Time went into a weird flux for Tansy. It was both far too long of a wait for Saturday and it seemed only a few moments before she was leaving Sam’s car and walking through the park to the trailhead.
Sam was annoyed. Actually, he was pissed off.
He’d wanted to be with her, holding her hand through the meeting.
That would never work.
James needed to feel he was in control. He wasn’t smart enough to realize Tansy held most of the cards. He probably thought he was going to intimidate her physically.
By now, she assumed he’d talked himself into believing it had been a fluke that she’d been able to kick that lamp out of his hands.
He’d known she worked out daily and did a lot of martial arts, but he was bigger and stronger. If it came down to a physical encounter, Tansy was confident she could hold her own.
Even if she didn’t have Sam as her backup.
This was the perfect opportunity for her to wear her skin lotion tracking device. She wouldn’t need it, but this gave her a real-life opportunity to track the data. Her tablet was recording her movements from the truck. She wouldn’t be even a mile away, but the data would be invaluable.
In the two days since her email to James, she’d spent almost all of her time working on her projects. That kept her from obsessing about the things she couldn’t control.
She’d been unable to sleep, even with Sam, and had taken to wolf-napping and working on her tablet and laptop while he slept.
Joe had called her multiple times, as had Nico, peppering her with hints about how to deal with James. She’d finally told the two of them to stop calling and get out of her head. And she’d told Sam he had to stop talking about it as well.
She was a little annoyed that he’d told the other two about the meetup at all.
They were making her nuts. Making her feel like she didn’t know her own mind anymore. They were treating her quiet little life as if it was a spy movie.
She didn’t want any part of it, but she would go along with their plans. They had more expertise with criminals even if they didn’t know James like she did.
The only way to stop it was to face it directly and make it stop. This meeting with James might be the key to that.
At least there hadn’t been any more intrusions onto the property. Well, none they knew about.
Which was another thing keeping her awake at nights.
Had she brought trouble to Vermont? Midnight Lodge was in a peaceful area and the town of Phail certainly didn’t need any trouble.
Tansy focused her breathing and slowed her movements. She wasn’t going to let James see any nerves or upset. She was going to treat him like dirt.
She wished she wasn’t wearing a recording device. It made her feel awkward and she really didn’t want Sam to hear anything embarrassing James might drag up.
But the three protective men she loved as much as anyone in the world had pestered her until she agreed. And she wouldn’t go back out on an agreement.
Needing to get herself centered on the upcoming conversation, Tansy stopped where she was and did some focus breathing. She had arrived early to ensure she was in place before James arrived.
Feeling better, she strolled to the trails, glad to see an empty bench. She wanted to project relaxed, not amped up, so she would sit and keep her bouncing to a minimum.
The recording device she wore wasn’t two-way, so she couldn’t hear Sam on the other end. But she knew he was there, not far away.
And suddenly, the thought soothed her. He was a good man who would literally and figuratively have her back.
Unlike the idiot she was about to meet.
And there was the exact reason she was so annoyed. James wasn’t a good man. He’d never had her back.
Yet she’d been with him for six weeks before finding out he was using her.
It was embarrassing. Probably the most embarrassing thing she’d ever done. And Sam was going to listen in to her meeting with the man.
And he’d share all the info with her brother and Nico.
Everyone would know she’d been a fool. A dupe.
She couldn’t sweep the past away and pretend it hadn’t happened.
And that’s what had kept her up for the last few nights. They would all look at her differently.
Sam would look at her differently.
“Tansy. It’s so nice to see you.”
Tansy stiffened instantly, annoyed even more with herself for being caught off guard. She hadn’t been paying attention to her surroundings while she wallowed.
Tansy looked over but didn’t return the smile or the greeting.
James looked the same. Tall, handsome. Determined gait. How could he look the same when she knew he was a snake?
James moved in and started to lean in, potentially for a hug, but Tansy held up her hand to keep him away. “Don’t touch me. Sit. Say what you have to say.”
Anger zipped into his eyes. Too bad. Had he seriously thought she’d be happy to see him? That she would allow him to touch her in any way?
Not a chance.
James pulled off his leather gloves as he sat and offered his hand.
She ignored it and said nothing.
He was the one who wanted to speak to her. He could speak.
“You look good, Tansy, really good. How have you been?”
Tansy rolled her eyes and didn’t bother to reply.
His eyes narrowed, and he pulled in a deep breath. “Look, I know I messed up back home and I want to explain things to you.”
Mansplaining. Perfect.
“It’s not what you think, Tansy. I was under a lot of pressure. She didn’t mean anything to me. I had a weak moment.”
When she didn’t answer, he blew out a breath. “We were good together, Tansy. Really good. You know that. You also know I can bring our work to people who would buy it. That’s not your forté.”
Anger and embarrassment bubbled inside. She’d been fooled by this once. At least he was talking about the tech now, and not the fact that he’d been cheating on her. She’d hoped to keep that information from Sam.
Tansy raised an eyebrow and hoped her face reflected disdain. “And what is it exactly that you consider our work?”
His eyebrows shot up as if he hadn’t expected her to question that. “The camouflage device, of course. We worked on it together for ages.”
Tansy laughed. This was ridiculous. “I didn’t realize you were delusional.”
The anger was back. “I have rights to that work. And I have people who are interested in buying it. Several groups, actually.”
This was what she was here for. This was the information she needed to get. Instead, she heard herself asking. “Why don’t you explain to me how the camouflage device works? Explain how it’s put together.”
James waved that away instantly. “You’ve always been better at explaining the specifics. I’m better at the selling.”
Clamping her teeth together was the only way to stop herself from speaking again. She needed to let him ramble instead of challenging him about the project. He didn’t appear to feel any guilt about claiming her work as his own. Work he didn’t even understand.
“I’ve got a few groups interested in the final project. We’re talking millions of dollars, Tansy.”
As if that was her main priority. But it appeared to be his.
“And who is interested in my work?”
She tried not to emphasize the my, but she doubted she succeeded.
James didn’t appear to notice.
“I’ve got a few contacts in the government who want to know more. They could use the tech for all kinds of things.”
He smiled at her, as if she was supposed to be impressed with the fact that he had potential sales contacts for her work. Which she most certainly did not want to sell to the highest bidder.
“And I have a few private investors who want in on the bidding.”
Wanting to smack the glee off his face might make her immature, but she had to grip her hands into fists to make sure she didn’t strike him.
“I want details.”
He waved that away. “This is the part I do well, Tansy. You keep working on the camouflage and I’ll worry about the money stuff.”
In other words, don’t worry her vapid little head about it. Tansy stood up and turned away from James.
“Tansy? Where are you going? Tansy?”
His voice tightened, and she felt him approach. Knowing he was about to grab her arm, she turned and held out her hand again. “I told you once not to touch me. Make sure you remember that.”
“Come on, Tansy. You’re being silly. We were good together. We can be great together again.”
Deep breaths. “We were never good together. You targeted and used me.”
“What? No. That’s not true. Tansy, please stop. Let me explain.”
Knowing she hadn’t got the answers she needed, Tansy stopped and faced him. When he moved in closer, she simply raised an eyebrow and watched him grip his temper and step back.
“I’m not interested in your explanations. I’m interested in the details about who is interested in my work.”
“Does it matter? As long as they pay, what does it matter who they are?”
Tansy’s gut clenched, and she had to bite down on her emotions to keep anything but disgust showing on her face. “It always matters, James. If you don’t understand that, it’s clear you never knew me at all.”
Sam and Joe shared a look. They both wanted to ditch the car, chase Stephens down, and demolish him.
Take him apart bone by bone and then smash those beyond recognition.
Tansy hadn’t shared that Stephens had slept around on her, but that’s what Sam was getting from the conversation.
Stephens had the morals of a worm. None.
And his intelligence wasn’t a lot higher if he thought he could outsmart Tansy.
Joe had flown in without letting Tansy know and had jumped in Sam’s car before his sister had been halfway to her meeting point.
Neither of them was sure how she’d react to his presence, but it hadn’t been an option for Joe. His sister was in danger. He’d applied for an immediate leave and had made it in time to provide extra backup if she needed it.
The phone picked up the weasel’s voice again.
“Tansy, there’s a confidentiality issue in place. I can’t divulge names.”
Tansy’s gasp was clearly audible. “Now is when you decide confidentiality issues are important? How about when you stole credit for a technology you had no part of? How about when you not only took credit, but decided you had the rights to offer the tech up for auction without even consulting me? Do you even remember that you’ve broken the confidentiality agreements you signed back in California? I haven’t pressed charges yet, but if I don’t get some straight answers out of you, I will.”
Sam grinned at his friend. Tansy might not look like a warrior, but she was fierce.
“I might go ahead and throw in trespassing and attempted robbery charges here in Vermont. Then you’ll be wanted in two states.”
“What? I haven’t trespassed anywhere. And I’m not a robber. What are you talking about?”
Joe grunted, and Sam agreed. This panic sounded real. They’d wait to get Tansy’s opinion, but Stephens definitely sounded confused.
“You or one or your friends is guilty. And I’m sure the police will be interested in chatting with you.” Tansy’s voice was harsh and clipped. She sounded completely out of patience and energy.
When Sam put his hand on the door handle, Joe spoke. “Give her a minute. She’s got him rattled.”
She did, but she was rattled as well. If she’d agreed to a two-way device, he might have been able to help her out, keep her focused.
“Tansy, you can’t call the cops. You can’t.”
That sounded like a lot of desperation. Both men tensed. They trusted Tansy to be smart and take care of herself but they also wanted to be with her. To help her.
Sam had worked with dozens of agents over the years, but never had he worked with someone he was in love with. And having her alone out there facing danger was a special kind of hell.
“Start talking, James. You’ve cheated on me, stolen from me, and put me and my home in danger because you want money. Start talking.”
“Okay, okay. Just listen. I was under a lot of pressure.”
Joe growled. “Asshole’s on repeat.”
“I need to provide the product in the next couple of weeks.”
“The product meaning my work.”
“We worked on it together.”
Tansy’s laugh was harsh. “If you think being in the same building means you get to claim credit for someone else’s work, you’re way past delusional and right into stupid. Who are you afraid of?”
They heard Stephens sigh. “I don’t know how they found out about it. I talked to a couple of government guys. But this guy found me. He wants it pretty bad, Tansy. And he’s willing to pay a lot.”
“Who is he?”
“I’m not supposed to say.”
Tansy didn’t curse all that often, but she let loose a string of words that would have made a SEAL stand up and cheer. He and Joe both chuckled, wondering if the asshole was more scared of Tansy or the potential buyer.
If he was smart, it would be Tansy.
When Stephens spoke, his voice was a whisper, but the mic picked it up. How close was the asshole? “It’s Howard. Don’t know any other name, just Howard. You have to help me, Tansy. He wants some proof the camouflage is going to work.”
Sam heard Joe swear, but he was already out of the car. That had to be Bernard Howard. One of the FBI’s most wanted.
Arms dealer. A man who sold to the highest bidder and liked to have the latest tech.
If he was involved, an attempted break and enter was nothing. Howard was perfectly capable of kidnapping and torturing to get what he wanted.
And what he wanted was Tansy’s brain.
If Stephens caused even a broken fingernail, Sam was going to take him apart.
Without knowing the extent of Stephens’ involvement with Howard, they couldn’t know if the place was surrounded, or if there was a sniper around. Or a team waiting to take Tansy if she didn’t give up her invention.
He and Joe raced toward the trails, guns drawn but down at their sides. It was too early in the season for the park to be crowded, at least. There were a couple of older people strolling, but not a little kid in sight.
When they reached the edge of the trees, they could see Tansy walking toward them, Stephens trailing behind.
The white noise of panic had slowed enough for him to hear Tansy’s voice in his earpiece.
“Well, you’re the one who claims to have invented the tech. Better get on it. Here’s a helpful hint, even though you keep calling it camouflage, it’s not camouflage at all. Better start with some research.”
Tansy started to jog toward them. Stephens took a few steps after her, but then stopped and watched her.
Was that because he knew when he’d been dismissed or because he knew Howard’s guys were nearby?
Sam hadn’t seen anything suspicious on the race to get to her, but he looked around again. So did Joe.
It didn’t take long for Tansy to approach the trees. Sam didn’t want Stephens to see him, but he didn’t want to startle Tansy either.
He moved back a bit and then moved out from the bushes. Tansy flinched but relaxed immediately. When she started to slow, he shook his head and started running alongside her.
They didn’t see Joe, so Sam assumed he was covering their backs.
Tansy’s face was carefully blank as they neared the car and then she jumped inside, avoiding Sam’s touch. “Please, can we get out of here? Now?”
He nodded and jumped in. He and Joe had already picked out a meeting spot where they would meet.
Sam checked his surroundings but didn’t see anyone trying to follow. He didn’t see Stephens either.
He’d learned a bit of defensive driving skills through his job and more through Graham, but he wished for more sets of eyes right now.
His phone rang as he was leaving the park. Joe. Wishing he’d had time to update Tansy, he pushed the car button to answer on speaker. “Hey Joe.”
“You’re clear. No one is following. And Stephens is moving to his vehicle now. He hasn’t made any phone calls, so I don’t think you’ve got a tail. I’ll make sure before I head out to the coffee shop.”
Tansy’s head whipped around at the conversation. Sam grimaced, knowing Tansy had put it all together. Even if it wasn’t obvious from the conversation, she’d have figured it out.
“Seriously? You two are planning behind my back?”
Joe spoke through the phone. “Hey Sis. It’s not like that. I’ll explain in a minute when we stop.”
Tansy crossed her arms over her chest and leaned into the car door, away from him. Without looking at him, she spoke. “I’d like to head back to Midnight Lodge now. Make sure everything is safe.”
Sam spoke softly. “Graham’s there. He’d let me know if there was a problem.” His friend had arrived late the night before and had stayed behind to keep an eye on things.
Sam wasn’t sure what to do next. Beside him, Tansy drew in a deep breath and huffed it out. When she spoke, her voice was clipped. “Apparently you’re going to do what you want anyway, so do it.”
Without looking at him, Tansy reached into her pocket and pulled out her ear buds. She shoved them in her ears and in a moment, he could hear music pumping out. All the better to ignore him.
Apparently, Joe could hear the music as well because he sighed through the phone. “Well, that went well. I’ll follow you up to the lodge. Good luck.”
Sam was going to need it.