find out when the next deal was going down.”
“You said he found something.”
“He called and said he found Sinclair’s notebook. I went to meet him.” Joe stopped, swallowing the anger that raged through him. “Somehow Sinclair knew and got to him before I did. You know the rest.”
“If Charlie found the notebook in the plant, maybe I could too.” Cara looked at Murphy.
“Did you forget your brother tried to have you killed last night? You can’t just waltz in there and let him have another shot.”
“Let’s not dismiss the idea without giving it some consideration,” Murphy said.
“We’re not sending her in there on a suicide mission.”
“You said she was good with a gun. Give her one.”
Joe fisted his hands and leaned toward Murphy. “You’d sacrifice anyone to get this job done. You don’t give a damn how many people die. We’re done here. Let’s go, Cara.”
“No. I didn’t ask for any of this. Do you think it’s easy for me to go against my brother? He’s the only family I have. Now I don’t even have him. I can’t be sure he’s the one who sent those gunmen last night or if they were even after me. I only have your word on that, and I don’t know you.” She paused, cleared her throat, then met Joe’s gaze. “All I know is my brother’s voice was on that tape, and what he did was unthinkable. So I want to do this. Just tell me what I’m looking for.”
“It’s too dangerous. Sinclair won’t let you walk out of there once he has you. It won’t work. We’ll think of another way.”
She ignored Joe and directed her gaze at Murphy. “How soon can we go?”
“The sooner the better. If we get to the plant in Portland before Sinclair returns home, you won’t have to worry about running into him.” A satisfied grin lit up Murphy’s face.
“Damn it!” Joe said. “Sinclair wasn’t anywhere around when his assassins tried to kill her last night. You can’t guarantee she’ll be safe whether he’s there or not. You want this so bad you’d do anything to get it. Tell her.”
“You’re right, Joe. I do want Sinclair pretty bad, but I think Cara does too. This is her decision.”
“Okay, it’s settled then.” She sat back.
“The hell it is.” Joe smacked the table hard. Other patrons turned to stare.
Now it was Cara who put her finger to her lips. “Shhh.”
He lowered his voice and leaned over the table. “The only way this is going down is if I go in with her, and it’s not happening today or tomorrow, or even next week. I need two weeks to teach her a few things that might save her life. She’s coming back to the ranch with me.”
“This is my decision, Joe,” Cara said.
“If you ever want my help on anything again, Murphy, you’ll give me this.”
Murphy studied him shrewdly. “And if I don’t?”
Joe leaned back. “Then I’ll have to kidnap her myself, and you’ll never see her again.”
“Why is this so important to you?”
“I promised Charlie.”
“Well, obviously you two don’t need me.” Cara scooted over and shouldered Joe. “Excuse me. I’ll just run to the little girls’ room while you two decide the rest of my life.”
Joe eyed her suspiciously but stood and she shoved past him. She walked toward the bathroom.
He swung his attention back to Murphy. “Well, are you doing this with my help, or without it?”
“Apparently, I don’t have much choice. We’ll do it your way for now, but I still don’t trust her completely, so watch your back. She is his sister, and blood really is thicker than water.”
“Your opinion is noted. In the meantime, see what you can find out about the connection between Dennelli and Sinclair. I don’t like getting blindsided like that. If Dennelli is involved in this, the stakes just went up.”
The waitress brought their breakfast and refilled their coffee cups. Joe dug into the scrambled eggs and strips of bacon. Murphy followed suit but kept glancing over Joe’s
“You said he found something.”
“He called and said he found Sinclair’s notebook. I went to meet him.” Joe stopped, swallowing the anger that raged through him. “Somehow Sinclair knew and got to him before I did. You know the rest.”
“If Charlie found the notebook in the plant, maybe I could too.” Cara looked at Murphy.
“Did you forget your brother tried to have you killed last night? You can’t just waltz in there and let him have another shot.”
“Let’s not dismiss the idea without giving it some consideration,” Murphy said.
“We’re not sending her in there on a suicide mission.”
“You said she was good with a gun. Give her one.”
Joe fisted his hands and leaned toward Murphy. “You’d sacrifice anyone to get this job done. You don’t give a damn how many people die. We’re done here. Let’s go, Cara.”
“No. I didn’t ask for any of this. Do you think it’s easy for me to go against my brother? He’s the only family I have. Now I don’t even have him. I can’t be sure he’s the one who sent those gunmen last night or if they were even after me. I only have your word on that, and I don’t know you.” She paused, cleared her throat, then met Joe’s gaze. “All I know is my brother’s voice was on that tape, and what he did was unthinkable. So I want to do this. Just tell me what I’m looking for.”
“It’s too dangerous. Sinclair won’t let you walk out of there once he has you. It won’t work. We’ll think of another way.”
She ignored Joe and directed her gaze at Murphy. “How soon can we go?”
“The sooner the better. If we get to the plant in Portland before Sinclair returns home, you won’t have to worry about running into him.” A satisfied grin lit up Murphy’s face.
“Damn it!” Joe said. “Sinclair wasn’t anywhere around when his assassins tried to kill her last night. You can’t guarantee she’ll be safe whether he’s there or not. You want this so bad you’d do anything to get it. Tell her.”
“You’re right, Joe. I do want Sinclair pretty bad, but I think Cara does too. This is her decision.”
“Okay, it’s settled then.” She sat back.
“The hell it is.” Joe smacked the table hard. Other patrons turned to stare.
Now it was Cara who put her finger to her lips. “Shhh.”
He lowered his voice and leaned over the table. “The only way this is going down is if I go in with her, and it’s not happening today or tomorrow, or even next week. I need two weeks to teach her a few things that might save her life. She’s coming back to the ranch with me.”
“This is my decision, Joe,” Cara said.
“If you ever want my help on anything again, Murphy, you’ll give me this.”
Murphy studied him shrewdly. “And if I don’t?”
Joe leaned back. “Then I’ll have to kidnap her myself, and you’ll never see her again.”
“Why is this so important to you?”
“I promised Charlie.”
“Well, obviously you two don’t need me.” Cara scooted over and shouldered Joe. “Excuse me. I’ll just run to the little girls’ room while you two decide the rest of my life.”
Joe eyed her suspiciously but stood and she shoved past him. She walked toward the bathroom.
He swung his attention back to Murphy. “Well, are you doing this with my help, or without it?”
“Apparently, I don’t have much choice. We’ll do it your way for now, but I still don’t trust her completely, so watch your back. She is his sister, and blood really is thicker than water.”
“Your opinion is noted. In the meantime, see what you can find out about the connection between Dennelli and Sinclair. I don’t like getting blindsided like that. If Dennelli is involved in this, the stakes just went up.”
The waitress brought their breakfast and refilled their coffee cups. Joe dug into the scrambled eggs and strips of bacon. Murphy followed suit but kept glancing over Joe’s
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