Hard As Ice (Fortis Series 1) Read Online Free PDF

all nodded.
    “So, what’s changed your thinking, Ice?” Lucas asked again.
    “My gut. Now that I’ve met James, I can’t see her as a victim. This woman has her game together, tight.”
    “You mean, she’s sexy as hell?” chuckled Raymond.
    The other men grinned knowingly.
    “Yeah, she’s attractive. But it’s more than that. She knows it and she’s working it,” Evan explained, turning away to pace the room. “Every instinct tells me the desperate victim role just doesn’t fit.”
    “And if she’s not an unwilling accomplice, then she’s either willingly involved, and smart enough to set it up so she’s too obvious a suspect to seriously be considered . . .” Lucas added.
    “Or she’s not our man,” finished Sam.
    There was silence as the six men thought it through for a few minutes.
    “Tony, are you sure there was nothing significant in her apartment?” Evan asked.
    “Nope. It was clean. Lots of expensive clothes and shoes, but nothing to suggest she’s in any kind of trouble,” he replied.
    “Her financials are good. Pretty boring, actually,” Raymond added. “She spends a pretty penny on her appearance, between designer stores and spas, but otherwise, she’s in the black. There’s money in the bank and solid equity in her condo. We can’t find anything to suggest money is the motivator here.”
    “Money is always a motivator,” Evan stated, still pacing.
    “Or she’s just innocent,” mumbled Sam, again. He liked to play devil’s advocate, and take the opposite side of almost every debate.
    “Maybe,” whispered Evan.
    “We haven’t found much to go on with other employees. They all seem fairly normal, no red flags yet,” Raymond added.
    “It’s only been a day and a half, but things are completely quiet underground,” Tony stated.
    “Which means, whoever stole the jewels likely already had a buyer lined up. If there were hot goods of this value in the black market, someone would be talking about it. It wasn’t random or opportunistic. It was meticulously thought out,” explained Evan.
    “And someone at Worthington had to have provided some of the intel, or did the deed,” Michael assessed. “According to Edward, Flannigan wouldn’t have known when the jewels were arriving or the code for the safe.”
    “Exactly,” confirmed Evan.
    “So, back to the covert operation,” Lucas stated. “Ice, you’re thinking: If James is clever enough to help plan this whole thing and fool us by putting herself out there as the prime suspect, and if she already has a buyer, she’s not going to take the bait of you as a potential buyer for the jewels.”
    “But, if you’re a boyfriend or love interest, she will eventually let something slip,” Tony finished.
    “From what we know, she’s unattached and clearly has a taste for expensive things. What could be better than a wealthy businessman from out of town to sweep her off her feet? Close proximity to her will also give me access to her communications outside of work. It will take a little longer than we thought, but it will work. If she has anything to hide, I will find it,” Evan added without smugness. It was a strategy he’d used very successfully on several occasions.
    “I guess it’s lucky for you that’s she’s so attractive, Ice,” Lucas stated with a wolfish grin. The team could always trust him to insert his sense of humor in almost every situation.
    Evan shrugged with a hint of a smile on his lips.
    “It’s a tough job, boys. But I’m doing it for the mission.”
    They all laughed.
    “Okay, looks like we have a new plan for James,” Lucas confirmed. “Edward is giving us until Friday to produce a solid lead, either on the buyer or thief. We can now confirm that Flannigan was the security breach, and I’ll update him on our status tomorrow. Ice, we’re keeping your covert investigation under wraps for now, even from Edward. It’s too vital to risk any exposure.”
    Evan nodded in agreement before