Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
EPILOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
VIOLET WAS SHAKING in her shoes—literally.
The walk to the director’s office had never seemed so long. On every one of the thirty steps her legs felt more like jelly and her brain like laundry on a permanent spin cycle.
Her hand gripped the piece of paper in her hand tightly—the only evidence that she’d actually done any of the work she was supposed to have completed days ago. The three sentences didn’t exactly help her defense.
But inside her, next to her churning stomach, rage was building. Rage against Evan Hunter, her boss.
It was his fault she was in this situation.
He’d asked her to find out background information on her brother, Matt Sawyer, who’d been at the heart of the most prolific outbreak in the history of the Disease Prevention Agency. Granted he hadn’t known Matt was her brother, but that did nothing to quell the anger in her belly.
She’d used her other work as an excuse not to comply with Evan’s request. Plotting the potential spread of the suspected smallpox virus was surely more important than finding out about the ex-DPA doctor who’d made the preliminary diagnosis. Too bad Evan didn’t feel that way.
Her legs trembled as she reached the door.
Stay calm, she repeated in her head. Erupting in front of the director would do nothing to help her cause.
But there was a surprise. Evan’s broad shoulders immediately towered over her. It seemed like he was waiting for the director too.
There he was. Blocking her way to the boardroom. His arms were folded across his chest. In another world she might have found him attractive.
In fact, a few months ago and after a couple of glasses of wine, she had found him attractive and had ended up locked in a heated embrace that neither of them had admitted to or acted on again.
Evan could certainly turn heads. His tall frame and broad shoulders, combined with his dark brown hair and blue eyes, attracted female attention wherever he went.
To say nothing of the sexy three-day stubble currently on his chin.
Too bad he was about to be her executioner.
So why did he look a little twitchy?
“What are you doing here?”
She jerked at the tone in his voice. “I could ask the same of you. The director sent for me.”
“He did?” Evan looked surprised. Surely he’d initiated this by complaining about her?
“Why do you think we’re here?”
Evan’s eyes met hers. They were steady, uncompromising. “I can only guess it’s about the report I sent him.”
She could feel her stomach turn over. “What report was that?”
“The one about Matt Sawyer—you know? The one I asked you to write days ago.” He shot her a steely glare. “It seemed a remarkable coincidence that a former DPA employee was around when a provisional smallpox diagnosis was made.” It was almost as if he was trying to bait her.
“What’s the supposed to mean?” The words were out before she could stop herself.
“Oh, come on, Violet.” His words were frustrated. “You must appreciate that the chances of smallpox occurring naturally are virtually impossible. All situations in our current plan are around a terrorist attack. What are the chances of a former DPA employee being around when it happens? You were asked to compile a report of Matt Sawyer’s recent history. It was essential that we found out exactly where Matt Sawyer had been and who he’d been consorting with.”
Violet couldn’t hold her tongue any longer. “Consorting with? You’ve got to be joking, Evan.”
But he continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “You ignored my requests for information—even after I gave you a warning. That information could have meant the difference between preventing a terrorist attack and putting more lives at risk. You still haven’t handed over any information on Matt Sawyer. What exactly have you been doing with your time, Violet?”
The rage that had been simmering beneath the surface was threatening to erupt. Idiot. The man was clearly an idiot. And the implication in his words meant she couldn’t think straight any more.
“You honestly thought that Sawyer was a terrorist? That idea actually crossed your tiny, warped mind? You have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. How dare you?” Her voice was rising in crescendo and in pitch.
Evan towered over her. He was furious. “How dare I? I was the lead on this investigation. It was up to me to cover every eventuality—including the possibility of terrorism. How dare you, Violet? How dare you obstruct me?”
But Violet wasn’t even listening to the words he was saying. She was still stuck on the ridiculous thought that her brother was even remotely connected with this. “I can’t believe you thought Sawyer was a terrorist. I can’t believe you considered he’d have anything to do with the outbreak. The last thing Sawyer wanted was to be involved with the DPA again. I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous in my life.”
Evan stepped closer. A dark expression swept across his face. “What is it with you and Sawyer, anyway? How do you even know him? He left long before you even got here.” His face was only inches from hers. “Why should you have any loyalty to him? What was he—your lover?”
What kind of a question was that? And what was it to him, anyway? Was he jealous?
“What?” The red mist was descending. She couldn’t even see his scrunched-up angry face any more. “He’s my brother, you idiot!”
There was a hiss. A sharp intake of breath. Evan jerked back as if she’d just delivered an electric shock.
“Your brother?” His voice was barely audible and he looked horrified. “But how can he be your brother?”
Her heart was thudding against her chest wall. Oh, no. She’d just revealed the secret that she’d kept for the past three years.
She couldn’t think of anything sensible or rational to say. But, then, Evan had just asked a pretty stupid question. “The same way anyone can be someone’s brother,” she murmured.
But that clearly wasn’t enough for Evan. He hadn’t finished with her.
“Sawyer is your brother?” His voice had started to rise.
She nodded. But it obviously wasn’t sinking in for him.
“Sawyer is your brother? How can that be possible? You have different names—and you’re not married.”
Her brain was starting to work in another direction. She had deliberately kept this a secret. Could it be considered fraud? There hadn’t been anywhere on her application form to state if family members worked at the DPA. But, then, there would have been an expectation of disclosure. Would she get in trouble for this?
She took a deep breath. “Yes, Matt Sawyer is my brother. I’m well aware that he left here under a cloud and thought it best not to mention our connection. We have different surnames because our mother remarried when I was young. I took my stepfather’s surname—Matt didn’t.”
She held the crumpled piece of paper up in her hand, trying to ignore the fact that it was shaking. “As I’m sure you were aware, Matt hasn’t made much contact over the past few years. He struggled with Helen’s death. I’ve never known where he’s been working. It turns out he’s been in Borneo, Alaska and Connecticut.” She hesitated. Should she say any more? “And I never found that out for myself. I’ve been trying to find out where my brother’s been for years. Matt told me and I ch
ecked the details.”
Evan erupted. “Why on earth didn’t you tell me he was your brother? I asked you to investigate him and you said nothing! You had a conflict of interest that you should have declared. Of all the unprofessional—”