Page 25 of Defending Love
Chapter Twenty-Four
Eli
“Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, there is coffee, water, and a selection of beers and wines available,” Kara said. “I could get you something now, or you’re welcome to help yourself once we reach cruising altitude.
“Thank you, I’m fine for now,” Dani said as she took a seat with her back to the cockpit. I tapped her shoulder and motioned farther toward the aft, away from the cockpit. Once she was again seated, I sat across from her, facing the cockpit. Between us, a small table extended from the wall.
When Dani removed her laptop, I shook my head.
“Why?”
My cheeks rose as I tried for my most charming smile. “Because I want to talk to my wife as we fly over the clouds.”
Dani quirked an eyebrow. “I haven’t checked my emails in two days. Do you have any idea how many there probably are?”
I watched the flight crew as they made their way down their checklist, suspicious that they could hear whatever we said. Lifting my hand, I laid it on the table, palm up.
Dani looked wary, yet she finally placed her hand in mine. “What’s happening?” she asked in a whisper.
“I’m currently trying to keep you safe. Sadly, I’m questioning everyone and everything.” I lowered my voice. “I don’t trust the internet on this plane.” I shook my head. “No emails until we’re to your home.”
“Is that why you didn’t want me to call Damien?”
I pressed my lips together as my nostrils flared. “It’s more than that.”
“Stop it. My brother isn’t capable of having anything to do with hurting our parents.”
“You’re sure?”
Dani nodded. “One hundred percent.” She looked down at my hand, the one holding hers. “Where’s your ring?”
I scoffed. “My timing to remove it wasn’t good.”
She wiggled her fingers on her left hand. “It’s okay. I forgot mine too.”
Kara appeared at our side. “Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, if the two of you are ready, we will take off soon.” She smiled. “Please be sure your seat belts are fastened.”
Once she walked away, Dani scanned the interior of the plane. “This is extravagant. It’s probably more expensive than calling for the Sinclair plane.”
“Your brother can afford it. Unless he’s short on cash.”
Dani’s blue gaze met mine. “Why would Damien be short on cash?”
“There’re rumors of a recession. I’m not privy to how that relates to the pharmaceutical industry.”
“Our products are necessary. Our saline production had to double last fall. The only other plant in the country that makes saline is in North Carolina. Their production was stalled due to the hurricanes. They’re back up now, but we were having a terrible time keeping up.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“Damien hired you, Larry, Deidra…I’d venture to say his cash flow is fine.”
“Larry let me know that he has set up a new computer network in your second bedroom.”
Dani’s eyes opened wide. “As big as you had in that villa?”
“Not quite. I need a bed.”
Her eyebrows danced. “We might be able to arrange something.”
I swallowed. “Not a fact I want Larry to report to Ben.”
“I was talking about the couch.”
I chuckled. “Of course you were.”
“Is Larry picking us up?” Dani asked.
“Yes. Currently, other than Jackie at the main office, Larry’s the only one aware of our arrival.”
“And you can trust him?”
“I have.” I moved my suit coat, showing Dani the holster. “Private planes don’t require TSA screenings. I’ll inform Mitchell I still have it when I contact him.”
“What did you do today while I was with Mom?”
With the sound of the engines, and the headphones over our pilots’ ears, I felt more comfortable talking, to a degree. “I went to your mother’s house and set up some new hidden cameras.”
“Who do you expect to see?”
“I hope our FBI guys.” I went on, “The virus I found on your electronics is a searching tool. It’s set to find keywords in your communications, text messages, emails, and even documents.”
Her eyebrows knitted together. “What keywords?”
“We haven’t determined that.”
“But the virus is now gone, right?”
“Yes.”
“You said Mom and Dad’s computer had it too?”
I nodded. “Damien’s and Ella’s also.”
“Did you find out anything else?”
“They’re still working on pinpointing the server. All Guardian could tell me was that the information was being streamed back to the greater Indianapolis area.”
“No.” Dani shook her head. “It’s not Damien.”
“There are roughly two million people in the greater Indianapolis area. Why would your thoughts go to your brother?”
“Because of what you’ve said.” She pressed her lips together.
After a moment of watching clouds, Dani turned back to me and told me about showing the photo album to her mother. The old memories made Marsha happy, so Dani left the photo album with her.
“Did your mom remark on why Derek would have saved those particular photographs?”
She shook her head. “There was one of Dad and Stephen Elliott in college. I’d forgotten that they were roommates their freshman year.”
“Why didn’t Stephen retire when your dad did if they’re the same age?”
“I don’t know. I think he wanted to stay with Sinclair and help Damien succeed.”
“Did you know he and Damien went through your father’s safe right after the incident?” I asked.
“No.” She sat straighter. “Who told you that?”
“Jack.”
“Last night when I spoke to Stephen,” Dani began, “he said he looked in Dad’s desk.
” She pursed her lips. “I didn’t give it much thought at the time, but he said the desk was where he found Dad’s will and insurance papers.
But Mom said Dad didn’t keep important things in his desk, but rather in his safe. ”
“Maybe Stephen meant the safe.”
“Maybe. I’ll ask Damien.”
I remembered our sandwiches that I’d put in the small refrigerator. “It’s late for lunch or early for dinner. Do you want your chicken salad?”
Dani unclasped her seat belt and met my gaze. “Shoot, I forgot to tell you, I can’t eat nuts.”
“I’m a step ahead. I read your bio the first time I was assigned to you. I made sure there were no nuts in the chicken salad.”
Her cheeks rose. “All about protecting me.” She winked. “I’ll get the sandwiches and a water. What do you want to drink?”
“Water is good. I don’t drink alcohol on the job.”
Her smile curled. “Now that you mention it, I’ve never seen you with alcohol.”
“You like wine.”
“I do.”
“Once we have you completely safe, we’ll celebrate with a bottle of the best wine I can buy.”
“Sounds like a date.”
It was barely five o’clock when we landed in Indianapolis. As I took my phone out of airplane mode, it buzzed with missed messages. I hit the icon for voicemail. Ben’s name appeared.
“Eli, we have the preliminary forensics on the letter you sent. Call me as soon as you have time to talk.”