Closing her eyes, she pressed her lips to his. The embrace was warm and tender, and shook him to his marrow. Shattered, he left her to get dressed. In his study, he called O’Connell. “Any news?”
“Purnell’s real name is Childers, and he’s a private investigator with an office in Rainier Beach.”
“Do we know who hired him?” William would bet his condo it was Torval. But he had no proof, and until he did, he couldn’t say anything.
“Not yet. But I’ve got a couple guys headed over to Childers’ place right now.”
“Good. Just remind them to keep their fists to themselves. Last thing we need is the cops involved at this point.”
“Do we have the green light to offer to pay the man for his services?”
William grinned, although he was sure it looked more like a snarl. “Absolutely. I’ll pay the costs personally.” Men like Childers, men for hire, had only one golden rule: Always take the highest bid. And this was one battle William wouldn’t lose. “There’s been a new development on my end as well. The photos were delivered to my condo this morning. Along with a blackmail note. I trust you won’t breathe a word of this to anyone?”
“No, sir.”
“I’m meeting with my father later. Please call as soon as you learn anything new.”
“Will do, Mr. Caldwell.”
Dani knocked on the doorjamb, ready to leave. He relayed the news to her. “Maybe we can nip this in the bud,” she said.
“Maybe,” William agreed, but deep down, he doubted it. Childers wasn’t the person behind this. Whoever was out to get him wouldn’t stop until he’d ground William and his career into the dust. And unless something radical was done, whoever was out to get him would win.
William’s father couldn’t protect him now, even if he wanted to. The CFF board would soon be clamoring to press charges of fraud and embezzlement against him. These photos along with the “evidence” mentioned in the letter would be just the excuse they needed to sign the execution order on his career. God help him if the cops and the arson team believed the so-called evidence.
A month ago, he’d never imagined being framed for embezzlement, arson, and attempted murder. Now he was picturing himself in an orange jumpsuit with “Bitch” stenciled on his back and a bull’s eye on his ass.
Chapter 17
Dani clung to Will’s hand and put on a brave face as they entered the office of the CEO of Caldwell Fine Furnishings. Bill stood looking out the large window of his corner office. His hands were clasped behind his back as he contemplated the view of his company’s campus, the waters of Puget Sound shimmering in the distance.
Bill turned, his face a mask of consternation. He indicated the informal seating area. “Please.”
Will drew Dani to the couch and sat next to her, their thighs and shoulders touching. The silence grew as neither man spoke. Was this some sort of challenge? Would speaking first indicate weakness? Whatever. She couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Sir, we, Will and I”—she glanced at Will, seeking his reassurance, which she received in the form of a tight smile—“received something this morning that could impact your company.”
“Did the fire department make a decision on the arson, Firefighter Harris?”
She tried to keep from flinching at the hard way he’d said her name, but Will must have sensed it. His warm hand covered her knee. “This isn’t your fault,” Will whispered.
“No sir. This isn’t a formal visit,” she said.
Bill frowned. Will placed the envelope on the coffee table and slid it toward his father, who sat in a chair across from them. “Dani and I went to a… uh, club last night. A photographer got in and took some photos of us.”
“Dancing?” Bill chuckled. “You’re not Fred Astaire, but surely you aren’t bad enough to endanger the company.”
Will swallowed hard. “No, Dad. This was a sex club.” Dani squeezed his thigh, offering what support she could. She couldn’t imagine having this discussion with her mother. Her heart stalled. But she’d have to if the photos got out, wouldn’t she? And worse, she’d have to have it with the captain, too. She closed her eyes against the disappointment on Bill’s face.
“Do I want to look at them?”
Will grimaced and Dani felt the sudden—hysterical—urge to laugh. But this was no laughing matter. This was deadly serious. “Will and I think whoever did this also set the fire, or at least is responsible for it.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, Dad. But someone’s out to get me.” Will opened the envelope and handed his father the blackmail note. “They want a million dollars, or they’ll release the photos and the ‘evidence’ of my embezzlement of company funds.”
Bill grabbed the note and quickly read it. “This is ludicrous.”
“I don’t have the money to pay.” Will stared down at his hand on Dani’s knee, anger and humiliation clear in the muscle jumping in his jaw. “If I resign right now, it might save the company from some of the backlash.”
“No.”
“But Dad—”
Bill rubbed his face. “I trust you, son. I know you didn’t do any of this.”
“The photos are real,” Dani said. Will cut her a shushing glance. “Well, they are.”
When Bill looked up, there were shadows under his eyes and his skin seemed paler than usual. The troubles at CFF were taking a toll on him. “I was young too once. I understand. Believe me. But how could you be so stupid, so careless?” His eyes narrowed on Dani. “I’d expect something like this from her, but not you, William.”
Will shot to his feet, his hands clenched into fists. “Dani’s done nothing but help our family. Have you forgotten that she saved Erica and Chloe? That she found Matt, who would probably have died in that fire? Don’t you ever talk like that to her again.”
While Dani agreed that without her influence, Will would never have had sex in a club, private or otherwise, he was the least stupid or careless person she’d ever met. “We were at a private club. Members are supposed to be vetted. No recording devices allowed. A private investigator entered the club under false pretenses.”
Bill seemed to perk up at that bit of news. He shifted his gaze to Will. “Did you find him? Did he say who hired him?”
“The security team is working on it.” Will circled behind the couch and rested his hand on Dani’s shoulder. “We’re trying to make a deal with the bastard. O’Connell will call as soon as they have a name.”
“Whoever did this is dangerous,” Dani said.
“And he wants to destroy me,” Will finished.
Bill crossed his legs and splayed his fingers over the arms of the chair, visibly forcing himself to relax. “Do you think Gordon has anything to do with this? His son was almost killed, and he was the one who pointed a finger at you regarding the purchase orders.”
Dani shook her head. “I’m not getting the impression that this is personal. Whoever is doing this wants Will out of the way. The blackmailer has probably been skimming money off the top for years, and no one’s noticed until Will started investigating.”
“Since this concerns both of you,” Bill said, then paused, clasped his hands and brought his index fingers to his chin. “How do you want to handle it?”
Will eyed his father. “The way I see it, there are only two options: I can go to the cops, and everyone will know about this, or I can cave and this will be our little secret.”
Bill picked up the phone.
“Dad. Stop,” Will said.
Realizing his intent, Dani grabbed Will’s arm. “You can’t give in.”
He checked his watch. “The bank is about to open. I’ll liquidate all my assets. It won’t be enough to settle the blackmail, but maybe it will give us more time.”
“If what Dani says is true, even if we had a million dollars in cash right here, it wouldn’t be enough to end this.”
“Then you have to let me resign. It’s the only way to save the company.”
Dani shoved to her feet, her gut gripped by a terrible sense of foreboding. She couldn’t let this happen. CFF meant everything to Will. “No! You can’t quit. You love this company.”
The banging of the door against the wall startled her. She spun around, shock making her jaw drop as all the Caldwells marched into the office. Will rounded the couch and drew her against him. She liked having him at her back, showing a united front.
“Did I just hear you say you wanted to resign? What the fuck, William?” Jamie’s voice boomed.
William dropped down onto the couch, bringing her with him. “Everyone, sit down, and I’ll explain.” He gave them the short censored version of what had happened so far with the arson, the embezzlement, and the photos.
Jamie shook his head. “I know you, William. There’s no way you’d steal from this company or put anyone’s life at risk. As for the photos—”
A lascivious grin on his face, Drew reached for the envelope. “Let’s take a look.”
“No.” Will glared and slapped his brother’s hand away.
Drew’s grin grew. “I’ll see them soon enough.”
“What…” Dani started, cleared her throat and restarted. “What do you mean?”
Caroline, who’d sat on Dani’s other side, patted her hand. “Caldwells never back down from a fight, Dani dear.”
“Mom.” William’s eyes widened and his nostrils flared. Dani’s heart started to race.
“We can’t let this bastard win, William,” Jamie said. “The only way to beat a bully is to fight back.”
Will’s arm tightened around Dani’s waist. “We can’t do that this time, Jamie. And you know why.” When Jamie just continued to stare at Will, his expression stony, Will tried again. “Look, if this were just about me, I wouldn’t care. But it’s about Dani too, and this will be far more damaging to her than to me.”
Caroline turned to face Dani and Will. Her eyes were soft with concern. “Dani, I know this will be hard for you. But the only way to invalidate this sicko’s plan is to beat him to the punch.”
Dani’s gut rebelled and she thought she might puke. That’s just what she needed. To upchuck on Will’s mother’s lap. What the hell. His father already hated her. What’s another parent?
Bill stared at his wife, his expression aghast. “You want us to release photos of our son and his girlfriend having sex?”
“Only the less-revealing ones. As well as the details of how William is being framed for the embezzlement.”
“Have you lost your mind, woman?” Bill bellowed. The deep red of his face had Dani worried. She sighed when she caught Chad’s eye. At least he’d be here to take care of his father if the man had a heart attack. Oh God. Puking on one parent, killing the other. Yeah, all portents of a very happy future.
Caroline smiled at her husband. “We’ll write up a press release, explaining everything about how this person is destroying two wonderful people and a long-standing family business. If we act fast, we can warn everyone we know about what’s coming. That way, it won’t be such a big shock.”
“You’re forgetting something, Caroline. He didn’t force them to go to a sex club. They went of their own free will.”
“And aren’t you forgetting something, dear husband?” Caroline’s smile was sweet, and her eyes danced with malicious humor.
Bill clamped his mouth shut and stared down at his hands. Dani glanced up at Will, whose head was ping-ponging between his parents. How had Caroline cowed her husband with just a few innocent words?
“Mom?” Tori said. “What’s going on?”
“Suffice it to say that in our younger years”—she paused while Bill snorted—“your father and I occasionally frequented similar clubs.”
“Eew!” Tori said.
Chad covered his ears. “Definitely TMI, Mom!”
“Well, we were children of the sixties…” When they still looked aghast, she said, “Oh, come on now. You didn’t think you were all products of immaculate conception, did you? Besides, I know for a fact that William isn’t the only one to have gone to a sex club.” Her gaze went from child to child, resting longer on a grinning Jamie. Erica squirmed in her seat, but Dani could see the hint of a smile on her lips. When Erica looked at her, Dani mouthed, “You go, girl.”
Will took Dani’s hand and brought it to his lips. “It’s Dani’s decision. She has more on the line than I do.”
She met his gaze, saw the concern in his soft eyes, and swallowed. “I can do this.” For him, anything.
“Think about it, Dani. You could get fired.”
“I know. But you and your family are more important.” Her eyes welled.
He gripped her nape and pressed her cheek to his shoulder. “Firefighting is what you love. I can’t let you give it up for me. We’ve been through this already.”
Jamie interrupted them with a polite cough. “Dani, I’ll do anything in my power to protect you. If they fire you, I’ll go too.”
“Jamie, no.” Dani couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Jamie would leave the fire service for her?
“So will I,” Drew said, his face grim.
“Me too. Although I’m not sure how that will help you. Most of the chiefs are just looking for an excuse to can my ass,” Chad said with a shrug and a smirk.
“See, you’ve got the support of at least three of us,” Jamie said.
Erica straightened her spine, looking regal from her perch on her husband’s lap. “Something similar happened once to a client at work. In her case, at least, the judge found the photos inadmissible because she’d had the expectation of privacy since she was at a private club at which members signed a confidentiality agreement. So any claim of conduct unbecoming could probably be argued in your favor.”
Dani’s heart swelled at the support and love surrounding her. This was the kind of family she’d always wanted. Her gaze landed on Bill. “What’s your feeling, sir?”
Leaning across the table, he took her hand. “I owe you an apology. I overreacted to the threat against the company. While it’s true that losing William would be the ruination of Caldwell Fine Furnishings, I neglected to consider the threat to your career. You and William are both adults, and what you do together is your business. Neither one of you could have anticipated what happened. And as my lovely wife pointed out, I’m the last person who should judge.” After a final press of his fingers, he let her hand go and sat back in his chair. “William has the full support of the family. I’ll fight the board if they try to fire him. And the boys are clearly willing to fight for you with the fire service. But as William said, it’s your decision.”
The tight lines around his eyes and the corners of his mouth had softened, the coldness in his blue eyes replaced with sympathy. “So you don’t hate me for corrupting your son?”
He chuckled. “Not at all. I’m rather grateful you managed to get that stick out of his ass.” Muffled laughter and snickers from Will’s family had her grinning.
“Hey!” Will growled, his eyes dancing with humor. He lowered his head and whispered next to her ear, “Speaking of sticks and asses…”
She choked out a laugh and shoved at his chest. Will’s phone rang, instantly turning the light atmosphere in the room to something thick and tense. Something almost palpable. He answered immediately. “Caldwell here.”
As he listened, his features hardened and the blue of his eyes darkened to a deep navy. “I knew it. Goddamn fucking bastard. Thank you, O’Connell. Good work.” He ended the call and tossed the cell on the table.
“O’Connell figured out who hired Childers?” Dani asked, alarmed at the change in Will’s expression. He looked like a killer out for blood.
“Torval,” he spat.
“The union guy?”
“The dead guy.”
“What?” she gasped, as did several others in the room.
“When Childers spilled the name of his employer, O’Connell sent a team to Torval’s home. They found him dead on his living room
floor, a bullet hole between his eyes.”
“A mob hit?”
Will shrugged. “The police will have to figure that out.”
Why didn’t he seem more relieved?
“Not that I’m happy a man is dead,” Dani said. “But doesn’t this mean we’re in the clear, at least as far as the pictures are concerned?”
William clenched his teeth and shook his head slowly.
Dani’s breath caught in her throat, making her croak. “No?”
“He released the photos early. All the photos. O’Connell said the story is breaking news on every channel.”
She closed her eyes and laid her head on Will’s shoulder. “So much for us managing the discussion.”
He sighed. “Yeah.”
The hits just kept on coming.
Eyes on the buffed linoleum floor, Dani sat in Captain Starling’s office, waiting for him to get off the phone. The chiefs were deciding upon her fate, and any moment, a pronouncement would be made.
She tapped her foot, shifted in her seat, and swiped at the sweat filming her forehead. Jamie had insisted on staying with her, but she’d made him leave. It was humiliating enough to have the captain see her fall apart, without Jamie—her boss, her friend, and her boyfriend’s brother—witnessing it too.
The day the photos had hit the news had been a very real nightmare. Reporters had swarmed them outside Caldwell Fine Furnishings. More had camped in front of Will’s building. A few had even knocked on his door. Neither Will’s family nor her own had escaped their pursuit. Her mother had called in tears and begged Dani to leave that “dirty man.” When Dani had explained that Will had been her guest, her mother had hung up the phone.
Worse still, the fire service hadn’t been spared. Headquarters had been besieged with hundreds of calls from outraged citizens demanding she be fired. Firefighters were heroes and role models. What did this sort of behavior say to children? It seemed all of her commendations were forgotten, even tainted, by her sexual choices.
Everything Bared (Six-Alarm Sexy) Page 28
