Blue Roses (Reunited Series)

by Sharon C. Cooper

  ****

  “You said that you’re sure she has those documents, but we’ve looked up and down this office,” Jerome said. “They’re not here.” He lounged in Dallas’s office chair, stretched out his legs, and put his size 12 up on her desk.

  “Get your feet down. We can’t leave any sign that we’ve been in here snooping around. I don’t understand why we haven’t found that information. The papers have to be here somewhere.”

  Jerome put his feet on the floor and shook his head. “Dave, man, I’m telling you, they aren’t here. And before you ask me again, they’re not at her house either.”

  “Then you’d better step up your game and find them. Your life depends on it,” David threatened.

  Jerome stood to his lean six-foot height and walked around the desk. The lethal look in his dark, intimidating eyes sent David a few steps back. “Oh, so now you’re threatening me?” he growled.

  David raised his hands to stop Jerome’s approach. “Wait. Months ago, I hired you to do a job. Not only did you botch it up, but you made things much worse by almost killing her with that stupid car accident. You were supposed to find out if she was on to what I’ve been doing, not put her in the hospital.

  Jerome shrugged. “Yeah, I kinda messed that up.”

  “Then, after realizing my notes were missing and that I was pretty sure Dallas had them, you were supposed to help me get them back.”

  “And I’ve tried. I hooked up with her sister thinking I could get close to Dallas, but that didn’t work out. Not only is the woman you have working for you beautiful, she’s no dummy. If she has those papers, then she has them very well hidden.”

  “Or she’s given them to someone,” David mumbled, running his hand through his hair. The SEC had contacted the firm, requesting a meeting with the partners in two days. Granted, they might not be on to him, but just in case, he didn’t want any loose ends. Besides that, the cops had showed up today asking questions. Good thing he could talk his way out of anything. By the time they left, he had them thinking that Dallas was the one not wrapped too tight.

  He turned and walked toward the door. With his hand on the doorknob, he glanced back and scanned the room before letting his gaze fall on Jerome. “Come on, let’s go. One way or another, she’ll hand the information over.”

  ****

  Dallas sat in the back seat of the luxury vehicle, staring out the side window. Her world had changed so much in the past couple of months. Despite the car accident and the threats against her life, something good had come out of it. Tyler. She couldn’t have planned a more timely reunion even if she’d tried. If anyone had told her that she and Tyler would be back together; that she’d be considering leaving her firm; or that she would ever contemplate marriage again, she would’ve told them they were crazy. Yet, all of those things were rattling around in her mind.

  The thought of having a life with Tyler almost brought her to tears. It was a miracle that he was willing to give them another chance. She ran a hand through her hair thinking about how she had ruined things between them more than once. No way would she mess it up again.

  Things were still a little tense between them thanks to the turmoil in her life. She had a feeling that when they put a stop to David’s plans, things would miraculously go back to normal. If Tyler and Quinn’s theory was right, David was the mastermind behind all her misery. All she needed was proof. It was still hard for her to believe that he had anything to do with the car accident and the threats. And what role did Jerome play in it all, assuming he was involved? Surely they weren’t trying to harm her because of the documents. Dallas shuddered at the thought.

  She dug through her purse for her new cell phone. A quick glance at her Blackberry revealed she had a text from Tyler. His meeting was taking longer than expected. She also had several emails, two from new clients who had signed on a couple of days ago. Neither she nor Bianca had time to put their information into the database yesterday, which meant she needed to stop by the firm to pick up their files.

  “Hank, do you mind swinging by my office before taking us back to the penthouse?” Dallas asked.

  “Aw, come on, Dallas. Don’t you ever get sick of working? This was supposed to be a quick trip,” Harmony said from the front seat.

  “Hey, nobody told you to come along. So wherever we go, you go. But don’t worry I’m only going to run in and run out.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  “Do you mind, Hank?” Dallas ignored whatever else Harmony mumbled under her breath.

  “No problem.” He made a u-turn and headed in the opposite direction.

  ****

  I need a vacation, Tyler thought as he sat at the table with Quinn and three other men discussing a possible joint venture. Quinn had already told him he wasn’t interested in joining forces with another group unless they were forced too, and right now their company was solid. But Tyler wanted to at least hear them out. Unfortunately, he hadn’t heard much since his mind kept straying to Dallas.

  She’d sent a text message saying Hank was taking her by the house to pick up some things. Tyler was glad she hadn’t insisted on going back to the house to stay, otherwise, he’d have to move in too. No way would he let her stay there alone, at least not until they caught whoever was behind the threats and the break-in. And as far as he was concerned, her house was too small for them to live in for any long period of time, comfortably.

  Tonight it took everything he had to leave her at the penthouse. Though he had complete confidence in Hank’s skills as a bodyguard, Tyler had been on edge ever since David confronted her. And the meeting he’d had with Mark hadn’t helped. The cops said they’d check into it, but Tyler knew how that was going to go. They’d ask David the right questions, he’d give the right answers, they’d leave, and then David would turn up the heat on Dallas.

  Maybe I can get Dallas to go away with me for a few days. They could use a few days of R & R, but knowing her, she’d probably look at the idea as running or hiding from her problems. No, they needed to find whoever was behind all of this and end it.

  “So what do you think, Tyler?” the guy in the pinstripe suit sitting across from him asked.

  Totally caught off guard, Tyler said the first thing that came to mind. “Hollister and Associates prides itself on developing premier communities and your ideas sound like they would fit our mission. Unfortunately, we’re not looking to move in the direction you’re proposing at this time. I think Quinn would agree with me that we appreciate you giving us the opportunity to join forces, but right now, we’ll have to pass.”

  A quick glance at Quinn confirmed that he had answered appropriately. For the rest of the dinner meeting, Tyler made sure he stayed focus on what was being said. He didn’t want to be caught off guard again.

  ****

  David paced the length of his office. He needed to come up with a plan to get Dallas alone. Lately, she’d been seen with that boyfriend of hers and it was hard to get to her. He thought the scare he’d given her the other day would do the trick, but it didn’t work. She still hadn’t handed over the information. Instead, she’d been working from home. He’d give her one more chance to come clean, after that he’d have to show her how serious he really was.

  Tapping his pen against the desk he racked his brain trying to come up with a way to force her hand. One thing he knew about Dallas was that she was a sucker for new clients. He could always tell her that there was a potential client who he wanted her to meet.

  A sly smile crept across his face. He’d set up a meeting, and once she arrived in the office, he would tell her they cancelled. On second thought, maybe the meeting should be someplace else. That way he could take her somewhere and make her talk. Then once she spilt her guts, he’d make her disappear. He laughed out loud and rubbed his hands together triumphantly.

  “I take it you have a plan,” Jerome said from across the room. He placed the newspaper he’d been reading on the table and stood.

  David lo
oked at Jerome. He had forgotten he was still there. Now, what should he do with him? So far Jerome had been more of a hindrance than an asset. He had botched every job that he’d given him and now that the SEC was on the scene, David stood the chance of losing everything. He couldn’t afford for Jerome to be the cause of his downfall, although, he might come in handy when it came to getting rid of Dallas’s body.

  “Actually, I do. Right now I need to work out the details, but I do have a plan. Once I put a few things in place, I’ll call you. Until then, I need you to lie low.”

  Jerome nodded. “Alright. Call me when you’re ready for my talents.” He turned to leave, but snapped his finger and stopped. He glanced around the office as if looking for something.

  “What?”

  “I thought I brought my gloves in here.” After back tracking to the sofa and moving the newspaper that rested on the table around, he shrugged. “Well, maybe I didn’t.”

  David felt his temperature rise. Hiring Jerome was turning out to be his biggest mistake. “Did you leave them in Dallas’s office?”

  “That’s possible. I’ll check on my way out. But first I gotta take a whiz.”

  David stood. “Better yet, I’ll check her office and you go and … handle your business. I’ll meet you by the elevators.”

  ****

  “I promise it’ll only take me a couple of minutes to grab a few files, especially since Harmony decided to stay in the car. I definitely don’t want to hear her mouth,” Dallas said to Hank when they exited the elevator on the floor that housed her firm’s offices.

  “No problem. Take your time. While you’re doing that, I’ll run to the men’s room.”

  “Okay. It’s that way.” She moved to the right of the elevators and stopped at the end of the short hallway. “Go to the end of this hall and turn left. Once you make that left, it’ll be the third door on the right.”

  “Got it, but let’s go check out your office before I leave.” They went to her office and Dallas unlocked the door. Hank walked in first and looked around before ushering her in. “Make sure you lock the door when I leave.”

  “Okay.” With all that had been going on, he didn’t have to tell her twice. She did as instructed, no longer taking any unnecessary risks.

  She shuffled to her desk and grabbed the mail out of the inbox before sitting down. “Junk, junk, and more junk.” She tossed most of it in the trash. The rest she’d take with her. Shoot, I should’ve brought my handbag upstairs so I could put everything in it.

  She grabbed her keys from the top of the desk to unlock her file drawer. “Now, that’s strange?” Rarely did she leave the office without locking her desk drawers, but then she remembered. She’d been in such a hurry to leave the day David showed up that it was possible she had forgotten.

  She pulled out the files she needed, locked the cabinet and sat back in her chair. The last time she was there, David had come in demanding his papers. I’ll never let him intimidate me like that again.

  She planned to help the SEC anyway she could. Tyler had already given copies of the documents to his contact person. Hopefully it wouldn’t take them long to catch David. She wasn’t working herself to death so that he could do whatever the hell he wanted with their client’s money. There was too much to lose if the firm collapsed.

  Where is Hank? She peeked at her watch. And they say women take forever in the bathroom. She’d give him a couple of more minutes before she went in search of him.

  Glancing around her office for the first time since arriving, she noticed some things out of place. An empty water bottle lay on the floor near a conference table chair that was pushed up to the file cabinet. Maybe Bianca had been working in here today. Dallas quickly shot down that idea. The nightly cleaning service was excellent. And they should’ve made their rounds by now. No way would Sally, the one who usually cleaned her office, leave an empty bottle on the floor and a chair out of place.

  Dallas’s gaze moved to the sitting area. She saw leather driving gloves resting on the coffee table. Someone’s been in here. She pushed back from the desk prepared to stand when she heard someone at the door. Finally.

  Glad that Hank had returned, Dallas quickly grabbed her mail, files and walked around the desk, but stopped when the door flew open.

  Her eyes grew large when David walked in. She wasn’t sure who was more surprised, him or her. But he recovered first.

  “Well, well, well.” He walked farther into her office, with a smug grin on his face. “So, what brings you here this time of night?”

  Initially taking a few steps back, Dallas stopped herself. The last thing she wanted to do was get trapped behind her desk again. With her knees shaking so bad, she didn’t know if she’d be able to get to the door without collapsing. Okay, be cool, keep it light.

  “Hey David, I just stopped by to pick up a few things. What are you doing here?”

  He put his keys in his pocket and moved toward her. “You and I have some unfinished business to take care of.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Dark clouds had settled over the city, releasing a light drizzling rain when Tyler and Quinn stepped outside the restaurant. Dinner had been good, their host kind, yet, Tyler was ready to go home. Funny how his penthouse felt more like home now that Dallas was there.

  “That was a nice save during dinner,” Quinn said after they’d climbed into Tyler’s truck and pointed the vehicle in the direction of the highway. “I wondered if I was the only one who had noticed you daydreaming most of the evening, but when Mr. Pinstripe Suit asked you what you thought about their plans, I almost burst out laughing.”

  Tyler smiled, shaking his head. “If I hadn’t sat in on so many meetings like that one, I definitely wouldn’t have been prepared. I knew I had to come correct so that I could wipe that smug look off his face. He acted like he’d caught me doing something inappropriately.”

  “Man, I’d say ignoring them during their presentation was inappropriate. They invite us to a five-star restaurant, pour their hearts out about their project, and you totally disregard everything they shared.”

  “It wasn’t that bad.” Tyler signaled as he merged onto the expressway. “I heard most of what they said, and I thought they had some good ideas. But you were right. With all that we have on our plate, we don’t need to collaborate with another group right now. It’s been bad enough trying to work with On Point Development Company in North Carolina. It’ll be awhile before we join forces with another company.”

  “I agree. See, if you would’ve listened to me in the first place, we could’ve saved ourselves a forty-five minute drive to Schaumburg and two hours of semi-boring conversation.”

  Tyler agreed. He would’ve definitely preferred hanging out with Dallas tonight. He was ready for them to get on with their lives and put the past couple of months behind them.

  He pulled out his cell phone and speed dialed her. He and Quinn were about thirty minutes from Chicago, but he couldn’t wait to hear her voice. Her phone rang three times before it was picked up.

  “Hello.”

  Tyler frowned. “Harmony?”

  “Hey, Tyler.”

  “Why are you answering Dallas’s phone? Where is she?”

  “Oh, don’t get me started about that girlfriend of yours. She’s had me sitting in this car for at least fifteen minutes.”

  “Why? Where are you? I thought you guys would’ve been back at the penthouse by now.”

  “We would’ve if she didn’t have to stop at her stupid job. I’m telling you, Tyler, I think she’s possessed. I bet she puts in more hours…”

  Unease crept through Tyler’s body as Harmony rattled on. “Harmony,” he said, but she kept talking. “Harmony!”

  “What?”

  “Please tell me she didn’t go upstairs by herself.”

  “No. Hank’s with her.”

  Well, at least she’s not alone. Hank served in the military with Quinn, and now did personal security detail on occasion. That
made Tyler feel a little better, but he still didn’t like that she was at her office. He glanced at the clock. Eight-ten. Way too late for anyone to be there, and hopefully that included David. But there was always a chance.

  “Did she say why she needed to stop there?”

  “Something about a file for a new client.”

  “How long has she been gone?”

  “Almost twenty minutes now and I’m starting to get pissed. I’m giving her a little more time, and then I’m going to hotwire this car and leave her tail here.”

  Tyler wasn’t sure what Harmony’s carjacking skills were, but he wasn’t going to assume she wouldn’t follow through on the threat.

  “Okay, before you do that, give it five more minutes. If she’s not back by then, call me.” He disconnected and immediately dialed Dallas’s office number. It rang four times before the voicemail picked up. He didn’t bother to leave a message.

  “So what’s going on?” Quinn asked.

  “I’m not totally sure, but Dallas is at her office. Harmony stayed in the car, but says Hank and Dallas left about twenty minutes ago.”

  “Well, you know Dallas. She probably started doing some work and lost track of time.”

  “Then she should’ve answered her office phone. They have caller ID and she would’ve saw that it was me calling. Nah, I think something’s wrong.”

  “I’ll call and see if I can catch up with Hank.”

  When Quinn didn’t get a hold of Hank, Tyler said, “Reach under your seat for me.”

  Quinn bent down and pulled out a small case. “What do you plan to do with this?” He lifted the handgun out of the case, checking it for bullets.

  Tyler took his eyes off the road briefly and glanced at his friend. “Hopefully nothing, but I’ve been carrying it around for the past few weeks, just in case.”

  “At least you knew enough to keep it in the case unloaded.”

  “Well, if I don’t hear from Dallas in the next couple of minutes, I’m going to need you to load it for me. What about you, are you packing?”