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Whenever I got on a roll researching like I was into Clay and his buddy Kelvin, I would forget everything and everyone around me.

It was all I could do to drink enough. I learned my lesson on forgetting to do that after experiencing a few urinary tract infections from insufficient fluids.

These days, I keep a substantial forty-ounce water tumbler next to me and refill it immediately once it becomes empty. Or that was what I usually did.

Papà, my brothers, and the staff knew to leave me alone.

Rian wasn’t the same. Sure, he didn’t constantly interrupt me, but he made me get up every three hours, move for ten minutes, use the bathroom, and eat if appropriate.

I discovered this when he lifted me from my chair yesterday after Reign and I returned to the resort.

I’d been in the zone, and he told me to get up and move.

I ignored him. After I did it a second time, he didn’t bother asking a third.

Instead, Rian hoisted my ass out of my chair and slung me over his shoulder.

When I protested and squirmed, his hand swatted my ass a few times, leaving my cheeks tingling and my attention on him for another reason.

The damn man knew it, too. He’d chuckled and told me to hold off on that thought until later.

I wasn’t about to forget. Rian didn’t allow me back at the table until I walked, used the bathroom, and ate a snack.

We had dinner with Malone, Monty, and Court when evening came.

I grumbled, but I got up and prepped myself.

The resort had a premier restaurant. I was told there were other high-end restaurants all over town, but I was more than willing to eat there if they were.

The dinner I had the first night was outstanding.

It turned out they wanted to eat at the resort.

I was glad I went after we were done. The food was terrific again, and I enjoyed listening to them talk. We laughed and got to know each other. I relaxed. Later, back in our suite, Rian demonstrated his spanking skills. My ass was fiery and sore, but when we fell asleep, I was beyond sated.

I woke up early and dove back into my work.

Rian was busy working on other projects that required his attention at the Chalet.

Some required him to talk to various staff and a few guests.

He went to speak to anyone who questioned staff or Monty about the O’Sheeran family and their business practices.

The further I dug, the more questions I had.

The first was Kelvin Lyons’s identity. I ran his name and the information he gave to Egan’s agency through various databases.

They came back with nothing. According to those databases that should have him, no one named Kelvin Lyons matched the man’s stats or his picture in the United States.

When I got nowhere with those, I took his picture and uploaded it into a program I had.

It would access DMVs throughout the country and look for a match.

It was a laborious process. One reason was the sheer number of people in them, and the other was that they had to be done one state at a time.

None of the DMVs were connected. If those failed, there was the military system.

That one was trickier, and I had to be extra careful not to get caught.

I had Monty and Rian look at the man’s photo, but they didn’t recognize him.

Working on a long shot, I printed it out, and Monty promised to have the employees look at it.

That would take a while since he had to circulate it through three shifts and wait for everyone to work.

Allowing the program to run through the DMV in Colorado and then working outward, I switched to investigating Clay Mathers.

He was much more manageable. The DMV confirmed his identity.

In addition, since Crystal Castle required all employees to be fingerprinted and their backgrounds checked, he was less able to hide who he was.

The only way that would not have been the case was if he had been placed in WitSec with a new identity.

Clay’s background was unassuming and bland.

He’d grown up in an upper-middle-class family.

He was an only child whom his parents had spoiled.

Both of them died when he was in his early twenties.

He would be thirty-three in April. Clay had never been married, and as far as was known, he had no children.

He had been in several relationships, more than one of which ended when he or the woman had the other arrested.

Those didn’t show up in his background because all of them had the charges dropped.

Employers looked for convictions for misdemeanors and felonies.

The arrests that led the judge to set his bail so high occurred after Monty hired him and were due to those cases not being dismissed or the charges being dropped.

As I drilled further into his life, I quickly determined that not only was Clay a narcissist, but he felt that others owed him.

When he didn’t get what he wanted or thought he deserved, Clay found ways to make the other person appear to be persecuting him or in the wrong.

A classic example was the audacity of Rian and Monty to terminate him, even though he wasn’t performing his duties, and after repeatedly telling him so and giving him chances, which led to his lie about the O’Sheeran family.

I was combing through Clay’s bank statements, expenditures, and phone records.

It was tedious, but sometimes you find the most interesting things.

Rian had gone to talk to more people. I was so engrossed in what I was doing that when the door to the suite came flying open, I yelled out in fright.

I hadn’t heard the lock disengage. I was sitting on the couch, working.

Rian stormed in with Reign on his heels, and Monty came right behind him.

“I’m sorry for scaring you, leanbh ,” Rian said.

He entered scowling, but his expression eased as he came to me. He placed a loving kiss on my lips. When he was through, he dropped onto the couch next to me.

“What’s wrong? You look like someone pissed in your coffee,” I observed.

Rian laughed. “I love how you phrase things sometimes. And yes, I guess it is like someone pissing in my coffee. We’re finished talking to the people who’re gossiping about the Crystal.

Clay and his followers are busy. We stopped about half of them from checking out early, and two couples checking in were prevented from canceling their reservations.

I needed to come up here to prevent myself from marching out there and punching that scummy prick in the face,” he snarled.

“As much as he deserves and you want to do it, it’s best to stay inside. You don’t want to make poor Reign have to tackle you, do you? Then he’d have to worry about his job, and if I’d take offense and kick his ass,” I sighed dramatically.

Reign snorted. “Rian, see. She’s an instigator, and she’ll make you crazy. You should’ve seen how she acted. She barely resisted punching that chauvinist asshole, Nathan Egan, at the bond agency. He completely blew her off at first because she’s a woman,” Reign ratted on me.

“You didn’t tell me he was impolite. What did he say?” Rian asked.

“He didn’t say anything overly offensive. He was one of those who directed his comments to Reign, shook his hand first, and then gave me a limp fish handshake.”

“His handshake wasn’t any better for me.

Ultimately, he changed his tune, especially when he saw her last name was the agency’s name on her business card.

She offered to help him look up the security video and dropped the tidbit that she had a degree in cybersecurity.

I thought he would choke on his tongue when she said it,” Reign smirked.

“It worked out, and it’s not like I don’t run into people like him fairly often.” I dismissed it, playing it off as no big deal, even though it irritated me to no end.

“Oh, Rian, I need to warn you of something that I thought of when we were out,” Reign said suddenly.

“What?” Rian asked. He was frowning at his bodyguard.

“You have to keep her away from Cody. If he meets her and finds out all she can do, he’ll try to take her for himself,” Reign warned smugly.

“Stop it. I told you. Once Cody got to know me, he’d give me back. However, I am interested in meeting him in person. I want to pick his brain.”

“I’ll keep an eye on Cody. Thanks for the warning, Reign.

Monty, sorry for being rude. Is there anything I can do for you around the office?

You know you can call me if there are more guests to talk to.

And a stór mo chroí , I spoke to Jessica.

She’ll be here at eleven tomorrow morning to fly us home. I already let Malone know.”

“I can’t think of anything you need to bother with, Rian. Thank you for what you did. If anything crops up, I’ll be sure to let you know,” Monty answered. When he was done, it was my turn.

“I’ll be ready, but I wish I had everything on Clay and his buddy so we could resolve it before departing. It feels like I’m leaving a job undone.”

“It would be nice, but not feasible. You’re working hard. Speaking of which, it’s time for you to take a break and walk around,” Rian added.

As I stood and stretched, an idea popped into my head. “Hey, I have a question. Does Clay know who Reign is?”

Both thought before Reign answered. “I believe he does. I tend to stay in the background when Rian is here, but it’s more than likely he spotted me at some point. Why?”

“Because I know Rian won’t like what I’m about to say, but I want to do it. Clay knows all of you but not me. I’m going to head outside and slip into the group out there. I want to see what I hear and see if I can get close to him. You never know what someone might say.”

Rian shook his head. “I don’t like it, Gianna. All those people. What if someone has seen you with me and recognizes you? You could be hurt. We have no idea if they’ll remain civil and nonviolent.”

“ Miele , all that is true. However, I’m more than capable of protecting myself. I wouldn’t go without my weapon, and I’d be alert. I can handle a bunch of protesters. It’s a prime opportunity to spy without Clay knowing,” I explained.

Rian paced, and I saw his worry. I was sure he would say no, but then I’d have to ask to speak to him privately. I wouldn’t argue in front of his employees if at all possible.

After about five minutes, he stopped pacing and faced me. “I want Reign and me to be close by yet hidden, just in case it gets ugly. You can protect yourself, but not when several come at you. Being armed is a must. If you agree to that, then we’ll do it.”

“I can agree with that. Give me a couple of minutes to get ready. No time like the present.”

Rian nodded. I kissed him before telling Monty goodbye and disappearing into our bedroom.

It was time to get dressed like an Eskimo.

It would be cold. And I’d bring more than my gun.

It wasn’t the only weapon I carried. But before all that, I’d change into clothing that I could move in better.

I was ready for action. I’d had enough sitting for the time being.