Beloved Predator (Beloved Series #2)

Six

"Sarah"

I sat at the far end of the bar, near the back of the restaurant so I could easily see the front door.  I read through my latest text messages from my brother.  Frustrated at the lack of news from him, I turned my attention to the file for the task at hand and read through it for the third time.  The sound of the bell at the front door caused me to look up, and I knew it was time to get to work.

Patrick Reynolds was a very tall, imposing looking man with a large frame and a muscular build.  I had read in his file he played football in college until a horrific knee injury derailed any hope for playing professionally.  His dark blue eyes scanned the room as he led his wife to a table, their hands tightly clasped together.  They sat together in a booth, where he wrapped his arm around her shoulder as she looked through the menu.

Ari Reynolds was the exact opposite of her husband physically.  She was a least a foot shorter, barely standing at the middle of his chest and I would've been surprised if she weighed more than a hundred pounds.  She glanced around the restaurant nervously, pulling a strand of her long, curly dark red hair behind her ear.  He whispered in her ear and her green eyes lit up as she smiled and brushed a lock of his light brown hair from his forehead.  It was obvious she had been through a lot, but he had been there with her almost every step of the way.

He continued to scan the room and a few minutes later our eyes met.  I gave a small nod, which he returned.  I watched him whisper in her ear as I slowly walked to the booth and she looked up at me with a nervous smile.

"Ms. Shaw, thank you for agreeing to meet me so late in the afternoon and in such an informal setting.  I was really excited to hear about the job opportunity," I said, extending my hand to her.

"It's my pleasure, Ms. Stone," she replied as she shook my hand with a smile.  "Our pizzas should be done in a few minutes and then we can take them back to the office and I can show you the software."

The pizzas arrived and we made our way back to their house.  The grey and white house had a modern design with a lot of windows facing the park and the beach across the street, offering a stunning view of the Puget Sound.  The interior of the house had the same modern look, metal and glass banisters and a sleek kitchen with black cabinets and stainless-steel appliances, but the décor had a very warm and homey feel, complete with bright colors and a ton of pictures of family and friends adorning the mantle in the living room.  Patrick set the pizza boxes down in the kitchen and as we ate we chatted about Seattle and how they had only recently moved into the house.  Afterward, the two of them leaned against the counter and looked at me expectantly.

"Well, let's start with someone explaining the situation to me," I said.

Her eyes widened.  "Nobody told you?"

I shook my head.  "All I was told was you needed help finding the man responsible for your attack and there might be some further complications."

She motioned for me to follow her the living room.  "Let's all get comfy and start at the beginning."

I explained I knew most of the details regarding James, so she spent the next half hour explaining how two facets of her past managed to collide and cause the current situation.  The lengths Danvers went to secure the server from her were concerning, and for a second I couldn't help wondering what information she'd intercepted.  However, it wasn't the most important issue at the moment.

"So, we need to prove Carlton is Rigo, and that he hired James," I summarized.

"Correct," Patrick replied.