Page 53 of Saving Serena

It felt good to have Lucas agree with me and Constance.

“I also like the idea that it could be one of the businesses you visited,” Terry said. “Those guys probably have money on the line. Can’t you put them out of business?”

Serena looked noncommittal.

“But how would a USB drive come into play with one of them?” Winston asked.

“How does it come into play with any of them?” Jordy pointed out.

“Maybe they know she uses a stick to store the data on their inspections, like notes and stuff,” Terry said. “Do you do that, Serena?”

“I bring a laptop with me and a notebook,” she answered. “But that’s not the point. I didn’t get any information from either of them.”

“This George guy been to your house, right?” Terry asked, shifting gears. “He could have left a USB drive here and maybe you moved it without realizing, like it was in a plant or something.”

Serena nodded. “Sure. But he took all his stuff when he left for Europe.”

I clenched my fist, but hid it. Serena was a sweet girl who didn’t deserve to have a dipshit ex pressuring her.

“I doubt he earns much working at the State Department in the passport division,” she continued. “But he has access to family money.”

Constance perked up. “Passports? Isn’t that in the same building as you?”

Serena nodded. “Different section, though.”

“You can’t go in to work then,” I blurted. I was not letting her go unprotected into the same building as a suspect.

Serena turned, fire in her eyes. “I told you upfront, I’m not stopping any of my normal activities, and that includes my job.”

“It’s not safe,” I insisted, “if that dickwad works in your building.”

“He hasn’t once come up to my floor,” she snapped. “It isn’t him.”

“If not him, then who?” I snapped back.

Lucas raised his hand, apparently amused at our argument. “Duke, you handle outside the building, and Constance will be on duty inside.” He turned to my partner. “Constance, figure out what your cover is going to be so you can stay in close proximity to Serena.”

“Sure thing,” she said, smiling.

Internally, I fumed that close proximity might not be good enough. But Lucas had made the call, and there was nothing I could do about it.

“People can’t know you’re there as protection,” Serena said. “I can’t have it getting out. That’s a dealbreaker.”

Jordy went back to staring at his laptop, but Winston and Terry looked as confused as I felt. This restriction having to do with her old man was extreme.

“No problem,” Constance assured her.

Jordy moved to sit at the other end of the room.

“Where else do we have to secure the client?” Lucas directed his question to me. “Outside of work, what else is on the schedule?”

“Lucas, don’t refer to me asthe client,” Serena said. “I’m right here.”

Lucas’s eyes went wide. “Sorry, Serena. No disrespect intended. What else do you have on your schedule that we should be aware of?”

“I have a family barbecue this weekend that I can’t miss.”

“That should be a relatively safe space,” Lucas said.

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