by Gina Drayer
“But I do need to see you, lay eyes on you. I need to be able to tell him I can get in touch with you. Come in and see me this afternoon.”
“That’s why I was calling. I might have some more information for you.”
“What did you find?”
After starting on Dylon’s books, Lee had been struck with a thought. Numbers sometimes lied. She’d set Dylon’s books aside and gone over the financial information she’d taken from Christian again, and found a lot more. There were things hidden in plain sight. The DA’s people just needed to know what to look for—and she knew how.
But the truth was, it had moved past convicting Christian. She was looking for a way out. She was done. She enjoyed doing Dylon’s books, making plans for the bar, building a life.
And then there was Dylon himself. What could she say about the way he made her feel, the magic of him touching her, making love to her? Nothing compared with that. Dylon made her forget about Christian, made her entire past irrelevant.
Fuck her old life. She knew what she had to do. So she agreed to meet Janet. She’d take in the documents, and have it out with the woman once and for all. She was done. This crap was dragging out and dragging her down with it.
It’s time to move on.
Dylon hadn’t liked it when she told him she’d be out for the rest of the afternoon. He especially didn’t like how vague she was about her destination. But he avoided the topic like always.
“What about work?” he asked as she got ready.
“Abbie is filling in.”
“She’s covering for you?”
“And I’m doing her taxes.” She stretched up to kiss his cheek. “It’s just a quick meeting downtown. It won’t take long. I’ll be back before the dinner rush.”
Dylon shook his head. “Fine, but if you need anything …”
He let the statement hang. The unasked questions hung with it, thick in the air. There wasn’t much she could do about it right now, so she buttoned up her tailored suit and grabbed her briefcase. They felt like relics of an old existence.
And what of that old life? What would happen when she went back to being Lee O’Brien? What would happen to her life here? To her budding relationship with Dylon?
Those thoughts filled her head on the walk to the subway. But they were just useless musings. She had to get through the next couple of hours before she could move on.
Lee walked into Janet’s office and dropped her notes on the desk. “Here you are.”
“What’s this?” Janet picked up the pages and flipped through them. Lee could tell they meant nothing to her.
“It’s the new angle I promised. You’ve been looking for something to use as leverage, something to put pressure on Christian. Well, I might have found it. I looked over my copy of the documents and found several things that can be linked back to Del Rossi,” she said. “If you use the company names as a key, you can decrypt the account numbers. Once I figured that out, a pattern developed. Several of the laundered accounts can be traced back to one parent company. A company Del Rossi owns. All the answers were hiding right there. Christian is damn clever.”
Janet looked concerned. “Your copy of the evidence?”
“You didn’t think I was going to give you the only copy I had, did you? And I’m glad I didn’t. The things I’ve marked provide a paper trail that will give you more than enough evidence to nail Christian to the wall and link him to illegal activities. I can’t believe your experts didn’t find this in all this time.”
“This isn’t the only case they are working on.”
“Yeah, budgets and all. Well, lucky for your side I work for free.”
Janet beamed. “Excellent. I’ll get these to the guys.” The woman motioned for Lee to take a seat. “Can I get you a coffee?”
“Thanks, but I’m not going to stay. I just wanted to give you that information.” The truth was she felt more in control standing. Janet could be intimidating. “And there is one other thing, Janet, I’m not going into protective custody. I am safe enough where I am.”
Janet folded her hands. “I understand that, but this case isn’t just about you and what you want.”
“Which is why I brought this to you and why I’ve given you plenty of proof. You don’t need me.”
“You’re an important part of this case. Without you, we have no chance of winning at trial. The public has the right to the truth.”
“Getting the truth out doesn’t require a trial, and you know it. You don’t care about the truth—all that matters to you is linking this case to Del Rossi. Those documents have more than enough evidence. You don’t need my eyewitness account of their meetings.”
Lee’s words seemed to hit home because Janet leaned forward, a worried look marring her normally cool expression. “I hope you’re not saying you won’t testify. The state can compel you.”
“So, what? You’re going to lock me up and command my performance. I’m finally getting back on my feet, and you want to ruin my life all over again.”
“I understand it’s frustrating, but we want justice, Lee. Just work with me.”
“I can’t do it anymore,” Lee said. “Until now, I’ve accepted the fact that you need my testimony. I have been willing to get on a stand and tell the truth, repeat everything I wrote in my deposition and defend it, if necessary. I didn’t agree to put my life on hold while you and Christian’s lawyers dance around each other. All this time, I’ve had to fend for myself. I’m done.”
“It won’t be that much longer.”
“It’s already been far too long, and my life has changed. I’m not the same girl I was a few months ago.”
“Changed?”
“I told you that I couldn’t move on with my life. I thought that was true at the time, but I’ve learned a lot about myself. I’ve met new people and been forced into new situations. I like my new life. I like the people I’m with. It’s becoming something important. I can’t put it, or them, in danger.”
“That’s why you should consider protective custody,” Janet said.
“No. Haven’t you been listening? Your desire to rip me away from that and put me in hiding will destroy the only good I have left in my life.” Lee closed her briefcase and picked up her purse, determined to leave this office and never come back. “I’ve given you more than enough documentation to make your case. If that isn’t enough, I’m not sure my word is going to help.”
“You’re being overly dramatic,” Janet said and came around her desk, blocking the way out. “Your friends won’t fault you for accepting our protection. I’m sure your friends and family would want you to be safe.”
“It’s complicated. If I don’t leave now, this will all go public, and everything in my new life will fall apart.”
“I’m truly sorry, but the process, the time it takes isn’t just something we decide. There are rules.”
“Well, the process and your rules suck. Besides, those damn rules keep changing. Hell, half the reason I turned Christian in is because I was taught that the rules are important and that people were supposed to follow them or they’d be punished. I thought that’s what your office was all about, enforcing the rules. But they certainly don’t apply equally. If he was poor, he’d be in jail by now.”
“Lee, don’t.”
“I can’t and won’t put up with it. So I’m out. I’m not your witness anymore.”
“Lee, you’re leaving me with very few choices.”
“I don’t believe that you need me as much as you say, and to be honest, it doesn’t even matter anymore. I’ve lost my faith that you’ll put him away, and quite frankly, I don’t care anymore.”
“If you leave, I’ll be forced to put out a warrant for your arrest.”
“Of course. But I won’t come quietly if you do that. I’ve left a letter behind telling my people why I came here. If you have me arrested, they’ll find that letter, with all my evidence, and take it to the paper. And then, when the case comes up, I’m
sure the defense would be happy to point out that your expert witness, the one who turned the evidence in, had to be forced to talk.”
Janet shook her head sadly. “Don’t let him get away with this, Lee.”
“Me? I’m the only one who's done anything to stop him. For months I’ve counted on you to put him away. I’m done. I need to move on with my life.”
She pushed her way past Janet, not wanting to hear any more excuses or promises. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Janet grab her phone. She would be giving her boss the news or maybe setting up the arrest warrant. She couldn’t let that happen.
She went straight to the elevator and was lucky enough to catch it immediately. In the lobby, she headed out the front door as quickly as she could without breaking into a run. It was strange thinking that someone might come after her, that she could be arrested. It was that thought that kept her moving.
She walked briskly for three blocks, then ducked into a deli where she bought a cup of coffee. She sat, sitting with her back to the wall and watching people through the glass window. A man sat on a bench eating a sandwich. A woman walked by carrying a Macy’s bag. There were too many people to focus on anyone, and she had no idea what she was looking for. Maybe there was nothing to see. But Janet had been upset, and Lee couldn’t count on her letting it drop.
As time passed, her concerns faded. She was being paranoid, making too much of things. This case was just one of many on Janet’s desk, not her entire job. Just because it overshadowed Lee’s life, didn’t mean that Janet would drop everything and come after her.
When she finished her second coffee, Lee caught the subway back to Bernadette’s—to her home. To Dylon’s powerful, warm arms where she was safe.
Chapter Twelve
Dylon paced behind the bar, watching the clock. Lee had been gone for four hours. Four hours. And he had no idea where she had gone or who she was meeting. Every time he thought about what she was doing, images of those bruises on her arm flashed through his mind.
He never worried about the other women he’d been with. He usually went out of his way to stay detached, but Lee wasn’t like other women.
He glanced up at the clock again and swore. She’d been gone for six hours. That was more than enough time to run an errand.
“You’re in a pissy mood,” Abbie said as she came up to the bar. “I figured once you two screwed, things around here would go back to normal. But you’re even crankier.”
“How do you know I slept with Lee?” he asked, not at all amused with the conversation.
“Oh, come on. Everyone at the party last night knows you two hooked up,” she said, rolling her eyes. “The heat coming off you two when you danced was clue enough. But then you both disappeared for the rest of the night. It doesn’t take a detective to know what happened. The bride and groom lasted longer than you guys. Was it not everything you hoped it would be? That’s what happens when you build things up too much. They never meet your expectations.”
“Not that my sex life is any of your business, but I’m pretty sure last night is going to end up in my top five for a very long time.”
“So why are you pacing behind the bar like a caged tiger?” Abbie asked, leaning against the bar. “Is it because your new bae took the afternoon off?”
“Do you know when Lee is going to be back?” Dylon said as nonchalantly as possible.
He wasn’t used to this caring shit. The last woman he’d cared about had had no problem disappointing him. Memories of his mother kissing him goodnight and saying she’d see him in the morning played in his mind. She’d be gone for days, sometimes weeks, and neither Roxie nor he would know when she’d be back.
“She said she’d be back by five.” Abbie looked up at the clock and shrugged. “That’s still another thirty minutes. She was headed downtown, that makes for a long day.”
He wanted to trust her. He wanted to accept that she was out and would be back soon. But the trouble was, he didn’t really know her that well. What he knew about her was enough for him to care and worry about her, but it was disturbing to realize how little that was. He didn’t actually know anything about her life before she walked through that door, or about what trouble was following her. Was she in danger, or connecting with a secret life?
“Did she say anything to you? About where she was going or who she was meeting with?”
“I think it was something legal. She mentioned a lawyer. Something about a case she’s helping with. She didn’t go into much detail,” Abbie said, shrugging it off. “I figured it was personal, so I didn’t pry.”
“I knew it.” Dylon slammed his fist on the bar, angry that Lee didn’t confide in him. “She is in trouble. Why didn’t she say anything?” Especially after last night.
“Have you met Lee?” Abbie said, raising an eyebrow. “She carries the weight of the world on her back. She never asks for help and insists on doing everything herself.”
“That’s exactly why I’m worried,” he said under his breath.
Abbie reached over the bar and squeezed his hand. “Lee’s not stupid. If she was in real trouble, I’m sure she’d say something.”
But would she? Her being so secretive about her past and his knowing that she was meeting with a lawyer had his mind working overtime. Lawyers didn’t get involved unless laws were broken. He couldn’t get the image of that bruise out of his mind. She hadn’t had any other injuries after that night, but then again, she rarely left the building.
That was what worried him most.
He kept imagining her beaten and bloodied, lying in a ditch somewhere. And here he was, unable to protect her.
“So about this meeting with the lawyer, what exactly did she tell you? I just want to know if I need to be worried.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Abbie repeated. “It had something to do with her old job. The guy she worked for got arrested for stealing money or something. She mentioned it once. He sounded like an entitled douche, but nothing to be worried about.”
“I’m sure you’re right.”
Dylon went back to prepping for the evening crowd, but he kept a close eye on the clock. She hurried in at a quarter till, with some excuse about the trains running late. He followed her into the back and took a second to give her a good once-over. The fact that she was whole and unharmed did a little to ease the tension, but he was still worried.
“How’d your meeting go?” he asked after she’d changed clothes.
“Okay. I think. I’m just glad it’s over.” She kissed him and tied her apron without further comment. “I’m going to relieve Abbie.”
Normally, he took his lovers at face value, especially if things progressed quickly. But if they stuck around for longer than a night, he’d get to know them, learning their likes and dislikes, their friends and family, past jobs, and places they’d lived.
The normal “getting to know you” routine.
Other than learning Lee liked extra olives in her martini and was close to an expert in bookkeeping, he’d learned none of those things about her.
But she’d found her way into his life.
She knew his friends and family; each of them was a doorway into his past, into who he was. A lot of what she knew about him made him uncomfortable, but that was part of building a relationship. Everyone had to face the unpleasant truths about the people they cared about. It was scary but inevitable.
That was at least one lesson he’d learned from watching the shine of new love wear off and disappointment set in with so many of his mother’s relationships. But then he thought about Cash and Kim. They’d had their troubles but had made it work.
He knew nothing about Lee. He assumed she had family and friends. He knew she’d had lovers, but for Dylon they were faceless unknowns.
Before, he would have looked past that. His passion for this woman would have been enough. He might not even have thought to worry, or perhaps would even have been intrigued by her mystery.
He wanted to insi
st she open up, but somehow he feared that tactic would just push her away. He couldn’t stand the idea of losing her before he had a chance to fully explore these feelings for her. It wouldn’t be fair to either of them.
Yet those same fears brushed against the scars of his past, and he couldn’t help but think he was setting himself up for heartache.
Something had been bothering Dylon since Lee had returned from the DA’s office. The tone of his voice, his posture, the rigidity in his body all told her that he was withdrawing from her, and she couldn’t figure out what had changed since that morning.
At first, she was hurt. Then, as the night went on, she wondered if something had happened that morning she’d missed. If her prior experience with men had taught her anything, it was that she wasn’t good at picking up on subtle clues. Maybe she’d said something. Perhaps she’d assumed too much about the sex last night, and he was worried she was going to become clingy or abuse their special relationship like Claudia had. Although she racked her brain, she couldn’t think of anything she’d done or any reason that Dylon should be unhappy with her.
One thing was clear: he was pissed about something. The normally carefree and fun bartender had been replaced with a sullen, moody hulk of a man that was scaring off the customers.
Every time she tried to lighten the mood, he grumbled under his breath and found something in the back that needed his attention. Sarah, the other server, gave him a wide berth, but when they did interact, he seemed calmer, more at ease. Clearly whatever was bothering him was aimed at her.
The sudden shift in his mood made her angry, but she tried not to show it. It’s not like she was a child. If he didn’t want to continue to see her, all he had to do was say so. She wouldn’t break. Lee had been fully aware of what kind of man she was jumping into bed with.
So, after closing, she resolved to talk to him. They had to work together, after all, and if he was going to react to her as if she were a leper, it was going to be hard.
With only a slight Wednesday crowd to distract them, they spent the rest of the night circling each other warily, like two predators. Lee kept busy with small tasks; the only time Dylon spoke to her was when it had to do with an order. As a matter of fact, he was making a concerted effort to avoid talking to her at all, purposely giving her drink orders to Sarah.
