Her mouth snapped closed at that, and he recognized the best way to get Jeannie to acquiesce was to play on her concerns for Maggie.
“I just want to help,” she said, her voice now soft with an edge of resignation.
Squeezing her fingers, drawing her gaze back to his, he nodded. “You are helping her. And you’re helping me by not giving me a reason to worry.”
“You’d worry?”
Realizing he’d exposed some of his interest, he hesitated, deciding between playing it down and honesty. Honesty won out. “Yeah, Jeannie, I would.”
She sucked in her bottom lip, her top teeth pressing down as her gaze searched his. When she let go, his gaze dropped to the reddened flesh, and he couldn’t help but wish it had been his teeth on her lip.
13
“You know, you really should have a house that isn’t connected to where you work.”
Carson was sitting on the stone patio, his feet propped up on the railing in front of him, the view of the water in the distance below, and his fingers curled around a tumbler of whiskey. He didn’t need to look over his shoulder to see who was coming, recognizing Leo’s voice. Inclining his head toward the chair next to him, he waited as Leo poured a whiskey for himself and then settled into one of the other seats on the patio.
“A lot of people work from home,” Carson replied. “And they sure as fuck don’t have my view.”
“You got that right, brother,” Leo nodded, taking a sip.
The two men sat in silent appreciation of the evening for several minutes, taking in the view, enjoying their drinks. Finally, Carson asked, “Any particular reason you came over tonight other than to harass me?”
Chuckling, Leo shook his head. “Just wondering where your head is.”
“You or the other Keepers?”
“If you think I’ve been elected as some bullshit representative for the rest of them, you’re wrong. They know if they’ve got something to say, they can say it straight to your face. No, this comes from me.”
Carson waited, knowing Leo would speak his mind when he was ready. They’d served at the same time in the military but had met when running special ops for the CIA, working on a team together for a year. When he’d started his security business, Leo was the first one he hired. While that business mostly surrounded security for Hollywood’s rich and famous, Leo was never impressed with the shiny lights.
When he started LSI-WC, Carson refused to hire knuckle draggers and was thrilled when Leo came on board. In fact, he’d offered Leo a chance to be a partner but was turned down. The former Delta hated the administrative side of the business, but instead, gave his boss honest council when needed.
“You went out of here pissed as hell earlier when Ms. Carnes was seen on our cameras at the Garza estate.”
Carson nodded, knowing no response was needed considering the other Keepers witnessed his ire. They’d all been curious, asking about her. He tried to give a quick response, surprised when they continued to ask more questions. Dolby had suggested that if Jeannie was going to be visiting the estate anyway, she might be willing to let them know anything Maggie told her. Carson had erupted, and the other Keepers went on about their business, giving him a wide berth.
Leo continued, “When you came back, your mood was… different. To be honest, it was shitty. And since I can’t get a read on what exactly is going on, I figured you needed a sounding board.”
Tossing back the last of his drink, Carson set the empty tumbler onto the patio stone next to his chair. Leaning back, he squeezed his eyes tightly shut, pinching the bridge of his nose. Sighing, he kept his gaze out over the vista while answering. “What I told everyone was the truth. She received a call from Maggie who didn’t sound normal. Maggie wanted her to visit. She went out and visited. She told me that Maggie is concerned that she’s being watched.”
A bark erupted from Leo, and he turned to stare at the side of Carson’s head. “Yeah, I got that. What I want to know is what you’re not telling us.”
Giving up on the view, he twisted his neck and stared at his friend. “She offered to be an asset.”
“An asset?”
“Yeah, a real fuckin’ asset. Says she can be on the inside and see what’s going on.”
At that, Leo’s tumbler halted on its path toward his lips. He exhaled heavily. “Damn, didn’t see that coming. That's exactly what you said you didn't want her to become.”
“Yeah, shocked the shit outta me, as well.”
“What did you say?”
Carson’s chin jerked back at Leo’s question. “What do you mean, what did I say?”
“Just exactly what I said. What did you say to her when she offered to be an asset?”
“Are you fuckin’ kidding me? I turned her down flat, giving her all the reasons why she shouldn’t!”
Leo’s brows lifted slightly, his surprise showing in the minuscule expression change. “Okay, maybe I’m not getting this. She’s volunteering. She’s a former war zone military nurse. She’s worked in a shitty, crazy-ass stateside ER. Doing all that means she’s got to be smart and knows how to keep her mouth shut when needed.”
Carson pinched his lips, not liking the turn of the conversation.
Still pressing, Leo asked, “Unless there’s something you’re not telling me.”
“I just don’t like the idea of placing her in danger.”
“Okay, I get that. I’m not saying we should use her. I’m just wondering about your reaction.” At Carson’s lifted brow, Leo continued, “If she was just anyone, you’d turn her down flat, walk away, and not think about it again. So, you sittin’ out here drinking alone makes me think she means something to you.”
Scoffing, Carson shook his head. “I barely know her. We met yesterday. Well, technically, she came across our radar in Mexico when I saw her there. But officially, I just met her and talked to her yesterday.”
“Yeah, so?”
“What the fuck are you asking me, Leo?”
“That,” Leo said, pointing his finger toward him. “That right there is what I’m talking about, Carson. You may have just met her, but she’s in your head. You’re defensive. Irritated. Angry that she wanted to put herself in danger. Something’s going on, and I’ve got an idea what it is. I’m just wondering when you’re going to get around to realizing it.”
“If you’re going to tell me some bullshit about falling for some woman I just met, I won’t fire you, but I’ll put you on the worst missions I can find.”
Leo barked out another laugh in reply. “Okay, tell me your version of what the hell is going on.”
Carson sighed heavily, leaning his head back against the wooden deck chair. “Honestly? I don’t have a clue.” Scrubbing his hand over his face, he sighed again. “And I can’t believe I just admitted that.”
“Carson, if you want this business to be a success, you’ve got to recognize everyone’s strengths without expecting everyone to be perfect at everything. And that goes for you, too. You’ve got total loyalty from every Keeper, but you being honest with them, even about things you’re unsure of, will go a long way in making you the leader they already know you are.”