around security and covert operations. Once the details are settled, the two of you can work together.”
Call her mom? She wasn’t a teenager caught smoking in the girls’ room. Her mother wouldn’t believe Frankie suddenly had an urge for mother-daughter bonding time, and Frankie wanted the element of surprise. “That’s not—”
Victoria cut her off. “I insist that you have someone watching your back.” Standing, she came around the desk and pulled Frankie to her feet for another hug. When she let go, her eyes were misty. “Legal debacles and strained relationships aside, try to focus on the things your parents did right. They gave you their love and affection through a wonderful childhood. Both of them raised a strong, independent woman.”
Frankie did her best to muster a smile as the grief sliced through her. She’d questioned every nuance of her life lately, wondering what to believe about her parents and how that impacted her view of herself. Cornerstones of her upbringing seemed little more than loose theories in light of recent events. “I’ll be careful,” she repeated, not wanting to lie to Victoria.
“I hope your mother helps you find what you’re after.” The woman’s smile was sad. “Would you like us to stay while you make the call?”
Frankie hesitated, but only for a moment. If this investigator would be trailing her around Seattle, he might as well get a taste of what he was in for. He’d be combing through her family’s secrets soon enough.
* * *
AIDAN DID HIS best impersonation of an invisible man while Frankie spoke briefly with her mother. It was clear she wasn’t happy about Victoria’s insistence on the task, but his boss was difficult to outmaneuver. Her voice cool and her face pale, Frankie managed a polite exchange, excusing herself from the office the moment it was over.
“The woman’s a spitfire,” he observed, closing the door behind her. He admired her grit. Not to mention her lush sable hair, expressive dark eyes and that generous mouth. Even without the surname Leone tipping him off, her perfect posture implied a military background. Although with those cheekbones and long limbs, she could’ve passed as a model. If she wasn’t a new client, he might have asked her out for a drink. “I’m to get myself hired and then what?”
“Find a way to stay close to her. If the documents are real, she’ll be a target as soon as the person pulling the strings learns she found them. I want you there. You’re the best at unraveling knots like this one.”
That was Victoria’s way of saying she suspected fraud, his primary focus during his time with Interpol. “Do I report to you only?” The freedom and case variation were nice, though his favorite part of being a Colby investigator was the concise chain of command.
“Yes, please. I don’t care for the way she was led to what she considers proof positive her mother willfully ended her father’s career. The only thing I believe about the man who dropped this in her lap is that digging for the truth could get her hurt. Or worse.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Aidan waited for the other shoe to drop.
“General Leone was an excellent strategist,” Victoria said, almost to herself. “Frankie takes after him. She’s smart and highly skilled, but I’m afraid she’s rejecting the most logical explanation. It’s understandable under the circumstances. I’m sure you heard the temper and need for vengeance in her voice.”
He bobbed his chin. “Hard to miss.”
“Please tread lightly,” Victoria continued. “As you meet Sophia Leone and work out the details with Frankie, keep an open mind. You might be the only one who can.”
“Of course.” At least in this case he wasn’t at the center of the storm battering the family. There was a great deal of comfort in that.
“I’ll send you her file for review,” Victoria said, leaning back against her desk. “The most pertinent fact is Frankie’s service as a cultural liaison with the navy SEALs.”
That gave Aidan pause. Though it was the only post women could fill on those operations, very few had the tenacity and fortitude to do so. “She looks a little young to have hit her twenty years already.”
“She suffered a serious injury while her team was in a convoy that left her paralyzed for a time. Inconveniently, her recovery coincided with her father’s problems. Surgery and months of rehab got her walking again, but the navy retired her for medical reasons.”
That explained some of the anger, Aidan thought. He knew firsthand it was never easy to relinquish control when life dealt out an unexpected detour.
“She claims she’s fit,” Victoria added, “but I’m not entirely convinced.”
“Duly noted,” Aidan said. Healthy and able-bodied weren’t the same as fit for service. If this case turned into a danger zone, he’d offer protection first and apologize for any insult later.
“Expect her to try to shake you.”
He’d already reached the same assumption. “Do you think she’ll blow my cover?”
“No. She wants the truth too much to take that chance. That doesn’t mean she’ll cooperate with you.”
“She’s not my first challenging case,” he reminded his boss.
Victoria blessed him with an amused smile. “I was right to call you in on this one.”
“I’ll see her safely through whatever happens,” he promised.
“Thank you. It’s the least I owe her parents.”
A firm knock sounded on the door and Victoria signaled for him to open it. He did, finding Frankie on the other side, her dark eyes sparking with impatience. She marched right past him to confront Victoria. “Your receptionist tells me she’s booking us on a flight to Seattle tomorrow.”
Aidan took a position that gave him the best view of the inevitable fireworks.
“That’s right,” Victoria said. “I’m not taking any chances, and you told me you didn’t want to waste any more time.”
“I need to go home first,” Frankie replied. “I’ll travel from there.”
Victoria folded her arms across her chest. “Do you think your mother hasn’t kept tabs on you? Traveling from Savannah gains you nothing. Sophia and I are friends. She might very well call me for advice about you. We’ve both had challenges with children.”
Frankie didn’t cooperate with the clear dismissal. “That’s not it,” she protested.
Victoria tapped her reading glasses against her palm. “Are you having second thoughts?”
Brick, meet wall, Aidan thought, watching the two women.
“No.”
The internal battle Frankie was obviously waging dragged out for another long minute. She still didn’t explain herself. Aidan caught Victoria’s eye. “Frankie.” He waited for her to turn his way. “Any gear you might want you can borrow from us. I’ll show you the way.”
Behind Frankie, he caught Victoria’s
