by Jo Leigh
“I know. I told you it sounds crazy. And I’m not making an accusation. It’s a hunch, but one that needs checking. That’s why I’m asking for a postponement. Some time.”
She needed some time herself. This was crazy information here, and if it had been anyone but Jake, she’d have laughed and dismissed the whole thing as some weird con. But it wasn’t someone else. “I’m pretty certain there is a large percentage of people born with cleft palates.”
“They called him Lip,” Jake said, nodding. “That must have pissed him off. To be called that by Packard, who was a real piece of work. He was a vicious bastard, ran over anyone trying to get in on his territory. Didn’t care who he took out in the process.”
“Jake…”
“I know. That’s why I decided to do some checking. I couldn’t find anything, but my friend… This guy is a genius hacker. Works for Homeland Security. He told me tonight on my way to the restaurant that there’s something fishy about the death of West’s uncle. That’s supposedly how West got his start-up funds. His uncle’s estate. But the uncle was murdered. They never found out who did it. There are no other living relatives, and the uncle was a recluse. Lived way out in the desert with the scrub brush and the heat. His body wasn’t discovered for almost two months.”
Her stomach tightened; she wasn’t liking the fact that someone else was involved. If West got wind of any of this… “I’m sorry, I don’t see a connection between Keegan and a desert recluse.”
“I wasn’t gonna say anything. Because I know there are other explanations. I was undercover a long time, Rebecca. I survived by my instincts and training, but trust me, the instincts were more critical. Something clicked for me at the party. Something I can’t ignore.”
“I see,” she said. But she didn’t. Jake was wonderful, nearly perfect. But she hadn’t even known him two weeks. This? This was kind of scary.
“I only need a week. That’s all. Maybe less,” Jake mumbled. He turned back to the window and his bad leg wobbled so much his hand shot to the wall for balance. “But you’re right. I’m probably going stir-crazy being stuck at home.”
“I didn’t say that. Honestly, the thought hadn’t even crossed my mind.” Unfortunately, it did now. She looked at his taut back, at his image in the mirror. She had the terrible feeling the next few minutes were going to have far-reaching repercussions.
So much for time to think things through. It was all down to her instincts now, and while there were many perfectly valid reasons to throw in the towel, and only one for sticking with Jake, she had to bet on the long shot. They might have been together only a short time, but she’d never had a connection like this with anyone. He wasn’t crazy. In fact, he was the most down-to-earth, balanced man she’d ever met. Even as she knew her decision was final, she could barely believe it.
She stood behind him, placed her hand on his shoulder. “You’re concerned for me,” she said.
He faced her, all the ice gone from his gaze. Now his eyes were filled with doubt and fear, a very accurate echo of her own feelings. She couldn’t picture a future for them, but she understood what was important to Jake now. Honor. Responsibility. All the things she’d fallen in love with.
“I am concerned for you,” he said. “Very much.”
“I could postpone, but I won’t. Not because I don’t believe there’s a possibility you might be right. Admittedly, I think it’s a very small chance, but anyway, I don’t need to postpone because first of all, I’m not in any danger. Second, nothing is going to be signed tomorrow night. This type of deal takes time. The next step is only the negotiation to negotiate.”
He nodded, but she doubted he was happy.
“The instant you have any proof, I’ll stand with you and we’ll see him put away, but I need to tell you that every person who donates or participates in any meaningful way with the foundation is vetted by our security company. They have remarkable access, which is why they’re astronomically expensive. They saw nothing wrong with West’s background.”
“I’m not surprised. If he did create himself on paper, he would have to have done a remarkably thorough job. I honestly do know how insane this sounds. It would be smarter to let it alone. But I don’t think I can.”
“Okay. Go with your gut. From what I know about you, I can’t imagine you’re taking any of this lightly.”
He huffed a sad laugh. “So it’s not a deal breaker?”
Rebecca ran her hand through his hair. “Nope. And that’s why you need to see it through. Because nobody would give this up on a whim.”
“Did I hear that right? Did you just tell me you’re the hottest woman in New York?”
She laughed. “Now, that would be insane. No,” she whispered, then kissed him. “But together, we’re pretty incendiary, don’t you think?”
His hands were on her now, confident, strong. Running down her back until they curved over her bottom. “Smokin’,” he said and he bent to kiss her.
She put up a hand, stopping him. “Please, do not let West get wind of any of this. You have to promise me, Jake. He can’t know.”
Jake gave her his crooked smile. “You probably won’t believe me, but I want to be wrong. I want you to win.” Then his mouth was on hers, and she let herself relax against him, let herself trust him. There was an ache inside her and she wanted him badly. The way he’d looked at her, it made her heart hurt. No one had ever looked at her that way before. There’d been lust and hurt and greed and impatience. Even caring and concern and, yes, several kinds of love.
But his gaze had held more than she had words for. This man would slay dragons for her. There was no doubt at all about it. He would put her first over everything.
God, how she wanted him in her bed, in her arms. She wanted to be as close as two people could possibly get. When she tugged his hand, he followed after her, but this time, when they stood by her bed, it wasn’t a race. They undressed slowly, one garment at a time, their gazes locked until the last possible second.
When they crawled into bed together, it was quiet. As they gathered each other, wrapping themselves in legs and arms and heat, she felt as safe as she’d ever been.
They kissed. No rush, just kissing. Slow, long touches and rubbing back and forth until the sounds of his breath and her own were only drowned out by the blood rushing in her head, by the beating of her heart.
When he entered her, she stilled him with a cry.
“Rebecca?” he whispered.
“It’s good,” she said, her lips against his. “Perfect.”
13
STANDING OUTSIDE REBECCA’S building at seven-fifteen in the morning, Jake decided to hit a deli a few blocks down, have himself another coffee and try to put his head around what he was getting into.
That she’d made love to him last night, that they’d fooled around in the shower this morning was remarkable, considering, but not nearly as confusing as the fact that she’d made plans with him for Wednesday night. Future plans. When he’d told her his suspicions about West, Jake had seen the growing alarm on her face. He didn’t blame her. It would have made so much more sense for her to cut her losses and be done with him.
As if he needed her to be even more incredible. Jesus. Not perfect though. He grinned as he crossed the street, letting the crowd swallow him and set the pace. She’d been cranky as hell this morning. Evidently, all this very fine dining was starting to get to her, and she’d been putting off yoga and the gym because of the donor thing, and she’d declared herself a disgusting slug this morning when her gray wool slacks were harder to zip than they should have been.
His repeated and heartfelt compliments about her body, complete with kisses and petting, had been dismissed as irrelevant. Because he was a man. So, perfect? No. Which made her even better.
He walked over to 33rd to the 2nd Ave Deli and got himself a booth. He wished he had a notebook or something, but it was more important to have the coffee.
As he waited for the waitress, he tried
like hell to organize his thoughts. The first option was to forget about Keegan. Leave it, ignore it. He had the feeling that’s the option Rebecca would vote for, despite her support. She’d tell him he was doing the sensible thing. But he rarely did the sensible thing, and this was no exception. It would bother him to the end of his days if he didn’t check it out to the best of his ability.
Second option, wait to see what Gary came up with. He knew his friend wasn’t infallible, the internet did not have every answer in the world, and the man had a very demanding job. If Gary was discovered looking into anything suspicious, such as the background of William West, it could be bad for Gary.
Jake got his coffee, but before he did anything, he took out his phone. It rang once.
“I don’t have anything else for you yet,” Gary said.
“Not why I called. How much trouble can you get in for doing this stuff?”
“A lot. If I’m caught. But I won’t be. And hell, now that I think of it, not that much trouble. I can always say I found something hinky and was doing my bit for the safety of our great nation.”
“Do not bullshit me about this, dude. It’s probably nothing. I’d really hate it if you were sent to prison.”
Gary laughed. “I don’t like you enough to go to prison. Stop worrying about it. I’ll call you.”
And that was that. Jake fixed up his coffee and as he stirred, it occurred to him that he had another friend who might be helpful. Well, friend was stretching it, but the breakup hadn’t been bad…hadn’t been terrible at least. Crystal was great, but it was tricky, her being a lawyer and then becoming an assistant district attorney. Thing was, she worked in the Investigative Division of the D.A.’s office. Writing briefs, but still she was inside.
He didn’t have her number any longer, but it would be better if he showed up in person, anyway. The one thing Jake had going for him was that he’d never been able to tell Crystal he was an undercover cop. Maybe now that he could, she’d understand why he’d been such a flake. If not, he’d play the sympathy card. She was a nice woman. It would bother her that he’d been shot, even if she had no desire to see him again.
So he’d go to her office. Ask to find out what she could about T-Mac, who was currently serving a life sentence in Sing Sing. He’d been part of the bust, took most of the heat after Keegan vanished and Luis Packard died. There was a chance T-Mac had some information on Keegan’s whereabouts, although it was a slim chance.
At least Jake was already in the city. But first, he called his old man.
“You still shacking up with that gorgeous woman?” his father asked.
“Doesn’t anybody say hello anymore?”
“Hello. You still shacking up with that gorgeous woman?”
“You’re a riot. No. She’s gone to work. But I’m gonna be a while. You doing okay?”
“I’m doing fine. The two domino cheaters are here with me, and everything’s just peachy.”
“Oh, God.” Jake lowered his head, not in the least ready to hear about how Pete and Liam were conspiring against Mike to ruin his game. This happened at least once every couple of months and had more to do with the wheelchair knocking over the card table than duplicity and revenge. “You can tell me about it later. You need something for when I come home?”
“No. Yeah. Cookies.”
“Chocolate chip or those oatmeal things?”
“Both.”
“Maybe you should learn another game. I hear mah-jongg is fun.”
“Hey, Jakey? Go—”
Jake hung up. Then he got the number for the D.A.’s office and made sure Crystal was there. The odds weren’t great that she’d speak to him, but he had nothing to lose. Story of his life.
THE LIMO WAS DIRECTLY IN front of the building, in the red zone; a female chauffeur wearing a traditional uniform opened the back door long before Rebecca reached the sidewalk, and William West stepped out of the car.
He was in a suit; she was sure it cost a bundle, but it wasn’t anything special. Didn’t particularly flatter him, but that didn’t matter. He wasn’t on display in this dance. She was.
She smiled and took his hand, then slid onto the seat. A few moments later, he got in on the other side. She’d had just enough time to remember why she was going to this dinner. No matter what ultimately happened, the best information she had right now was that West was a perfectly legitimate businessman who might be willing to donate a significant amount of money to her foundation. Many, many lives depended on those donations, and it was her job to help those people. She would use whatever tactics she believed would get the job done.
That meant manipulating West’s attention. She’d be competing with the restaurant, the chef’s tasting menu, the unbelievably fine service and the wine. She had to be more fascinating than all of that, and she had to make him feel as if he’d win something big by moving on to the next stage.
Not her. That was never, would never, be on the table, and they both knew that. This parlay was more subtle. It was a conversation. A tease. All about timing. She couldn’t afford to think about Jake, about his instincts, about her feelings. Tonight she was fighting for inoculations, for clean water, for medical care, for food, for women and children.
“It’s great to see you again so soon,” West said. “I enjoyed the banquet, but this is even nicer, don’t you think? A chance to get to know one another.”
“It will be nice. I’ve been looking forward to it all day.”
“Good. I called ahead. The chef’s tasting menu tonight sounds fantastic.”
“You know him?”
He nodded. “We’ve crossed paths.”
“I didn’t think you got to the city very often.”
“Chef Keller travels to Las Vegas frequently.”
“Ah, of course.”
It was quiet for the rest of the drive, which wasn’t long. Then they were at The Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle, and she was being escorted to the fourth-floor restaurant.
As soon as they were inside, the mâitre d’ greeted them both by name. West walked behind her to take her coat. As it came away, she heard his soft gasp as he realized her dress was backless. Very backless. She allowed herself a tiny smile.
They were led to a window table with a gorgeous view of Central Park. She liked the restaurant, who wouldn’t, as it was owned and run by the chef of the French Laundry, but the nine-course meal, even with tiny portions, was almost more than she could deal with after the week she’d had. It would have been so much better to be at Jake’s place in Brooklyn, listening to his dad and friends, watching something on TV and eating a simple salad.
But she followed the rules of engagement. Nods at the wine, smiles and questions, letting him do most of the talking until the sixth course. She’d been judicious whereas West had been quick to refill his glasses of wine, different kinds, perfectly paired with each delicacy.
She excused herself, sure his gaze never left her back as she went to the ladies’ room. Once there, she relaxed. It was just as elegant as one would expect. Spacious, beautiful, quiet. When she returned to the table, she’d get down to business, and she would get him to commit to a dollar amount.
So far she’d seen nothing suspicious about the man. He wasn’t the most refined person she’d ever met but he wasn’t in any way vulgar. He had no accent, not even a trace of New York. His laugh gave her chills, though she hadn’t reacted, but she’d had to force her gaze away from his mouth more than once.
He rose as she approached the table on her return, then held her chair for her. As she was sitting, he bent in such a way that the light hit the edge of his hairline. That was when she saw it. A scar at his hairline, artfully masked by his dark hair. She’d seen enough face-lifts to know what she was looking at, and while it could be a remnant of his vanity, it might be something else completely.
As they continued on with little plates of perfect food, and talk swung to the endowment itself, she watched his face. Jake had said his jaw was differ
ent. Those scars were tricky, and not all could be hidden.
By course nine, she had him talking about five million a year for ten years. And she’d identified scar tissue just below his right ear.
That still meant nothing; half of her parents’ friends had had work done. Although she’d apparently been giving him the wrong signals by watching him so carefully. The way he looked at her now spoke of a deal that had nothing to do with charity.
JAKE HADN’T EVEN TRIED TO sleep. It was eleven-thirty and he was bone tired but he was pacing the house like a caged animal. He hadn’t asked her to call. But he couldn’t imagine she wouldn’t. She knew he was worried. The dinner probably wasn’t over yet, so he should calm the hell down.
What he needed to do now was prepare himself. She had a lot riding on this deal. No reason for her to believe everything wasn’t completely kosher, and if West had offered to give the foundation a ton of money, Rebecca would be pleased. And he’d be pleased for her.
Until proven guilty, West was nothing more than a victory for her and her foundation, and Jake could damn well keep anything else out of the conversation.
The TV was off, his old man was in bed, the place was quiet and Jake debated going to Midtown, waiting for her at her place. He dismissed the idea as beyond stupid, but man, he wished like hell she’d call.
He could call her. She’d know why. She was smart, she was amazing, she’d be onto him in seconds. And she’d think he’d gone from being slightly nuts to tin-hat crazy.
He thought again about his afternoon at the D.A.’s office. He had no idea if it was going to pay off or not, but in the end it didn’t matter what Crystal found out. He had already made arrangements with Pete to borrow his 1970 Barracuda. The car was the only thing, aside from dominoes and his friends, that Pete gave a crap about, and that he had given Jake the keys with no hesitation said a lot. That was one part of being home that had been great to relearn.
