On-screen, Hex rolled her eyes. They were unique: one was blue and one was green. “Liar.”
“I’m here to get the job done. I warned everyone that Knightley can’t be fully trusted.”
Hex frowned. “You think he’s involved with L’Orage?”
“No, but he’s driven by his own agenda. The man left the Army and became a billionaire making equipment for the military. Something deep is driving him, and I think he’ll take down anything or anyone standing in his way. That makes him dangerous.” It also made him a bad bet for any sort of intimate relationship. She didn’t think he’d make room for a woman in the long term.
“Or it makes him a good guy, Hadley,” Hex insisted.
“No one’s all good.”
With a harrumph, Hex sipped her coffee. “Paranoia does not look good on you.” She tapped on her keyboard. “Do you know that most of Secura’s employees were former military, or are the family of military members?”
Hadley stilled. “Are you running searches on Knightley?”
“Not the full shebang. Just a little nosing.” Hex made a humming sound. “Some of his employees were having trouble getting work anywhere due to PTSD or other injuries.”
Hadley looked into the mirror, mind whirling. She tried to make sense of this revelation. Who the hell was Bennett Knightley?
A big, broad-shouldered man stomped by behind Hex without saying hello. Hadley arched a brow. “Bram looks extra cheery today.”
Hex pulled a face. “He’s taking grumpy to new levels.”
Bram “Excalibur” O’Donovan was another key member of the Sentinel Security team. He was tall, big, with sexy, dark-red hair, and the temperament of a grump. He did his best to avoid people.
He was former special forces with the Irish Defense Forces, the Army Ranger Wing, and had also done a stint in Ireland’s Military Intelligence. He was an invaluable member of the Sentinel Security team. The man was very handy in a fight.
Hex lowered her voice. “I think it’s a woman.”
Hadley blinked. “Bram and a woman?”
Her friend nodded. “I think he was seeing someone, and maybe she broke it off. He hasn’t said anything, so I’m trying to read between the lines. Or grunts and scowls.”
Hadley knew Bram’s MO with women. The man was less trusting than she was. Casual, one-night hookups were his thing. No strings, no promises, no repeats.
“You’re sure?” Hadley asked.
“No,” Hex said. “Trying to decode his grunts is tough, so I’m not sure. Anyway, I think Killian wants Bram to head your way to help. So you can have a try at working out what’s wrong with him.”
Hadley looked at her watch. She had no time to solve Bram’s problems today. “I have to run. A car is picking me up soon.”
“Good luck with your first day on the new job with the hot billionaire.”
Hadley rolled her eyes. “I’ll keep you posted. What are Killian’s movements today?”
“He has about a million meetings to attend.” Hex laughed. “You can imagine how thrilled that makes him. He’s catching up with some existing London-based clients, and he has several more meetings planned with new ones over the next few days. He’s on call if you need him.”
The boogeyman of the intelligence world, Steel, having to play the businessman. It made Hadley smile.
Then she looked back at her friend. “Hex, I have a favor to ask.”
Hex’s face turned serious. “Anything.”
“Nightingale House. There’s a mother and daughter there at the moment who—”
The hacker smiled. “Already taken care of. Gabbi is going to pop in there a few times while you’re gone. We know how much time you spend down there.”
Relief hit Hadley. Hex had come with her numerous times to the domestic violence shelter. Sentinel Security had been approached to talk to the women on self-defense, and Killian had volunteered Hadley. She’d been so touched by the women and children, all escaping desperate, dangerous situations, that she’d continued to visit.