Deadly Game (Fortress Security #5)(29)
Brent opened his front door and deactivated the alarm. He stepped aside for Rowan to enter. “Welcome to my home, Rowan.”
She brushed past him with her overnight bag in hand. Inside, she glanced around.
Would she like his house? It surprised Brent to note that her opinion mattered.
“It’s beautiful. How long have you lived here?”
“Five years.” He turned, trying to see the room as Rowan might. The chocolate leather couch and love seat, lamps, end tables, coffee table. All chosen for comfort and functionality rather than beauty. A man’s choice, he admitted to himself. He’d only had himself to please for years.
Brent glanced at the large-screen television, expecting to see the shattered glass. Instead, a brand-new television was on the wall, this one bigger than the original one. One of the techs must have replaced his old one. Fast work, especially since they replaced so many windows. They must have brought in a small team to accomplish so much in a short space of time. “Incredible,” he murmured, walking through the house with Rowan trailing behind him. From one room to the next, he noted the changes in each location. That his employees cared enough about him and his home to go to this much trouble humbled him. Brent made a mental note to find out who repaired, replaced, or reorganized his belongings.
“You act like you’ve never seen your own house before,” Rowan said, amusement in her voice.
“When I left here yesterday, I had several broken windows and many other things were destroyed during the break-in, including that china you want to try and match. I asked for techs to examine my computer in case it had been tampered with. I expected to be up late tonight tossing things trashed by Carstairs. My team cleaned up and replaced what they could, not something I asked them to do.”
“They must think a lot of you.”
He led Rowan to the dining room, grateful to see several larger pieces of the china on the table.
“Brent, this china is so gorgeous. I hope my friends can find replacements. I’d love to see a full set of this used at a party.”
Party. Right. Not at the top of his priority list. “The guest room is this way.”
Brent opened the door to the room where Rowan would stay. Thankfully, Carstairs hadn’t gotten this far before the police response chased him off. “This room all right?”
“Are you kidding?” Rowan turned in a complete circle. “A queen-sized bed and an attached bathroom? What more could a woman ask for?” She smiled.
He chuckled. “You’re easy to please. Towels and washcloths are under the sink. I’ll leave you to get settled. Come find me in the kitchen when you’re ready.”
Brent backtracked to the kitchen and peered into his refrigerator. He wasn’t sure how Rowan was feeling at the moment, but she needed to eat soon. Rowan hadn’t eaten anything. Couldn’t continue if she was to keep functioning. She had to be strong for Alexa and that meant taking care of herself.
He wasn’t a world-class chef like one of his operatives, but Brent loved to grill. He pulled out two steaks and two baking potatoes, then went back to look in the vegetable crisper. Salad in a bag. Perfect. Yeah, his foodie operatives would turn up their noses at his pre-packaged salad. Brent liked the convenience and eating any salad balanced out the occasional soft drink in his mind. Besides, he didn’t feel guilty if he had to pitch a bag of salad in the trash because of a string of late nights or out-of-the-country operations.
He left the salad in the refrigerator and prepped the steaks. Leaving them to marinate, he unlocked his French doors and approached his grill. His grill was a work of art. Once he turned on the grill, Brent returned to the kitchen.
His doorbell rang. Brent frowned until he glanced at the security monitor and saw Zane Murphy. Why had Z driven all the way out here?
Brent unlocked the door. “Zane, what are you doing here?”
“You live in the boonies.” Zane scowled as he zipped past Brent into the living room. “You should move closer to work. Save a lot of wear and tear on your ride.”
“Yeah, yeah. Micah tells me the same thing and he lives as far from work as I do. I like it here. The area is quiet and the neighbors don’t bother me.”
“What neighbors?” Zane countered. “This place is surrounded by trees and has a long driveway. You can’t even see the house from the road.”
That was the point. Brent didn’t want neighbors knowing his schedule and he didn’t like crowded areas.
Zane reached into the pocket at the back of his wheelchair. “I brought you a new laptop. Carstairs tried to access the files on your old one. This computer has my latest security program.”
“Isn’t that program still in development?”
“Finalized the program yesterday.”
“Excellent. Can’t wait to see how fast our clients snap up this program. Do you have a few minutes, Zane?”
“Sure. Claire is off on another wedding photo shoot. She won’t be home until later.”
“Come back to the kitchen. You want a steak? I’m manning the grill as soon as it heats.”
Zane moaned in appreciation. “Your steaks are legendary. I’ll pick up dinner for Claire on the way home.”
“Don’t bother. I’ll fix her a steak and potato as well. Take them to her with my thanks for letting you stay late several times in the last few weeks.”