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Spotting us, he jumped right into explanation mode.

“I’m so sorry I’m late. Rian, Monty. And Malone, I swear I was close when I texted you.

Then I got to the entry, and that mob surrounded cars on the road for a few moments.

They made it look like they were merely moseying across the road to the other side, but it was deliberate.

Before anyone could call the police, they dispersed.

And then, when I got to the lobby. I overheard a couple talking about the rumors circulating, so I stopped to tell them it was nonsense and not to listen to a disgruntled former employee. ”

He set his briefcase down on the table. We rose to our feet, and he swiftly shook hands and said hello. When his gaze landed on Gianna, I saw male appreciation enter them. I couldn’t blame any man for admiring her, and as long as it remained merely that, I had no issue.

“And who might this lovely lady be?” he asked charmingly.

“I’m Gianna. It’s nice to meet another member of the team. Hopefully, we can resolve this quickly,” she said as she held her hand out.

Court took it, and I held back my snicker as she squeezed it hard. Undoubtedly, he did one of those weak handshakes that some men gave women. My sister, Cara, and Aisling hated them. Amend that. All the women in my family detested those.

“Team member? I don’t understand,” Court said.

“Then let me explain. Court McIntyre, may I present the person who’ll find what we need to make Clay back off and go away for good? She’ll go through his life with a fine-tooth comb. This is Gianna DeSantis. Gianna is the future Mrs. Rian O’Sheeran.”

Court stumbled back a step when I announced it.

Gianna rolled her eyes. “Will you stop telling people things like that? You just do it to shock them. Hello Court, yes, I’m Gianna, and I’ll be researching this Clay pain in the ass.

As for being Rian’s future wife, I’m now his girlfriend and soulmate.

If he behaves and proposes correctly one day, I may be his wife,” she snarked.

“You will marry me, and the proposal will come,” I vowed. She winked.

“Well, he sure knows how to stun someone. Congratulations to both of you. So you’re what, a PI or something?” Court asked. He moved over to get coffee.

“No, I’m not an actual PI, although I sometimes do similar work. Do you know Cody, who works for Rian’s family?” she asked.

When he nodded, Gianna continued, “Then I’m kinda like him. I’m there to help when he needs it. I’ll only do it as needed. I’ll stick to my regular work the rest of the time.”

“And what is that?” he asked.

Court was about to be shocked again. Gianna asked me, “Would you like to tell him since you love to do the shock and awe?”

“Thank you, but you go ahead,” I winked.

“I’m a bail bonds agent and bounty hunter,” she stated sweetly.

Court dropped the cannoli he was about to take a bite of. He glanced from her to me. “She’s not. Is she?”

“Absolutely, she is.”

“I think I’ll just sit here and keep my mouth shut before I get myself in trouble,” he muttered before taking a bite. Gianna’s giggle made us all smile.

“You’re not in trouble. I’ve had worse reactions over the years than surprise to the news of what I do for a living,” she assured him.

While I wasn’t surprised that she had, it dismayed and upset me.

My reluctance for her to do her job wasn’t because I thought she lacked the ability to do it competently or to protect herself and others.

It was pure male protectiveness. I’d battle not to allow it to cause trouble between us.

It would take work. The thought of anything happening to her made me feel crazed.

“Is everyone up-to-date on the status here? Do we need to run through the background on this case?” Monty asked. He pulled out his tablet, ready to take notes. The others took out their notes, tablets, or writing supplies. I kept mine on my laptop, which I was setting up.

“Unless there’s anything you need to tell Court or something new has occurred in the past twelve hours, Gianna and I are acquainted with why we’re here. Malone?” I asked.

“No, I’m on top of it. Court sent me his notes this morning. I reviewed those on the plane,” my cousin stated.

“Then we’ll start with you, Monty. I didn’t see Harissa out there, but Clay was. Have you seen her these past few days? How many reservations have been canceled since this began?” I asked.

“I watch our security camera recordings daily. Even though they’re on public property, our cameras cover the street and nearby areas.

Harissa is hit or miss. Some days, she’s there for a short while, and then she leaves.

Clay is there daily, but I noted that when it’s nighttime, he leaves.

He rarely returns until the following morning.

Sometimes, he’s picked up by a dark SUV.

I don’t know who is picking him up. Clay is single.

The last I heard, he had no girlfriend. Once, the driver rolled down the window, and I caught a glimpse of a man.

It was grainy, so I couldn’t say for sure if I knew him.

“As for how many cancellations, the guests give all sorts of reasons, so it’s impossible to know if they lie, and the reason is the rumors.

I have two numbers for you. The total overall is fifty since this started a week ago.

Typical numbers for this time of year are a dozen to less than twenty.

Of those fifty, twenty either stated that Clay’s lies were the reason or were heard talking about it.

I’m afraid the longer he’s out there, the more supporters he’ll gain.

And this will eventually cripple the Crystal.

I wish I knew how to make him stop,” Monty concluded mournfully.

“From what I’ve been reading, it seems he’s forming his accusations to sound like questions.

That lets him skate the edge of slander or libel.

It’s a gray area, so you never know how a judge might rule.

His arrest was possible due to trespassing and disturbing the peace.

However, if he remains on public property, the noise isn’t complained about by others, and you can’t show he’s disrupting your visitors, he’ll be allowed to stay out there.

Court, we’ll need to meet to review the list of local judges.

I need you to tell me who might sympathize with our plight and who would rule in Clay’s favor.

Unfortunately, as long as he skates this edge, we can’t have him arrested, sue him, or even issue restraining orders.

He’s crafty,” Malone concluded. It wasn’t what I wanted to hear, but it wasn’t a surprise.

“If I could have his full name and personal identification demographics sent to me, I can start on my end,” Gianna stated.

Monty spoke up. “I can do that. What’s your email?” Gianna rattled it off to him. She continued as he tapped his tablet, undoubtedly sending the information to her.

“I need to know if he was close to anyone here. If so, names, birthdates, and Social Security numbers would be great, but if you give me names, I can find them. You said he had no girlfriend or wife. I’m sorry, but he’s a man in his sexual prime from what I saw as we came in.

There’s no way he’s not having sex. I want to know with whom.

In addition, if there is anything he may have said or done that you found odd while he worked here, tell me. ”

“We can do that. Mind if I ask what you’re hoping to find with that information? Why does it matter who he sleeps with?” Court asked.

“There is always someone whom they confide in and who knows their darkest secrets. I want to know who his confidante is. Using them to leverage anything may not be necessary, but I want to be prepared. Much of the time, I find the dirt, as you call it, on my own. Question. Rian said he posted a bond to get out of jail, which took a few days. I need to know who he used for that. It’ll save me time if you know. ”

“You’re planning to go talk to them,” I stated.

“Yes, I am. It’s customary to check in with at least one bail bonds agency if we’re in an area for a while.

That way, if they need assistance and we happen to be licensed in their state, they can call on us for assistance.

My family and I aren’t licensed in all fifty states, but we are in numerous ones.

And Colorado happens to be one of them. We hunted a bail jumper in the Denver area over a year ago. ”

The whole time she talked, she kept typing into her tablet and scratching down things in a small notebook. I enjoyed watching her work and trying to decipher how her brain worked. Cody was the same way. I had a feeling those two would become good friends.

“I don’t want this to sound rude, Gianna. Please don’t take it that way. But wouldn’t it be better to see if Cody can do this? He’s more tied in than you are, and he’s fast,” Court said.

“No offense taken, Court. You don’t know me yet.

This is my chance to show you what I’m capable of.

I can promise I won’t take weeks to get it.

Plus, I was hired to relieve Cody’s workload.

And I have contacts that Cody may not. You know, people on the seamier side of life: pimps, drug dealers, loan sharks, and so on.

If Clay has any habits, someone will spill, but not to corporate or law-enforcement types.

For whatever reason, many tend not to see bounty hunters as law enforcement. ” She smirked as she said it.

“Endangering yourself to talk to those kinds of people won’t be okay with Rian,” Monty cautioned as he glanced over at me.

“I’m competent, but Rian will probably want to tag along even if I am. I’ll have to dirty him up and maybe make him wear a disguise, though. He’s too recognizable,” Gianna added, snickering.

“I know you’re competent and then some, Gianna, but you’re right. I won’t let you go alone. And you can dirty me up however you want,” I smiled.

“Alright, it sounds like we have the start of a plan. Let’s talk about details and what-ifs. We have to plan for every contingency we can imagine. We may need to pivot at a moment’s notice,” Malone warned.

From there, the more monotonous aspect began. I knew we’d be at it for at least a few hours. I prayed that the time would be worth it in the end.