Secret Weapon Spouse - By B. J. Daniels Page 0,28

bad feeling. “Let me guess, you invested money in Pres’s companies.”

C.B. shot him a hard look. “You wouldn’t presume to advise me on how to invest my money, would you, Alex?”

“What would a fireman know about such things,” Alex quipped.

Exactly, his father’s look said before the older man moved closer to Samantha and said something Alex didn’t catch.

Alex glanced at his brother.

Brian had wandered over to their father’s desk and had lifted the corner of the folder from which C.B. had gotten the names of Preston’s companies just moments before. Brian appeared to be scanning the information inside the folder.

“Brian, you’re awfully quiet tonight,” Alex said.

His brother started, letting the folder fall shut as he stepped away from the desk. “I don’t speak when I have nothing to say.”

Alex groaned at his brother’s arrogance. “Oh, I suspect you have plenty to say—behind my back.”

“So why did Caroline take you with her yesterday?” Brian asked.

Alex wished he knew. “I guess she wanted one of her brothers with her and I was available.”

Brian smirked at that. “One of the benefits of having what amounts to little more than a part-time job. What I don’t understand is why you’ve taken it on yourself to find Preston. I thought Dad told you he had already left a message. What are you trying to prove anyway?”

Alex started to step toward his brother but felt Samantha’s cool touch on his arm.

“Thank you for your help,” she said in that calming tone of hers. “I know how much Preston would appreciate our efforts to locate him. He will want to be at Caroline’s side.”

Yeah right, Alex thought as he let her steer him toward the door. He was still fuming when they climbed into his pickup, but he didn’t say anything until they were out the gate and he could no longer see the grounds in his rearview mirror.

“THAT WENT WELL,” Alex said with a laugh, his large hands gripping the wheel. “Now you see why I give my family a wide berth. But you were great with my father.” His gaze met hers and locked for an instant. “You really are amazing.” He turned back to his driving but she could still feel the heat of that gaze warming her to her toes.

“You know something good might come out of this,” he was saying. “This might be just the humbling experience my father and brother need. I have a feeling that my father probably invested a bundle with his future son-in-law Pres. And Brian, too.” He glanced over at her. “And they’re both going to lose it all.”

“How can you be so sure of that?”

Alex shook his head. “I hope to hell I’m wrong about Pres, but I have a bad feeling we won’t be seeing him again.”

Samantha considered telling him what she’d found out about Preston Wellington III. But she needed the fingerprints from the champagne bottle and glasses first. She needed to know exactly what they were dealing with before she hit him with the bad news.

And Alex was in enough of a temper as it was. In the mood he was in, he would return to his father’s house and slap them with the news that Preston Wellington III didn’t even exist. At least not until a year ago.

She didn’t want that happening. It would only open a bigger can of worms. A man like C. B. Graham would demand to know how she’d come by such information. She couldn’t chance blowing her cover. It would be hard enough to convince Alex.

Alex dropped her off at her office saying he had to go by the firehouse. He was taking some time off.

After he left, Samantha went upstairs to be briefed on the other members parts of the Sonya Botero case.

Unfortunately, there was little news. Julia, who’d been friends with Sonya, had been working to see if there was a connection between any of the people they knew, friends, relatives, acquaintances.

Sophie was working on the Craig Johnson part of the investigation. Isabelle was getting ready to go to Ladera. Nicole was using her background as a private investigator for wealthy clients to follow up on some leads. The rest of the team was beating the bushes as well, making contacts with informants, leaving no stone unturned.

After the briefing, Samantha spent the day finalizing last-minute details for the Holcum-Anders wedding. While not one of the shop’s largest or most extravagant, the wedding had been in the planning stages for almost a year now and would