Interest lit his expression as he turned his head. “Better offer?”
No disappointment, just curiosity. That was weird. “Yes. More money, more responsibility, and the potential for travel.”
That seemed to pique his interest. “Travel? Sounds like a good offer. We all need to take care of number one, you know? Well, congratulations.”
Back to the squirrel cage. “Um, Shelly has my resignation in writing and hopes to fill my position with a week left for training my replacement.”
Lassiter had turned back to the window. “All right.”
Tal had nailed it. Seemed like Jeff Lassiter was just marking time.
Back at her desk, Glory listened to a voicemail message from Tal asking her to lunch and dinner.
She called him back. “No can do either time. I’m watching phones at lunch while Catherine visits her wedding planner, and sitting through dinner and decisions with her this evening.”
“And I’m spending afternoon break with two of my team. Call me later tonight when you’re done?”
• •
Tal’s cellphone rang a few minutes past ten p.m. “Hi.”
“Catherine owes me a high-end spa massage for being a human shield between her and her mother.”
“Sounds terrifying.”
“All in an evening’s work for the maid of honor. Just calling to say goodnight and tell you big decisions were also finalized on the reception dinner courses and the wedding cake.”
A need, sharp and urgent surged through him. “Could you tell me all about it in fifteen minutes?”
“You’re calling me back?”
“Nope. I’m coming over.”
“It’s a little late.”
“I promise not to keep you up.”
Glory sighed. “It would be nice to see you.”
He took that as an okay. “See you in fifteen.”
She opened her door wearing faded plaid flannel pajamas. Her hair was pulled back from a freshly scrubbed face.
She looked adorable.
Tal took her in his arms. “We have to stop meeting like this.”
Glory rubbed her face against his shirt. “You first.”
“I mean it. It’s time to set a date, put together a guest list, all that stuff.”
She pulled back and pinned him with a look. “In addition to closing the counterfeiting case, replacing two company officers, and one executive assistant. What time?”
Wryness pulled at one corner of his mouth. “Give or take a couple of weeks?”
“Give or take.”
He took a deep breath. “Or.”
She grabbed his chin between her thumb and forefinger. “Out with it.”
“I came up with a plan to circumvent the whole messy thing Catherine and Pryce are going through.”
She let go, blinking. “No marriage?”
He laughed. “You aren’t getting away that easy. How about I fly eight or ten of our friends and relatives to Tahoe where we can rent a tasteful suite and make it legal?”
Her chin dropped. “You’re serious.”
Panic crowded his chest at her expression. “Or not.”
She caught at her lower lip with her teeth for an instant. “The sentiment is wonderful. I’d just rather we meet each other’s parents in a setting other than an airport.”
Tal sucked air through his teeth. “Guess that trumps a quick getaway.”
Glory nodded. “Speaking of getaways. Wanna hear how it went with Lassiter?”
“Sure.” He led her to the couch and pulled her onto his lap. “What happened?”
She scrunched her nose. “It was strange. I told him I was giving notice and he asked if it was a better position. I told him it had a higher salary, more responsibility, and the possibility of travel. He kind of latched onto that. Said we all have to watch out for number one, and travel sounds good. Otherwise, he didn’t seem to care one way or the other. Like my leaving didn’t affect him.”
Tal yawned. He’d be more interested in Lassiter’s reaction later, but tiredness had seeped into his bones and stolen his attention.
Glory mirrored his yawn. “Let’s sleep on it and revisit his possible motives tomorrow.”
• •
Traffic on Aurora Avenue at 6:30 a.m. danced an uncoordinated waltz. Tal allowed extra space between his car and the one in front so he could glance at the strawberry blonde hunched next to him. Eyes half closed, Glory had grumbled barely understood curses when her alarm went off and he suggested they go to the exercise room at Kingston’s to get in an early workout.
“Eyes on the road, Kingston.”
“Is this the kind of abuse I can expect from now on? And where did you learn those cuss words?”
“Yes. And from Aussie seatmates on a long train ride through Germany a couple of years ago.”
His unrestrained laughter was followed by instant sobriety when the brake lights of the car ahead flashed on.
“Told you,” she said.
“Okay, okay. I’ll focus until we’re finished working out, then all bets are off.”
“Shower’s very small.”
He’d lied about watching the road and peeked at her. A smile had hijacked one side of her mouth.
“Counted on that,” he said.
• •
He continued to tease her about her morning mood as they came in through the alley door and he opened the workout room.
A muffled crash interrupted them, followed by several more.
Icy fingers found purchase in his gut and started climbing. “That came from the lab.”
He dropped his bag and grabbed her arm. “Call the police. Tell them it’s a break-in. Wait for them at the front door. Do not come downstairs.”
Panic widened her eyes. “What are you going to do? Tal, please stay. The police can be here in a few minutes.”
The sound of more breaking glass made his decision for him. He took her other arm and shook her gently. “Honey, please just do as I ask.” He let go and sprinted for the stairwell.
Cold certainty camped in his mind as Tal’s feet slapped the concrete steps. Fewer than a dozen people knew the after-hours building code. He ticked off the list of possibilities in his head. Greg Hannity, no. Security guards, no. Fire department, no. William, no. That left company officers and department heads.
He blew through the stairwell door to sub-level two. Louder sounds of splintering glass greeted him and a band of horizontal light showed at the base of the lab entrance.
Tal ran and cracked open the door. The big room was a nightmare. The remains of glass beakers and test tubes glittered among the jewel-toned fruit sauces and chocolate brown on workstation tops and the floor. A tall figure dressed in a white Tyvek overall with hood, had his back to him and was methodically sweeping the array of containers off the last two counters with a mop handle. He was alone.
The perimeter of the room gave him the best surprise advantage Tal thought, plus he had on thick-soled work-out shoes. He started toward the man, who now brought the handle down on the monitor at the workstation’s center. It was hard to gauge the guy’s build under the shapeless white coveralls, but Tal felt anger-induced adrenaline singing through his blood and knew he could hold his own.
He’d made it to the far end of the room when the man let the mop slip through his rubber gloves and leaned it against the counter. His heavy panting joined dripping liquids as the room’s only sounds.
Tal ran the last few steps, knocked the mop to the floor and kicked the back of the intruder’s knees. The man shrieked and grabbed at the edge of the stainless steel table as he went down. Unfortunately for him, the surface was covered in a slimy concoction and his grip slipped. As the intruder turned toward his assailant, Tal recognized a wild-eyed Jeff Lassiter.
Tal went down with Lassiter, intent on holding him until the police got there. He’d been right to think the CFO might pose some kind of threat, but this was crazy. Lassiter’s left arm swung up at an angle and caught
Tal on the jaw. Fury, and now pain, pulsed as he grabbed at the slippery Tyvek suit.
Lassiter grunted and yelled, “Get away from me,” as he tried to scramble on hands and knees out of Tal’s grasp. Then the CFO twisted on the floor, screaming, “I’m cut. Let me up.”
Tal eased his grip and was rewarded with a vicious elbow to the ribs. He kneed the middle of Lassiter’s back, knocking him flat. Tal brought his forearm to the back of his opponent’s neck, effectively pinning him to the floor.
“Tal!”
He looked over his shoulder to see Glory using the same route around the perimeter of the room he’d used. It took him a second to realize she held a three-pound dumbbell stiffly in front of herself, like a weapon. Ready to help.
He laughed, which made his jaw and ribs hurt. “Couldn’t stay put like I asked, could you?”
Glory slowly advanced to the side of the prone figure, but kept her gaze on Tal. She didn’t lower the dumbbell. “Are you all right?”
Lassiter stopped squirming for a moment, but Tal didn’t release pressure on the man’s neck. “Yes. Are the police on their way?”
“I called them, turned off the alarm, and wedged a company directory in the front door. I also called in Greg Hannity.” Only then did she drop her gaze to the figure. “Who is it?”
Muffled words came from under the hood that now mostly covered Lassiter’s face. “Glory? Help me. I came down to investigate noises and Kingston attacked me. I’m cut and bleeding.”
Pale uncertainty crossed her features, but only for a second. She kicked Lassiter’s ankle. “You’re a liar. Shame on you.”
Shouts of “Seattle Police,” broke out in the corridor.
“In here,” Tal yelled.
Two officers came through the doors, guns drawn. One was younger, and fit. One older and a polite term would be stout. They couldn’t see why Tal was kneeling, but as they made their way through the destruction, one of them said, “Holy crap.” Then, “Is anyone armed?”
Tal stood, his jaw and ribs singing in pain as he moved toward Glory. “No.”
One of the officers pointed at Glory and barked, “Put that down.”
She lowered the dumbbell to the floor.
Beside them, an escalating groan from Jeff Lassiter. “Help, please. He attacked me. I’m cut and bleeding.”
The young officer crunched his way across the last few feet and knelt by the CFO while his partner radioed for paramedics.
The older man then tipped his head at Glory. “You the woman that called this in?”
Glory straightened. “Yes.” She pointed at Tal. “He asked me to.”
He cut his gaze to Tal. “You should’ve left it at that. Let’s go back out in the hall and hear your story. My partner will take care of the other man and get his side.”
Tal knew that was the way it worked, but couldn’t tamp down his anger. The CFO’s destructive fit would cost thousands in destroyed equipment and more in labor hours lost.
He heard Lassiter’s pitiful plea as they left. “Please don’t let him hurt me anymore. He went psycho.”
Glory’s hand slipped into his as Tal focused on remaining calm.
• •
Tal was blown away by the speed at which word of the attack on the lab spread through Kingston Limited. He’d been seen by the responding officers as the aggressor, quickly separated from Glory, and extensively interviewed. He told his version, touching lightly on the drama behind Lassiter’s meltdown. The officer’s eyebrows rose at the mention of Detective Dunn’s name and the ongoing case.
Before the cleaning crew got started, the mess in the lab had been seen and a rumor started that the destruction was a result of an epic fight. His response on hearing the story had been a hearty, but painful laugh.
By the time Tal was allowed to go, yellow tape had been strung across the lab doors and all his techs stood in the hallway. He sent them home and stopped by HR to let them know his staff was on paid leave and to please take care of the paperwork.
Glory was alone in the reception area when he got off the elevator. She jumped up and launched herself at him.
He bowed his back in self-defense.
She raked him with a worried gaze. “You’re hurt!”
A handball to the ribs hurt worse, but this was fresh and her hug had awakened the thrumming. “Jeff got in a lucky shot. Nothing serious.”
Anger replaced her concern. “I hope he needs stitches. And his suit is ruined. And his next suit is orange.”
He shut off her tirade with a kiss. Why on earth had he thought having a companionable relationship based on a spreadsheet would make him happy?
He tipped his head toward his brother’s door. “William in?”
“He had an early tee-time.”
Of course he did. Gutting it out in the damp spring weather to play golf with a potential client. The best of both worlds. Tal laughed and rubbed his jaw. “Ow. Okay. Not sure where I’ll be when he gets in, so call my cell.”
She kissed his bruised cheek lightly. “My hero.”
• •
Glory sat on the side of Tal’s bed brushing her hair. He’d had to deal with a commercial cleaning crew, the company insurance rep, procurement, Greg Hannity, Legal, and a visit from Detective Dunn. By the time he’d taken her to pick up a change of clothes and some order-out Thai, exhaustion had had its way with him. He’d eaten and trudged into the shower.
She hadn’t heard him pad out of the bathroom and smoothed back her hair to turn and gasp at the Technicolor bruise on the right side of his chest. He’d made light of it earlier, but it looked like it hurt.
It was a hard lesson. Learning how much he was coming to mean to her. How much she was capable of feeling for him. His injuries could have been much worse. Any of the large shards of glass in the lab could have been lethal. She shivered, then gently touched the bruise. “Did the hot water ease the soreness?”
“Yes, thanks. I’ll have to sacrifice my games with Nate for a while, though.”
She patted the bed beside her. “Do you think they’ll believe anything Lassiter says? I mean, he said he came down to investigate noises and you attacked him. Why would you do that? And why would he stop to put on protective gear? They can’t believe that would make sense.”
He took her hand and rubbed the palm. “Alyssia caught me in my office signing procurement forms. I think she was genuinely shaken. When she heard what had happened, she contacted an attorney friend and was advised to retain a criminal attorney and put together a statement. She wanted me to know she had nothing to do with Jeff’s actions this morning.”
“I’ll bet she would’ve liked to take some action of her own against Jeff for being so stupid. That’s what she gets for partnering with a complete gene pool washout. She went to you to see if she could recruit you as an ally.”
“Maybe,” he said slowly, “But I think there’s enough evidence to show Jeff just lost it. He was about to be fired, fined, and possibly arrested. He and Alyssia were cut from the same cloth. Both out for themselves, so he knew there was no help from that quarter. The logical target for his frustration was Kingston’s.” He shrugged. “They’ll both be charged, regardless.”
“Sad, really,” she said. “Not sad as in I feel sorry for either of them, but sad as in everything they did out of greed eventually … What are you looking at?”
“The tie to your robe. It looks loose.”
Her mouth curved. “Glad to help in your recovery.”
• •
Three Months Later
Heat suffused Glory’s cheeks when Tal picked her up in front of the Hibiscus Suite. Samson looked on, grinning.
“Now, this is a man enjoying his second honeymoon. And only three months after the first. I think this is a record. A kiss for the camera?”
“Glad to oblige.” Tal leaned in. “Mrs. Kingston?”
She nodded, giddy at being addressed as Tal’s wife.
A flash of light sealed the moment and Samson
gave a thumbs up, then strolled away.
Tal nuzzled her neck. “Door, please.”
She giggled as she struggled to get the keycard in its slot. “No fair.”
The door clicked and she turned the knob.
Tal stepped over the threshold and kicked the door closed, setting her on her feet. “You should know by now unfair is how I operate.” He started unbuttoning her top. It was the white eyelet one she’d worn the night they went to dinner on their first trip. “Did I tell you I had a dream about unbuttoning this?”
Glory batted at his hand. “Idiot. You left our bags outside.”
“All part of the plan,” he said, sliding his hands across her breasts.
Her breath caught in her throat as Tal leaned toward her ear. “Samson doesn’t know it but he’s only getting two pictures this time. The one he just took, and one at check out.”
Two could play at this game. Glory tugged his shirt out of his khakis. “So you say. You might get tired of all this, um, closeness.”
He pulled her into his arms. “Tired, yes. But not of the closeness.” He kissed her forehead.
She took his hand and led him toward the big bed.
“What?” he said. “On an empty stomach? You expect me to perform without eating?”
Exasperation forced a wrinkle between her eyebrows. “I did not mistake that look …”
Tal kissed her wrinkle, pulled her in for a tight hug. “No, you didn’t, but if they don’t deliver dinner soon I’m going to embarrass us both. It should be here any minute.”
As if on cue, someone knocked on the door. Glory turned away, buttoning her top. “You get it.”
Tal wheeled in the room service cart, followed by a Deux staffer who set their bags inside, then left.
When she turned back around, he lifted the domed cover, revealing two bowls of vanilla ice cream.
“That’s dinner? Tal, what’s going on?”
He walked to the small entry table and withdrew a jar of Kingston’s Dark and Dangerous Chocolate Sauce from between the folds of cellophane of the welcome basket and handed it to her.
Glory’s stomach dropped. “Oh, no.”
“Look again,” he said.
Chasing Glory Page 25
