Page 221 of Cowboys & Navy SEALs

She thrust out her lower lip in a pout. “Fine. But would you mind telling Sutton to make sure his guys are stealthy about it? I’ve already lost one friend. I don’t want to lose another.”

“I think I can handle that.” Man, she was a fireball, fighting him at every turn. There was another tidbit to his conversation with Sutton that he wasn’t ready to tell Addie. Sutton suggested that it might be beneficial for Maddox to go to New Jersey and question Brent Barrett in person. That way, Maddox could gauge his reaction. Maddox was all for it, but no way was he leaving Addie’s side. She’d have to go along too. He wasn’t sure how shewould feel about that. He decided to wait until tonight to broach the subject. First, he wanted to see where this key led.

She frowned. “You know, there’s something about this whole thing I don’t get.”

“What’s that?”

“What does Sutton get out of all this?”

A startled laugh broke through his throat. “Excuse me?”

She shot him an agitated look like she didn’t appreciate him laughing at her question. “Corbin’s my brother. Of course he would feel responsible for me. You’re here because Corbin’s one of your best friends and you want to help him.”

“Yeah, that’s partly true, but I also care about you.” He caught her look of surprise.

“Thanks,” she said, giving him a slow, soft smile that did funny things to his insides. She tightened her hold on the steering wheel. “So, what’s Sutton’s angle? Is Corbin paying him to help me?”

“I don’t know the details of what Corbin worked out with Sutton, but I would venture to say that Sutton’s helping because that’s the type of person he is. Money’s no object for Sutton. He’s a multi-billionaire. Sutton would offer his resources to Corbin out of sheer loyalty.” He could tell from her perplexed expression that she was trying to work that through her head.

A few beats stretched between them before she spoke. “You think a lot of Sutton.”

His response was immediate. “Darn straight I do. It’s a privilege for me and my former SEAL buddies to work for him.”

“You love what you do.”

The forlorn tone of her voice hit him like a truckload of bricks. “Yes,” he finally said, “I do.”

She gave him a resigned smile as she nodded. “I’m glad,” she said softly. He could almost see her pushing him away. While hewas trying to think of something he could say to break down the barrier she was erecting, the storage facility came into view.

“Here we are,” Addie said turning onto the road leading to it. “Here’s hoping the key goes to the unit.”

“Indeed.”

Chapter Thirteen

Addie held her breath as Maddox pushed the key into the lock on storage unit number twenty-seven. Anxiety clutched Addie’s stomach as she looked at Piper. Her poor friend looked like she was barely holding it together. “Are you okay?”

Piper gave her a strained smile. “I’m hanging in there.”

Addie stepped up beside Piper and took her arm, patting her hand for reassurance.

A second later, Maddox turned the key. Addie felt a burst of exultation when the lock opened. Maddox pulled up the metal door. At first, it was too dark to see anything. Then, the sunlight filtered in. Addie surveyed the unit with a quick glance. There were a couple of filing boxes on the floor, a tandem bicycle, and a shelving unit along the back wall. Otherwise, the unit was empty.

“The good news is that it shouldn’t take long to look through these items,” Maddox said.

By unspoken consent, Addie and Piper walked over to the boxes, while Maddox headed for the back shelves.

Addie turned on the flashlight on her phone. She lifted a lid and peered inside. The box contained pictures of Jordan’s family. Addie recognized Jordan’s younger brother and sisterin the photos, along with his parents. They were taken at all different stages of their lives.

The other box was full of bank statements and bill stubs. She picked up a statement, inspecting it. Jordan’s mother’s name and address were listed on the top. It was dated ten years ago. She rifled through the bill stubs, all belonging to his mother. Her heart felt heavy in her chest. At first glance, there was nothing here but old pictures and outdated paperwork. Why did Jordan leave her the key? Maybe the clue was hidden in one of the boxes. They’d have to dump them out and sift through the contents piece by piece.

Piper leaned over and picked up a photo of Jordan as a teenager, his arm slung around his younger brother Steve. They were in a boat, smiling broadly for the camera, holding up open, soft drink cans. Addie heard a muffled sound and realized Piper was crying. She slid her arm around Piper’s thin shoulders.

“I still can’t believe he’s gone,” Piper stammered. “The two of us were going to change the world.”

“You have. Once PZT hits the market, the world will know you two as heroes.” A lump formed in Addie’s throat. She hated that Piper was going through all this turmoil and loss. When Addie thought Maddox was dead, she’d nearly gone out of her mind with grief. Of course, Maddox came back, but Jordan wouldn’t.

Gratitude simmered in Piper’s luminous eyes. “Thank you. You’re such a good friend.”

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