Rory: Finding His Match (Big 3 Security Book 4) Page 7

It became more important than she cared to admit, and not because of the money, but because of the mystery of the money. If that made sense.

  "Red, I don't like talking about this stuff, but so I can ease your beautiful mind, I happen to have a fair amount of money. My grandparents made a good living, very good. Entrepreneurial his whole life, my grandfather started several businesses in his days. When they died, my siblings and I inherited. When Debra died, I inherited again. She was from an incredibly wealthy family, not that it mattered because we never asked for a dime from either side of our families. But I had to lose people in order to become a wealthy man. I try hard not to flaunt it, but the work I do, we do, requires a lot of mental fortitude. When I come home, I want my sanctuary. A place I can unwind, settle in and utilize to equalize my stressors. So, I spent a fair amount of money on this house and setting it up to suit me. And, my car, I spent money on her."

  Leaning back in her chair she assessed his eyes, his features, and concluded that he wasn't lying.

  "Usually rich boys don't join the military and serve, how many tours, three? How did your family feel about that?"

  His right shoulder raised and lowered. "They weren't thrilled with my choice, but they respected it. What they're not happy about now is my job. But we just agree to disagree on that."

  Nodding she saw him in a new light. He wasn't spoiled and living on the family trust fund, he was admirable in a whole new way to her. As if that was possible.

  His phone rang and he tapped the speaker icon. "Captain, what do you have?"

  17

  He hated talking about his money. Either people wanted something from you afterward or they treated you differently. Most of his coworkers didn't even know how much money he had. Of course, they knew his grandparents were wealthy, after all it was a small town. But they naturally assumed his parents inherited that money. He'd heard a couple of cops gossiping once about him and he'd shut that down right away.

  Now he stood in his kitchen waiting for Red to grab her shoes so they could go over to the Limitless building. He felt restless and a little bit relieved. Which was a surprise to him to feel relieved that Red knew about his money. That was new.

  The sound of her running down the steps, a new vigor in them now that they'd been sprung from house arrest. It was horrible feeling trapped. It was also nearing 6:00 p.m. and would be dark soon, not that they were actually looking at the building to purchase, but he wanted Maggie to think so.

  "All set, Ace. I feel like I'm being released from prison." Her smile was infectious.

  "Me, too." He started for the garage as soon as she'd reached him, and he had to stop himself from reaching out and grabbing her hand. Giving his head a slight shake, he opened the door to the garage and stepped back to allow her to precede him. She did with a smile on her face and damn if it didn't make him feel good.

  She climbed into the passenger side of his car and he jumped in the driver’s side, tapped the button to open the garage door and started her up. The roar of the V-8 engine always gave him a thrill and he couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face.

  "Sexy sound." Red whispered.

  He simply nodded his agreement.

  "Okay, so Maggie is a friend from back when I shot pool for the Copper Cup. She used to tend bar there until her real estate business took off. She's smart, savvy, and very good at reading people. We need to go in as if we're purchasing for your family. She doesn't know you; she doesn't know your family. So, let's say you're a friend from the service here scoping out the building and I came along with you for fun."

  "You think she'll buy that?"

  "I don't know. But what she needs to do is relay that information to whoever in the Santarino family has hired her. As to what she really believes, I highly doubt she'll relay any thoughts to them. She just wants to make a commission."

  "Okay. That's plausible."

  "And, Officer Delhurst will meet us there as a precaution."

  "What are you telling Maggie about that?"

  He chuckled. "He's your security detail."

  She laughed and it was amazing. He glanced over to see her smiling face and it was like the sun shone right into the car. Stunning.

  She was quiet for a while and it was pleasant riding and not feeling tension.

  "Is Maggie an old girlfriend?"

  "Nope."

  "Friend with benefits?"

  "Nope."

  Glancing over at her he saw a slight smile on her face, and he couldn't help the grin on his.

  "Were you jealous?"

  "Nope."

  They both laughed.

  "She had a baby around seven months ago. The father is rather mysterious. No one's seen him and rumor has it he's some wealthy businessman from out of town."

  "Rumors, sometimes they have a ring of truth to them."

  Pulling into the Limitless parking lot, Delhurst's cruiser was already there but he wasn't inside. Red noticed it too as he could see her scanning the outside of the building looking for him. Maggie's car wasn't in the lot yet, so he must have been walking around alone.

  Stopping in front of the main door, he put the Charger in Park and undid his seat belt. Delhurst appeared around the East corner of the building to their left and they both relaxed.

  "Ready?" he asked, knowing full well she was.

  "Let's do this."

  Her phone rang then, and she pulled it from the pocket of her jacket, looked at the readout and said, “It’s the number from this morning.”

  “Go ahead and answer it.”

  “What?” She answered and he at once admired her spunk and worried she was too brash. He also had to remind himself that she’d been doing this for years and she had her methods.

  “I’ve thought about it; but I’m not interested in working on your behalf to ask the State of Indiana to pay you to do anything. You’re a criminal and neither Indiana nor the USA negotiates with criminals.”

  She pulled her phone from her ear and tapped the speaker icon.

  “Well you paid Twitch to snitch for you.”

  “You don’t know anything about what I did and didn’t do with Twitch.”

  “I think you need to mind your manners, Hightop. I believe I’m calling the shots here. I can easily cut your tongue out and carve up your face just like Twitch, so watch yourself.”

  The line went dead and he saw Red take a deep breath. “He’s scared about something.”

  She opened her door and hopped out ready to get to work. He shook his head, unsure of his feelings about her being threatened and her casual attitude concerning it. But then he remembered, this was the Red he’d known except now she also was an experienced DEA Special Agent. She loved the action.

  Delhurst stopped on the sidewalk in front of the door, waiting for them to reach him.

  "Checking the perimeter, Delhurst?"

  Nodding, he replied. "Yes, sir. Just in case there was anything going on."

  "See anything?"

  "No, sir."

  A car pulling into the lot had them all turning to see a gleaming white Cadillac Escalade stopping alongside Rory's car. Maggie popped out of her car, a huge smile on her face, her dark hair shining in the waning streams of sunlight, her over-sized sunglasses reflecting the rays off the little rhinestones on the bows.

  Maggie walked to him; her slender form tightly encased in a black pencil skirt with a white blouse tucked into it. A large gold chain hung around her neck and a substantial diamond bracelet glittered on her wrist. She screamed expensive.

  "Rory, so good to hear from you and see you. I got the pre-approval for Ms. Thomas a while ago, so we're all set."

  She hugged him and he hugged her back, though not like he'd hugged Red earlier, and it sure didn't feel as warm and inviting as Red's hug had felt. Weird.

  "Maggie, I'd like you to meet Alice Thomas. She's a friend from the military and her family is interested in moving one of their businesses to Lynyrd Station. I'm along for the ride."

 
Maggie held out her hand and Red promptly grasped it and shook. By the ever-so-slight grimace on Maggie's face, he believed Red probably made sure the handshake was firm. Showing her dominance at the beginning, that was so Red.

  "Okay, well let's start inside. I see you brought police protection."

  He responded first. "Yes, Alice's father is rather protective and he's heard about some of our issues here lately; it almost caused him to reconsider this place. But the Mayor has been trying to get someone in this building for a while and talked him into giving us a chance in Lynyrd Station."

  "I'm so glad he rethought pulling out. We all know you are working feverishly to stop the recent flood of crime. It's only a matter of time and it'll be gone."

  Using her phone to unlock the lockbox that held the key, Maggie inserted it into the deadbolt on the door; she opened it wide allowing them to precede her then quickly turned on the lights.

  The air was surprisingly fresh for an empty, locked up building and he knew Red was thinking the same thing. Her red hair gleamed in the overhead lights, but her eyes were taking in everything. He saw her nose flare and twitch slightly as she was sniffing the air trying to puzzle out a few things that already didn't add up.

  "Would you like to see the upstairs first or the main level?" Maggie asked.

  Red smiled at her before responding, "I'd like to see the upstairs first if you don't mind."

  "Certainly.” Maggie walked to the left of the doorway that lead to a staircase. They each walked up quietly, he following Red and Delhurst behind him.

  On the second floor Maggie switched the lights on and the pristinely polished dark wood floors gleamed under the lights. Walking to the end of the long hallway, Maggie opened the door, reached in and flipped the switch but stood outside of the office.

  "This was the President's office. As you’ll see it's beautifully appointed."

  The white carpeting muffled the sounds of their footsteps and in its place made a swishing sound as they each entered the room. The mahogany desk was clear except for a telephone, a desk lamp, and a small wooden holder for pens. Everything was neat and tidy and while you could imagine someone loving to have this office, he knew the dirty secrets it held, and to him there was no appeal at all.

  A small conference table stood to the right, and a credenza behind the desk held a neatly stacked pile of folders, which seemed out of place in the room.

  Officer Delhurst walked to the stack of folders and glanced down but then turned to face them. Red looked around then stepped out of the room, and he and Delhurst followed.

  They did the same type of perusal of the other offices on the second floor and he recognized Skye's office from Lincoln's description of it. He could picture her in this room, it wasn't nearly as pretentious as the others, which was Skye Winters. She was gorgeous and would make many models feel lacking, but she wasn't pretentious in the slightest.

  Entering the break room, they had seen enough, and descended the stairs to the main level. Since this was the area that was largely an art gallery when the Santarinos were alive, there was a vast open space, gleaming floors and five-star bathrooms but little else.

  "Okay, what do you think so far?" Maggie asked.

  "It's impressive, but I would like to see the loading docks and shipping areas," Red responded.

  Maggie's smile faltered which was unusual, of course a buyer would want to see the whole building. But she caught herself and turned to lead them to the back of the main gallery area and through a door. A short hallway led them to another door which opened to a metal staircase leading down to the shipping area.

  Red's back straightened and she stepped down from the bottom step and her eyes scanned the entire area. Delhurst was alert as well, walking slowly around the perimeter of the room. At one point he bent over and picked something up and dropped it in a nearby garbage can and then kept on moving. Looking at each of the dock doors, Red surveyed the area and he rather enjoyed watching her work.

  She turned to Maggie and said, "If my father would like to come and take a look at it, will you be available later this week?"

  "Of course." Maggie's smile returned and she promptly pulled a spec sheet and a business card from the folio she carried and handed the information to Red. "I'll email you the other specs I have on the building just let me know if you're interested. My email is on the card and, of course, Rory knows how to reach me as well."

  Red smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Yes, of course, Rory knows how to reach you."

  18

  Rory’s door chimed as he got in his car and waited as she hesitated and glanced around as if surveying the area. What she was really doing was watching Maggie out of the corner of her eye. The look Maggie leveled on Delhurst sent a chill through her, something was up. She climbed into the passenger seat, buckled her seat belt, and asked, "How well do you know her? And, no I'm not jealous, but there's something off about her and I can't put my finger on it."

  He started the car and put it in reverse, easing out of the parking space before Maggie. "I don't know her all that well, I suppose. As I told you, she was a bartender while I shot pool and I knew she was also working real estate. She's called me a few times over the past couple of years to see if I was interested in selling my house, but nothing more than that. And, I mentioned her baby daddy is a mystery as well."

  "Do you know anyone who knows her better?"

  He navigated the car out of the parking lot, his eyes scanning the darkening road in the diminishing sunlight.

  "I can make some inquiries. What specifically are you looking for, personal information or business as in her real estate sales history?"

  "Personal."

  He wasn't looking at this like an outsider and that had been his mistake all along; he knew these people too well and trusted them, at least as much as a cop can. In that way, she had the advantage.

  "Let me think on who I can call."

  She nodded. "What about this Jared that Ford mentioned."

  "Red, you want to color outside the lines?"

  "Sometimes we have to be inventive. Is it really coloring outside the lines to gather information? I just want something that can lead me in a legal direction to search. Is she selling so much real estate that she can afford the Cadillac, diamond bracelet, thick gold chain and have her nails and hair done regularly?”

  "But, if we do have to go to court or prove our trail is legit, we have to account for how we got the intel."

  "Maybe. It sounds like you don't want me digging into your 'friend’s' life. Care to share?" The edge to her voice took on a different tone and she reminded herself not to let this get personal. Sure, Maggie was gorgeous and everything she wasn't. Sophisticated. Womanly. A smart dresser.

  His voice broke into her self-defeating thoughts. "Nope."

  He tapped the call icon on his dash and the robotic voice activated, "Please say a command."

  "Call Jared Timms."

  "Calling Jared Timms."

  Jared's phone ringing sounded on the speaker system in the car.

  "Yeah."

  Rory chuckled, "Hey Jared, it’s Rory."

  "Dude, I know who it is. What can I do for you?"

  "What can you find out about Margery Van Steel? Mostly personal. She has a mysterious baby daddy, and she's driving a brand-new Cadillac Escalade and dripping in jewelry. Is she selling that much real estate or is baby daddy funding her expensive lifestyle?"

  "Okay, you know this costs, right?"

  "Yep, no worries there."

  Jared chuckled on the other end of the phone. "I know, man."

  The call ended and the car was silent for a while.

  "I take it he knows about your money."

  Rory inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. "Red, there's very little Jared doesn't know."

  Rory pulled his car into the garage and shut it off.

  "I know we had a late lunch, but I'm getting a bit hungry, how about pizza and a couple of beers?"

  She s
ighed, "That sounds fantastic."

  It did. For all of Maggie's polish and poise she highly doubted the woman would drink beer and eat pizza. And again, what was it that bugged her so about Maggie? Seriously she needed to get her out of her head.

  She followed Rory to the door, and when he opened the door then stood back to let her go in before him, she got goosebumps on her arms. It was thrilling to have a man be solicitous to her. She'd played the tough cookie all of her life and usually men just treated her like one of the guys, which generally, she liked. With Rory, she didn't want to be a guy; she was a woman and damn it all anyway, she was majorly attracted to Rory Richards. Even if her heart would be broken in a few days. Again. Likely forever.

  She walked into the kitchen and stopped at the counter as his strong arms wrapped around her from behind.

  His deep voice, took on a slight gruffness as he whispered in her ear, "I enjoy watching you work, Red. You're an impressive woman. Beautiful. Strong. Smart. The whole package."

  Her nipples pebbled and a warm sensation ran through her body and landed between her legs. The warmth of his body against her back brought back a flood of memories of their afternoon sexcapades and she wanted to feel like that again. Wanted in such a powerful way, he didn't even hesitate to take her.

  She pushed her ass back into the hardness she felt burgeoning behind his zipper and was met with his right hand sliding down her body to hold her hip as he pushed harder into her rear end.

  "Red." His voice was barely above a whisper and sounded as if he was struggling to keep himself in check. The thought of his losing control with her sent another flood of emotions running through her body. She pushed back again only to have his arms wrap tighter around her body, holding her captive against him. His lips found her ear and his tongue dipped inside just a bit then his teeth nipped the outer edges.

  "You want it again Red ‘cause I sure do."

  "Yes." She could barely get the word out her breathing was so stilted.

  He released her and spun her around, his lips capturing hers firmly, before softening and caressing her lips in such a provocative way. Soft, wet lips danced with hers, coaxing her to give him more and more of her. His tongue slid into her mouth, touching each surface, mating with her tongue, his hardness pushing against her hitting that spot that was likely to drive her wild if he kept it up.