LITMIR.BIZ

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be enough time to know if we have a case against her?”

      “Frankie—”

      “I’ll tell her I want to reconcile, to mend the rift,” Frankie explained. “Hopefully, she’ll buy it and open up. If that isn’t enough, I’ll ask for a job. Anything to lower her defenses.”

      Victoria glanced at Aidan. “Frankie’s mother owns Leo Solutions, a security firm in Seattle.”

      “Cyber or personal?” Aidan inquired.

      “Both, if I understand the setup,” Frankie answered. “She and her business partner built it on the backs of their government careers.” Regretting her burst of bitterness, she plowed on. “Once I’m out there, I thought I’d worm my way past her defenses. With your agency working this behind the scenes and me working on-site, I’m sure we can get to the truth quickly.”

      “Frankie.” Victoria leaned back in her chair, her reading glasses in her hands. “Going out there with the intent to deceive your mother is a terrible risk.”

      Frankie paused, studying her. “I’ve worked undercover before.” She couldn’t afford to think of this as anything other than a mission. If her mother could ignore the bonds of family, so could she.

      “That’s not what I mean. Please, sit down.”

      Reluctantly, Frankie returned to her chair. She didn’t want to endure a lecture on discretion or family unity in front of Aidan, but it seemed Victoria wasn’t giving her a choice.

      “Since I clearly can’t stop you from going, I’m sending Aidan with you.”

      “Pardon me?” Having braced for the lecture, Frankie needed a moment to digest the actual statement. “That’s not necessary.” She shot a quick look in Aidan’s direction. “Can’t he research the passports and documents from here?”

      “I want him on-site,” Victoria said. “You shouldn’t be out there alone.”

      “I’ll keep you updated—” Frankie began.

      “I know you will,” she interrupted. “That isn’t the point. I refuse to take any chances with your safety.” She turned to her computer monitor, and her hands rattled on her keyboard for a moment. Then she met Frankie’s gaze with a thoughtful expression. “Assuming your mother’s statement is legitimate, your search will likely lead to someone better prepared to retaliate than offer up a confession.”

      Yes, Frankie was angry and she was hurt. That didn’t make her a fool. “I’ve considered that and taken precautions.” She didn’t want or need a babysitter. The fewer witnesses to her family embarrassments, the better.

      “Good,” Victoria replied.

      “You know I can protect myself.”

      “This isn’t up for debate, Frankie. I’ve known you since you were a child. You’ll give your mom a call and let her know you’re coming out for a visit. We’ll get Aidan an interview with your mother’s company by Monday afternoon.” She held up a hand when Frankie started to protest again. “I’m sure he’ll be hired. As former Interpol, he knows his way around security and covert operations. Once the details are settled, the two of you can work together.”

      Call her mom? She wasn’t a teenager caught smoking in the girls’ room. Her mother wouldn’t believe Frankie suddenly had an urge for mother-daughter bonding time, and Frankie wanted the element of surprise. “That’s not—”

      Victoria cut her off. “I insist that you have someone watching your back.” Standing, she came around the desk and pulled Frankie to her feet for another hug. When she let go, her eyes were misty. “Legal debacles and strained relationships aside, try to focus on the things your parents did right. They gave you their love and affection through a wonderful childhood. Both of them raised a strong, independent woman.”

      Frankie did her best to muster a smile as the grief sliced through her. She’d questioned every nuance of her life lately, wondering what to believe about her parents and how that impacted her view of herself. Cornerstones of her upbringing seemed little more than loose theories in light of recent events. “I’ll be careful,” she repeated, not wanting to lie to Victoria.

      “I hope your mother helps you find what you’re after.” The woman’s smile was sad. “Would you like us to stay while you make the call?”

      Frankie hesitated, but only for a moment. If this investigator would be trailing her around Seattle, he might as well get a taste of what he was in for. He’d be combing through her family’s secrets soon enough.

      * * *

      AIDAN DID HIS best impersonation of an invisible man while Frankie spoke briefly with her mother. It was clear she wasn’t happy about Victoria’s insistence on the task, but his boss was difficult to outmaneuver. Her voice cool and her face pale, Frankie managed a polite exchange, excusing herself from the office the moment it was over.

      “The woman’s a spitfire,” he observed, closing the door behind her. He admired her grit. Not to mention her lush sable hair, expressive dark eyes and that generous mouth. Even without the surname Leone tipping him off, her perfect posture implied a military background. Although with those cheekbones and long limbs, she could’ve passed as a model. If she wasn’t a new client, he might have asked her out for a drink. “I’m to get myself hired and then what?”

      “Find a way to stay close to her. If the documents are real, she’ll be a target as soon as the person pulling the strings learns she found them. I want you there. You’re the best at unraveling knots like this one.”

      That was Victoria’s way of saying she suspected fraud, his primary focus during his time with Interpol. “Do I report to you only?” The freedom and case variation were nice, though his favorite part of being a Colby investigator was the concise chain of command.

      “Yes, please. I don’t care for the way she was led to what she considers proof positive her mother willfully ended her father’s career. The only thing I believe about the man who dropped this in her lap is that digging for the truth could get her hurt. Or worse.”

      “Yes, ma’am.” Aidan waited for the other shoe to drop.

      “General Leone was an excellent strategist,” Victoria said, almost to herself. “Frankie takes after him. She’s smart and highly skilled, but I’m afraid she’s rejecting the most logical explanation. It’s understandable under the circumstances. I’m sure you heard the temper and need for vengeance in her voice.”

      He bobbed his chin. “Hard to miss.”

      “Please tread lightly,” Victoria continued. “As you meet Sophia Leone and work out the details with Frankie, keep an open mind. You might be the only one who can.”

      “Of course.” At least in this case he wasn’t at the center of the storm battering the family. There was a great deal of comfort in that.

      “I’ll send you her file for review,” Victoria said, leaning back against her desk. “The most pertinent fact is Frankie’s service as a cultural liaison with the navy SEALs.”

      That gave Aidan pause. Though it was the only post women could fill on those operations, very few had the tenacity and fortitude to do so. “She looks a little young to have hit her twenty years already.”

      “She suffered a serious injury while her team was in a convoy that left her paralyzed for a time. Inconveniently, her recovery coincided with her father’s problems. Surgery and months of rehab got her walking again, but the navy retired her for medical reasons.”

      That explained some of the anger, Aidan thought. He knew firsthand it was never easy to relinquish control when life dealt out an unexpected detour.

      “She claims she’s fit,” Victoria added, “but I’m not entirely convinced.”

      “Duly noted,” Aidan said. Healthy and able-bodied weren’t the same

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