Nerds in Force Read online

  She did open her eyes now because she remembered she occupied her bunk in the Rembrandt house. Sitting up, she assessed the time of day and the other occupants of the room. All of them appeared to be stirring if they hadn’t already been.

  Verity’s bunk was empty, so she must be responsible for the flushing toilet. The hour didn’t look terribly early, but not late either. Harlow gauged it must be around seven o’clock. She stretched before she left her bunk, then tossed her legs over the edge at the very end where there wasn’t a side rail and slid out of the bed. Most people didn’t ignore the ladder, but she long ago had learned how to bypass it.

  She came face to face with Verity.

  “Nice move.” Although the other woman was shorter than her, Harlow had heard enough whispers about her to know she could hold her own. It had been a really long time since she’d met up with a woman she relate to on such a level.

  “Thanks. I’ve perfected that over the years.”

  She stretched again and headed for the bathroom. While comfortable in the house, she couldn’t say she was there with her companions yet. Right now she could use a sign that this was a good move.

  Definite regret weighed on her at selling her condo. It would have been nice to have a place to flee to. Somewhere familiar.

  This house also proved to be one of those refuges. It just wasn’t quite as much of one when the people who also resided here watched her with a lot of speculation and suspicion.

  She used the facilities then rifled through the bag of clothes she’d selected. Her options were limited so it made her decision on what to wear easy. A couple of minutes later and she was ready.

  Verity showed at the same time she finished. They left for the kitchen together. Her companion didn’t comment that Harlow needed no directions or to be led to the source of coffee. She paused outside the butler’s pantry.

  “The good coffee machine is in the kitchen.” Verity pointed to the massive room beyond.

  “Excellent.” Harlow followed her. The wonderful scent of coffee did not filter through the air. She even sniffed again.

  When they entered the room she took note of who already resided inside. A quick head count revealed six other people. And Keith.

  Her heart skipped a beat. Really? It had to go there? Before coffee and breakfast?

  But the man’s very presence must make women breathless all the time. Perhaps not considered movie star good looking, but he rocked those ultra masculine vibes. He couldn’t be classified as classic handsome. He ran more along the lines of the big scary man. She preferred those over the perfect men. Over those who anticipated conning you or who wanted adulation.

  No thank you.

  Upon their entry into the kitchen, Verity drifted toward her man. Then she grabbed a coffee mug and set about making herself a cup of the brew. Harlow didn’t think twice about whether she should follow that course of action. She also selected a mug and waited while Verity made her caffeine fix.

  While her coffee brewed, she inspected the contents of the pantry. Within the depths she spotted exactly what she hoped to find. An industrial sized box of breakfast bars. This she carried to the counter and snagged her mug on the way. The others in the room stirred.

  “My mom likes to cook. She should be down any minute now.” Keith nodded toward the large clock on the wall.

  “You’re all waiting for her to start cooking?” Harlow paused in ripping open the box.

  “We are.” Eric, Keith’s brother leaned forward. “If one of us tries to cook we get in trouble.” His gaze rested on the box in her hands. “If she spots that…” His face turned grim.

  The others all nodded.

  “Ah, so I should hide these in the back of the pantry?” Harlow was willing to play along. First off, if someone wanted to cook, yay. Secondly, she didn’t much care what she ate.

  “Yes, and be quick about it.” Keith kept his eyes on the clock.

  Harlow returned the box to the massive pantry, popping it on an out of the way shelf near the back. She took note of the snacks that had been opened. Those might come in handy later.

  All of her snacks had burned. She suppressed a sigh and left the pantry in time to greet Keith’s mother. She breezed in, dropped kisses on her boys and started opening what seemed like every cupboard in the place.

  Keith rose to be her sous chef, at least that’s what Harlow thought the assistant was called. He stirred things, whisked others, and chopped with the skill of a chef.

  “So he cooks?” She asked this in a low tone to Eric.

  “He does. Mama made sure we left home with those skills.” Eric’s voice had nice texture to it. It wasn’t as deep as Keith’s but there was some grit there.

  “Nice.”

  “Do you cook?” He looked interested and so much like Savannah it amazed her.

  “No. I’ve tried but I don’t know that my efforts are always edible.”

  “Mine either. I don’t understand the nuance of cooking.” Verity brushed hair off her cheek.

  “What she’s saying is that she likes when other people cook.” Cian negated this by dropping a kiss on Verity’s lips.

  “I don’t understand food nuance either.” Harlow wrinkled her nose. “If it’s edible, I’ll eat it. If it’s not, I move on.” She shrugged.

  Eric’s eyes widened. “You’re one of those.”

  “One of what?”

  “You eat to live.”

  She considered that. “Yes. I’ve never eaten something and been like, I love this. It’s just food.”

  “Wait until you try my mama’s cooking. She might change your mind.”

  “Okay.” Harlow enjoyed her coffee and covertly watched the large man assist his mother with the air of a man enjoying himself. His mother wasn’t bossy. At any rate, Keith seemed to know what he was doing.

  The smells of cooking food soon infiltrated the kitchen and while the others sniffed appreciatively Harlow just wanted to fill the ache in her stomach. She didn’t particularly care if the fare was good. Whatever that meant.

  Keith set plates in front of her and Eric that contained more food than she’d eat in a week. “I can’t finish this.”

  “Whatever you don’t eat one of us will.” Eric used his fork to indicate himself and Keith. Who served the others while his mother dished up.

  They gave thanks for the food and she was appreciative of that. Most people didn’t take the time to do so, but she liked the practice.

  Then everyone dug in. She ate until she was satisfied, as per usual, then pushed her plate away. The food was a good temperature and texture. But she’d have been just as happy with the breakfast bars. She did murmur her appreciation for the meal, along with the others.

  Talia beamed at the praise. It was evident by the woman’s actions that she enjoyed cooking for her loved ones. She didn’t force the fare on anyone but seemed to enjoy the evidence of their enjoyment as the food disappeared. Keith polished off what remained on Harlow’s plate and she liked that intimacy.

  She’d never be able to explain why or how.

  And she knew better than to go there.

  §

  Keith watched Harlow eat mechanically and observe everyone around her. She didn’t thrust attention on herself. She remained an observer, someone there but not a part. Not one smidgen of melancholy or misery wafted from her.

  She didn’t bemoan or curse her lack of participation. He respected a person whose strength was such that she knew she didn’t belong, but she enjoyed those who did. Encouraged them, listened, and learned.

  Unlike everyone else at the table she didn’t eat for the pleasure of the exercise. His mother’s excellent skills went unnoticed. Harlow ate because she was hungry. As soon as she had enough she stopped eating. No, ‘just one more bite because this is so good’ for her. No being polite or eating to appease others.

  He couldn’t remember anyone ever in his life who ate merely to live.

  It made him want to scratch his head and ask
her far too many questions. Keith refrained because it wasn’t the time or place and his mother would get that fierce frown between her eyebrows and he’d hear about it. Even in his thirties with plenty of years of experience and having been an adult for nearly the amount of time he was a kid.

  Still, questions curled through his mind, snaking between additional snippets of information he sought.

  His military background aided him in refraining from making Harlow feel more like an outsider than she already was. He had no intention of adding to that isolation.

  She had slept in a room with four other women and her energy levels had been restored by the sleep, coffee, and food. He could tell that just by watching her. The ever so slight droop from last night had disappeared.

  Of course she had flirted with defeated. The woman watched the place where she’d lived go up in flames and smoke, courtesy of several well placed bombs. Witnessed the utter destruction of her belongings.

  Activity by way of the front door tore everyone’s attention from what they were doing. They all peered in the direction of the front foyer. Two men stepped into the kitchen and he heard Harlow’s exclamation before he and Eric rose to greet the twins.

  Dark auburn hair, a few freckles, and brown eyes proved deceptive. They only looked like a pair of jokesters. Well, and acted like them... Their square jaws, muscled bodies, and lightning strike brains revealed the truer nature of these two men.

  “Why are you two here?” He didn’t really have to ask as the Rembrandt twins clapped him and Eric on the shoulders and met everyone. Harlow hung back, as though she knew they had come because of her.

  They confirmed this by finally turning to her. Both held expressions of censor. She surged forward into their arms as both men clearly reassured themselves of her well being.

  Both of them patted her down too. She deflected them and said something that made them laugh.

  “We know you, Harlow Horgate. You’re hard to kill. But you’re not infallible.” This statement from Finn caused complete silence on the part of the rest of the room’s occupants. Everyone turned to look at Harlow.

  “Horgate?” Verity’s one word question could have cut diamonds.

  “You said your name was Maxwell.” Hunter backed her up.

  “Oops, you didn’t tell us you were undercover.” Gage swatting Harlow indicated he wasn’t concerned by this.

  “This is Harlow Maxwell Horgate.” Finn used both hands to introduce her and deeply bowed. “Our…” He frowned at Gage and then Harlow. “What is our familial relationship again?”

  “Second cousins, third cousins, second cousins once removed, siblings… I don’t know.” Gage didn’t take the question seriously, but then he never did. He did sweep Harlow into his arms again for a fierce hug. “We’re really glad you didn’t burn down, kid.”

  “By the way, we don’t want to run Horgate Industries.”

  Harlow stepped in. “I have counted at least five deaths that link directly back to Horgate Industries. Mysterious deaths. And the more we uncover, the more suspicious things look.” Her response was so fierce Savannah and Molly, who had entered the kitchen, stepped back.

  This sobered the Rembrandt twins. “Five deaths?”

  Harlow pointed to Savannah. “Her mother died while at work at Horgate Industries. And her father mysteriously disappeared while also employed by my family company.” Her finger moved to Beau DuBois. “His father also ended up in a dark alley, where all evidence points to not being the place of death, but his paperwork has also disappeared. Another man, by the name of Brett Bentwater, lost both of his parents when a shooter walked into his home and shot his father and mother in their kitchen. His father was employed by Horgate Industries.” The more she said the more fierce she became. Not from hysteria, but the intensity that flowed from her made the area around her cold. Her eyes turned flint-like as she spouted the facts he and company had.

  That chill might as well have clapped shut the mouths of everyone in the room. Until Verity stirred. “She knows everything we know.”

  Trace Montgomery’s eyes had narrowed into slits. “What about the shooter who aimed at Savannah and the one who hit me?” His slinged arm remained testament to the fact he’d been shot.

  Harlow turned that ferocity on him. “Someone shot at you?”

  “And Beau.” Molly was quick to point to her fiancé.

  Lips firmed, and shaking out her hands, Harlow inspected each person. “I assume the shooter’s intent was to kill you?”

  “Yes. And you and I were both shot at on the beach on Monday.” Keith pointed out. Just to make certain everyone remembered she’d been treated in kind.

  “Did we hear someone also shot at you?” Finn’s scowl could have curdled cream. He settled it on Harlow.

  “I made sure to keep that quiet.” Her jaw remained set. “Who tattled?”

  Both Rembrandts, who stood close, raised their hands to point down on him. Not that either of them were as tall as him or as broad, but the effect still worked.

  Her narrowed eyes cut through some of the tension in Keith. “You told them we were shot at?”

  “Yep.” The situation did not call for amusement, yet that emotion settled over him. “I also told them your house got bombed last night.”

  “That’s why we’re here.” Gage cleared his throat.

  “And we’d like to know why you didn’t tell us, young lady.” Finn waggled a finger at her.

  Harlow rolled her eyes. “You two need your beauty sleep. And besides what can you do?”

  Finn didn’t miss a beat. “Call in the very best security in the world.”

  “Set up all security measures possible.” Gage’s eyes narrowed.

  “Speak to the local police.”

  “And both base officials.”

  “And fly home to see what’s going on here.” Finn crossed his arms over his chest before he reconsidered and instead reached out to snatch Harlow off her feet and into his arms where he hugged her as tight as Gage had. Then he gave her a noogie.

  Chapter 7

  Harlow wrestled with equal parts longing to throttle these two men she loved and hug them until they locked her in the bathroom. The lonely one down the hall, where most of the time her pounding on the door went unnoticed. Everyone forgot about that powder room so it rarely got used. Which is why they preferred to stuff her in that one and shove a chair under the doorknob.

  The looks from the others in the room did not reassure her. And rightfully so.

  She shoved a hand through her hair in an uncharacteristic way and buried the strong urge to cry. The deceit had never been a got-one-over-on-you type. Harlow had done so merely to keep feathers from being ruffled and to protect herself.

  “Have you felt as though someone is watching you?” Savannah asked.

  Harlow blinked. “Yes. It’s only been since-”

  “Since you started your research on the deaths.” Beau DuBois finished for her.

  Her gaze snapped to him. “How did you know?”

  “That’s what started our being watched and shot at.” He gestured between himself and Savannah.

  She groped for a chair and fell onto it, aware of someone shoving her head between her legs.

  “Breathe, Harlow,” Keith instructed. She recognized his woodsy scent intermingled with spearmint. And the massive hand that kept her head between her knees. She wouldn’t have tolerated this from anyone else. But Keith was special.

  Obedience seemed the only way. The lightheaded feeling passed and rational thought returned. At least I hope rational thought has returned.

  Resisting Keith’s hold made him ease up on the pressure. “I’m okay.”

  He removed his hand but hovered. For maybe the first time in her life, she didn’t mind. Finn and Gage eyed her with the same intensity.

  “You didn’t know you were being watched?” Gage’s question made her think.

  “The feeling of being watched isn’t new. But it’s increased in the last
few weeks.”

  No one spoke. “What does that mean?” Savannah bit her lip.

  “I’ve experienced being watched for a little over two years now. But recently it’s increased. As though there are more or it’s now escalated.” She nodded. “That’s it, the feeling has escalated.”

  “Someone knows you’ve started asking questions, which they must have suspected you’d do.” Finn stepped closer.

  “And they don’t like it.” Gage followed.

  “What I’m getting from this conversation is that someone is hiding behind Horgate Industries to kill people. They’re making it look as though it’s Horgate doing the deed. But Harlow has figured out they’re doing this and opened an investigation and in response they’ve targeted her as well?” Verity summed up the situation.

  “Yes.” Harlow shook off the last of the lightheaded sensation because she needed her brain to function properly.

  “What is your role in the company?” Eric asked.

  Harlow cleared her throat. Finn answered before she needed to. “She’s the head of the company.”

  Everyone turned various levels of shock on her.

  “Wait, you’re the CEO? You’re not a secret operative?” Verity looked shocked, as much as someone with her training could.

  “I have been the company troubleshooter for years. However, I’ve always been slated to run Horgate Industries. Right now we have a consultant who is doing so while I figure out what’s going on with these deaths.”

  “The consultant is trustworthy?” Keith hadn’t moved from her side. She liked it. A lot more than she should.

  “He’s a good friend of ours.” Gage waved that concern away.

  “He came highly recommended and he’s aware of the situation, so he has taken over the everyday running of the company to free me up to do one last troubleshooting assignment.”

  “What does a troubleshooter do?” Hunter stirred in the shadows. She appreciated his skill set.

  “I fix problems that crop up by offering solutions to disputes, issues, corruption, etc.”

  “She fixes anything that needs muscle.” Finn added his take.