Finding The Edge

Eva nodded in acknowledgment of her kind words. “Since you read the file you must know about Diego Robles’s death.”

“Captain Cyrus explained what happened. He’s very concerned that you’ve been approached and threatened. Dr. Pierce is immensely concerned as well. Why don’t you start at the beginning and tell me what’s happening.”

As much as Eva had dreaded this part, somehow Victoria made her feel relaxed and comfortable—at least as comfortable as she could be under the circumstances. Eva started with what the second man who came into the bathroom on Friday night said to her. She moved on to the ones who’d shouted at her on the street on Saturday, the confrontation on Sunday, the visit at the ER last night and then to the carful of thugs who had followed her to the parking garage three blocks from here. Thankfully, they hadn’t yelled more threats at her...they’d only watched her. Their hateful eyes on her had been equally threatening.

Victoria studied Eva for a moment after she finished recounting the events of the past three days. “I have full confidence the police are watching Robles’s men, but they can’t watch every move each of his hundreds of followers make—not with the budget cuts they’ve suffered recently. You haven’t been assigned a protection detail for the same reason. Until a law is broken, the police can’t afford to shift the resources.”

“I might be dead by then.” Eva hated to say the words aloud but they were true.

“Which is why we’re here. We can fill that void.” Victoria folded her hands atop her desk. “Since Dr. Pierce and I are well acquainted, he asked that I assign the very best to your security and he insisted that I send the bill to him.”

“What?” Eva shook her head. She couldn’t have heard correctly. “I’m prepared to pay for the services I need.”

Victoria held up a hand. “I’m certain you are, Eva. But Dr. Pierce feels responsible. He would like to handle this and, frankly, he can easily afford to do so. Trust me, you should take him up on his generous offer.”

Eva wanted to argue, but Victoria was right. She had scratched together the retainer but she would be hard-pressed to come up with more than a week’s worth of the required fees. She wanted to be upset that Dr. Pierce had been brought into the financial aspect of this arrangement but she supposed it was the right thing to do. I know what you did. The note someone had left on his desk blotter flickered across her mind. She had no idea what the message meant or who left it. She had wanted to ask Dr. Pierce but with all that had happened that night and then the threats, she’d forgotten. In truth, she didn’t feel comfortable discussing it with him after his reaction that night. She wasn’t worried that he somehow felt she was involved or aware of who went into his office, but she couldn’t quite dispel the idea that he’d looked at her with doubt for just a moment.

“I suppose I can do that.”

Maybe when this business with Robles was behind her she would come clean and tell Dr. Pierce she’d lied about being in his office. God, Eva, you’re such an idiot. It would have been so much easier if she’d told the truth in the first place, but it had felt so awkward in that instant. As badly as she felt about that decision, she had far more serious issues with which to deal at present.

“Good.” Victoria picked up a manila folder on her desk and opened it. “When I assign one of my people to a case, I do all within my power to ensure I’m covering every possible need a client might have.”

The door opened and a woman walked in. Blond hair, blue eyes. She was tall and thin. Very young. High school, maybe a college freshman. As young as she was, she held herself in a regal manner that reminded Eva of Victoria.

“I apologize for the delay.” The girl smiled first at Victoria then at Eva. “I’m Jamie Colby.” She offered her hand to Eva.

Eva shook Jamie’s hand, noting the firm confidence in her grip.

“Eva, this is my granddaughter,” Victoria said, pride brimming in her tone. “She’s a sophomore at the University of Chicago and my intern two days a week.”

“You look so young,” Eva blurted before she could stop herself, “to have accomplished so much.”

“Jamie is quite special,” Victoria agreed.

Jamie smiled. “I took freshman classes my senior year of high school. It’s not so unusual that I’m eighteen and a sophomore and certainly not special.”

Her humility was refreshing. Eva said, “I’m certain your parents are very pleased.”

“They certainly are.” Victoria turned to Jamie. “All is in order?”

“It is,” Jamie assured her.

“As I was saying—” Victoria turned to Eva “—I take great pride in assigning the best person for the job. Since your bodyguard—”

“Bodyguard?” Eva expected an investigator to help with the Miguel Robles situation, not a bodyguard.

Victoria and Jamie shared a look before Victoria’s gaze settled on Eva once more. “We need to take this situation very seriously, Eva. Frankly, I’m surprised you’re not already dead.”

Eva’s breath caught. She put her hand over her mouth too late to catch the sound.

“Ms. Bowman,” Jamie said, turning in her chair to face Eva, “I’ve done extensive research on the True Disciples. Miguel Robles raised his younger brother since their parents were murdered fifteen years ago. He thought of Diego as more of a son than a brother. Typically when crossed, Miguel wields vengeance far more quickly and concisely. The idea that you’re alive three days later tells us that he is planning to make some sort of example out of you. He wants you to know it’s coming. He wants to watch your fear build. He wants a large audience and rumor on the street is that all eyes are on you right now.”

Eva blinked repeatedly to hold back the rush of tears. “Wait, this is crazy. I didn’t mean to kill his brother. He attacked me... I...”

When Eva’s voice failed her, Victoria said, “I’m afraid it only gets worse. Chicago PD has a unit called Gang Intelligence. Though they cannot provide any measure of security for you, they are watching. If you want my honest opinion, they’re hoping Robles will come after you. If they can catch Miguel Robles in the act of trying to harm you, they can bring down a man who has slipped through their fingers repeatedly over the past two decades.”

Oh God. “I think I see the whole picture now.” Eve swallowed at the lump still lodged in her throat. “I’m bait. The police won’t protect me—not because of budget cuts—but because they want to get this guy.”

“In all fairness,” Victoria reminded her, “no law has been broken—more or less tying their hands. At this time all anyone has are rumors and suspicions, and resources are stretched too thin already. I fully believe the police are doing all they legally can.”

Jamie placed a warm hand over Eva’s ice-cold one. “But we can take up that slack.”

“Dr. Pierce has granted us full access to his facility,” Victoria explained. “We’d like to provide around-the-clock protection until this situation is neutralized.”

Round-the-clock? “Is that really necessary?” The moment the words left her lips she felt foolish for having said them.

Eva hadn’t expected this insanity to consume her life. Her sister had told her it was bad. She’d spent the past two nights with Eva. If all that Victoria said was true, Lena being close put her in danger as well. Eva suddenly felt immensely grateful that Lena’s boss had called about a hot-button issue in DC and wanted her there ASAP. Lena had nearly refused to go but Eva had promised she would be fine with the Colby Agency taking care of her. After considerable persuasion, her sister had reluctantly accepted the assignment. Eva now completely understood how important it was to keep Lena as far from this as possible...and to end this as quickly as possible.

“Okay,” Eva heard herself say. “When do I meet this bodyguard?”

“As Victoria explained,” Jamie cut in, “we take every precaution when making the selection. Your situation requires extensive training. The man we’ve chosen spent eight years in the military, six in the Army’s Special Forces. He is an expert in all manner of defense and protection. His extensive emergency medical training will allow a smooth transition into your workplace. He’s the perfect choice.”

Victoria nodded her agreement. “You couldn’t be in better hands.”

Eva’s head was still spinning. She could do this. It was necessary. Her boss understood. Lena would come unglued if Eva even thought of backing out of hiring the Colby Agency. This was the right step. Just do this. “All right. I’m ready to do whatever I have to.”

“Before we ask him in,” Victoria began.

Eva instinctively understood that something bad was coming.

“We’ve been made aware that there may be a stumbling block of sorts. Under normal circumstances,” Victoria went on, “I never make assignments when there are personal connections. Emotions can often get in the way.”

Eva shook her head. “I’m sorry. This is my first time here and I’m fairly confident I don’t know anyone at your agency.”

“Todd Christian.”

Eva’s head turned so quickly toward the woman seated next to her that her neck almost snapped. “Todd Christian?”

Impossible. Even as the word filtered through her, Eva comprehended it was not. Todd had gone straight from college into the military. She’d heard at some point later that he was in some sort of special something but she couldn’t remember what. She had spent the past nine years blocking every single thing about him from her brain. Todd Christian no longer existed as far as Eva was concerned. She had worked extremely hard to make that happen.

Jamie nodded. “He is the perfect choice.”

Eva shook her head. “No. Absolutely not.” She could not—would not—spend one minute much less 24/7 with him. No damned way.

Another of those looks passed between Victoria and her granddaughter.

“Todd thought you might feel that way,” Victoria offered. “Eva, let me just say that I’ve been doing this for a very long time.”