Into the Fire (Bridge Book 2)

by Meredith Wild

  “You sounded pretty rough last night. I was worried I wouldn’t get to see you. Everything good now?”

  “Yeah,” I lied, plastering on a smile. “Everything’s good. So tell me about Callaway. What’s new? I haven’t been back in ages.”

  “I’m running for mayor. If you can believe that.”

  I laughed. “Mom told me. That’s crazy. She says you’re going to win. I know you’ll get her vote.”

  “She’s a sweetheart. Always was. She talks about you every time I see her.”

  The mention of my mom made my heart twist a little. “I miss her. I can’t get her up here very often.”

  “That’s too bad. The city’s great. Never been until now, but I can see what drew you here.”

  The waiter came then, breaking what was about to be a potentially awkward moment.

  New York had been our breaking point. He was never going to leave Florida, and I was never going to stay. We’d loved each other, but our dreams were too different, our paths too far apart.

  We talked for a long time. I talked about work like I was living the dream, because I couldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing I’d sacrificed our future for a life I didn’t love. He gave me the latest gossip on everyone back home. Girls who’d been bitches to me getting embroiled in local scandal. His old football buddies who were still his buddies. The weather, which I admittedly missed.

  After an hour, the conversation wound down. I was tired. I had enjoyed seeing Michael, but deep down I really wanted to be with someone else. If I couldn’t be with that person, I’d settle for Eli, stuffed Beau, and a bottle of wine. We packed up our leftovers and walked out together.

  Michael turned to me, looking at me in a way that I remembered used to make me warm all over.

  “Thanks for meeting up with me, Vanessa. This was really great.”

  I swung my bag back and forth a little, anxious for good-bye. “Thank you for coming all the way to Brooklyn and saving me a trip.”

  “My pleasure.” He took my hand and rubbed this thumb across my knuckles. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to bring you back with me though.”

  Maybe I should have been happy to have the company of someone who wanted me in the wake of what I’d been through with Darren. Once upon a time, I might have jumped on that invitation and justified a one-night reunion with a man I’d once loved. Memories and warmth glittered in Michael’s eyes, but it wasn’t enough. He could never be Darren. Michael’s touch and his presence only made me want Darren’s more.

  “Michael, I’ve been seeing someone. I’m sorry.”

  He nodded and released my hand after a moment. “I understand.”

  “Thank you.”

  He put his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “Do you ever think about us?”

  I laughed softly. “My mom is still holding out hope that I move back to Callaway and become Mrs. Michael Browning. So yeah, can’t help but think about us sometimes.”

  He laughed. “We had a good time.”

  “Most of it was really good, yeah.”

  His smile faded, and he scuffed his shoe on the sidewalk. “I lost you.”

  “We lost each other, Michael. I think that happens when two people who aren’t supposed to be together try too hard.”

  My heart hurt when I said the words, because I could have said the same thing about Darren and me. Were we trying too hard?

  Michael exhaled heavily and stared up at the night. “God, maybe you’re right. Seems like all I remember is the good stuff. It was always easy with you.”

  Easy and comfortable. That’s what had made it stifling too. He was everything I should have wanted, but I knew I couldn’t have been happy spending forever with Michael. Here or there.

  Michael was sweet and charming, and his heart was in the right place. But he’d never sock someone in the nose for me. My mom would probably think that was a good thing, but deep down I wanted a man who’d lie in the street to protect me. Someone who’d fight for me, even if his passion got a little bit ahead of him at times.

  Because being in love with the wrong person was like experiencing life without one of my senses—the one nameless sense that makes all the others more intense. Michael was a good guy, but he didn’t set my heart on fire the way Darren did. I’d risk getting burned again to feel that way. To feel that kind of love with all my senses.

  We hugged good-bye, and I knew it would be a long time before I saw Michael again. I wished him well and went home, my heart no lighter.

  DARREN

  I stopped dead in my tracks. Ian was already several feet ahead by the time he realized he was walking alone.

  “Dude. We’re not there yet. Let’s go.” He started to circle back.

  But I couldn’t move. Across the street, Vanessa was standing under a restaurant canopy. She wasn’t alone.

  “Vanessa.” Her name left my lips in a murmur, but I wanted to shout it.

  Ian squinted and then looked back to me. “Okay. No big deal. Let’s keep moving.”

  He slapped my shoulder, but instead of following Ian to our destination, I started moving in her direction.

  “Whoa, whoa. What do you think you’re doing?” Ian put his hand on my chest to halt my journey into the street.

  “I’m going to talk to her.”

  “I don’t think so. You look like you’re out for blood.”

  He might have been right. I was already half in the bag. I’d convinced Ian to switch bars with the hope that maybe I’d see her at the place where we’d reunited weeks ago. I’d called her a few times, but every time the call went to voice mail. She was done with me. I knew it.

  Ian slung his arm over my shoulder. If I was half in the bag, he was at least three-quarters.

  “I’m telling you this as a friend. Not because I fundamentally disagree with your decision to date. But you’re going to get your ass in a world of trouble if you walk across the street right now. Because she”—he pointed to where she stood talking with the man I didn’t recognize—“does not want to see you right now. That I can guarantee you.”

  “I want her back.” I swallowed hard, unable to tear my gaze from her. “I can get her back. I know I can.”

  Ian sighed beside me. “Come on, man. You can win her back another night. Let’s go have some fun.”

  Ian might have been drunk, but there was a measure of wisdom in his words. I’d gotten myself into this mess by being impulsive and reckless, and already I was entertaining visions of leveling anyone who was a threat.

  My legs started moving under me as Ian led me toward our next stop.

  “We’ll get some shots, find some pretty girls to keep us company, see if we can find someone to ease the pain, buddy. All will be well. I promise you.” He patted my chest.

  I didn’t want anyone else. I wanted Vanessa. And if I couldn’t have her, I didn’t want to spend the night envisioning her with someone else. Who the fuck was that guy? How could someone have slipped into her world so quickly?

  I glanced back. The way she smiled at him reminded me of the happiness we’d had together. When we weren’t tearing each other apart. When he took her by the hand, a fierce jealousy took over. I could barely harness it.

  With clenched fists, I turned away. I had to before I did something I’d regret in the morning. I followed Ian into the loud bar. But no amount of hard liquor could dull the pain that lanced through me. She was my girl, and that smile was meant for me…

  Chapter Nineteen

  VANESSA

  Monday came fast, and the days weren’t getting any easier. Despite being emotionally exhausted, I hadn’t slept well. The places where Darren’s mouth had marked me hadn’t faded much. I reached for anger, but tears and regret flooded me. If only I could do it all differently…maybe Darren wouldn’t have felt the need to push me out of his life.

  He’d called a few times, but I couldn’t bring myself to hear his voice yet. Time wasn’t mending the wounds very well, but ma
ybe he was right. Maybe we needed a break.

  I kept remembering the angry way he talked about my relationship with Reilly. Frustration and jealousy seethed beneath the surface of our heated words to each other. He couldn’t really think that I was after anything more with Reilly. He had to know me better.

  All day my thoughts ran on the same hamster wheel of questioning, doubts, and regret. One day, all of this wouldn’t hurt so damn bad.

  Reilly barked at me for coffee so I brought him some, and on my way back, I noticed a fat manila folder on Adriana’s desk labeled NYC Youth Arts Initiative.

  “Is Bill involved with them too?”

  Adriana looked to where my hand rested on the folder. “Oh, yes. He’s been a patron for several years. The nonprofit has become an accredited investor in the fund though. Should be a great opportunity to help their endowments grow.”

  I nodded. “Do you mind if I take a look through? I’m still trying to catch up on all these structures.”

  “Sure. I’ll need it later this afternoon to take care of some of the paperwork. But go for it.”

  “Thanks.”

  I took the folder back to my desk and sifted through it. Reilly Donovan Capital was taking a healthy chunk of their investment—in excess of thirty percent, which didn’t match up with what we’d been selling at the investor cocktail. Why would he charge a nonprofit so much more…especially one he’d devoted so much time to?

  I returned the file and went back to work, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

  I opened our shared file storage and did a search for the initiative. They hadn’t been set up as a client yet, but I found a folder with their name under Reilly’s protected account, one that I had access to as his admin.

  I clicked through, looking for anything that might look out of the ordinary. Several invoices had been logged from another company, TriCorp, billing the initiative for an enormous list of services. Everything from consulting to accounting, all being billed at six hundred dollars an hour. The invoices went back at least eight years, and there were too many to count.

  I’d never heard of TriCorp, but a quick search pulled it up. TriCorp was a New York corporation with two shareholders: David Reilly and Kevin Dermott. An older version of the incorporation documents listed only Kevin Dermott.

  A sinking feeling crept over me. Something felt very wrong about this.

  I opened my drawer. Jia’s card sat at the top of the stack that I’d collected from the investor party.

  Reilly and Bill emerged from their offices. I slammed the drawer shut.

  Reilly frowned. “We’re headed out to lunch.”

  “Me too,” I said quickly. “I’ll see you when you get back. Call me if you need anything.”

  He didn’t respond as he passed me by. As soon as he left, I picked up my phone and called Jia. She picked up after the first ring.

  “Jia, this is Vanessa Hawkins with David Reilly’s office.”

  “Vanessa. Good to hear from you.”

  “I was wondering if you wanted to chat. About that thing we talked about,” I hedged. I glanced up to Adriana who seemed distracted with her own work. I didn’t suspect she was listening, but already I sensed that I was digging too deep and should proceed with caution.

  “I’d love to. You free for lunch?”

  “I am. Where do you want to meet?”

  She cleared her throat. “How about someplace private?”

  I thought for a moment. “Delaney’s on Pearl.”

  “I’ve never heard of it.”

  “Look it up. I’ll meet you there in fifteen.”

  When she hung up, I grabbed my purse and headed downstairs.

  Delaney’s was as dark and dingy as I remembered. I’d met up with Maya here a few times for lunch when she needed to get away, far away, from the office. If Jia wanted privacy, this was the place. I sat at a small table in the back. A thick varnish covered the tabletop, but despite the half inch of protection, the surface was still scratched.

  At the bar, an older woman with long gray hair sat beside a younger guy who seemed like he was already lit. He was hanging half off his stool and talking her ear off. Maybe Delaney’s didn’t host a very lively crowd during the lunch hour, but by Maya’s accounts, things could get rowdy at night.

  The door to the bar opened, light pouring in behind the silhouette of a woman. As soon as the door closed, I recognized Jia’s face as she came toward me.

  She situated herself across from me. The less than luxurious wood chair squeaked a bit as she sat. “You picked quite the place.”

  “You said you wanted private.”

  Before she could respond, the bartender arrived at the table with two paper menus. “Ladies, can I get ya anything to drink?”

  “Perrier, please,” she said.

  The man scrunched up his face slightly. “Eh, we’ve got beer, liquor, and tap water.”

  “Tap water would be fine, thank you.” Jia held her tight flawless smile.

  “Same, thanks,” I said. “And a hamburger.”

  “Coming right up.” He scooped the menus and left us alone, returning less than a minute later with our waters.

  “So what brings us to this fine establishment?” She shrugged off her blazer and leaned back in the chair.

  “You said that if I ever wanted to know more about my boss, that we should talk.”

  “So what do you want talk about?”

  You tell me. But I didn’t guess it would be that easy. I’d invited her here, and we were dancing around a potentially dangerous subject. I sensed that she held a grudge against both Dermott and Reilly. But I couldn’t get her to reveal anything damaging without making myself vulnerable too.

  “I found some things. Can I speak to you in confidence? If I’m completely wrong about any of this, I don’t want to lose my job.”

  “Reilly isn’t with the firm anymore, and between us, I have no loyalty to Dermott anymore. So the answer is yes. You can speak to me in confidence.” She rested her forearms on the table and leaned in.

  “I want to know more about the Youth Arts Initiative. I’d only heard about it in passing since I’ve been with Reilly, but now the organization is investing with the hedge fund. I started looking closer, and Reilly’s financial involvement with them has been significant.”

  “He’s a major donor and a member of the board. David and Cheryl Reilly have been dumping money into the organization for years and bringing all their friends with them.”

  “Right, but the money is going the other way. A huge amount of money has been funneled into a third-party company that’s been charging them for all kinds of things. The paperwork goes back years. Reilly’s a shareholder, but the corporation was only in Dermott’s name until this year.”

  “Good eye.” She grinned, and her eyes took on a satisfied glimmer.

  “I’m not sure if it’s relevant, but I’m pretty sure he’s trying to get Cheryl off the board too. I overheard some conversations with other board members. He was campaigning pretty hard to get rid of her.”

  She arched an eyebrow as if that part was news. “Cheryl’s whole life is that organization. She took it over and turned it into what it is. Reilly put in the money, but she made it happen.”

  The bartender swung by with my hamburger, not bothering to ask me if I needed anything. Didn’t matter, I was starting to lose my appetite the more we talked about Reilly.

  “Would he kick her off just out of spite? I thought they had parted amicably.”

  Jia took a sip of her water and set the glass down. “Maybe he has something to hide. Or something to gain.”

  I waited, but she didn’t continue. I sensed that she knew more than she was telling me.

  “If something shady is going on, I need your help to know what to look for.”

  “The question is, what do you want, Vanessa? This only works if we both get what we’re after.”

  I stared at my hamburger and took a nibble on a fry. What did I want? I’d
started digging with no idea what the consequences could be.

  “I’ve dedicated my life to Reilly and to this job for two years. Every day, with very few exceptions. If he’s doing what I think he’s doing, I don’t want to be a part of it anymore. I mean, this is really wrong. Not to mention illegal.”

  She stared at me a moment without saying a word. “About a week after Reilly’s divorce was final, Dermott transferred a large sum of money out of TriCorp into an offshore bank account.”

  “How much money?”

  She pursed her lips. “The transfer was in the amount of twenty million dollars.”

  My jaw fell. I hadn’t had the time to look through all the invoices, but… “Oh my God. If what you’re saying is true, half the money that passed through TriCorp is technically Cheryl’s.”

  “I can guarantee it wasn’t on the table in the divorce. So, yes, technically, it’s hers, or the organization’s. However you want to look at it, it’s in the wrong hands. Cheryl never knew about it because she’s always been on the ground floor of the organization’s operations. He’s been managing the finances at the top, setting up kickbacks for Dermott and Donovan and anyone else who he didn’t want talking about the millions he was skimming off. So while Cheryl’s tapping all her friends to keep donating to the cause, he’s skimming as much off as he can into an account that Dermott managed up until a couple of months ago. They’ve both been using the initiative as a tax shelter for years. The CFO at the initiative is in completely over his head. It’s a gold mine for everyone else.”

  “This is horrible.”

  I swallowed over the huge knot that had formed in my throat. Reilly was a monster, and suddenly I felt like the biggest fool for ever doubting my instincts.

  “How do you know all this?”

  Jia shrugged and stole a fry from my plate. “Dermott talks too much.”

  “You haven’t known him very long.”

  “I think I know him better than his wife does at this point.”

  She winked, and even though I found her casual attitude toward his implied infidelity unsettling, it did explain why Dermott would confide all of this to her. It would also explain why she was so angry to have been passed over after Dermott’s promotion. She was indeed a woman scorned.