sounded at the hallway door. “Good night, Grandpa,” she said in response. He chuckled and returned her goodbye.
She rushed out to find Kurt in the living area wearing clean jeans and a navy polo so crisp it looked ironed. He dropped a duffel bag to the ground but, sadly, nothing else was in his hands. Her shoulders drooped. “I thought you had food.”
Delaney grabbed up some keys and shook her head. “Trust me, you don’t want him to pick out dinner, or you’ll be eating corn dogs.”
Kurt smiled. “They’re fifty cents at the gas station.”
Her stomach would take corn dogs right now. It would take anything. “I don’t care.” Her appetite wasn’t the problem. Given the grave situation, she had zero cravings.
Delaney hopped up. “I’ll be right back with some real food. Salads okay?”
Rebecca paused for a second. “Salad is great as long as there are big hunks of meat and sticks of potatoes to go with it.”
Delaney shook her head, as if disappointed Rebecca didn’t have more refined or healthy tastes. “Burger and fries. Got it.” The door clicked behind her as she left.
Alone again with Kurt, her energy returned. Hopefully he had a plan for what they did next. “I hear you talked to my grandpa. Any other news?”
Kurt shook his head. “The head of security hasn’t been identified yet, and the owner is nowhere to be found, if that’s what you’re asking. The guard was using a fake name at the offices, but the police picked up his fingerprints from his desk and a coffee mug. If he has any priors or, judging by his accent, went through immigration in recent years, he’ll likely be in the system.” His kind eyes searched hers. “At least we can hope. How are you holding up?”
“I’m fine.” Her mind was occupied on the way he’d said hope. “Do you have faith?” After their previous conversations, the question tumbled out before she could hold it back.
“In myself?”
Oh, yeah. She’d once told him she had faith in him. “No, that’s not what I meant. You wouldn’t be so good at your job if you didn’t. I’m asking...” Her bravado failed her. Faith was a very personal topic for a lot of people. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”
He quirked an eyebrow and smiled. “I see why you’re good at auditing. You have no problem asking questions.”
“I follow a thought trail, I suppose. Sometimes it’s random, but it often leads me somewhere interesting.”
Kurt sat on the couch and placed his cell phone and a computer next to her laptop on the coffee table. He reached into his duffel bag and pulled out a small, worn Bible. He tapped the cover. “I wouldn’t feel safe without knowing someone’s got my back.”
She knew it. “You’re a Christian.”
He nodded. “Is that a problem?”
“No.” She smiled. Logically she believed in God, and it comforted her that Kurt did, as well. Her belief didn’t come without struggle, though. She let busyness come first before her time with God, and sometimes doubt lingered when her friends all seemed to have amazing testimonies. They’d seen evidence of God working on their behalf. But in her case, either He hadn’t or she’d been too busy to notice.
Kurt tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. “Well?”
“Well, what?”
He laughed. “You get to ask me the questions, but you’re not going to reciprocate?”
She placed a hand on her hip. “I didn’t want to tell you things about myself if you didn’t want to know. You could ask.”
“I’m asking.” He bent his head and swiped across the track pad on his laptop.
Kurt was truly a man of few words. She almost pointed out that he hadn’t literally vocalized a question, but she obliged. “I’m a believer, but I don’t have an exciting testimony. I imagine you do, given your background.”
He leaned back and crossed his arms at his chest. “I suppose it depends on what you define as exciting. God loved me enough to send His son to pay the price for my sins. I’m saved and get to spend eternity with Him.” He shrugged. “I think that’s pretty exciting.”
It was as if a hammer shattered hard parts around her heart she didn’t know were there. She bit her lip and blinked back sudden tears that threatened. He was right. And she’d stayed alive all week despite a man trying to kill her. Why hadn’t she taken a moment and thanked God for that? “Then I have an epic testimony.”
She loved the way his grin made little lines next to his eyes. Some people called them crow’s feet, but that term didn’t fit at all. They were more like happy arrows to his gorgeous dark eyes. “As do I,” he said. “Since junior high.”
He patted the spot next to him on the couch. “I know it’s late, but are you up for some detective work?”
The idea of working side by side with a handsome, intelligent man whose faith and ideals matched her own suddenly gave her the drive to answer yes and dive into the monotonous task of retracing each financial transaction. As much as she loved to live her life in the moment, wandering from one thing to the next, she still craved her parents’ and grandfather’s approval. That’s why she’d chosen to become an accountant, albeit a traveling one. She sat and Kurt smiled. He smelled clean and fresh, as if he always smelled like pine trees and cedar.
Maybe Grandpa was right to wonder if she was behaving herself. The flippant Mr. Darcy comment she’d made earlier was now utterly untrue.
* * *
Kurt knew the police had their databases, but he also had some friends in the FBI, some military buddies who had ended up there after serving and college. It wouldn’t hurt to send them a quick note to see if they could hurry the identification along. Their wheels tended to move faster than some of the state-run database retrievals.
Some time alone had done him wonders. He felt refreshed and ready to put this guy in jail before he could hurt anyone else.
Rebecca, though, probably needed food and time alone, as well. She appeared more reserved—shy, even—next to him. The laptop remained on the coffee table. She leaned over to study it but kept glancing at him as she scrolled through the rows and rows of financial information. Maybe it was too much for her to jump into work after such a long day.
He’d almost lost her today. His chest tightened at the memory. She’d been shot at and, while he’d stepped in, the fact remained that someone had pointed a gun at her. Most people didn’t brush off that sort of experience and go about their regular day. “Hey,” he said before really thinking about what was going to come out of his mouth next.
She set down her laptop. “What? Did you notice something?”
“You.”
She blinked rapidly and her mouth opened slightly. “Oh.”
“I mean I should’ve asked you how you were doing earlier. If you need someone to talk to—I would be glad to listen—or if you need a list of professionals...”
She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes in confusion.
Maybe she was in denial or something. He placed a friendly hand on her wrist. Only, when he touched her, heat traveled up his arm. He pulled back, cleared his throat and stared at the image of the lake framed on the wall ahead of him. “You were shot at. People usually need to talk the first time that happens.”
She inhaled sharply. “Oh. That. Oh.” She folded her hands in her lap. “I guess I was thinking more about everything else that’s happened, been happening.”
“When I arrived, Delaney said the judge was on the phone with you. You two really are close, aren’t you?” It was another reminder that he could never stand a chance with Rebecca if the judge didn’t approve of him.
She sighed at the same time as saying yes.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” He leaned forward and pulled out a box of tea from his bag. “I stopped and picked this up on my way here. It’s not food, but I noticed you seemed to like a cup before bed. Did I get the right—”
She placed a hand on her chest and leaned forward. “That was so sweet,” she whispered. Her gaze drifted to his lips and she didn’t move away.
The box of tea fell from his hand. She closed her eyes and tilted her head. He reached for her—
The beep of the hotel card key sounded, followed by the click of the door handle. Rebecca flinched and jumped as far away from him as possible on the tiny love seat. His hand stayed in midair as the door swung open.
“Delivery,” Delaney called out.
He moved his hand to rub his forehead. What had just happened? Had he really almost kissed her? Maybe he was the one who needed to talk to someone, because he’d obviously lost his mind.
Even if they overcame the family rule, she was going to be back to Ohio as soon as they caught the guard. There was no future for them. He needed to remember that because if she looked at him that way again...
Delaney set two brown bags of food on the table. “I hope you’re still hungry because I bought a lot of value meals.”
Rebecca’s eyes seemed to glaze over. She shook her head. “One second. I just remembered a number when...well, I just remembered.”
Kurt had read that strong surges of emotions could help people recall things. Since they’d been talking about her almost being shot, maybe she’d remembered more of what she’d seen just before she was attacked the first time.
She typed a number into the search box at the top of the screen. Several highlighted rows of numbers lined up on the screen. She pointed to the fast-food bags with one hand as her other hand clicked and swiped over the keyboard and track pad. “Could you bring me one of those?”
Delaney frowned but brought the grease-covered bag over. Kurt had never seen a woman inhale a cheeseburger so fast, and with one hand, to boot.
Her hand hovered over the keyboard. She glanced between Delaney and Kurt and shrugged. “What? You people didn’t feed me, and math requires brain food.”
Delaney smothered a laugh. “Fair enough.”
“Come on, numbers. Tell me a story.” Rebecca completely ignored them and hunched over the keys. Her eyes moved rapidly across the screen. She dropped the rest of the food on top of the wrapper as she typed and scrolled speedily for the next few minutes.
Kurt almost held his breath watching her work. She may have had a desire to work in law enforcement, and her father may have suggested accounting, but Rebecca excelled at it. And from his perspective, it was all her.
“Aha! That’s where it veered.” She clapped and shoved a finger at the screen. “Okay. So, I figured out where the numbers Levi had on the flash drive were hidden within the company records. If I didn’t know what to look for, I would’ve never found it.”
“What does it mean?”
She cringed. “That’s the tough part. I’m not a hundred percent sure. What I do know is that Vista had bought land in the area a few years back. There’s nothing outright shady about that, right? But then they took out millions of dollars in loans to build vacation homes, presumably to rent out to guests who wanted a more private vacation. They did this here and in Colorado, where their other resort is located.” She took a sip of water. “If I had to guess... I think Levi discovered that the loan money was diverted into Mr. Cabell’s offshore account. Technically speaking, to an auditor like me that’s not enough to raise eyebrows because it is still a company account. It’s common to avoid taxes. What’s troubling is that the official company record shows the loan money going to the builders. That’s where the discrepancy is.”
Kurt had no idea what the discrepancy meant, so he stayed silent.
She opened up a national real-estate website and entered some of the property lots named in the company accounts. Kurt whistled at the gorgeous homes with vaulted windows and hot tubs and landscaping. “Those look like they would bring in a pretty penny.”
“They bought the land for pennies on the dollar because they purchased it during the economic crash.” Rebecca frowned. “But there’s no income coming in from them yet. And it’s been years.” She turned to him.
“Why would that be worth killing an accountant over?” Delaney asked.
“I was hoping you would know that part.” She ate a few fries. The fan on the air conditioner kicked in, as if mocking how hard they were thinking.
“Maybe there’s something shady going on inside the vacation rentals? Drug trafficking or something. That would explain why there’s no listed income,” Rebecca suggested.
Delaney nodded. “Possible. Those locations are remote, miles outside of town, up in the hills. I could contact the county’s Joint Agency Task Force and see if they have any reason for us to get a warrant to search one of them.”
“Good idea,” Kurt said. “Please do that.”
Rebecca pointed at the listings on her screen. “Either way, it wouldn’t hurt to drive by some of these properties. Given the suspicions, I’ll need to take some photographs to match the assessor’s report before my audit can be complete.”
“Okay. We’ll start in the morning and go to that property with three houses listed in a close radius. Delaney, while you’re contacting the task force, could you also contact Detective Hall with our update? See if he’d like to send some men to join us.”
If he’d taken the time to get to know Delaney, he would’ve been able to utilize her police background earlier.
He considered Rebecca’s comment. “I’m glad to accommodate and help you take photos for your report, but I need to make it clear that if there is any reason for me to get out of the vehicle, you must stay inside.” He didn’t need another incident like today. He wouldn’t give her a chance to wander.
“Understood.” She didn’t make eye contact. Whether it was from embarrassment at her actions earlier or the almost kiss, he didn’t know. His own neck heated at the thought. At least Delaney would be staying in the hotel, as well. Not that he needed a chaperone, but he wouldn’t turn one down, either.
Rebecca stood. “Until tomorrow.” She left the living room and closed the bedroom door behind her. Her words still rang in his ears. There was a Bible verse in Matthew that basically said not to worry about tomorrow because tomorrow would bring its own worries. Despite himself, he whispered a prayer that tomorrow’s worries wouldn’t involve any more danger for Rebecca...or his heart.