Only

by HelenKay Dimon

  “I was told I’ll be lucky not to be subjected to criminal charges.”

  “I see the agency still runs by the same old rules, stupid as they may be.” It issued threat after threat. Bast found the tactic tiresome but beatable. “What do you need from me?”

  “This could be dangerous.”

  “You’re giving me a protective warning?” There was a surprise. They’d always met as equals, neither needing protection but both ready to do battle. “Interesting.”

  “We have a history.”

  “We do.” Talk about a delicate balance. She leveled accusations. They fought. They spent a lot of time together.

  She reached into her blazer pocket and took out a folded piece of paper. Pushing it across the desk, she began outlining. “I want out, my pension even though I’m not vested, some guarantee of safety, a buyout and a way to make a living elsewhere. There’s some other stuff on there.”

  Without opening it, he could see the markings of the blue pen and what looked like a list. “Fair enough.”

  Her head dropped and she watched her hands. “You need to understand that while we negotiate there will be a group of people sitting somewhere in a room running scenarios about whether it’s easier to kill me.”

  “I know.” He was not new to this horrible game.

  Her head shot back up. “And whether they can ignore the agreements for Elijah and Becca or need to take them out as well.”

  Bast saw the comment coming and braced against the flinch. “Loose ends.”

  “We know Todd was about to sell information that could have hurt a lot of powerful people, businessmen and congressmen. Some might decide maybe it would be easier if no one knew.” She shook her head. “I get that Jarrett has leverage but is it enough to save all of us?”

  It would be. Bast would make it happen. “Why did you ever work for this agency?”

  “I believed.”

  “In what?”

  Her chin lifted. “There are a lot of people there doing good work. Necessary work.”

  “But it only takes one dirty one to cause a tragedy.”

  This time she did smile but it never reached her eyes. “Then I guess you better do your job well.”

  “Looks like you’re officially a client.”

  • • •

  Kyra listened to the mumble of activity seeping through the walls from the club. Raised voices and hints of music. The familiar sounds should have been soothing but she looked across Jarrett’s massive desk and debated running off without opening her mouth.

  Racing over here seemed like a good idea a half hour ago. Sneak in the back hall, talk with Jarrett, go home. Simple. Then she sat in the chair across from him and her mind went haywire.

  They’d known each other for years. He functioned as a second brother to her, bossy and so sure he knew what she should do about everything. Many people viewed him as this Teflon millionaire who dabbled in the dark side, just on the edge of criminal life, but managed to look respectable on the outside. She knew him as the guy who helped her with math when she was a teen and sat with her for hours to pick the right graduate program.

  But he was frowning now. “It’s your night off, so why am I seeing you here?”

  “There’s something important I have to tell you, but you can’t tell other people or try to fix this or anything. Basically, I need you to not be you.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You just need to have the information.” If her life imploded and her father moved in, she needed Jarrett to know from the start she attempted to make it all right. “So, the plan is for you to listen and then wait before acting on what you hear.”

  “There’s no way I’m agreeing to those terms since I don’t even understand what we’re talking about.”

  She shifted in the chair, missing her robe and her evening of soup eating, and dove in for the kill. “I know it sounds weird, but I need you to help me but to do it my way.”

  “It?”

  “Please just go along.”

  “You’re not fighting fair.” He exhaled as he balanced his head against the back of his big chair. “You know I’m intrigued and know I will say whatever I need to say to figure out what’s happening.”

  “You can’t fix this. You can only be warned.” She ran her fingers up and down the armrest, comforted by the feel of the smooth wood under her fingertips.

  His gaze followed the small movement. “You have my attention.”

  Even though he technically didn’t agree, she knew he would honor her request unless he thought she was in danger. The nerves stopped firing inside her. She relaxed for the first time since her father walked out of her apartment.

  “Now I’m wondering what’s so important that I need to know whatever this is at ten o’clock on your night off,” Jarrett said.

  “My father came to see me.” As bomb dropping went, that was a pretty big one. She winced as she said it and waited for the yelling to start. Saying her father’s name in either Jarrett’s or Wade’s presence guaranteed yelling.

  Instead of nuclear fallout, Jarrett’s jaw clenched and his words came out strained as if he had a stranglehold on his control. “Now I see why you wanted the guarantee.”

  “And you gave it.”

  “I’m listening, so keep going.”

  When she realized the annoying tapping sound echoing in the room came from her fingers against the chair, she grabbed onto the armrest and dug her nails in. “He knows I work here.”

  Jarrett’s frown morphed into a feral smile. “Happy to hear it.”

  “Good God, why?”

  “Maybe that will keep him away from you for good this time.”

  A lightness hit her out of nowhere. She would have bet nothing could amuse her after that unexpected familial visit. “You think you’re that scary?”

  In a way, maybe Jarrett was. He had a reputation and a criminal past. She got that. Wade also told stories, many of them scrubbed clean for her hearing but all centered on Jarrett issuing an order of some type years ago that stopped her father. But last she checked, a bullet to the head from her father’s gun could stop even the formidable Jarrett Holt.

  “Actually, yes. And if I’m not, Wade is. It will only take one of us to stop your father.” The tension snapping across his shoulders suggested Jarrett relished the idea.

  For the first time in a long time she caught a glimpse of the power behind Jarrett’s suit. He always had time for her and treated her with patience and respect but the stern expression said he could use his bare hands to fight, if needed.

  “My father pretends Wade is dead.” A horrible fact that when added to all the other horrible facts made her hate her father even more.

  Jarrett scoffed. “Because Wade’s gay?”

  She doubted her father knew that piece of information. No doubt he’d see that as some sort of personal or family betrayal, because her father was that twisted. If he did know the truth he’d likely do more than disown Wade, and she could never allow that.

  “No, because he’s disloyal.”

  For a second Jarrett stayed quiet and the noises from the club poured through again. “Aren’t you in the same category since you also left the family business?”

  The question went to the heart of her secret. One she did not plan on sharing today. “You mean stealing.”

  “Among other things. Your father has been surprisingly enterprising since getting out of prison.”

  A cold chill blew through her. “You’ve been keeping an eye on him?”

  “Somewhat.”

  She knew that meant Jarrett could tell you what her father had for dinner last night. “Is that safe?”

  “For me? Yes. Him? We’ll see.” Jarrett’s gaze searched her face as he flipped his pen end over end on the desk. “So, what did your father say to you?”
r />   “He acted as if I took this job to help him gather information for his activities.”

  “Not a surprise.” Jarrett dropped the pen. “If that’s the concern, you don’t need to worry.”

  “You’re not?”

  “About Richard Royer? Not since I was about sixteen and too dumb to know your father consisted of equal parts hot air and stupid.” Jarrett’s smile came back. “Honestly, I have no idea how you and Wade turned out normal.”

  “Are we?” The tightness that had the room in its grip a second ago eased. Kyra had no idea what she said or what Jarrett inferred but whatever battle he was mentally preparing for, it looked as if he decided he’d won.

  “I’ll take care of this right now.” He reached for his cell.

  She had her hand out before he hit a button. “No.”

  One eyebrow lifted. Jarrett was not a man accustomed to being denied anything. “Excuse me?”

  “I told you I don’t need you to muscle in and threaten people.” She closed one eye and waited for him to lecture her on her delivery. He was her boss now, in addition to being a family friend.

  Instead, he shrugged. “But I’m good at it.”

  “You’re respectable now.” She didn’t even know what that meant but she’d heard both Wade and Bast say it, so she dragged it out and tried it.

  Jarrett made a face. “That’s a terrible rumor.”

  She refused to be sidetracked by his calm or his jokes. This was too important, and her father too crazy, to ignore. “I’m trying to figure out who is feeding my father information so I can stop the trail from your club back to him.”

  “Could be anyone. Knowing your father and his limited resources, he probably found out by accident.”

  Jarrett had a point. She had thought it herself. Her father’s crew had always been second rate. He didn’t inspire loyalty and tended to gather men who could be bought but not convinced to care. “Leave it to him to stumble over something that messes up my life.”

  “That’s consistent with what I know about him.” Jarrett held on to his cell. “Tell me again why I’m not resolving this for you?”

  “You can’t.”

  “You underestimate me.” His voice dipped to the deadly low range.

  Last thing she needed was for him to see this as a challenge of some sort. “I mean I don’t want you to. I’m going to ignore him for now.”

  “Wrong strategy.” Jarrett typed in his password. “We can tell—”

  She reached across and tried to take the phone but his reflexes had her grabbing air. “You are not going to tell Wade.”

  Jarrett didn’t dial. His phone hung from his fingers but that’s as close as he got. “When did I agree to that?”

  “Wade would kill my father, then we’d have a huge mess.”

  Jarrett glanced at the ceiling as if he were considering the cleanup. “No offense, but I’m not convinced your dad being gone would be a loss to humanity.”

  Father. She never referred to him as dad because that felt loving and sweet. Her relationship with her father left her reeling and raw. Forget that she’d never had dolls or the regular little-girl things. That stuff didn’t matter compared with the fact she knew, deep in her soul, he would sell her out for nothing more than a hearty lunch.

  That kind of man attacked when cornered so she needed Jarrett to back off. “We’ll see what my father does. If he makes a move and comes to me with some idiotic plan, and I’m not totally convinced he will since he’s afraid of you, then we’ll know what he wants from you.”

  “That scenario sounds as if you’re putting your body in the middle.” When she nodded, Jarrett’s jaw-clenching thing came back. “The answer is no.”

  “I’m an adult.” Some days she got tired of saying that. The men in her life should know and give her some breathing room. “I’m telling you this because I want you to know and be prepared. And if my father does something stupid, I wanted you to know I was never trying to scam you.”

  Jarrett’s mouth dropped open. He shook his head in what looked like shock before saying anything. “Christ, Kyra. I know that.”

  Relief zipped through her. If she’d been standing, her knees would have buckled. The circle of people in her life remained tight and closed and she rarely opened to include one more. Jarrett was one of the few. “I’m trusting you to keep my confidence.”

  Jarrett’s thumb swiped across the cell’s screen again. “Speaking of which, we need to call Bast and—”

  “No.” She knew Jarrett hated being interrupted and she’d done it twice, maybe more, since sitting down, but the word came out on a near-shout before she could stop it. The point was to keep Bast out of the middle. He wanted uncomplicated and she planned to give him that. Uncomplicated and sex.

  “Do you have a problem with Bast?” Jarrett sounded far too intrigued now.

  There was no way to answer that one without stumbling and stuttering and otherwise giving the whole deal away. “Lawyers? Come, on. Why add them to the mix? No Bast. No Wade. No interference.”

  Jarrett swore under his breath. Then he did it again. “I’m not saying yes to any of this.”

  “But you won’t betray me.”

  This time he pointed the phone at her. “The first sign of trouble and the next time he contacts you, you come right to me. You understand?”

  “It’s going to be fine.”

  “Kyra, you promise right now or I call Wade.” Jarrett shook the cell.

  “I don’t want this to blow up.”

  Jarrett’s arm dropped to the desk. He tossed the cell on top of the legal pad to his left. “Your father is known for fucking up everything he touches.”

  “I need everyone safe and your business protected.” She was almost pleading now but she didn’t care. The truth poured out of her and she couldn’t call it back.

  “I’ll take care of my club.”

  He made his vow. Now she’d make hers. “And I’ll take care of the people I care about.”

  THIRTEEN

  Bast spent the night working on Natalie’s case, going back over every document he used for Becca’s agreement with the CIA and the few redacted ones given to Natalie. He waited to take notes but now he had legal pads full of them. Connecting the dots and setting out a strategy took hours in the office and more at home.

  The next afternoon, he was out of meetings and ready to start making calls. Or he was until his assistant made her unexpected announcement.

  He let go of the intercom button and stood up. Out of habit, he rebuttoned his suit jacket as his office door opened.

  Then she came in and closed the door behind her. The she. The one who haunted his few hours of sleep and whose name lingered in his mind as he dressed. The same she who shouldn’t be in his office. But there she was in a sexy black skirt, similar to the one she wore to work at the club, and a slim black short-sleeve sweater that hugged every curve.

  She managed to come off as business appropriate and hot as hell. Blonde hair flowed over her shoulders and he could almost smell the fruity scent of her shampoo from ten feet away.

  He blinked twice but she didn’t disappear. “Kyra?”

  “Surprised?” With the flat tone and blank expression, she didn’t give anything away.

  “You could say that.” She took two steps and he noticed those bare legs. Her skin looked smooth and shiny, as if she put lotion on it.

  Damn, he’d be thinking about that all afternoon.

  His instincts yelled at him to go to her, but he refrained. If he dropped to his knees every time she showed up, he’d spend his whole fucking life there. He was an adult and needed to act like one. Especially here, in his office, where an entire staff looked to him for cues on appropriate behavior.

  “We have a problem.” Her tone didn’t change as she held her body tall and stiff.

 
That snapped him out of the seductive stupor. “What happened?”

  “Really?”

  Wade, Jarrett, the job, her work. The list of endless possibilities flipped through his mind but he couldn’t help until he knew the exact issue. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

  She walked over, stopping opposite from him on the other side of his desk and balanced the tips of her fingers and those sexy red nails against the desk. “You.”

  The look, the voice—it combined to pull his attention away from the topic . . . until she dropped the word and stopped talking. “I don’t understand.”

  “It’s almost two and you haven’t called.” Her head tipped to the side and her hair fell over her breasts.

  Anger swept over him in a heated rush. “Are you serious? That’s what has you ticked off?”

  He had a job and responsibilities. They had an understanding. They agreed on privacy and she walked into his office. That had to be a violation of something.

  “Very.”

  He dropped to a rough whisper to keep from yelling and bringing security running. “Jesus, Kyra. I’m at work here.”

  “I get that . . .” Her eyes narrowed. “Wait a second. You’re upset I showed up without permission?”

  Somewhere in the back of his head an alarm bell rang but he ignored it. He was too busy reeling from the surprise in her voice. “We aren’t playing house.”

  Her face fell. Tension pulled on every muscle and her mouth dropped. “Excuse me?”

  Trying to rein in his control, he concentrated on lowering the pen to his desk and doing a mental countdown from twenty. None of it helped. Truth was this could not happen, not today when everyone they knew would arrive within the hour.

  Rather than unload and risk lecturing, he pulled back hard and searched for calm. “We had a deal.”

  “Am I supposed to pretend I don’t know you?”

  “Come on.” The snap of her voice set his temper running wild again. He slammed the pen against the desk. “That’s totally different from refraining from walking in here off the street in the middle of the day and demanding attention.”