“It should be, because we might be able to exonerate you without any issue.All you gotta do is sit here and not move while I check.Ari will keep you company.”I looked at Ari, who hadn’t lifted her gun, but I felt confident she would if it were necessary.“Shoot him if hemoves.”
She nodded solemnly, and I glanced back to Carver.“She might not aim to kill, but she’ll wound.Her dad and brother taught her how to handle a gun, and she’s a damngoodshot.”
“Then do your thing.I’ll wait for your apology whenyou’redone.”
“We’re just taking the only precautions that make sense, Carver.It’s not personal,” Ari said, her voice cool, calm, and collected.Yeah, my girl was abadass.
I pressed my lips to her temple.“Yougood?”
She nodded.“Yep.Do your thing.Remember what Itoldyou.”
I turned my back and headed to the security terminal with my kit.Ari had pulled a printout of Carver’s file she’d been given when she hired him, and now we were hopefully going to use it to rulehimout.
Ten minutes later, I had myanswer.
“So?”Carver asked as I walked backtowardthem.
“You’re right—your fingerprints are all over that keyboard.”Ari shot me a look, so I spared them the dramatic pauses.“But F1 and F10, along with a whole hell of a lot of other keys, were smudged like someone used the keyboard with gloves on.Now, I’m not saying you didn’t do that, but I’ll give you ten seconds to explain why you weren’t watching the cameras when she was out intheopen.”
Carver tilted his head back, his eyes going to the ceiling for a beat before looking back at me and Ari.“Because I felt like a perv, okay?My job is to keep her safe, not stare at her while she sunbathes.The pool is fenced, and so are the outer edges of the property.I figured it was safe to give her an hour of privacy instead of feeling like acreep.”
“Wherewereyou?”
“Walking the front perimeter.”He paused and added, “On the phone with my mom.I don’t expect you to take her word for it or mine, but you canaskher.”
Ari lowered the gun.“Ibelievehim.”
I did too, but I was still calling his mom and checking his phone records.It took five minutes to prove that he was telling the truth.When I hung up with his mom, we told him what wasgoingon.
His first reaction?Anger.“FuckJesus fuckJesusFuck,” he shouted.“How can I protect her if she doesn’t tell me what the hell is going on?I’ve never let a threat get near asubject.Ever.”
“First, don’t talk about me like I’m not here.Second ...”Ari paused and flipped up her middle finger as number two.“I made a calculated decision to determine whether you were involved before informing you.Given the nature of the threat, it was the intelligent choice, regardless of what you have to say about it.I’m the boss.You workforme.”
I couldn’t argue with her.It was thetruth.
Carver finally nodded.“Fine, but I need to make a report to theagency.”
“No, this goes nowhere.Not yet.Call them and get files on more guys so we can bring in more help.Only people you know and trust.We’ll have them vetted ourselves as well, but you saynothingelse.”
Carver looked like he wanted to argue, but Ididn’tcare.
“You got a problemwiththat?”
“No.No problem.I’ll tell them the threat level has increased and additional security is needed.No one willquestionit.”
“Good.”Then I looked at Ari.“Now we have to tell yourbrother.”
44
Ariel
“He doesn’t need to know,”I argued.“This will get him all riled up fornothing.”
My hands twisted the hem of my T-shirt because Ireallydidn’t want to tell Heath any of this.My brother had always seen me as his head-in-the-clouds little sister who was better at being a geek than navigating real life.For the record, I was good at both,thank youverymuch.
Rhett shot me a look.“Have you forgotten that your brother is a cop?He kept tabs on you in California.He knows about the employee who kidnapped you.He told me sohimself.”
Self-righteous anger swept through me like a firestorm.“Are you kidding?He toldyouthat?”