“Yes.” Even if she had to stay up all night, she’d figure out a way to reach the chip. “I appreciate the chance to work here and try.”
He focused on her, no expression in those midnight black eyes. “You proved yourself in your grades and the internship work with Homeland Security. However, if you’re unable to succeed, our genetic bond won’t matter when it comes to working here.”
“I understand.” Her stomach lurched. She couldn’t fail now that she was so close to getting to know him finally. The idea of having her parent think of her as a failure, especially in her chosen field, tightened her stomach until it hurt—especially since her taking the job had pissed off her mother so much. This had to work out somehow.
His gaze gentled. “Even if you can’t write the code, you’re welcome to stay in Utah. I find I like having you here.”
Her throat clogged, and she blinked. He liked having her there? It was the nicest thing she’d ever heard from him, and all her silly, childhood dreams came crashing back. She smiled, barely keeping her lips from trembling. “I’ll figure out how to bypass the computer safeguards. It’s our only chance.”
“Good.” He clasped large hands together on the desk. “After such a rough start with computers, it’d make me proud to see you succeed here.”
Proud? “Okay.” She owed him her freedom, without question. “I know where I’d be right now had you not interceded.” She paused and met his gaze directly. “You saved me.”
The commander lifted one dark silver eyebrow. “I would’ve become involved in your life before you ended up in trouble, had I known you existed.”
She interlaced her fingers to keep from wringing her hands. “My mother said you lived a very dangerous life, and she wanted to keep me safe from it.” From the numerous armed soldiers in every passageway, her mother hadn’t exaggerated. Although keeping a child from her father didn’t set well with Piper, either. “I’m sorry we hadn’t met earlier.” Attending the father-daughter dance at her high school with her softball coach had left an empty place in her belly for a week.
Then at her lowest point, her father had swooped in and saved her.
“I’m glad I realized who you were when you hacked into my system,” he said softly. He eyed his watch. “You’re my daughter, and I couldn’t very well let you go to prison for hacking, now could I? Once I discovered your aptitude, I saw a future for us together, and I need the help.” He glanced at his computer and back to her.
Piper breathed out. He needed her. Now all she had to do was figure out the program, save Jory, and get her mother to relax. “You do understand that I was trying to find you and not just hack into your system, right?”
“I do.” He smiled—a very rare sight. “Of course, once in my system…”
She winced. “I know. Curiosity is the bane of all hackers.”
“Keep in mind what it does to cats.” He lifted an eyebrow.
A chill swept down her back. “I know.”
He cleared his throat. “Has your mother come to terms with your working for me?”
Piper bit her lip, her stomach hurting. “Not really. While I was growing up, she said you were a super-spy for the government who could never contact us.” The dreams Piper had spun of her hero of a father showing up to be in her life, to take care of her flighty mother, had never quite died. She looked around the secured room. “Which was actually the truth.” So why did the truth hurt so badly? “I just wish she would’ve let you decide whether or not to be in our lives.”
He tapped long-tapered fingers on his immaculate desk. “Well, you can’t blame her too much. I do live a dangerous life, and her job was to protect you. She did so admirably.”
True, but now it was time to let Piper make her own decisions. At her lowest point, sitting in a jail with reality smashing her in the face, her father had swept in and rescued her. The government had dismissed the hacking charges, and from that day forward, she’d wanted to please him. To make him proud, even though her mother had argued vehemently against any relationship. “I feel like we have an opportunity to get to know each other now.”
He eyed her. “I thought that’s what we were doing.”
Most men failed at the emotional aspects of relationships, a fact she’d learned the hard way with boyfriends and a disastrous engagement that ended with her fiancé sleeping with not one, but two, of her bridesmaids. At the same time.
Finally, she was in the same place as the commander, and this might be her only chance to get to know him in person. To prove she was worthy and that he could trust her. Her mom rolled her eyes at the thought, saying Piper’s romantic notion of a father didn’t mesh with the reality. But the man didn’t seem to have anybody, and she could be there for him. “I don’t even know why you became a soldier.” It seemed to define him. Hell. It was him.
He rubbed his strong jaw. “My father was a soldier.”
She stilled and then took a deep breath. Carefully, like a scientist approaching a grizzly, she spoke slowly. Finally, some answers. She had a grandfather. “Is he still alive?”
“No. Died when I was eight.” No expression crossed the commander’s face. “The official reason was something about Agent Orange and cancer, but in truth? He wasn’t strong enough. If he’d been stronger, he would’ve beat the poison dropped by our enemies. Soldiers need to be invincible.”
She swallowed. Nobody was invincible, and how odd to demand it. “What about your mother?”
He shrugged a massive shoulder. “She died giving birth—also not strong enough. But she was a woman, so—”
Piper sat up and tilted her head to the side. Her paternal grandmother had died so young and without knowing her child, and something ached in Piper’s chest. But he couldn’t be saying—“So?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. Is that enough information for you?”
“No.” For once, she held her ground. Did he think women were weak? Her eyebrows drew down, while stubborn will welled up. “Women can be just as strong as men.”
His face smoothed into a smile. “Perhaps, but women shouldn’t be soldiers.”
Her breath caught. “Sure they should.”
“No.” He shook his head. “War is for men.”
She sighed. Ah ha. So he didn’t understand women at all. Interesting. That was probably a debate for another day, and she would get through to him. He never asked about her, but maybe that was because he didn’t know how to communicate with anybody not in the military. “Without parents, who raised you?” She tried to squint and see the lost little boy he must’ve been, but only the larger than life leader took form.
“My uncle. Great soldier.” The commander nearly grinned. “Taught me to shoot with an expert’s aim.” He rubbed his right shoulder. “Made sure I learned not to miss.”
Heat uncoiled down Piper’s throat into her stomach, her instincts flaring. “How?” she whispered.
“Any way he needed to. Once I missed two targets in a row, and he broke my arm.” The commander tapped his keyboard and studied his computer screen. “I have a meeting, Piper.”
Her hands shook while she forced herself to stand. Nausea filled her stomach. God. The poor little boy who’d grown into such a hard man. Her heart hurt for him. “Your uncle didn’t have the right to harm you.”
The commander’s eyebrows drew down, and he pursed his lips. “He trained me, not hurt me. Soldiers need training.”
Wow. Okay. Serious minefield there. Even so, for the first time, she could see beyond the soldier’s image. Had her father never experienced love? Maybe she could help him. She cleared her throat. “I wondered if you’d like to come over for dinner sometime soon.” She’d been issuing the invitation for months, hoping they could form a relationship outside the concrete walls, but he’d always refused.
He paused. “Your mother wouldn’t mind?”
Hell, yes. Her mother was sketchier than a raccoon stealing dog food whenever the topic of the commander came up. But even though it was si
lly, the child in Piper wanted her family in one place just for once. Perhaps they could find some sort of peace. “My mother would be happy to see you.”
The commander chuckled. “I’m sure. Well, I wouldn’t mind checking in on her. I’m free tomorrow night.”
Piper’s head jerked back. Goose bumps rose along her neck. “Ah, okay. Great. I’ll make something nice.”
The commander nodded. “Very well. What did you think of Jory?”
She kept her face blank. “He’s a traitor, and he betrayed you. What is there to think?”
Approval lifted the commander’s upper lip. She warmed instantly. When in his presence, she couldn’t think of him as her father. He’d always been the commander. Maybe she could transition into calling him by his first name, Franklin.
He nodded. “So true. Jory didn’t try to convince you he was the victim here?”
A quick smile tickled Piper’s mouth. “No. That guy is no victim.” She leaned forward. “Although he did hint that Russians hadn’t planted the chip and that you’re the enemy.”
“I’m not his enemy.” The commander exhaled, a flash of emotion lightening his eyes. “I see the greatness in that boy, and I wish to help him.”
Piper stared. What was that emotion? She couldn’t read him. “How long have you known the prisoner?”
“A long time.” The commander pushed back from his desk and stood. “I’ve put a tremendous amount of training and energy into him, and he will live to work for me again. Whether he wants to or not.”
Piper stood, and a chill slithered down her back. “I’m sorry he betrayed you.”
Hard black eyes stared back at her. “He’ll be sorry as well. For now, go write my new program.”
Piper drove through the quaint neighborhood, passing actual white picket fences, the mountains rising with jagged peaks all around her. She loved Utah. Loved the slow pace, the brutal mountains, the distinct seasons. Well, so far she’d only felt the bite of fall, but white already dusted the mountaintops, so winter would arrive soon.
She pulled the SUV into the garage of a two-story yellow house, right next to a compact and weathered two-door car. Older than dirt. She had to buy her mother a new car. With a sigh, she tramped up the steps and into the kitchen, instantly smiling as the aromatic scent of lasagna filled her senses.
Her mother bustled around the granite counter, her black hair piled high on her head, reading glasses perched on her slim nose. “Perfect timing, snooks.”
Piper dropped her laptop bag onto a chair and washed her hands before sliding onto a seat at the round oak table. “This smells so good.”
A wet nose instantly pressed against her leg, and she smiled down at the German shepherd, yellow Lab, and who knows what else mix of dog. “Hi, Riley.”
He wagged his bushy tail and barked out a welcome. She’d taken him from the pound upon moving into the house, and he’d quickly become a dedicated watchdog. Well, he watched the television, the birds outside, and Piper’s shoes.
Her mom poured two glasses of Shiraz and sat. She’d donned a bright pink jogging outfit along with lime green tennis shoes. “I have so much time on my hands, I need to find something to do before we both end up on that show featuring six-hundred-pound people.” She sipped the red wine and pursed her lips. “Maybe I should go back to work.”
Piper sliced the lasagna and placed pieces on the plates. Then she took a bite and hummed as the flavors exploded on her tongue. She shook her head. “You sold the yogurt shops when we moved, saying it was time to retire. You worked your butt off for years with your businesses.” So many hours, so many customers, just to feed and clothe her kid. “Although—”
“Don’t say it.” Her mom raised a hand. “I don’t want to hear one more time that our life could’ve been easier if I’d stayed with the commander.” She lifted her gaze and met Piper’s directly. “I thought we were past that.”
“We are,” Piper said softly, noting her mother’s hands shaking. “I just don’t understand.”
Her mom shook her head. “He’s a dangerous, bad man, and I was attracted to the sense of bad boy. Never go for a bad boy, Piper.” She sighed. “Our affair was short, I saw how dangerous he really was, and I got the hell out with you.”
“I know.” Piper took another bite. “He’s not that bad, Mom.”
“Yes, he is.” Her mom took another drink of wine, her gaze averted. “Even though I was just a lowly receptionist, I discovered something bad was going on there at his facility in Tennessee, and the second I found out I was pregnant, I took off. He didn’t come looking.”
No, but he hadn’t known about Piper, now had he? “What was the something bad?”
“I don’t know. But there were so many guns and so many secrets. And Franklin, although he believed he was doing good work for the government, he had his own agenda and probably still does.” Her mom reached for her fork, still not meeting Piper’s eyes. “I told you we shouldn’t have come here.”
Piper eyed her mother. “Yet you came with me. Why?”
“Oh, I wasn’t letting you go into the lion’s den on your own. He’s a fanatic, and he’ll sacrifice anybody for his agenda.” Rachel shook her head. “I can’t believe you actually tracked him down from an old picture I’d left in storage with commander scrawled across the back.”
Piper smiled. “I’m a hell of a hacker.” And did Rachel just keep the picture to share someday, or was there hope there? Maybe her parents just needed to be in the same room to work things out. Her mother perhaps objected too much? “I haven’t gotten to know him yet, but I want to.”
Rachel shook her head. “We all make mistakes, but he’s not the type to learn from them.”
Piper frowned, her mind spinning. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Rachel glanced down at her full plate. “This just wasn’t supposed to happen—you weren’t supposed to go work for him. Ever.”
“He got me out of prison,” Piper said.
Rachel sighed. “Did he?”
Piper shook her head. “Yes.”
Rachel took a deep swallow of wine. “Then that’s enough talking about it. But the second you learn how dangerous he is, we’re out of here. We can start a new chain of yogurt shops somewhere else.”
Piper nodded. “Fine.” Leaving Boston hadn’t been that difficult for either of them. “The house is owned by the company, and we have no rent. I make tons of money, so why don’t you relax? Or go back to school and study?” She peered closer at her mother. “If you could study anything, what would it be?”
Her mom lifted a slim shoulder and finally met her gaze again. At almost fifty years old, Rachel Devlin looked thirty, tops. Smooth mocha skin just a shade darker than Piper’s, bright green eyes, and generous laugh lines showed a woman who smiled often. Well, until they’d moved to Utah. “I guess I could take a photography class.” Her eyes sparkled. “Unless you’re planning to get married and give me a grandchild, in which case I’d be a nanny.”
Piper grinned. “Don’t hold your breath on that one. I’ve only been dating Brian for three months.” She’d taken the job with the commander at that time, and they’d moved to town.
Her mom’s eyes clouded. “I was just kidding.”
Piper sipped her drink. She’d started dating Brian the first weekend they’d arrived in town, and while he had a serious side, he was quite sweet. Definitely focused, which she liked. “Why don’t you like Brian?”
Her mom sipped more wine. “I like Brian just fine. But he’s so…”
“Safe?”
“Rigid. Boring. Focused.” Rachel picked at her dinner. “Life is supposed to be fun, and romance should be crazy.”
Piper shook her head. “Crazy romance didn’t work so well for you, considering you ended up as a single mom. Working your butt off with one yogurt shop that turned into ten—you worked so hard.”
Rachel kicked her under the table and paled slightly. “Enough.”
Piper frowned. “Fine. Do you
think you could find some happiness with us in Utah?”
“I’ll certainly try.” Rachel dumped Parmesan cheese on her plate, her gaze averted.
Piper chewed slowly and swallowed. “Are you sure everything is okay? You get sketchy every time I talk about my—the commander.” Was there still a sort of tension there? The good kind? How crazy would it be if her parents actually ended up together? The commander was more than able to take good care of Rachel, and the idea seemed rather romantic, really.
“Everything is fine.” Her mother still didn’t meet her gaze.
“Right.”
Rachel pursed her lips together. “He gave me you. For that, I’ll always owe him.”
Warmth bloomed through Piper. “You’re one of a kind, Mom.”
“Let’s talk about something else.” Rachel cleared her throat just as a rap echoed on the back sliding glass door.
Piper jumped up. “I wondered if Earl would smell dinner.” Sharing a grin with her mother, she pushed aside curtains and tugged open the door. “Hi, Earl.”
Their neighbor stood on the back porch, his sixty-year-old frame braced against the wild wind, several mason jars filled with canned fruit in his worn hands. “I brought you peaches.”
“Thank you.” Piper moved aside. Why didn’t the guy just ask her mother out and stop pussyfooting around about it? The guy was in excellent shape, retired, and seemed to love golf and canning foods. As a widower, he could probably get a date with any single woman in the small suburb outside Salt Lake City. Yet he continued to court Rachel like a friendly neighbor. “Would you like to join us for lasagna?” Piper asked.
He pushed his glasses up a straight nose, brown eyes twinkling. “Why, I’d love to.” Putting the peaches on the counter, he turned and frowned. “I received an e-mail from my nephew after you fixed my bank account information. He said you might have goofed up his account?”
Piper bit back an unkind remark about his nephew, the one and only relative the poor guy could claim. “Nope. I just changed your passwords so he couldn’t take any more money from you.” She smiled as she lied. Once she’d seen how much money the jerk had taken, she’d sent him a nice little computer virus to melt his hard drive.