Fast Burn (Body Armor #4)(96)

Sahara’s eyes flared. “That was you?”

Disgusted, Scott said, “I’d snuck in to get more money by pretending to be part of a landscaping team.”

“Team?” Justice asked.

“The others with me really were from a landscaping firm.”

“More money?” Brand asked.

Scott gestured dismissively. “I kept gold and silver in a secret vault in the basement. That’s how I funded myself, since I couldn’t access any of my accounts.”

“You snuck in?” Sahara asked, wounded by the possibility. “You were there and never told me?”

“Until I figured out who’d tried to kill me, no one could know I was alive. By not telling you, I protected you.”

“By not telling her,” Brand stated softly, “you left her vulnerable to the likes of Ross Moran and his gang.”

“That was definitely an error in judgment, but how was I to know Ross would get enamored with her?”

Brand narrowed his eyes. “How could you think any man wouldn’t?”

Scott flattened his mouth. “Believe me, he’ll be very careful around her from now on.”

So that there would be no mistakes, Brand sat forward and stated, “He won’t be around her ever again. Period.”

“As to that...” Scott shoved back his chair and began to pace.

Brand didn’t like it, but he knew Sahara well enough to let her handle things—as long as she handled them in a way that satisfied his protective instincts.

“You were wiser than me, Sahara.” Scott glanced at her. “You knew all along that Chelsea Tuttle was trouble.”

“More than trouble,” Sahara muttered. “She’s sick and dangerous and—”

“You remember when she hired guards from the agency?”

“Yes.” Disgust narrowed her eyes. “They reported back that she’d tried to use them in perverted sexual favors.”

Since they hadn’t heard the story yet, Leese, Miles and Justice stared in fascination.

“It seemed so far-fetched at the time,” Scott murmured, “I wasn’t sure what to believe. Overall she seemed spoiled, brazen, but mostly harmless. After she admitted to drinking too much and flirting—which she said they’d misconstrued—I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt.”

“Big mistake,” Sahara said.

“Clearly.” He paused. “Maybe I’m better at judging men than women.”

Brand snorted. Far as he could tell, her brother sucked at that, too.

Ignoring him, Scott said to Sahara, “Chelsea later told me that you’d threatened her.”

“Did she?” Sahara smiled with chilling amusement. “Well, it’s true. And I have plenty of evidence to ruin her socially, even if it doesn’t get her locked up.”

“You told her to quit her games?”

“And to stay away from you.” Anger brought her brows together. “Apparently I didn’t go far enough to impress my intentions on her if she contacted you again after that.”

“Oh, you did. She believed you would ruin her—or worse. She made me swear I wouldn’t tell you about her visit to the agency because she said she feared for her life.”

“Then she’s not as dumb as I assumed.”

“Not dumb, no, but very cunning.” Scott looked at each of the men. “I trust what I say will stay confidential?”

Leese shrugged. “As you already pointed out, we’re loyal to Sahara.”

“We wouldn’t say or do anything to hurt her,” Justice added.

“You all work for Body Armor and that gives you certain credibility.” He turned thoughtfully toward Brand. “You, however, are an outsider.”

Brand smiled at the absurdity of that.

Before he could say anything, Miles spoke up. “He’s not officially a bodyguard, but you’d be an idiot not to see how protective he is of her.”

“It’s because I’m not an idiot that I’m being cautious.”

Sahara cast a worried glance at first Miles and then Brand. “You can speak freely, Scott. I plan to. I have complete trust in everyone here.”

Scott’s skeptical gaze lingered on Brand a moment longer. “We’ll talk about your role soon.”

With soft menace, Brand said, “I’ll look forward to it.”

Throwing up her hands, Sahara said, “That’s enough from both of you. We have bigger issues than macho pride.” She glared at her brother. “Spit it out already.”

Scott finally drew his gaze from Brand’s. After running a hand through his hair, he said, “Chelsea wanted Body Armor to provide security during a special event she had planned. Of course, she wasn’t exactly forthcoming on the type of event. She just wanted assurance that no one interrupted by hiring bodyguards to protect the perimeter of the property.”

“Ross told me part of this,” Sahara said, “but at the time I didn’t realize he was talking about Chelsea.”

“He knew not to mention it, not even to you. Especially to you. I told him I wanted you kept out of it completely.”

She stiffened. “You excluded me.”

“I was trying to protect you.”