He leaned in close and kissed her again. Her enthusiastic response told him she felt more than she was letting on. If he pushed a little harder...
"Tell me, Lisa. Tell me you care," he whispered against her ear as he nibbled her neck.
"I do. I care. Oh, Bob..." She turned into him.
He'd won. Now that she'd admitted she cared, he could tell her.
He leaned back and took her hand. "There's something else I have to tell you."
"What? Have you been married before?"
"Nothing like that. I work in the fraud division of the FBI."
"Fraud."
He studied her eyes. He'd never known if she was aware of Roger's participation in their investigation. Right now, she was merely watchful, waiting on him to explain.
"I investigate schemes to bilk people out of their money. Shady investments...real estate fraud...whatever. Sometimes, the public gives us information."
She shook her head. "No. I don't want to hear."
She knew.
"Lisa, please. I have to tell you. It can't be between us."
"No." Her eyes were wide with fear and loathing.
"There was an investment group that targeted wealthy businessmen. Only...several of these men had a particularly resourceful counselor. He did more research. Came up with some things that didn't add up and approached the FBI. It was Roger."
She bolted out of her seat. "No!"
"He was assigned to me. The car wreck wasn't an accident."
"How could you!" She pounded his chest until he grabbed her hands and held them.
"Lisa, I'm sorry. We never knew he was in danger. The man we were investigating had no history of violence. It's just corporate fraud. Money. We never expected him to retaliate that way, and trust me, we were watching."
"Trust you? Trust you!" she screamed. "You took my husband and my little boy...my baby." She began to weep. "How could you do that? Why? Why are you here? What do you want?"
"Roger was a valuable asset...a friend. We spoke often of your family. I've been working the case to get a conviction. We're almost through, ready to go to trial. But I worried about you. I kept tabs, but I needed to see for myself that you were all right."
"You feel guilt? Is that what this is all about?"
"No! I mean...I want you to forgive me. I never expected to feel anything for you and Julianne. I just wanted to see that you were safe, and I hoped...I hoped you had gone on with your lives. When I met you, everything changed. I knew I had to tell you so nothing could come between us. I truly care about you. I want to be with you."
She shook her head. "I can't believe this. I almost...I wanted..."
"You want to make love with me. Lisa, I..."
"Get out!" She held out her arm and pointed at the door. "I never want to see you again."
"You don't mean that. I know you care about me, too. Roger wouldn't want you to be alone."
"So you're going to pick up the pieces? The man who got him killed? Get out, Bob."
"It's Bryce. Bryce Watson."
She shook her head. "Everything about you is a lie. Get out and don't you ever speak to my daughter again."
"Lisa..."
She stomped her foot and screamed. "Now!"
He backed away and slid open the sliding glass door. "I'll be back for you. I'm not giving up."
As he headed to the living room, Julianne came running out of her room. He set a small package on the coffee table then turned to her.
"What is it? What's going on?" Her wide, fearful eyes beseeched him.
He enfolded her in his arms and kissed the top of her head. "It will be all right. I'll come back after she's had time to think. Julianne, listen. You may as well know the truth. I knew your dad. He was helping me with something for the FBI."
"You're FBI."
Bryce nodded. "My name is Bryce Watson. The wreck...it wasn't an accident. Your mother blames me. I hope you can forgive me."
Her eyes widened. "Did you kill my dad and Jonathan?"
"No, but their deaths were a result of my investigation. They were targeted. I'm sorry."
"But you didn't kill them."
He reached for her hand. "No, Julianne. Your father was my friend." He glanced back at the balcony. Lisa could come inside at any moment. He needed to go before he caused her any more anguish. "I need to leave for awhile, but I'll come back. I hope you and your mother can forgive me. I'm truly, truly sorry."
Her eyes filled with tears, and she nodded.
Bryce took another look back at the balcony then at the package he'd deposited on the coffee table then left.
He'd never found it more difficult to close a door. It felt like the end. His chest ached, and his eyes burned with unshed tears. He jabbed the button for the elevator.
Well, God. I blew it again. I really need some help.
* *
Lisa stood on the balcony long enough to hear the door close behind Bob, or Bryce, or whoever he was, before she collapsed on the divan.
She sobbed until her eyes and stomach hurt with the violence of her weeping. When Julianne came out and sat beside her, she wiped at her face.
"Sorry, baby. I need a tissue." She looked at her daughter's tear-stained face. "Hey, what is it? Don't worry. We'll be fine. Come sit."
"Bob. I mean, Bryce. He told me."
"Told you what?"
"He told me he worked for the FBI with dad."
"He had no right." She pulled Julianne close. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. He shouldn't have done that. It wasn't anything you needed to know."
"How can you say that, Mom? It wasn't an accident. It wasn't Dad's fault. Someone killed him and Jonathan on purpose."
"It's all over, Julianne. You don't have to be afraid. If they wanted us, they'd have come after us long ago. Bob said...Bryce said the case was going to trial. We're safe, Julianne."
She wiped away a tear. "I know, but what about Bryce? What if something happens to him, too?"
A cold fear settled in Lisa's stomach. As angry as she was with him, she couldn't stand the thought that something might happen to him.
"We'll pray for him. Now that we know, we'll pray."
"Ok. Go ahead."
Lisa took a deep breath. She wanted to hurt him not pray for him, but she really didn't want anyone else to hurt him. "Father, Julianne and I come together in your name. I ask for your forgiveness because I haven't been relying on you. I haven't been a good witness to my daughter. I haven't shown her that you're always there...even when bad things happen. We ask that you protect Bryce and help him catch the people who..." She lost her voice and had to whisper. "...who killed Roger and Jonathan. We also ask that you show us what to do next. In Jesus' name."
"Mom, Bryce left a bag on the table by the couch."
They got up and walked inside. Lisa grabbed a couple of tissues and handed one to Julianne then sat on the couch and picked up the small gold gift bag.
She pulled the jeweler's box out of the box and frowned. It looked like a ring box.
"What is it?" asked Julianne.
Lisa opened it and gasped. A beautiful emerald-cut diamond flanked on either side by smaller diamonds. Tears cascaded down her cheeks.
"Mom, did he ask you to marry him?"
"No. I mean...I guess I didn't let him. He said..." she began to ball. "He wanted to take us with him."
"Are we going?"
Lisa shook her head. "I'm sorry, Julianne. I can't."
She ran from the room with the ring box clutched in her hand.
The night passed in turmoil. She cried. She looked at the ring. She paced. By the time the sun crested the golf course, she'd made up her mind. She would leave the ring at the desk to be returned to Bryce when he checked out.
She called down. "Did Mr...uh...Bob White leave a wake-up time?"
"Let me check." She heard tapping on the keyboard before the voice returned. "No, ma'am. He checked out last night."
"Last night."
"Yes, about 1
0:30."
"Did he leave any contact information?"
"No, ma'am."
"I see. Thank you."
She hung up the phone and glanced at the ring. What would she do now? Unless she called the FBI, she had absolutely no way to get in touch with Bryce. She didn't even want to, but she didn't want to hang onto the ring, either. She shoved it in a drawer of her dresser and walked to Julianne's room. It was time for her tennis lesson. They needed to return to normalcy if they were going to survive. That and God. They needed God. She was going to read her Bible and go to work. Then she would think about what to do next.
After a week of wildly fluctuating emotions, she received a letter from Bryce. The only return address was the FBI. That didn't help at all. She certainly wasn't going to return a diamond ring to the FBI.
Her fingers hesitated over the envelope. Did she want to know what it said? Hadn't everything of value already been said? She was hanging onto her life by a slim thread, ignoring all the feelings he'd brought up even though she was praying and reading her Bible every day. She wasn't sure how much more she could take.
What if he gave her a way to return the ring? What if he said he loved her? He never had, just that he cared.
She hardened her heart. That wouldn't matter. There wasn't any way she could reconcile being with the man who had brought about the death of her family.
She tore open the envelope and read.
My Princess Lisa,
Not mine any more, I guess, but for a few days, you made my heart feel as if there was something more to life then endless chaos and deception. I suppose you find that ironic, considering how I came into your lives.
From the moment I saw you, I was drawn to all you are. Not just your beauty, that's such a small portion of the real you. I enjoyed your wit, your consideration for others, your selfless love for Julianne. I enjoyed watching you ponder life around you, really think things through before you responded. Yet, I have to admit, it was thrilling when you took one look at me and leaped into the unknown.
If you could have known how fast my heart was beating as you struggled against your attraction for me that first day. Would you run away or could you embrace what I was offering?
At the time, I had no idea I was offering you my heart, but that's what happened. You and Julianne let me into your world and made me want all that you are. That hasn't changed, if anything, I want it more.
You don't know this, but Roger gave me a Bible one day. We spent a lot of time talking about what mattered in life: God, you, Julianne and Jonathan...relationship, really. He opened my eyes. I wanted to understand the faith he had.
I didn't get it until now. I've been reading that Bible. I realized there wasn't anything I could do to change who I was. I totally blew it with you. I was so consumed with how I felt about you that I didn't treat you the way God wanted me to. I didn't realize that He's the only thing that can make me whole. I've made that decision, the one that truly matters. I asked God to forgive me for my sins and come into my life. I hope one day you can forgive me, too.
I've included a letter for Julianne. If you think it's all right, please give it to her. I don't want to upset her any more than I have.
Bryce Watson
PS My parents and my sister sure wish they could meet you and Julianne. Maybe someday...I'm praying.
She sat on the end of her bed and stared out the window. He still wanted to be with them, but he hadn't said he loved her. And she still didn't know what she wanted. Except that she and Julianne couldn't hide away in the resort any longer. Summer was almost over. Perhaps she could get another teaching job. They could move. Was that running away?
Maybe. But it gave her hope to start over. Without Roger and Jonathan. Without Bryce.
She quickly read Julianne's letter and heaved a deep sigh. Her daughter's moping eyes taunted her thoughts. She hadn't been the same since Bryce left. She went through each day like a little robot. Even the enjoyment of her tennis had evaporated. It would be wrong not to let Julianne know that Bryce truly cared for her and was still thinking of her.
Why was it that Julianne found it so much easier to forgive Bryce than she did?
Even though it had been eighteen months since the accident, Lisa still ached with the desire to hold her baby and her husband in her arms. The five years she'd been with Roger had been good years. She didn't know how to let go. And finding out that their deaths weren't an accident just made it all so fresh in her mind. It was like starting the grieving process all over again. Thanks to Bryce.
Would she have rather not known?
She'd been reading her Bible again. Keeping things hidden wasn't something she thought God would support. No relationship based on a lie could survive.
But that brought up a more nagging question. The fact that she had even considered whether or not she wanted to know the truth made her confront her feelings for Bryce. She didn't hate him. She'd wanted to, but that just didn't mesh with the man she knew him to be. He hadn't sought to destroy her world. The whole thing was an unfortunate nightmare she wanted to step out of. She'd have never met Bryce if she hadn't lost Roger and Jonathan. The two events were inescapably entwined. And that was something she'd never forget.
Did she care about Bryce? He had made her enjoy life again. He'd made her feel special. She might have fallen in love with him, but not now. Once again, her empty arms reminded her of her loss.
* *
After a week of waiting, Bryce had to face the possibility that Lisa wasn't going to write him back...that she wouldn't let Julianne communicate with him either.
His heart wanted to believe that she hadn't written because he'd only given her an FBI return address, but his mind knew the truth. She didn't love him. By now, she might even hate him. And he missed her and Julianne so much, everything he did felt pointless.
He fingered his badge. Except for what he was about to do.
He held up the badge and his picture I.D. to the guard in front of the iron bars of the prison unit, and a buzzer sounded. He walked through, ignoring the unpleasant smells that assailed his nostrils.
Another guard led him to a closed door with a single double- plated glass window near the top. He opened the door and gestured for Bryce to go inside.
This was it. Retribution for Lisa and Julianne.
His heart hardened as he eyed the man in the orange jumpsuit seated behind the table. A quick glance at the other occupant of the room confirmed that the suspect had brought his high-priced lawyer. Just as well. He wanted this all neat and tidy with no legal loopholes.
He dropped his file folder on the table and sat in a chair.
"Mr. Cutter...you are a murderer."
"Objection!" shouted the lawyer.
"You're looking at federal time for the remainder of your life."
"Look here. My client came here in good faith. A murder charge has never been on the table."
Bryce opened the folder and took out pictures of the accident. Pictures of Roger's and Jonathan's lifeless bodies. "I think you recognize Roger Engles. Maybe you don't. He was crushed by an eighteen-wheeler driven by your muscleman. That makes you an accessory."
The lawyer opened his mouth, but Mr. Cutter held up a hand. "I had no knowledge of those events."
"That won't really matter to a judge or a jury of your peers. A man in your employ willfully murdered a man and a child, destroying a family. A perfectly ordinary family. Went to church every week, served in the community. How do you think that will look compared to you...a man who steals people's hard-earned savings? A federal fraud case coupled with murder." Bryce gave a bark of cold laughter. "You're right. The jury's going to love you. The judge will, too. At least, I won't ever have to spend my time looking for you again. You'll never get out of prison."
"What do you want?"
The lawyer held up a hand. "Not that we're admitting any responsibility."
"Right. No responsibility. You steal money from people who have money. Those who ca
n afford to lose some. Victimless crimes." Bryce pulled out a picture of Lisa and Julianne and laid it before the suspect. "This is Lisa and Julianne Engles. They lived. I guess you could call it living. They lost their home and had to move. They lost their friends, and even what family they have left resides too far away to help."
Mr. Cutter stared at the picture. His face revealed absolutely nothing when he looked up.
Bryce wondered if he'd lost then Mr. Cutter opened his mouth.
"I had nothing to do with the accident. Nothing at all."
"I don't think the jury will see it that way. You perpetrated a fraud and let me reiterate...a federal offense, and you had someone killed in the process of that fraud. You haven't got a prayer."
"You can't prove my client had any foreknowledge of the accident or any connection with the man who caused it."
Bryce pulled out the last photo, showing Mr. Cutter and the driver of the eighteen-wheeler together at a restaurant. "Reasonable doubt. I don't really have to place you at the scene. Do I?"
Mr. Cutter's eyes narrowed. "What are you offering?"
The lawyer spluttered, and Mr. Cutter held up his hand again to silence the man.
"I'm offering you a chance to make the lives of Lisa and Julianne Engles a little easier."
"This is preposterous!" said the lawyer. "You can't prove my client had anything to do with that accident and you want him to fork over blood-money on your say-so?"
"Ten thousand dollars," said Mr. Cutter.
"For the lives of a husband and child? I think you can do better. You certainly bilked Roger's clients out of far more."
"Fifty thousand. That's all I can get my hands on. My funds are...frozen."
"I think we both know you've got some set aside for a rainy day."
"If this is an attempt to trick my client into revealing hidden assets...which he doesn't have..."
"Relax. I don't care where your money is," said Bryce. "This is about providing for a widow and her daughter. You owe them."
"Gerald, you don't have to do this." The lawyer laid a hand on his client's arm.
"I don't kill people...ever. I had nothing to do with the accident. The driver was...an overzealous employee."
Would You, Could You Page 11
