“I grew up on a horse farm. No time for dolls. I was mucking stalls.”
“Oh, you were one of those girls. The fancy ones with the pretty riding boots and ribbons you win for jumping over things.”
“No. More like the kid in the stables knee deep in horse shit who only got to ride when she was giving lessons to those other kinds of girls. Cream and sugar in your coffee?”
“No, black is fine.”
“I should have guessed that, since we’re making assumptions about each other. This game is fun.”
“I’ve been totally wrong so far. It’s not that fun.”
She brought two steaming mugs of coffee to the couch and placed them near each other on the small table. Maybe she thought the proximity of the mugs would dictate their proximity to each other on the couch.
They settled in, not nearly as close as she hoped. It was strange to long for little touches again. For simple ways to feel connected.
“I think you’ve stalled enough,” Brian said in a gravelly and challenging tone. He sipped his coffee and eyed her closely over the top of his mug.
Carmen decided that launching right in was the only way she’d ever say it all out loud. “There is a person—” She paused and corrected herself. Dancing around the issue wouldn’t work. “There is a man who lives about an hour from here in Connecticut. He hurt my friend. He’s the kind of man who will keep hurting people until he’s stopped.”
“Stopped?” Brian’s brows shot up and his eyes went wide.
“Arrested. Put away. Not killed. I’m not some bloodthirsty vigilante.”
“Oh,” Brian said, sitting back more comfortably on the couch.
“I can’t tell if you’re disappointed or relieved by that.”
“A little of both,” he admitted. “I’m all for ‘an eye for an eye.’ But I’m glad I don’t need to grab a shovel and dig a shallow grave somewhere to hide a body.”
“No body. No grave. I have something else in mind.”
“You said this guy hurt your friend?” He cracked his knuckles. “I can’t stand men who put their hands on women. I’d be happy to pay him a visit. Give him a taste of his own medicine.”
“That never works. If anything, it makes things worse. You can’t hurt men like that. He’s a powerful man. He’s connected in ways you can’t imagine.”
“Oh, I can hurt him.”
“I mean violence doesn’t stop them. Not long term. There is only one thing that does. You have to take their power. Make sure there is irrefutable evidence and put them away for good.”
“How do you do that?”
“Bait. You can’t catch a big fish without it. And I know exactly what it takes to hook a man like that.”
“And how is this your problem? Is there a chance you are the ‘friend’ in the story who this guy hurt?” His hand bunched into a fist, but he stretched his fingers back out quickly.
“I don’t know him. Not personally. I only know what my friend told me about him and what I’ve researched on my own.”
“Why can’t your friend just report him or whatever?”
“The place I worked in Italy, it was owned by Gloria, but it wasn’t part of her department stores. It was a safe haven for people fleeing domestic abuse. Specifically, for people who were in imminent danger, where normal channels wouldn’t work. If the perpetrator was well-connected or in a powerful position, simply going to the police wouldn’t really keep the victim safe. They came to the compound and were protected until the person was no longer a threat to them and they could start their life over somewhere.”
“You worked there or you lived there?”
“I worked there.” The lie felt metallic and bitter in her mouth. Confiding in Brian might give her some instant comfort, but it would change how he saw her. It would change how he saw all of this. “That’s where I met Lilly. As long as this guy is out on the street, she can’t come back. She has nieces and nephews, a big family she loves. All she wants to do is come home. I have a way to make that happen.”
“With bait?”
“Yes.”
“What’s the bait?”
“I am.”
As she expected, his face twisted in confusion. “I don’t follow. How are you going to get evidence on this guy?”
“His last girlfriend just moved to the West Coast to get away from him. He’s at a crossroads. He’s either going to keep the pressure on her and use all his connections to make her life hell, or he’s going to get distracted by something new and shiny and the cycle will start over.”
“I still don’t see how you plan to get any kind of evidence on him that would stick.”
“He’ll do what he always does. Curtis is a man of routine. Even this twisted routine—he can’t deviate from it. Some guys are a slow burn. They take their time to lure the woman in and wait until they have some control or a commitment before things turn ugly. Curtis is impatient. He targets women who don’t need to be courted or swayed into putting up with his shit. For him, it’s about their circumstances and how quickly he can make them dependent on him. I wouldn’t have to do much or be around too long before I could get something significant on him.”
“You’re going to date him?” Brian hopped to his feet as though someone had hit the eject button on his couch cushion. “And you’re going to wait until he hurts you and then bust him? What if that doesn’t go well?”
“I know how to take care of myself. I’ll have the power, not him. I’ll be playing along, but with eyes wide open. He’ll never have the upper hand.”
“Forget the upper hand. He might have the closed hand, and he might kill you with it.” Brian was shaking his head in disbelief. “This is crazy.”
“I know it is. But I’m doing it anyway. Lilly deserves to come home. She deserves to stop being afraid. I’m not worried about what Curtis can do to me. But if you are, you could help.”
“There is no way you’re doing this.”
“There’s no way you’re going to convince me not to. Like I said before, if it’s not right for you to get involved I totally understand, but I know what I need to do.”
“You’re going to get into a relationship with an abusive man on purpose?”
“It’s not a relationship, it’s a setup, and it’s the only way to bring him down. No one believed Lilly. No one will believe any of us. It has to be proven without a shadow of a doubt. It has to be so egregious that no one, even his buddies who could bail him out, would.”
Brian paced the living room. “If I went to talk to Lauren and Tray or even Layla and Kenan, they’d freak out about this. They’d tell you there’s no way in hell it’s a good idea or safe.”
She folded her hands in her lap. “They would.”
“Anyone would tell you that.”
“Probably.” Carmen wasn’t going to argue. He was right. She already knew how all of it sounded. She’d spent the last few weeks digging deeper into Curtis and his life and planning her strategy.
“I get the feeling you don’t care what anyone thinks.”
“I do care,” Carmen corrected. “I just care more about Lilly and the other women who might come in contact with him and get hurt. I have a responsibility to them.”
“Why?” His eyes locked with hers, and his expression demanded the truth.
“Because the system has failed them. If there was another way, I’d be first in line to make that happen. The compound Gloria created wouldn’t need to exist if the laws really protected people. If victims were believed rather than having their characters assassinated.” A self-righteous anger filled her lungs and each word burned as she said it. Whatever expression had changed on her face, it impacted Brian.
“I get it,” he said, his shoulders relaxing. “I hear what you’re saying and I want to help. But you’re going to need one hell of a plan if this guy is as powerful as you say he is. I’m in, but I’m not going to let you get hurt.”
“I have a plan. A damn good one. It’s a trap he won’t be able to avoid.
I’ve got an interview with him in two days. I have a referral letter from Gloria and three other former executives on her board. On paper I’m completely qualified to be the next vice president of global solutions for his company. But more than that, I know exactly how to get him to fall for me.”
“Fall for you? You’re making some big assumptions. What if it doesn’t go that way?”
“Curtis is a creature of habit. He wants a worldly woman who can be on his arm at a cocktail party but under his thumb everywhere else. I have the advantage because I know how he treats people. I know his patterns. I’ll know exactly how to string him along and then nail him. He’ll never see it coming.”
“And then what?” He leaned against the stone mantel over the fireplace and looked at her with earnest concern. “If you do this, you don’t think there will be any repercussions for you? It has the potential to piss off a lot of people.”
“I don’t care. Once it’s done I’ll be gone anyway.”
“Gone? Where?”
“Anywhere, nowhere. It doesn’t matter. I want to get Lilly back home. I want her to be safe and with her family. Then I’ll move on.”
“And do this again somewhere else? There must be a house full of women in Italy who want their abusers punished. Are you going to buy a cape and mask and have an alter ego?” He smiled, but it faded quickly as the reality of the situation seemed to set in. “I just can’t imagine this is what Gloria would have wanted. If it was, she had the means to do it herself.”
“And sometimes she did. Sometimes she used her money and power to pull strings and get people held accountable so that the people she’d help could go home.” The argument didn’t seem to be swaying Brian.
“I doubt she ever put herself in the path of the person on purpose. I doubt she came up with a scheme like this.”
“She was a billionaire,” Carmen argued. “I’m not. I have to be a little more creative and use what I’ve got.”
“I see what you’ve got to use.” Brian rolled his eyes and gestured over to her. “And I don’t think it’s a good idea to use it.”
“Noted.”
“Great. So counsel, my objection is on record?” He huffed. “This is the people’s court.”
“I really didn’t want to bring anyone else into this. I didn’t want to get you involved. It just felt like maybe, of everyone, you could understand. But I get how this all sounds. I’m not trying to minimize what I’m asking of you. I don’t want this to bring you any trouble.”
“I’m not worried about the trouble,” Brian said, coming back to sit by her. “I’m just worried about you. It’s a risk.”
“He’s a risk. He’s a threat to a lot of people. Lilly was by no means the first, and she won’t be the last. I won’t need much time to make this right. Trust me.”
“I can’t be half in on this. That’s my only request. I’ve got some vacation time. I’ll take it and be right there. Fill me in on everything you’ve planned and let me look at it with fresh eyes. I want to be able to at least weigh in on it.” He put his hand on her knee and drew in a deep breath. “We’ll be in this together.”
“I don’t know,” she stuttered. “It’s been a long time for me.”
“What has?”
“This!” It came out with more force than she intended as she gestured to his hand on her knee. “I have been on my own for a very long time. I’ve lived a certain way. As much as I know you’re right, and I’d be better off with the help, I’m just uneasy about letting anyone back in.”
“You said it yourself. You’re leaving after this. You’ll be hopping a plane and putting this place in your rearview mirror. Think of it more as a short-term compromise. You let me butt in on this thing you have planned, and I’ll make sure you stay safe.” He took his hand from her knee and she instantly missed his touch. “Deal?”
“Deal,” she said through a tiny smile. “But you’ve got to give me enough room to do things the way I know they need to be done.”
“And you have to give me enough information and access to keep you safe.” He extended his hand for a shake, a promise sealed between them.
“Now for the fun part.” She clapped her hands together and stood up. “What are we going to tell everyone we’re busy doing? You’re suddenly taking a vacation and running off with me?”
“They’ll assume something is going on between us,” Brian said with a wry smile.
“They’ll be wrong.” She blinked slowly at him. “We’re just partners in this, right?”
“Right.” The tone of his voice and glint in his eye captured exactly how she was feeling. The fluttering whispers of what they could do. What they could be. If only life wasn’t so full of nightmares and pain. If they were just two people sitting at a bar, chatting about current events, would she go home with him? Would he take her on a proper date? There was no way to know. They’d jumped ahead too far. They’d skipped the formalities of getting to know each other and placed this obstacle between them. Both knowing their common goal would be more important than any kind of frivolous relationship that had no future.
Even with all that, as he sat by her on the couch and his green eyes flickered with excitement and danger, it didn’t make her want him any less.
Chapter Six
Brian
Kicking his boots against the cement steps, Brian cleared off as much mud as he could. His time card was behind Dillon’s desk, and the man was downright neurotic about people tracking junk across the carpet.
“Leaving early?” Dillon asked, his mouth full of ham sandwich. “You sick or something?” He sipped on his can of soda and cleared his throat. Dillon had worked in the office at the docks for the last five years. He was the nephew of the foreman and couldn’t hack it out there with the rest of them. Thin and tall, Dillon’s wiry body couldn’t keep up. It meant the rest of the guys gave him shit every chance they got. But Brian knew better. Dillon was the guy cutting the paychecks. Deciding who got the overtime. If there was a better shift that opened up, Dillon chose who would take it. That wasn’t the only reason Brian was nice to him, but he was smart enough not to burn that bridge. In reality, he never liked picking on the little guy. Unless that little guy was one of his brothers.
“I’m taking off for a week.”
“Seriously?” Dillon’s high-pitched voice went up another octave. “You get a week every year and you usually just get paid out for it. I’m surprised you’re actually going to take it this time. I knew all that money in your family was going to change you. It’s too bad. You’re the only one around here I can actually stand, and now you’re probably going to bail.”
“I’m not bailing. It’s a week off. That’s it.”
“I ran into your brother the other day. He’s like moving up in the world, working all these big parties now for swanky people who tip good. You know how to pour a drink. That could be you.”
“I don’t want to be anyone’s errand boy at an overpriced dinner party. I like it here just fine.”
“You like slinging crates around and smashing your hands up unloading ship after ship? Come on.”
“I like being outside. I like the fresh air. I like that no one around here treats me like I’m their servant. Like I said, it’s just a week vacation.”
“Going anywhere good at least?”
“Connecticut.”
“How exotic.” Dillon took another sip off his soda and coughed. Even the bubbles in a Coke seemed to be too much for him. Poor kid.
“I’ve got a friend over there who needs some help with a project. She says it’ll be no more than a week.”
“Oh, I see. A she.”
“Yes, Dillon, it’s a woman. I have friends who are women. Don’t make a big deal out of it.”
“You staying at her place?” Dillon gave an awkward wink that looked more like a twitch.
Brian opened his mouth to answer and then realized they hadn’t decided their arrangements in Connecticut yet. Would they each get a hotel room?
Split one? “Don’t worry about where I sleep.”
“Seriously though, man, if I were you I’d start thinking about another opportunity with all that your family is into now.” Dillon lowered his voice even though no one else was in the office trailer. “Things are getting tight around here.”
“How so?” Brian felt a pit in his stomach. As reliable as the ships coming in were, the people who unloaded them were always expendable. Companies would swoop in and buy equipment or machinery to do their job. Or the higher-ups would lay some guys off, leaving the rest to scramble to get the work done. The docks were feast or famine, and so far he’d survived it all. But the look in Dillon’s eyes freaked him out.
“I can’t say for sure, really.” Dillon squirmed in his office chair. “I’ve just heard from some other companies the way things are going. Some big changes could come. I don’t want you to get caught up in that stuff if you’ve got other options. Trust me, though, I don’t want you going anywhere. You’re the only one of the Neanderthals with a brain out there.”
“Uh, thanks.” Brian chuckled and shook his head as he clocked out for the day.
“Just maybe don’t be so closed-minded about your other options. My dad knew your parents, and he said your family is chock full of hard workers and shit luck. That’s a bad combo. If the luck’s changing, get in on it.”
“We’re Irish,” Brian reminded him. “Our relationship with luck is complicated. But I appreciate the heads-up. Hopefully it’s like all the other times they come and shake things up around here.”
Dillon laughed with a snort. “Probably. Hey, have a good vacation, man. You deserve it.”
“Don’t let the guys give you shit while I’m gone.” Brian gave him a pointed look. “They can be real dicks. Just ignore them and dock their pay.”
“I always do.”
Brian tucked his time card back in the slot and headed for the door. He could hear the other guys coming up the stairs, ready to punch out for lunch.
With puffed out chests, they made themselves bigger than they were, blocking his way down the steps. They liked Brian. They all got along pretty well. But this macho move was instinct. If you made room for someone else, it meant you were giving up your own space. A dangerous prospect when jobs were hard to come by.
Perfect Homecoming (Barrington Billionaires Book 10) Page 4