Alex and Lee when I need information,” he continued. “Frankly, I enjoy their company more, and Deena usually works with Mike.”
“So Deena…What’s her role in all this?”
There was a note of dread in her voice, one he was glad to finally be able to address.
“She’s an SEC investigator. Has been for years. She’s also my stepsister, Cara. And she recently married the love of her life.”
“Holy shit,” she said. “I hated her guts. I was so jealous of her, imagining…” She bit her lip.
Branden reached out and rubbed her lip until she stopped. “You have no reason to be jealous of any woman in my life.”
She blushed, and for the first time since he’d seen her again, her eyes sparkled. “Good.” The light in her eyes dimmed somewhat. “But what does all that have to do with our stalker?”
“Someone must have realized what we’re doing and is trying to get to me. Through you. He—and by the way, I doubt he’s acting alone, though he may want me to think so—is probably not as crazy as he acts. That’s all I can say for sure right now.”
“So you no longer think Davies is involved?”
He shook his head and explained what had gone down with Alex. “Davies is being hunted as we speak. I have no doubt he’ll be taken into custody soon, but unless our stalker is someone who’s working for him, I think someone else is at work here.”
Cara’s mind was reeling.
She’d known Branden Duke was a financial genius, incredible lover, and overall good man, but he was more than that. He was a freaking hero. She felt like she’d walked into a movie.
But that didn’t mean she was safe and there would be a happy ending, she reminded herself. It also didn’t mean that just because Branden was a hero he needed to handle what was happening here alone.
She’d been doing a lot of thinking over the past hour as she’d rested in Branden’s arms. And what she’d been thinking was she wanted this. To relax with him, open up to each other, and explore what could develop between them when their lives weren’t consumed by safety and professional concerns.
But that meant they had to deal with their stalker once and for all.
And she’d come up with a plan to do so.
The only question was whether Branden would go along with it.
Slowly, she pulled out of Branden’s arms and stood up. He raised a questioning brow. She pointed at her phone and laptop, which they’d brought into the bedroom with them and placed on her dresser.
“I want to do something,” she said. “But first, I need you to call Lee.”
As Branden listened to Cara’s plan, he had to admit it was a good one; it was a long shot, yet posed no real physical risk to either of them. But if it backfired, there would be no going back—she would have handed the enemy the means to destroy her professional reputation and personal peace of mind. The fact that she was even willing to consider it made him realize just how much he did mean to her. She’d sacrifice everything she’d worked for in life rather than risk him being harmed.
When she was done with her explanations, he shook his head. “No. I can’t let you do it, Cara. I know how much your privacy and reputation mean to you. We’ll think of something else.”
“There is no other way. Please, call Lee. Trust me the way you’ve always asked me to trust you. Let me prove to you and myself that I’m strong, and that I’m not going to let my fears control me any longer. That I’m not going to let someone terrorize me and stop me from finally having what I want.”
“And what is it you want, Cara Michal?”
She smiled wide. “I want you, Branden Duke.”
He hesitated. Read the certainty and clarity in her gaze. Then he picked up his phone. “And I want you. I always will.” He dialed Lee’s number.
“Lee. Are you at D&M? Good. Because I need you do something important for me. You listening?”
After he hung up with Lee, Branden watched as Cara walked to her dresser and opened up the laptop. She pointed it so the screen faced the bed. Then she bent down and stared into the screen.
“You want to play games?” she taunted. “Let’s play. Because you’re not in control here. You said I couldn’t have Branden? Well, you’re wrong, and I’m going to show you how wrong. You’ve