Jaron Vaden's hands perspired so much that he had to stop the car to wipe his hands dry with his handkerchief. While pulled off on the side of the road, he rehearsed his upcoming telephone speech, the details of the exchange-the documents he would take from Booth's safe tomorrow and swap for the five million dollars. Everything depended on Grace Beaumont. Jaron rubbed the smooth leather seat on each side of his hips in an effort to calm his trembling hands. He couldn't remember a time in his life when he'd been so afraid. If one thing went wrong, it could screw up all his plans. He couldn't allow a bad case of nerves to stop him. He had to get Charmaine away from Booth. It was something he should have done years ago.
A highway patrol car came whizzing by, its lights flashing in warning. Jaron's heart stopped for a millisecond. Get hold of yourself. You can't fall apart. Not now when you're so close to accomplishing your goal.
He was half an hour away from the phone booth he'd used before, but he wasn't sure if he should use one in such an isolated, out-of-the-way place. Maybe he should drive all the way into New Iberia and find a phone booth in a heavily populated area; that way, if the call was traced, he could simply disappear into the crowd. After all, he had no way of knowing if he could trust Grace Beaumont. She could have already called in the police.
When Elsa announced the arrival of the Dundee agents, Jed rose from his seat across the conference table from Grace, where they were sharing a takeout lunch. He'd almost finished eating a super-size meal and cola. Grace was still picking at a Caesar salad. Hudson, who had been included in their lunchtime plans and had finished his BLT, rose from his chair and took a speculative stance directly behind Grace.
Right when Grace had suggested to Jed that they eat in today, her cousin Joy stopped by, as had Willis Sullivan, both eager to meet Jed; so Grace had asked Elsa to order for them, too. Joy had declined, stating she was dieting and wanted only a glass of iced tea, but Willis had requested a steak sandwich. After half an hour with the threesome, Jed decided he liked Joy, despite the fact she talked incessantly about nothing and didn't seem to have a serious thought in her pretty head. And perhaps because she seemed to dislike Hudson Prentice even more than Jed did. He knew he had nothing more than gut instincts on which to base his unfriendly attitude toward Prentice. And maybe it was nothing more than the fact he'd picked up instantly on the guy's romantic interest in Grace. Not that Grace's love life was any of Jed's business, but he'd sure hate to see her settle for a guy like Hudson Prentice.
Then there was Uncle Willis. Jed's personal verdict on him was still out-to be determined on better acquaintance. He didn't actually like or dislike the man, although Uncle Willis's superior attitude-similar to, but much more annoying than Grace's-grated on Jed's nerves.
As Domingo and Kate entered the conference room, Jed met them just inside the door. "Did you have a good flight?" Jed asked, making idle chitchat, alerting the agents that the group assembled might not be a hundred percent trustworthy. Jed had no real reason to distrust any of them, including Elsa, who stood on the other side of the open door. Grace had already shared much too much with these people. Yeah, but they're people she trusts, no matter what you think of them, Jed reminded himself.
"Yes, the flight was fine," Kate replied as she glanced past Jed and studied the group congregated around the table.
Jed didn't know Kate all that well; they'd never shared an assignment. She was damn good-looking. Blond, brown-eyed, with a nice body and a pair of great boobs. He'd thought about asking her out, but had never gotten around to it. When she'd first come to work at Dundee 's, he'd been seeing someone on a fairly regular basis and since his breakup with his last lady friend, he'd been playing the field. Something told him that Kate Malone was the serious type, who definitely didn't put out on a first date.
"Have y'all checked into the hotel yet?" Jed asked.
"We went by there first and left our luggage," Dom said. "Are you tied up here-" Dom glanced around the room "-or are you free for a few minutes?"
"Grace… everybody…" Jed plastered his best good-old-boy smile on his face. "This is Domingo Shea and Kate Malone, two of Dundee 's finest. They're here to help me with the investigation." No need to mention to anyone that Rafe Devlin and J.J. Blair were already working undercover. Even Grace didn't need to know that particular fact. At least not yet.
Willis eyed Dom seriously, as if studying a specimen under a microscope. And Joy scrutinized him just as thoroughly, but with a romantic twinkle in her eyes. He'd seen women look at Dom that way plenty of times. The guy possessed the kind of Latin lover looks that appealed to most women.
"Grace, if you'll excuse us, we'll head for my office so we can go over a few things," Jed said. "Y'all enjoy the rest of your lunch."
Before he made it outside the door, Grace called to him, "Don't you think I should take part in any discussions you have with your fellow agents?"
Jed halted. "Sure thing." Just as long as you don't invite the masses to join in, he added silently. Grace was too trusting. And despite the exterior sophistication and her business acumen, he suspected that, at heart, she was a still a naive girl.
Willis Sullivan cleared his throat loudly. "I'm Grace's attorney. Perhaps I should-"
"That won't be necessary, Uncle Willis," Grace said.
Hudson gripped the back of Grace's chair with white-knuckled tension. "If you'd like, I can-"
"No." Grace rose from her seat, patted Hudson 's clutched fists curled around the chair and bestowed her most charming smile on her devotees. "I love each of you for being concerned, but from here on out, I don't want any of you involved. Things could get very dangerous and I couldn't bear it if any one of you was harmed because of me."
"Grace, sweetie, I wish you wouldn't…" Joy let her sentence trail off into oblivion when Grace gave her a disapproving stare.
"I have Jed to depend on now," Grace told them. "Y'all stay out of this, stay uninvolved, and let Jed do his job. He'll protect me… if it comes to that."
When Jed put his arm protectively around Grace's shoulders, she allowed him to escort her from the conference room, down the hall and into his office. Dom and Kate followed them, came inside and closed the door behind them.
"Just how many people are aware of what's going on?" Kate asked, her gaze moving from Jed to Grace.
"Too many," Jed said.
"Four people." Grace frowned. "Four people I trust implicitly. My cousin, who has been my best friend since we were children. My father's friend and attorney, who is like an uncle to me. The senior vice-president of Sheffield Media, Inc., a man who… well, who's probably in love with me. And my assistant of three years, who is loyal and trustworthy."
"Kate didn't mean to upset you, Ms. Beaumont." Dom flashed her his irresistible smile. "But the more people who know, the better the chances that something will leak out and-"
"Are you implying that Joy or Hudson or Uncle Willis or Elsa would betray me?" Grace asked indignantly.
"Not willingly betray you, but perhaps unintentionally." Kate unzipped her briefcase, removed a computer CD and handed it to Jed. "Here's the information you asked for." She glanced at Grace. "You might want to look at it later."
Jed laid the CD beside his laptop. "Thanks, I'll do that."
"What information?" Grace eyed the CD. "I hired Dundee 's. I'm paying your salaries. But I get the feeling you're keeping me in the dark about something. Just what's going on?"