Blasting through. Felt good. Noah rode a huge, energizing surge of AVP energy on the way to his office to get his laptop. But it wasn’t making him feel crazed and frantic. Just fiercely focused on the job ahead.
Caro needed help on her own terms or he wasn’t allowed to help at all. OK. Seemed easier to agree. She’d been too upset to notice that Noah was already formulating a plan. On his own terms.
He grabbed his laptop, stopping when he caught a glimpse of himself in the hall window. His reflection floated on the tinted glass, his weird yellow cat eyes glowing brighter against transparent gray. At the moment, he was too. Even people who knew and trusted him got creeped out by them. Almost no one had ever looked into his eyes unshielded.
He usually didn’t allow himself to notice or care, but right now, he was suddenly, intensely aware that being so different annoyed the living shit out of him.
He went into his study and pulled down all the blinds. Which didn’t help him find his laptop in the clutter. Fuck fuck fuckity fuck . . . there it was. He picked it up, thinking about how Caro looked at him unshielded. She could gaze deep into his naked eyes even while he was inside her, his AVP blazing hot, staring at her and the whole universe sliced up, cross-sectioned, analyzed in every way. She was fine with it.
Noah loved that.
He tried to figure out what she saw in his eyes. Obviously, something very different from whatever repelled all the others—something that she wanted. Exactly what that might be, who the hell knew. He gave up thinking about it after a couple of seconds. He could go back to the kitchen and look at Caro herself instead. That was way more interesting and compelling.
A feeling was nagging at him. Not a good one. Guilt. Fear of what was going to happen when she realized that he knew Olund and Luke Ryan personally. But he couldn’t tell her now and risk her disappearing on him.
And he couldn’t neglect to follow any clue that might lead toward Luke.
He got back to the kitchen and opened up his laptop, typing rapidly. She’d clammed up. Just as well.
He could focus better, get started on the kind of data dive he’d do if was just a gifted hacker who had never heard of Luke Ryan. Knowing exactly where Luke’s lake house was situated and exactly which shell companies owned it made it easier. He wasn’t literally lying to her. Just setting a scene that suggested a different truth. While never directly stating it.
Yeah. He could just keep telling himself that. For all the good it would do him.“What on earth are you doing?” she asked.
“Researching Luke Ryan,” he said. “Look at this.”
Caro circled the table and leaned over his shoulder to peer into the screen. A heavy lock of her ringlets draped over his shoulder and tickled his neck. He was careful not to move for fear that she would brush it away. He liked the way it smelled.
She studied the impenetrable block of data. “What am I supposed to see here?”
“Look there, and there.” He pointed to bits of data as he scrolled. “This piece of property was bought on behalf of Luke Ryan by Wilkes and Meryton, LLC, six years ago. Stoddard Lake. A little more than three hours north of here.”
Her sig showed a flare of cautious excitement. “You think that could be the lake that Bea mentioned?”
“Could be,” he hedged. “Even if it is, don’t get your hopes up. Let’s go see.”
“Not you. I don’t want you involved. You’ve done too much already.”
“Please,” he said. “We can drive up together, right now. You wouldn’t have to rent a car. There’s no risk. We’ll talk about your weapons training on the way.”
She hesitated, and he stroked her hand. Willing her to give in.
“OK,” she conceded finally. “Just a ride, though. No more.”
*
It rained most of the way, sluicing the windshield with a wavering blur of water that the wipers couldn’t keep up with. Instead of discussing weapons training, Caro fell fast asleep as they drove deeper and deeper into the mountains. He wasn’t surprised to see her crash after the adrenaline dump from this morning.
The rain finally eased off, though mist clung to the dark green sides of the mountains. The road was a shining ribbon of gray, winding up the tree-covered slopes.
Stoddard Lake was a vacation town right off the highway. The lake itself was long and narrow, surrounded by skeletal white trees. The GPS led them far out on a road that ringed the lake. Cabins and vacation houses dotted it at intervals.