Revealed (The Found Book 1) (26 page)

“Am I brainwashing you now as I’m convincing you on the validity of my argument?” He watched as she smiled. She hit his bare chest. That smile, and her in his shirt was making him hard.

“See, you do have special abilities, Beautiful.”

“Making you horny?”

“That definitely heads the list. However, I think your ability to explain and convince people is going to be our ace in the hole, especially when we have to explain things to people like Sakuro’s superiors.”

“What do you mean? I thought he was in charge?”

“Everybody has a boss. Sakuro hasn’t said anything, but my guess is eventually as we go after Rixitron there will be repercussions. Your ability to explain and educate people will be invaluable.” He could see and feel her doubt, but as time went on, and they were in more situations where she used her skills, she would see what he meant.

“Kali, in the city of Chicago were there any other teachers with a zero drop-out rate for your grade?”

“There were three.”

“How many years in a row did you accomplish this?”

“Only two years in a row.”

“Did the other three?”

“No,” she reluctantly admitted. He decided to drop the subject. He could feel her considering what he had said. “Are you sure
convincing
people isn’t your ability?”

He gave her question serious consideration. “I think it’s because we’re linked. It’s why you could find me. I think because we are paired, I’ve taken on some of your abilities, and you’ve taken on some of mine.”

“I can
only
find you.”

“Just like I can
only
convince you. Maybe this is something we can work at.” He could see she was tired. “Come on, let’s go to bed. Maybe there is something else I can convince you of.” He liked seeing the blush suffuse her face.

Chapter Thirty-Four

“Riley, get your ass back here. If you haven’t found her after all this time, then she’s safe from the idiots at Rixitron,” Nate said in disgust.

“I want Sam, I mean Noah to get out here and help find her.” The connection was scratchy but Riley’s determination came through loud and clear.

“Why? She’s safe. Obviously Seth’s grandmother has her holed up so tight nobody can get to her, why should we interfere?”

Nate had a point. What’s more, bringing her in, would eventually make her more of a target. Noah wasn’t sure how long they could keep this location in Orange County under wraps.

“The grandmother is in her late seventies. The baby is less than six months old, and they had to get to wherever the hell this is by horseback. This is not good. I understand she is hidden from the fuckers, but she is not in a safe place. It’s our job to keep civilians safe. I would have thought the child of a
found
would have mattered to you, Noah.”

“God dammit, any child matters to me, Riley.”

“Don’t use the Lord’s name in vain.”

Noah was about to lose it. But he wasn’t sure at who. Riley was making sense.

“Ah fuck,” Nate said. Noah looked around the table. Everybody was gathered, listening to the phone, and it was clear Noah would be going to New Mexico. He looked at Sierra, and she looked up from her damn computer and nodded her head. His ticket had been booked.

“I’ll be there Riley.”

“Has anyone found a way to talk to that motherfucker, Seth Natani?” Riley demanded.

“Not without blowing his cover,” Sierra replied.

“Tell me again, why the hell hasn’t the DEA managed to notice him?” Nate demanded. The fact Seth married someone else during an investigation while his girlfriend gave birth to his child wasn’t sitting well with any of them.

“We got lucky with our facial recognition software,” Cyrus said. “I still disagree with your decision not to notify his superiors of his location.”

“Duly noted, Captain. But as a member of an organization recently infiltrated, I’m saying Seth had a reason for choosing not to trust his chain of command. We need to respect his decision.”

“Or he’s gone rogue.”

“How do you account for all those tips the DEA has received in the last six months? Has to be Seth. He hasn’t gone rogue, at least not when it comes to his duty towards his job,” Riley said, through the phone.

“How are we going to tell Annie when we find her?” Kali asked.

“We sit her down with shots of tequila, and we tell her. Then we give her a nutcracker, and let her at him,” Sarah said, her voice filled with venom.

“Nah, we give her a knife, a serrated hunting knife, a rusty one. Girl can do a lot of damage with one of those,” Sierra said knowledgeably.

Noah winced. Somewhere out there was a man who had done her wrong, but he had the feeling he had paid for it.

“First Noah has to find her. When will you be here?”

“He’ll be there tonight, I’m texting you his itinerary right now,” Sierra said. “He’ll be staying at the same motel as you.”

“I’ll be waiting.” Riley hung up. Everybody looked at one another.

“Shit, he’s wound tight,” Kota said. “It’s a good thing you’re going to be there, Lieutenant. This assignment is hitting him hard.”

“It’s the baby. His father abandoned him and his mother when he was a baby, and he can’t stand seeing Annie vulnerable.”

“No he didn’t,” Nate disagreed with Sierra. “His Dad is a preacher. He holds him up on a pedestal.”

“That’s his stepdad. He’s a wonderful guy, took them in, treats Riley’s mom like a queen. But Riley never forgot those early years. He had it rough until he was about five.”

“It explains why this has become such a personal quest for him,” Kali nodded. “I’d wondered.”

“I figured it was because he had been stuck in the trunk, and he wanted to make the Rixitron bastard pay,” Nate said, with a shrug.

“You really are oblivious, aren’t you?” Sarah said shaking her head. She got up from the table. “We’re done, right?”

“No, we’re not Sarah, we need to discuss Jared Spellman.”

“Ah damn, I’m sorry,” she said to Kali as she sat back down.

“Sierra, what do you have?” Noah asked.

“Ashley has the worst taste in boyfriends.”

“Skip the commentary, Sierra,” Nate grumbled.

“They’re due back three days from now. Anyway, she has to start her shift at the casino that night, so we should be able to question him at her house or take him, whichever way we want to play it.”

“Sounds like it will be me and Kota, since you’ll be in New Mexico,” Nate said decisively.

“I think you should take me as well.” All eyes swung to Kali.

“The last person Jared is going to expect to have questioning him is me. What’s more, Noah and I have been talking, I think I would be useful during questioning.”

Fuck.
Every muscle in Noah’s body stiffened to the point of pain. She was right.

“I really think I should be the one who goes,” Cyrus said gently. “Questioning suspects is actually one of my job duties.”

“Exactly cop, it’s why you
aren’t
going. You have a badge to protect, we don’t want you doing anything to tarnish it.”

“Cyrus, Nate’s right and so is Kali.” There was silence around the table.

“This concludes this morning’s briefing,” Sierra said.

Noah wanted to follow Kali back to their apartment, but he had to make sure he kept up on everything. He watched as everyone left the conference room, until only Sierra remained.

“What’s up, boss?”

“Three things. First, how tight is our security here? Second, has anyone been trying to tap into us? Third, I understand the DEA trying to contact Seth could put him at risk, but what about us? I’m sure you have a plan, what have you thought through in that devious mind of yours?”

“Seth…”

“Let’s start with number one.”

“I haven’t heard a peep. So far our cover as corporate housing for a company out of Delaware is holding just fine. Universal Concepts is a consulting firm that routinely does this type of thing. I would have made us employees of one of the top three consulting firms, but they’re like ants, they are all over Southern California, and they might have wanted to be social.”

“Okay, so our cover is tight as far as the apartment housing, what about when we start trying to doing some reconnaissance? Have you been able to come up with some decent covers?”

“Security, and I’m not talking the security for a booth or patrols the building, I’m talking the real security that monitors the cameras and takes care of the high end executive needs.”

“Don’t they have seasoned people?”

“They do, yes.”

“But their top security guy is finally going to be offered a job in one of the Caribbean Islands like he has always wanted. Then one of their other guys is going to end up taking a nasty fall, resulting in a broken leg.”

“How are you going to guarantee we’ll be the replacements?”

“Sakuro is old friends with the head of the agency who supplies security for Rixitron. We just lucked into that one.”

“I’ll never turn down luck, it’s saved my ass too damn often. Now, tell me about Seth.”

“I hate him.”

“You and every other woman in the room.”

“Don’t forget Riley, he hates him too,” Sierra reminded Noah.

“I wasn’t going to be able to forget, now was I? So what’s the word, I’m sure you’ve figured out a way for us to get close to him.”

“It’s still in its infancy stages. I’ll let you know when you get back from New Mexico. In the meantime, you stay safe. I know Riley has counted the Rixitron guy out, but I’ve checked on him. He’s one of their security guys, and he’s good. He’s former special ops. I’m actually relieved you’re going to be there with Riley.”

“Got it.” Noah left and made a beeline for Kali. Sierra might be worried about Riley, but he was worried for Kali.

He got to the apartment, and Kali was in the kitchen making grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. She knew it was one of his favorites.

“That’s not going to work.”

“Sex is next.”

“That might work.” His neck still hurt, every time he thought about her in danger his neck hurt. If he wasn’t careful he’d develop a twitch. She turned off the stove, and put the food on the table.

“Nate and Kota are going to be with me. Everything we’ve heard about Jared says he just got lucky when he kidnapped me.”

“He damn near tortured you to death. I’d say he got more than lucky.” He gently grasped her hands, pulled her towards him, and rubbed his thumbs over the scars on her wrists.

“Noah, I refuse to live my life in fear. Besides Jared, there’s Rixitron. I’m not going to live holed up in this apartment forever. I’m going to go back and visit my parents. So is Sarah. We’re taking back our lives. This is the first step.” She pulled away, and rubbed the kinks in his neck, hitting just the right spots.

“It’s not fair you can read me so well,” he said as he melted into her touch.

“Sure it is, because it works both ways.” Finally able to take a breath again, he kissed this woman who was his world. He knew Kota and Nate would ensure her safety, and she was right. She was going to be phenomenal getting Jared to talk. But dammit, he wished she wouldn’t so Nate and Kota could use a car battery on the son of a bitch!

Chapter Thirty-Five

Sitting in the front seat of the car with Kota, Kali had flashbacks to their time in Cancun. She rubbed her sweaty palms against her black jeans.

“It’s going to be fine. Nate is checking the backyard. Spellman doesn’t suspect a thing. We’ve had them under surveillance since the airport, and Ashley left for her job at the casino. He’s alone. Nate’s just being extra cautious.”

Kali understood, but she also understood they didn’t know if Jared was armed. She didn’t want either man hurt when they went in and confronted him. She knew she was being unreasonable, and she built Jared up to be some kind of all-powerful monster. In her mind, he was the man who controlled her very existence, he was the ultimate monster.

Kota squeezed her shoulder. “We’ve got this Kali. You don’t have to come in. Nate and I will get the information we need.”

“No, I’ve come this far, I’m going in.” She swallowed down the bile.

“Okay, but if at any time you need to bail, just say the word.” Kota cocked his head listening to the transmitter in his ear. “That’s the all clear. Show time.”

Kali knew what was next. Kota was going to the front of the house, and Nate was going to the back. When they had Jared subdued, they’d text her to come to the front door. Kota left the car. It wasn’t the longest five minutes of her life, but it was pretty close. When she got the text, she made her way leisurely to the door as planned.

Nate answered. “It was easy. Spellman’s in the living room. He’s not talking. Says we have the wrong guy.”

Kali saw him at the airport, she would know him anywhere. He was not the wrong guy. When she walked into the normal ranch style living room, she found Jared strapped to a chair with duct tape. His mouth taped shut.

“That’s going to make it hard for him to talk, isn’t it?”