Desperate Girls (Wolfe Security #1)(9)
Liam nodded. “I understand your current trial in Dallas has no connection to Jennifer Ballard or James Corby?”
“Right, there’s no connection,” Brynn told him. “Different judge, different side of the aisle, different everything.”
“We’re at the defense table now instead of the prosecution,” Ross said.
Liam kept his focus on Brynn. “When you were trying Corby’s case, did you ever receive any personal communication from him?”
“No.”
“Anything after the trial?”
“No.”
“And have you ever received any threats related to work?”
“Ever? Yeah, of course,” she said. “I was a prosecutor for four years, goes with the job. But recently? No.”
“Any unusual phone calls lately, letters, or threatening messages on social media?”
She hesitated a beat. “No.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
Erik watched her, not sure why she was lying. Or even if she was lying. He didn’t know her well enough yet to tell. But he would. By the time this job was over, he would know everything there was to know about Brynn Holloran, including plenty of things she was going to wish he didn’t.
Liam watched her for another moment, then looked at Ross. “What about you?”
“Nothing. Why? Did Jen get something?”
“I don’t know,” Liam answered, but Erik could tell he was hiding something.
Brynn’s gaze narrowed, as if she could sense it, too.
Liam steered the conversation back to the security plan, outlining all the basics as Brynn jotted notes on her legal pad. Finally, they discussed a pickup time in the morning, and everyone stood.
Erik hung back, waiting for the room to clear so he could keep his distance as he got the hell out of there. He was acutely aware of how rank he smelled after a four-hour training session.
But Brynn stayed by the door, digging through her purse. When the room was empty, she walked over and gazed up at him. She didn’t have to look far—she was nearly six feet tall.
“Erik, is it?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She reached out her hand, and he started to shake it, but she handed him a sleek new iPhone in a designer case.
“Thanks,” Erik said, sliding the phone into his pocket. “I’ll get it back to you tomorrow.”
“Please do. Half my life’s on that damn thing.”
She left the room, joining her partner in the hallway, and Erik trailed behind them.
Skyler crossed the lobby, and her eyes darted in Erik’s direction. Judging from the smirk on her face, she’d heard about his new assignment. Erik needed to get Skyler on this thing. He could use her insight. It was clear this new client was going to be a handful.
Ross paused at the end of the hallway as Skyler disappeared into the computer room. He looked at Erik. “Hey, any chance you guys bring your admins along on the job with you?”
Brynn glared at him. “Jesus, Ross.”
“What?”
She turned to Erik and rolled her eyes. “Please excuse us. We’ll see you in the morning.”
They tromped down the stairs together.
“What was that about?” Ross asked.
“That woman’s a bodyguard, Ross. Open your eyes.”
“Her?” He glanced back over his shoulder. “She was maybe five-two.”
“Yeah, and did you see the pistol strapped to her hip?”
Brynn squared her shoulders as they headed for the car. What a meeting. Brynn couldn’t remember a time when she’d lost so much ground in so little time.
Actually, the ground had been lost beforehand. She just hadn’t realized it.
Six agents. Two armored cars. People following her everywhere she went. The only concession she’d managed to get was a vague assurance from Liam Wolfe that his team would cause “as few disruptions as possible.” Which amounted to a pile of crap. Brynn had nothing in writing, and the logistics of this operation were worse than she’d ever imagined. She couldn’t believe Reggie had agreed to all this.
Ross popped the locks, and they slid into the BMW. Brynn stowed her purse on the floor and automatically reached to check her phone, which of course wasn’t there. Had she really handed it over to a perfect stranger?
“This is crazy,” she said.
“Which part?”
“All of it. Six bodyguards? That’s ludicrous. And it’s got to be costing the firm a fortune.”
“What do you care?” Ross backed out of the space. “Reggie’s paying out of his drawing account. It’s not going to affect your salary one bit.”
Ross drove past a row of pickups and looped back onto the dirt road.
“It’s wasteful,” Brynn said. “Our firm’s bleeding money, and why? So Reggie can make some kind of statement to Dallas law enforcement.”
“He’s got a beef with them. Fact is, they hate him. And they hate us for working with him.”
“Still, this is over the top. We don’t need this level of security.”
“Brynn.”
“What?”
He cut a glance at her. “Did you even read about Jen?”
“Of course I did.” Brynn’s blood chilled. She’d read everything she could get her hands on. A judge’s murder anywhere, let alone an affluent suburb of Dallas, was big news across the state.