Mastering the Art of Love (The American Soldier Collection 2)
“Spider, I’m not too worried about Clover Masters. He may have some political contacts but that doesn’t mean shit to us commandoes. He wants to try stealing from my brother and I, then we’ll take care of it.”
“He’s got these people in place. The word is someone is working on the inside to duplicate Jameson’s new ideas. Which is telling me that this snitch is close to both of you.”
“I don’t know who it could be. Jameson rarely works with staff at headquarters.”
“It could be someone who has access to your computer correspondence. That would be the simplest way to steal the graphics on the new products. Perhaps it’s time to do some computer overhauling and place some tracking devices in position.”
“Do it. I don’t want this to blow up in our faces. These are my brother’s ideas. How about you? Any inkling as to whom the rat might be?”
Spider was silent a moment which made Jax feel like his good friend was on to someone.
“I have my suspicions. I’ll work my magic, Jax. I’ll nip this in the bud before it blows way out of control.”
“Good. So, what else do you have for me? I see three more attachments on the second e-mail?”
Jax opened up the files.
“That’s your woman.”
Jax clicked on the first file. He wasn’t surprised that it contained an entire background check on Mariana. Twenty-four years old. God, she’s young and gorgeous.
“She’s a beauty, Jax. I feel bad for her actually.”
“Why is that?”
“You two are quite the handful and that young woman has led a pretty tough life. It’s impressive actually that she doesn’t have a rap sheet.”
“What do you mean?”
“Her mom, Adele Sparketta, was arrested numerous times for prescription drug possession and buying. On the records from the police department and on file, I found out that Mariana bailed her out each time. You’ll see all the documents. I got everything I could get, as you asked.”
Jax sighed as he opened up the attachments and looked them over. Spider wasn’t kidding when he said he got all the information he could on Mariana. He had her previous home addresses, her grades, her college application, and student loans.
“Holy shit, she owes a lot of money.”
“Her mother took a loan out on the house they lived in to support her habit. Mariana is still paying that off, too. It’s sad when you think about it. That woman is trying to get her college education and she has all those bills, including her mother’s, breathing down her neck.”
“This is unbelievable. Wait, this can’t be right. This is her current address? She lives in that crappy neighborhood?”
“Yeah, unfortunately that is accurate. I watched her come in last night late. She looked exhausted.”
“Did you see her place?”
Spider was silent a moment.
“Spider, I asked you if you saw her apartment?”
“It’s a fucking icebox. Literally. I got in no problem. The locks are shit, although she did have an added bolt lock on there. Self-installed, I think. It’s really small. One bedroom if you want to call it that. There’s only enough space for a couch and tiny kitchen. There wasn’t any heat in the place when I was there. It was fucking cold. But she’s neat. Nothing was lying around.”
Jax felt his gut clench. She was living in a shit hole apartment with no heat and there was a damn cold front in Houston right now. He wanted to get to her, and make her come home with him and Jameson. Fuck! Jameson was going to freak out.
“So she seems organized.”
“I don’t think she has much, Jax. The bare necessities from what I could see. I didn’t want to overstep my bounds, but there was only one dresser in the place that had undergarments and clothes. The closet was basically empty. If she owns a dozen outfits for all four seasons, that would be a lot.”
“Fuck! Son of a bitch, I don’t like this.”
“Hey, she’s tough, that’s for sure, and seems determined to have a better life.”