“That’s terrible.” Nicholas shifted slightly and fiddled with his phone, and Cade couldn’t tell if he was uncomfortable with the conversation because he had sent the man, or if he was nervous that Cade was lying. In the end, Cade decided it didn’t matter. He was there for one thing.
“I have to find the file I was working on before I left.”
Nicholas pointed to the computer with his cell phone. “Everything’s in there.”
Cade scanned the files again. “No. It’s missing.”
“What?” Nicholas stood then bent over behind him, grabbing the mouse. “I kept all your files in here.”
“It’s not there.”
Nicholas huffed. “Well, I don’t understand. I didn’t delete it. And no one else has access to these files except for Zane.”
A slow, cold feeling crept over Cade. “What did you say?”
“I said I didn’t delete your file. I swear!” Nicholas held up his hands in a surrender motion.
Cade stared at his brother, realization finally sinking in. It wasn’t Nicholas. Of course. He should have known. Then panic set in. “Did you tell Zane where I was? At the mansion?”
Nicholas swallowed, and his eyes darted around the room. “Well, yeah. But it was only in passing conversation. He asks about you all the time.”
Cade didn’t want to ask the next question, but he knew he had to. “And does he know the alarm went off here tonight?”
A movement near the door made Cade jerk around. Zane stood just inside the room, a gun trained on them. “He does.”
Nicholas jumped back. “Woah, man. What’s going on?”
Instead of answering Nicholas’s question, Zane stepped further into the room, his gaze never leaving Cade’s face. There was a hardness in his gaze. Something Cade had never seen before. “You’re a difficult man to kill.”
“What are you doing?” Nicholas said, his voice climbing in pitch. “Have you gone mad? This is Cade.”
Once again, Zane ignored Nicholas. “I thought maybe you would stop digging where you didn’t belong after Angie died, but no. You wouldn’t. You forced me to send those men after you.” Zane twitched, his eyes closing for a second before he took another step closer. “But somehow, you managed to stay alive.” A look of disgust filled Zane’s face.
Cade’s heart raced as he calculated how much time it would take to jump over the desk and tackle Zane. No matter how he figured it, the gun was faster.
“You couldn’t let a few thousand dollars be.”
Maybe if he kept him talking, Cade could get a chance to surprise him. “It was three hundred thousand.”
“A pittance compared to your net worth.”
“That’s what this is about? I have more money than you?”
Zane’s gaze hardened. “No, stupid. This is about what I deserve. And after being your friend for all these years, I deserve more than to be treated like a dumb lackey.”
Cade balked. Is that how Zane thought he was treated? Cade had given him a job when jobs were few and far between. He had never treated Zane like he was beneath him. And then he saw it. The track marks on Zane’s arm. And then he noticed the subtle way Zane trembled and struggled to hold the gun steady. This wasn’t Zane talking.
He’d seen how his brother had acted when he was addicted. The drugs took over. Ruined him. And now Zane. How had that happened? Cade had to keep him talking. “I didn’t mean to treat you that way.”
Nicholas took a step forward. “Stop this, man.”
Zane reacted quickly, the gun moving a fraction, and then he pulled the trigger. Nicholas cried out and fell to the floor. Cade forgot about taking a chance to jump Zane and knelt beside his brother. “Nick!”
Blood spread over his shoulder as Nicholas writhed on the floor, one hand on his shoulder, the other still clutching his cell phone. “Why did you do that? He has nothing to do with this.”
Zane shook his head, a cruel smile on his face. “You really don’t believe that, do you? Now that he knows everything, did you think I was going to let him live?”
Rage bubbled up inside of Cade. Everything that had happened was Zane’s fault. Going to prison. The men attacking him. Him and Meg almost dying. His brother, now bleeding on the floor. He sucked in a breath, trying to calm himself and figure out how he was going to get the upper hand.
“You always had the perfect life.”
Cade hadn’t realized Zane had resumed talking until that statement filtered through the haze of his brain. “Perfect life? How? My mother died when I was a kid.”
“At least you had a mother. I don’t even know where mine is.”
“You grew up in a comfortable house. You were—”
“Shut up!” Zane waved the gun in Cade’s face. “You always had the upper hand. You were the one with a family that cared. A successful business. A ton of money. And now look at you. Shaking in fear. The mighty Cade McMillian, reduced to a trembling little man.”
Something outside the office moved, and Cade froze. Just beyond the glass stood Meg. She held the gun they’d taken from the intruder.
No. What was she doing here? She was going to get hurt. Cade slowly stood up, his hands raised. Maybe if he distracted Zane, he wouldn’t see Meg, and he could motion for her to leave. “Look, man. I don’t want any more trouble. You want money? I’ll give it to you. I won’t call the cops.” He took a step toward the windows. “I’ll give you cash. How much do you want?”
He could see the hungry look in Zane’s eyes as he thought about how much to ask for. Seconds ticked by as Cade moved farther away from the door. His gaze flickered to Meg, and he hoped she could see his silent pleading. Leave. Now.
As Zane was distracted, Cade made a motion with his hand for her to go away. Meg shook her head and stepped into the room.
Chapter 16
Meg tried to hide her nerves as she held the gun on Zane. “Drop the gun,” she said in her most commanding voice.
Zane whipped around, his gun pointing at her, surprise evident on his face. Cade looked like he wanted to tackle Zane but was afraid of his gun going off. Zane leered at her. “Look who we have here.”
“What are you doing here?” Cade asked.
She ignored Zane and answered Cade. “I followed you.”
“How did you get in?”
“You left that door unlocked.” Meg steadied her hand, pointing the gun at Zane’s head. “Now, put the gun down and I won’t shoot.”
Zane looked like he was assessing the situation, his gaze traveling over her. His eyebrows knit together for a moment, and Meg tried not to show him how nervous she was. Unfortunately, with her trembling hands, it was hard to keep the gun steady.
A slow smile spread across Zane’s face. He took a step closer to her. “You’re not going to shoot me. You’ve probably never fired a weapon before. Put that thing down before you hurt yourself. You don’t even know what’s going on here.” He motioned toward Cade with his head. “This man is a murderer. You shouldn’t believe anything he told you.”
Meg’s hands grew sweaty and her heart pounded in her chest, but she knew she had to remain firm or he would kill them all. He took another step toward her. Two more and he would be able to reach out and grab the gun. She had to force him back somehow.
Cade made a slight movement with his head, his gaze flickering between the gun and the ceiling. She hoped she knew what he was trying to say. She lifted her gun and squeezed the trigger. Bits of the ceiling fell, and Zane ducked, holding the gun above his head.
Cade tackled Zane, grabbing for the gun. Meg stepped back, her throat so tight, she could barely breathe. She prayed Cade would be able to take the gun away. Sirens sounded up the street just as Cade was successful in getting the gun.
Zane scrambled to the windows and threw his hands up in the air. “Don’t shoot. It will look like you shot Nicholas. You’ll go back to prison.”
“Shut up,” Cade said, his anger evident by the way he seethed. But Meg knew he wouldn’t
kill Zane. She trusted him.
Nicholas groaned and rolled over. “I called 911. They’ve been listening to us this whole time.”
Meg’s heart rose into her throat. “They know the truth then.”
“Yes.”
Cade crouched down beside his brother. “Hang on. They’ll be here soon,” he said, never taking the gun off Zane.
The cops stormed in a moment later.
Chapter 17
Meg watched her video a third time, making sure she sounded good and it didn’t need any further editing. It sounded just like it did the last two times she’d played it. Why was she so nervous to put this one up?
She bit her lip and pushed away from the computer desk. This one was different, and no matter how she wanted to treat it the same, her heart knew the difference. It wasn’t a cover of a popular song. The lyrics came from a place of deep loss and sorrow. She’d written it a few weeks after she watched Cade dragged away in handcuffs by the police.
She hadn’t seen or spoken to him since, and it had been over six months. Not that she hadn’t followed the news. She knew he’d been exonerated. In fact, he was released earlier that week. Maybe that’s why putting up this song was making her so flustered. She was paying tribute to what they had shared. Releasing it.
It was her goodbye song.
Even though she felt foolish admitting it, she’d fallen for Cade. Hard. And maybe a part of her had hoped a little too much that he would contact her. A phone call or even a letter would have made her happy. After the police let her go, she’d gotten a job in Omaha. She’d been dumb enough to think Cade would want to see her, or at least communicate with her. She’d even gone so far as to contact Nicholas and give him her address and phone number.
Stupid.
Cade hadn’t made one move to get in touch with her. And the last time she’d called Nicholas, he’d basically said he had given her information to him, and it was his call if he wanted to talk. The silence spoke volumes.
At least Travis was completely out of her life now. Once he got his car back, he was happy. Didn’t try to get her back or anything. In fact, she’d heard he was with another girl now. Good luck to her.
Meg clicked her mouse and held her breath while the song uploaded to YouTube. There. She’d done it. Now she could officially let Cade go. Obviously, he didn’t feel the same for her, or he would have contacted her. It was time to move on.
She closed her laptop as soon as the song went live and walked into her bathroom. She had to meet Val in an hour for dinner and wanted to get ready. Not that Val would care. Her co-worker wouldn’t notice if Meg showed up in sweats. But they were going to be in public, and there was a possibility she’d run into Cade.
Meg shook her head. No. She couldn’t be thinking about Cade anymore. It showed how pathetic and desperate she really was. She needed to forget all about him.
After a quick shower, Meg stood in front of her closet looking through her clothes. Why was it that she never felt like she had anything cute to wear? It wasn’t like she never went shopping. She groaned and pulled out a pink blouse. She’d pair it up with her nice pair of jeans.
Val was the kind of friend everyone should have. Extremely loyal and dependable, her sunny personality brightened up the workplace. The first day at her new job and Val introduced herself and invited Meg out for drinks after work. They’d formed a fast friendship.
Meg drove to the restaurant, an authentic Mexican place that served handmade corn chips and salsa. She met Val at their regular booth near the back. She slid onto the seat opposite Val. “Hey.”
“Did you do it?”
Val was also quite direct. Meg nodded. “It’s done.”
Her friend grinned. “Really? It’s up?”
“I don’t know why you’re so happy. The rest of my heart is now dashed to pieces.”
A sympathetic look came over Val’s face. She brushed her bottle-blonde curls over her shoulder. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I know how hard it was for you to write that song. But I’m happy because I know what a hit it will be.”
Meg tried not to roll her eyes. “I only have four hundred followers.”
“That’s four hundred more than when you started.”
A waitress took their drink orders and left them a basket of chips. Val poured salsa into a small bowl and they both attacked it. After Val swallowed, she said, “I’m proud of you for putting it up.”
“I almost chickened out.” As it was, it took her weeks to get the thing done. Singing it was hard. So much of Cade was wrapped up in the lyrics, she had a difficult time with her emotions. “You should see all the takes where I broke down and couldn’t finish singing it.”
“The emotion you poured into it is what made it so good.” Val dipped another chip. “How many people have watched it so far?”
“I don’t know. I don’t want to check.”
Val made a face. “What? Why not?”
“It’s my final goodbye. I need to let it go.”
Val pulled out her phone, a sly smile on her face. “I’m looking.”
Meg tried to get the phone away, but Val pulled it back. “Aren’t you curious?”
“Nope.” Meg folded her arms. “Goodbye is just that. All done with him and his memories.”
Val gave her a flat look. “Really? After talking non-stop about him for the last six months? Just like that, you’re done?”
The smell of refried beans and cumin filled Meg’s nostrils as she breathed in. She slouched in the booth. “I have to let it go. I can’t go on hoping he’ll call.”
Val frowned as she fiddled with her phone. Then her eyes grew wide. “Holy cow.”
“What? How many?”
A laugh burst out of Val as she lowered her phone. “I knew you wanted to know.”
“Shut up. How many?”
“One hundred and fifty-six. But you just put it up.”
Meg stuck her tongue out at Val. She shrugged and tried to pretend that she didn’t care how many people had seen her video. She didn’t put it up for viewers. She put it up for closure. “Doesn’t matter.”
“Of course, it matters. It’s your way of coping with everything that happened.” Val fished through the basket for a perfect chip. She didn’t like the ones that were folded over. “I know you deny it, but I still say you’re holding a secret desire that Cade will call you.”
Val was right. Meg didn’t want to admit it. She felt stupid every time her heart stuttered at the sound of her cell phone. It was super pathetic to wish a successful rich guy would care about her. She had no money. No status. He was back to his high-profile life, and she just wasn’t a part of it.
Meg ignored Val and dipped another chip into the salsa. The least she could do was try to have fun with Val tonight, and bury her secret hope that Cade would hear her song and call her.
CADE LOOSENED HIS TIE and sat back in his chair. It felt good to be back at the office again. Finally. After all this time, he was settling into his old life. Things had changed, but he was getting used to the way his brother had been running the place. He’d even implemented a few good ideas.
Nicholas opened his office door and poked his head in. “You still here? I thought you left an hour ago.”
“I have some catching up to do. If you hadn’t noticed, I’ve been gone.” He tried to make the statement light by chuckling, but it came out a bit pathetic.
Nicholas walked into the office and shoved his fists in his pockets. “Have you called Meg yet?”
Why did his brother keep asking him that? Couldn’t he see he was struggling to piece his life back together? Cade drew in a breath and let it out slowly. “I can’t.”
“Of course, you can. You pick up the phone and dial.” His brother leaned against the desk. “You’re not being fair to her.”
“I’m sure she’s forgotten all about me by now,” he said under his breath.
“Why don’t you call and find out?”
Cade squinted at Nicholas. “What’s
up? Why are you so persistent today?”
Nicholas rubbed the back of his neck. “She put a new video up yesterday. It’s getting a ton of hits. Maybe you should watch it.” He stood and left, shutting the office door behind him.
Cade had been following her on YouTube. She’d been posting covers of her favorite songs. He was glad she’d gotten her ukulele back from the police. Watching her play and sing was amazing. Cade knew she would be.
He clicked on her channel and stared as the woman he’d grown to love in just a few short days came on his screen. She’d cut her hair. It framed her face well. She looked at the camera, her amazing blue eyes almost swallowing him up. His pulse picked up just looking at her.
“Today I’m going to sing something a little different.” Meg shifted in her chair. “This is something I wrote. Something that comes from deep inside. I just need to get it out and let it go.”
Meg dropped her gaze and paused, closing her eyes to get into the song. And then she started strumming the ukulele. Her sweet voice followed.
Cade was so mesmerized by the tune that it took him a second to notice the lyrics.
Love was not on my mind, but he still crept into my heart.
He had everything.
But the one thing I needed...
He could not give, and it tore my world apart.
My heart was forever broken.
Forever broken.
But somehow, he picked up the pieces and made it whole again.
Made me whole again.
Wrapped up in him, I was helpless.
His green eyes pierced my soul and left me defenseless.
Cade swallowed. This was about him. He listened to the rest of the song, his hands growing sweaty. She hadn’t forgotten him. She’d written a song about falling in love with him. He wanted to jump up on the desk and shout. He grew even more excited when he saw how many people had watched the video. Over twenty thousand. She’d be thrilled.
When she finished the song, he could tell she was holding back tears. “That’s it, folks. My goodbye song.”
Saving Cade: A Romantic Suspense Page 9