by Hayes, Piper
Sweat beads on my forehead and my chest when I finally crash down onto the mattress, completely spent from making love to Blake. When we first slept together, I’d have called it fucking. That’s all it was. It was hot and physical and nothing more, but what we did tonight was so much more than that. I kiss his cheek and watch the happiness in his eyes as he turns to admire me
“Sometimes I think nothing in the world could make me as happy as you. Times like this, I know it,” he says. “I wish it were just the two of us.”
“What if it were?” I asked. I think about my father’s offer of a stake in Blake’s company. I think about what Alex said. I think about the FBI and everything else. “Let’s go away,” I tell him. “Let’s go to Italy. Or South America. Or the Pacific. We could make a new life for ourselves. We could get away from all of this. I mean it, let’s leave tonight. I’ll find my passport. We could be on a plane in a few hours.”
“And on a beach somewhere by morning?” Blake says. He kisses me. “I wish it were that simple,” he says, “but I have responsibilities. I have a company. You know we can’t just leave. That’s not even taking into consideration the fact that I’m now cooperating with an FBI investigation. If we run off, I could be a fugitive. I love imagining our future together, but you know we can’t leave.”
“Please,” I tell him. “It would be so much simpler.”
“What’s gotten into you?” he asks. “I told you. I have a plan. I’m working with Ben. He’s researching my leads.” As Blake talks, he twirls my hair around his finger. “Just give me a little time.”
“My father offered me part ownership of your company,” I tell him.
Blake sits up. “He did what?” he asks. His tone goes cold, and all the warmth in his eyes is gone.
“That letter I had when you came in the other day, it’s an offer for a small stake in your company, about half of what you sold to my father.”
“You can’t take it,” he says.
“I haven’t done anything yet,” I tell him, “but it’s my decision.”
“He’ll try to play us against each other, or he’s trying to use you as a buffer in order to protect himself.”
“Did you ever think that maybe he’s legitimately sorry or that maybe he wants to make up for my inheritance that disappeared after his company collapsed?”
“Why not write a check?” Blake asks. “Why make it a stake in my company? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” He sounds so angry, like I’m betraying him simply by having this offer.
“You make it sound like he’s buying me off,” I say. “I didn’t have to tell you about this. I chose to, just like I chose to wait before doing anything.” I sit up and reach over the edge of the bed for my clothes. I pull them back on and get out of bed. “He said he wants to make amends.”
“Does that sound like your father?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask him.
“After the way he’s treated you, are you really going to take his side?” Blake asks. “It’s a bad idea. You can’t get mixed up in all of this, Cat. It’s for your own good.”
“For my own good?” I ask. I’m sick of being treated like I can’t do anything for myself. I’m sick of being pulled in a hundred different directions at once. I open the bedside drawer. I pull it off its tracks and hold it high above my head before dumping the contents on the bed.
“What the hell are you doing?” Blake asks. He scrambles up
I reach down and find the flash drive he’d given me back at the loft. “If you don’t want me in the middle, don’t put me in the middle,” I tell him. “You talk about how much you wish things were different, how much you wish you could walk away, but you’re still hanging on to all of it. You give me the records you have on my father, and tell me I have the power to do what I want with them. What I want is to get rid of them.”
“Is that why you’re mad?” Blake asks. He picks up the flash drive and storms out of the room.
“Where are you going?” I ask.
“To show you how serious I am.”
When I get to the doorway, Blake is already stepping out onto the terrace. Through the window, I can see him race to the edge of the building. He looks over the edge. A chill runs through my body. Blake steps back and drops the flash drive onto the ground. He grabs a chair and smashes the drive underneath one of the legs. Then he picks up the pieces of the drive and throws them over the edge.
“What are you doing?” I ask him when he comes back inside.
“Proving to you that I’m serious about not holding on to the past,” he says. He looks around and adds, “have you seen my phone?”
“If you throw that off the building, you could hurt someone,” I tell him.
He laughs. “I need to make a phone call.”
“Right now?” I ask.
“I’m calling Ben to tell him we need to move the timeline up. You’re right. We need to put all of this behind us.”
“Call him in the morning,” I tell him.
“You’re right,” he says. “About your father’s offer, it’s your choice. I understand your choice either way. Just give it some time, ok?”
I want to tell him that I’m taking the offer, that I can be an asset to him, that it would give me something to do other than being a pawn in his game, but instead I just hug him. I tell myself that I just have to trust that everything will work out. I’ll give it some time, but I’m not sure how anything will change my mind.
“Are you and Ben really working together?” I ask.
“I’m even playing nice with your father on this one,” Blake says.
“I know how hard that can be,” I say.
“Well, it was a lot easier when I had leverage against him. If he finds out I destroyed the only evidence I have of wrongdoing at Carlisle Capital, who knows what he’ll do.”
“I said I wouldn’t get between the two of you, but I don’t see any reason why I should go out of my way to tell him about this.”
“Very diplomatic,” Blake says. “Maybe a boardroom would suit you.”
For both of our sakes, I hope he’s right. “Just promise me you won’t do anything rash,” I tell him. “I know you think you have to take everything on yourself, but Ben can help you. I can help you. In the right circumstances, even my father can help you.” As soon as I finish, we both burst into laughter. “We’ll see about my father,” I tell him.
We head back into the bedroom, and I pick up the mess I made when I tossed the drawer. Something tells me Blake’s mess won’t be this easy to fix, but at least for the moment, we’re on the same page.
CHAPTER 7
BLAKE
“I want to change our plan,” I tell Ben. “We need to accelerate the timeline.” It’s early in the morning, barely past seven, but already the office is a hive of activity. I had three meetings scheduled for the next hour, but I cancelled them all to talk with Ben.
Ben looks at me. He’s standing. He’s refused to sit down since he entered the office. It’s been like this since we made our deal. It’s like he’s sizing me up, trying to compete with me somehow. Neither of us has said it, but I know we’re both thinking about Cat, trying to wonder what she could possibly see in the other guy.
I didn’t sleep last night. I lay awake and thought about everything I’ve done, every little decision, every bit of luck that led me to Cat. She slept with her arm draped over my chest and her head against my shoulder. I could feel her warm breath against my skin. She had been quick to forgive me, but I knew she had been right. Or at least she had been right about me putting her in the middle of things. I had no right to do that.
As I stare at Ben and wait for his response, I think back to lying in bed with Cat. All I can think about was how I’d do anything for her, how I’d give up everything I have if only it meant a chance at true happiness. I wonder if there’s any way to explain that to Ben. I need him to understand that I’m not doing this for myself. I’m doing it for her. For us.
/> “I’ll tell you the same thing I told you over the phone,” Ben says. “These things take time. How long did you spend compiling all of this?”
“Years,” I say.
“And it’s barely enough to move forward. If this is going to work, we need a hell of a lot more than some shady business practices. I’m already taking a risk by considering your deal.”
“You and I both know that you don’t have anything concrete against me besides the information I’ve offered to turn over,” I tell him. “I’m willing to do that, but only if you work for me.”
“You mean for you,” Ben says. “I’ll do what’s in the best interest of the Bureau.”
“You’ll do what’s in your own best interests. I’m not naïve enough to think we’re buddies, and I’m not dumb enough to think you’re doing any part of this for me. So why don’t we just both admit that we want to protect Cat?”
“I’m not involved in prosecution. You know that. The best I can do is vouch for you.”
“So you’re saying I’m screwed?” I say. Ben laughs. In a different world, if we led different lives, I could see us being friends, but right now I just want him to do his job.
“It’s going to take months,” Ben says. “It’s just how complex financial cases work. Even then, there’s no guarantee that we get the guy.”
“What if we catch him doing something else?” I ask. Jacob Fletcher was a world class scumbag. The only way he had avoided trouble in the past was by paying people off. If he’s been vindictive enough to try to hunt me down, my guess is he’ll jump at any opportunity to get revenge.
“What did you have in mind?” Ben says.
Attempted murder probably. “Let him find out where I am. I guarantee he’ll hunt me down and do something stupid.”
“Do you really think this guy gives a damn about you?” Ben asks. “Is your ego really that big?”
“He’s been looking for my sister and me for a decade,” I say. “I’ve been able to pay off anyone who’s gotten close.
“What do you expect me to do, call him up and say I have you?” Ben asks.
“Something like that,” I tell him.
“You want me to tell someone who will tell him,” Ben says. “So I’ll get in touch with local law enforcement where he is and start asking questions about you, give them all the pertinent information. Is that what you have in mind?”
I smile. “It’s a good start,” I tell him. “The rest will be up to him.”
“Do you think he’ll take the bait?” Ben asks.
I know he will. The only question is what he’ll do once he knows where I am. Will he come after me? Will he try to find Alex? I don’t know. I’ll make it about me. I’ll draw him to me. I’ll find a way to keep Alex out of this, just like I’m going to keep Cat out of this. Dealing with Jacob is my responsibility. If Ben can help me, that’s fine, but I’m not dragging anyone else into this mess. Alex did everything in her power to get away from Jacob. I’m not about to use her as bait.
“If he thinks he’s found me, he’ll come after me. You won’t just need the finances to make your case. Chances are he’ll attempt something much bolder and much more personal,” I say.
Ben gives me a look. “I’m not exactly the head of your fan club, but maybe you want to give some thought to putting yourself in that kind of position.”
“It has to be this way,” I tell him.
“I’ll set it in motion,” he says. “We’ll monitor him. I’ve been talking with someone at Justice about your deal. We should have it together in the next few days.”
“Get him, and I’ll make sure you have everything you need on me,” I say.
I lead him out of my office and hope like hell that this plan doesn’t backfire.
When I get back, I ask my secretary, Edna to get Damien.
“He’s in the conference room. I know you weren’t to be disturbed, so I thought this would be the best way of dealing with the situation.”
“What situation?” I ask.
She pauses before speaking. She takes a sip of water and clears her throat. “Richard Carlisle is here, and he wants to speak with you.”
The conference room is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glass. At its center is a fifteen-foot long steel table ringed by a dozen ergonomically perfect chairs. Sitting in one of them is a man I don’t want to see. “Blake, how are you?” Richard Carlisle asks. His voice rings with false warmth. He gets up and holds out a hand.
“Still under investigation by the FBI,” I tell him. I close the door behind me and stand across the conference table from him. I’m not going to shake his hand. I watch as he lowers it to his side.
“Well, without my assistance, they won’t have much of a leg to stand on.” He grins.
“And all it cost me was every ounce of integrity I had,” I say. It’s hard to believe that this man is Catherine’s father.
“Cry me a river. When you came to work for me, you were poor. Now you’re rich beyond belief. You should be on your knees kissing my ring.”
“And yet I’m still standing,” I reply.
“For reasons that escape me, my daughter seems to think highly of you. For her sake, I’m extending both of you an invitation to a hunting retreat next weekend in Vermont.”
“I’ll discuss it with Cat,” I tell him.
“About Catherine,” he says. He leans over the conference table and stares at me. I can see too much of the whites of his eyes. “If you harm her in any way, I will not hesitate to come after you with everything I have.”
I feel a searing pain in my temples. I grit my teeth and resist the urge to launch myself at him. “Isn’t it a little late to play the doting father?” I ask him. “You can offer her your money, but don’t pretend you actually care about her. And if you have a problem with me, go ahead and say it. Don’t hide behind false loyalty to your family. You have no idea what that word even means.”
“You insolent little prick,” Richard whispers. “Just wait and see. I took the liberty of inviting a few old acquaintances from Carlisle Capital along for the weekend. I thought it might make sense to shore up accounts now that word has leaked that the head of the company is under investigation. Next weekend. I’ll leave the details with your secretary.” He smiles at me. “Sooner or later, you’ll have to learn that there are more elegant ways of getting what you want than just taking them.”
If the investigation has gone public, I can guess who’s to blame, and he’s currently waltzing out of my conference room.
“What the fuck was that about?” Damien asks when Richard’s finally gone.
“I don’t know,” I tell him shaking my head. “We have more important business.”
“What is it with you and him?” Damien asks.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“He came in here offering you an olive branch, and you told him to kiss your ass.”
“That was an olive branch?” I ask.
“As close to it as you’re going to get from him. I know you think you have everything covered, but you still need every ally you can get. Richard Carlisle would be a good friend to have, especially if you’re serious about his daughter.”
“You know I am.”
“Well, which means more to you, showing him up or making her happy?”
“What if they’re one and the same?” I ask. “He was the reason the FBI started investigating me in the first place.”
“As far as I can tell, he’s just trying to save his own ass. Selling him a chunk of the company for pennies on the dollar was a way to buy his cooperation for a while, but what happens when he decides he wants something more?” Damien shakes his head. “Play this one right,” he says. “Kiss and make up. Your girlfriend will thank you for it in the long run, and, who knows, someday, Richard Carlisle just might save your ass.”
“Now that’s something I’d like to see,” I tell him. I know Damien’s right about playing nice. I just can’t help it sometimes. I’m not going to chase
down Richard Carlisle and apologize, but I’ll make an effort to be civil. I laugh. “I guess I’m going to break the news to Cat that we’re going to spend a weekend with her father. Maybe I should let you do that.”
“You’re on your own,” Damien says. “She’ll be fine with it.”
“Yeah, me, Richard Carlisle and live ammunition. What could she possibly have to worry about?”
CHAPTER 8
CATHERINE
Stepping out of Blake’s car into the crisp autumn air, I wonder how in the world I agreed to this. A hunting retreat in November, in Vermont. It’s early afternoon, and the temperature is hovering in the mid-40s. By night, it will be below freezing, and there’s a good chance of snow. I can see my breath as I look up at the lodge. It’s an imposing stone structure, a ten thousand dollar a night rental with a dozen bedrooms and enormous lead paned windows that open to an imposing view of fields and mountains.
I wonder how long this building has been here, how many parties it has seen, how many breakups and reunions. Blake grabs the bags out of the back seat of his Porsche and strides up beside me. When Blake told me we had been invited to go shooting with my father, I thought he was joking. It took me two days to agree to this and another week to decide that it was for the best. It would be an opportunity to make sure my father wasn’t planning anything, and it would give me an opportunity to see if my father and Blake could manage to be civil with each other.
Hunting. When Blake told me my father had invited us hunting, I wondered which one of them had lost his mind. My father had always regarded hunting as beneath his station, a game for fat men in orange vests, but as we walk up the steps to the grand front entrance of the lodge, I understand what he was going for. This isn’t about hunting at all. It is about announcing that he has money again without appearing to throw it around.
