Read Online Ring of Truth (Devlin Security Force Book 2) by Susan Vaughan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Susan Vaughan
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his blood simmered again.
When she lifted those dark liquid eyes to his, he had to taste her. Her generous words and tender touch seeped into his chest and something shifted. Before whatever it was could take hold, he held her away from him. He was spending another night in her apartment. Best not to start something he couldn’t finish.
“You were only a boy.” She backed up, effectively snapping any connection, probably all in his mind. And lower.
“Does that mean you trust me now?”
Her eyes flashed with irritation. “We’ll see. I know you haven’t been involved in any criminal activity since you got out of prison.”
That much was all he deserved. “I have to head to Maine tomorrow, and we have another box to go through. We might find more suspects. Or the proof you need.” If the FBI didn’t find anything to exonerate Marton, it was unlikely he and Mara would. But he didn’t say so.
“My thoughts exactly.” She poured two mugs of the brewed coffee. She handed him one before doctoring hers.
He waited for her to precede him, watching the sway of her ass as she walked into the living room.
Chapter 7
By the next Friday, Mara’s eyes were blurry from research. All week she’d had a full load of regular assignments—gathering info on known collectors of Chinese artifacts, artifact forgers, and thieves. A fourth fake Han period horse, copies of the stolen one, showed up, this time part of a California collector’s estate. Someone was cheating the cheats. Hard not to smile at the irony—except for the loss of the original horse.
Her lunch breaks and scarce spare time went to researching suspects in the Smithsonian theft—the three security guards and Leon Jones’s usual partner.
She picked up a short stack of file folders and stuffed them and her flash drive into her tote, ready to head home. Online research had given her addresses for two of the three possible owners of ring pieces. She’d find the third eventually. No problem. The second file box yielded no more information than the first.
Nothing incriminated her father. Nothing cleared him either.
“Devlin give you time off for this project, Mara?”
She looked up to see her friend Sandi at the cubicle entrance. Also a researcher, Sandi sympathized with Mara’s situation.
“Didn’t ask. Not yet anyway,” she said. “I’ll wait and see if it’s necessary.” She aimed to turn in her reports early so if they had to travel, she could take personal days.
“I saw Cortez Jones’s photo. Even holding a number in front of him, he looks hot.” Sandi winked, waggled her water bottle and the fountain of brown curls on top her head. “I’d sure want to spend some days with the guy. And nights.”
Mara rolled her eyes. “We’re just working together. That’s all.”
“Sure. Sure.” She didn’t sound convinced. “What’d you find on your list of suspects?”
“Background checks, current addresses, jobs, finances, families. Nothing suspicious. One person has died.”
“Guess they won’t be much help.”
Sandi’s lighthearted attitude was contagious, and Mara joined in her laughter. “Gotta count on the families.”
“Well, good luck. Let me know if you need any help. You could introduce me to the hottie.” She strolled off, tossing this last over her shoulder.
Like that was gonna happen. Cort’s reasons for not trusting were valid. And she’d sworn both Sandi and her boss to secrecy. If Cort knew she’d included her friend, he’d have a cow, to quote her sister, but she needed Sandi’s expertise in using the unfamiliar databases. And she might need her help again.
She picked up the tote and her hand-painted Anuschka bag. The chirp of her cell phone had her huffing. When she saw it was her sister, she almost let it go to voice mail. But no. She set down her bags.
“Hey, Cassie.” They hadn’t seen each other since collecting their father’s file boxes. She’d returned them to the basement but Cassie
When she lifted those dark liquid eyes to his, he had to taste her. Her generous words and tender touch seeped into his chest and something shifted. Before whatever it was could take hold, he held her away from him. He was spending another night in her apartment. Best not to start something he couldn’t finish.
“You were only a boy.” She backed up, effectively snapping any connection, probably all in his mind. And lower.
“Does that mean you trust me now?”
Her eyes flashed with irritation. “We’ll see. I know you haven’t been involved in any criminal activity since you got out of prison.”
That much was all he deserved. “I have to head to Maine tomorrow, and we have another box to go through. We might find more suspects. Or the proof you need.” If the FBI didn’t find anything to exonerate Marton, it was unlikely he and Mara would. But he didn’t say so.
“My thoughts exactly.” She poured two mugs of the brewed coffee. She handed him one before doctoring hers.
He waited for her to precede him, watching the sway of her ass as she walked into the living room.
Chapter 7
By the next Friday, Mara’s eyes were blurry from research. All week she’d had a full load of regular assignments—gathering info on known collectors of Chinese artifacts, artifact forgers, and thieves. A fourth fake Han period horse, copies of the stolen one, showed up, this time part of a California collector’s estate. Someone was cheating the cheats. Hard not to smile at the irony—except for the loss of the original horse.
Her lunch breaks and scarce spare time went to researching suspects in the Smithsonian theft—the three security guards and Leon Jones’s usual partner.
She picked up a short stack of file folders and stuffed them and her flash drive into her tote, ready to head home. Online research had given her addresses for two of the three possible owners of ring pieces. She’d find the third eventually. No problem. The second file box yielded no more information than the first.
Nothing incriminated her father. Nothing cleared him either.
“Devlin give you time off for this project, Mara?”
She looked up to see her friend Sandi at the cubicle entrance. Also a researcher, Sandi sympathized with Mara’s situation.
“Didn’t ask. Not yet anyway,” she said. “I’ll wait and see if it’s necessary.” She aimed to turn in her reports early so if they had to travel, she could take personal days.
“I saw Cortez Jones’s photo. Even holding a number in front of him, he looks hot.” Sandi winked, waggled her water bottle and the fountain of brown curls on top her head. “I’d sure want to spend some days with the guy. And nights.”
Mara rolled her eyes. “We’re just working together. That’s all.”
“Sure. Sure.” She didn’t sound convinced. “What’d you find on your list of suspects?”
“Background checks, current addresses, jobs, finances, families. Nothing suspicious. One person has died.”
“Guess they won’t be much help.”
Sandi’s lighthearted attitude was contagious, and Mara joined in her laughter. “Gotta count on the families.”
“Well, good luck. Let me know if you need any help. You could introduce me to the hottie.” She strolled off, tossing this last over her shoulder.
Like that was gonna happen. Cort’s reasons for not trusting were valid. And she’d sworn both Sandi and her boss to secrecy. If Cort knew she’d included her friend, he’d have a cow, to quote her sister, but she needed Sandi’s expertise in using the unfamiliar databases. And she might need her help again.
She picked up the tote and her hand-painted Anuschka bag. The chirp of her cell phone had her huffing. When she saw it was her sister, she almost let it go to voice mail. But no. She set down her bags.
“Hey, Cassie.” They hadn’t seen each other since collecting their father’s file boxes. She’d returned them to the basement but Cassie
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