Talking After Midnight

by Dakota Cassidy

  When Jax said it out loud, it made more sense than the justifications in his head. “People have done worse for less.”

  “Yeah, yeah. So explain why she’d get involved with you if she didn’t really give a shit about you? If she was guilty, you’d think she’d be running the other way. The kind of deviousness you’ve credited her with says she’d split and be homeless again before hooking up with someone so closely related to Kazinski just for fear of getting caught. So what’s she gaining in all this? Tell me her angle. I can’t wait to hear how you rationalize this.”

  He didn’t know. His head was a fucked-up mess of conflicting feelings. “I don’t know. I just know she lied to me all this time.”

  “And you feel like a fool. Boo-hoo. You know, this here’s your problem.” He tapped the countertop to make his point. “While you could be off keeping this from turning into a total disaster, you don’t. You blame. You react. Back when you drank, all that time you could have been fixing everything after the company went bust, you spent feeling sorry for yourself. I’d have given you the money to fix it, Tag. To help.”

  “I don’t want your damn money.”

  “And I don’t want your damn bullshit.” Jax seethed. “I’m tired of it. You upset my woman. That upsets me. I want to smash your face in right now. The only reason I haven’t is that Maizy’ll be home any minute and I know Em would ground me for life if Maizy saw your blood all over the kitchen floor.”

  “What the hell was that all about?” Gage asked, strolling into the kitchen. “Em just tore outta here like she was on fire, nearly took out that reporter in the bad-ass suit. Did you guys have a fight?”

  Tag exhaled. “No, Em and I had a fight.”

  Gage whistled, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Hoo, boy. So I guess you said something stupid about Marybell?”

  Tag closed his eyes and sighed. “No... Well, maybe. Okay, yes.”

  “He called her a liar,” Jax offered, jamming his face in Tag’s.

  Gage used the heel of his hand to thump his brother’s shoulder. “In front of Em? Jesus, asshole. You must not like livin’.”

  “She did, you know. She did lie to me.” She did, and it hurt like goddamn hell. Maybe she’d even laughed at him behind his back.

  Christ, even he had trouble believing that.

  Gage rolled his shoulders, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’d lie to you, too, if I thought I was going to lose all my shit. She wasn’t hurting anyone with the lie till you came along, Tag. Look, she was flat-out wrong to not tell you who she was when the two of you got so into each other, I’ll give you that. But look at the fucking circus over at Call Girls, dude. Look at it right outside here. They want a piece of you just because they know you were dating her. Ask yourself this. What if they find out that not only are you dating her, but you’re the Taggart Hawthorne who was screwed by Kazinski, and then they find out you’re involved with Marybell, Carson, whatever we’re calling her? Imagine the story that shit would make. It’s a reporter’s wet dream. Then imagine them invading every part of your life, every day, all day. Imagine having no one to turn to. No family. No friends. No place to hide. Ever wonder how terrifying having them on your ass all the time must be?”

  He’d thought about it all last night and into the early hours of the morning. How afraid she must have been. How hungry, cold, alone. It made everything inside him hurt. “I just don’t want to get screwed again, Gage.”

  Gage’s dark head bobbed. “Yeah. I get it. The Alison comparison. She sucked. She still sucks. But she’s not Marybell. MB didn’t abandon you. You abandoned her as far as I’m concerned.”

  “So you’d just let it go? Like it was no big deal the woman you’d fallen in love with was involved with a man who stole everything you owned and could quite possibly know where he is and what he did with that money?”

  “First, do you really believe MB’s capable of that much deception?”

  “Because I’m such a good judge of character, Gage.”

  That was the issue in a nutshell. His instincts had been shot to hell once, and now he second-guessed himself at every turn. It was safer to err on the side of the worst-case scenario than to believe. That was the problem. He was afraid to believe, to let go and just fall. He’d let his guard so far down with Marybell, to find out this was why she didn’t want to date him made him feel exposed—stupid.

  “Okay, so what does that say about you? That you’re really that much of an idiot? Look, Alison threw you for a loop. I get it. You guys had been together forever. We were all surprised by it—by her. You’re afraid to trust MB only to have it blow the hell up in your face. So you have two choices. Believe either she lied to protect herself and anyone she ever got involved with or she lied because she’s an evil bitch.”

  Tag rose from the chair at the breakfast bar. The side of him that wanted to believe in Marybell was winning. The half of him that wanted to protect her, keep her safe. “Never call her a bitch. I’ll break your damn face.”

  Gage threw his hands up in the air, egging him on. “Why not? Isn’t that what she’d be if she was lying just to fuck with you?”

  He sat back down. Gage’s common sense burst his bubble. It all just clicked. “Okay. Fair. But she did lie. It’s a sticking point with me. One I can’t seem to let go of. Would you be okay with it, Gage?”

  “For a shot at someone as awesome as MB? Yep. I’m not saying we wouldn’t have to work on full disclosure as a couple, but yep. In a heartbeat. Do you see what they’re doing to her? What they’re saying about her? She’s all over the news, pal. All because she was some fuckup’s intern. That seem more than fair to you? Hiding here in the P.O. at a phone sex company was resourcefulness at its best, if you’re asking. So, yeah. I’d find a way to get past the bit about fighting for some peace in her life, because she didn’t lie to be malicious and conniving like Alison did. She lied to save her life. Her life. Not her bank account or her status with all her fancy friends.”

  There was a heavy silence between the three of them, Tag processing Gage’s words and Em’s rightful anger.

  Jax broke it by pushing off the counter. “I have to go tell my woman I think you’re a shithead, and I’m one hundred percent on her side. It’ll probably cost me a couple of days’ setback with that big proposal I was planning on, thanks to you. So I’m gonna go grapple. Figure this out, Tag. Really figure it out this time. If you want to trash this thing with Marybell because your issues with women are greater than the big picture—do it alone, okay? Because I’m with Gage on this one. I don’t believe that picture that’s circulating is what really happened, and I don’t believe MB is involved. Sorry, bro. If you stew with this like you do everything else, you’re in the pot alone.” He gave Gage a thump on the shoulder and strode out of the kitchen.

  Fuck. He’d blown it. It all sank in, dropped like an anchor in his stomach. As sure as the day was long, instead of giving her the benefit of the doubt, he’d been so caught off guard he’d blown it.

  Like an utter jackass.

  Gage stuck a juice box under his nose before planting it in his palm. “So, plan?”

  “What makes you think I have a plan?”

  “It’s written all over your face. You know you’re wrong. We just had to wait until you did, too. The question is, did MB wait? If she did, you gotta have a plan.”

  He’d been formulating a plan before this had all gone down, something he’d wanted to surprise her with. Something to heal an old wound and because he loved to see her smile. “She hates my guts.”

  Gage grinned and popped a straw into his own juice box. “She should. So, like I said, a plan?”

  “How do you plan anything when you’re as screwed as I am?” Remorse hit him squarely in the gut, twisting its searing knife into it until he squirmed. What the hell had he done?

  Gage sighed. “Let’s get past the ‘what the hell did I do?’ stage and spring into action here, huh? We only have so much time before the iron gets cold,
and so does MB. Not to mention, we have to ditch the press, because they’re gonna come for you, brother.”

  “I apologize.” Yeah. Because that’ll make up for calling her a liar.

  Gage nodded. “Begging and scraping are always part of the plan, but that can’t be all of the plan. You have to show her you believe her even though everything points to the contrary.”

  “How the hell do I do that?”

  “You throw yourself on the mercy of Em and the girls and beg them to help you with those big wads of money Dixie has.”

  “I don’t want Dixie’s money, Gage.”

  “You don’t want anyone’s money but yours, Tag. But guess what? That shit’s gone with Kazinski. This isn’t about you. It’s about exonerating MB.”

  Right then, he knew. He. Knew. “I don’t need her exoneration.”

  “You moron, you really are going to let a good thing go, aren’t you?”

  He waved his hand, impatient now. “No. That’s not what I mean. I mean, I don’t need her to prove she had nothing to do with Kazinski. I believe her.”

  Gage grinned at him. “And now we have a plan.”

  Twenty

  Marybell cringed at the sound of the knock on her door, until she remembered the security guards posted outside her door with strict instructions to look after her and Blanche. Exhaustion after a long, sleepless night left her dragging. The buzz of a helicopter, the endless voices outside her door and Tag’s rejection had left her wearier than any day on the streets had.

  Dixie poked her head through the door. The fine lines around her eyes told Marybell she hadn’t slept, either. Their support left her humbled. Their unwavering belief had eased some of the pain Tag’s words had left.

  But she knew she couldn’t stay in Plum Orchard. At three in the morning, she’d pulled up her big-girl panties and made an adult decision. No more whining. No more crying. No more letting everyone have their way with her life.

  She was innocent, and the people who believed her were all that mattered. But she couldn’t stay here and see Tag day after day, knowing how much she loved him. She couldn’t do it. It was one thing to face persecution from the people in town; it was another to see what she’d seen on Tag’s face last night.

  Gone was the fun, easygoing man who was quick to tease, quick to comfort, replaced with someone who’d called her a liar.

  Yes, she’d lied. Yes. It was wrong. But she’d needed his faith in her. It was the final key to unlocking her heart. And he’d turned her away.

  Dixie approached her with caution, her eyes warm and Em and LaDawn in tow. “You all right, sugarplum?”

  She let them hug her, forced the thought of more tears out. “I’m going to be okay. Promise.”

  LaDawn pointed to the suitcases, still in the hall. “Why am I still seein’ suitcases?”

  Marybell found her feet again. “I have to move on. Even if it’s just to get the madness of the press to stop. They’ll follow me, and they’ll leave y’all alone. Before you get upset, please think about this logically. You’re all connected to me because of this. Em and Jax have children. You don’t really think I’d let the press near them, do you? And Tag. If they found out he was involved with me...” Fear formed its newest knot in her stomach. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “They don’t know about him yet, do they?” She’d been too afraid to look.

  Dixie shook her head. “No. I don’t know if it’s because Louella doesn’t know Tag was scammed by Kazinsky because he was a low priority for the press on the list of all those people Leon stole from, but so far, no mention of Tag other than he was involved with you here in Plum Orchard. But the Hawthorne boys have a plan to throw them off the trail. Though, if Louella knew about Tag and Kazinski, I wouldn’t put it past her to tip them off about him just to really tie your misery up in a neat package.”

  Marybell took a deep breath. For now, he was safe. “Just make sure he lies low, please? I’ll get out of here as fast as I can, and hopefully they’ll never get wind of the fact that he’s here, too.”

  LaDawn grabbed at her hand. “I’m not lettin’ you go like this, MB. Like you did somethin’ wrong.”

  “You’ve seen what they’re capable of, LaDawn. Please don’t ask me to put children in harm’s way. I just won’t do it.”

  LaDawn’s purple-lined lips went hard. “Then we’ll go together. Like Thelma and Louise. You ain’t leavin’ me here all alone, and I’m not lettin’ you go out there alone. So consider this my resignation, Dixie.”

  Dixie held up a hand. “Before ya’ll leave me like I mean as much to you as day-old bread, let’s discuss what we came here to discuss.”

  Em nodded, her eyes fraught with concern when she looked at Marybell. “Please listen first.”

  Dixie’s chest rose and fell before she began. “Now, I need you to just trust me, okay, MB? I know that’s not an easy thing for you to do, sugar, but before you get angry, just listen to why we’ve done what we’ve done.”

  Her heart throbbed in her chest, and her hands grew clammy and cold. “What have you done?”

  “We found the person who sold your picture to that first magazine,” Dixie said.

  Fear swept along her spine, in all its icy tingles. “Who?” she whispered, her voice so faint she almost didn’t hear it. Her legs shook so hard she almost couldn’t stand.

  Dixie wrapped an arm around her waist. “Tara-Anne.”

  No. Her ears wouldn’t hear it. They refused. No. They’d been friends. Tara-Anne was the first person she’d shared a space with for longer than a few months. They’d laughed. They’d studied. They’d partied.

  No.

  Marybell shook her head so violently her ears rang.

  Em cupped her jaw, smoothing away the tears. “Darlin’, yes.”

  She knew her eyes were wild, her face slack with shock, but she couldn’t process it. “No.”

  LaDawn came into her line of vision. “Yes, MB. She was doin’ Kazinski, all along thinkin’ he was gonna leave his wife for her and they were gonna share his ill-gotten millions.”

  “No!” Hysteria rose and fell, high tide, low tide. She gripped the back of the couch.

  LaDawn shoved Em out of the way, grabbing her shoulders with firm hands. “MB, listen to me. She was havin’ an affair with him. A big, ugly, dirty affair until she caught him with you that night. She was angry, and hurt, and she took that picture of you and sold it to the tabloids because she wanted some revenge. It was Tara-Anne. You hear me?”

  “How? How did you find out?” She was suddenly raw, shredded as surely as someone had run her through a wood chipper. Every moment she’d been alone, homeless, broken, she now had a face to place blame on, and she couldn’t even stand up.

  Dixie tightened her grip on her waist. “Does it really matter, honey? All that matters is the truth. We can prove it.”

  Proof. After all this time, they had proof. Funny, when absolution came along, it came in the way of one simple word. Proof. “Proof...what...”

  Dixie nodded. “Tara-Anne has the original picture, and she was stupid enough to keep all the emails she shared with the reporter who broke the first story. It’s definitive. Now it’s up to you what we do with it. But please don’t think about that right now. Think about telling Tag.”

  Em popped her lips. “I know you’re angry with him right now, MB. I know he did wrong, and after I gave him what-for today, I tried to see his side of things. He was blindsided just like you. He was wrong to react the way he did, but after talkin’ with Jax, I see where he was comin’ from. Doesn’t mean I approve, just means he should’ve taken more time before he came over here, guns loaded. Please talk to him, MB. Don’t let this go without at least talking to him.”

  “No! Don’t tell Tag!”

  Em’s eyes grew saucerlike. “Don’t tell him? Honey, this proves you knew nothing about what Leon was doing. How could you not want to tell him?”

  “Faith,” she croaked. “He had no faith in me. Not a shred. When I b
ared my soul to him, he walked away, right out the door like bein’ with me, seeing me, talking to me wasn’t enough proof that I’d never do somethin’ like that.” She’d needed him to believe so much—so much it became an ache. And he’d walked away.

  Dixie’s eyes grew soft and warm. “There’s nothin’ in the world I understand more than needing one person to believe in you, MB. Especially the man you love, but please consider this. Tag’s reaction was stupid and rash, but it came from a place of fear. Just like your hidin’ did. There was more proof than not that you were involved with Leon.”

  Now she was angry. Angry at Tara-Anne, angry at the endless filth of the streets she’d endured, the stench, the fear. Angry at Tag for shutting her out. Red-hot fury fell from her lips. “No! You all believed me. You all took me on faith.”

  LaDawn shook her head. “We aren’t in love with you, cookie. It’s a whole different perspective when your friend takes up with a married man than it is when you think your lover did. You’re not talkin’ sense right now, because you hurt. You deserve to hurt. But don’t hurt long, MB. Don’t walk away from somethin’ that made you so happy.”

  She couldn’t hear about Tag’s merits right now. She couldn’t hear about perspective and pain. “Does the press know about Tara-Anne yet?”

  Em shook her dark cascade of curls. “We decided as a group to let you choose where we go from here. It’s not our place to run roughshod over you and do what we think is best. We just want you to know we’ll handle it if you can’t.”

  She shook her head, panic rising in her chest. “Don’t say anything. Not to the press, and especially not to Tag—ever.”

  Dixie’s brow furrowed. “Honey, that’s not fair. To him, to you or to us. Please don’t ask us to keep a secret that big. He’s hurtin’, too.”

  “Then don’t. Tell him. Do whatever you see fit to make Tag all better.”