although Heller didn’t say that specifically.”
“Heller? You’re not talking about Maddox Heller, are you?”
Jesse realized Evie didn’t know about Heller’s involvement in Cooper Security. Few outside of his own family did. “Heller’s my silent partner at Cooper Security. He owns over half the company.”
Evie’s eyes widened. “I thought it belonged to you and your family.”
“We’re buying it back with the profits,” Jesse said. “Maddox had the seed money and the idea for the company, and he tapped me to run it and be its front man.”
“And he couldn’t be the face of the company because of his reputation,” Evie guessed. “Who’d put their trust in a guy whose claim to fame is letting a woman die in front of him without lifting a finger?”
Jesse could tell from Evie’s tone that she’d bought into the official story. “It’s not that simple,” he said flatly. “Heller was protecting a group of U.S. Embassy employees during the rebel siege in Kaziristan.” Several years earlier, al Adar rebels had taken control of the U.S. Embassy in the central Asian country of Kaziristan, killing as many embassy personnel as they could find. “He and the others were trying to escape the rebels without being seen. If Heller had done anything to save that interpreter, he’d have risked the lives of a dozen other people.”
Evie looked surprised. “But he was dishonorably discharged. His name has practically become synonymous with cowardice in uniform.”
“Barton Reid made sure of that. He scapegoated Heller to make sure nobody looked too closely at his behavior during the siege.” Jesse tamped down a sudden flood of indignant rage at the thought of how thoroughly Reid and a handful of gullible State Department investigators had discredited a good Marine. “But it’s too late to clear Heller’s name now. He’s made peace with it. He has a good life, a pretty wife and a cute kid. And Cooper Security’s making a little extra money for him.”
“Still, if what you say is true—”
“It’s true,” Jesse said flatly.
“Then his name should be cleared. I can’t imagine anything worse for a Marine than to be thought dishonorable and cowardly.” The outrage blazing from Evie’s blue eyes echoed Jesse’s own anger at the terrible miscarriage of justice against his friend.
“I’ve tried to talk him into making a bigger stink about it, but I don’t think he wants to be in the public eye that way again.” Jesse sat on the edge of his own bed, facing her. “Back to Quinn—Heller can put me in contact with him if that’s what I want.”
“You think he may know more about the Espera Group and maybe even Morris Gamble than he’s let anyone know so far?”
“Even if he doesn’t have any proof to offer, he may have suspicions. And suspicions can lead to proof eventually, right?”
She nodded, although he could tell from the shuttered look on her face that she had doubts. “Quinn’s ruthless. I’ve heard horror stories from Amanda.”
“Ruthless, yes. But he’s a patriot. And even though I’m not a big fan of his methods, I know he’ll do whatever he thinks is necessary to protect this country. That’s what I want, too. I’m willing to risk it.”
“You’re using ‘I’ a lot.” Her chin lifted and her gaze locked with his. “Planning to ditch me?”
“I think you should consider going into witness protection.” Even as he said the words, a part of him rebelled against the thought of letting her out of his sight. He didn’t trust anyone else to keep her safe, he realized. It wasn’t arrogance on his part that made him feel that way; he knew he was as prone to making mistakes as anyone.
But he cared enough about her to risk anything to keep her safe. It was personal to him in a way it wouldn’t be to other bodyguards he might assign to keep her out of harm’s way.
“No,” she said firmly. “No way.”
He wasn’t surprised. She’d survived two