Cole smiles. He has no intention of lying to her. It’s not like he can, anyway, he thinks wryly.
“That, she is.” Aunt June is always so observant.
Cole sits at his desk. He doesn’t even get his email open before a knock at the door disturbs him. He glances at his second monitor and sees Keith.
“Come in.”
“Look, we need to talk about this whole Savannah disappearing act—”
“She’s been going to the private library,” Cole interrupts while studying his computer screen.
“What? How does she know about that place?”
“She saw it when I was bringing her back to her room after she got poisoned.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
“Something happened while we were gone. She felt nervous and went to a place where she felt safe. She only knows the code to her own room.” He leaves out the fact that she knows his too. “She can roam all the hallways in this place, but she can’t access any room without the codes. You know that.”
“What if she finds the door to the bottom floor?”
Cole leans back in his chair. He doesn’t like being questioned so much. “Then she sees a door that looks like every other door in the hallway. No codes, no access.”
Keith nods and takes a seat.
Cole sighs. This is going to be a long day. “What do you know about what happened?”
“All I know is she and York got into it over dinner. She was talking to the new guys, and Dell slipped up, admitting thatLos Sirvienteswere blackmailing someone.”
Cole’s jaw clenches. He needs to have a word with Dell.
“I guess that got Savi upset, and she pressed for information, but York had a power trip moment, and the two of them got into it.”
“How badly?”
“Bad enough that York actually threatened her.”
Cole’s anger instantly flares.Christ, York needs to tame it down.
“A few more words were exchanged, and she left. Abigail came and got Mike. He caught Savannah in the hallway—nearly scared the poor thing to death. She seems a bit rattled, but other than that, she was all right. So, I don’t know if the blackmailing thing is playing on her, or if it was the dinner fight. She just seems different. She’s been hiding away from us until you all came home.” Keith rises. “Look, Dell felt terrible about what he said. Don’t be too hard on him. It’s York’s power trip that needs to be brought down a few pegs. That man is a loose cannon, and I swear he has it out for Savi.”
“Sounds that way.”
“Anyway, it’s all on the tapes, so you can see it for yourself.”
Cole runs his hands over his face. “I can’t do anything until I get this report finished and sent over.”
“I’ll leave you to it.”
Cole fusses over his tie in the mirror. He prefers boots and camo gear over a suit and tie any day, but it’s a long-standing tradition to go to Zack’s restaurant in town for Thanksgiving.
Zack worked for Shadows many years ago. When he retired, he didn’t like the idea of leaving the area, so he opened a restaurant and bar with his younger brother. Cole’s father and Zack now live two doors down from one another, best friends attached at the hip since they were kids. Abigail teases him and Mark for having the same kind of friendship. She’s right, he laughs to himself. He can’t imagine not having Mark around.
Normally the “guests” who stay at the house are kept at arm’s length. Forming a relationship like his with Savi simply doesn’t happen. They certainly have never had one included at their own off-site holiday dinner. Zack doesn’t shut down his restaurant completely for them, but with the number of agents going tonight, he isn’t too worried about taking Savannah out in public. “Though you can never be too careful,” he mutters to himself, tucking his gun into the holster on his hip.
He shrugs on his jacket and inspects himself. He wears a black suit with a red tie, and his hair is gelled down and slicked back. He shakes his head. “I look like a fucking attorney from Wall Street. Fuck!” He knows he can’t handle the city life. He wonders if Savannah misses it. If they do end up together, will she want to go back to New York? The thought makes him uneasy, so he pushes it aside.
Cole heads downstairs to find Keith and Mike waiting for him. As they hurry outside, he notes the temperature has dropped dramatically. His cell phone shows it’s twenty-six degrees out.