While they downloaded the records from the bounty hunter’s phone to Clint’s laptop, Noah got the guy handcuffed, then plunked him down on the bed so the cops could take him away.
“I want a lawyer!” Spencer screamed at Noah.
“And I want a million bucks and a private island to live on. Deal with it,” Noah grumbled. Actually, what he really wanted was a cute little house like the one Levon and Olive had and all the time in the world to spend with Serena and Gracie, but he wasn’t about to tell this asshole that. Besides, it wasn’t like it would ever happen anyway. Not with his past, and Serena’s future.
It was a real nice dream, though.
“Uh, Noah,” Clint yelled from the hallway. “Can you come here a minute?”
Cursing under his breath, Noah called two of the other guys over to watch Spencer, then went back out into the hall where Levon and Clint stood. “What’s wrong?”
Levon frowned down at the computer screen then up at Noah. “You’re not going to like what I found.”
“Why? Is it a dead end? Does it not tell us who’s behind this?” He moved in beside Clint and narrowed his gaze at the records on the laptop. “Or is it some drug cartel? Because I swear to God, I’ll—”
A few seconds ticked by as his brain comprehended what he was seeing. The name beside the numbers on the computer wasn’t some hardened criminal or cartel boss. Nope. It was much worse than that. Noah’s breath seized in his lungs and his stomach plummeted to his toes.
“Shit! That’s Serena’s brother. Nate.” Noah blinked several times, hoping the image might change, but it didn’t. He looked from the screen to Clint, then back again. “He’s trying to take out his own sister?”
Clint sighed and gave a curt nod. “Looks that way. The order for the hit and the deposit into this guy’s bank account both came from numbers that trace back to Nate Carson.”
“But why?” Noah scowled. “It doesn’t make any sense.”
“Uh, according to this news story, Serena inherited the CEO position for her family’s entire candy company. The brother works there too, but in a lower position. Maybe he resents it. Or maybe he thinks he’d get the top slot if she was out of the way. People have done a lot worse for a lot less than greed,” Levon said, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck. “Sorry, dude. Serena’s going to be upset.”
That was the understatement of the century. His mind ticked back to the few conversations they’d had about her family. She’d called the guy from the casino in St. Dourdane to let him know she was okay
. And all the while the fucker was plotting to kill her.
Hell, that must have been how Spencer had found them that night at the hotel. Serena’s own brother had told the man where to look.
Noah growled loudly and punched the wall beside Clint hard, just to burn off the excess energy and rage. His fist left a good-sized dent in the drywall. Heart jackhammering and face hot, he turned away to pace the floor, raking his hands through his hair. How the hell was he supposed to tell her about this? That her own brother wanted to take her out?
Jesus. How fucked up was that?
The elevator dinged and several uniformed police officers walked out, heading for them. Clint went to talk with them while Levon headed toward Noah, laptop in hand.
“You okay, dude?” he asked, meeting Noah at the opposite end of the hall from the elevators. “You should go talk to Serena. We can handle this here.”
He nodded. It was true that she needed to know. But what the hell was he going to say to her? Well, whatever it was, Noah needed to figure it out quick, before the story broke in the news. The last thing he wanted was for her to hear it from someone other than him. He owed her that much. God, he owed her so much more, wanted to give her so much more, but now wasn’t the time, and Lord knew she deserved better than him. She and Gracie both did.
“I’m, uh, going to head back to the house, then,” Noah said, walking away, distracted. “See you later.”
“See you,” Levon called. “Be careful.”
Noah took the stairs down to the first floor, holstering his Glock on the way and fishing out his car keys, the Kevlar vest tight around his chest. Too bad he didn’t have something bulletproof to protect his heart from the agony of saying goodbye to Serena and Gracie that was surely to come.
By the time Noah finished up at police headquarters and was able to get back to the house, the news had already leaked out on the local TV stations about the takedown at the hotel. Thankfully, that was the extent of the story so far. He parked his car at the curb in front of Levon and Olive’s house and tried to think of a good way to tell Serena that her own brother was behind the plot to take her out.
He was used to talking to suspects, informants, other military personnel. He wasn’t used to giving horrible news to people he loved.
Shit. Just shit.
On the one hand, he was glad to finally know the mastermind behind it all. But on the other hand, he couldn’t imagine how Serena was going to feel when she discovered someone she’d trusted had betrayed her.
This. This was exactly why he’d worked so hard all these years to keep his heart out of the equation. Because once you cared too much, things got hard. Way, way harder than anything he’d ever dealt with as a SEAL. Back then, he could rely on his strength and his skills as a trained warrior to get him through. Now, he was walking in there blind without a clue about what he was doing or how she’d react.
After a few more moments of gathering his thoughts, Noah got out of the car and walked up to the front door. Levon and Clint were still with the police on their way to arrest Serena’s brother, Nate Carson, so it would just be him and Serena and Olive. He steeled his courage and walked inside to find the two women’s attention glued to the TV screen in the living room.