Gunning for the Groom Read Online Free PDF Page A

sent her pulse into some foolish feminine skipping. He probably got that all the time, she thought, irritated with her reaction. “Likewise,” she replied.
    â€œFrancesca’s a lovely name.”
    The way he said it made her want to sigh and forget why she’d come here. She cleared her throat. “Call me Frankie.” She’d been named in honor of both her grandmother and father. Her full name had always felt too exotic. “Frankie” was a better fit for the tough and proud little girl who’d spent her life aspiring to be like her dad.
    When he was seated, Victoria handed Aidan the passports. “Frankie has some concerns about these.”
    Frankie watched him examine them, involuntarily admiring his hands, as well as his attention to detail. More annoying was the difficulty she seemed to be having with the fact that he wore some appealing cologne that reminded her of the Pacific Coast on a clear, sunny day.
    â€œOne woman with two names implies that one of them is a fake,” he said after a moment.
    â€œBoth are fakes,” Frankie stated firmly.
    Aidan arched a dark eyebrow, and his mouth quirked up at one corner. Frankie felt a warm tremor just under her skin. It was a relief when he turned that bold blue gaze toward his boss. “If there’s no question, why call me?”
    â€œThere may be good reason those passports were issued. Would you mind taking a closer look into the names and any travel records?”
    â€œNot at all.” He tapped the closed passports against his knee. “How much time do I have?”
    â€œA few hours at most,” Victoria said, her eyes cool. “Frankie wants the information yesterday.”
    Frankie couldn’t sit still a moment longer. Her back ached from the travel and the tension. She wanted the freedom and clarity of a quick run but settled for pacing the width of the office. The patience she’d relied on in the field and in her work didn’t translate to this situation. “That’s a start. Can you tell me what sort of legal action we can take?” She shoved her hands into her pockets.
    â€œWhy don’t you give me what you have?” Victoria suggested. “Let my team investigate while you go back to Savannah. We’re good, objective and fast. I’ll call you as soon as we know something.”
    Frankie shook her head, her ponytail swinging. “I’m not sitting this one out.” She’d been relegated to the sidelines too often since her injury. While she couldn’t say she knew her parents better than anyone—the opposite appeared to be true—she wouldn’t deal with this long-distance via secondhand reports. She wanted to see her mother’s face when the truth finally came out.
    â€œThen why did you come to me?”
    She felt Aidan’s gaze on her as Victoria waited for an answer. Frankie wished she could ask him to leave. She didn’t want to share the ugly Leone family secrets with a stranger. “For support and guidance,” she replied, keeping her gaze on Victoria. “I took vacation through next week. I’ll go to Seattle and confront my mother about that statement while you investigate the passports and other documents. Won’t that be enough time to know if we have a case against her?”
    â€œFrankie—”
    â€œI’ll tell her I want to reconcile, to mend the rift,” Frankie explained. “Hopefully, she’ll buy it and open up. If that isn’t enough, I’ll ask for a job. Anything to lower her defenses.”
    Victoria glanced at Aidan. “Frankie’s mother owns Leo Solutions, a security firm in Seattle.”
    â€œCyber or personal?” Aidan inquired.
    â€œBoth, if I understand the setup,” Frankie answered. “She and her business partner built it on the backs of their government careers.” Regretting her burst of bitterness, she plowed on. “Once I’m out