Forced Alliance. Lenora Worth
there trying to talk her into leaving. I had dismissed my guards for the sake of privacy.” He rubbed a hand down the bald spot on top of his head. “Happened so fast. Had to be a sniper. It’s a terrible thing, her being shot. But I’m a target, and someone wants me to be aware of that.”
He finished his spiked coffee, back to being the boss he thought he was. “I need you two to get to the bottom of this. Right away. And you need to tell the feds all deals are off.”
Connor gave Josie another glance. “You don’t trust your own people, so that means you think this is an inside job?”
Armond nodded, shrugged. “I’ve made many enemies. Some of my close associates have betrayed me.” His keen stare indicated that Connor was one of those.
Josie did an eye lift to show her displeasure. “Let’s start at the beginning,” she said. “We’ll need a list of anyone you might have inadvertently offended, especially recently. And we need to check all your personal weapons to see if anything is missing.” She tapped notes into her phone.
“Maybe they made it seem like a sniper, but someone else with a closer aim could have done it with a different weapon and a silencer.” She tapped notes into her phone. “The forensic team and medical examiner can determine that if they can find any bullets to compare. Based on the angle and where the bullet entered, the type of weapon, all of that will come into play.”
“The shot could have come from the building directly right behind us.” Armond nodded, snapped his fingers to bring a guard running. After he’d ordered sandwiches, paper and pen, he turned back to Josie and Connor. “You’ll stay here at Armond Gardens as my guests while you’re doing the legwork, understand.”
“That wasn’t a question,” Connor said low to Josie.
“Connor is a very smart man,” Armond said, his demeanor calm now. “He owes me his life, and right now, the only thing keeping him and you alive is my need for expediency on this pressing matter. Do you understand what I’m saying, Josie?”
“Clear as a bell, Mr. Armond. We’re going on a quest of sorts. If we succeed, we live. If we don’t, we die. Am I right?”
Armond’s chuckle was low and sure. “I like this woman.”
She understood the command. Giving Connor a frustrated glare, she turned back to the man sitting like a king across from them. “Okay, then. We’ll start with your immediate staff and work our way out. And I can promise you both, I’ll take care of whoever is behind this.”
And you, too. She would definitely take care of business with Louis Armond. But right now, she was playing a dangerous game. She wasn’t sure if she could help convince Armond to seek immunity and protective custody or try to save him from someone even more dangerous. But Josie did know she had to make sure she kept herself and Connor alive, because they had one thing in common. They both wanted this man out of commission.
FOUR
Armond had left them alone, but a member of his security team stood just outside the partially opened pocket doors. He’d been so paranoid, he’d rushed out of the room with his guard, but he’d ordered a giant named Beaux to guard the door.
Josie had no doubt that Armond would attempt to monitor their conversation. As paranoid as he seemed, he’d have set up security measures in every room in this sprawling mansion.
She went around the big room, touching things here and there in search of electronic bugs. When she was satisfied they were clear, she stared over at Connor and started whispering. “Look, I can’t just hang out here with you and Armond. I’m sure a team is already in place to get to the bottom of this, and they’ll want an update.”
Connor stepped close. “Careful. That priceless bust on the table by the window has its eye on us.”
Josie tipped her chin in acknowledgment. “Thanks for the heads-up. But we still need to discuss how we’re to handle this.”
Connor let her go, then paced back and forth in front of the fireplace. “Even though I vouched for you, they won’t leave us alone for very long, so we need to compare notes. I’ve stayed here before, so I know it’s not easy to get out. They’ll make sure we can’t leave if they don’t want us to leave.”
“Why? What good is there for Armond to hold us?”
“None, unless he thinks he needs us for leverage or bargaining. But he’s a hands-on kind of criminal. He’ll want to hover nearby until we prove to him we can help him. We have to convince him that he’s not in danger and that we’re on the level with him. If not, he’ll be done with us and...we’ll disappear in a permanent way.”
“Which is why I had to inform my superior,” she reminded him. “I’m already pushing it by being here without backup.”
“I can try to get us out of here if things get ugly,” Connor replied, still whispering. “I know all the secret passages, but the security here is ironclad.”
Of course he knew all the secret passages. “That’s why he’s keeping you so close,” she offered. “He’s afraid you’ll squeal.”
“I don’t kiss and tell,” Connor said, his eyes hitting on her lips. “I was close to ending this last year, but that art-heist fiasco kind of blew that out of the water. This is a second chance, if you look at being held captive as a positive thing.”
“A risky chance,” she replied. Josie tried to reestablish her position. “I get that you’re part of the inner circle, but I do have a job to do, remember? I can’t hang out and pretend I’m some mysterious cleaner. Armond expects action, not explanations.”
He shot a covert glance toward the hallway. “I can do the talking for both of us. Leave you out of any threads.”
What, did the man use a messenger pigeon? “I’m already tangled up in all the threads,” she retorted. “Besides, I have a secure phone in my car.”
“And how do you propose we get to that phone?”
Josie couldn’t believe she’d walked into such a convenient trap. “You’ve got me right where you want me, Randall. What’s the deal here?”
His face tightened into an irritated glare. “The deal is—I asked for your help and you came. So we have to see this through. Get over the notion that I’m out to do you in. I have enough problems without that kind of attitude.”
The man who’d fooled so many people was lecturing her about attitude? Josie wanted to handcuff him and take him into town, fast. But she had agreed to help him. Getting Armond had to be her only goal. For now.
“Okay, so what’s the protocol? How did you handle things with your last liaison?”
Connor lowered his voice again. “I came and went on my own most of the time, but when I needed to get a message out, I sent a text on a secure phone to an address that looks like it belongs to my sister, Deidre.” He put a finger to his lips to indicate they still needed to whisper.
Josie mouthed the words. “With an encryption?” How cloak-and-dagger of him.
“Yes, several codes. My friends know all of them.” He touched on his phone.
Josie nodded. The text messages were rerouted to the FBI. “I see your point.”
“Will that work?”
She nodded. “We need to let my, uh...boss know I’ll be late for work.” She glanced around, sure someone was listening right along with watching them. “Really late.”
“I’ll fix it,” he replied.
Not liking his smug tone, she shook her head. “No, we’ll fix it. You don’t make a move without me, understand?”
“Got it.” But he gave her a look that indicated he didn’t like her bossing him around. Then he