Page 81 of Smoke Screen
Not now.
She focused on Phin and his perfect face and all the goodness found there. “Haveyoufound any suspicious employees?”
“Rohan is on that. We have to vet them, then figure out who their family and friends are. It’s tedious work.”
In Phin speak, the answer to her question would be a hard no. Or maybe he was intentionally being vague. Shewasan outsider.
She faced front again, resting her head back and watching the mountain in the distance grow closer. “What now?”
“We go back to the house, update my brothers, and call President Thompson. See how willing they’d be to make a deal.”
15
“Houston,”Zeke said, “we have a problem.”
For privacy, Phin popped his earbud in and took Zeke off the Audi’s Bluetooth. “What’s up?”
“Company outside the gate. Where are you?”
Company? What did that mean? “On my way back from the meeting with Rory. We’re twenty minutes out. Who’s there?”
“The question should be, who’snothere?”
Phin bit down, grinding his back teeth. Who knew his brother had a flare for drama?
“As of two minutes ago,” Zeke said, “we have reporters, cameras, and satellite trucks. All sitting at the foot of our driveway.”
For a few long seconds, Phin’s mind froze. How the hell …?
Feds leaked it.
Again.
“Swear to God,” Phin said, “someone needs to plug the holes in that building before it effing sinks.”
As a precaution, he eased up on the gas pedal, shifting to the right lane in anticipation of his upcoming exit. He kept his eyes on the road, refusing to acknowledge Maddy in the passenger seat beside him, even though he could feel her gaze boring through him.
“It may not have been the feds,” Zeke said.
Of course it was. They were all about pressure points and squeezing them. Invading privacy? Major pressure point. “Who else?”
“I don’t know, Phin. All I know is we have attention I’d rather not have.”
Barely noon, and Phin had managed to piss off both Ash and Zeke. Maybe by 2:00 he could add Cruz and Rohan to the fun.
He shook it off. Besides, when was the last time Cruz got mad at him? “Are they blocking the road?”
No doubt, his brother sat at his desk or the conference table with the security images on screen. “Eh, we could make a case.”
“What’s happening?”
Maddy’s voice cut in, holding a sharp urgency that Phin hated on her behalf. He finally slid her a glance. “Company outside the gate. Don’t worry. We’ll take care of it.” Phin went back to Zeke, his mind already moving ahead to the call he’d put in to Maggie Kingston. Not only the sheriff, but a relative of his Steele cousins. “I’ll call Maggie. See if she can send a deputy up. If they’re creating a safety issue, she can chase 'em off.”
“Already on it. I left her a voice mail before I called you. I didn’t want you surprised when you pulled up.”
“Appreciate it. I’ll come in the back way. If they don’t see us, maybe they’ll bolt.”
“Let’s hope.”
