Ball & Chain (Cut & Run 8)

Ty raised an eyebrow. He glanced over his shoulder at Nick and Kelly, who were both frowning hard but not yet looking defensive.

Stanton took a deep breath and looked at his daughter, his expression softening. “I’ve always believed in too much rather than too little, so thank you. And welcome.”

That surprised Ty, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Nick’s shoulders relax. They’d been expecting a little resistance.

Stanton continued. “My family has always received threats. That’s the way of the business, I’m afraid. But when news of Amelia’s birth got out, some of those threats turned their attention to her.”

“How so?” Ty practically growled.

“To be perfectly blunt: as leverage.”

Ty and Zane both turned to Deuce. He’d gone considerably paler. He met Ty’s eyes and nodded. “Kidnapping her and using her to force Theodore to make decisions for the company.”

Ty’s blood began to boil at the mere thought. These people had no f**king idea what kind of fire they were playing with if they came after Amelia.

“I’m sorry,” Kelly said. “But what do you do that’s so important to your competitors to warrant threats of that magnitude?”

“Two years ago, we bid on a defense contract. It was awarded to us over four other companies. There are some . . . sensitive projects being undertaken.”

“Has it escalated since then?” Nick asked.

“We received several specific threats regarding the wedding, yes,” Deuce said, his voice hoarse. “Not just to Amelia, but to Livi, myself, and Theodore and Susan. That’s why we moved the timetable and cut the guest list down to bare essentials.”

“So at its core, this is a corporate espionage issue,” Kelly muttered. He and Nick shared a look. “You should have asked Owen to be your date.”

Nick gave him a solemn nod. “But at least you put out.”

Ty glanced back at them with a frown. Neither man was laughing.

Zane was sitting on the edge of the couch, resting his elbows on his knees. He’d been quiet so far, but he finally took the opportunity to speak. “Were there any specifics? Any indication of how they intended to strike or what they were after?”

“I brought the communications for you to look at,” Deuce said, and headed for the desk to retrieve a flash drive. He held it up, looking guilty. “I’m sorry, I know you’re not on the job right now. I feel bad putting this on you.”

“You’re talking about my niece, Deacon, f**k the job,” Ty growled. He stood and took the flash drive, then handed it to Zane.

The nervous head of operations, Milton, finally spoke up. “Our security is well prepared for any eventuality. We don’t anticipate a problem. Everyone here, with the exception of these two,” he added, gesturing to Nick and Kelly, “has been vetted with background checks.”

Ty looked up in time to see Kelly narrow his eyes and Nick bristle. Ty cleared his throat. “Your company’s security clearance isn’t high enough to check their backgrounds, so don’t bother.”

The man sniffed, dismissing Ty’s words with a wave of his hand.

“These are people I trust to protect my daughter,” Deuce said, his voice going hard. He examined the two bodyguards. “All due respect for your preparedness, of course.”

“Bottom line, gentlemen, we don’t expect trouble,” Stanton announced before more words could be exchanged. “But if trouble comes, we intend to deal with it in-house.” He nodded toward the two bodyguards at the door.

“We have five men on the island, with constant patrols,” the man called English said. His eyes went from Ty to Nick and Kelly. “Our files indicate you’re Marines, is that right?”

“That’s right,” Ty answered. He surveyed the man up and down. He was huge, with biceps the circumference of small trees, and a chest that looked more like a barrel of ale and produced a deep, echoing voice. His head was shaved clean, and his brown eyes were sharp and observant.

“Green Beret?” Nick asked out of the blue. Ty had to quickly look down at his hand to hide a smile.

English stiffened. He nodded, his jaw tightening. He obviously didn’t like that someone could peg him without the benefit of a file. “Force Recon team Sidewinder. Now defunct.”

The other bodyguard, Hardin, grinned, showing his crooked teeth. “Sidewinder. Like the snake.” The room was silent, waiting for his point. “You know what they used to call the Green Berets when we were active?”

Ty tried hard not to roll his eyes. Behind him, Kelly answered wryly, “Snake Eaters.”

Both security men chuckled. “Best watch out, Sidewinders. Don’t want to get eaten.”

Nick barked a laugh. “I appreciate the offer, Hoss, but I got someone taking care of me already.”

Hardin squared his shoulders, his face growing ruddy.

“Don’t worry, you’ll find that someone special,” Kelly assured him, his voice sincere.

Zane turned to Ty, grumbling under his breath. “They’re going to get us killed.”

Ty knocked his knee against Zane’s and fought desperately not to laugh.

“I think we’re done here,” Stanton said to Deuce.

“No, wait a minute,” Zane said. “You’re telling us you don’t anticipate trouble, but every move you’ve made so far has been in anticipation of trouble. I get the feeling we’re getting the runaround here. I’d like the whole story.”

Nick and Kelly both made sounds of agreement.

“Like we’ve said,” Milton grunted. “We’ve got it taken care of. Just enjoy your brother’s wedding and leave the heavy lifting to the professionals.”

“That’s enough,” Stanton said, his voice soft but stern. His expression was completely unreadable. “I understand what you men are capable of, and I appreciate your dedication to your family, and to mine. The fact is, we don’t know what to expect. My men will handle the perimeter defense of the activities if the four of you will concentrate on the safety of my daughter and granddaughter.” He gave Livi a fond smile.

Ty and Zane shared a glance. “Sir, we’d be honored if you trusted us with that task,” Ty said.

Stanton came closer and shook his hand. His grip was firm and curt, and he made eye contact and kept it. He then shook the hands of the other three, thanking them for understanding. He left the room, his two bodyguards and Milton trailing after him.