Extreme Measures

22

Eve knew she should be focused on what Marley was currently doing with the zip drive at the laptop on the dining room table, but she couldn’t stop looking toward the archway for Olivia.

Her sister had been upstairs for at least a half hour. What if she needed something? What if she was too weak to get out of the shower on her own? When Eve had seen those bruises on her face, she’d nearly come out of her skin. And every second since, she’d fought an overwhelming urge to go up there and help. She just didn’t know how.

Heat brushed her back where she stood in the kitchen, leaning against the counter while Marley fiddled with the encrypted file at the computer, and Ryder and Miller hovered over her. She felt Zane press up against her, felt his muscular body try to wipe away the chill that had spread over her since Olivia’s arrival, but nothing totally helped. Yes, Olivia was alive, and Eve should be elated over that fact, but all she could see in her mind were those bruises. And she knew if it weren’t for her, her sister wouldn’t be upstairs suffering right this very minute.

“She’s okay,” Zane whispered. “Just give her space.”

His warm breath fanned over her skin, but it didn’t ease the chill either. “I know.”

Both his hands landed against her shoulders, and he pressed his talented fingers into her muscles, slowly kneading at the tension gathering there. Instinct made her want to pull away, but with so many people around, she knew it would only cause more problems she couldn’t handle right now, so she stayed where she was. But she hated that she enjoyed it. Hated even more that while Olivia had been suffering, she’d been screwing around with Zane, reigniting something that never should have been ignited in the first place.

“I think we have it,” Marley announced.

Thankful for the excuse, she pulled out of Zane’s hands and stepped toward the table. One look over Marley’s shoulder at the pages scrolling by sent a hitch straight to her stomach. “That doesn’t look like notes to me.”

“That’s because it’s not.” Elbow braced on the table at his side, Ryder shifted in his seat to look Zane’s way. A grim look passed over his face. “He’d already figured out the damn formula.”

That chill went ice-cold.

Zane moved to her side, his own eyes wide with disbelief. “Holy hell. Do you know how much something like this is worth?”

“More than a deputy director’s salary at the CIA,” Ryder said.

Eve’s stomach tightened. “We still don’t have any proof Roberts is the one behind this.”

“Marley and I did some digging while you two were out gallivanting through the Pacific Northwest.” He reached across his assistant for the folder at her side. Slapping it open on the table, he spread out several papers. Some looked like bank records. Others phone records. And beneath those were a handful of pictures.

Eve stepped forward and shifted one of the papers. The records showed repeated phone calls to and from a number in Seattle, days before the bombing. A number that wasn’t hers. She glanced toward the bank records. It was for an offshore account in the Caymans, under a name she didn’t recognize. But it was the photo at the bottom, the one of Roberts with Smith, obviously discussing something of importance in what looked like a park, that stopped her heart. “H-how did you get all this?”

“Illegally,” Marley answered, turning to face her. “We’ve got connections, but none of this would probably be admissible in any court.” She reached for the picture. “These are ADD Roberts’s phone records. And the bank account belongs to this man. I’m guessing you know him?”

Slowly, Eve nodded. “Smith.”

Ryder crossed his arms over his chest. “Tyrone Smith’s real name is Michael Cross. He’s a spook with the CIA.”

Eve’s mouth fell open. “No. I don’t believe that.”

Marley handed Ryder another file, which he opened and turned so Eve could see the Agency photo attached to Cross’s dossier. It was the same man. “He’s been with the Company for eight years.”

Eve snatched the file out of his hand and scanned his employment record. A sick feeling began in her stomach and inched its way higher. No wonder he’d looked so damn familiar. “Cross and Roberts were in on this together.”

“Looks that way,” Ryder said slowly.

Eve shook her head. “I don’t believe it. ADD Roberts can’t be the mole.” She glanced toward Zane at her side. His grim expression said anything was possible.

“Let me tell you something about Ian Roberts,” Ryder said, drawing her attention again. “He and I went to school together, and even back then, he was a son of a bitch who cared about only two things: power and money. He has the first at the CIA—if he gets the promotion he’s looking for—but that’s a big if when you consider he’s been passed over twice already.”

Eve had no idea Roberts had been passed over for promotion already. But then, she never paid much attention to what went on above her.

“This deal started well over a year ago,” Ryder went on. “Even if he is in line now for the deputy director position, he’s got to either go through with the deal or cover up all the evidence. And when you start looking at the body count in this thing, the last option seems like the simplest answer.”

Occam’s razor. The simplest answer was usually the right one.

Eve’s mind spun as she thought about everything that had happened. But still, in her gut, she didn’t believe Roberts was the one at the root of it all. Though he might be the only person able to shed some light on the truth.

At her side, Zane rested his hands on his hips. “I’m thinking we need a sting operation to catch Roberts in the act.”

From his spot at the end of the table, Miller scrubbed a hand over the stubble on his jaw. “I didn’t catch a whiff of Cross when I went after Wolfe’s sister. Trust me, I was looking. For all we know, the fucker’s already been hard-boiled.”

Marley’s gaze narrowed on the picture. “Finn Tierney’s a dead ringer for Cross. We put Tierney in a hat and sunglasses, from a distance, he could totally pass for Cross.”

“Who’s Tierney?” Eve asked.

“Another operative,” Ryder said. He focused on Marley. “Tierney’s Irish accent will give him away.”

“So we coach him. Plus, Miller has Eve’s cell phone. I bet if we scroll back through the messages, we’ll find Cross’s voice. It should be enough for me to play with. I could create a recording.”

Ryder crossed his arms over his chest and chewed on his lip. “It’s ballsy.”

“Aren’t my ideas always?” She peered up at him over her glasses. “And am I ever wrong?”

He frowned, then brushed his hand over his mouth, still thinking.

“Look,” Marley said, “the longer we wait, the bigger the case the CIA will build against Eve and Zane.”

Several long seconds passed before Ryder looked toward Zane. “What do you both think?”

Zane’s eyes hardened. “Tell me what you need from me. I want to bring this fucker down.”

Ryder’s gaze slid to Eve. “Wolfe?”

“I—”

“Holy shit,” Miller muttered at the end of the table.

Eve’s gaze darted his way, and when she realized he was looking past her, toward the archway that led to the entry, she turned. Then drew in a relieved breath.

Olivia stood in the doorway, her shoulder-length blonde hair tousled around her face from the blow dryer, her skin clean and fresh. And she was wearing the jeans and green V-neck sweater Eve had left for her in the bedroom.

The jeans were a full size too big, and the sweater seemed to swallow her whole, reinforcing how much weight she’d lost in such a short amount of time. But even with the bruises still evident around her right eye, for the first time since she’d walked into this house, she looked like the Olivia Eve remembered.

She went right to her sister and hugged her tight. Told herself not to take it personally when Olivia tensed in her arms. Keeping one arm around her sister’s waist, she ushered Olivia into the room and introduced her to Zane and the others.

Zane shook her hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Officially. Eve’s been worried sick about you.”

Olivia slanted Eve a look, and Eve couldn’t help but remember the last time they’d seen each other, at their dad’s funeral, and the argument that had followed. She gripped her sister’s waist tighter, hoping to bridge the gap, wanting to make up for so many things she’d done wrong.

Ryder offered his hand too. “You gave us all a little scare.”

“Not me.” Marley turned in her chair and rested a hand on the back while she smiled up at Olivia. “I always knew Miller would find you. He’s the best of the best.”

Slowly, Olivia’s gaze slid to Miller at the end of the table. His eyes were locked on Olivia, and the look that passed between them . . .

Eve had seen that look before. The one that said, I won’t let anything happen to you. From the man on the other side of her sister. Her gaze drifted to Zane. And she saw it now as he stared over her sister’s head toward her.

Her heart picked up speed. Perspiration broke out along her spine. Tearing his gaze from hers, Zane smiled, looked down at Olivia, and said, “How about some food? I think we could all use some fuel right now.”

He stepped by Eve, squeezed her hand, and moved into the kitchen. And Eve hissed in one calming breath, then let it out. She definitely needed fuel. Because what she now knew she had to do tonight would take every last bit of strength she had left.

If someone had told Zane a month ago he’d be camped out at Tate Kendrick’s mountain lodge with Evelyn Wolfe and Jake Ryder, tipping back a bottle of wine and laughing about old times, Zane would have thought they were nuts.

No, he would have thought they were fucking high.

“So Archer’s cable snaps,” Ryder said. “It’s like this random, fluke thing, but of course, it happens to him. And he’s got a hold of the zip line with two hands. Luckily he’s wearing gloves, but at this point he’s barely hanging on. And he hears this noise and glances back, and here comes Tierney, barreling toward him at top speed, screaming at the top of his lungs to drop. ‘Drop! Drop! Fucking drop!’ in his Irish accent. And Archer hollers back, ‘You fucking drop, you psycho!’ ”

Everyone at the table laughed except for Olivia.

Eve glanced Zane’s way. “This sounds like some team-building experience. What did you do?”

“I fucking dropped.” More laughter. “If he’d hit me at that speed, I would have lost an arm. As it was, I only broke a leg.”

Eve’s eyes widened. “You broke your leg?”

He shrugged and reached for his wine. “It was a pretty long drop.”

“He was off for two months,” Marley said. “It was right after we’d hired him. And then four months after that he was injured in that raid in Guatemala.” She glanced Ryder’s way and tipped her head. “I’m thinking he’s costing us an awful lot in insurance. Are you sure you want him back?”

Ryder’s dark eyes narrowed on Zane. “He and I have some shit to discuss about his risk assessment.”

Marley chuckled. Miller lifted the beer in his hand toward his lips. “You’re in trouble now.”

Olivia pushed back from the table. “I’m tired. If you all don’t mind, I’m just going to go to bed.”

Miller immediately stiffened. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” She pursed her lips. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just . . . tired.”

But she wasn’t. They could all see it. The last week was catching up with her.

Eve immediately jumped to her feet. “I’ll go with you.”

“Eve, I don’t—”

“Humor me, would you? If I stay down here, Archer will start telling stories about stupid stuff I’ve done to get the focus off of him. And trust me, I’m not in the mood.” She smiled Zane’s way, and her voice was relaxed, almost a soothing tone, but something was off. He knew she was just trying to make Olivia feel at ease, but Zane sensed something was bothering Eve. He’d sensed it all through dinner. Even before that really. Since they’d made love.

Something in the bottom of his gut tightened. A familiar warning shot of fear he knew all too well. “Don’t go far, beautiful.”

Eve rolled her eyes and headed for the stairs with her sister. “Where would I go all the way out here? There’s no need to handcuff me since we’re in the middle of nowhere.”

True. It’d be virtually impossible for her take off on her own. But with Eve, impossible was never a word he used lightly.

When they were both gone, Ryder lifted his brows. “Handcuff?”

Zane’s cheeks warmed. He downed the rest of his wine in one swallow. Pushing back from the table, he said, “Law enforcement technique.”

“You were never in law enforcement, dumbass.”

Zane grinned. “Whatever works, right?”

Ryder stood. “Let’s you and I get some air, Archer.”

Marley rose as well. “Miller, that means we’re on dish duty.”

“Aw, Mom,” Miller groaned. “Do I have to?”

She smiled and moved into the kitchen. “We’ll make a game out of it. For every Ryder joke you can come up with, I’ll clean two dishes to your one.”

He bolted from his chair. “Done.”

Ryder shook his head. “See the shit I put up with?”

Zane couldn’t help it. He smiled.

The cool mountain air felt good against Zane’s skin, and as they stepped out onto the back deck that overlooked the black lake, he filled his lungs with sweet, mountain air. The rain had stopped, and breaks in the clouds filtered just enough moonlight to shimmer like ribbons of silver across the surface of the lake.

Ryder leaned his forearms against the railing. “You think Wolfe will go along with our plan?”

Zane shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. That unease was still there about Eve, but after their heart-to-heart earlier, he knew they’d turned a corner. “She doesn’t have many other options. She’ll go along with it.”

“I talked to Tierney just before dinner. He’s in New York at a photo shoot with his wife. He’ll meet us in DC day after tomorrow.”

“You don’t think Roberts will be suspicious?”

“Of course he will be, but we’ll use that to our advantage. I know the way the guy thinks. Which brings me to you.” He turned, still leaning against the railing but this time with one elbow. “I have no fucking clue how you think. And that’s usually a liability.”

Zane stiffened. “I already told you I quit. You don’t have to worry about—”

“I don’t want you to quit. I didn’t want you to quit a year ago. Tell me this. Did you know Wolfe was innocent? Did you have any hunch before you went after her?”

Zane thought about his answer. And knew lying right now wouldn’t do any good. “I wanted her to be. But no, I didn’t think she was.”

“And yet your instincts still said to go after her.” Ryder turned back toward the railing, rested both forearms on the damp wood, and looked out at the sparkling lake. “I can teach tactical maneuvers. I can teach an operative how to read a situation and analyze a threat. What I can’t teach is instinct. I’m not happy about the way you went about it, but your instinct on this one was right.”

He slanted Zane a look. “Just, next time, tell me what you have fucking planned before you go off the reservation. It’ll sure as hell save me an ulcer.”

Zane’s muscles relaxed one by one, and a slow and easy smile spread across his face. “Will do.”

He turned for the door.

“Archer.”

One hand on the door handle, Zane looked back over his shoulder. “Yeah?”

“Don’t fuck things up with Wolfe tonight. We need her on our side on this.”

Zane huffed a sound that was half laugh, half disbelief. “Don’t I know it.”

The kitchen was empty when he went back inside. Marley and Miller had obviously gone to find rooms of their own. Since the lodge boasted eight bedrooms, there was plenty of space for all of them to spread out, but Zane didn’t want a room of his own. He wanted Eve. And he wanted to make sure the distance he’d felt her drawing between them was just his own damn insecurities and nothing more.

He found the master bedroom empty too. Turning back for the hallway that ran to the other end of the house, he peeked into the first bedroom and found it quiet. Miller’s duffel bag sat on the bed in the second, and water ran from the adjacent bathroom. He was just about to try the third door when it opened and Eve drew up short with an abbreviated gasp. “Zane.” She pressed a hand to her chest. “Geez, you scared me.”

“Sorry.”

He moved back just enough so she could step out into the hall and pull the door closed behind her. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, she’s fine. Sleeping, finally. I made her take the sleep aid the hospital sent home with her.”

He nodded and studied her closely. “How about you?”

“Me? I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be fine?”

He brushed a lock of hair back from her temple. “Eve,” he said softly.

She closed her eyes and. “We argued. The last time we talked. At our dad’s funeral. Did you know that? I’d flown all the way back from Turkey for the service, and she laid into me about never being around. And I was already feeling guilty enough about not being there with him at the end. I was so mad at her. I just . . .” She shook her head. “I just had to get out of there. So I left. I left her to take care of it all. And when I think about that, and then about the fact that none of this would have happened to her if it weren’t for me—”

“Stop.” He couldn’t let her beat herself up anymore. “Olivia’s alive. Everything is going to be okay.”

“Kinda hard to believe that when I look at the bruises on her face and arms.”

He tipped her chin up with his hand. “Open your eyes, Evie.” He waited until she did, until her amber irises focused on his. “She’s alive because of you. Because you didn’t give up on her and because you sent Miller to get her. And speaking of Miller, something tells me he’s not gonna let anyone get within ten feet of her.”

She swiped at her cheek. “I saw that too. And I’m more than a little worried about that fact. Miller’s an ex-assassin.”

“Can you think of anyone better to protect her?”

Eve frowned, and a sexy little crease formed between her eyebrows, one he wanted to kiss away. “That’s not funny. Don’t try to make jokes right now.”

“I’m not. I’m being perfectly serious.”

She looked away, then ran a hand through her hair.

“Look, if it makes you feel any better, your sister isn’t Miller’s type. He likes his women long-legged, big-breasted, and short on brains.”

Eve huffed. “That’s definitely not Olivia.”

One side of Zane’s lips curled. “No, it’s not. Whatever’s going on between them has to do with the rescue and nothing more. Miller’s not stupid enough to get involved with one of his principals, no matter how sweet she might be. And honestly, I’m pretty sure the DIA trained any kind of real emotion out of him long ago.”

Eve’s gaze met his. “I just wish Olivia knew that.”

“She will. Trust me. By tomorrow, anything you thought you saw between them will be long gone. Miller will make sure of it.”

Eve frowned like she wasn’t sure, but she heaved out a breath. “I’m too keyed up to sleep right now. Maybe I need to go for a walk.”

He lifted her off the floor and threw her over his shoulder. “I think we can find another way to tire you out.”

“Archer.” She pressed a silky soft hand against his lower back. One that warmed him from the outside in. “I’m not really in the mood right now.”

He dropped her on her feet, kicked the master bedroom door closed, and then tugged her into his arms. “You will be.” Before he was done, he planned to make sure that distance between them vanished for good. He lowered his mouth to hers and reveled in the soft sigh that slipped from her lips just before she sank into the kiss. “Give in to me, Evie.”

Her fingers threaded into his hair, and her hips pressed flush against his. “I already have, haven’t I?”

He needed to make sure she always would. He walked her back toward the bed. “Do it again.”