The spread a highland ho.., p.8
Linked by Deception, page 8
Rabbit chuckled and shook his head. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, seriously. If we’re greeted by a smiling wife and two kids or some manic scarecrow-looking dude, I’m bailing.”
Rabbit laughed at my overly dramatic but heartfelt comment. “I don’t think we have to worry about the Stepford family being part of tonight’s entertainment or a horror-film reject taking us out. I’m fairly certain the picture-perfect yards are an HOA requirement, not the result of arcane rituals.”
“Maybe.” Poking fun at the weirdness created by a homeowners’ association alleviated some of the low-level tension that followed us from the condo.
Rabbit’s hand found mine and squeezed. “You okay?”
Guess my distraction attempt failed. I squeezed his hand back. “I’m good.” With our final location looming closer, I got back on track. “Were you able to link Zane or Falcon to this address?”
Rabbit shook his head. “I didn’t have enough time to unravel the ownership records before we had to leave.”
“You think it will be that easy to find?”
His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Probably not. The owner’s buried pretty deep, so someone’s hiding something.”
I sighed. “And that never bodes well.” I looked back out the window, trying to ignore the low-level disquiet sitting like a rock in my gut. In the world of lies and shadows, proof tended to be as elusive as a unicorn. “I know it’s early in the game, but it would be nice to know who we’re really playing against instead of assuming it’s Falcon.”
“It would,” Rabbit agreed. “But until that happens, we go with what we have.”
“Which is?”
“The property is currently held in a trust.”
I shifted in my seat. “Is that normal?”
Rabbit nodded. “For an exclusive property like this? It’s not unheard-of. Most of the time, it’s part of estate planning—especially when the homeowner is trying to bypass tax liabilities incurred with inheritance taxes.”
It was my turn to snort. “I don’t think anyone’s worried about taxes.”
“Probably not,” Rabbit said. “But it’s also a great way to mask ownership.”
That didn’t ease my tension. “Which means anyone could be lying in wait for us tonight.”
“I don’t think it’ll be that dire, but…”
I prompted, “But?”
He shot me a look, his face dark, before he turned back to his driving. “But you know how I warned you that they’d test Elena before giving her the actual job?”
I nodded.
“That does worry me.”
It didn’t take a genius to follow his thoughts, because those same concerns had kept sleep a stranger for the last couple of days. God only knew what we’d be asked to do and how far we’d have to push our personal lines to keep our cover intact. Or how far I’ll have to stretch mine. I shoved the dark thought aside. “Yeah, me too.”
We fell silent as Rabbit made a right into one of the driveways. It coiled around, and when he took the last curve, a house appeared ahead, a modern take on the English manor. As expected, it was a showpiece. Towering trees stood guard around the light stone structure, adding shade to the arched windows but not brushing the gray peaked roofs.
The drive bypassed the front entrance and wound around to what appeared to be a small carriage house. Rabbit parked and shut off the engine. An oversized wooden door decorated in wrought iron swung open, revealing a human-shaped shadow. Thanks to the angle of the slowly sinking sun, I couldn’t make out details.
Rabbit said in a bare murmur, “Ready?”
“As ready I’m going to get,” I responded just as quietly.
Rabbit got out and came around to open my door. I took the hand he offered and kept it as we moved toward the waiting figure. At that point, considering our latest play to our host, there was no sense in hiding Mercer and Elena’s supposed romantic relationship, especially as we wanted to cement the necessity of keeping Mercer close to her.
Rabbit and I were aware that tonight’s dinner was the opening move in a very dangerous game. Zane or his bosses, or both, would test Elena’s skills. I tried not to think too much about exactly what that test would entail. Considering the immoral bastards we suspected we were dealing with, I had a feeling it would leave a mark. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be as deep as some of the ones I already carried.
“Elena, Mercer, welcome.”
Rabbit and I came to a stop. Recognizing the voice, I answered with a polite but tight “Zane.”
“Come in, please.” He stepped aside and waved us in.
I held my position and Zane’s flat gaze. “After you.”
Zane gave a sharp smile, tilted his head in acknowledgement, then turned on his heel to lead the way. With Rabbit at my back, I followed Zane through a house meant to elicit oohs and aahs. Alert for unseen threats, I was unmoved, which was a good thing because the glitz wouldn’t faze Elena in the slightest. Hell, she would expect it.
Exchanging the typical pleasantries, Zane led us into what was obviously the study—from the stone fireplace to the high-gloss-polished bar and the cluster of leather chairs. The paneled walls held portraits, landscapes, and medieval weaponry. We strode by a full suit of armor. Thanks to my childhood training at spotting a fake—a necessary skill when running a con—I could tell it was a damn good replica. Most obviously, it was too tall. The armor was an expensive replica, for sure, but not priceless. All in all, I could tell that someone was highly enamored of English aristocracy.
“What can I get you to drink?” Zane took a spot behind the bar like the good host he was mimicking. “Elena, an old-fashioned for you?”
“Please.” I settled into one of the chairs, unsurprised when Rabbit chose to remain standing.
Zane’s attention shifted to Rabbit. “Mr. Somers?”
“It’s Mercer,” Rabbit corrected. “Whiskey neat.”
“We have Auchentoshan ’78 or eighteen-year-old Glenmorangie.” Zane set out the glasses and grabbed the nearby bottles.
“Auchentoshan.”
He paused in his pour and shot Rabbit a small smile before going back to his task. “I prefer the Glenmorangie myself.”
If Zane was expecting Rabbit to reply, he was bound to be disappointed. He spent the next couple of minutes preparing our drinks and bringing them over. I took mine with a murmur of thanks.
Zane handed Rabbit his and motioned to a chair. “Sit, please. Make yourself comfortable. Dinner will be ready shortly. I hope you like beef.” He heeded his own advice, dropping into a chair before taking a sip of whiskey.
As Zane and I did the polite dance of small pleasantries, Rabbit took his time sitting as Zane and I talked for a few minutes.
“Will anyone else be joining us?” Rabbit finally asked.
“No, it will just be us tonight, I’m afraid.” Zane met my gaze. “I’d like to offer my sincere apologies for the scene earlier today. That condo is one commonly used for various guests, some of whom require delicate handling.”
I gave a soft snort of disbelief and set my drink aside. “Don’t soft-soap things, Zane. Those cameras are there to blackmail your guests. While I understand the necessity of acquiring leverage, in this case, I find it highly offensive as you came to me, not the other way around.”
He half hid his anger behind an uncomfortable grimace. “I understand your anger and can only reassure you that the situation has been remedied. I hope it doesn’t impact our relationship moving forward.”
Prior to arriving, Rabbit and I had agreed on an approach. Zane’s rote apology gave us an opening, and I took it without hesitation, setting us on our predetermined path. “If I’m being truthful, I was more than ready to leave. However”—I shot a look at Rabbit before switching my attention to Zane—“I was reminded of the potential advantages of your proposed partnership.”
“Again, I can only offer my regrets and assure you that your privacy is no longer an issue.”
Oh, he’s good. There was enough sincerity in his voice that if I hadn’t known about the bugs still active in the other parts of the condo, I might have believed him. “We shall see.” I didn’t miss the flash of frustrated anger at my disdainful comment. To ensure that he understood that Elena had claws of her own, I added, “Fair warning, Zane. Should a recording of tonight’s interactions surface at some point, that program that fried your little spies will be a cakewalk compared to what I do to your network.”
Zane’s fingers on his glass whitened even though he managed to hang on to his pleasant expression. “A threat, Elena?”
I gave him a sweet smile that I knew damn well didn’t reach my eyes. “I don’t make threats, Zane. They’re a waste of my time.”
Zane’s jaw tightened as he held my eyes.
“Elena,” Rabbit murmured, breaking our staring contest. I lowered my eyes, eased back, and reclaimed my drink.
Zane turned to Rabbit. “Mercer, tell me about yourself.”
Rabbit swirled his whiskey, his gaze sharp. “I’m sure your investigators uncovered all the high points.”
Over the rim of the glass, I watched the two men verbally circle each other and fought to hide my grin. Rabbit’s skills at baiting targets would make this interesting if not downright fun.
“Yes, you have quite the list of accomplishments,” Zane said. “You’re a Berkeley grad—top of your class, in fact—and had a highly decorated career in the navy. With all that drive, I find it curious that you ended up as Elena’s assistant.”
A lash of derision colored the last word, and my hand tightened on the cut crystal.
Rabbit didn’t pause before responding, “She offers excellent benefits.”
At his deadpan delivery, I barely managed to choke off my snort of amusement.
A sneer crept into Zane’s pleasant expression. “Well, your skills are obviously valued, as Elena made sure to negotiate your presence here.”
Unmoved, Rabbit held his gaze. “A smart move on her part, considering…” He tilted his glass toward Zane.
His dig hit its mark, and a flush colored Zane’s face.
This time, I didn’t bother to stifle my laugh. “Enough, Zane. Baiting Mercer won’t end well. If you continue to do so, it will only upset him, which in turn will upset me.” I set my drink aside and rose. “As dinner isn’t ready, show me your home.”
Backed into a corner, Zane gave in to manners. We spent the next thirty minutes wandering through the house. Through well-chosen random questions, I found out Zane considered this his winter home. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to pry anything more helpful out of him before we all sat down to dinner.
Conversation during the meal was like a walk through a minefield. For the most part, our talk was confined to surface gambits and remained civil. But something about the Mercer persona kept ruffling Zane’s fur, so much so that he continued his not-so-subtle digs. Each one shoved the underlying tension higher, yet Rabbit showed no sign of snapping. The longer the dinner went, the more I wondered at Zane’s behavior. Needling Mercer wasn’t smart unless there was a specific reason behind it.
Before I could figure out what that reason was, the remains of dinner were whisked away by a silently efficient server I recognized as our airport chauffeur. Rabbit wasn’t the only one with multiple talents. Obviously, Zane wasn’t as comfortable with us as he appeared—hence, the bodyguard-driver doing double duty as a butler.
With the table cleared and a full pot of coffee in front of him, Zane finally shifted the conversation to the matter at hand. “It’s my understanding that congratulations are in order.”
Not quite sure where he was going with this, I asked, “Are they?”
Zane inclined his head. “Your influence with the Areñas situation was quite inspired. It was actually what convinced my employer to approach you.”
I did a quick mental review of Elena’s file. It didn’t take me long to place the name. Elena had delivered a customized virus program to a black-market weapons runner who was pissed when the Areñas cartel shorted him on his profits. Although the Areñas cartel was a relatively small fish swimming in an ocean ruled by one of Mexico’s bigger sharks, Los Zetas, Elena’s take-home pay for the job had been three million dollars.
“Is that so?” I said. “And here I thought it was the general’s recommendation that caught your attention.”
Zane pushed back his chair, angling it so he could stretch out his legs. He cupped his hand around his coffee cup and raised it in a half toast. “Not directly. Granted, the general heard about the fallout down south first and did some digging, but when he ran out of leads, he brought it to our attention. It took an impressive bit of research for us to find out the particulars, including your role, and that”—he pointed a finger at me without letting go of his cup—“was what actually fascinated us.” He sipped his coffee.
I wasn’t sure that kind of interest was a good thing. “Fascinated is an unusual word choice.”
“But it fits.” He leaned in and set his cup on the table. The look he shot me was filled with speculation. “You managed to redirect a weapons shipment Areñas promised to their allies—a rival gang, in fact. You did it while padding Areñas’s financials. When the unhappy and empty-handed buyer found the money in the Areñas account, he was highly displeased.”
That was putting it mildly. Areñas had managed to cultivate a partnership of sorts with a local gang, Diablos de Sangre, or DDS. When the weapons shipment failed to show, DDS went after Areñas’s number-two man, Luis Rivera, because of the financial trail Elena had laid. Thanks to a last-minute itinerary change and an unknown affair, DDS’s hit squad not only eliminated Rivera but the wife of Areñas’s leader as well. It was a Machiavellian move that would have been admirable if not for the people it involved. Next to me, Rabbit angled closer, his arm stretching over the back of my chair, obviously concerned about where this was heading.
“The cartel is still scrambling to regroup, trying to excuse the poor behavior of their now-dead lieutenant.” Zane cocked his head. “Whose idea was it to frame Areñas’s lieutenant?”
Clever boy, but it takes more than that to trip me up. Stepping around his question, I used the details from the classified file I’d committed to memory. “Rivera was notoriously tightfisted, so it wasn’t hard to redirect a few funds into a hidden account. Add in his proclivity for taking what didn’t belong to him, and it was an easy sell.”
“And you still managed to stay in the shadows while pocketing a pretty profit.” He lifted his cup. “Well played.”
All this ass-kissing was getting on my nerves. It was too calculated to ring true. “As much as I appreciate the compliment, I’m here and listening, so there’s no need to convince me to work with you.” Propping my elbows on the table, I interlaced my fingers and rested my chin on top. “Why don’t we get down to why I’m actually here? What exactly do you expect my help with?”
The muscles in Rabbit’s arm tensed against my shoulders, but he maintained his casual pose, legs sprawled, one hand holding an after-drink and the other playing with the tendrils of hair along my neck.
“Refreshingly blunt.” The slight stiffening of Zane’s shoulders belied his amicable observation. “What a nice change.”
Mustering a soft but audible sigh, I sat back. Rabbit’s fingers brushed over my shoulder, a subtle reminder to tread carefully. I took my time crossing my legs and smoothing out my skirt. “I find it best to keep discussions focused. Games are a waste of both time and money.” I lifted my eyes to Zane’s and kept my face blank and my gaze hard. “I don’t like wasting either of those things.”
Zane’s mouth curved into an all-out grin. “And that puts me in my place, doesn’t it?”
In keeping with Elena’s cucumber-cool reputation, I lifted an eyebrow and managed to a droll response. “If that’s how you want to view it.” I waited for his chuckle to die down before I asked, “Now, shall we discuss whatever it is you want me to do?”
Zane shook his head, his humor draining away. “Nothing as elaborate as the Areñas job. In fact, this should be rather straightforward for you.”
I sipped my coffee and waited.
“We’d like to request an identity verification.”
That was not the kind of job I was expecting. For one, it was way too simple. Background checks, even deep ones, were easy enough to do with a modicum of technical expertise. Frowning, I lowered my cup to the table. “You kidnapped me, demanding exclusivity of both my time and skills, for a background check?” I didn’t bother masking my disbelief.
Zane’s pleasant expression took on a hard edge. “This goes well beyond a background check.”
My curiosity was sparked. “How so?”
His attention shifted between Rabbit and me, but instead of answering my question, he explained in an empty voice, “Recently, there have been some questionable coincidences during specific business transactions that share a common denominator.”
Translation: someone was interfering with Zane’s illegal dealings. My first thought was, Well, boo-fucking-hoo. My second was, Which transactions? Considering that neither could be shared safely, I kept my mouth shut.
Rabbit didn’t. “Let me guess. The common denominator is the individual you want Elena to investigate.” It wasn’t a question.
Mouth tight, eyes dark, Zane replied in a strained voice, “Yes.”
I wasn’t sure what part of Rabbit’s statement was upsetting Zane, but as I had explained earlier, I wasn’t into games. “What’s the name?” My question cut through the rising tension and redirected Zane’s attention back to me.
“Amalia Black.” Zane sat up and turned to call out, “John.”
As if he’d been waiting for the summons, Zane’s jack-of-all-trades reappeared, carrying a file. He made his way to Zane and handed it over. Zane took it and tapped a corner against the table as John disappeared into whatever corner he’d been hiding in.
