"That's what I figured." He returned on course.
Devon grasped his arm, tugging him until he stopped to shake her off. "What?"
"Listen to me. Your girl is scared to death and she should be. Trevor's a pro. I've never seen anything like him." Devon's dark eyes widened. "Did you know the first year of their divorce she took out three restraining orders on Trevor Hurtz-and he broke every one?"
Logan's jaw clenched. "Come with me."
Devon's heels clicked behind him. Reaching the end of the hall, he shoved into Rick's office and pointed a finger at his chest. "You just hit a hornet's nest with a sledge hammer."
"I'll say." Devon set her hands on her hips. "I hope you're happy, Dunn. Because whatever favor you thought you were doing for Logan has jeopardized this entire company."
"You've backed us into a corner," Logan stated.
Rick glared. "Now you two think Allison walks on water, and I'm the problem?"
"Yes," Logan and Devon said simultaneously.
Rick's nostrils flared. "She turned both of you against me." He grunted. "Should've seen that coming."
"What you didn't see coming," Logan said, getting in Rick's face, "is a man who'll stop at nothing to find and take back what he thinks is his."
Rick scoffed. "Let him have her. One less thing to worry about."
Logan's chest heaved at the idea. "No way in hell."
Devon paced, her hands waving frantically. "Of all the days to take your idiot pill, Rick, you pick this one."
Rick crossed his arms. "It can't be that big a deal."
Logan sent him a look threatening dismemberment. "You have no goddamn idea."
"Out of my way." Devon bumped Rick aside and commandeered his laptop. "I'll show you what you've done." She talked as she typed. "ARIN.net maintains records of owners of all IP addresses."
Rick lowered his eyebrows doubtfully. "Every single one?"
"Here's Stone Security's chunk of the ARIN pie." She showed them the ongoing list of addresses for all the people in the company and affiliated with them.
Rick shrugged. "So?"
"Each time you clicked on Trevor Hurtz's name, an alert was sent to one IP address. I tracked it as far as I could, but it leads to the Caribbean. The Bermuda Triangle of IP addresses. The address is untraceable, but I'll bet you coconuts to cow turds it belongs to Trevor Hurtz." Devon stared at Rick pointedly. "That means with each search you made on Trevor, you left a breadcrumb trail right back to Stone Security. Won't take him more than a week to connect the dots and realize Allison is here."
Rick balked. "All that, from a few searches?"
"That," Devon scolded, "is why I'm chief information officer, not you."
Rick cursed softly. "I was just trying to-"
"Help," Logan supplied. "I know, but this could turn ugly. Fast."
"Now that you both have a heads-up, I'm going back to my office to run a few programs, see if I can't head him off at the pass." Devon shrugged. "Wherever that is." She swept out of the room on a mission.
Rick rubbed his scalding red neck. "Look, Logan … "
Arms crossed, Logan waited.
"I'm sorry, man. It wasn't supposed to go down like this. It's not like I hacked into the CIA."
"Maybe you should've. Then we'd know what we're really up against with Hurtz."
"I'll make some calls." Rick grabbed the phone on his desk and dialed a memorized number. "Some people still owe me favors in the Pentagon."
Thirty minutes later, with the help of old contacts, Logan and Rick pieced together enough information to map out a solution. One that required around-the-clock protection for Allison.
Rick scrubbed a hand down his face. He said raggedly, "I had no idea her ex was a bona fide psycho."
Logan released a heavy sigh. "Can you blame her for wanting to keep it quiet? Anyone who gets too close or asks too many questions faces a world of hurt he never saw coming."
"What are you going to do?"
"The only thing I can." Logan shrugged. "I'm moving her in with me."
Rick coughed. "You're kidding."
"Care to test that?"
At the steely response, Rick held up his hands. "Okay, fine. Not joking. But don't you think-"
"Haven't you given enough bad advice for one day?"
Sitting back, Rick stared mutely at his desk.
Logan stood and buttoned his suit jacket. "Now I just need to convince the most stubborn woman I've ever met that, to stay safe, I'm her only option."
This is one argument I look forward to winning . As he left Rick's office, resolution forged inside him. He nodded to the security guard stationed outside his door. Mind whirling with lawyer-like precision, he walked through his door.