The Unseen Enemy Series

Chapter 232

“Yeah.” Cordelia brushed her hair back over her shoulders. “Zane’s too. The hands were animated and moving around a lot when they mentioned Olivia’s stalker.”

“Showing frustration at not being able to get a stalker of her own,” Jack said. “Or at least not a real one.”

“Yes. Exactly.”

Griff and Selena had sat silent this whole time, and now exchanged perplexed glances, as everyone at the Solid Security offices always did lately when Jack and Cordelia started talking like this. Dallas had hired Jack to train Cordelia in non-verbal cues and communication, and the woman had taken the learning and she’d run with it… and it was in turns almost spooky and hilarious.

Nobody would forget anytime soon the totally unnerving day when Jack and Cordelia had wandered around the office identifying everyone’s emotions at a glance. It had been a kind of lightning strike, and she’d been deadly accurate, and had given everyone lots of laughs and uncomfortable moments.

But what had made that morning the stuff of legend was when she’d spotted Dallas coming out of his office, just wrapping up a phone call on his cell. Cordelia had taken one look at her boss’ face, and without any hesitation at all, she had chirped, “Horny!”

Time had stood still as Dallas had stared at his receptionist with the amazing natural talent for reading people, his mouth agape.

Cordelia had been frozen, horrified at what she’d said, certain that Dallas bitterly regretted deciding to further her skills, sure that she was about to be fired. When Dallas had thrown his head back and roared with laughter, she’d taken a deep breath and sworn to not always shout out every single thing that she saw written bright and large across people’s faces.

“Yeah, you got me.” Dallas had grinned at her. “I just got off the phone with Olivia… we were talking about our honeymoon.”

“Oh.” Cordelia had blushed deeply. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Dallas had looked at Jack and shaken his head, both admiring and disbelieving. “Taylor, you are worth every goddamn penny, I swear.”

Jack had grinned. “Oh, I know it.”

That same grin was on his face now as he contemplated her. “Seriously, Cordelia… I don’t think you’ll be needing me much longer. Dallas hired me on a six-month contract, but I think we’re going to be able to get through your training in about four. You’re such a natural, sometimes I still can’t believe it. Maybe the last two months can be actual field work with me.”

She looked away, and Jack saw a mixture of embarrassment and pride on her beautiful face. “Thanks, Jack.”

“OK, so.” Selena was still thinking about Melanie and Zane, and she sighed at the lengths that people would go to get attention. “Griff, we’d better go and fill in Dallas, huh?”

“Not right away,” Griff said. “He told me this morning that he’s not available until this whole thing in Utah wraps up. Last I heard, Ferguson was on the move and Sully was in position to take him down.”

Cordelia’s stomach tightened up at the thought of Sully and Mark out there facing down Michael Ferguson. In Foxburg Falls, she’d looked the man in the eye and seen nothing but contempt, disgust and arrogance. Worse, she’d talked to Kat about him – no, not Kat, not anymore… Beth – and what he’d done to her. Cordelia had seen sheer f*****g terror on the other woman’s face, and no wonder.

The man was less than human in so many ways, and Cordelia hoped hard that it all ended today. One way or another.

“Oh, right.” Selena stood up. “Well, let’s get started on our reports then, OK? We’ll present them to Dallas later.”

“Paperwork!” Griff said. “Love it!”

Selena glanced over at Cordelia. “I don’t need to be able to do what you do to know that that? Was bullshit.”

“Complete and total and utter,” Cordelia confirmed.

“Yeah. Good luck lying around this woman ever again, huh?” Griff said to Jack.

“You know it,” Jack agreed and turned to Cordelia. “You are now officially an emotional x-ray… a walking, breathing, human lie-detector. Any man who dates you is dead in the water.”

“Well, then,” Cordelia said lightly, as if it didn’t matter in the slightest. “Good thing I’m single, huh?”

Jack gazed at her silently. One of the things about being a profiler at his level of expertise was that he saw all those things that people wanted so badly to hide – emotional pain, deep hurt, struggles and crises. Lies of omission and white lies and lies told out of kindness, and at a glance, he knew which were which. He knew when someone was in an abusive relationship; he knew when someone was lying about it. He saw sadness and disappointment and boredom. He saw possessiveness and false confidence and insecurity. He saw it all.

Cordelia was tough and compassionate, he knew that with every iota of his being, but she was also desperately lonely. This woman wanted someone to love, wanted someone to love her back. But she had a full plate – she was a single mother, her son was sick, she had a full-time job – and she wasn’t the kind of woman to shirk her responsibilities. She was admirable in so many damn ways, and Jack actually ached for her in her loneliness, wished happiness for her.

She looked up and caught his eye. She saw his kindness, his concern, and she smiled now. It was a real smile, he was relieved to see and in turn, she saw his relief. Hundreds of words passed between them, and every one of them was silent.

“So,” he said. “Let’s get to work, Cordelia. I have a few new exercises to run past you this morning before you head back to reception and train your replacement.”

“Good.” She was all business now, totally professional and cool. “I’m ready. Let’s do it.”