Free Undone by Francette Phal

practically see the suspicion pouring out of him as he no doubt came to a conclusion. Diamond gray eyes focused on him, sharp and acute, beneath dark brows. "He's been married,” he murmured in cold fury.
    "Yup, to an Annette Smith. Guess how they met?"
    "University."
    "Ding, ding, ding. She was his student. Her parents were loaded. They hated him, she loved him. They eloped. He bilked her for all she was worth. Lost her inheritance in a poker game up north. A year later, he's divorced and headed to his next target. I tracked down Mrs. Smith and , according to her, she was never married to an Andrew Gabriel Hunter. But she did marry Julian Hunter Andrews."
    "You're fucking kidding me?"
    "I kid you not, boss man. He's been in jail a few times. Made a few enemies along the way. A horrible gambler; he's had loan sharks chasing after him for years now. Then, suddenly, everything stops, the trail runs cold and we end up with Andrew Gabriel Hunter, instead of Julian Hunter Andrews."
    "He's working with someone."
    "Yup, a very rich someone. Someone with enough pull to give our Andrews fella a brand spankin’ new identity. Complete with a new social security number, family background and forged academic degrees. They went through great lengths to keep this under wraps. I had to call in favors to get this much."
    "Don't worry , you will be well compensated when this is over. I need you to find out who's he's working with. I want to know what he's planning."
    "Way ahead of you. But it's going to take a little time to get what you want."
    "Do whatever it takes. Get it done." The glint in his eyes sent a chill down Topher's spine.
    Nicholas was usually a good man. Easy to work for. Sometimes he even had a sense of humor. But mess with his family and he morphed into a mean SOB with tunnel vision and if you weren't lucky enough to get away, you more than likely paid with your life. For a brief second, Topher wondered whether this perp would share the same fate as the last guy who had taken it upon himself to kidnap Nicholas’s children. If so, he hoped the guy was smart enough to leave before it was too late. "I suggest you beef up security around your family. We wouldn't want to risk anything,” Topher sagely advised as he came to his feet. He took the offered tumbler from Nicholas’s hand and threw back the amber liquid. It went down smooth and lit a fire at the pit of his stomach.
    Nicholas always had the good shit. He smirked and set the tumbler on the large mahogany desk. "I'll have an update for you by Sunday.” He clapped Nicholas’s arm before he walked out, almost bumping into Nicholas’s wife. She was a pretty little thing, with big hazel eyes and delectable coral red lips that could tempt even the saintliest of men. And for a moment, Topher thought how lucky a son of a bitch Nicholas was. But, it was only a fleeting thought that disappeared just as quickly as a bullet leaving a gun barrel. He gave his best smile, pearly whites in full view, before walking past her, whistling some random radio tune he'd heard this morning.
    Once he was out of sight, Ellie stepped into Nicholas’s office and closed the door behind her, her expression searching. "He seemed nice. Friend of yours?"
    Nicholas wryly grinned, amused by her curiosity. "I guess you could call him that."
    "I've never seen him before."
    "He's the sort of friend you don't see very often,” he replied laconically, removing the report from his desk and Ellie’s prying eyes.
    "Should I be worried?" Peering at him through the dark veil of her lashes, Ellie carefully assessed him, as though she could read Nicholas’s secrets by just looking at him. She allowed him to pull her close, his sturdy arms spanning her waist. She stared up into his beautiful patrician face, features cut from alabaster and granite. "What are you up to, Grayson?" she asked softly.
    Nicholas smirked; he lowered his head and set his forehead against Ellie’s. "There's only one thing up right now