Jaimie: Fire and Ice (The Wilde Sisters 2)
Page 66
“You talked me into it.”
Zach clapped Caleb on the shoulder. “There’s coffee in the kitchen. Yeah, I made it, but coffee’s one of the few kitchen things I do well. Ten minutes, and I’ll be down.”
* * * *
It was more like eight minutes.
Zach moved fast. He was increasingly curious about the reason for Caleb’s visit. A problem. Something that required investigative and protective skills. Caleb excelled at both. Why would he ask Zach for help?
Half an hour later, the men were seated across from each other in a red leatherette booth in the rear of a busy diner. Both had polished off big breakfasts. They’d avoided serious conversation until now, when each was on his third mug of coffee.
Zach sat back.
“So,” he said, “why don’t you clue me in on what’s going on?”
Caleb hesitated. “I don’t know if you remember…I have sisters.”
“Well, I know you have brothers. The one who breeds horses and manages that small country you guys call a ranch.”
“El Sueño. Yeah. That’s Jacob.”
“And of course I know Travis.” Zach smiled. “The magician who invests my money.” He raised his mug in tribute. “Long may Travis Wilde and my investments prosper.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Caleb said. They touched mugs. Then Caleb’s expression grew serious. “We have sisters. Well, half-sisters, but none of us think about it like that. I mean, we’re one family…” He paused. “The problem involves our middle sister.”
“What kind of problem?”
“Some guy has taken an interest in her.”
“An interest.”
“It’s the wrong word. He’s fixated on her.”
“Define fixated.”
Caleb sighed. “I can’t. Not completely. I mean, I don’t know the full dimensions of the situation. See, she didn’t tell me about it. Lissa—my oldest sister—did. And from what she said…” His face darkened. “It isn’t good, man, it isn’t good at all. The bastard follows her. He broke into her apartment, went through her things.”
A muscle knotted in Zach’s jaw. “Ha
s she called the cops?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“She has no proof.”
“What do you mean, she has no proof? He follows her, he broke into her place—”
Caleb nodded. “The thing is, she didn’t catch him doing it. Breaking in. Or following her.”
Zach sat back in the booth. “If she didn’t catch him doing these things, how does she know he did them?”
“She knows. Look, she isn’t the sort of woman who imagines things. She’s levelheaded. Down-to-earth. Hell, she’s so logical there are times it can drive you up the wall. You want proof?” He laughed. “She’s a CPA. She has a master’s in accounting. What could be more logical than that?”
“And what would you want me to do? Check with her, check the guy out? I’m fine with doing it, but I don’t see why you need me when you could take care of it yourself.”
“Because she didn’t tell me about it,” Caleb said with exaggerated patience. “She told Lissa. I don’t think she wants me or any of her brothers to know what’s happening. She doesn’t want to come running to us for help.”