Sins, Lies & Spies (Black Brothers #2)(22)

“Miles?” he said, disbelievingly.

“No, my uncle. He believed every woman should know how to pick a lock, shoot a gun, and land a punch.”

“Ah. Consider me warned.” He dropped his keys on the kitchen counter. “Do you want something to drink?”

My gaze swung to his and I pushed my fingers through my hair. “No. I’m good.”

The last thing I needed was to lower my guard around him. I needed his help, but I’d be stupid to trust him. I hadn’t figured out his motives yet. Maybe he wanted to help his client…whoever that was. Maybe he hated Miles and wanted to use me to needle him. Maybe he was knee-deep in this mess with Benton. I couldn’t be sure. I had to keep my eyes open and my mind clear.

“Are you sure?” He pulled a bottle of white wine from the wine refrigerator beneath the counter and poured himself a liberal portion. He lifted the glass by its stem and swirled it before taking sip. “I’m not going to take advantage of you if that’s what you’re worried about.”

For some strange reason, this man had the ability to read between the lines and piece together everything I was thinking. Oh God, I hope not everything. I didn’t want him to know the mixed, idiotic tangle of emotions he brought out in me.

“I’m not worried. I can handle myself,” I answered, contradicting him.

“Good. Because I don’t like to drink alone.” He handed me a glass, and damn my wandering eyes for noticing the way his sinewy muscles rippled beneath his fitted navy shirt. “You can sit down,” he said, as he sat in a barstool at the kitchen counter.

Nodding, I settled into a chair at the small table instead of sitting next to him. “So, where do you want to start?”

He grinned at me, then took a sip of wine before his gaze swept down my body. It almost felt like a physical touch. “What do you know about Representative Lang?”

I tapped my finger on the table. “Not much. He’s a member of the House of Representatives. He’s from a district in Northern California. He’s married with two kids.”

“Right. Now tell me what Miles wanted from his computer.”

I bounced my foot up and down, the heels of my shoes clicking against the floor like a typewriter. “Honestly, I don’t know. I told you everything I know about it already. Miles keeps me in the dark sometimes.”

“I don’t believe you,” he said archly.

I sucked in a breath. “Look. I know it sounds far-fetched, but according to Miles, I was still in training. Most of the time, we discussed the details, but he was particularly tight-lipped about this deal with Lang. He told me you might show up at the party and that you planned to lift information off Lang’s computer. He wanted me to take the thumb drives from you and destroy the computer with a virus.”

“That’s it?” he prodded, his sapphire eyes cataloging every twitch, blink, and movement I made. “Can you remember anything else?”

I angled my head as I replayed the conversation with him in my head. “Wait,” I said, wringing my hands underneath the table. “He made a passing comment about the stupidity of keeping that kind of evidence on his computer. How it would screw up everything.”

He nodded absently, then stood. “I’ll be back in a second.”

“Sure,” I said, watching him walk down the hallway without further explanation.

A few minutes later, he reappeared with a file folder in his hand. “Take a look at this.” He dropped it on the table and hunkered down on the chair across from me.

Casually, I guided the file closer to me and flipped open the cover. I flicked through picture after picture of Miles meeting with Representative Lang. One in an alley. One at the National Mall. One on the sidewalk outside of Lang’s home.

“So what? They know each other,” I said, closing the folder when I reached the last picture. “Miles isn’t working for Lang. Otherwise, Lang would’ve let Miles destroy his computer. He wouldn’t have asked me to do it.”

“You’re right. I think Miles blackmailed Lang into helping him.”

My mouth hinged opened. “Blackmailed him with what?”

“That’s what I wanted to figure out.”

My shoulders slumped. “Did you find anything on the thumb drives?”

He glanced to the side. “Not yet, but I haven’t made it through everything.”

Feeling unsettled, I swirled the gold bangles on my wrist. This story sounded eerily similar to what Derrick told me. “Does Miles demand money in exchange for his silence?”

He cupped his chin between his thumb and index finger. His eyes never veered from mine, and I felt the physical weight of his stare all the way down to the tips of my toes. “No. Miles is extorting votes out of members of the House of Representatives.”

I crossed and uncrossed my legs, the direction of this conversation making me increasingly uncomfortable. “Why? What would he get out of forcing them to change their votes?”

“I don’t think he’s doing it for himself. He’s working for someone who has a vested interest in certain legislation being passed. I have my suspicions, but I haven’t put the pieces together.”

I rubbed my suddenly numb fingertips along my thighs. “Why are you telling me this? It seems risky. How do you know I’m not part of this scheme? I could run back to Miles and tell him everything.”