Page 11 of Untouchable
Blowing out a breath, he glances up and down the hall as we walk. “Not many people know this.” I nod for him to continue. “My father had a suitor lined up for Joss when shit hit the fan.” I wait for him to say more. “A senator’s son. He actually paid money for her.”
Whistling, I take a minute before asking, “Who?”
“Joseph Clancy, Jr.” I’ve seen the man in the news over the years. He’s a stain on his father’s reputation. It’s a miracle he hasn’t ruined Clancy, Sr.’s political standing.
“Has he made contact since your father’s arrest?”
“Not with us.”
“Your mother? Your other sisters?” The fucking halfwits pissed me off the one time I met them.
“We don’t have contact with them, so I wouldn’t know. However, given Clancy, Jr.’s reputation, I don’t think it’s a stretch to believe he wants Joss.”
“And with his resources, thanks to his father, he could find her almost anywhere she goes.” I need to get her off-grid. “That’s smart thinking, Porter. This might be the lead we need.” The younger man grins at my praise, and I realize that while I know a lot about what happened to Joss and Sage, I don’t know much about Porter and Trusen’s past. I wonder if anyone does.
“Yeah?” His grin shows the boyish nature buried deep inside. Hidden from the world.
It’s then I realize that by claiming Joss, her brothers also come along with that. I’m not just responsible for the woman I love but also the men who have spent the last few years doing everything they can to protect her in a way they weren’t able to on the compound.
Clapping him on the back, we continue our sweep of the floor, and I give him pointers on what to look for when trying to spot a tail and places where pinhole cameras could be hidden. Porter is like a wet sponge, absorbing everything I tell him.
Returning to Joss’ room, I’m glad to find her still asleep. Porter takes Trusen on the same route we just covered, and I hear him beginning to explain all the things I was telling him and can’t fight a grin. They have a lot to learn about the security business, and working under Nate and Ty Maxwell will do them a ton of good for the future.
“I’ve got some food coming up for her,” Ena starts as she gets up off the couch. “Make sure she eats it. She tends to forget when she’s stressed or deep in the writing cave. She’s lost some weight on the tour, even between the last time I saw her and now. I worry.” Her sincerity is evident. The woman truly cares for her client as more than a paycheck.
“I’ll take care of her.” It’s what I was born to do, and something I take pride in.
“Good, she deserves it. I’ve got some calls to make with my office, but I made reservations for the two of you for dinner in the hotel’s restaurant at ten.” Her sly grin signals what she’s up to.
Trying to play matchmaker.
I’m not complaining since I had the same idea; she just beat me to it.
Settling at the desk overlooking the city before us, the mountains create a mind-blowing background, and I get to work on contacting Cage to see if he’s got any connections that can fill me in on what the Clancys have been up to and if they’re as much of a threat as Porter suggested.
Next, I make a call to the prison where Joss’ father is being held to find out he’s been in solitary confinement for the last three months after being caught with contraband. They’ve held all his mail, he doesn’t get phone calls, and there have been no visitors. After speaking with the warden, he agreed to scan over any mail and email to me so I can take a look at who he’s been corresponding with, as well as give me a list of people he mails out to.
My next objective is to figure out where the hell the mother and sisters are. Porter and Trusen don’t seem to know much, and I hesitate to ask Joss because I don’t have a good enough read on how she feels about the other women from her past life.
Contacting the arresting detective after Sage exposed what was happening to her and many other girls in the compound, I’m hopeful he’ll assist me because hacking into the DMV isn’t something I want to get caught doing.
“Braxton Hughes, what can I do for you?” Morris Taylor answers after I’m redirected.
“So, you remember me.”
“I do. Helped out those Marlowe girls a few years back. That case made my career. Hard to forget all the players in that one.”
“Good, then perhaps you can help me. Do you remember one of the sisters, Jossilyn?” He makes a sound of agreement. “Well, she’s a big-time author now, and I’m on her protection detail. Turns out, she’s got an admirer that I don’t believe has good intentions.”
“Yeah, I read her memoir. Hard to believe all the shit those girls went through. What do you need from me?” There’s some clicking in the background, and I assume he’s pulling up their files.
“I’m hoping to find out the location of her mother and two older sisters.” I don’t give him everything yet.
“Sure. Last known is in Arkansas.”Same as where the electronic communication was traced to in the beginning.“Seems Alma’s parents lived there at the time.” He rattles off the address. “Anything else?”
I hesitate. “What do you know about Senator Clancy and his son?” He lets out a long whistle.
“Lots of scandal around the no-good son. Clancy, Sr. seems to actually give a damn about the public, but that boy of his is going to bring him down one day.”My thoughts exactly.