Tied and True

by Marie Harte

  62 Marie Harte

  Lindsay still had a hard time visualizing Maclearn and Simmons in a passionate embrace, and she frowned away the image. That she had not needed to remember. Lindsay had been surprised, however, that even after she’d caught them kissing, Maclearn and Simmons had continued to pursue her. Lindsay was grateful they didn’t know she’d seen them together. She could only imagine how obnoxious, and even threatening, they might have become.

  She couldn’t have cared less if they were gay or even bi. But to “real men” like Maclearn and Simmons, apparently being labeled anything other than heterosexual was a bad thing.

  “Bring her in here so she can watch the show.” Simmons’s loud voice dripped with menace.

  Lindsay grew worried. He didn’t sound right, and Jared was out there alone. Granted, physically he could probably take on both Maclearn and Simmons, but men like the idiot twins didn’t play fair. And if they really were leaking information on government bids, they might be dangerous.

  “What show?” Jared asked after a moment.

  Damn, she wished she could see their expressions. Oh, to hell with this. Surely she could ride to his rescue. After all, she’d broken into Jared’s home, tied him to his bed, and had her way with him. Just thinking about what she’d done made Lindsay grin. She wasn’t about to let the idiot twins screw up her perfect weekend.

  Besides, Jared had bragged to them about sleeping with her, so it wouldn’t be out of place for her to be in his house, let alone his bedroom.

  Going braless and showing a bit of leg wouldn’t hurt for a distraction, but she drew the line at more than that. After a quick cleanup in the bathroom, she threw on her underwear.

  Flushing the toilet, as if that was the explanation for her delay in showing up, she sauntered out of the bedroom and down the hall.

  Tied and True

  63

  She pasted a stunned expression on her face as she met Jared and his “friends” in the living room. “Jared? I didn’t realize you and the id -- ah, Maclearn and Simmons, were friends.”

  To her relief, both Simmons and Maclearn looked completely surprised. Simmons couldn’t stop staring, his eyes flickering from her breasts to her bare legs.

  Maclearn whistled. “The mother lode.” He angled for a closer look.

  Jared gave her a brief glare, one that told her he was more than irritated that she’d ignored his instructions. Lindsay watched her lover change, ever so subtly, as he crossed to her.

  “I told you… ” he murmured and kissed her hard on the mouth, reaching up to cup her right breast. Not understanding why he would do such a thing after he’d told her he wouldn’t parade her in front of them, Lindsay struggled to be free.

  Jared laughed and squeezed her harder, and then pushed her from him with a disgusted look on his face. “You’re good, Lindsay. But a fuck isn’t worth the hassle. Get dressed, and get out. I’ve things to do with my friends, and you’re in the way.”

  Stumbling to find her balance, she tried to reason out his cold words as Maclearn moved to steady her. His jacket opened slightly, and she saw the handle of what looked like a pistol tucked in the side of his trousers. Oh, shi .

  t

  Her nerves gathered as she and Jared stared at one another; she understood what he was trying to do. Summoning some fake tears, Lindsay let them fall, adding to the dramatic scene he’d created. She needed to get out of there and summon help. Her defense moves worked well when taking an unarmed person unaware. But against someone with a gun?

  Jared watched her with a scowl. A sudden pounding in her heart told her what she’d refused to acknowledge for some time. She simply couldn’t imagine Jared getting hurt, even killed. Not when she’d just found him. Anger rose to the surface as she stared at Maclearn, then Simmons. A plan formed.

  64 Marie Harte

  Sighing heavily, she let Maclearn hold more of her weight and leaned into him, pressing her breasts against his chest. Fluttering her eyelashes, she dropped a few more tears.

  “Don’t cry, Lindsay.” He wiped clumsily at her cheeks.

  “Please don’t tell me you’re falling for the helpless-female routine.” Jared crossed brawny arms over his chest, his eyes frosty.

  Maclearn glared, suddenly “Mr. Supportive” as he hugged Lindsay. She could feel his erection prodding her thigh. Lust made a wonderful weapon, almost as good as a gun. “Shut up, Hunt. You don’t want her? Fine. She’s through with you anyway, aren’t you, honey?”

  Lindsay blinked and nodded, curling closer him.

  Simmons, however, stared at her suspiciously. “Funny, but for a woman who never gave us the time of day, she’s awfully chummy with you now, Dale.” He took a step in her direction, his gaze shifting from her drawn face to Jared’s bored expression.

  “Maybe that’s because you’ve always been so rude to me at work.” She saw Maclearn watching Simmons, waiting for some word on what to do. Lindsay pursed her lips as she stared at Simmons, realizing who was truly in charge of the situation. Maclearn might have the gun, but Simmons called the shots.

  “Rude?” Simmons looked surprised. “I’ve been honest, a lot more than you’ve been, you and your prick boyfriend.” He nodded at Jared.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve tried to be nice, but you’re always leering, always saying things.” Lindsay bit her lip, noting Maclearn’s breathing beginning to rasp as he pressed harder against her thigh. Ignore the disgust. “At least Dale is gentleman enough to see what a creep Jared turned out to be.”

  “A creep, hmm? Is that why you were crying out his name just minutes ago?”

  She couldn’t help the blush that stole over her cheeks.

  “She made a mistake,” Maclearn defended. “She wants to fix things, right, Lindsay?”

  Tied and True

  65

  “Right.” Shooting a glare at Jared, she prayed he’d follow along. Maclearn’s jacket flared again, and she urged Jared with her eyes to look down at his waist. But she needn’t have bothered. Simmons suddenly palmed a pistol, aiming it dead center on Jared’s chest.

  “Fine. You want to make things okay? Tell me what you know about Hunter here. The real man behind the scenes. And while you’re at it, strip out of those clothes. I figure we’ve got nothing but time…to kill.”

  Jared felt his rage begin to spiral out of control and knew he needed to relax. Dammit, why hadn’t she listened when he’d told her to stay in his room? Now he not only had to deal with two guns, he had to worry about Lindsay being hurt.

  Her eyes looked impossibly blue as she stared at Simmons in distress. “You want me to strip naked?” Lindsay looked at Maclearn, then back to Simmons in disbelief. “With you here?” Her gaze fell to Simmons’s hand. “And where did you get a gun?”

  “Why not?” Simmons shrugged, ignoring her question and waving his gun. “Hunt’s already seen what you’ve got, and it’s only a matter of time before you do it with Dale.”

  Lindsay’s eyes grew impossibly big. “We share everything.”

  Jared had had enough. “Look, Simmons --”

  “Now, now, Hunt. Don’t feel all left out.” Simmons crossed to Jared and grinned lazily at his body. “I’m sure we can work something out for you, too.”

  Jared’s skin crawled, but he said nothing, keeping his expression blank. All he needed was a moment, a temporary distraction, to disarm Simmons. Once he had Simmons, Maclearn would fall in line. He hoped.

  “I don’t understand,” Lindsay said, her feigned innocence surprisingly convincing.

  “What did I ever do to you, Ken? Why are you treating me like this?” She stared pointedly at his weapon. “And why do you have a gun?”

  66 Marie Harte

  Simmons narrowed his gaze. “Don’t play me for a fool. You know Hunt isn’t who he says he is. Please, Lindsay. Dale and I work in Tech Services. We know all of his files have been doctored. The question is, who is he really working for, and how much does he already know?�
��

  “Working for? He’s working for Tron Corp.” Lindsay looked to Maclearn, nodding as if to engage his agreement.

  Simmons glared. “Bullshit. You know he’s not really an employee.”

  “What?” Lindsay turned to Jared, looking shocked. “Is what he says true?”

  Jared shrugged, playing along. Maybe he could at least put her in the clear. “So what if it is? You never really wanted the real me. You just wanted to score what every other woman at Tron Corp is after. My dick.”

  She stared at him, her mouth agape, and more tears fell. Shit, even though he’d explained his reason for being at Tron Corp he hoped she wasn’t really buying it. But apparently Maclearn and even Simmons were beginning to.

  “So you didn’t know about him, Lindsay?” Simmons asked, lowering the gun a fraction as he studied her.

  “I don’t get it.” She angrily swiped tears from her face. “What are you doing at Tron Corp if you don’t really work there? Hell, you brought in two new clients just last month!”

  Simmons nodded. “Yes, Jared. Do tell us what you’re really after.”

  “Fine. But take her out of here. I’m sick of the clinginess, and the tears are really beginning to irritate me.”

  Simmons grinned, but Maclearn refused to let go of Lindsay.

  “She wants to stay with me.”

  “Oh?” Simmons glanced at Lindsay. “What does she have to say?”

  “I’m disgusted with Jared-whoever-the-hell-you-are.” Her eyes shone with angry tears.

  “You’re lucky I’m not the one holding the gun. And yes, Dale, I’d love to go home with you.

  Tied and True

  67

  Can we leave this tired place and the asshole who owns it? Quite frankly, I don’t care who he is as long as I don’t have to see him again.”

  Dale Maclearn grinned and rubbed his hand over Lindsay’s abdomen. Not quite as stupid as Jared might have wished, Maclearn narrowed his gaze and lifted his hand higher, cupping Lindsay’s breast as if testing her. Lindsay, bless her, blushed and whispered something in Dale’s ear that had him grinning. At a subtle nod from Simmons, Maclearn released her arm and walked back with her to the bedroom, while Jared and Simmons watched her leave the room.

  A moment later, Maclearn returned with Lindsay. She was clad in jeans and a fresh T-shirt, her backpack in hand. Turning up her nose at Jared, she smiled at Dale. “Let’s get out of here.”

  She paused at the door. What the hell was she doing? “Ken? You’re not really going to shoot him or anything, are you?”

  Simmons shook his head. “I’m going to hold him here until I can get Tron security and the police involved. I have a bad feeling Jared here is a corporate spy.”

  Her eyes widened. “Oh. Well, then, Dale and I can get help. Come on, Dale. I helped handle security for a while a few months ago, and I still have the head of security’s number on my cell. It’s in my car.”

  So close… Jared knew Simmons watched him, waiting for some sign Lindsay wasn’t as innocent about the situation as she seemed. He huffed in disgust. “Traitor, my ass. Good riddance, Riordan, and my compliments on the blowjob. Maclearn, you’re a lucky man.”

  Lindsay gasped and practically dragged Maclearn out the door with her.

  Finally. Now he only had Simmons to contend with.

  68 Marie Harte

  Chapter Eight

  Lindsay tolerated Dale Maclearn’s fondling until they reached her car. “Hold this for me, will you, Dale?”

  He grabbed her backpack, and she quickly unlocked her car. “My cell phone is just in the glove compartment,” she mumbled, bending over the driver’s side seat to reach the compartment. She gritted her teeth as she felt his hands on her butt. For the love of…

  Finding what she needed, she squirmed back out of the car and turned with a can of Mace in her hand. Surprising Maclearn, Lindsay sprayed him in the face. She watched with satisfaction as he dropped to the ground, writhing and howling in pain. Recalling his more than grabby hands, she kicked him in the balls and watched with relish as his shouts turned into mewling pleas. Reaching into her backpack, she grabbed her last secure tie and tied his left hand to the driver’s side door handle inside the car.

  One down.

  And then she heard a gunshot; it nearly scared her witless. Grabbing her cell phone from the floor of her car, Lindsay quickly dialed 9-1-1 and apprised the police of the situation. Another gunshot sounded. Not willing to listen to the dispatcher’s demand that she

  Tied and True

  69

  stay clear of the house, Lindsay raced toward the back door with her pepper spray in hand.

  She stopped and listened.

  Nothing. Her nerves were erratic, but tension and fear for Jared propelled her forward.

  She quietly jiggled the door handle, cursing when it refused to open. Shit. Racing around to the front door, she listened again. Nothing. Taking a deep breath, Lindsay opened the door.

  Jared knelt on the ground beside Simmons. He bled from a gunshot wound to his arm, and he pressed one hand into Simmons’s red-stained belly. He aimed a gun at her with his other hand.

  “Oh, my God! Jared, are you okay?”

  Lowering the gun, he swore and turned back to Simmons. “I’m fine, but next time you might want to announce yourself. I almost shot you, thinking you were Maclearn.”

  “Police are on the way.”

  “Good, I was getting ready to call them. Simmons has lost a lot of blood, and a gut shot is never good.”

  They heard sirens, and Lindsay started shaking, trembling with relief and a hearty dose of receding adrenaline.

  “Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “Fine. But Dale’s not doing so well. I pepper sprayed him.”

  Jared stared over his shoulder at her with a grin on his lips. “That’s my girl.” His grin faded into an angry slash. “Why the hell didn’t you listen when I told you to stay out of sight? Damn it, you scared the life out of me --”

  “Drop the gun! Hands in the air!”

  The police had arrived. Lindsay let out the breath she’d been holding, glad they could wrap up this mess. Now only one question remained -- where did she and Jared go from here?

  70 Marie Harte

  * * * * *

  Jared rotated his shoulder and swore at the stinging pain.

  “Did you not hear me say to take it easy for the next few weeks?” The doctor sighed with exasperation and tugged on the bandage circling Jared’s upper arm. “You’re lucky the bullet passed through the fleshy part. But no heroics for a while, okay?”

  He nodded, and the doctor left. Jared looked for his shirt and saw it in tatters on the floor. Oh, well. If a little pain and a torn shirt were all he had to suffer from this ordeal, he’d say he came out on top. And thank God Lindsay hadn’t been harmed. As if his thoughts conjured her up, she appeared in the doorway.

  “There you are. The detective told me to remind you about your statement. I already made mine.”

  “It’s going to have to wait. I want a shirt, and I want a nap. What a day.”

  Lindsay remained in the entryway, solemnly watching him. “Are you in a lot of pain?”

  “It’s not too bad. They gave me some painkillers and a prescription for more. And the bullet managed to avoid bone.”

  She nodded, her eyes focused on his bandage.

  “Lindsay?” Why wasn’t she saying anything?

  She glanced up at him, and he panicked. Tears filled her eyes.

  “I was so worried!” Lindsay began crying and approached him slowly. She gently put her arms around him, careful not to jostle his bandage. “The thought you might be hurt just about scared the life out of me. And then to see you hurt…” She squeezed his waist and pressed her face to his chest. Warmth filled him, a curling emotion of love, worry, and tenderness.

  “Don’t cry, baby.” Jared leaned down and kissed her forehead, her cheeks, the tip of her nose. When he reached her mouth, his lips g
lided over hers with a tender possession that

  Tied and True

  71

  had her sighing his name. “We’re both all right. Let’s say we get out of here, okay? How about your place?”

  She nodded. As they turned to walk out of the room, the detective in charge of the case entered after a brief knock.

  “The doc told me you should be out of here shortly. And I have to say, you’re looking a lot better, Hunter.” The detective nodded to Lindsay. “Ms. Riordan.” The detective focused again on Jared. “Sorry to interrupt, but I’m taking off, and we still have a few things to resolve.”

  “Detective Schroeder, can I meet you down at the station in a few hours for the formal statement? I need a change of clothes.”

  “And a little time to decompress.” The short woman nodded. “Tron Corp’s George Hower verified your story, as did your partner in Seattle. With what Ms. Riordan and Dale Maclearn have already told us, Ken Simmons won’t be too happy when he recovers. Both he and his partner will be facing major prison time for attempted murder for starters, not to mention fraud and embezzlement.”

  Jared frowned, his arm throbbing, and recapped for Lindsay what he’d told the detective. “From what I pieced together, Maclearn and Simmons were obsessed with you.

  They’d been stealing from the company for almost six months, but when they read through Hower’s messages and found his decision to use my company to investigate the suspected fraud, the idiot twins decided to pin the blame on someone else fast. That is to say, get revenge on you, the woman who refused them.”

  Detective Schroeder nodded. “That’s the story Maclearn tells, too. He and Simmons weren’t satisfied with their lot in life. And with access to everything in the IT department, they figured to make it big on the company’s dime. In fact, they’d amassed close to seven hundred thousand dollars before Hunter arrived on the scene. But a month and a half ago, when they learned of Hower’s internal investigation, they panicked.”