The Dom Who Loved Me (Masters and Mercenaries #1)(88)

Grace smiled up at her friend. The woman who got caught between Adam and Jake would be one happy girl. Unfortunately, Grace was far too in love with one Viking to ever consider it. Grace gave the room a once-over. Everything was running perfectly. It was a good party. Maybe she should go into party planning after this was over.

A thin woman dressed in gray slacks and a black sparkly top caught her eyes. The woman with dark hair pulled back in a bun looked strangely familiar. Grace tried to remember where she had seen her before.

“What is it?” Adam asked, following her line of sight.

She shook her head. “Nothing.” She must be a girlfriend of one of the employees. That would explain it. She turned back to Adam. “Now you said something about a problem with the caterer.”

Twenty minutes later, she had the dumpling issue sorted out and everything was running properly again. The band had taken to the stage, and the dance floor was hopping. Grace couldn’t help but remember how good it felt to be wrapped in Sean’s arms when they had danced together.

She caught sight of Matt out of the corner of her eye. The woman who had seemed familiar to her earlier passed him by and nodded. His eyes followed her briefly. Grace sighed. She really hoped Matt wasn’t about to get in trouble. The last thing she needed was to have to deal with a drunk, horny boss hitting on some employee’s girlfriend and starting a fight in the middle of her successful party.

She was grateful when Matt turned away from the woman and walked off toward the big balcony terrace. He passed a large potted palm tree. Grace noticed something fall out of his pocket as he opened the door and walked out onto the softly lit terrace.

Grace sighed. He never, ever changed. He was forever losing stuff.

Or was he?

Grace stopped in the middle of the room. She hadn’t seen hide nor hair of Evan Parnell. Was that really a surprise? If he was as smart as everyone said he was, why would he show his own face at the drop when his brother could do it for him?

Grace looked around the room and thought about running to Adam or Jake. Would she lose the package? Was she the only one who had seen it? What was she supposed to do? Sean had gone downstairs to check in with Alex and Mr. Black. What if they missed their chance?

Heart pounding, Grace walked across the room. Play it cool. Pick the damn thing up and then run for Adam. She would run as fast as her four-and-a-half-inch heels would carry her. She would hand it off to Adam, and then she and Sean could go home and this nightmare would be over.

A sudden vision of a dark-haired woman in a van waiting outside the building floated across her brain. The woman in the gray slacks! She had been in the van that picked up Evan Parnell that day. Now Grace could see it clearly. It was the day she had chased down the little paper with the address of the mail place. Parnell had stood outside of the building, and the van had driven up. Grace could see the woman’s dark hair and her slightly pinched face as she pulled up and waited while Parnell hopped in. She hadn’t turned to look at him, like she would a friend or lover. There had been no warm greeting between the two.

She was his employee. Parnell had more than one person working for him tonight.

As quick as she could, she leaned over and grabbed the thumb drive. Grace straightened up and started toward Adam, pushing her way through the throng of people headed toward the buffet which had just opened for supper. She could see him up ahead and started to call out to him when she felt someone pull at her elbow.

“Don’t call out.” Something pressed into her side, and she saw Parnell’s partner standing next to her. The dark-haired woman had one hand on Grace’s elbow. Grace looked down to find a small pistol being shoved close to her ribs. It was pushed painfully against her side. Every nerve in Grace’s body went on high alert. “And don’t try to get the big bastard’s attention, either, unless you want me to start shooting these fine people. I’ll kill you first, and then I’ll start in on everyone else. I’ll do it if I have to.”

“What do you want?” Grace kept her voice low as the woman started to maneuver her toward the back of the room. There was so much going on she wondered if anyone noticed. They probably looked like two women having a talk in an overly loud room.

The other woman’s voice was a harsh snarl in Grace’s ear. “I want the planet to be a nice place. It’s corporate types like you who mess everything up for the rest of us.”

“I’m an admin.” She needed to stay calm, keep her talking. Sean was downstairs where they had all sorts of surveillance equipment. He would look for her. He would come after her.

“You work for the man. You take their money, you can share their fate. We’re bringing down the Bryson Building and the gas company in it. I’m not going to let you stop us.”

They seemed to be making their way to the door in the back of the ballroom that led to the stairs. She wanted to shout out, but she was afraid this woman would do exactly what she threatened. And the band was playing so loud. Grace doubted anyone would hear her over the roaring party music. She tried reason. “Your boss has been lying to you. Evan Parnell isn’t interested in the environment. He’s ex-CIA. He’s been using you and your group as a cover to make money selling corporate and government secrets to foreign governments.”

The woman snorted. “That’s ridiculous. I’ve followed Parnell for two years. I know my mentor. He taught us everything he knows about bringing down the polluters.”