Rich (Benson Security 5)

ible, I went to work for Harry’s tech start-up instead, and I heard nothing more about the attack.” The water bottle shook slightly as she took another drink. “Until last Monday, when I found this in my desk drawer.”

She reached into the envelope she’d placed in front of her and took out an old Polaroid photo, which she slid across the table to Harvard. He didn’t look at it but focused instead on the woman who was ripping him up inside. The photo could wait until she was done telling her story.

His teammates did look. Elle let out a gasping sob, and Ryan slapped a hand down hard onto the table, the sound echoing through the room.

Rachel didn’t even seem to notice their reactions. “Tonight,” she said, “I found a second photo tucked into the pocket of my handbag.” Another photo joined the first.

Now Elle was sobbing hard and had given up trying to hide it.

“For fuck’s sake, Rachel,” Ryan exploded, agony lacing his voice far more than rage. “Why didn’t you let us go after these bastards years ago?”

She didn’t answer him, but Harvard suspected Ryan hadn’t expected her to.

“I had intended to ignore all of this,” Rachel said to Harvard. “Mainly because it occurred to me that the person doing this must work at TayFor. And one would assume they wouldn’t want to ruin the company that employs them. Also, we’re in the middle of an investigation, and if this and the thefts were to be made public, it would be the end of TayFor. A pharmaceutical company is only as good as the trust their customers have in them.”

It sounded like the measured, responsible response a politician would give after a crisis, and Harvard couldn’t keep quiet any longer. Gentling his voice, he asked, “Why tell us about it, then?”

“Because this latest warning gives me three days before something else happens. I don’t know what that will be.”

“No.” Harvard leaned forward, closing the distance between them. “Why tell us about it now?”

She blinked several times, her bottom lip trembling for a split second before she got it under control. “I emptied my handbag onto my bed,” was all she said.

And having the photos of her assault in the place where she felt most secure, the place where she’d been able to let down her guard, had been the last straw. Damn it to hell, he couldn’t take any more of this distance she’d put between them.

“Ryan,” he said, in a tone that couldn’t be mistaken for anything other than an order, “take Elle for a walk.”

As a former soldier, Ryan recognized a commander’s instruction when he heard one, and he didn’t hesitate. He wrapped an arm around Elle’s shoulders and helped the sobbing woman from the room. “Come on, Ellie, let’s get you some air,” he said softly.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Harvard was on his feet and heading for Rachel.

She held up a hand to ward him off. “I don’t need comforting.”

It was the biggest load of bull he’d heard in years. “Rachel, I just sat and listened to the woman I care about tell me that she suffered a horrific assault. You might not need comforting, but I sure as hell do.”

For a second, she seemed stunned by his words, then she walked straight into his open arms and held him tight. Giving him some of her endless strength. Humbling him in the process.

“It’s going to be okay,” she said into his chest, comforting him.

And his heart was shredded.

When the meeting picked back up, it was a somber affair. With her reddened eyes and tear-stained cheeks, Elle appeared wrung out. Ryan looked like he wanted to punch something. And Rachel? From what Harvard could see, she was pretending it was business as usual.

“The mission objective has changed,” Ryan stated harshly. For once, he wasn’t eating, even though there was a plate full of Chinese food in front of him. “I don’t give a damn about the stolen information; I want the people who did this.” He pointed at the photos, which were lying facedown on the table beside Harvard.

“As much as I appreciate the sentiment”—Rachel poked at the egg fried rice on her plate as though it had come from another planet, and she wasn’t quite sure what to make of it—“we’ve been hired to do a job. And, I have no idea who my attackers are. All I have are those two photos, and there’s nothing in them that even hints at my attackers’ identities.”

Pushing away her plate, she leaned into Harvard’s side and rested her head on his shoulder. “Be a darling and make me something to eat that’s actually edible.”

Harvard could practically hear Ryan’s and Elle’s jaws drop, but he didn’t care. All he cared about was that Rachel had turned to him. And sure, she was manipulating him, but considering what she’d revealed, he’d give her a pass for the evening.

“There’s still some pasta left over from yesterday. You want me to heat it?”

“Yes, please.” She moved away again and gazed at him expectantly.

Obviously, he wasn’t moving fast enough for her.

With a smile, he got up out of his chair and headed for the kitchen.