Strategic Maneuvers - Jemma Westbrook Page 0,58

find her?”

Pierce rested the fingertips of one hand on his desk. “I hope not.”

That wasn’t good enough.

“If he finds her—”

“He will kill her the same way he would like to kill you.” Pierce held her eyes. “To take everything from me the way he believes I took everything from him.”

This was so much more than she thought. “Is there anything else? Is he going to try to hurt your parents too?”

Pierce’s expression shifted. “No.”

“Why not? He wants to take everything.”

“They are already gone.”

Mona blinked. “Your parents are already dead?”

“No.” Pierce rounded the desk, leaning against the front with a cool calm she was struggling to feel. “My parents cut ties with me to save their reputations. My father spent the money required to make the death of Anthony’s brother go away, but once that was done he made it clear I was no longer part of his life.”

“Why?” It was unbelievable to think a parent would fault a child for seeking vengeance for another child’s death.

“Because I made him seem human. My behavior made people think he was less than the perfect specimen he desired to be considered.”

She was speechless.

“Don’t be upset. It was the best thing that could have happened to me. I joined the military. Met men who made me better than I was.” Pierce straightened, coming toward her. “Learned how to control the anger that I struggled with.” His hands came to her face. “And it brought me you.”

CHAPTER 17

“WE CANNOT MOVE her. Not now.” Pierce sat in the theater room, six of the men who made up the invisible force no one else at Alaskan Security knew existed displayed across the screen in front of him. “It will risk bringing attention to her location.”

“He may already know her location, Pierce.” Henry crossed his arms, leaning back in the chair where he sat with the rest of the men Pierce entrusted to protect the niece no one else knew existed. “We can’t be sure how long he was watching before we realized it.”

Pierce raked a hand through his hair. He thought he could keep her safe.

He thought he could separate himself from her enough that even if Anthony found him he would never be able to find the niece they shared.

“Does Vincent know about Amelia?”

Just hearing her name made his chest tight. He’d been her guardian since he turned eighteen, taking the final reminder of his parent’s failure with him when he left.

“I’m not sure.” Pierce forced his eyes to the screen. “Have you seen any signs that GHOST might be on her trail?”

Henry looked at the men tucked into the small room around him. “Nothing.”

Pierce let out a breath. If Vincent hadn’t found her then chances were good Anthony hadn’t either.

“Does she have any idea what’s happening?” Cade, leaned forward in his seat. “Maybe if we told her—”

“That’s not an option.” He’d worked so hard to provide Amelia with a sense of normalcy. A life unlike the one she was born into. “Have you briefed Helen?”

“Helen is in the loop on everything.” Henry crossed his arms. “She’s got enough in that little house to take down half a small country if she has to.”

“And she’ll do it.” Cade chuckled. “She might look like a sweet grandma, but that woman will take anyone out in a heartbeat if they get too close to Amelia.”

Helen was the only other person who moved from his past to his future. She’d been Amelia’s nanny when everything fell apart. Now she was her official guardian. The legal distance he used to ensure her connection to him would never be found.

“Helen’s an angel.”

“An angel of death if you cross her.” Cade pointed to Henry. “Remember that time you got too close to Amelia and she thought you were going to fuck everything up?”

Henry’s eyes went to his clipboard. “I remember.”

Amelia was oblivious to who she was. What she’d been burdened with. Pierce wanted to carry that weight for her as long as possible. “How did she handle being let go from the flower shop?”

“About as well as you’d expect.” Cade crossed his arms. “She gave the owner hell when he did it.”

“I made it worth his while.” Pierce turned to Henry. “What about school? Any issues keeping her safe there?”

“Only if he figures out where she is.” Henry’s jaw went tight.

They all cared about her. They’d followed her for years. Protected Amelia like she was their own.

And now she was at risk. Which meant he had to pull out every weapon he