help.”
“Anything for Miko,” Nathan said. “I don’t care what they say—he was a good man.”
Holden blinked back tears for his friend’s solidarity. No more words were needed.
Time to put a pin in this night. Tomorrow would be here in a blink.
Chapter 10
T hey arrived at Tessara around noon and walked into the smart building with its gleaming glass and stately metal accents.
“Someone didn’t spare any expense in the decor department,” Jane said, whistling beneath her breath. “Pharmaceuticals must be big business.”
“Yeah, apparently big enough to fund your own personal hit squad,” Holden said, clearly referencing Penny Winslow. “Honestly, I don’t understand why Tessara Pharm still has government contracts. I would think this place would be like poison in the eyes of the U.S. government, seeing as one of their top executives was as corrupt as they come.”
“Well, when you have the world’s best and brightest working for you, those little blemishes can be overlooked, apparently,” Jane responded with dry amusement.
Holden grunted in agreement. “Get ready to be politely stonewalled,” he said as an impeccably dressed woman in a pencil skirt and pristine white blouse walked toward them with a pleasant smile. Both he and Jane flashed their badges, and the woman extended a cool hand first to Holden and then Jane.
“Hello. My name is Selena Weston. Welcome to Tessara Pharmaceuticals.”
“Thank you for agreeing to meet with us. My name is agent Holden Archangelo and this is my partner, Jane Fallon.”
“We’re always happy to help as we enjoy a good working relationship with many government agencies,” Selena said, revealing a row of perfectly white teeth that looked almost fake and made Jane feel self-conscious about her own teeth. Hell, everything about the woman made Jane want to freshen up, even though she knew the feeling was ridiculous. Maybe if the woman didn’t have the flawless skin of a baby or the impossible figure of a Barbie doll. “If you would just follow me...”
The woman spun on her heel, drawing Holden and Jane away from the main lobby and into a private conference room with plush carpeting and a large cherrywood table surrounded by Italian leather chairs. “Please help yourself to a beverage and snacks. Mr. Rocha will be with you momentarily.”
The woman exited the conference room, closing the door softly behind her. When Holden’s gaze didn’t linger in the woman’s direction, Jane suppressed a happy smile. “Not your type?” she asked casually, as if making conversation to kill time.
“What? Plastic girl? No. Not enough muscle, and definitely not enough substance. I like a girl who can best me in the gym or collapse trying.”
That smile she’d been suppressing peeped through. Jane was ridiculously charmed by the fact he was plainly referencing her. “Good to know.”
“Yeah? You gonna fix me up with someone?”
Her smile disappeared. “No,” she answered with a tiny bit of a growl, and he chuckled at her knee-jerk reaction. Two can play that game. “I wouldn’t want to subject any of my friends to you because I’d like to remain friends with them. Any matchmaking you’ll have to manage on your own.”
“Little kitty has her claws out,” he said with a low, amused whistle. “I’d love to pursue this conversation later, perhaps over a glass of wine?”
“In your dreams, Archangelo.” Time to switch the subject. “So we’re meeting with Rocha? This should be interesting.”
“What’ll be more interesting is what Rocha will share.”
“We both know nothing is the likely answer. And right now he’s listening to our entire conversation, I’ll wager.”
“Of course. Why else bring us to a specific room and make us wait? Typical and a little cliché. Someone has been watching too many movies.”
She smiled just as a door with an invisible seam opened in the wall and Rocha stepped out, giving Jane a momentary fright. She
“Anything for Miko,” Nathan said. “I don’t care what they say—he was a good man.”
Holden blinked back tears for his friend’s solidarity. No more words were needed.
Time to put a pin in this night. Tomorrow would be here in a blink.
Chapter 10
T hey arrived at Tessara around noon and walked into the smart building with its gleaming glass and stately metal accents.
“Someone didn’t spare any expense in the decor department,” Jane said, whistling beneath her breath. “Pharmaceuticals must be big business.”
“Yeah, apparently big enough to fund your own personal hit squad,” Holden said, clearly referencing Penny Winslow. “Honestly, I don’t understand why Tessara Pharm still has government contracts. I would think this place would be like poison in the eyes of the U.S. government, seeing as one of their top executives was as corrupt as they come.”
“Well, when you have the world’s best and brightest working for you, those little blemishes can be overlooked, apparently,” Jane responded with dry amusement.
Holden grunted in agreement. “Get ready to be politely stonewalled,” he said as an impeccably dressed woman in a pencil skirt and pristine white blouse walked toward them with a pleasant smile. Both he and Jane flashed their badges, and the woman extended a cool hand first to Holden and then Jane.
“Hello. My name is Selena Weston. Welcome to Tessara Pharmaceuticals.”
“Thank you for agreeing to meet with us. My name is agent Holden Archangelo and this is my partner, Jane Fallon.”
“We’re always happy to help as we enjoy a good working relationship with many government agencies,” Selena said, revealing a row of perfectly white teeth that looked almost fake and made Jane feel self-conscious about her own teeth. Hell, everything about the woman made Jane want to freshen up, even though she knew the feeling was ridiculous. Maybe if the woman didn’t have the flawless skin of a baby or the impossible figure of a Barbie doll. “If you would just follow me...”
The woman spun on her heel, drawing Holden and Jane away from the main lobby and into a private conference room with plush carpeting and a large cherrywood table surrounded by Italian leather chairs. “Please help yourself to a beverage and snacks. Mr. Rocha will be with you momentarily.”
The woman exited the conference room, closing the door softly behind her. When Holden’s gaze didn’t linger in the woman’s direction, Jane suppressed a happy smile. “Not your type?” she asked casually, as if making conversation to kill time.
“What? Plastic girl? No. Not enough muscle, and definitely not enough substance. I like a girl who can best me in the gym or collapse trying.”
That smile she’d been suppressing peeped through. Jane was ridiculously charmed by the fact he was plainly referencing her. “Good to know.”
“Yeah? You gonna fix me up with someone?”
Her smile disappeared. “No,” she answered with a tiny bit of a growl, and he chuckled at her knee-jerk reaction. Two can play that game. “I wouldn’t want to subject any of my friends to you because I’d like to remain friends with them. Any matchmaking you’ll have to manage on your own.”
“Little kitty has her claws out,” he said with a low, amused whistle. “I’d love to pursue this conversation later, perhaps over a glass of wine?”
“In your dreams, Archangelo.” Time to switch the subject. “So we’re meeting with Rocha? This should be interesting.”
“What’ll be more interesting is what Rocha will share.”
“We both know nothing is the likely answer. And right now he’s listening to our entire conversation, I’ll wager.”
“Of course. Why else bring us to a specific room and make us wait? Typical and a little cliché. Someone has been watching too many movies.”
She smiled just as a door with an invisible seam opened in the wall and Rocha stepped out, giving Jane a momentary fright. She
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