He'd never said please to a girl in his life. With Piper, that's all he ever seemed to do.
He'd also never told a girl that he loved her. Then when he did, she didn't even believe him.
Damn, stubborn woman.
From the deep shadows of the trees, Alex watched her go into the house. He didn't think Jamison had seen him, and since Piper had been doing all the shouting, he hoped he hadn't heard him, either.
Feelings roared through him at a mind-numbing pace; panic, frustration, hurt. Why did such an illogical, prideful, inconvenient girl like Piper have to be the one? Couldn't she see that he was trying to help her?
He slid farther into the shadows and pulled out his phone. One of the new agents answered, and Alex had her put him through directly to Ted.
"Where are you?" Ted demanded.
"I need access to the Roseland mansion," he said softly into the phone.
"No, you don't. You're off the case."
His agitation deepened. "She's in danger, Ted."
"We know who's behind the overtures to the South American conglomerate now. The case has passed to the CIA."
Alex ground his teeth. "She's in there alone. We can't back out of this."
"You did what you were assigned to do. Your part in this is over."
"He's dangerous."
"His modus operandi has never included violence. He likes hiring other people to do his dirty work." Ted made no effort to hide his contempt.
"If he realizes he's about to be shut down, that could change."
"Don't trust the CIA to be discreet, Jensen?"
"You know it isn't that."
"I'll tell you what it is," Ted said, his tone hardening. "You've gotten too close to the case. You've lost your ability to look at things objectively."
"She's your goddaughter."
"And I told you to keep your distance."
Alex's outrage rose. "Is that what this is about? Me sleeping with Piper?"
"Damn it, Agent Jensen," Ted said in a tired voice.
"It's not what you think."
"You overstepped. Thumbed your nose at a direct order."
"I happen to love her!"
"So do I. But I still know my priorities. You've lost your perspective."
"National security over family, is that it?"
Ted released a long sigh. "She's not your family, Alex."
"No. But she might have been." He turned off the phone and pocketed it.
Squatting down, he reached under the thick leaves of the row of wax myrtles. He pulled out what Department agents fondly called a "skulking kit" and clipped it to his belt. To hell with policy.
He'd die before he'd let anything happened to Piper.
* * *
"You should have come to me," Carl said, a note of hurt lacing his voice. "I could have helped you."
Piper stopped a few steps up from the bottom of the stairs. She just wanted to go to her temporary bedroom, collect Alex's stuff and cry her eyes out while she did it. She wasn't sure exactly what had gone wrong. She just knew she never wanted to go through it again.
Being lied to hurt. Caring about the person who lied to you hurt more.
Now Mother's obnoxious fiancé was blathering on about something and pretending to sound solicitous and caring while he did it. She wanted to scream at him to go away, to get out of their lives forever. But she couldn't, not and keep peace with Mother.
"Come to you about what?" she asked pleasantly as she turned around.
He looked up at her and the sinister, ruthless light flickering in the depths of his gray-blue eyes sent a sharp stab of apprehension along her nerves. Her hand gripped the railing tightly and she instinctively drew back.
Bracing one foot on the bottom step, he rested his hand lightly on the curved railing, a relaxed mockery of her own tension. "Marry anyone you want except Jensen, and I can make everything bad go away."
Her concern grew. "I don't understand."
"He's not good for this family."
What was he getting at?
"He's not good for you," Carl emphasized. "Or for your friends. Or your little charity."
Alarm gripped her. How did he know about her friends or the spa?
"What are you saying, Carl?" she asked, her voice catching on the fear rising into her throat.
"Piper!" Danni called from the grand salon. "I need to speak to you!"
Carl stepped back, an oily, confident smile lifting the corners of his mouth. "Tell me he's out of your life and all the bad is fixed. I'll expect an answer when I get back." With a nod, he glided off toward the library that Lina had converted into a guest room for him.
"Piper!" Danni called. She appeared in the doorway of the living room across from her, several sheets of paper clutched in her hand. Her face was a mask of hurt and fury.
"Danni what's wrong?" Piper hurried toward her sister.
"Explain this contract to me," she said, shaking the papers at Piper.
What was going on? Had everyone gone crazy? "Whatever's bothering you, I'm sure—"
"How could you even consider making an agreement with a company like that? Even for twice the normal commission?"
She gripped the papers, crushing them in her fist. "Where do you think they get the money that allows them to pay those kind of rates?"
"I—"
"All the research points to illegal substances, Piper. If they use Roseland Shipping to get drugs into this country and Europe, we could go to prison. As President of the company, you could go to prison."
"But I—"
"I don't know why you were using my computer earlier, but thank God you did. If I hadn't seen this contract before it was too late...."
Piper frowned at her sister. "Danni, calm down. Mr. Phillips takes care of everything for Roseland Shipping. He's been the CEO since Dad was alive. He wouldn't do anything illegal. "
"His name isn't on this. Yours is. So don't you dare play the flighty, brainless debutant with me," Danni choked out.
The pain of her words struck Piper in the center of her heart like a knife. "How can you think that I'd—"
"I'm the one who always knew there was more to you than that," her sister continued. "I'm the idiot who assured Dad that you could handle part of the business."
She wiped the back of her hand across her face where tears tracked raggedly down her cheeks. "Make this go away, do you understand? After that, I expect a copy of your resignation when you send it to the Board."
In shock, Piper watched her sister stalk off. How could Danni think she'd choose profit over morals? Plus, she hadn't gone near her sister's computer. She'd been at the hospital.
Except Danni didn't know that. No one knew about that.
A frightened uneasiness rolled through her body as Carl's words replayed through her mind.
What if the real person behind all these terrible things was right under her nose the whole time? What if she'd accused the wrong man and Alex was innocent? What if he wasn't and he was working with someone else?
There was only one way to find out.
* * *
Alex crouched down beside the side entrance and pressed the small decryption device to the lock panel. It looked like a digital watch face and worked using a signal similar to a low-level wifi to communicate with the computer in the security system.
The device wasn't as fool-proof as the newer methods the Department had. In fact, it only worked about half the time. The advantage was that it was mobile and inconspicuous.
Using his thumbnail, he pressed in the sequenced code that started the process and prayed. The device's baleful green light blinked soulfully back at him and then went out.
Alex tried again but got the same result. By the fourth time, he knew this was going to be one of those fifty-percent days.
Rocking back on his heels, he stared at the panel and weighed his other break-in options. Cursing quietly, he grabbed his kit and got to his feet.
The numbers on the panel blinked and flashed like a disco for a moment and then the panel went dark. Bolts clicked and thunked quietly along the seam of the door.
A warm swell of gratitude spread through his chest. "Thanks, Ted," Alex whispered as he turned the handle and slipped inside.
* * *
"There's absolutely nothing here," she muttered to the dogs lounging contentedly on the loveseat under the window. Frustrated, she tossed another T-shirt with some video game reference on it into the pile.
Piper stared at the mess covering the king-sized bed that she and Alex had shared briefly as a real couple—at least that's how it had felt to her. Impulsively, she picked up the T-shirt and buried her face in the material. Inhaling deeply, she let the scent of woods and soap seep into her aching heart.
Tears filled her eyes and she swallowed back a sob. "Jerk," she whispered, throwing the shirt down.
She didn't know what to think or what to feel, anymore. Her world had gone out of control and so had her heart.
Was Carl behind the attacks, or was it Alex? Or was Alex working for Carl?
The events of the last few days swirled through her memories as her mind tried to form a picture. The answer was just out of reach. She could feel it.
Sinking down onto the bed, Piper pinched the bridge of her nose as her thoughts darted around in her head like rabid gerbils. She had a hard time believing that Alex could have successfully fooled Uncle Theo all these years. A company that specialized in investigations and helped the CIA would have a thorough vetting system for all their employees, wouldn't they? Did that mean Uncle Theo was involved, too?
Piper shook her head. No. That was one person she could never suspect. He'd always been like another father to her, even more so after Dad died. If Alex was guilty, he'd lied to her godfather, too.
But if he was to blame, then why hire someone to harass her? Why blow up her car or hurt her friends? He was already on the inside when most of those things had happened. Their relationship was already growing.
If he'd waited, he might have had it all—the money, control of the shipping company, her,...everything. All completely legal.
But he'd never shown any interest in her wealth or Roseland Enterprises. In fact, he'd been livid when she'd used her money to help him with his house.
On the other hand, she was sure Alex hadn't been honest with her about who he was and what he did. He always seemed to hold back when they were together. The only times she felt he was genuine was when they made love.
Tears clutched at her throat, and she ordered herself not to cry. She was done crying over some lying, cowboy spy detective. He didn't deserve it.
He'd told her that he investigated cases for the government, and she'd thought that was the whole story; the deep, dark secret he'd been keeping from her. But what it if wasn't? What if there was more?
What if he'd lied to her about everything?
Piper looked over at the dogs. She'd heard that animals were good judges of character. She wished she could ask them what their master was really like behind all the masks and subterfuge.
So many lies. Yet, she still wanted him.
The pain boiling inside her roared up and burst free on a ragged cry. She sank to the floor and buried her face in the thick comforter on the bed as sorrow gripped her, wracking through her body in painful waves.
How far did the betrayal reach? Was there anyone she could trust? Even if she did figure out where the threat was coming from, who would believe her?
Danni thought she'd sold out the family. Mother would be livid if she accused Carl of criminal activities. Uncle Theo would feel the same if she blamed Alex.
She was alone.
"I just don't know...what to...do," she sobbed when the dogs padded over to investigate.
Another lie. Only this one was the worst kind—the type you told yourself over and over, so that you never had to face what you feared the most.
A soft muzzle rested gently on her knee and Nipper gazed up at her, dark eyes full of sympathy. Gooch sat on the other side and pressed his warm back against her shoulder.
Piper wiped her face on the edge of the bed's coverlet. Stroking Nipper's soft head, she closed her eyes and made herself see the truth.
Falling in love was scary. It made you vulnerable in the deepest, possible way. It opened you to the chance of unbearable hurt that felt like it would kill you. But no matter how much the thought of being in love frightened her, she had to stop hiding from her feelings.
She had to trust herself.
She wouldn't have fallen in love with an evil person. Her heart wouldn't have let her.
She knew she wasn't brilliant at math like her sister, or moral like Mother, or talented with business like Uncle Theo, but she was a good judge of character. Her instincts about people were solid.
"You guys wouldn't love a cruel man, would you?" she said to the dogs, her voice thick with tears. "Neither would I."
If Alex had lied, he had good reasons to. Maybe he could tell her those reasons, maybe he couldn't, but the truth remained. She knew in her heart that he was a good man, and she could believe in him. She would not be bullied into giving him up.
He wasn't the person pretending to be in love while he manipulated circumstances with fear and threats and worked to gain control of the Roseland fortune. He wasn't the one acting without the slightest twinge of conscience while he forged her name on an incriminating contract.
Piper jumped up from the floor, a burst of energy exploding through her like a firecracker. There was only one person who had done all those things.
She knew exactly where to look to prove it.
* * *
Alex crept through the quiet house. The dim cadence of a television talk show drifted on the silence in sporadic bursts of drama, but that was the only sign that anyone was home.
The rooms and halls were dark, his steps muffled in the thick rugs scattered across the hardwood floors.
He saw the silhouette of a small woman scurry past the window at the end of the hall and knew that it was Piper. His brief experience with her attempts to sneak around immediately alerted him that she was up to something. So, he did the only logical thing.
He followed her.
As usual, she had no idea anyone was trailing her, which oscillated amusement and terror through him like a pendulum. Anyone with even an ounce of skill could sneak up and grab her anywhere, anytime. Do it as much as he had, and you became reasonably skilled at it.
The small Swiss pocket knife felt heavy in his pocket. He hoped he wouldn't have to drug her to get her to safety, but if it came down to that, he wouldn't hesitate. He disagreed with Ted about Jamison's capabilities. He had no doubt the man would turn violent if it suited his purposes.
Ahead of him, Piper paused outside a closed door at the end of the hall and covertly slipped a key into the lock. Alex stayed behind the corner until he heard the door open. Ducking down, he edged just enough of his head out to watch Piper give a quick glance down the hall and then dart inside the room.
People rarely looked below or above the mid-range of their own bodies, and she hadn't disappointed him. He also knew she probably wouldn't remember to re-lock the door behind her. Amateurs never did.
Like a ghost, he slipped into the room and came up behind her. He had his arm locked around her and his hand over her mouth before she could twitch. He'd had a lot of practice at it.
"It's me," he whispered in her ear. Her body felt exquisite against his and he had to put some effort into concentrating. "Are you willing to cooperate or do I have to tranquilize you?"
She relaxed against him.
"What did I tell you about flashlights?" he murmured against her hair.
She clicked it off.
The semi-darkness of the room settled around them, the only light filtering in through the thin haze of curtains covering the two ceiling-high windows. He breathed in the sunshine-scent of her hair and let himself savor holding her in his arms just for a moment. He couldn't seem to help himself.
He had no business loving her the way he did. There was no good ending for it. She hated him.
"I'm going to uncover your mouth," he said. "Don't scream."
She nodded.
At least she hadn't bitten him this time. He took that as a good sign and cautiously slid his hand from her mouth.
She spun around and launched herself at him, surprising the hell out of him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him square on the mouth and then jumped back.
"I'm sorry." She reached out and laid her hand on his chest. His heart thumped under her palm like he'd sprinted a mile. "I should have trusted you. I should have trusted myself."
Her words sent a flood of emotion through him. He couldn't believe she was willing to believe in him so implicitly. In her place, he didn't think he could have.
With an effort of will, he eased away from her and distracted himself by focusing on the room. It looked like a library that had recently been converted to a bedroom and office. A simple twin bed had been shoved into one corner; a small desk into the other.
He wandered over to the laptop computer sitting on the desk. The Roseland's must have pulled the piece out of their attic. The set up looked like it belonged in a child's room.
"I'd tell you everything, if I could," he said, his voice catching.
"I know you're keeping things from me, but I also know you wouldn't have hired Wesley and those men to hurt Tanesa and the others. It isn't like you. And you wouldn't try to frame me for a federal crime."
His shoulders tensed and he turned to look at her. "What? What men?"
She briefly explained what had happened at the spa and her encounter with Danni.
As her story wound down, a dark fury seeped into Alex. He promised himself that he'd deal with Wesley and his crew personally after he put Jamison away.
"Tanesa's still in the hospital, but the others have been released," Piper finished.
"And all of that brought you to here?" He turned back to the computer, his thoughts churning through everything she'd told him and what he already knew. The junior-sized chair creaked as he sat down and proceeded to wake up Jamison's computer.
"I need evidence that Carl's in cahoots with this nefarious company Danni was so upset about," she said as she leaned over his shoulder to look at the computer.
Alex bit down on the laugh that nearly burst out of him. God he loved this woman. "I can't believe you just used 'cahoots' and 'nefarious' all in one sentence."
"Don't tease me. I'm still mad at you." She reached for the keyboard, and he brushed her hand away.
"You said you trusted me." Saying it out loud filled him with awe and made his throat tighten. He promised himself that when this was over, he'd find a way to let Piper into his life completely—if she was willing.
"Trust and anger aren't mutually exclusive, Einstein."
"I plan to argue with you about that later. Right now, we have more immediate problems to focus on."
"Using that?" She pointed at the encryptor in his hand.
"This is going to show us what Jamison's been up to." Alex laid the device on the computer and put in the code.
"We already know that. He's after Roseland Shipping and he's trying to force me to give him control of it so he can contract out to some—"
"Nefarious company?"
"Smart aleck," she muttered.
Alex watched the green light blink faster and faster and then go solid. A login screen popped up. He was in.
He tracked his gaze over the glowing screen until he saw the name of one of the companies the drug cartel used as a front. Alex clicked on it.
As he scanned through one document after another, his blood turned cold. Piper was in danger, and so was her family. Pulling out his phone, he hastily started taking pictures.
Piper poked him in the shoulder. "Alex, my neck is buzzing."
"I'm almost done."
"When I get that feeling it's—"
The lights went on.