foul play. According to his partner, good old Marc Lewis, Bixby had a gambling problem, and there’s a notation in the file that he owed money to some very bad people.”
Trent tapped his fingers on the table. “Did Bixby really have a gambling problem?”
“No,” Jesse said, reading his screen. “I went through all of his financials for the last twenty years, and there’s no indication of gambling. He spent too much money on self-help books, but he didn’t gamble.” He typed some more, and banking records scrolled across the screen. “It was fairly easy to track down the embezzlement records, to be honest. These guys are good but not great.”
“Can you clear Hallie from the records?” Trent asked.
“Already did,” Jesse affirmed. “At least from the computer records. We’ll have to go in for hard copies of everything, which I figured we’d want to do anyway. Her last name is Rose, by the way.”
Trent’s eyebrows lifted. “Rose? Like the flower?”
“Yep,” Jesse said.
Mac grinned. “That’s freaking adorable.”
Yeah, it kind of was.
Austin snorted. “I liked Smith better. I still can’t believe she said that.”
Yeah, his woman wasn’t made for subterfuge, that was for sure. Trent took a sip of the strong brew. “Did you track the men?”
Jesse nodded. “Brad and Charles are hunting her, and based on phone records I hacked, Marc Lewis is looking to hire hitmen. Like right now.”
Everything inside Trent went cold. “Well, then. I guess we should make ourselves available.”
Jesse leaned forward, his gaze intense. “I’ve learned everything I can about this girl, and she’s pure, man. Not even a speeding ticket. She ain’t gonna like it if you go around killing people. Even if they’re trying to kill her.”
Trent straightened his shoulders. “We take out the threat. That’s what we do.” But Jesse’s words made sense, and he wasn’t sure what to do with them. Losing Hallie because he wanted to protect her wasn’t an option.
Austin pursed his lips. “We could set them up. Let the law handle them this time.”
Zeke twirled his mug in his hands. “The dead don’t come after you for vengeance.” He shrugged. “Usually.”
Trent nodded, in full agreement. “Did you find any connection between the Montgomerys and the law in Boise?”
“No,” Jesse said. “Which means there isn’t any. They were lying to her to scare her. Good ole Silas doesn’t have the law in his pocket.”
Well, at least that was something.
Austin looked over at Trent, his gray eyes darker than the sky outside. “This is your call.”
Trent scrubbed both hands down his face. “I agree with Jesse, even though I don’t want to leave loose ends out there. Let’s get the evidence to the authorities, but first, I want to pay a visit. If we’re doing this the right way, they’re gonna know we could’ve done it another way and might always change our minds.”
Zeke grinned. “Now you’re talkin’.”
Jesse looked over at Ford, who hadn’t spoken yet. “I sent the schematics of their off ices and homes if you want to come up with infiltration plans. We’re gonna want to spend some time with Marc Lewis to discover the location of Bixby’s body, so I’m thinking their homes are our best bet. It’s up to you, though.”
Ford scratched one of the many scars on his strong face. His eyes were black, his hair even darker, and his temper blackest of all. “I’ll get the location from him.”
“I will,” Trent interjected. “This is my op and my woman. They need to see my eyes on this, just to understand.”
Zachary leaned back in his chair, and it squeaked in protest. “How much are you going to tell her?”
Trent swallowed. “I’m not sure. It’s not like we’ve been in this position before. Any ideas?” His brothers all looked back at him, just as clueless as he when it came to reordering their lives and trying to include women in them. “I’ll think of something?”
“Good luck with that,” Austin said grimly.
CHAPTER TEN
Hallie wiped the bar in the clubhouse party room until it sparkled, still keeping an eye on the wolf. He lay across the sofa, watching her with those golden eyes. Sometimes it looked as if he was really thinking something. “What?” she whispered.
His nose twitched.
Man, she was really losing her mind. Now she was talking to wild animals, although this one seemed rather domesticated. They’d spent the entire morning together, and she was getting hungry. The pretzels she’d found in a bag beneath the bar hadn’t lasted long.