Face the Music (COBRA Securities Book 9) Page 9

  Layla grabbed his arm. “Luke, that’s not necessary.”

  “Haven’t you ever heard of letting sleeping dogs lie?” He smiled and then scooped Tiffany into his arms. She curled against him, trusting in her sleep. He had flashbacks of carrying Kait to bed when she was this age. For many years, she was afraid to sleep by herself. Even if Luke put her to bed in her room, he’d find her huddled by his side in the morning.

  Layla followed and hurried around him to tug down the comforter on Kait’s old bed. He carefully placed Tiffany on the cool blue sheets. Layla untied her shoes while he went to retrieve Sean. After he deposited him on Ben’s old bed, he unlaced his sneakers and slid them off. Sean murmured in his sleep but didn’t wake up. Luke arranged his legs under the covers and tugged it over his small body.

  “He needs a nightlight,” Layla said from behind him.

  “Ben did, too, when he was young, though he’d kill me for telling on him.” He dimmed the light on the lamp. “I’ll leave the door open in case they wake up disoriented. You’ll be right across the hall.”

  Layla was staring at him with a strange look on her face. “What?”

  She shook her head. “I can’t thank you enough. You’ve been our savior.” His eyes widened when she pushed to her tip-toes and kissed him softly. It was over before he could react. “Good night.”

  She slipped into Grant’s room and closed the door. Luke stood in the hallway for fifteen minutes, debating on whether to knock. It was ridiculous, the feelings she inspired in him. She was a client. With that thought, he spun on his heel and retreated to his room.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Luke woke early the next morning. He’d had trouble sleeping, his mind running over all the details on Layla’s case. They needed to come up with a plan to expose the senator so she and her siblings could have their lives back.

  A smile lifted his lips when he peeked into the door to check on Sean. He was sprawled out on the bed, arms and legs akimbo. Tiff was curled on her side next to him, one of Kait’s stuffed dogs curled protectively in her arm. He backed out and checked on Layla. She’d left the door cracked so she could hear the children if they called out in the night. One quick glance told him she was fast asleep.

  He headed downstairs to his home gym and pounded out five miles on the treadmill. After grabbing a quick shower, he found Tiff and Sean waiting for him in the kitchen.

  He whipped up pancakes and bacon for the kids. It’d been his siblings’ favorite breakfast so he’d cooked many flapjacks over the years. The kids chattered happily, asking him questions and telling stories of their year on the run. He endeavored to fashion the pancakes into Mickey Mouse ears and the kids chortled at his attempts.

  Layla told him she was homeschooling them since they couldn’t attend a public school. It wasn’t safe yet to enroll in a school here, but Luke had a friend whose sister was in graduate school working towards her Master’s Degree in Education. If Layla agreed, he’d call her to see if she could tutor the twins. In the meantime, they could spend the day at the activity center. There was plenty of supervision and they could use the computers for their studies. They’d built the center as a place for the children to do homework after school or research on projects. It housed a day care center for smaller children as well.

  He made another call before Layla came downstairs.

  “I smell bacon,” she sighed.

  “Have a seat.” He pointed with a spatula. “How many pancakes?”

  “Three.” She shook out a napkin and settled it on her lap. “I’m going to need to hit the gym if I keep eating like this. What?”

  Luke could do nothing but stare. Gone were the chunky glasses. She’d removed the brown contacts to reveal eyes the color of the Caribbean ocean and he was drowning in them. He didn’t know how long he gazed at her…would’ve kept doing so if the scent of burnt batter hadn’t tickled his nose. He scraped the ruined pancake into the garbage and started again.

  The kids were watching television in the great room, so it was just the two of them in the kitchen. Luke told her about his idea to hire a tutor. “You’ll be busy helping with the case, and I thought you’d want them to continue their studies.”

  He watched her intently and when she stopped eating, dropped her gaze and carefully placed her fork down, his heart plummeted to his stomach. I’ve overstepped my bounds, he thought.

  When she finally looked up at him, her eyes were bright with unshed tears. “Thank you.” She cleared her throat. “That was very thoughtful of you. I would appreciate it. I’ve hated that they didn’t have a more structured learning environment, but I’ve done the best I could.”

  Luke blew out a relieved breath. He knew he could be heavy-handed sometimes, but it came with being the oldest child and running a multi-million-dollar company.

  While Layla showered, he called Kaitlyn and arranged for her to accept the delivery arriving later today. They loaded into the golf cart and he motored to the activity center. There weren’t any children Tiffany or Sean’s age around since they were in school, but they settled in and assured them they would be good.

  After he parked and they headed inside the offices, he turned to her while they waited for the elevator. “I’ve set up a meeting with agents who are currently available to brainstorm ideas how to bring Mullins down. They’ve been briefed on the details.”

  “You’ve been busy.” She smiled at him and the pain in his chest had nothing to do with the bacon he’d ingested. He couldn’t be falling for this woman. He hardly knew her. The clothes Kaitlyn picked up were more flattering than the baggy outfits she wore before. She was still too thin, but so beautiful. Although the hair was a different color, she looked like Layla Brooks, music superstar.

  Jade Bradley was waiting for them when they exited the elevator. “Layla? Oh, my God, it is you!”

  The women hugged, with Layla apologizing for deceiving her. His secretary pulled him aside. “You have a very persistent phone call.”

  Realization hit. He had a date with Sheryl tonight. He thanked his secretary, informed Layla he’d be right back and headed to his office and closed the door.

  “This is Luke.”

  “Hello, darling. I’ve missed you. You didn’t call last night.”

  Luke closed his eyes. He didn’t like hurting people, but it wasn’t fair to keep seeing her when he knew it wouldn’t lead anywhere.

  “I’m sorry, Sheryl, I’ve been busy.”

  “I’m looking forward to tonight,” she purred. “I made a special trip to Victoria Secret.”

  He did not want to do this on the phone, but he didn’t have any other choice. “Sheryl, I’m not going to be able to make our date.”

  “Why not?”

  “I’m working on a case that’s taking all of my time.”

  “But you don’t work on cases,” she argued. “That’s why you have a staff of minions.”

  Irritation seethed. He didn’t consider one person who worked for COBRA Securities an underling. They were equally capable or they wouldn’t have been hired. “I am working this one and I didn’t want to do this over the phone, but I don’t think we should see each other anymore.”

  “What?” she screeched. “No, that’s not acceptable. We will postpone the date until next week.”

  “This isn’t a negotiation, Sheryl.” She was a very successful lawyer and when they first met, he found her debating skills impressive. Now, not so much.

  “Is there someone else? Did you cheat on me?”

  “We were never exclusive,” he argued. “And no, I didn’t cheat on you and there isn’t anyone else.”

  “Then why? We’re good together.”

  “I don’t see this going anywhere long term.”

  “I’ll change your mind.”

  “I’m sorry, but you won’t. Goodbye, Sheryl.” He hung up before she could argue and headed out of his office. Jade and Layla were still deep in conversation, gabbing away like old friends. “I hate to break this up, but
the others are waiting.”

  #

  Layla hugged Jade, promised they’d catch up later and then followed Luke into the conference room. Coffee and donuts were set up on a side table. She’d inhaled the pancakes and bacon Luke prepared for breakfast, still, a chocolate frosted cruller was calling her name. Apparently when her appetite reappeared, it returned with a sugar-fueled vengeance.

  She fought the urge to pick up the sweet, doughy treat and glanced around the room. Several people were seated around the table. She was surprised to realize she recognized most of them.

  “You’ve met Logan, Ben, Dan, Dante and Peter,” Luke said. “This is Kayla Hepburn.”

  A stunning woman who looked like she should be walking the runway instead of battling bad guys waved. Layla recognized her from the ninja competitions.

  “This is Alex Mylonas.”

  “We met at the gym yesterday.” She smiled at the man who was the reason she was standing here, even if he was unaware of the fact.

  “And this is Dorian Demarchis.” A tall, dark-haired man stood and shook her hand. Well, Dorian made it official…all the men who worked here were gorgeous.

  Luke handed her a bottle of water and ushered her to a chair. He took the seat beside her. “You’ve all been briefed on the situation. Candidate for president of the United States, attempted murder of his stepdaughter, suspected of killing his wife and possible involvement in illegal activities.” Luke glanced around the table. “I’ve given this some thought. We need to plant someone inside Mullins’ home.”

  “The last person who infiltrated his house ended up dead,” Layla reminded him softly.

  He gave her a sympathetic look. “We won’t send someone in alone. We’ll have plenty of back-up in place.”

  “I thought about this, too,” Peter said, looking up from an iPad. “And I think I have something. He’s looking for a yoga instructor.”

  Layla choked and almost spit out the water she’d just downed. Luke rubbed her back, not realizing the amused stares his co-workers were leveling at him. When the urge to cough passed, she croaked, “Yoga instructor?” She covered her mouth to hold in a chuckle. She couldn’t picture slick, elegant Mullins bending himself into a downward dog pose.

  “He’s contacted a company that provides fitness professionals. He requested a trainer with a specialty in yoga. Apparently, he prefers beautiful woman.” Peter clicked a button and the large television on the wall came to life. Everyone rotated their chairs to look. Pictures of exotic beauties flashed across the screen. “These are the women he’s escorted to different political events the last few months.”

  “They look nothing like my mother,” Layla murmured. That rat bastard. Had he been seeing women on the side while they were married? Probably.

  “You know who they look like,” Logan said.

  “Talia,” Luke finished. “She’s not a full agent yet.”

  “The woman was Mossad,” Dan said. “She could probably kill every one of us with her pinky.”

  “Without breaking a nail,” Kayla added.

  “Or blinking an eye,” Dorian chipped in.

  “Talia would be perfect for the job,” Logan agreed. “She’s exotic and mysterious. If Mullins has a type, and it’s the women he’s been dating, she fits.”

  “What do you think Dante,” Luke questioned. “Is she ready?”

  Dante nodded slowly. “Definitely. She could kick my behind without breaking a sweat. She practices yoga, too, so I’m sure she could teach without any problem.”

  “Are you prepared to sign off on her status?” Logan asked.

  “Absolutely.”

  “Great. I’ll call her in.”

  “She’s at the gym right now, punishing a punching bag.” Ben stood. “I’ll get her.”

  As soon as Ben left, Luke said, “Pete, did you get a copy of the senator’s schedule?”

  “I did,” Peter confirmed. “Congress is on hiatus so he’s leaving his townhouse in DC today. He’ll be at his house in Georgia for a few weeks.”

  “Damn,” Luke muttered. “We would’ve had a better chance combing his mansion while he’s away.”

  “Let’s see if Talia can finagle room and board,” Logan suggested. “She’d have an inside to search the entire place.”

  “That’s good,” Luke said, pointing at his partner.

  “Uh, guys,” Peter interrupted. “We may have a slight problem.”

  “What’s that?” Luke asked.

  “The interviews are being held in two days. Apparently, Mullins wants the person hired immediately.”

  “So we need to get moving.”

  Peter typed a few keys and raised his hands in victory. “I’ve got Talia scheduled for an interview at ten o’clock. The agency is sending two other candidates.”

  “How did you do that?” Dorian asked.

  “A little magic.” He smiled. “I sent her name along with the other two from the agency. When the senator’s secretary confirmed, I intercepted and erased Talia’s name before forwarding to the agency. As far as he knows, the agency sent her.

  “Perfect,” Luke said with approval. “What name did you use?”

  “Talia Levy.”

  “We’ll wait to see if she gets hired but as I said earlier, we’ll have back-up in place. I’ll be going down there as well.”

  “I’m going, too,” Layla insisted.

  Luke narrowed his eyes. “No, you’re not.”

  She narrowed hers right back. “Yes, I am. This is my case and I want to be there.”

  “We’ll discuss it later,” Luke said, dismissing her.

  It didn’t matter what he decided, she was going down there. This needed to end. She wanted the children to be free of a father who mentally abused them. They’d be safe to attend a regular school and make friends without looking over their shoulder. One way or another, Mullins was finished and she wanted to be part of the take-down.

  The door opened and Ben ushered a woman inside. She wore a tank top and shorts, her hands taped up and her long, dark hair pulled back into a thick ponytail. Eyes the color of sea glass glanced around the room, nodding at everyone. Even sweaty and scrubbed free of makeup, she was stunning.

  “Thanks for coming, Talia,” Luke said. “Have a seat.”

  “I feel underdressed,” she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. “Can I go change first?”

  “This won’t take long and then you can finish your workout,” Logan told her.

  She looked uncomfortable, but she nodded and took a seat.

  “We have a case that we’d like for you to work,” Luke said

  She glanced around the table, her brows raised. “But I am not an agent, yet.”

  “Dante has signed off on your training and we all feel secure with your abilities,” Logan assured her. “We’d like to officially offer you a job. If you accept, we’ll sign the contract after the meeting.”

  “I absolutely accept,” she enthused.

  “You don’t even know what the case is.” Logan’s voice was amused.

  She waved a dismissive hand. “It does not matter. I will dig through waste receptacles and swim in shark-infested waters if you ask.”

  Luke chuckled. “No dumpster diving required, though you might have to deal with one sharp-fanged snake, in the form of a politician.”

  “Comparing a politician to a snake is offensive to snakes,” Kayla joked.

  Luke smiled. “True that.” He turned to Talia. “Before I give you the details of the case, I’d like you to meet our client, Layla Brooks.”

  Talia did a double-take and her mouth dropped open. “The Layla Brooks? As in My Heart Sings?” She named Layla’s top hit.

  Layla smiled at her. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Oh my gosh, I am going to go all fan-girl on you. I cannot believe you are sitting here. How is that possible?”

  “It’s a long story,” Luke said, giving her a brief rundown. “We need to get someone inside Mullins’ house and he’s
currently looking for a fitness instructor with a specialty in yoga. Do you feel comfortable in that role?”

  “Absolutely. I am actually teaching classes at a local studio right now so it will be no problem at all.”

  “Perfect. You have an interview in two days,” Logan told her. “After we take care of a contract, we’ll give you all the details so you can study the case.”

  “Also, we’d like for you to finagle room and board into the deal,” Luke added.

  “I’ll do my best.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  The day passed quickly as plans were made for Talia’s trip in two days. BeBe found a house for sale in the same neighborhood as Mullins’, and the owners agreed to rent it out for a month. One of the agents would leave tomorrow morning to drive a COBRA Securities vehicle to Georgia. Luke would fly down with Talia and the agent driving the SUV would fly home, leaving the vehicle with Luke. Surveillance equipment and weapons had been loaded inside. Try as she might, Luke rebuked Layla’s attempts every time she asked. She needed to come up with a plan to get to Georgia by herself.

  The woman Luke mentioned as a tutor arrived in the afternoon. Melody Franklin was kind and eager and Layla thought she’d do a great job with the children. She was late twenties with strawberry blond hair and cornflower blue eyes. She was working on her thesis, so she didn’t need to attend classes. Luke pulled Layla aside and asked if she wanted Melody to stay with her and the children in the house for the next week. Melody was available and she’d offered to help with cooking and cleaning. Layla figured it was another of Luke’s attempts to ease her burden.

  Luke trusted her, so Layla would, too. Layla felt instantly comfortable with the woman who was close in age. Since she was an outsider, Luke drew up a confidentiality agreement for her to sign before they revealed Layla’s identity. All it would take would be one slip of a tongue, and her secret would be revealed.

  It was time to leave the office and she still hadn’t come up with a solid plan. Her biggest obstacle was the children. She couldn’t leave them to fend for themselves, and it was a big responsibility to ask someone to watch them for a few days. She didn’t know these people well enough. She amended that thought. She did know Juliet…or Jade. Maybe she could recruit her old friend to help.