Franklin pressed his face closer to Jay. “Another word, I dare you.”
A freight train full of memories barreled straight at me. Days wasted sitting by the phone, waiting for a guy to call. Crying into my pillow at night, wondering why the boys avoided me at school. Convincing myself that Prom and Homecoming were no big deal. Rocky Road ice cream. Gallons and gallons of ice cream. “Was it you? All this time? All those years, it was you?”
He dropped his head between his shoulders, then cocked his chin to meet my glare. “I couldn’t let those fucking perverts near you. I swore to Tony I’d protect you, and I did.”
“Goddamn you, Franklin! Goddamn you!” I didn’t know what else to say. “This is so twisted and sick, and…and…wrong. Shit. All this time?”
Face stoic, he nodded.
“I’m done.” I was. I’d been bursting at the seams with crazy and that last bit of information snipped the final string of sanity holding me together. I pointed a finger in his face. “Don’t follow me. Don’t call me. Leave me the hell alone.” I turned, pushed Leland out of my way, and strode through the door.
Leland called behind me. “Wait. Don’t go in there—shit.”
I walked into a kitchen and tripped over a pretty pair of shoes, decorating a set of long lean legs, attached to a lifeless body. I caught my balance only to slip on the obscene amount of blood oozing from Dahlia’s half-smashed head.
The room spun in a nauseating whirl of color just before everything turned black.
Chapter 17
I swallowed the handful of pain relievers Mom laid out for me, pressed the ice pack to my head and leaned back.
“Are you sure you don’t want to lie down, honey?” Mom whispered, tucking the afghan around my legs.
“Mom, you don’t need to whisper. I just hit my head.”
“You knocked yourself unconscious and got five stitches,” she scolded with the motherly tone of disapproval she’d perfected years ago.
I rolled my eyes. “Technically, I fainted first.”
She sat next to me and cupped my free hand in her own. “Sweetie, I’m so sorry I can’t stay longer. Your grandfather needs me and I can’t find anyone else to watch him.”
I turned my head toward her in super slow motion. Not sure why my neck was so stiff. I guess slipping in a pool of blood and cracking your head open can do crazy things to a body. “Mom, it’s okay. I’ll be all right.” Physically anyway. Emotionally? Well, that was a soap opera I wasn’t ready to tune into.
“I know, I know. When will your friend be here?”
“Anytime now. She’s going to stay the night.”
Mom swallowed hard. Her eyes glistened with welling emotion. “Good. That’s good.”
“Mom, I promise. I’ll be fine,” I reassured her.
The doorbell rang and Leland let himself in. His gaze fell immediately on Mom, and he looked twenty years younger every time they shared the same space. He nodded. “Afternoon, Ms. Wood.”
Mom offered a shy smile.
He turned to me. “Tatum. How you feeling?”
“Peachy,” I grumbled. I don’t know why I acted like a moody teenager around that man.
“Can I have a word before we go?” he asked.
“Of course.” I handed the ice pack to Mom and she got up to take it to the kitchen.
Leland parked it on the opposite end of the couch, taking care not to jostle me. “Masters confessed to helping Dahlia. Claims he had nothing to do with the murder but did help to set you up.” He smirked. “Of course, this happened after I was forced to leave Franklin alone with him for a significant period of time.” He paused, shook his head, then continued. “The two met at a charity event after her divorce and hit it off. She’d been obsessed with taking Cruse Investigations down. Masters offered to help. When he discovered you and Franklin worked there it was like winning the payback lottery. He put his own plan into action. They paid off one of your tech guys to manipulate the video feeds and hack the email accounts.”
“John?” I asked.
“Yes. John Staples. We arrested him this morning.”
“Dahlia came to the office asking for Nan the other day. She tripped into me and her rings caught in my hair. I have a bald spot where she yanked her hand free.” I ran my fingers across the back of my head. Brilliant. “That explains the hair, but what about the roses?”
“Sick bastard did that for show. Wanted to scare you, and drive Franklin crazy. Thought he’d punish Reed by going after you.” Leland huffed and shook his head. “They’d been planning for quite some time. Needless to say, Jay Masters won’t be able to buy his way out of these charges. Murder, kidnapping, and the list keeps growing.”
“So, I’m off the hook?” I asked with an unnatural squeak.
With a wide grin, Leland patted my thigh and stood. “Yes, Miss Wood. I think we can safely say, you’re off the hook.”
I shot him a playful wink. “I’m going to miss your handsome mug, Detective Waters.”
“Stay out of trouble, will you?” He winked back then turned to my mother. “Shall we head out, Anna?”
Mom blushed and nodded. Leland grabbed her suitcase and stood in the doorway. “I’ll meet you downstairs.” He flashed a sweet, mushy, tender smile her way, then looked at me. “Get some rest, Tatum.”
When he was out of sight, I couldn’t help but tease. “Nice of him to offer you a ride to the airport, huh?” I would’ve wiggled my eyebrows at her if my head didn’t hurt so bad.
She smiled her none of your business smile and bent to kiss me.
“Have a safe flight.” I grabbed her hand and squeezed.
“I’ll call when I get home. Love you, Tatum.” Mom shot me a wink, blew a kiss, and slipped out the door.
I heard Lizzie’s voice and then a faint knock.
“Come in.”
“Tate. Holy shit. Your mom is a bombshell. I see where you get your looks.”
“Hey,” I squeaked, fighting back an embarrassing surge of female emotion. I hadn’t asked Lizzie to come stay with me. She’d called, out of the blue, and offered her friendship services. I wasn’t dense. I knew Franklin put her up to it. Heck, he had probably bribed her with an obscene amount of money, or had held a gun to her head while she dialed my number. Most likely, he made her wear a wire so he could spy on our conversation. I hadn’t spoken to him since the whole kidnapping incident. Lizzie had, and knowing she had, made my bones ache. I fought the urge to drill her about his mental and emotional state. She was here to help, and it was a comfort knowing I wouldn’t be alone to wallow in my misery.
After a gentle hug, she plopped on the couch next to me. “You look like you’ve been butt-fucked by the grim reaper.”
I laughed, then winced. Ouch.
“Would it make you feel better to know your dip-shit boyfriend looks ten times worse? God, I’m so happy he didn’t fall victim to my charms. Life with him sucks hairy balls.”
“Stop making me laugh,” I warned, trying not to crack up.
“What shall we do with ourselves?” she asked, looking around the room. “This is quite a spread. You rich or something?”
“Sure am. Just got richer, too. My lawyer says Wallace Cruse had millions stashed in different accounts. Still not sure why he left it to me, but whatever. I might need it. If word gets out about Wallace’s scam, there’s going to be a butt load of lawsuits coming our way.” I couldn’t give Lizzie every detail of what happened, but I did hit the main points.
“That sucks. I’m glad I’m not rich. What’s going on with you and Mr. Reed? Why is he at the bar with Miss Leather Mini and not here taking care of you? Do I need to rough him up a bit?” Her eyes glowed with spirited curiosity.
A possessive fire burned in my belly. “Miss Leather Mini?”
“Yeah, the woman you mistook for a whore. They’ve spent the last two days sitting in your booth drinking themselves stupid.” She seemed a little too thrilled to
be dumping this information in my wounded lap.
An invisible ice pick jabbed at my heart. “I told him I never wanted to see him again.” Why did it hurt? “Why do I want to kill her?” I asked, already knowing the answer. Damn, Lizzie. She knew exactly which buttons in my stupid, stubborn head to push.
“I don’t think there’s any reason to be jealous. The bitch made a pass at me more than once. Franklin finally made her stop.” She laughed, then sucked her lips between her teeth when she noticed I wasn’t laughing with her. “Talk to me, baby.”
“That’s the problem. I can’t.” I couldn’t talk to anyone because of his job. “The only thing I can tell you is that he’s not the man I thought he was.”
She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “Did he hurt you?”
He mortally wounded my heart and soul. “Yes. I mean, no. Not exactly, I guess.”
“So what’s the problem?”
“I don’t know him. Not the real him.” He’d lied to me. His stalking skills put Jay Masters to shame. He’d admitted to being obsessed with me since we were children.
“So get to know him. You’ve fucked already, and by the look on both of your faces when you’re together, the fucking is pretty fucking amazing.”
Oh jeez. Brash much? “It’s complicated.”
“Only if you let it be,” she quickly retorted.
“You’re starting to piss me off.”
“Because I’m right. Right? Don’t be an idiot. Whatever it is you’re mad about, get over it. Men like Franklin Reed don’t come around very often. The guy worships you. He’d kill for you. What woman doesn’t want to be wanted like that by someone like him, huh?”
“I think I just need a few days. To process.”
“Don’t wait too long. You’ll kick yourself for letting someone like him slip through your fingers.”
God, she had no idea. I couldn’t enlighten her, either. I couldn’t tell anyone. This was my cross to bear. Alone.
Stalker. Assassin. Sexpot. He’d been a major player in my life story, a character I didn’t know existed, lurking in the shadows. My protector. Not Dad, the man who’d become a mystery to me. The whole time, it was Franklin.
Franklin was my hero.
* * * *
Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” played on a continuous loop in my head. I finally pulled out my iPod and played it for real. It used to be Mom’s favorite song, and when I was growing up, I’d heard it at least once a day, either blaring from the stereo or from her lips. I finally understood why she’d loved it so much.
I made sure Lizzie was squared away in her room and tucked myself in bed after one too many glasses of wine. I downed an ibuprofen-acetaminophen cocktail and dug out my new favorite sleeping garment: Franklin’s Pearl Jam T-shirt. He wasn’t getting the shirt back. Ever. It was mine. I’d earned it.
I turned the volume to ear splitting level and found a comfy spot on my pillow. My head throbbed and my heart hurt. Every word, mixed with the soulful, husky edge of her voice, wounded me. My muscles ached deeper than I’d ever thought possible. Was it the wine? Maybe. I sang along, pushing through the lump in my throat, wiping away tears with the corner of my pillowcase.
Sometimes, a girl just needed to find a sappy song and sing and wallow. Things would be better in the morning. A good hard cry did wonders for the female psyche.
When I’d regained consciousness on the floor next to Dahlia’s dead body, I lost my shit. Franklin had knelt by my side, holding a bloody towel to my head. Like a maniac, I’d screamed for him to get away. To stop touching me. “I hate you! I hate you!” I don’t know how many times I’d said those words before I’d pushed him off and bolted out the door. I couldn’t bear to look him in the face. Leland had caught me before I stumbled down a set of stairs and forced me to sit until one of his officers could drive me to the hospital. Franklin hadn’t come after me. Nor had he come to the hospital, or the police station when I’d given my statement. He hadn’t called. He’d stayed away, like I’d told him to.
I no longer fit in my bed. Without Franklin, I was a flea lost in a giant pile of Egyptian cotton. Lost forever in the vast loneliness surrounding me. I turned the music up louder, cried, and sang.
I woke the next morning feeling like I’d swallowed a chalkboard eraser. A glass of water sparkled under the early morning sun on my nightstand. My iPod and headphones lay on the pillow next to me. It’d been turned off. I assumed Lizzie had checked on me. That was until I noticed a crumpled suit jacket at the foot of my bed.
His musk lingered, adding an unexpected warmth to the room. I sat up nice and slow, grabbed the pillow next to mine, and held it to my nose. It reeked of sweet alcohol. I looked to the bathroom, my heart flittering much faster than it should’ve been. It was empty. I slunk out of bed and pulled a pair of sweats over my naked legs. Lizzie was still asleep in the guest bedroom.
The rest of the condo was empty.
I hated the way grief made my whole body ache.
By the time I’d brewed an extra strong pot of coffee, Lizzie stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes. “Morning, sunshine.” She gave me a peck on the cheek and a slap on the ass. “Nice T-shirt.”
I brushed my hand down the front of it. “Thanks. Hey, did you hear anybody come in last night?” I handed her a cup of black heaven.
“No. I slept like a baby pumped full of Benadryl. God, it’s so quiet here at night.” She quirked an eyebrow at me. “Why? Who would come in? Who else has a key?” She dumped half my sugar jar into her coffee and didn’t bother to stir.
“Franklin.” Holy cow, I couldn’t even say his name without blushing. It belonged on my tongue. It was mine to speak. And fuck my wounded heart, I’d die before letting another woman own it.
“He didn’t wake you?” she asked, eyes wide and smiling.
“No.”
“Hey, didn’t you say he put cameras in here?”
Cameras. How did I forget about those? “You’re brilliant. Yes. I’ve never used them, though. But I think I can access them through my computer. Or my phone. Maybe both.”
We ran like giddy schoolgirls to my computer and turned it on. Franklin left handwritten instructions right next to it when he’d installed my new security system. In a matter of minutes, Lizzie and I examined the video feed from the night before, fast forwarding to the good parts.
We’d called it a night around eleven-thirty. I cried and sang in my room for about an hour and a half. At two thirty-six, Franklin came in. Clearly inebriated by the sway in his step. He came straight to my room and stood in the doorway for a good twenty minutes before removing his jacket and slipping my headphones out of my ears. He put them on and listened. For ten minutes he laid on his back and stared at the ceiling. Then he turned off the iPod, rolled to his side, and stroked my hair. He didn’t sleep. He watched me, occasionally brushing his fingers over my arm or my hip until five-thirty. He rose, got me a glass of water, and sat on the floor next to my bed with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. At six-fifteen, he pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead and left.
“Oh Tate, look at him. He’s so, so…” She scratched her head. “Not the Franklin I know.”
“Lizzie. What am I going to do?” How could I crave him so desperately when he’d left me with festering wounds?
Lizzie snapped her fingers in my face. “Snap the fuck out of this funk you’re in and go get that man. He loves you. Can’t you see that?”
I could see he was miserable. But was it just guilt? “It’s not that easy. You don’t understand.”
“What is there to understand, exactly? The hottest man in Seattle, possibly the entire western hemisphere, is sneaking into your room at night to be with you. He could be in any bed, naked, with any woman he wanted. He’s here, with you. Do you need to watch the playback again? He is so in love with you, and distraught, and sad. I don’t know what happened between the two of you, but it’s tearing h
im apart. He’s been drinking for days, Tate. I’ve known him for three years. He’s never done that before.”
“Lizzie, who knew?” I hugged her. “Under your tough exterior, you are a big softie. I bet you have romance novels stuffed under your bed, don’t you?”
“Eww. No, thank you. I’m more of a horror fan.” She rose and grabbed my empty mug. “More coffee?”
I nodded.
“When are you going back to work?”
Yeah. There was that little matter. I didn’t want the company. I didn’t want the headache, and I definitely didn’t want to inherit the bad rep. Wallace had done a number. I had to wipe my hands clean of the place. There was nothing left of my dad there. And quite frankly, I was kinda pissed at Dad. Or maybe, I couldn’t bear the weight of walking into that building every day knowing Franklin wouldn’t be sharing my space.
“I meet with the lawyers today. After that, I’ll check in at work.” I didn’t want to face my coworkers. I wanted to let the company crumble. But they had families. Bills to pay. I couldn’t do that to them.
“Good. Let’s get going then, shall we? I need to get back to the bar. Make sure they haven’t burned the place down in my absence.”
I pulled my new best friend in for a big bear hug. “Thanks for staying with me. It wasn’t necessary, but I appreciate it.”
Lizzie snorted. “I had fun, baby. Besides, it’s not like Franklin would take no for an answer.”
“I knew he put you up to this,” I huffed.
She grabbed my shoulders. “Hey, I would’ve come anyway. Like I said, the guy’s head over heels. Borderline obsessive, if you ask me.”
I laughed. “You have no idea.”
* * * *
I straightened my skirt, lifted my chin and pushed through the door. Nan stood at my desk, looking frazzled and shocked to see me. “Tatum. Hi.”
Her forlorn expression cut through the wall of defense I’d constructed in anticipation of our reunion. My heart melted for her. She’d lost a loved one. A secret loved one. Leaving her with no one to share her grief.
How to Kill Your Boss Page 21