Masked

CHAPTER 15 | playing with fire

Midnight was only minutes away. Parker had long since dismissed Jay and Zeke, encouraging them to go for a run. Without the constant interruptions from Daniel, Simon and the others, she was making headway following the money trail, but it was slow going.

Whoever they were, they knew what they were doing. She was like a pinball bouncing from bank to bank, country to country. To solidify her thoughts, she mapped out the trail on the whiteboard, a practice that often helped her think better. She unplugged her laptop and placed it on the high table beside the whiteboard to monitor her attack on the current bank's databases while she mind-mapped.

A throat was cleared behind her, and she jumped. She swung around and discovered Daniel standing in the doorway, holding a tray of food.

"Jessica said you hadn't eaten. I thought I'd bring your dinner down."

Daniel's constant messages were getting on her exceedingly frayed nerves. She turned back to the board. "You need to learn to be patient. As soon as I find out where the money's going, you'll be the first to know."

He laughed, a deep, genuine laugh. "Yeah, well, that's not my strong suit."

She placed an angry cross through one of the names on the board and tossed the marker down. "It's the same as last time—I don't know how many ways I can tell you. You'll be the first person to know once we have traced it, but we're chasing our tails around the European banking system."

Daniel set the tray down. It contained two plates of food. She raised an eyebrow as she glanced at him. One plate was stacked three times higher than the other.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Thought you might like company." He handed her the smaller plate filled with steak, jacket potatoes, corn, and salad.

The aroma from the food was divine, and her stomach audibly reminded her she hadn't eaten all day. Embarrassed, she changed the subject. "So, how did the Alliance meeting go?"

Daniel eyed her uncertainly. "How did you know about it?"

She waved her fork. "Don't worry, no one here told me. I got a call from Clara this evening letting me know she and Morgan would be arriving tomorrow."

She took a bite of her food, then asked the question that had played on her mind since that morning. "Are you going to tell me who you saw in that picture?"

"No."

Parker's shoulders tensed, and she stabbed at a potato. When will the secrecy end? "I thought we had already been through this. I can't do my job unless I am kept in the loop."

Daniel finished chewing before he answered. "Well, believe it or not, I was all for briefing you on it this afternoon. But as Morgan and the others pointed out, this information moves everything to a new level." He paused and looked at her. "Including increasing the risk to you."

Her head snapped up. "Oh?" Now she was more confused than ever.

For once, Daniel's expression was unguarded. He was telling the truth. "Morgan and Clara have insisted on being present when you are briefed." Daniel paused to take another bite of his food. "In the meantime, I know you ignore every command I give you outright, but I'm asking you, for once, to observe my rule about not leaving the pack village."

She gazed at him and tried to ascertain if this was Daniel being controlling, or Daniel being concerned about her safety. She hoped it was the latter. "Okay."

He looked surprised and then burst out laughing. "Well, that must have almost killed you."

She raised an eyebrow. "What?"