“You don’t have to do this,” he said. “I can find another way.”
“After you went to all this trouble?” Izzy pointed to the folders. “They have our name on them and everything.”
Skye smiled at him. “This isn’t about you, Garth. We’re sad because it’s come down to trying to ruin our father. It’s not a decision we’ve made lightly. But he nearly killed Izzy and we can’t forgive that.”
He nodded cautiously, not sure if he was being let off the hook or lulled into a false sense of security.
“You’ll take care of Dana?” Lexi asked as she signed the paperwork.
“Yes.”
Izzy looked up at him. “Does she know that?”
“It’s an ongoing negotiation.”
DANA SPENT MOST OF her afternoon poring over computer printouts. She was doing her best to find traces of Jed’s foreign deposits, which sounded easier and more interesting than it was. Fortunately, a distraction arrived in the form of all three Titan sisters walking into the command center.
“Look at you, all businesslike,” Izzy teased as they hugged. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
“Me, either.” Dana hugged Skye and Lexi. “I’m learning how to hack into computers. It’s not as fun as it looks on TV.”
The sisters pulled up chairs.
“Not that I’m not thrilled to see you,” Dana said. “But what are you doing here?”
“We came to give you a stern talking-to,” Lexi said grimly. “Dammit, Dana, what the hell is wrong with you?”
Skye frowned. “Lexi, don’t make her defensive. It doesn’t help anyone.”
“I’m pissed,” Lexi said. “In my condition, that’s not a good thing.”
Dana stared at them. “What are we talking about?” These women were her friends. They were never upset with her.
Izzy started to speak, but Skye shook her head. “I’ll do it,” she said. “Dana, we know what happened with Jed and we’re very upset and hurt that you didn’t tell us yourself.”
Dana sprang to her feet and circled behind the desk. “I told Garth not to say anything. I asked for one thing, but could he do it? Of course not. Typical man.”
“Garth is many things, but typical isn’t one of them,” Lexi said. “And it’s not his fault. We were being difficult about signing some papers. He needed to point out how serious the situation is with Jed.”
“By using me.” She was furious. He could have told them something else. Anything else. She looked at her friends. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to worry.”
“It comes with the relationship,” Izzy said. “Worry are us. Or something like that.”
Lexi still looked upset. “Dana, Jed is our father. You’ve been a part of our lives since we were kids. We have the right to know if he’s threatening you.”
“Why? It has nothing to do with you.”
“It has everything to do with us,” Skye said, standing and facing her. “We love you and don’t want anything to happen to you. If it does, we have a share of the responsibility.”
Dana held up both hands, as if to push them away. “That’s crazy. You can’t control what Jed does and you’re not responsible. I don’t accept that.”
“You must,” Lexi said quietly. “Otherwise you would have told us. You knew how we’d feel.”
Talk about a tidy trap, Dana thought, feeling both small and guilty. “I didn’t want any of you to be upset.”
“If he divides us, he wins,” Skye said. “We have to remember that. The only way we’re strong is if we’re together.” She stared at Dana. “We want you to promise that you won’t keep any more secrets about Jed.”
“I can take care of myself,” she reminded them.
“This is about more than you,” Skye told her.
“Did you get the we love you part?” Izzy asked. “You’re one of us. You know—family.”
Because that’s what they had always believed. Family. Was it possible?
Lexi struggled to her feet, then waddled over to hug her. “You’re stuck with us. You need to stop resisting. It’s exhausting.”
Skye and Izzy joined in the hug. The women holding her tight should have made her feel trapped. She should have been wanting to escape. Instead she felt warm and safe and loved. The emotion filled up a space that had been empty for so long, she’d nearly forgotten it was there.
“No more secrets,” she whispered, telling herself the burning in her eyes came from a lack of sleep and nothing else.
“This is so cool,” Izzy said. “Now let’s all go get matching tattoos.”
Skye sighed. “Someone hit her.”
GARTH WALKED INTO THE condo that night, took one look at Dana and knew his time of being confronted by the women in his life was far from over.
“You’re pissed,” he said by way of greeting.
She sat in the living room, dressed in jeans and a sweater, a glass of wine in her hand.
“Hardly a greeting to treasure,” she said. “Especially after I slaved all afternoon, cooking you dinner.”
The words sounded right, but there was something flashing in her eyes. Something that, had he been less secure in his masculinity, would have scared the crap out of him.
“You cooked?”
“I’m full of surprises.” She pointed to the chair opposite the sofa, next to a small table where a second glass of wine waited. “Have a seat.”
He shrugged out of his suit jacket, then did as she suggested. He reached for the wine.
“Are you going to poison me?” he asked.
“You mean go behind your back and do something you’ve specifically asked me not to do?” she asked, coming to her feet and glaring at him. “You mean upset people you’ve cared about all your life and then not even warn you?”
He winced. “They came by.”
“You bet your ass they came by. What the hell is wrong with you? First, you told them what happened with Jed, then you didn’t even have the grace to warn me.”
“I, ah, didn’t think they’d say anything. At least not that fast.”
“Because you’ve never met a woman before? Dammit, Garth, I had my reasons. I trusted you and you betrayed me.”
He stood and faced her. “Look, I’ll accept that I screwed up, but betrayal is going too far. I didn’t have a plan. I needed them to sign some papers and they were resisting.”
“So you sold me down the river.”
“That’s dramatic.”
“It’s the truth!” she yelled.
“It’s what had to be done. I thought we all had a goal here—to take down Jed Titan. At least that’s what everyone is saying they want. But when it comes to action, no one is showing up. I asked them to sign some paperwork to buy shares of his stocks. They resisted.”
She watched him warily. “Why would they do that?”
“For the same reason you will.” He reached for his briefcase and pulled out a folder. “I have the same thing for you. I’ll be buying nearly a million dollars’ worth of Titan World shares in your name.”
She jumped back as if he’d burned her. “What?”
“That’s what they said, too.”
“I’m not taking your money.”
“I’ve already had this argument today,” he said, rubbing his forehead. “Look, Dana—”
“No, you look. This is bullshit. It’s bad enough I have to live here, but I’m not taking your money.”
He told himself she was upset—that her complaint about living with him wasn’t personal. But he felt the sting, all the same.
“Then go back to your own place,” he said, his voice low and angry. “I’ll get you a full-time bodyguard.”
She stood very still. “That’s not what I meant.”
“It’s what you said.”
“I’m sorry.”
Two words he’d never expected her to say.
She drew in a breath. “I can’t take your money. I sleep with you. If you give me money, then I’m your whore.�
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“Dana, we have a plan here,” he said, doing his best to stay calm. “We’re trying to back Jed into a corner. Having him know everyone is buying into his precious company is going to seriously piss him off.”
She tucked her hands behind her back. “No. And while we’re negotiating—”
“Saying no and changing the subject isn’t a negotiation.”
She ignored that. “I want to go back to work.”
He tossed the folder onto the coffee table and swore. “Sure. Why not? Spend your day totally in the open with no protection. That’s smart. When the bullets come, what are the odds you won’t be the only victim? What happens when they take out your partner or some innocent citizen?”
She looked uncomfortable, as if she hadn’t thought that part through. Not that he was prepared to accept victory. He wasn’t that clueless.
“I’m supposed to be a deputy,” she snapped. “I want my career back and my life, as well. You don’t understand. You have a life, a place to go, people to see. Probably women. By the way, who else are you dating?”
If he lived to be five hundred and eight he would never understand women. “Who else would I be dating? Are you serious? When would this happen? If I’m not at the office, I’m with you. We’re sleeping together. Are you seeing anyone else?”
“Oh, please.”
That pissed him off. “So it’s fine for you to accuse me, but not the other way around? That’s fair.”
“We’re not talking fair,” she yelled. “You’re this rich, successful guy. We were in the society pages after Skye’s fund-raiser. My picture was in there with you. That doesn’t happen to me.”
He still didn’t understand the problem but was thinking wine wasn’t going to be close to enough. It seemed more like a Scotch night.
“I don’t control the press. I didn’t even know there were society pages.”
“Me, either,” she snapped. “So you’d better fix this.”
“Fix what?”
“Everything.”
They stared at each other. Tension filled the room. There was anger and frustration and something else he couldn’t figure out.
He had no idea what to say, so he settled on the truth. “I’m not seeing anyone but you. I wasn’t seeing anyone before I met you. I want you to sign the papers because it’s the next logical step in bringing down Jed. Signing them doesn’t say anything bad about you and when all this is over, you can sell the shares and give the money to the charity of your choice.”
He watched her watching him, trying to read her expression, but he couldn’t. For all he knew, she was going to pull out her gun and shoot him.
“I get that it’s frustrating for you to be stuck here. Going back to work is dangerous, not just for you but for everyone around you. Nick needs some help out at the ranch. You’d be fairly isolated there and probably safe. If you’re interested, I’ll ask him. But I’d want you to have a driver or a car tailing you on the trip there and back. It’s a long drive that would leave you exposed. Or you could stay there. Which wouldn’t be my choice, but as you’ve said, this isn’t about me.”
“Damn straight.”
He held up both hands. “I’m not trying to run your life. I just want to keep you safe. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.” He lowered his hands. “That’s it. You can yell at me now.”
One corner of her mouth twitched. “I’m not a yeller.”
“Right. You’re calm and diplomatic. An iceberg of emotion.”
The twitch turned into a smile. “You can call me Ice if you want.”
“Can I?”
The tension eased from the room, leaving them alone. Dana walked toward him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.
“I just want you safe,” he repeated.
“And Jed in jail.”
“I’ve always been a high achiever. Is this okay now? Are you going to turn on me again?”
She looked into his eyes. “I won’t turn on you. At least not for this.”
“At the risk of making you froth at the mouth, are you going to sign the papers?”
She glanced at the folder, then back at him. “Yes, but I won’t like it.”
“Duly noted.”
She stepped back, then slugged him in the upper arm. “Next time, keep my secrets.”
The place she’d hit stung like a sonofabitch, but he was a guy. He couldn’t rub it. “You have my word.”
“Like I believe that.” She sighed then went into his arms again. “Want to get Chinese?”
“I thought you cooked.”
“Like I know how.”
“That’s my girl.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THE DOWNSIDE of not being annoyed with Garth meant having to go with him to events like this one, Dana thought a few nights later as they circulated through a business cocktail party held at a large, fancy hotel. She wasn’t sure of the purpose of the party. Her best guess was someone had opened a new law firm, but she hadn’t seen the invitation. Garth had tried to explain but she’d glazed over.
Dating a captain of industry was time-consuming and expensive. She didn’t have anything close to the right wardrobe. Not that she cared about being fashion forward, but she didn’t want to embarrass him. Fortunately she and Skye were nearly the same size and her friend had opened her impressive closet for Dana’s borrowing pleasure.
“What are you thinking?” Garth asked as he passed her a glass of wine. “That you’d like to be anywhere but here?”
She looked around at the well-dressed crowd. At least it was an after-office-hours event that wouldn’t go too late and she’d been spared having to wear shapeware.
“That tomorrow I’m going to stand in front of the mirror practicing telling you no.”
He leaned in until his mouth brushed against her ear. “But I like it when you say yes.”
A shiver tiptoed down her spine and her skin broke out in goose bumps. He was good, she thought, resigned to being weak where he was concerned. Better than good.
She distracted herself by looking at the jewelry the other women were wearing and trying to calculate an approximate cost. The flaw in the plan was that she had no idea what your average diamond was worth, let alone twenty set in a fancy necklace. Or bracelet. Or in earrings.
She frowned. Talk about people with money, she thought, turning in a slow circle and taking in the sparkle. Jewels glittered from every direction.
“What are you doing?” Garth asked.
She stopped and discreetly pointed to an older woman in a black suit. “Look at that leopard pin on her lapel. Do you think it’s real? Are the blue eyes sapphires?” She frowned. “Is that the blue stone? I know emeralds are green, but isn’t there another blue stone?”
“You’re checking out the jewelry?” He raised his eyebrows. “Socialites everywhere would be so proud.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not checking it out as in I want it. I’m amazed at how much there is.”
“An entire industry survives because we like pretty things. Wars have been fought over diamonds.”
“You’re making that up.”
“You ever hear of blood diamonds?”
“No, and I don’t want to talk about them now.” She touched her simple gold hoops. “Skye offered to lend me a couple of things along with the clothes. I should have said yes.”
Garth got the strangest look on his face.
“What?” she asked.
“You’re borrowing clothes from Skye?”
“Do I look like the type to have a wardrobe suitable for this kind of stuff? I bought the dress for the foundation party, but I’m not spending a bunch of money on clothes I’m never going to wear again.”
“Would you let me take you shopping?”
“No.”
“It’s my fault you’re here,” he said, sounding almost reasonable. “It could be fun.”
“No and no. Not every shopping experience is like what happened in P
retty Woman. I don’t like shopping. Skye’s closet is great. Lexi’s would be better but she’s so damn skinny. Well, not now, but I’m not ready to settle into the maternity look.”
He glanced at her neck. “Maybe some pearls.”
“Don’t make me shriek in public. No pearls. No anything. I took that stupid stock because I had to, but that’s it.”
“I’d like to buy you something.”
“I could use a new handgun.”
“I don’t want you armed.”
She smiled and sipped her wine. “Too late. I already am.”
He dropped his gaze to her small handbag. “Seriously?”
The man knew nothing about women’s accessories, which wasn’t a bad thing. The handbag was way too small to conceal a regular handgun, but there was no need to tell him.
“You’ll have to wait and find out.”
He looked like he wanted to say something more, but wisely didn’t. Dana returned her attention to the mammoth ring on a woman walking by and wondered if the money wouldn’t have been better spent on the national debt or saving a third world country.
Not that she objected to pretty things, as Garth had called them. She wouldn’t mind a few little pieces that sparkled…one day. But they would have to be subtle and something she bought for herself. No gifts of obligation, although she wasn’t sure if she meant the giver would feel obligated or she would.
Husbands bought their wives presents, so that would be okay. Or an engagement ring. If she were ever going to get married, which she couldn’t imagine. Marriage was another form of surrender. Although plenty of people seemed happy doing it. She would have to be sure—more sure than she’d ever been in her life.
“Senator Davis is here,” Garth said, pointing. “I want to say hello. Do you mind?”
She took a step forward, only to have one of the servers passing by her trip and bump her arm. White wine splashed down, sprinkling Skye’s black pants with tiny drops.
“I’m so sorry,” the waiter said quickly, looking terrified. He reached for the glass. “Are you all right?”
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