The image of a studious boy reading his books and likely getting bullied and feeling alone struck her hard. David hadn’t done anything but have a great conversation with her and honor her boundaries. He’d been polite and tried to put her at ease even when she’d been rude to him. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to be alone with him.”
“Wade, could you give us the room? Don’t change your plans. If I can’t convince her to go, I’ll figure out a way to do it myself. I’m not letting David miss this opportunity, and I’m not going to be the one who costs your little girl time with her dad at Disney World.”
Wade nodded and then she was alone with the big boss and a shit ton of guilt. How had she not known about Jamal’s mom? She’d cut herself off from everyone, built up walls around herself, and then bitched about being isolated. She thought because the people around her seemed happy that they didn’t have a care in the world, but she knew Genny had a tough time before she and Wade got married and that every minute they had together was precious. West had hired on after an accident at the ranch he’d grown up on. Kyle hid his pain.
“What did my nephew do?” The question came out in an even tone.
She hated the weakness, but she had to blink back tears. “I spent some time with him a couple of weeks ago. He made me like him, and I don’t want to like anyone right now.”
Big Tag’s shoulders came down, and a groan came from the man’s mouth. “For fuck’s sake. Do you have any idea how many times I’ve been through this?”
She sat down because this seemed like it was going to be a long lecture that ended with her going to South America.
It was time to remember that she had a team around her, and she owed them, too.
“Why can’t I get clients no one wants to sleep with? I seriously think I should hire people based on their fucking sex drives,” Tag continued. “I would say older people, but those suckers want some, too.”
How bad could it get? Moments before, David had looked at her like she was the last person in the world he wanted to sleep with. She’d been a bitch, so maybe thinking he would be tempting was now a completely one-sided thing.
“Here’s a clue, Santiago. Don’t sleep with him. From what I can tell he lives like a monk anyway, so if you’re not some musty old book, he probably won’t notice you’re there.”
The boss could really go on and on.
But one thing was clear. She was going to do her job. No matter how much it hurt.
* * * *
So this was what it felt like to be in the big conference room. David had wondered sometimes since he’d heard a lot of stories about this place. His stepdad had sat here and listened to the plans for the op that sent him to Fort Worth all those years ago, to the place where Grace Hawthorne worked.
“You know you don’t have to sit there. I’m not going to slip out.” He wasn’t going to run away, but he also wasn’t about to force a woman who didn’t like him to spend time with him.
Look, Wade, I get why you want me on this assignment, but I’m not protecting David Hawthorne. No way. I’m not going.
She’d been so adamant. It had been a real kick in the gut.
“Big Tag was serious about those Red Vines.” Hutch had been sitting with him while Ian decided his fate.
At least when it came to a bodyguard. Ian couldn’t stop him from leaving this evening. He wasn’t missing this opportunity. He’d been researching this book for five years. Having access to Ricardo Montez’s personal library, to the island and the treasure that was supposedly hidden there, was a biographer’s dream. This book was the key not only to assured tenure, but also to getting this lost gem of a story out in the world.
“So what’d you do to Santiago? Not that it takes much these days.” Hutch sat back, putting his feet up on the conference room table.
“I asked her out.” That was the killer. He wasn’t sure where he’d gone wrong. He’d asked her out. He’d attempted to make sure there wasn’t a miscommunication, and when it was obvious she wasn’t going to answer him, he deleted her number from his phone and hadn’t bothered her again. They’d had such a good connection that night, but he wasn’t the smartest man when it came to dating. He’d missed a cue or something.
Or he hadn’t because she’d been the one to kiss him. She’d been the one to put her lips on his, her eyes glowing in the low light as she’d walked away.
What had happened between that moment and this one? It wasn’t like he hadn’t faced rejection before, but this one had hurt like hell.
Hutch whistled. “Damn. You stepped in it.”
Obviously Hutch had been hired in on Ian’s sarcasm initiative. “Yes, it was clearly a mistake.”
Hutch sighed and sat back. “Tessa’s touchy right now. She was engaged and it ended. It was amicable, but she still has to work with the guy. It’s sad because they’re both nice people. I think she’s got what I like to call the thirty-year-old blues. It’s when all your friends are married and happy and it hasn’t happened for you.”
Maybe the intimacy he’d felt had been one-sided. Maybe she’d taken a look around and realized she could do way better than a professor of history. It wouldn’t be the first time. Hell, he’d had a couple of women who’d dated him so they could meet his happily married stepfather.
Maybe he had the thirty-year-old blues.
His cell phone trilled, and he glanced down. His research assistant. He’d only hired Luis the semester before, and the grad student was already working overtime. Luis Vasquez was a double major in history and Spanish, making him the perfect research assistant. He also had family ties in Argentina, and those had already started paying off as Luis had left for Buenos Aires the day before. David slid a finger across the screen to accept the call. “Did you make it okay?”
“Not only made it to the city, but I’m already here on the island. I managed to get a cell signal and thought I would take advantage. I hope you don’t mind, but I called Eduardo and he said it was all right to come out early. I’m taking some great film for you,” Luis said.
“I thought you wouldn’t be out until later in the week.” He’d been planning to visit with a cousin of his who lived in a seaside town.
“My cousin took off with a girl he met in his math class. They’re on their way to Brazil for the week. I thought work sounded better than sitting in his place alone. I would have to clean it first,” Luis said with a huff, and then a bit of static came over the line.
“I’m glad you got in okay,” David said. “I’ve run into some problems here.”
“I’m sorry. You cut out on me,” Luis said. “This signal is going to drop at any moment. I wanted to let you know that Eduardo’s eager to talk to you. I think he’s found something his dad left, and it’s in a code from what I can tell. He won’t show me,” Luis admitted. “He’s a little manic, but he seems cool. I’m going to go out and get some footage of the estate and talk to some of the people in the town close to here. I thought I’d wait until you get here to go up to the mountain.”