“What about you?”
Thomas shook his head. “Not until I can come inside you again, but I want you sated before I leave here.” He backed her into the counter as he pulled up her dress. It was a flowy material so it wouldn’t wrinkle, and if it did, it wouldn’t be noticeable. Cat braced herself against the counter. “Spread your legs, honey.”
He slipped his fingers inside the edge of her panties. “You’re wet,” he said against her lips before he kissed her. She moaned and let her head fall against the upper cabinets as her eyes closed. He kissed her neck as he moved his fingers in and out of her, and her cheeks flushed.
“Come on, Cat. I need to see you. Open your eyes for me.”
She did as he requested and her stomach quivered. She was fighting to keep her eyes open. He tilted his finger to just the right angle and hit her G-spot.
“Ahhh,” she cried. “Thomas…”
He stroked her slowly through the orgasm and then kissed the top of her head. “I needed to see that, and it was beautiful.” When her dress was in place, he sucked her juices off his fingers. He tilted her face to his and gently kissed her.
“Good morning.”
When she touched his dick through his shorts, he gripped her hand. “As much as I want to lay you across that table right now, I need to deny myself.” He stroked his finger down her cheek. “I want you to think about that until Friday. Know that my little swimmers only get to come out when I’m deep inside you.” A loving smile spread across his face.
“So, you practicing self-control causes me to suffer. I see how it is, Dr. Gregory.” Cat’s smile was just as sassy as her tone.
“Or causes you to be happier when you see me on Friday.” He chuckled.
“Happier or hornier? You play dirty.” Cat laughed.
Thomas patted her ass. “Your breakfast is ready, and probably cold by now. Have a good day at work, and please, for the love of God, be careful.” He kissed her once again.
“I’ll call when I can.”
Thomas had been on shift for a couple of hours when Nathan walked in the front doors of the ER. Tuesday nights were pretty slow, and this one was no exception, so he was glad to talk with Nathan.
“What brings you here, man?” Thomas asked as he shook Nathan’s hand.
“Can we go someplace and talk in private?”
Thomas turned to the nurses’ station. “I’m on dinner break. Call Dr. Michaels if anything comes up.” He turned back to Nathan and indicated for them to walk toward the elevators. “I hope hospital food is okay.”
“Fine,” Nathan replied.
The men walked in silence until the elevator doors closed and they were alone.
“To what do I owe this visit?” Thomas asked.
Nathan’s jaw was ticking, and he seemed as if he wanted to punch something—or maybe someone. Thomas waited, but Nathan didn’t answer. “Look, man, thanks for bringing Cat home Saturday night. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble. I shouldn’t have left her there.”
“No, you shouldn’t have, but it was no problem to take her home.” Nathan’s tone was dry.
“Is that why you’re here?”
“No.” Nathan took a deep breath. “Have you seen Vanessa Harper in the ER?”
Thomas’s eyes widened. “As a patient or a visitor?”
“Patient.”
Thomas rubbed the back of his neck before he scrubbed his hands up and down his face. “Are you asking for official business or personal?”
“Does it matter?”
“Officially, you’d need to subpoena her medical records. I can’t discuss any patient due to the health insurance portability and accountability act (HIPAA), man. Personally, I can’t discuss any patient due to HIPAA.”
The elevator dinged as they arrived in the basement where the cafeteria was located. “Let’s grab something to eat and talk,” Thomas suggested.
They ordered their food and sat at a table far away from prying eyes and ears.
“What’s going on?”
Nathan looked around the room in a movement that appeared out of habit. “I’ve seen her, worked right beside her. I’ve seen the bruises. Hell, Saturday night I saw the black eye.” Nathan leveled Thomas with his stare. “Has she been treated in this ER?”
“Nathan, I cannot answer that. My hands are tied by law.”
“Dammit.” Nathan took a deep breath obviously trying to get a hold of his emotions. “Ok, say if a woman came in here with certain injuries, would you offer to get her help?”
Thomas leveled his stare back at Nathan as if he couldn’t believe Nathan would even ask that. “Of course. You know I would.”
“I don’t know you that well, doc. I’m just making sure.”
“You and I have one certain friend in common. We both trust that friend, so if he trusts you, then I trust you. His endorsement is all I need. I thought you felt the same way because Evan Riverton doesn’t trust easily.”
Nathan nodded. “Yeah, I feel the same way.”
“Tell me what’s going on with Mrs. Harper.” Thomas made sure to emphasize Mrs. in hopes that Nathan wasn’t going after a married woman.
“I don’t know. From the moment I saw her, I felt an attraction. But once I realized the woman I was looking at was married, I knew it would have to end at me just finding her attractive.” Nathan stared into space as if remembering something.
“She was jumpy around me, kinda skittish. I didn’t know what to make of it, so I told Evan, but he said that was just her.” When Nathan brought his gaze back to Thomas, his brows were furrowed and his face was red with pure hatred. “Then I met her husband and saw how he treated her. I know he’s abusing her, but she hasn’t or won’t do anything about it. Do you know why?”
The look in Nathan’s eyes told more than what his words had said. He was more than attracted to Vanessa. If there was anything Thomas knew about Nathan, it was that he was extremely protective of women, especially women in dangerous predicaments, and Vanessa Harper was definitely a woman in danger.
“Look, Cat is supposed to meet with Evan Thursday afternoon, but I’ve asked her to put it off until Friday when I can be at the ranch with her. Maybe you should be there too. I think it would be best not to discuss this here, but man, you’ve got to calm down before you have a heart attack.” Thomas cut his eyes toward some nurses making their way to a table close to them.
Nathan nodded and took a calming breath. “Is she going to help us?”
“I think she’s leaning that way, but I want to hear what she’s supposed to do and how this is going down. Evan needs to understand the conditions I’m setting for her to do this.” Thomas raised a shoulder.
“I’ve met the guy they’re bringing in. He seems okay. Ben knows him and says he’s good. Again, another one of those trust by association deals.” Nathan flashed a wicked smile. He took a bite of his burger then wrinkled his nose. “You eat this when you’re working? Dude, it is true what they say about hospital food.”
Thomas burst out laughing. “Sometimes Cat brings me food from a restaurant in town, but yeah, it’s not great.”
They finished their meal in meaningless conversation before Nathan left Thomas at the nurses’ station in the ER.
10
The week had flown by for Cat. She’d worked late knowing that Thomas was working, but the Redline Trucking account had been quiet since she spoke with Mr. Jones on Monday. There should have been a deposit, but nothing had shown up yet.
She logged off her computer and was walking toward the elevator as Mr. Jones came out of his office. “Ms. Livingston, do you have a moment?”
Cat looked at the time on her phone even though the look in his eyes warned her not to deny him. “Yes, sir.”
He walked to the far side of the desk with an attitude of authority that made alerts go off in her head. “I filled out a follow-up report on the Redline account. It states what you showed me on Monday and that I’ve discussed it with the client. I’m sure we won’t be having any mo
re suspicious deposits, so I’m closing the inquiry. Thank you for being so attentive, but I’ll be monitoring this account from this point forward.” The stern look on his face was meant as a warning. She’d seen him use it before but never at her.
“Yes, sir, thank you.”
“Thank you, Catherine. Good night,” Mr. Jones said, effectively dismissing her with a tone that was slightly less harsh.
Cat anxiously rode the elevator down the three stories to the ground floor of the bank. Even though it was still light outside, the bank was dark and gave off an eerie feel. She hurried to her car and called Thomas.
“Hey, honey.”
“I’m sorry I’m running a few minutes late. Mr. Jones called me into his office. Oh God, Thomas, it felt so strange. No one was around, and the hairs on my arms and neck stood up. I don’t know if I’m strong enough to do this.”
“Come on home. I’m at your house. We’ll ride out and talk to Evan, then you can make your decision. I’ll support whatever you decide.”
The only thing she thought about on the ten-minute drive home was Thomas, and he was waiting for her with open arms when she walked through the back door. She rushed into them so quickly he had to take a step back to keep their balance. Her face went directly into his chest and her arms locked around his waist. He enveloped her just as tight and kissed the top of her head.
“You’re shaking,” he whispered.
She pulled back and looked at him. “Oh Thomas, the look in his eyes was like a warning, and he was putting me in my place.” A shudder ran through her body. “He’s never looked at me that way.”
“I’ve got you now. He can’t hurt you. Are you sure you want to continue down this path?”
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared, but in my heart, I feel this is just something I need to do.”
“Then I guess your mind is made up.”
11
Cat changed her clothes, and then they drove out to the ranch where Mitchell and Evan Riverton lived with their wives. When they drove into the driveway, she noticed a Riverton Crossing police SUV and an unmarked car.
“Did you bring all of your notes? Whether you agree to do any more or not, they could probably use them.” Thomas asked as he turned off the car.
Cat chewed her bottom lip. “Yeah.”
Thomas opened her car door, and then pulled her in for a hug when she stepped out. “Honey, you don’t have to do this. It’s your choice. Do not let them guilt you into something you don’t want to do, got it?”
Cat nodded. “I won’t, but I know I’ll do it even if I know I shouldn’t.” A sad smile marred her face.
“I love you,” Thomas said before he kissed her lips.
“I love you too.”
Thomas turned them toward the door and knocked. Ginger opened the door and greeted them with a huge smile. “Hey, come on in. I think there are a few people here excited to see you, Cat.”
Cat released Thomas’s hand and hugged Ginger. “How was the honeymoon? What did the doctor say?”
Ginger giggled. “The honeymoon was fantastic.” She couldn’t hide the twinkle in her eyes. “And the doctor didn’t do the ultrasound because I just had one, but he said everything looked good.” The smile on her face was beautiful.
“Have y’all heard from Mitchell and Kayla?” Thomas asked.
“No, but I’m sure Mitchell is taking great care of her,” Ginger said with a saucy smile. “I guess they’ll be back tomorrow as planned.”
Thomas nodded and took Cat’s hand in his again. “So where is this little party happening?”
“Everyone is in the office. I was just going to take some waters back.” Ginger took several bottles of water from the refrigerator as they passed through the kitchen on their way to the office.
When the door opened, Cat took in the men scattered around the room. Evan was behind the desk with Ben and the secret service agent she’d met at the dance sitting across from him. Nathan was stretched out on the sofa across the room. She’d walked into many meetings and was never nervous. Why was she afraid to walk into this room? Because these men asked me to voluntarily put myself in a dangerous position.
“Cat, Thomas, thanks for coming out tonight,” Evan said. He leaned down to kiss Ginger. “Darlin’, I’m sorry. This shouldn’t take too long.”
“It’s okay. I need to work on an article anyway.” Ginger closed the door on her way out.
“Cat, do you remember Buck Anderson with the Secret Service? This is who you’ll be working with,” Evan said.
Cat looked at the man. He stood about Evan’s height but was leaner—all muscle with a menacing look. His dark hair was slicked back, and his jaw was covered in a dark growth of hair that was more than scruff, but not a full beard. So different from Thomas’s clean-shaven face. He wore fitted jeans and a collared shirt to give a semblance of business casual attire.
“Hello, Ms. Livingston. Pleased to meet you again,” Buck said, shaking her hand. His whiskey brown eyes were hypnotic.
“Hey, Cat, Thomas, good to see you again. I hope this meeting will go better than the last one,” Ben said.
Thomas’s concerned expression hadn’t changed since he arrived at the ranch. He shook Ben’s hand. “We’ll see.” Thomas turned to look at Nathan. “Hey man.”
Nathan lifted his chin in greeting. “We can talk once this is over.”
Evan motioned for them to sit next to Nathan on the sofa. “Ben, this is yours and Buck’s show. You need to talk to Cat and, apparently, convince Thomas that this is the best way to get what we need.”
“Thomas, technically you shouldn’t be a part of this meeting for confidentiality purposes,” Ben said as he looked at Thomas.
“Well, then you better find a loophole because I’m going to know what you expect of her.” Thomas nodded toward Cat. “You’re not putting my girl in danger, Ben. You want her, then you’ll deal with both of us.” His tone held a little piss and vinegar.
Ben nodded at Thomas and Cat. “You can stay, but understand this is all confidential, Doc. And, Cat, I don’t want to put you in any danger, so if at any point you feel you are, let us know, and this all stops. Got it?”
“She already feels that way,” Thomas said.
Buck looked at Cat. “Why? What’s happened?”
Cat explained what had occurred this week. “I had already filled out the report before y’all spoke with me at the dance. I wasn’t planning on telling Mr. Jones anything, but he walked into my office with a copy of the report, and I had no choice but to tell him. Now, I don’t know if I’ll be removed from the account.”
“Dammit,” Buck said.
“I’m sorry, but here’s the information I’ve collected this week.” Cat handed over her notebook. “You can tear out the pages and keep them.”
Ben leaned forward. “Cat, you didn’t do anything wrong. In fact, if Mr. Jones files that follow-up report, then Buck will be notified since he’s assigned to United Southeastern Bank, and he’ll be able to come in and investigate without any issues. If Buck isn’t notified next week, then we’ll know that Mr. Jones didn’t do what he was supposed to and will show that Mr. Jones willingly and knowingly participated in illegal activities through the bank.” Ben leaned back as he drummed his fingers on the arms of the chair. “This may work out perfectly.”
“If Buck isn’t notified, then what?” Thomas asked.
“Then Cat needs to continue what she’s been doing. Just from quickly glancing at Cat’s notes, it looks like all legitimate business deposits are made directly to the account in Birmingham, Alabama. The ones in question are the cash ones made in the other branches around Montgomery, Alabama, as well as Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.” Buck pulled his phone out of his back pocket. His fingers moved across the screen before he looked at Ben.
“The wire to the offshore account matches the cash deposits.” He turned to Cat. “Has a teller ever found counterfeit currency in any of their deposits?”
“Once the money leaves the country, how are they bringing it back in?” Buck asked.
“They seem to buy an awful lot of trailers via wires from the same dealer in Texas.”
Buck scribbled down something on the papers Cat gave him. “We need to check out that trailer dealer. Where are the trailers ending up? Are they registered?”
“Very nice bonuses are given quarterly to different people. Their Chief Financial Officer gets one every quarter as well as an AAJ Holdings, LLC. Same day, same amount,” Cat said.
Buck made more notes. “Where is the LLC registered? Who owns it? Sorry, just thinking out loud.”
“The LLC doesn’t have an account within my bank,” Cat softly said.
Buck writes again. “I think you’ve given me enough to start with. How am I going to meet with you?”
Cat looked at Thomas before she gave Buck her cell number. She cleared her throat and looked at Evan. “I don’t mind snooping around. Hell, I’m good at it. But I won’t put Thomas or Kayla in any danger. They’re the only family I have. Evan, I won’t do that.” Tears stung her eyes.
Evan’s eyes narrowed as he pulled on his lower lip with determination written on his face when he looked at Thomas and Cat. “We know how this town loves to talk. We’re going to need a cover for who Buck is and why he’s in town.” He chewed his thumbnail.
Thomas’s jaw ticked and his face was red. It was evident he was practicing his controlled breathing techniques as he cut his eyes to Evan. “She is not pretending to date this guy.” Thomas pointed at Buck. “I don’t give a shit what anyone thinks.” Thomas stood and walked toward Evan. “Get that fucking idea out of your head.”
Evan raised his hands. “Thomas, Cat just said she wants to protect you and Kayla. What better way than to pretend y’all aren’t seeing each other anymore—just in public. It’s the best way to get Buck around town. He can go into the bank without suspicion, go to the River Bar. She can make him blend in.”
Uninvited Visitors Page 5
