Deceived (19 page)

“No,” Stone agreed, “but you all should've known better than to have the senator out in the open without his security detail. Where the hell were the other Templars actually assigned to him? Have you questioned
those
inept assholes?”

“What the hell, Jacob?” Jack spat. “Did you come here just to bust my balls about what happened? Because, I gotta tell you—”

“Enough,” Maddie interrupted quietly, bringing them both to heel. “The only person to blame is the one behind this. And it's not going to do anyone any good if you're at each other's throats. And, yes, for the record, Commander Asher is questioning Dad's security detail himself. I don't know the commander that well, but from what I've seen of him during this incident, I don't envy those guys one bit.”

Stone had to suppress a grin. His plan was working marvelously—more perfectly than he could've predicted. Maddie and Jack didn't suspect a thing. And Will Asher was obviously pursuing the avenue that Stone had intended to divert blame away from himself. Now he just needed to make sure Evans carried out his part of the plan before years of Stone's ass-kissing and planning went down the shitter. . . .

* * *

“Any luck?” Will asked as he entered the situation room to observe the ongoing interrogations of Hal Blake's personal security detail.

Finn shook his head, his thumbs rapidly tapping on the controller in his hands as he took out the alien invasion force on the big-screen TV devoted solely to gaming. If Will hadn't known the tech genius for years, he would've thought the guy was a just a slacker with a passion for violent video games, organic foods, and “bitchin' waves.” But even when Finn didn't seem like he was paying attention, he was always listening, always soaking in everything going on around him, his mind working at a million miles a minute.

“Nah,” he said with a shrug. “They were clueless. And pretty pissed off about it, too.”

“You sure?” Will asked, needing to be certain that they hadn't left any avenue of inquiry unexplored.

“If Adam wasn't able to get anything out of 'em, you know they're clean,” he replied.

Adam Watanabe hadn't been with them long, having transferred from the Temple Knight & Associates office in Japan just a year before at the request of his provincial commander. There'd been an incident that required him to relocate and assume a new identity. Will hadn't been briefed on the incident and Adam hadn't bothered to confide in him. But as long as he performed his duties in the boardroom and in the field, Will was cool with the guy keeping his secrets.

Besides, he was a master at psychological manipulation and had proven his skills on several occasions already. So Finn had a damned good point.

But that didn't get Will any closer to knowing who the hell was behind the attempt on Hal's life or the attempted kidnapping of his grandson. Will needed a name. He needed to know if the mole was someone in the Grand Council or if it was someone closer to Hal.

He cursed under his breath. “I need a name, Finn.”

“Wish I could give you one,” Finn assured him. “Unfortunately, we've got nothing from these guys. You could question the members of the Grand Council, see if one of those ass-hats has a side game going on.”

Will grunted. “Yeah, the high commander would love it if I hauled in his cronies. He's already told me they're off-limits as far as questioning them in person goes.”

“Well, we know he didn't tell Sarah,” Finn pointed out. “Who else would he trust with that info?”

Will crossed his arms over his chest. “He was closer to Maddie than Sarah.”

“Nah,” Finn said, shaking his head. “No way is she the one. She won't leave her father's side.”

“Because she cares that much,” Will asked, “or because she's afraid he'll give something up before she can stop him?”

“Damn,” Finn drawled. “Your cynicism is harshing my chill.”

Will grunted. “I'm not a cynic. I'm a realist. And I know that even the closest relationships might have—” He cursed under his breath, pissed with himself for not seeing another option sooner. “Where's Jacob Stone? Is he still at the hospital?”

Finn's brows went up slightly. “You think Stone knows something?”

Will's eyes narrowed as he continued to watch Hal's security detail on the monitor. “Don't know. But maybe these guys could tell us the last time Stone paid Hal a visit. How are we doing on moving the assets?”

Finn glanced up to check a bank of monitors on which code scrolled in a continuous update. “Almost there. The European caches are almost good to go. Portugal hit a snag with customs, but we're good now.”

Will sighed. It was what he wanted to hear. What he'd pretty much demanded of his team. But it meant he was going to have to make a call to Luke. And he had a feeling it wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation....

* * *

Sarah was cleaning up the dishes from lunch when the cell phone Finn had dropped off for her began to ring. Frowning, she dried off her hands and snatched it up from the countertop, her frown growing when she didn't recognize the number.

She thought about letting it go to voicemail—or maybe letting Luke answer. But Eli, Luke, and Chief had headed back outside as soon as the temperature hit forty degrees, eager to check on the mare who was so near her time to give birth. Besides, what was she afraid of? If someone was calling her secure line, it had to be a trusted caller. Right?

Taking a deep breath, Sarah accepted the call, hesitating a second or two before finally bringing the phone to her ear. “Hello?”

“Sarah?”

She exhaled in relief, not realizing she'd been holding her breath. “Jacob! How did you get this number?”

“From your sister,” he assured her, his familiar voice bringing tears to her eyes. “I'm here with your father and Maddie. But I wanted to check on you, kiddo. Are you doing okay? Are you safe?”

She nodded, sniffling now that she'd dared allow emotion to get the better of her. “Yes, yes, I'm fine. Eli and I are safe. But how did you—” She laughed at her own naiveté. She'd been about to ask him how he knew where her father was or the truth about his condition. But the answer to that question was obvious. “You're one of them.”

“Not anymore,” he told her, his voice tinged with a hint of sorrow. “I was once, but I left the Alliance. I'm now just a
confrere
, like your father.”

“Then you've known about everything all along,” she said, not bothering to disguise her feelings of betrayal. Even Jacob—the man who'd been like a brother to her when they were growing up, a son to her father—had deceived her.

He sighed. “I'm sorry, darling. Secrecy and deception are necessary to protect the Alliance.”

She laughed bitterly. “And everyone could be trusted with the truth but me? Wow. Thanks.”

“That's not what I meant,” he assured her. “I was born into this, Sarah. My family has been in the Alliance since it was formed. Your father could confide in me in ways that he couldn't in you and Maddie. Maddie only came to know the truth later.”

“Yeah, so I've heard,” Sarah said on a sigh. Deciding to leave the past behind, she changed the subject. “How's Dad?”

There was a slight hesitation before he said, “I think you need to prepare yourself.”

Sarah's knees suddenly grew weak, and she pulled out one of the bar stools at the center island and collapsed onto it. “But, I thought he was improving. . . .”

“They're obviously doing everything they can,” Jacob assured her. “But I feel like someone needs to be honest with you, Sarah. Clearly, you've been kept in the dark far too long.”

“I need to see him, Jacob,” she insisted. “The way he and I left things . . . I'll never forgive myself if I don't get the chance to see him before . . .”

“Then you should be here,” he agreed. “Come to Chicago. You can stay at my apartment in the city. Or, better yet, my house in the country.”

Sarah's heart began to pound at the thought of leaving the safety of Luke's ranch and possibly putting herself and her son at risk. “I'll have to check with Luke.”

“Leave Eli there with your handler,” Jacob suggested. “Then you know the boy will be safe. Or send him to me. My security detail can keep him safe. And I'll have Allison tend to him personally. He'll want for nothing while he's here.”

Sarah mulled over his suggestions. “Thanks, Jacob. I appreciate it. But . . . things are complicated.”

Sarah could hear Jacob sigh. “All right, but the offer stands. If you need anything—place to stay, information, just someone to talk to, you know you can call me. You and Maddie are sisters to me, Sarah. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you. You have this number now. It's secure. Use it, okay?”

Sarah swiped the tears from her cheeks. “Thank you, Jacob. I will.”

She'd just hung up when Eli came rushing into the house, his snow boots slipping on the hardwood floors in his haste. “Mom! Mom, hurry up!”

Sarah's heart leapt into her throat as she ran after him. Dear God
. . .
had something happened to Luke?

She pulled on her boots and grabbed her coat, yanking it on as she went. Her breath was sawing in and out of her lungs when she reached the barn a few steps behind Eli, but she was finally able to swallow her heart when she saw Luke kneeling in the straw inside the stall beside his mare and her new foal.

Sarah covered her mouth with her hands, marveling at the beautiful little black filly, then turned wide eyes to Luke. “You delivered her?”

Luke shrugged. “Her mama did all the work. I just helped out a little. I honestly wasn't expecting this little gal this afternoon, but I guess she had other plans.” He rose to his feet, not bothering to suppress his grin. “Guess we should give Davis and Mel a call, yeah?”

After making sure the mare and her foal were safe and warm and settled in, they made their way back to the house, Eli giving Sarah a play-by-play of the foal's birth in vivid detail.

“Oh my gosh, Mom,” he gushed. “It was so gross! It was totally cool.”

He relayed the story again a couple of hours later when Davis and Mel, after coming over, returned from the barn.

“Well, I think this calls for a celebration,” Mel said, ruffling Eli's hair. “What do you think, kiddo?” When Eli nodded enthusiastically, Mel turned her attention to Sarah and Luke. “What do you say? Want to join us for dinner at the main house? I promise I'll keep Davis away from the stove.”

Davis laughed, raising his hands in surrender. “Hey, I never claimed to be a gourmet.”

Sarah sent a look Luke's way to see if he was comfortable with their leaving the safety of the haven. When he gave a terse nod, she was glad to accept the invitation, eager to get away from the house for a little while.

And the evening proved to be as lively as she'd hoped. Eli had to tell his birthing story to Jim again after dinner when they were all gathered in the great room in front of a roaring fire. When Eli had finished, Jim then shared a few stories too, from when he was a cowboy running the ranch on his own, growing his herd of cattle little by little as he could afford it. Sarah was stunned to hear how many head of cattle and horses Jim had owned at the ranch's height. Breeding horses had been an afterthought, but a profitable one, from the sound of it, and had brought Luke's mother into Jim's life.

Sarah could see the sadness in his eyes when he spoke of Lyla and that time in their lives, but she could also see how sharing his stories, speaking of his business, and how he'd built it with his blood, sweat, and tears, completely changed his demeanor, giving her a glimpse of the man he'd been. It was too bad that he'd had to downsize since his stroke.

“Maybe, when it's time to train that little filly, Luke here can show you how it's done,” Jim suggested.

Eli's face instantly brightened but then fell almost as quickly. “I don't think we'll be visiting that long.”

Jim nodded, sending a wink toward Sarah. “Oh, I don't know. Your mama's awfully pretty. I think Luke might be smitten.”

“Smitten?” Mel chimed in, grinning at her stepbrother when he actually blushed. “I'd say he's got it pretty bad. What do you think, Davis? You ever seen Luke with the big puppy eyes like he has when he looks at Sarah?”

“Piss off,” Luke grumbled, lobbing one of the couch cushions at Mel.

“Nope, never have,” Davis said on a chuckle. “But I don't know what Sarah sees in the dude. Got no sense of humor whatsoever. All he does is frown.”

“That's not true,” Sarah said, defending him before she realized they were teasing. But when all eyes turned to her, she linked her fingers with Luke's and offered him a loving grin. “He has a beautiful smile. It's his mother's smile.”

The tone in the room immediately grew somber. “That he does,” Jim agreed. “I fell in love with Lyla the first time I saw that smile.” Then he nodded toward Luke. “And when I saw that her boy had the same smile, I knew there'd be something special about him too. And I was right. He keeps it hidden down deep, but Luke's heart's as big as his mama's was.”

Luke suddenly stood and strode from the room. Sarah sent a confused glance around the room, but no one else seemed to think there was anything out of the ordinary in his sudden departure. They merely exchanged sad looks that left Sarah feeling like she was missing some vital piece of the puzzle.

“Hey, Eli,” Davis said. “How are you at checkers? I've yet to find someone in this town who could take me on.”