Page 2 of Entwined With You

Brax didn’t know the how or the why of it, but he knew that Mason had partial amnesia. The sane part of him knew that it was nuts for him to be envious of the man, but damned if that didn’t sound like a dream to him. To be able to forget. Hell, even if he forgot his entire life, to be free of that one, horrible day…

“—explain that in a moment,” Ryan was saying.

Brax pulled himself out of his thoughts, forcing his attention to the monitor mounted on the far wall of the conference room. As the Stark Security Agency logo rotated on screen, Ryan began. “It may turn out to be nothing, but Kingston Wolfe reached out about some gemstones he recently about twelve years ago.”

“Kingston Wolfe,” Brax repeated. “That name’s familiar.”

“I’m not surprised. He’s the heir to the Carnell fortune. Some branch of the British royal family that made a killing in trade generations ago. Kingston moved to the States for college, and has managed to keep a low profile. He and Damien have sponsored a few charity fundraisers over the years,” Ryan added, referring to Damien Stark, the tennis pro turned billionaire who had created Stark Security after the kidnapping of his youngest daughter.

“So what does Wolfe need us for?” Mason asked.

“He’s loaning some gemstones to the Margaret Gleason Performing Arts Center. He wants extra security during the transfer and then our presence for the weekend that the gems are on display.”

Brax shot a glance toward Mason, who answered the silent question with a shrug. Brax almost laughed, glad the two of them were on the same page. “And why exactly are gems being displayed at a performing arts center?”

Ryan pressed his fingers to his temples and shook his head. “No good reason I can think of, and I’ve spoken to both Margaret and Wolfe. But they’re determined. Two of the most valuable gemstones on the planet. Stones that are supposedly cursed, no less. Even so, they’re taking them out of the vault and putting them on a stage. It’s a hell of a commission for us, but damned stupid on their part, especially since Wolfe is convinced there may be an attempt to steal the stones.”

“Why the hell is he putting them on display if that’s what he thinks?” Mason asked.

“And why does he think that?” Brax added. “Thieves don’t usually pre-announce their intent.”

“These stones toured before, years ago, before Wolfe acquired them. And there was an attempt back then. And since the announcement that they would be on display, we’ve heard some chatter about a possible jewel heist in LA.”

Brax felt his body go cold. Surely Ryan wasn’t talking about….

But no. Displaying those stones would be stupid beyond all imagining.

“There’s no specific threat,” Ryan said. “Just Wolfe’s caution based on history. But because he’s aware that he’s just being cautious, he refuses to consider calling off the event. That’s his prerogative.” He looked to each man in turn. “Nothing will happen to those stones on our watch.”

“No, sir,” Mason said.

“No…” Brax said, the word coming slowly, as if from the past into which his mind had slipped.

“Alpha team will be in charge of overt security. Choose your team,” he said to Mason. “As many as you deem necessary. The Center is giving us oversight of their in-house security as well. Make a plan and report back to me tomorrow.”

“Will do,” Mason said. “This will give me the chance to get to know the newbies better, too,” he added, referring to several new agents who’d signed on in the last few weeks. Over the last few years, Stark Security had gained an excellent reputation and was growing fast. There was even talk about opening a Manhattan location to complement the current Los Angeles one, something Brax found intriguing, even though he was certain that living in that city would be like walking around with a wound that kept ripping back open.

“As for you,” Ryan added, turning his attention to Brax, “I want you and Cami to do what you do best. Hit the streets. See if you can nail down this buzz about a diamond heist about to go down.”

Brax nodded. He and Cami Green had worked together as undercover agents at the FBI, and when they’d come over to Stark Security, it was agreed that they’d continue to do covert operations when in the field. The agents at Stark Security knew who they were, of course, but no one outside the company knew that they were in any way affiliated with SSA. They even entered through the basement, accessing the building from a small office building over a block away.

He was about to ask about the original heist—which would, of course, be his and Cami’s starting point—but Mason spoke first.

“Seriously. Why a performing arts center?”

“An opera,” Ryan said.

Brax leaned back, arms crossed over his chest. “An opera?”

Ryan lifted his hands in a who am I to question gesture. “Apparently, someone’s written an opera about these stones. It’s the opening show for the center, and the first night will lead off with a gala where the actual gemstones will be on display—to be switched out later with some rather extraordinary counterfeits for purely decorative purposes.

“What do we know about the stones?”

Ryan clicked the remote, and the logo dissipated into a cloud of pixels as an image popped on screen. Brax gaped at the stunning blue stone encircled by diamonds. “Wolfe acquired the Hope Diamond?” How could he not have heard about that?

Ryan chuckled. “I did pick the right man for the job. I was about to ask if either of you recognized it. And no, it’s only related to the gems we’re interested in.”

“I’ve heard the name, of course,” Mason said. “Can’t say I knew what it actually looked like.”