Rebels and Lovers by Linnea Sinclair Read Free Book Online Page B

reason we will be hearing from them or Tage’s office shortly. We will, of course, get our barristers working on the case immediately.”
    “But why kill Halsey?” Devin persisted. “Halsey wouldn’t have stood in the way of a legitimate arrest warrant. And why remove Trip’s bookpad?”
    “Evidence, of course.” Jonathan’s tone was as hard as his father’s was earlier.
    “But they didn’t take his deskcomp. Any researchTrip did—and I’m assuming we’re all now thinking he hacked into plans for the palace or schematics for Tage’s personal transport—would have to go through his deskcomp first. He could download things onto his bookpad, but how and where and when he acquired them would reside on his deskcomp.”
    “Maybe he erased them,” Jonathan said.
    “Trippy doesn’t know how to permanently erase data. I would know if he did.” If there was one thing Devin Guthrie knew, it was data. Data, computers, numbers. “ImpSec could recover erased data. If they believed Trip was involved in something subversive, they wouldn’t leave a deskcomp behind.”
    J.M. dismissed Devin’s argument with a sharp wave of his hand. “They probably have some specialist retrieving his deskcomp. They’re not going to lug that and my grandson out the door at the same time.”
    No, but they had time to bring in a cleaning crew. The illogic of it all made Devin’s stomach twist into a knot. He pulled his glasses off again and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands.
    “You really should get your eyes fixed,” Jonathan intoned. “It’s a simple five-minute—”
    A soft double knock halted his brother’s relentless recommendation for eye surgery. The pungent, nutty aroma of coffee drifted into the room. Devin peered over his hands, expecting Audra’s short, rotund form in the wide doorway but seeing Barthol’s lanky one instead.
    “Coffee, sirs?” Barthol asked as Devin straightened.
    Devin glanced at his watch. It was almost one-thirty in the afternoon, seven hours since the discovery of Trip’s disappearance. Twelve hours since Halsey’s death. That had to mean Trip left to “join the Alliance”—hecould still hear the excitement in Max’s voice—twelve or so hours ago.
    Ben Halsey’s death was a separate incident. And J.M.’s and Jonathan’s refusal to see that put Trip in increasing danger. Because Devin couldn’t discount that whoever killed Halsey
was
after Jonathan Macy Guthrie III—and was likely still after him. And had a twelve-hour head start.
    Obedience warred with responsibility, loyalty with protection.
    There was Baris–Agri. The Galenth Fund. His parents …
    And his nineteen-year-old nephew, with no idea that a killer was tracking him.
    Devin shoved himself to his feet as Barthol placed the coffee tray on the low sofa table. “None for me.”
    His father’s voice stopped him at the library’s doors. “Where are you going?”
    He turned slightly, as if not fully facing his father could somehow buffer the wrath he knew would come. “To find Trip. Somewhere between here and Calth sector.”
    “Devin Jonathan! You can’t be serious—”
    “I am. You can sit here and wait for Tage to contact you, but every minute you do is one more minute Trip is out there, chasing this crazy scheme of his, with whoever killed Halsey right on his tail.”
    His father’s eyes narrowed. “I will not have you use this as an excuse to run out on your obligations.”
    Excuse? Obligations?
“You already have Nathanson and Torry handling my projects—”
    “And your wedding?”
    Devin stared hard at his father. “I think Trip’s life is more important.”
    “Our barristers will handle his arrest. Your job is to marry the Embersons’ daughter.”
    His job. The ludicrousness of it almost made him laugh out loud. His job—the youngest, least important Guthrie son’s
job—
was to be put out to stud to a social-climbing Garno family, while the next Guthrie heir’s life was in danger.
    He