Deadly Intuition (Hardy Brothers Security Book 2) (5 page)

Grady walked Sophie back to her car, fighting the urge to wrap his arm around her and ward off the evening cold for both of them. He then followed her car through the empty night streets, finally finding his way to her house in Clinton Township. He was surprised when he pulled into the driveway. He didn’t know what he was expecting, but an expansive split-level ranch with ornate front gardens wasn’t it.

He got out of his truck, running his hand through his hair to make sure it wasn’t disheveled, and waited for Sophie at the front door. When she joined him, she looked unsure of herself. “I never said thank you.” Her voice was so low it was almost a whisper.

“You’re welcome.”

Sophie opened the door, ushering Grady into her inner sanctum. When he entered, he realized the house was devoid of personality. Most people managed to make their home feel like it had a presence. Sophie’s house lacked that warmth.

“Why don’t you get settled at the dining room table,” she instructed. “I’ll get my files and join you there in a second.”

Grady wandered through the house slowly, trying to get a sense of who Sophie was as a person. There was nothing there for him to grasp onto, though. After a few minutes, he gave up. When Sophie appeared in the dining room, her hands filled with files, Grady was at a loss.

“This place is … sparse.”

Sophie looked around blankly. “It has everything I need.”

Grady pictured his parent’s house, realizing what Sophie’s abode was missing. “You don’t have any stuff.”

“What do you mean?”

“There aren’t any pictures,” he said. “The walls are blank. There are no photographs. No knickknacks.”

Sophie shrugged. “I’ve never seen the point of that stuff.”

Grady thought about Mandy’s apartment. She spent most of her nights with James these days, his apartment serving as home base for the couple out of convenience, but she still rented the two-bedroom abode she’d lived in when she’d needed their help a few months ago. The environment had been small – but homey. Mandy had filled shelves with books, movies, stuffed animals, and a multitude of reminders that pointed to a happy childhood. Sophie had none of that.

“You don’t read?”

“I have a Kindle.”

“You don’t watch movies?”

“Isn’t that what On Demand is for?”

“You don’t like decorations?” Grady pressed.

“They just seem like a waste of money.”

Grady cocked his head to the side. Nothing she said was arguable. Still … . He turned his attention to her files. “What are these?”

Sophie pushed the top file in front of him. “This is how I first discovered the missing money.”

Grady listened as Sophie laid out her investigative tracks. When she was done, he was impressed. “That’s … wow.”

Sophie’s face was nonplussed. “That’s just the way I do things.”

Grady rubbed his eyes. “So, you got all of this through … cripes … the world’s longest paper trail.”

“It’s all here.”

“You showed me.”

“I don’t think you get it.” Sophie moved behind him, leaning over so her hair was brushing his shoulder. Her proximity – her scent – made Grady’s mind wander. Unfortunately, it was wandering up the stairs and toward what – he assumed – was her bedroom.

Get a grip!

“Can you verify that the money moved from the county’s general fund to the sheriff’s department?”

Sophie stepped away, leaving Grady feeling inexplicably cold. She rummaged through the files for a second, ultimately pushing a sheet of paper in front of him. “This shows that the funds were officially allocated to the sheriff’s department.”

Grady glanced at the document. “It’s a copy, though.”

“Well, finding the original isn’t exactly an option.”

“No,” Grady agreed. “And what did Morgan tell you?”

“He just keeps saying the money is there,” Sophie said. “It’s just been misplaced.”

Grady tried to focus on the information she was presenting. Her scent – a simple coconut and lime body mist – was driving him to distraction. “Do you believe him?”

“Do I believe that he’s hiding the money? I don’t know. I think it’s impossible that he doesn’t know who took the money, though. That seems just so … improbable … and a little unbelievable to me.”

She was bent over the documents, focused. Grady found the little crinkle that formed between her eyes when she concentrated endearing.
Dammit! Pay attention!

“Okay, for the sake of argument, let’s pretend he doesn’t know,” Grady said. “How could someone accomplish that?”

Sophie pondered the question. “Well, John Madison is his assistant. I would assume that means he handles the financials for the sheriff’s department. Although, I still don’t see how Morgan could do his job without at least a working knowledge of the funds coming in and out of the sheriff’s department.”

Grady thought for a moment. “Have you requested the financials from the sheriff’s department itself?”

“Of course. Do you think I’m new?”

Grady sighed. “Actually, I was being more mundane. Have you asked for the financials for the jail, and the tickets the sheriff’s department writes and collects money on each month?”

Sophie stilled. “No. Crap. So stupid.”

Grady smiled. He liked catching her off guard. “How would you get those?”

“I have to file FOIs.”

Grady scrunched up his face. He didn’t want to appear ignorant – but he had no idea what that meant.

Now Sophie was the one smiling. “All financial records for government entities are subject to certain rules. Under the Freedom of Information Act, I can request those records. Those are FOIs.”

“How long does it take to get that information?”

“They have to respond in ten days.”

“Does that mean they have to supply those documents in ten days?”

“Not necessarily,” Sophie hedged. “There has to be a reason for them to defer.”

“Could there be a realistic reason?”

Sophie shrugged. “I don’t think so – but I can’t say no for sure. They could try and come up with something. I wouldn’t put it past them.”

Grady turned his attention back to the documents. “This is a lot of information.”

Sophie straightened. “Do you want some coffee?”

“Hit me.”

IT TOOK
Sophie about fifteen minutes to brew a pot of coffee. She welcomed her time alone in the kitchen. She could hear the rustling of paper in the next room, signifying the fact that Grady was wading through her extensive files, and his presence settled her.

She had no idea why.

She’d known Grady Hardy for exactly thirty-six hours and, in that time, he’d managed to completely muddle her usually competent brain.

When she’d first seen him at the newspaper, she’d dismissed him as a brainless, muscle-bound tool with exactly two things on his mind: Money and sex. Now, she wasn’t so sure.

He was clearly muscle-bound – and part of her was dying to see proof of that up close. He was more than that. He was also intelligent, curious, and … sweet. How could a man that looked like him be so sweet?

Get a hold of yourself. He’s just a man. He’s nothing special.

Sophie filled two mugs with coffee, collecting herself before rejoining Grady in the other room. She was desperate to keep their conversation going – even if the need made her feel pathetic.

“I’ll file some additional FOI requests tomorrow.”

“Will that tip him off, though?” Grady asked, not looking up from the document he was perusing.

He’s just being nice. He’s not interested in you. 
“That’s the way I roll … unless … .”

“Do you have a different idea?” Grady pressed.

“You said you had access to different investigative means,” Sophie reminded him. “What can you offer?”

Grady smirked. “What did you have in mind?”

Was he flirting?

“Um … well … what did you have in mind?”

Crap. Did he think that she was flirting?

Grady’s eyes narrowed for a second, and then he turned back to the documents. “I need a list of names.”

“What names?”

“I need to know who is in a position of power at the sheriff’s department. Only people that can actually get their hands on money.”

“That’s all?”

Grady shrugged. “For now. It’s better to start with a limited pool of suspects and then work our way out.”

“Really? I would think it would be better to start with a big pool of suspects and then whittle it down,” Sophie countered, trying hard not to focus on his lips. Her mind – and her body, quite frankly – were betraying her in ways she’d never experienced before. She’d had sex. She’d had a decent amount of sex. What she was feeling now was different. She had to focus on the work.

“I’m assuming that you want to focus on the people at the county level and the sheriff’s department who have access to money.”

“Pretty much.”

Grady rubbed his forehead. “How many people are we talking about here?”

Sophie considered the question. “I don’t know. It will be in double digits, though.”

Grady exhaled deeply. “Okay. Put together a list. When you’re done, bring it to our offices tomorrow. We’ll start running them one at a time and see what we come up with.”

“And then?”

“One step at a time, sweetheart.”

Sophie’s heart pinged at the endearment – even though she knew it didn’t mean anything.

“One step at a time,” she agreed.

When Sophie arrived at Hardy Brothers Security the next day she was surprised by their operation. She’d expected a hole-in-the-wall office, three men, four walls, and nothing else to set them apart from the pack. What she found was a streamlined facility with modern furniture and smooth, architectural lines.

The bell over the door jangled when she entered, causing her to jump. The man standing in the lobby was attractive, even hot in his own right. He had Grady’s eyes, although his hair was short and cropped close to his head.

“Can I help you?”

“I’m looking for Grady,” Sophie replied, trying to tamp down her nervousness.

The man narrowed his eyes, looking her up and down. “Are you Sophie?”

She hated being caught off guard. It made her feel like she was working from a disadvantage. “Yes.”

The man extended his hand. “I’m Finn Hardy, Grady’s brother.”

Sophie wracked her brain. She remembered James was the older brother. This was the other brother, the younger one. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said, shaking his hand. “Is Grady here?”

Finn motioned for her to follow. “This way.”

Sophie clutched her files to her chest worriedly but did as instructed. Finn led her into an office where another man, also boasting Grady’s eyes, was sitting behind a desk. “This is James.”

James glanced up, gracing Sophie with a welcoming smile. “You must be Sophie. Grady informed us what’s going on. We were expecting you.”

Sophie shook James’ proffered hand. “You’re the brother who saved the clerk at the courthouse.”

James’ smile was wide, guileless. “That would be me. Although, we call her Mandy – not the clerk.”

“I know Mandy,” Sophie admitted.

“You do?”

“I’m a reporter. I’ve run across her at the courthouse a time or two. She’s pretty cool, always helpful.”

Finn snorted, something James pointedly ignored.

“We like her,” James said.

“Some of us more than others,” Finn teased.

Sophie was uncomfortable but, despite herself, she liked the other Hardy brothers. They looked different than Grady – kind of – but they had the same irrepressible appeal. Still, without Grady, she felt like an intruder. “If Grady isn’t here, I can come back.”

“He’s here,” Finn replied. “He just upstairs fighting with Mandy.”

Sophie faltered. “I’m sorry.”

James rolled his eyes. “He ate all of her Fruity Pebbles.”

Sophie was lost.

“Mandy has been sick,” Finn supplied. “She got food poisoning. She just got her appetite back and found out that someone – I’m not saying who, but someone – ate her favorite cereal. She’s not happy.”

Sophie battled back her doubts. “I can go and buy some cereal if that helps,” she offered.

The look Finn and James exchanged wasn’t lost on her.

“She’ll survive,” James said. “I’m just glad she’s got some color back in her cheeks – and a little spring in her step.”

Finn snorted. “I guess that means it’s back to business as usual. You obviously got sex last night.”

James rolled his eyes, shooting his brother the finger. There was no malice associated with the gesture, so Sophie forced herself to relax.

“I’m glad she’s feeling better. She’s a hard worker. She’s one of the few clerks who doesn’t annoy me.”

James smiled widely. “She’s the only one who doesn’t annoy me.”

“I’m still undecided,” Finn said.

Given his grin, Sophie realized straight away that he was joking. There were times when sarcasm was lost on her. It seemed to be a regular thing in the Hardy family, though.

Sophie shifted when she heard voices. She couldn’t tell where they were coming from, but she recognized one of them as Grady’s. Once he entered the room, her heart jumped at the sight of him. He hadn’t seen her yet. She took the opportunity to take him in – all of him. He was wearing simple blue jeans and a white T-shirt, and he looked phenomenal. She recognized the blonde entering the room behind him, too – although she’d never seen the woman so animated.

“You stole my cereal!”

“You weren’t eating it.”

“It was still mine.”

“Oh … shut it.”

MANDY
was feeling better. A lot better. Thirty-eight hours of sleep in three days will do that for you. She stilled when she hit the bottom of the staircase; not because she was surprised to see Sophie Lane, but because Grady’s body had stiffened in anticipation at the sight of her.

Well, that was interesting.

Mandy pushed past Grady and greeted Sophie. “Hey.”

Sophie’s smile was warm, but her eyes were scattered. Her attention was clearly drawn to Grady, but she was trying to pretend it wasn’t.

That was even more interesting.

Mandy didn’t know a lot about Sophie. She knew she was a reporter – arguably the best one at the Daily Tribune – but she was also notoriously private. Still, the woman was a professional – and that made Mandy like her.

Sophie greeted Mandy with a shy smile. “Hi. I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

“It’s been hellish,” Mandy said. “I finally feel like a human being again. Even if someone ate my Fruity Pebbles.”

Mandy noticed the blush creeping up Grady’s cheeks. “I’ll buy you another box of cereal,” he grumbled. “Stop bitching.”

Mandy glanced over at James, meeting his gaze over his desk. He saw it, too, she realized.

“What’s up, buttercup?”

Mandy’s heart swelled at the endearment. He’d been her constant companion – even when she was too embarrassed about the nonstop vomit to meet his eyes – over the past few days. Now that she was feeling better, she couldn’t help but be thankful. “I’m bored.”

James smirked. “Well, it’s Friday, and you’re off for the rest of the day,” he replied, pushing away from his desk and patting his lap enticingly. “Why don’t you come here and help us with some real work?”

Finn groaned. “Oh, please.”

“Do you have something you want to say?” James asked.

“This is just foreplay for the two of you.”

“Come here, Blondie,” James ordered.

Mandy obliged, even though she wasn’t keen on his bossy nature at times. “What are we doing?”

James settled her on his lap, making sure her back was flush with his chest, and then slid back in closer to the desk. “Sophie has some financial records we need to run.”

Mandy focused on Sophie. “Is this about the sheriff’s department corruption?”

Sophie looked unsure. “Um … .”

“You can trust Mandy,” Grady said, sliding into the space next to her and applying pressure to the small of her back to direct her further into the office. “Sit down.”

“Don’t worry,” Mandy said. “I won’t tell anyone what you’ve discovered. Their business is, well, their business. We kind of have an understanding where this stuff is concerned.”

Sophie nodded, handing the file in her hand to Grady. “These are the names you wanted.”

Grady opened the file, glanced at it, and then handed it over to James. He perched on the edge of Sophie’s chair – never touching her – but making sure to claim the space around her as his own.

Mandy dropped her head, brushing her temple against James’ hair before focusing on the file in his hands. James glanced at her but didn’t say anything, turning his attention to the file. “This is a lot of names.”

“Grady said to give you all the names of people who had access to county funds,” Sophie said, clearly unsure.

“You did good,” Grady assured her.

Mandy watched them, her eyes sharp with interest. She’d known Grady for so long she could read him like a book. As a teenager, he’d been a fun horn dog. As an adult, he was still a fun horn dog.  She’d never seen him show more than one night’s interest in anyone – no matter how attractive.

Something was different here.

Mandy could read people. Sophie had always seemed aloof, like she was trying hard not to connect with people. She wasn’t unfriendly or mean – just distant. Grady, on the other hand, was overtly friendly. Although he never forged close bonds with people. He was also distant, just in a different way.

A serious study of Sophie and Grady together was telling.

There was sexual tension there – a lot of it. Mandy recognized the signs. She and James had fought the urges when they’d first found each other again. Neither Sophie nor Grady were about to admit their attraction. They were fighting it. It was kind of cute. She couldn’t help but wonder who would make the first move – because someone was definitely going to make the first move.

James shuffled the file in his hand. “This is going to take a while to go through.”

“How long?” Sophie asked.

James shrugged. “Less time now that someone isn’t puking every twenty minutes,” he said pointedly.

Mandy flicked his ear before kissing the ridge. He shifted underneath her weight. “Are you sure?”

James smiled up at her. “Behave yourself.”

Finn groaned. “Good grief. It’s like you two are in heat.”

Grady joined in with his brother’s laughter. “It’s hormones.”

Mandy watched Sophie, her curiosity getting the better of her. Sophie was uncomfortable with the overt affection – something that tugged at Mandy’s heart. She didn’t know a lot about Sophie, but she did recognize the emotion washing over the woman’s face. It was yearning.

“We’ll run the names,” James said. “We’ll keep you updated. I’m sure Grady will be in contact.”

Mandy glanced down at him.
He definitely knew.
He saw the attraction, too. “What are you going to do?” Mandy pointed the question directly at Sophie.

Sophie shrugged, her slight shoulders heaving. “I’m not sure. I don’t have a plan of action yet.”

“I can ask around at the courthouse,” Mandy offered. “That’s a huge gossip mill. I bet some of the prosecutors have some ideas.”

James squeezed her waist. “Do you think they’ll tell you?”

“The alphas will,” Mandy replied. “They like to boast. They think it impresses me.”

“That’s still days away, though,” Grady pointed out. “What can we do over the weekend?”

James shrugged “Run the list.”

“What else?”

“I have no idea.”

After a few minutes, Grady managed to isolate Sophie in the lobby while Finn disappeared upstairs. From her spot on James’ lap, Mandy couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she took the opportunity to watch them from afar.

James’ fingers were skillfully moving across the keyboard.

“He likes her,” Mandy said.

James glanced up, following her gaze. “I know.”

“No, I mean he
really
likes her.”

“I’ve noticed.”

Mandy turned her attention to James. “What are you going to do about it?”

James’ fingers stilled. “Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

He sighed. “Don’t meddle, baby.”

“You don’t want your brother to be happy?” Mandy pressed.

“I want him to be happy,” James said. “He’s not going to be happy if you meddle, though. Just leave it alone.”

Mandy chewed her bottom lip. “They need to have sex.”

James barked out a laugh. “How do you know that?”

“Look at them.”

James glanced up, snuggling closer to his girlfriend. “They’ll have sex.”

“How can you be sure?”

“Because he looks just like me when I was fighting to stay away from you,” James replied.

“That doesn’t mean they’ll have sex.”

James sighed, pressing his lips against her taut jaw. “Yes, it does.”

“How can you be sure?” Mandy’s mind was jumbled with ways of assuring Grady’s eventual seduction of the county’s top reporter.

“Because sometimes you can’t fight it.”

Mandy wrenched her gaze from Grady and Sophie, focusing on the man who had managed to claim her whole heart. “How can you be sure, really I mean? You fought it.”

James reached up, tweaking Mandy’s nose. “And I lost. You have to let them do it on their own time. You can’t force it.”

Mandy sighed. “You’re smarter than you look.”

James cupped Mandy’s jaw with his hand. “And that’s why I love you.” He captured her mouth with his, slipping his tongue beyond the barrier briefly before pulling away. “Now, focus on me.”

Mandy giggled. “What did you have in mind?”

“Why don’t you whisper dirty thoughts in my ear while I type?”

“How is that going to help you get your work done?”

“It’s not,” James admitted. “At a certain point Finn is going to get frustrated with all the sex talk and send us upstairs. That’s the ultimate goal here.”

Mandy smiled, a particularly filthy idea entering her head. She leaned in and whispered. James’ arms tightened.

“That’s my baby.”