A Little Harmless Lie

by Melissa Schroeder

  The brother though, he had been getting some notice. As Micah studied him, Petey offered him a cynical smile. He could see his resemblance to the twins, but he was more his father’s child. Cold eyes, hatred seeping from his every pore. He wasn’t cool-headed like his father. Instead, he had a temper that often got him in trouble. His father had been cleaning up his messes since high school, when he’d nearly beaten a fellow student to death. He enjoyed violence. As Dee said, he got off on it. He could only imagine how someone like that reacted to torturing someone. And Dee had heard it.

  He glanced down at his woman and smiled. Anyone looking would see a cool competent woman. But he knew. He felt all those little nerves that were simmering beneath the surface. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and take her back upstairs. That would have to wait though.

  They walked up the stairs to the restaurant. The moment her father realized it was her, Micah thought he might have seen a flash of recognition along with regret. Well, there was at least that. The brother sneered though.

  Dee stopped by the table. “I see you got the message.”

  Her father studied her for a moment. The look in his eyes, the cold calculation Micah saw there, made his blood ice over. He looked at her as if she were a specimen.

  “I didn’t think you would be clever enough to send an untraceable email.”

  Micah grunted his annoyance and she shot him a smile that calmed him. She was really something.

  “I’m a lot smarter than you ever gave me credit for.”

  “How do you figure that, sis?”

  The sneering voice of her brother had Micah curling his fingers into his palms, but Dee laughed.

  “I’ve always been smarter than both of you.”

  She was antagonizing them. Not a good idea in Micah’s book.

  “Really?”

  “I’ve held down jobs for the last ten years. Jobs my daddy didn’t get me.” She shrugged. “Not to mention that you guys couldn’t find me for ten years.”

  Her brother growled, but a look from their father had him quieting down. It was then that Micah realized the warped relationship here. From the look of it, her father treated Petey like he was an unruly pet. One he would kick out of the house if he ever crossed a line. Killing wasn’t the line, and that is just how strange the family was.

  “Won’t you sit down? Both you and Mr. Ross?” her father asked, but there was no doubt it wasn’t a request.

  She nodded and took a seat.

  “What do you want?”

  “Five million, in an offshore account.”

  For a moment, there was a deathly silence around the table. The only sound was the milling crowd, the slot machines…the music. Her father studied her for a long moment. Of course, neither of them said anything. Petey was the one who couldn’t handle it.

  “What the fuck, Marjorie? You turn us in, ruin your life, and now you want money?”

  She shrugged and looked bored. Micah wanted to shout with laughter. Her move looked so natural.

  “I realized a long time ago that there was no beating you. That’s why I left the FBI and ran. Losers. Of course, I would have been safe if you hadn’t had a man on the inside.”

  Her father’s lips curved slightly. “So you want money. Do you have the account?”

  She nodded. “If you hadn’t killed him, this would have never happened you know.”

  Her brother shook his head. “Bastard was stealing money. We had to kill him.”

  A sigh of irritation slipped from Rizzoli, telling Micah he had realized what his son had said. Of course, he assumed they both knew. But it wasn’t smart…proving Dee’s point.

  She offered a slip of paper to her father who looked it over and then handed it to his son. “Take care of it.”

  “Now,” Dee said.

  Her brother rose from his chair and pulled out his cell phone. “You were always a pain in the ass, Marjorie.”

  When they were alone, her father switched his focus from Dee to him. This Micah could handle. He hoped the bastard took a swing at him, tried something, although he knew her father was too cool for that.

  “What is your roll in this, Mr. Ross?”

  “I’m here for Dee.”

  Her father swirled his drink in his glass before taking a small sip. “I think it might be a little bit of payback on your part. After what I did to your business, I thought it might be the only reason you were around my daughter.”

  Micah offered him a smile, knowing there was nothing but animosity behind it. “If you think that, then you don’t know your daughter. She wouldn’t put up with an asshole bent on revenge. In fact, looking back, it was the best thing that could have happened to me. I ended up in Hawaii. And I ended up with your daughter in my bed.”

  The older man’s jaw clenched again, but Micah could tell he was pissed. No matter what, he was still Dee’s father and hearing about a man sleeping with her wasn’t something any father wanted to hear. Especially the owner of a BDSM club.

  “It’s done.” Her brother broke up the staring contest.

  “For my silence about your roles in the killing,” she smiled. “Not too much to pay, I’m sure.”

  Her father’s smile left Micah’s soul cold. “I didn’t say we had anything to do with it.”

  “Sure, Dad. You can fool yourself. Of course, the truth is both of you are too cowardly to admit to doing it, let alone doing it. What I remember from my childhood was that neither of you did a thing. You ordered people about, but you didn’t actually do any work.” She tossed a sneering look at her brother. Micah looked at him, realizing that his face had flushed and his lip snarled.

  “And you. Hell, until he dies, you will always be his little boy. The one who couldn’t think without an order. I’m amazed you can even go to the bathroom without his help.”

  Petey bounded over the table at her, but Micah stopped him by grabbing his collar.

  “You little bitch. Of course we did it. It was easy enough and you know what’s the best thing? I enjoyed every fucking minute of it. Nothing like hearing Sam beg for his life while we questioned him. Dad might allow you this, but the truth is that someday, I’ll do the same damn thing to you.”

  Micah’s already frayed temper ripped away as the inner monster he kept at bay came screaming to take control. He took hold of the bastard by the neck and forced him down on the table as he pummeled him with the other hand. He enjoyed the sick sound of flesh meeting flesh, the way it felt to use his hands on the man. He hit the bastard for threatening Dee, but there was more to it. For everything he took away from her, for all the injustices done to her over the years, he couldn’t seem to control himself.

  A second later, LVPD swarmed the area, but Micah barely noticed.

  “Micah.”

  It was then that the red haze dissolved and he realized that Dee was tugging on his arm. Again. He looked up and noticed the police and FBI agents with their guns drawn.

  “Let him go.” Her voice was gentle, and he could barely hear it about the noise of the casino. But he could see her lips move, see the tears in her eyes.

  It took every bit of his power to pull back, to gain control of the monster that still clawed at his belly to escape. He dropped the little bastard on the table with a thud and moved away. One of the FBI agents smiled as Petey groaned.

  “Micah.”

  He finally really looked at Dee and realized she was as white as a sheet. He must have scared her.

  “I-I’m sorry, Dee.”

  Tears poured over and down her cheeks. “I was just so worried about you. You never know what Petey is going to do.”

  “You think I couldn’t take him in a fight?”

  She laughed. “Of course you could, but then Petey fights dirty.”

  “Ms. Rizzoli—”

  “Sumner. Her last name is Sumner.”

  The FBI agent in charge nodded. “I need to talk with you.”

  She nodded and pulled away from him. Panic clutch
ed his stomach.

  “Go clean up. I’ll talk to them and then meet you back in the room.”

  She leaned up and kissed him. “My hero.”

  She walked away.

  Conner watched Micah Ross and sighed. There were things that needed to be said, things that needed to be done, and he didn’t want to do it. Granted, Devon was her biological brother, but he had never been much of one.

  “You did a good job down there.”

  Micah pulled on a fresh shirt and tossed his hair over his shoulder. “I know.”

  He snorted. “I know we could have done it without you, but it was definitely easier with you there. I trusted you with Dee.”

  Micah faced him then. “Your sister said you didn’t have feelings for Dee.”

  Conner shook his head as he dropped into a chair by the massive floor-to-ceiling windows. “No. She reminded me a bit of Maura. It was hard to keep my perspective, but Marjorie…Dee was so lost. I just kept thinking of Maura, what we went through right after our folks died. I couldn’t imagine either of us getting through that on our own. Here was this girl without any connections of her own. What she thought of her life was now a lie. It would have been terrifying at any age, but she was young and had no one. Then that report happened.”

  “We were talking about that. Who wrote the report?”

  “Michelson. That bitch was after advancement, and she got it with that. I would have suspected her of being the mole, but she was too much into her career. Her whole family is in the FBI.”

  “Too bad she died while on assignment.”

  Conner frowned. “She didn’t die. She was wounded, but she survived.”

  Micah stilled in his action and looked at him. “She’s alive?”

  Conner nodded. “Yeah. In fact, I just saw her a few minutes ago.”

  “Fuck,” Micah said as he headed toward his door. “Where is the FBI? Who’s protecting her?”

  He rose and followed Micah. “What the hell is going on?”

  Micah picked up a massive knife and slipped it into a holder on his hip.

  “Whoa, Micah.”

  “Tell me.”

  “Not until you tell me what the fuck is going on.”

  “Dee said Michelson was dead. That your partner said she was useless to them.”

  For a moment, his head didn’t work, then everything seemed to lock into place. “That fucking bitch.” He started for the door.

  “Let’s get her. They’re a floor beneath us.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  It took about thirty minutes to finish up the recitation of what had happened. She was offered protection once she returned to Hawaii, and while she would accept that, she wasn’t going to change her name. She refused.

  Her brother was shaking his head. “Dee, you need to go into hiding.”

  “I can do that. But I’m not running again. Ever. I want my identity cleared up. I want to be Dee Sumner for the rest of my life.”

  Agent Talon stared at her and then nodded. “Considering the FUBAR of your last protection, it is the least we can do. I’m going to call my boss, get this all cleared. You’ll be all right?”

  “Devon’s here, I’m fine.”

  As he left them alone, Devon pulled her up out of her chair and hugged her. “I almost lost you again.”

  She scoffed at that and leaned back. “Not with Micah there.”

  “You really have that much faith in him?”

  She nodded. “I love him. What’s more, I trust him.”

  He sighed. “I guess I can’t forbid you to see him.”

  She laughed. “Honey, there isn’t a person who can keep me from him now.”

  “I think you might be wrong about that,” a female voice said from the doorway.

  Dee looked at the woman she thought dead and cold seeped into her veins. She couldn’t move, couldn’t even think. Apparently, her brother had no problem. He pushed her down behind a chair and started toward Michelson.

  “No Devon—”

  It was too late. Michelson shot him before he could do anything. He crumpled into a heap on the floor.

  “Jesus, you’ve been one pain in the ass,” Michelson spat out. “Come out or I hit him with another shot. This one will be in his head.”

  The calm tone told her that Michelson would do it. She wasn’t some hothead like her brother. No, this woman was like Dee’s father.

  She rose from behind the couch.

  “I can’t believe after all these years…” She motioned with her gun and Dee followed her directions.

  “I thought you were dead.”

  Michelson chuckled at that. The sound of it sent another icy shaft of fear slithering down her spine.

  “And that saved me. Hell, I had to have Petey shoot me in the leg to make it look good.”

  “So when John said you were of no use…”

  She nodded. “John had figured it out.” She shrugged. “I’d already decided he would have to die. There would be no way to get to him. He was a straight arrow.”

  “Of course he was. He couldn’t be bought like some dime-store whore.”

  Michelson walked up to her and hit her across the face with the butt of the gun. Pain exploded, stars forming before her eyes as she fell to the floor.

  “Shut the fuck up, princess. I might be bought, but I wasn’t cheap. I went for big dollars, and I’ve got enough saved up to disappear now. Of course, I have to tie up some strings…you being one. You thankfully took care of your stupid father and brother.”

  She stepped up and Dee rolled to her side to look up at her. The years hadn’t been kind to the agent. Lines had deepened around her mouth and her eyes were cold, almost desolate.

  This woman would kill her.

  Dee knew she had little chance, so she kicked her foot out, connecting with Michelson’s shin. She screamed out in pain and bent down. Dee rose to her feet. The years of training kicked in and Dee fisted her hands and gave the agent a swift right hook to the jaw. The force of the blow caused her to drop the gun. Dee punched her again, but Michelson had grasped the situation. She gained her wits and returned with a punch of her own. The power behind it threw Dee back and she tripped over her own feet. She hit the floor hard, the back of her head connecting with the tile. Stars formed in front of her eyes and she shook her head, trying to make them fade. By the time her vision cleared, the only thing she could see was the barrel of the gun. In the next instant it was gone.

  “Argh,” Michelson yelled out as Dillon grabbed her. Before she comprehended what was happening, Micah was there, pulling her off the floor and into his arms. His whole body shook as he enveloped her in a hug and then squeezed her so tight she almost lost the ability to breath.

  “Micah, Devon’s been shot.”

  He let go of her and looked around. It was as if he hadn’t noticed her brother lying on the floor in a heap bleeding.

  She ran to the phone, her head still woozy from the hit to the jaw. She dialed 911 as Micah checked out her brother. He grabbed an FBI shirt sitting on one of the chairs and pressed it against Devon’s arm.

  “He’s all right. He did hit his head on the way down, which is why he is unconscious.”

  She pulled in a long, shaky breath. Her head was still spinning and for a moment, she worried she would pass out.

  Agents and police now started to pour into the room, and at some point the EMTs showed up. Her brother woke up as they put him on the gurney. She breathed a sigh of relief as her vision wavered.

  She glanced over at Dillon, who now had Michelson in cuffs, and from the looks of the agents, they knew she had sold out one of their own.

  “Dee, are you all right?”

  She looked at Micah and was alarmed as the light started to dim around him.

  “I think I need to sit down.” And with that, her world faded to black.

  “She just had a blackout, Micah. Sit down,” Dillon muttered. She could tell he was annoyed, but did he have to be so damn loud about it?

/>   “Yeah, with your brilliant plan she was really safe.”

  “Listen, it wasn’t my plan, it was her brother’s, and none of us knew that Michelson was dirty.”

  At the mention of her brother, she said, “How is Devon?”

  She couldn’t open her eyes. Didn’t want to.

  Micah slipped his hand into hers, startling her a little. As usual, she hadn’t heard him. “He’s okay. Lost some blood, but going to be okay. Doctor said the bullet passed right through.”

  She sighed, relief coursing through her. She felt her whole body relax.

  “Can you open your eyes?”

  “I think it might hurt.”

  “Being a wimp, Sumner? Should have figured that you would be.”

  She frowned, drew in a deep breath and opened her eyes. The first sting of light wasn’t so bad. Micah apparently had made sure the lights had been turned down. The white walls told her she was at a hospital.

  “Why are we here?”

  “The doctors thought it best,” Conner said gently.

  “And since you’ve been out cold for about an hour, I would say it’s the smart thing. Not stupid, like trying to confront Michelson,” Micah said.

  Conner’s voice was gentle as if he was worried he might upset her. Forever the big brother. It was in direct contrast to Micah’s tone which was sharp. It should upset her. The man she loved should be trying to calm her worries. But instead it soothed her. If he was comfortable enough to be mad, everything must be okay. Plus, Micah was stroking his thumb over the back of her hand. The gentle caress reminded her that his bark was worse than his bite.

  She glanced at the former agent. “Thanks.”

  “What are you thanking him for? He almost got you killed twice.”

  She smiled. “It wasn’t his fault.”

  Micah snorted.

  “Could you give us a minute?” she asked.

  Conner tossed Micah an amused look. “Sure. The FBI wants to talk to you.”