“What do you know?”
“I know that I hope we’re wrong about who’s involved in this.”
Dominic closed the distance between them and growled, “Who? Who the hell are you talking about?”
“Stephan. The trail leads back to your sister’s fiancé.”
A heat of fury rose up Dominic’s neck and face. He turned to leave, but Jake blocked his path. “I know that look, Dom. Don’t do anything you will regret. We don’t know if it’s him for sure yet.”
“Oh, it’s him. Give me one reason why I should let that little bastard live.”
Jake didn’t move out of Dominic’s way. He kept his voice reasonable and said, “Because your sister loves him and you could lose her over this. We’ll uncover the truth—possibly by today. The informant Alethea used wasn’t in Jeremy’s league. His conclusions may have been flawed or deliberately produced by whoever is doing this. Acting without all the facts could cause larger problems.”
Dominic stepped forward aggressively and Jake stepped back, hoping his friend would heed his warning. Just before stepping out of the office, Dominic snarled, “You’ve cleaned up the Alethea situation?”
“The leak has been dealt with effectively. He’s no longer an issue.”
“And Alethea?”
“Marc has her contained downstairs.”
“Downstairs?” Dominic pointed at the floor with emphasis and almost smiled. “I wonder if she can get out.”
Jake shrugged. “Hard to say. Marc is good.” As Dom headed toward the door, Jake asked, “Where are you going?”
“Home. You have twenty-four hours to figure this out, then I’ll deal with it my way.”
Across town, Lil held her niece and sat with Abby in the living room of her newly renovated, midtown Manhattan mansion. Once an exclusive private club, it was now filled with baby swings and strollers. Colby played at their feet with wooden slices of fake food lined with Velcro, that allowed her to stack them into sandwiches.
Abby noted the tight lines on her sister’s face and worried for her. This should be the happiest time of her life. She was living with Jake and he’d adopted her daughter. The only remaining piece of the puzzle was the formality of their wedding.
It was amazing how much had changed in a year. She’d never felt closer to her sister. “What’s wrong, Lil? Is Colby keeping you up nights again? I thought she was done teething.”
With a sad smile, Lil said, “No. Yes. I mean, yes, she’s keeping me up, but no, that’s not the problem.”
“You know you can tell me anything.”
“Can I, Abby? I’m not sure. I need advice, but I’m not sure you could help me with this one.”
Fear gripped Abby’s heart. They’d come so far. What could Lil be involved in that she’d be afraid to share? Everything was going too well not to fear that something could bring it to a sudden, crashing end. “I love you, Lil. Without knowing what this is about, I can’t promise to know what to say, but if you need me, I’m here. I’ll always be here for you. No matter what happens.”
“It’s Alethea.” Lil raised her hand to stop Abby from jumping in. “I know what you think of her, but this is more about me than her.”
Mouth pressed tight, Abby nodded and pretended to eat the wooden hamburger Colby handed her.
Lil couldn’t meet her sister’s eyes when she said, “I know she takes things too far, but she does it because she cares. She only broke into the hospital because she cares about you.”
“Some people send flowers,” Abby said sarcastically, then stopped herself. “Sorry. Go on.”
“She found an issue at Corisi Enterprises and wanted me to help her figure it out.”
“Tell me you didn’t get involved in one of her wild schemes. You promised you wouldn’t.”
“I didn’t.”
“Why is she still sniffing around our business? Isn’t there enough trouble out there in the world to occupy her?” When Lil jumped to her friend’s defense, Abby said, “I know. I know. She does it because she cares. Or so you always tell me. What did she find?”
Lil told her. She told her everything, from the coding errors to Stephan’s possible involvement. Abby remained quiet, the flush of anger on her cheeks the only indication of how she was feeling. “She wanted me to help her find out if it’s true, but I told her that I wasn’t going to do it her way this time.” She adjusted Judy’s bib. “So, I took her to see Marie and Nicole, and we told them everything.”
“How did that go?” Abby asked in an uncharacteristically unkind manner.
“Worse than I imagined. Nicole was furious.”
“Do you blame her?”
“No. But Al wasn’t saying that Stephan is guilty, she was saying that all the trails led back to him.”
“Semantics, wouldn’t you say?”
“Not to Al. She doesn’t want him to be guilty any more than we do.” Lil met her sister’s eyes and confessed the part that bothered her the most. “Marie accused Alethea of making the whole thing up because she’s jealous of how close I’ve gotten to you and everyone else.”
“I probably would have thought the same.”
Lil wiped a tear. “See, that’s the problem. You want to think the worst of her. You only see what she does wrong. You never give her credit for always being there for me. And when I’ve needed her, she’s always been there.”
Abby picked up Colby and hugged her, a tear rolling down her cheek. Her young niece laughed up at her, clapping. She’d missed too much of her first few months of life. “I would have been there for you. I wanted to be part of your life so desperately. The harder I tried to hold on, the more I lost you.”
“That wasn’t Al’s fault.” Lil said, tears of her own entering her eyes. “And you have me now. Isn’t it time to forgive her for our problems? I’ve been putting off my wedding waiting for the two of you to work things out, but I need to know. Am I waiting for the impossible?”
Colby squirmed to get down and walk around the room. Abby released her to the floor. Sometimes the tighter you hold someone to you, the more you lose them. She’d learned that lesson the hard way. Still, Alethea hadn’t made raising Lil any easier. In fact, it had often felt like a tug-of-war between them: Abby, pulling for Lil to stay safe and make good choices, and Alethea, pulling her in wild directions full of morally vague high-risk situations. Old news, I guess. “I don’t know. You just said she upset Nicole. How can I overlook that?”
“She didn’t. I did. I messed up. I thought Nicole would want to help clear Stephan’s name.”
“Oh, Lil.”
“I know. I made it worse. I’ve called Nicole about a hundred times, but she’s not answering my calls. Al isn’t either. She asked me if I believed her and I said I wasn’t sure that I did.”
“What do you want me to say, Lil?”
“I’m asking you to help me, Abby. Help me figure out what to do. I never meant to hurt anyone.”
The little devil on Abby’s shoulder whispered that this chance wouldn’t come twice. She could tell Lil that some friendships are not fixable. All she had to do was tell Lil it was time for her to let Alethea go, for the sake of the family, and there was a good chance this time she would.
Life without Alethea—the idea had appeal.
But Abby looked down at her niece and thought about what Lil had said. Alethea didn’t make the problems between Lil and me. She didn’t cause the rift. And no matter how I feel about her, she’s been a good friend to Lil.
I may not like her, but Lil loves her.
“Always better together, Lil. I believe that. Let’s get them all in the same room and we’ll hash this out.”
“That didn’t work so well the first time.”
“I’ll talk to Marie and Nicole. Families fight, Lil, but then they make up. If Alethea really does want to be part of this family, she’ll show up.”
“I don’t know if she’ll come. It got ugly last time. How do I convince her this time will be different?”
/>
“Tell her I’m on her side.”
Lil’s eyebrows went up. “Are you serious?”
Abby walked over and put her arm around her sister. “You’re right. It’s important for me to put the past in the past. You love her, so I’ll try to. This time I’ll really try.”
Even with Judy in her arms, she hugged Abby. “That’s all I can ask for, I guess.”
I can pray for a bit more than that. “Stephan has to be innocent.”
“Don’t worry, Alethea won’t stop till she finds the truth.”
Somehow that doesn’t make me feel better.
Chapter Eleven
After thoroughly testing every aspect of the security system and attempting every mode of communication with the outside world, Alethea sat down on the bench in the grassed area beside the waterfall.
“Give up?”
“Go to hell.”
“Come on, let me enjoy this moment. You thought escape would be easy. Your comprehensive testing was impressive, but why not just admit that you’re stumped? Did you try the vents?”
“Yes.”
“Genius the way I looped them back through the air purifier, wasn’t it? They lead exactly nowhere.” He sat next to her on the bench.
“I noticed.”
“Each pod has its own air system in case one fails. Working with an unlimited budget helps.”
“Do your victory dance. You beat me. This time.”
He put an arm around the back of the bench and played with one of her curls, even though she shifted away from him when he did. “Does it have to be a competition between us? I earned this gloat, but I’d rather relax and enjoy this time together.” He pushed the hair off the back of her neck, exposing its curve and blowing gently on it. He took a remote out of his pocket and, with a click, the ceiling of the bunker became a twinkling night sky.
Alethea fought a smile, then looked at him, shaking her head with humor. “Seriously?”
He gave her a shameless grin and wiggled his eyebrows.
“A fake night sky will not get me to forget that you’ve locked me in against my will.”
Marc shrugged and stood up. “You can focus on the details, but I intend to enjoy this unexpected day off.” He took off his shirt and laid it on the bench beside her, then stepped out of his shoes.
Alethea hated to admit it, but unlike most people, Marc looked even better with his clothes off than on. His chest was perfectly cut and lightly dusted with hair. She wanted to reach out and touch his firm abs. “I told you I’m not interested.”
He turned away from her, dropped his pants to the floor, and dove into the deep water in front of the waterfall. The image of his perfectly toned ass momentarily stole her breath. Wiping the water from his face when he surfaced, he smiled at her. “There you go, making it all about sex again. You’ve never gone skinny-dipping just for the pleasure of it?”
Alethea folded her arms across her chest. “No.”
There was very little that she did simply for the pleasure of it. She didn’t relax her guard long enough to.
He swam to the edge in front of her and rested his arms on it. “You’re quite a puzzle, you know that? I used to think you were a badass. Next you’ll tell me you’re a virgin, and I’ll drown from the shock.”
“Of course I’m not a virgin. I’ve had plenty of sex—alone and with others. I just don’t want to have it with you.”
A lusty smile spread across his face. “That’s not the impression you gave me in the elevator.”
His comment soured her mood. “That was a mistake.” She said more quietly, “One I don’t want to talk about.”
“Then come swim,” he suggested. “I promise to keep my hands to myself.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“Yes,” he said seriously.
When she didn’t move, he said, “People can’t disappoint you if you don’t trust them, can they? Beneath all that bravado, you’re not very brave at all, are you, my little warrior?”
Not brave? Ha. She stood up and stripped naked, slowly, enjoying the fact that his jaw dropped open and his eyes widened with pleasure. She stood proudly before him and smiled, then dove in and surfaced beside him, close enough to hear his breathing change and see his eyes dilate with excitement. “I told you—I’m not afraid of you,” she said, and shook her hair, loving how it drew his attention to her bare shoulders and lower.
He took a deep breath and said, “Yes, you are.” He leaned forward as if he would kiss her, but didn’t. “But you shouldn’t be, because I’m on your side.”
Thankfully, he swam off to do laps, leaving Alethea aroused and angry at the same time—a condition she was beginning to associate with being around Marc. She started swimming too, if only to give herself something to do besides gawk at a man she wasn’t sure whether she wanted to kiss or strangle.
Having her so close and not being able to touch her was torture, sweet torture. Thank God I didn’t promise not to look. Watching her beautifully toned arms slice through the water, and the glimpse of her breasts just beneath the water, had him painfully aroused. He gave up trying to pretend, swam to the edge, and propped himself up with an arm on either side to savor the view.
If mermaids look anything like her, no wonder sailors dive to their doom.
Her delightful bare ass arched above the waterline each time she reached the end of the fake river and dove to turn. As she swam by him, he saw what looked like a half smile on her face and chuckled. She knows exactly what she’s doing to me and she’s waiting for me to give in and chase her. That’s what she’s used to.
She tempts.
The man chases.
She gives only what she wants to.
Safe.
I could let her win, agree to her terms, and the reward would be a night between those sweet thighs. One night of sex would be no different than any hookup I’ve ever had.
And that’s the problem.
I don’t want just one night. I want to know what scares a woman the FBI considers more of a liability than an asset. Someone to hire when they need her, but not someone they want on their payroll.
Someone so good at what she does that, like NASCAR, people watch in fascination, waiting to see her crash, even as they cheer her on. Like Dominic, she made more enemies than she did friends.
He had to admit that he’d spent more than a few evenings imagining how good it would feel to humble her a bit. Her bold, take-no-prisoners and win-at-all-costs attitude elicited a strong emotion in many people.
And I’m only human.
The more time he spent with her, however, the more he saw that she didn’t want to win—she needed to. She wasn’t driven by fame; in fact, even in the midst of intense public scrutiny of those near her, she’d managed to stay under the radar. Keenly intelligent with the ability to read most people, she was a master manipulator.
But to what end?
Money didn’t impress her.
She could have parlayed her connections into a position of power, but she hadn’t.
Every once in a while, if he looked closely enough, he glimpsed, what he’d bet his life on, was fear. Not the I’ve-had-my-heart-broken surface shit, but the wake-up-terrified-and-sweaty kind of mental scar that comes from being brutally thrown into hell and then deposited back on earth. A scar you hide, even from those you love, because some things are too ugly to share.
He understood scars, internal as well as external.
Watching Alethea tirelessly swim back and forth before him gave him time to come to a decision. Sometimes you have to tear something down before you can build it up stronger.
She shot him another look as she swam by. Their eyes met and fire sprang between them.
You’ll be mine, Alethea.
But not on your terms.
Marc smiled, turned, and hauled himself out of the pool. Not bothering to conceal how much he’d enjoyed watching her, he waved to her when he caught her checking out his erection. She turne
d her face away and coughed as she swallowed water unexpectedly. He laughed and picked up his clothing, tucking it under one arm.
Lesson one: Laughter heals.
He scooped up her clothing and rolled it into his. He’d only made it a few feet away from the pool, and was still chuckling, as he imagined what she’d say when she stopped drowning and realized what he’d done.
Suddenly she was before him, gloriously angry, dripping wet, and blocking his way. He didn’t think he’d ever seen anything sexier than the defensive jujitsu stance she took. “Drop my clothes before I drop you.”
He stopped, but, even though he wanted to do as she asked—if only to free up his hands to pull her to him—he didn’t. Instead, he looked her over slowly and said, “I wonder if they make martial-arts porn. I never thought it could be sexy until just now.”
A red flush started between her breasts and spread up her neck and across her face. “I’m deadly serious.”
Despite her angry tone, her nipples were pursed in hard little nubs that were nearly impossible to look away from. Looking down didn’t help. Lean, muscular legs led upward to an exquisitely trimmed line of pubic hair. He swallowed hard and shook his head. When his eyes met hers, he was fighting to keep his breathing normal. “As much as I’d love to wrestle with you, I said I wouldn’t touch you. But you’re making that a hard promise to keep.”
Her eyes dropped at the word hard, and his dick twitched and throbbed, growing more beneath her perusal. She referenced his eager erection and said, “Could you cover that up?”
He looked down, then back up with a smile. “Find it distracting? You should be on this side of it.” The red on her cheeks deepened. He tossed her clothing to her. She slipped her dress over her head and stepped into her underwear. “We both know I want you—hiding it won’t change that. And you can cover up as much as you want, but every last inch of you is burned into my memory now and will keep me up many nights.” When her eyes dropped back to his penis, he laughed out loud again. “I love that dirty mind of yours, Alethea. I really do.”