by Piper Stone
“I thought you might like. I doubt we’ll run into anyone we know around these parts.”
We walked hand in hand toward the restaurant, purposely strolling on the dock. “Thank you for bringing me here. I think I lose sight of myself sometimes.”
“Then I’ll rein you back in as necessary.”
“I’ll hold you to it.”
Being able to walk in public holding hands was special, something the majority of people took for granted. The restaurant was crowded as we walked in but luckily, we were seated at a table by the edge of the deck overlooking the water. Candles were lit, flickering and creating a romantic atmosphere. Soft music was playing, and the various fragrances of steak and seafood made my mouth water.
Blaise remained quiet until after we ordered a drink, his penetrating gaze all over me. Even his aura was powerful tonight. The man was in a take no shit kind of mood. “Was the asshole in your office about the murder or something else?”
“I take it you don’t like the man very much.”
“Have no respect for him. Even the tactics he used to get elected were unscrupulous, but the city was ready for a change and he sold them a bill of goods.”
“He can be a bear to work with, but yes, he was bucking for information. Seems Nick Fabios was more than just a business associate. They were friends.”
“That’s what I read. Did a little digging of my own. Made a few phone calls.”
I tilted my head. “You’re checking up on me?”
“I’m checking on the reason for these damn fires. There’s always a connection. You have to admit that the burns were too convenient. Two of them occurred in the middle of the night with no employees to worry about. The other happened in a manner that allowed them to get out safely. Only our team was in danger. I think someone is holding a grudge.”
“And you think that someone is the mayor?” I couldn’t help but put two and two together that I’d received a new threat just hours after Blaise had done some digging. More puzzle pieces to figure out.
He laughed. “Maybe not directly but I’ve been a pain in the mayor’s ass since the day he got elected.”
So I’d heard.
“Do you think there are any bad seeds in the department?” I expected him to lash out his response, but he shrugged, his eyes wandering.
“I think there are bad seeds in almost every company. Things happen. People sell out. Damn shame, but you hear about it all the time.”
“Okay, I’ll bite. What did you find?” As the waiter brought the drinks, I sensed Blaise was far more incensed than I’d realized. Absolutely, I’d heard his name mentioned in the mayor’s office by one of his staff only a few days before. And nothing that was said was positive. Meddling was a term used. I knew about his keen sense of smelling arson, but he’d pushed his own share of buttons, making his claim plausible.
He swirled his finger around the rim of his glass, frowning. “I did a little more digging into ownership as well as worth of the buildings lost. The land where those buildings were torched is much more valuable than the businesses ever were.”
“You’re thinking the owners wanted the insurance money to rebuild something else.”
After taking a swig of his drink, he crowded even closer over the table. “Or to sell the land outright. Think about this. The expense of demolition would have been significant, let alone the bad press for laying off hundreds of employees.”
I hadn’t really thought about this theory. “Not bad. What’s the connection together? I mean, you can’t honestly think there are three separate owners who just happened to think of the same demise for their properties.”
“No, I think there’s a connection and I would bet money this Nick Fabios dude is smack in the middle of it.” He lifted a single eyebrow. “Which could also mean that the dick-less wonder mayor is as well.”
“That’s a hefty allegation to make, Blaise.” Why the hell was I defending the man? Joseph was exactly as he portrayed himself to be. Uncaring. Selfish. Brutal. I shivered and clenched my hand around the glass. That he’d told me about his suspicions with Nick, then an hour later the man turned up dead was far too coincidental. The forced meeting had seemed so off the cuff, ridiculous to be called on the late hour. I could tell the mayor was... not scared, but over everything, as if he was sick to death of interference. I shouldn’t have gone to meet with him. If I told Blaise, I had the sinking suspicion he’d confront the mayor. That just couldn’t happen at this point. Not until I had time to sort this out.
“Call it a theory.”
“Have you said anything to the police?”
“They don’t need my shit clouding their judgment. It’s more important what you think and what you find.”
I shrank back. “I’m not the police either. I’m just the person gathering evidence. I have no doubt what everybody else thinks about me. The firefighters have made that pretty damn clear. I do know what I’m doing, Blaise. I’ve worked really hard to establish my career, to do something positive that will help the community and innocent people. I hope you can understand that. I’m not here to shut down any firehouse or get anyone fired. If the mayor has that on his agenda, then fuck him. I’ll fight him every step of the way. He wants all these great reports finished by the middle of next week, identifying who gets what equipment and who gets nothing.” I knew my voice level had increased by the way the closest tables were glaring at us. There wasn’t enough wine tonight to calm the woman who felt betrayed and all because she’d accepted a position.
“Whoa, you’re kidding me.”
“No, and you know, I want to make certain there’s new equipment on the budget. Without my report, no one will get a damn thing. With the recent fires, juggling has become difficult.”
He huffed. “Hate the bastard even more. We’ve been begging for equipment for two years. Mayor Zane knew that coming into the city. Yeah, some safety measures have been ignored. I’m not stupid, but the entire city council can’t take that out on all of us.” An exasperated breath slipped from his lips. “I suppose you’re going to file a report.”
“I honestly feel like I have to. I have no other choice, or the monies will be appropriated to another department. This whirlwind of a job just... Well, it’s leaving a foul taste in my mouth.”
“Yours and mine. Like he knew he could play you, use you, but why?”
I threw him a nasty look before rubbing my eyes. “Don’t judge me here, Blaise. Please. I’m trying to do my job, and everyone is pushing with a damn pitchfork. I’m only one person with access to a single administrator and trust me, she hates me too for the workload I’ve created.”
“I’m not judging you, baby. That’s not why I’m here,” he whispered. Everything about this man was so calming, but Blaise was right. I was being used.
“I’m sorry. The mayor does unnerve me. You can’t repeat this or so help me God, but I believe he has a hidden agenda. I really do.”
“Any idea what?”
I shook my head, trying to place the right puzzle pieces into the perfect slot. There were too many questions. “Not yet, but I’m damn certain going to find out. He got me up here and he has no idea what I’m made of. I know my forensics. I’m learning a hell of a lot about fires.” I could tell he was holding something back, information that was troubling him. “I know that look already. You dig into everything. Did you find something?”
Blaise tapped his fingers on the table before reaching into his back pocket, fingering a folded piece of paper. “I heard what you said before, trying to make any connections regarding the fires. I did some additional digging in the files. Came up with a few names you might want to check out. No idea if this means anything, but maybe it can help.”
As he handed me the paper, our fingers touched, creating a blast of current dancing up from my fingers to my arm and straight into my pussy. He kept his hand near mine, his thumb moving aimlessly across my heated skin. My mouth was bone dry, my nipples hardening and pushing through the t
hin material of my dress. Until he pulled his hand away, I was unable to think clearly. Exhaling, I took a quick look at what he’d given me. Some of the names meant nothing to me. “Thank you, but you’re already not one of the mayor’s favorite boys. I’d be careful.”
“Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.”
I sliced the tips of my fingers against his cheek. “That much I know about you. Here I am, just a girl who fell into a fascinating job.”
“You’re much more than that. Aren’t you?”
“What does that mean?” Suddenly, this seemed more like an interrogation.
“Your father was FBI and from what I read, you were headed in that direction. What stopped you?” Blaise reached across the table, fingering my hand. “I’m not trying to pry into your life. However, I’m not going to lie that when you rocketed onto the scene, I wasn’t the only one more than curious as to why. Your resume was impressive, but I knew in my gut there had to be more. By the way, the information was easy to find.”
I took a huge swallow of wine. I couldn’t be incensed. I would have done the same thing. “Yes, I wanted to be just like my father, but I couldn’t handle the extreme nature of the career. I learned early on that I just didn’t have what it takes. I withdrew my application and concentrated on other aspects including working with various law enforcement agencies and that was fine. I enjoyed what I did and felt like I made a difference.” The lie sounded far too practiced.
“Baby, what happened in one of the fires that bothered you so much? What changed you? That’s why you’re here. Isn’t it?”
“I already told you. I couldn’t solve a particular case. I couldn’t find the evidence against the... perpetrator. And yes, that did affect me. The bastard is still walking free. I know he did it. I know he planned the murder. I just...” I glanced toward the water, trying to allow the calming effects to change my darkened mood. He rubbed my hand, his thumb moving aimlessly across my skin and within seconds, my breathing was back to normal. “Can we just have a nice dinner?”
Blaise took his hand away, nodding several times. “They make a damn good steak here. Tuna is pretty good too, if you’re into that sort of thing.”
I heard what he said, knew he was trying to let it go. I’d promised him answers and here I was clamming up. I could hear my little voice laughing at me. When I finally had the courage, I blurted out the words quickly. “When I was in Atlanta, I had one friend who was always there for me. She listened when I complained about my job or some guy I was dating. She always had the right words to say to me. I have no idea how she did it, but she knew exactly the right thing to say to make me laugh. I think I spent more time at her place than mine. Granted, she had this huge back yard so her little girl could play. Amy was the sweetest little girl. So precious. The little girl didn’t have a care in the world. All pigtails and stuffed animals. Every time I went over I brought her a new stuffed bear or bunny. She loved bunny rabbits. Her mother, Stacy was her name, finally forbid me to purchase another one, but you know me. I snuck a few over from time to time.”
I didn’t have to glance at his face to know he was riddled with concern. His heavy breathing was enough. I clung onto him as if for dear life. I’d never told anyone the story, with the single exception of my father.
“Anyway, I loved pushing the swing for Amy, sometimes for what seemed like hours. She laughed the entire time. They were happy even though they were poor. They grounded me, I guess.”
He slid his hand back across the table, grasping my fingers. “Always good to have a wonderful friend.”
“Yes. She even tried to fix me up a couple times, just like Karen did.” I laughed, the sound bitter. Angry. “At least Karen was more successful.”
Intertwining our fingers, he placed his other hand on top, the caressing continuing.
“Anyway, I started working longer hours and we didn’t talk as much until one night she called me. God, she was hysterical. I drove over in the middle of the night. Her ex-husband, the deadbeat that he was, hadn’t paid her any child support in over two years. The courts were back involved, and he started threatening her. I was there to listen to her for a change, giving her what advice I knew. I had the freak checked out. He had a record. I honestly don’t know if she realized that when she married him. After a couple weeks, she finally took my advice, trying to make certain he never had anything to do with Amy. She also confided in the police what was going on. I’m not certain they believed everything.”
He merely nodded, his eyes never blinking.
“I was furious with the asshole. Even went to the place he was staying and told him off. I said that if he ever threatened Stacy again, I’d hunt him down like a dog.” My hand was shaking as I attempted to grab my glass, almost knocking it over. “I’m sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry about, baby. Take your time.”
I managed to take several sips without spilling it all over myself. “Everything was quiet for like three weeks. I never told Stacy what I’d done, but I think she knew. Women have this sixth sense about them.”
“That I buy,” he said with a lilt in his voice. “What happened?”
“I had a call from her. Another threat. I tried to calm her down, even saying that he’d done this before. Just give it time and talk to the court system. She took my advice and...” Tears finally hit my eyes and no matter how hard I blinked, I couldn’t stop them from running down my face.
Reaching over, he brushed his fingers across my cheeks before handing me his napkin. “Why don’t you stop. Okay?”
“No!” I sucked in my breath, my shoulders slumping. “You wanted to know the awful truth.” I said the words in a challenge then backed down, squeezing his hand. “The next night, I was told about a devastating fire. The asshole had... He’d torched their house. Amy and Stacy couldn’t get out and I...”
“Oh, Jesus Christ.”
I held my breath for what had to be two minutes, forcing away my tears. “I knew he’d done it. I knew it in my gut. And I set out to prove his guilt. I worked for hours, days collecting evidence, running tests, talking to officials. I spent so much time with fire investigators that I felt like I was close. I knew I was. Then everything came back negative. There was nothing connecting that man. That fucking murderer. Nothing. He was never charged and meanwhile, my friend and her precious baby girl died. They died because of me. Don’t you see? I’m a monster. I don’t deserve happiness. I don’t deserve a life. I don’t deserve anything.
“I. Am. A. Monster.”
Chapter Ten
Blaise
Damn the world.
I hated thinking the words, but at this moment, I could think of little else. She’d been harboring this guilt for years, almost paralyzed by her certainty that she was to blame for the horrific event. I blinked several times, shuttering several visions rolling like an unwanted movie into the forefront of my mind. I was shoved at least momentarily into my own past, the events similar enough that I was thrown as to what to say. What good could I be to her at this point?
“I’m sorry. That was too much reality right now.” She tried to pull away from me. I was struck how much I cared for her—how much I loved her. Fuck. Fuck! I was in love with this woman. There was no doubt, no hiding the fact, at least from myself. I held onto her hands, refusing to let them go. She was like my own personal lifeline at this point, even keeping my anger and resentment locked down. Seeing her tonight in a much more vulnerable state brought out the fighter in me, the man who would protect her from anything, including herself. Yeah, fuck it. Damn the world.
But I would find the right fucking words, so help me God.
“Baby, you’re the most wonderful, beautiful, and special woman I’ve ever met. What happened was a tragedy, but there was nothing you could do. I know these kinds of criminals just as well as you do. They have a screw missing, a desire to strip away everything good in life. This bastard would have found another way. You have to believe that.”
&
nbsp; “I don’t know, Blaise. What I do know in my gut is that I failed in my duties. I was in over my head. After that, I had no desire to become an FBI agent. None. Truth is, I didn’t care any longer. I hid from the world for almost three weeks, like a freaking coward. When I surfaced, I was a completely different woman. So yeah, I do blame myself.” Genevieve’s hand was shaking as she brushed a stray strand of hair away from her eyes, darting a look at other customers. “Look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have told you here. This wonderful location. An amazing dinner and I ruined it.”
“You haven’t ruined anything, but if you don’t want to stay around, that’s okay. We can go anywhere you like.”
She brought my hand to her lips, nuzzling her cheek back and forth, the slightest purr coming from her lips. “I do want to stay. I feel at peace here and with you. Besides, telling you was the right thing to do. I know that sounds crazy, but I feel as if a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.”
That didn’t sound crazy at all. Harboring my own personal guilt kicked my ass every day. “I’m glad. I wish there was more I could say to help you.”
“You just being here is all that matters. I was terrified to tell you.”
I finally let her go, finding and lifting my glass. “I’m not a romantic guy, Genevieve. I just don’t know how to be, but I’m glad you’re here. There’s no place and no one I’d rather have by my side.”
Allowing our glasses to clink, she took a sip yet looked away once again. “That’s why I never wanted to have a relationship. I think I never wanted to feel the pain or the fear. I gravitated toward my needs, locking out any emotional or real physical ties. Being a submissive for different men was all I could handle. You need to know that I never had real relationships with them, not in any traditional sense.”
“I’m not condemning you.”
“I know you’re not. I’m just letting you know as well as facing the truth. I played a part, dressing up, going to certain kink clubs, but as soon as I left, removing the clothes and makeup, I became a shell of myself again. Coming to Charlotte was supposed to be the change I needed. In a way it was. You’re the reason for that, not this job that seems to drag out the worst in people. I thought I could right my own wrongs, I guess. Stupid. Fucking stupid.”