by Vonna Harper
Until she’d had time to think about Daniel looking like he was going to be sick in comparison to Ethan’s dismissal of a fatality, let alone the question of how much involvement Ethan did or didn’t have in the event, she wouldn’t say anything. Daniel was a mystery, a fascinating one.
“Not really. I’m just tired. From what I could tell, Daniel spent quite a bit of time talking to you.”
“More like listening to Korbin and me.”
She smiled the kind of smile her mother had perfected when a role called for an undercurrent of doubt or mistrust. “I daresay you carefully chose every word. Fortunately, you didn’t have to do that for long. They were the first to leave, weren’t they?”
“Yes. And of course I watch what I say.” He squeezed then released her. “Caution has served me well. I don’t easily trust.”
He seldom confided in her. If the liquor he’d consumed tonight had loosened his tongue, she should take advantage of it. She didn’t like distrusting her stepfather, but neither did she blindly accept his public image. There was what she thought of as a dark undercurrent to Ethan Crowl. Her mother’s safety might depend on her ability to push past what he wanted the world to believe about him.
“What do you think of Daniel?” she asked. “Are you considering entrusting him with some of your finances?”
He snorted. “Hardly. Just because Korbin relies on the stock market to build his wealth doesn’t mean I do. But there’s something about Daniel that…”
“What?”
“I’m not sure.” His brows wrinkled. “He’s an imposing figure. Physically powerful.”
“Yes, he is.” And sexy in a way I don’t think you’d ever understand.
“I might be able to use him in another capacity.”
The longer they talked, the more convinced she became that Ethan had consumed more alcohol than usual. He didn’t confide in his wife, not really, which left a need to trust someone. Was he trying to decide whether she might fill that role? Much as the idea repulsed her, she vowed not to let it show. Besides, she had to be wrong about his feeling isolated since there were always people around him. Most times waiting for him to issue orders.
“What capacity are you talking about?” Her wrist throbbed but she didn’t caress it.
“His muscles.”
“I asked if he played football.”
Ethan lifted his head. “What did he say?”
“That he did—or had. He said something about there being a lot of competition when it came to the pros. Apparently, he didn’t reach that level.”
“But he’s an intimidating figure.”
“I can’t argue that.”
“Does he intimidate you?”
He does something to me. “Not really, but it wouldn’t take much.”
Ethan jerked his head up and down. “Exactly.”
“I’m not sure I understand,” she said, although she had her suspicions.
“Sure you do. A lot of people want what I have, but I’ll never let them get their greedy mitts on it. I run my operation like it should be run, but it takes a hell of a lot of work.”
Her feet hurt from wearing something other than her trusty slippers, sandals, or tennis shoes, and she wouldn’t get any sleep if she hoped to be ready for her biology test, but this was a rare opportunity.
“It seems exhausting,” she said.
“It isn’t, but that’s because I enjoy what I do. Because I know how to safeguard the operation.”
“Safeguard? You’re making me think of locks everywhere, attack dogs.”
His smile a little sideways, Ethan made a show of looking around. They were in his entryway, a large gray space that cried out for something to bring it to life. “Not here, but the wall around the compound’s another story as you know. Also, I never leave my office without what ordinary people might call a bodyguard.”
“That sounds like paranoid behavior.”
“It’s being smart.” He again scanned his surroundings. “I’m involved in so many enterprises that an electronic gate is necessary.”
“Right.”
“Hell, look at it this way. If you went out wearing expensive jewelry, you’d keep your eyes peeled to make sure no one got close enough to rip it off you.”
“I don’t own much jewelry. And nothing valuable.” She couldn’t stop from caressing her necklace. Barely holding back from acknowledging how it made her feel.
“But if you did?”
“I might borrow one of your bodyguards.”
“If I’d bought the jewelry, I’d insist on it.”
“Yes, I imagine you would.”
“Your mother thinks I make sure she has a driver because I adore her. I do, but it’s more complicated than that.”
“Is it?”
“I’m surprised you haven’t figured things out.”
“Maybe I have, but tell me anyway.”
His grin came and went. “I don’t suppose there’s any harm in satisfying your curiosity. In my world security is a necessary evil. It’s a warning to my competition, my enemies, to stay away.”
“I’d hate to think I have to live that way.”
“Because you don’t understand.”
Where was her mother? She really shouldn’t leave without saying goodnight, but the longer this conversation lasted the more uncomfortable she felt. Ethan might be deliberately trying to get her to reveal more than she should by pretending to be drunk.
“Daniel’s a complex man, don’t you agree?” Ethan asked.
“I guess.”
Ethan chuckled. “You know, I enjoy sparring with you. Almost as much as I daresay Daniel would enjoy spending time with you. Maybe I should hire him.”
“What?”
“Not to manage my finances.” He laughed again. “Other than Korbin, who is mysterious in his own way, no one who was here tonight knows anything about him. If he’s as good at hiding details as he appears to be, I’d be missing a bet by not exploiting that. Hell, it’s possible you’re the key. If you turn him on enough—”
“That’s crazy thinking.”
“I never indulge in what you call crazy thinking. I know men’s greatest weakness.” He grabbed his crotch. “And that’s not all. Money plays a major role when it comes to loyalty. None of us can ever have enough. My wealth factors in when it comes to your mother’s so-called devotion for me. A beautiful, successful leading lady won’t spread her legs for some poor bastard decades older than her unless she benefits from it.”
“Ethan, I—”
“We’ll talk about this another time.”
Not if I can help it. She reached for the front door handle.
“Wait. There’s one more thing before you leave.”
She wanted to relax, wanted to get the hell away from here, but didn’t dare do either. “All right.”
“How much attention did you pay to my guests?”
“Some. I recognized about half of them from other parties.” She didn’t add that she’d felt pressured to attend a number of those so-called parties because her mother wasn’t comfortable not having someone she knew to hang out with.
“They all noticed you.”
She wanted to tell herself he was exaggerating, but couldn’t. Wanted to pretend she didn’t know what was coming.
“They’re vultures looking for new prey. You’re making a mistake by not taking advantage of your looks, to say nothing of the fact that we’re technically related.”
A shiver down her spine gave weight to her dread. How naïve she’d been to think Ethan was generous when he’d offered to pay for her dental work. He’d wanted her in debt to him.
Before she could respond she heard the unmistakable sound of approaching high heels. A heavy-set man had his arm around one of the hostesses. The age difference between them would have some people thinking they were father and daughter, but no father’s fingers should be on his daughter’s nipple.
“Hey Ethan, there you are,” the man boomed. “I was
hoping to catch you before Bunny and I take off. You did good hiring her, damn good.”
“You’re stealing her out from under me before the cleanup’s finished?” Despite his hard tone, Ethan was smiling.
“It wouldn’t be the first time. You have to tell me where you get these lovely creatures.” He stroked her nipple. “You wouldn’t have them locked in some warehouse, would you?”
“Like I’d tell you. Bunny, you know what I want. Howard’s an old friend. He deserves the best.”
“Yes, Mr. Crowl. I understand.”
Bunny kept her head up, but Lainey sensed how much courage it took. She had a damn good idea what her stepfather meant by the best.
“You’re all right?” she asked the woman with the flawless complexion and half-exposed breasts.
“Of course.” Her mouth set, Bunny leaned against Howard. “Mr. Crowl, I appreciate you paying me in cash.”
“Of course. No reason for the IRS to know. Call the number I gave you once you’re done. I have another task set up for you come Wednesday.”
Still leaning on Howard, Bunny nodded. The way she looked down, Lainey figured Bunny was trying to determine whether Ethan and Lainey had noted where the older man’s fingers were resting. Lainey had seen similar behavior before. She sometimes fantasized about a man treating her body like it belonged to him, but seeing it was another matter.
“Maybe I shouldn’t open my big mouth,” Howard said, “but hell, I’m going to anyway. Ethan, you’re missing out big time by not making use of your stepdaughter. She’s a prize, all right.”
“You’re right,” Lainey snapped. “You shouldn’t have said that.”
“Hey, don’t get uptight. It’s a compliment.”
“Whatever.”
“Think about it.” Howard pulled Bunny around so they were face to face. The way she shifted her hips, Lainey figured Howard had a hard on. She also guessed this wasn’t how Bunny wanted the evening to go, but was resigned.
Wishing she’d come up with something more intelligent than whatever, Lainey waited until Howard and Bunny had closed the door behind them.
“He’s a dirty old man.” She spoke with her teeth clenched. “This isn’t the first time I’ve heard him talk like that.”
“Booze loosens Howard’s tongue. He probably won’t remember what he said about you.”
“But he might.” She cocked her head, but heard nothing that might warn her that her mother was in the vicinity. “He had no right.”
“Didn’t he?” Ethan unbuttoned two buttons on his silk shirt and rolled his head. “There’s easier ways for you to make a living than whatever it is you’re aiming at.”
“Physical therapy.” Damn it, he knew why she was going to college. Depending on how much her mother had told him about her past, he might understand why it had taken several years for her to decide she needed a degree.
“Yeah, that’s right.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m done in. These damn gatherings are exhausting.”
“Then don’t have them.”
“I don’t have a choice. They factor strongly in how I stay on top.”
There it was, yet another convoluted comment about how he earned his living. Thinking she might take advantage of his weariness and booze, she made a show of kicking off her low heels. She leaned against a wall, bent her knee so she could reach her foot, and massaged her instep. She was careful not to expose her inner thighs.
“I’m in no mood to tiptoe around shit,” he said. “Howard knows what the hell he’s talking about.”
She lowered her leg. “Oh?”
“He isn’t the first to insist I’m making a mistake by not capitalizing on our relationship. My associates and would-be associates would love to play their damn games with you. Hell, they’d pay handsomely.”
“They said that?”
“Don’t act surprised. No matter what words they used, I got it. Hell, I had the idea before they did and you know it.”
She wanted Ethan to insist he’d never have anything to do with someone who talked about his stepdaughter like that, but knew better.
“I deliver pussies when their presence benefits me.”
“Ethan!”
“Shit. Don’t pretend you’re shocked. You know Bunny’s going to play by Howard’s rules the moment they get to his place. She’ll be well-compensated.”
“Paid?” It hurt to say the word.
“One way or the other.” Ethan shrugged then went back to rubbing his neck. “Money or drugs.”
“Are you saying Bunny’s an addict?”
“I’m not sure, not that it matters. She knows better than to cross me. That’s usually the easiest way to control my hostesses. A little intimidation and power—hell, forget I said anything.”
I can’t.
The steady clip-clip of approaching heels brought Lainey off the wall. She felt sick to her stomach, but didn’t want her mother noticing.
“One thing for you to consider,” Ethan said as Megara came into view. “Playing along pays a hell of a lot better than your current job and will make it possible for you to eventually repay my generosity. Think about it. I’ll be here. Ready to get you set up.”
Chapter 3
Joe stared without noting where Korbin was taking them as the older man drove through his exclusive neighborhood. He wasn’t sure what time it was, probably after twelve. Night had settled over the city and traffic was a fraction of what it had been earlier. Headlights came and went without giving him time to acknowledge when Korbin’s gleaming Cadillac was the only vehicle on the boulevard. Even before being assigned to the night shift, he’d preferred the quiet that settled over a city once gainfully employed people were home. That’s when he had the time and space to acknowledge where he stood in the greater scheme of life, when he could contemplate how things were going in regard to the investigations in his caseload.
But that had been in Seattle. Now he was in San Diego, a stranger in a city he hated. Trying to hold it together. Waiting to get his hands on the woman who might play a role in giving his life meaning.
“I appreciate this,” he finally thought to tell Korbin. “I learned a lot tonight.”
“You were damn uptight. You still are.”
“I can’t help it.”
The billionaire stopped at a red light. His powerful vehicle hummed, making Joe think of a racehorse waiting for the start gun to explode. “I get it. Just don’t let anyone know.”
“You do.”
“I’m different.”
They waited without speaking until the light turned green. Korbin acknowledged two young men in a black sedan in the left lane. Then, grinning, the wealthy man gunned it. In seconds, he’d left the sedan far behind.
“Don’t say it.” Korbin chuckled.
“Don’t say what?” Joe re-positioned himself so he was no longer in danger of sliding to the floor.
“That I drive like a sixteen-year-old. A sixteen-year-old with his dad’s car and it’s Saturday night. Damn, I miss that.”
“What happens if you get a ticket?”
“I don’t.” Korbin adjusted his rear view mirror.
“Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me.”
“I’m not bragging. Just stating facts. What’s your take on Ethan Crowl?”
“I’m not sure.”
“The hell you aren’t.” Korbin pulled over to the side of the street and shifted into neutral. “Look, if you’re serious about why you’re here, which I believe you are, I don’t see as how you have a choice but to fully trust me. The sooner we’re honest with each other, the sooner you’ll have your revenge.”
Anger mixed with tension tightened around Joe. A month ago he’d been an undercover cop in a big, rainy city. Now he was hundreds of miles from what he was familiar with because someone had murdered his brother.
Ended the life of the kid he loved more than he’d ever loved anyone, even their parents.
“All right,” he said. “Crowl smells like m
afia.”
“He is mafia. As hard and dangerous as they come. Anyone who thinks they can cross him or mess with his operation winds up at the bottom of the ocean tied to a chunk of cement.”
“Why isn’t he behind bars if people know so much about him?”
“Because he’s damn good at tying knots.” Korbin sighed. “Hell, you know he doesn’t do his own dirty work. His soldiers handle that. To state the obvious, getting to him won’t be easy. About the only thing I can do is get you invited to one of his look-at-me gatherings. I did that tonight.”
“I’m patient.”
Korbin shifted back into drive, turned left, and punched the accelerator. “The hell you are. You’re wrapped as tight as it’s possible to be wrapped.”
Earlier Joe had hoped to hell he’d be able to fall sleep that night, to find a few hours of oblivion. But now he stood on the brink of something dangerous and scary, his kid brother’s image sitting next to him. “Do you blame me?”
“I don’t judge. What I do is offer a little assistance when someone who sees things the way I do about this city’s underbelly needs a favor.”
Joe got what Korbin was talking about. He wouldn’t be there if his sergeant didn’t have connections in San Diego. That connection, one Detective Caleb Roth, had agreed to listen to Joe’s suspicions about a so-called accident during a street race. Once Joe was finished, Caleb said he’d get him in touch with Korbin Aldrich, who was one of San Diego’s wealthiest men. Joe hadn’t understood why he was being hooked up with a billionaire, but he hadn’t known what else to do.
Korbin had asked a couple of questions during their phone conversation last week, but mostly he’d listened while Joe repeated what he’d told the law enforcement officer. Because of what Nate had told him, Joe had no doubt his brother had been murdered. Instead of walking away from what appeared to be a mechanical malfunction during a midnight street race complete with heavy betting, Nate had succumbed to flames when the vehicle he was driving caught fire. Grief would have swamped Joe if it hadn’t been for what Nate had told him about Ethan Cowl. Now he was in San Diego, an undercover cop promising justice.
A cop with the rudiments of a plan.
