From Sanctum with Love (Masters and Mercenaries #10)(23)

“Not to mention the fact that Danvers isn’t her birth name,” Kai threw in. He’d figured this out a while back. He’d gone to Ian about Mia Danvers. It was precisely how her file had ended up with Adam. Nothing in her evaluations made him think she was violent, but he’d suspected she was hiding something. “Lawless. It’s her brother who interests me. Apparently they’ve tried to hide their family ties. At least on paper. There are four siblings, but only one still uses the family name.”

Rush was suddenly sitting up. “Lawless? Are you talking about Andrew Lawless? As in 4L Software?”

Ian nodded. “Yes, she’s the sister of Drew Lawless. Her other brothers are legally known as Riley and Brandon Lang. This family has done a lot to hide their connection and stay private. Adam said it took him a very long time to unravel all the paperwork and link them together. Riley and Brandon work for 4L, but as far as we can tell not even the employees there understand they’re related to the boss. It’s very suspicious. I want to know why a billionaire’s sister is snooping around my club asking questions about my business.”

“Because she’s working for The Collective,” Case shot back. “It wouldn’t be the first time that group sent in a reporter to gather information and cause chaos, or do you forget the London op from a few years back? Which is precisely why we should shove her out on her pretty ass.”

Charlotte put a hand on her brother-in-law’s shoulder. “Or we keep her close and watch her. She’s here for a reason. Let’s figure out what it is. If we toss her out, they’ll likely send in someone else and then we’ll have to start all over again.”

“If she’s Collective, I doubt she understands what she’s involved in.” Kai had spent time with Mia. While she was hiding her identity, he didn’t buy that she was working to bring down McKay-Taggart. She was a woman he would bet would try to do the right things. “Read my profile on her, Case. She’s the kind of woman who could be reckless if she thought it was for a good cause. I think she’s actually in need of some protection herself.”

Case shoved back and stood. “She’s not getting it from me. She wants to come in here and try to take my family down? She has no idea. She can get her ass back to Austin. Her brother’s billions mean nothing here.”

Case stormed out, the door slamming behind him.

So that seemed like a firm “no” on reading Mia’s file and giving her a fair shake. “Her story’s more complex than he thinks.”

Ian closed his file as well, standing and indicating that this particular meeting was over. “That whole family is f*cked up, but it doesn’t mean that her brother’s not involved in The Collective. I go through what he did and maybe I’m not so picky about my business contacts either. Anyway, I’ll talk to Case. I think he’s our best bet when it comes to figuring out why she’s here. She’s shown zero interest in her training Dom. I think she wants a Taggart, and Case is the only one whose penis isn’t tethered to a female. And Kai, I know this isn’t easy for you. I appreciate everything you’re doing.”

“Enough to let me in on the secret? I’m not stupid. Something’s happening here that you’re not telling the rest of us.” He could feel it. It was there in the way Ian’s face went blank at certain moments, in how he and McKay whispered and shut up when anyone else walked in the room. It was something to do with this operation and why it was so important.

“Like I said. I’m grateful.” Big Tag nodded and walked out.

And that was all he was going to get.

Rush and the rest of the team filed out, leaving Kai behind with Eve.

“I’m here if you want to talk, you know,” she said as she gathered her things.

“I might take you up on that. Rush might be right and I’m too close to this to see it properly,” Kai admitted. “I’m having a very difficult time believing my brother has anything to do with this. What I want to do is sit his ass down and ask him what the hell he’s thinking traveling around the damn world with a serial killer. Women are falling down dead all around him and he’s probably been too involved in some Xbox game to notice. That I can believe.”

Eve straightened her suit. “Maybe that’s what you do then. Look, no one knows your brother the way you do. In serials there are almost always signs from youth. I find it difficult to believe that you wouldn’t have seen them. And kindness to strays—both animal and human—isn’t usually a part of the serial killer makeup. Your brother’s in trouble, Kai. It might be time to look at that relationship because if you don’t do everything you can to help him, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”

This was what had kept him from finding any peace at all this afternoon. “It’s easy for me to see that in an intellectual fashion, but I can’t look at this academically.”

“Which is why my door is open if you need to talk.”

What he needed was a long night at Sanctum focused on a submissive. He could practically feel the pressure building.

What he was going to get was his brother in his face all night. He was going to be grumpy for freaking weeks.

He stepped out into the surprisingly quiet office. Grace wasn’t at her desk. Normally someone was milling about even this late in the evening, but tonight the halls of McKay-Taggart seemed quiet.