Slow Burn

by Janice Maynard

  She climbed the stairs to the second floor. The executive assistant at the desk outside Joshua’s office was familiar. Nikki smiled. “Haley Shaw? You’re still here?”

  Haley was only a couple of years older than Nikki. She had been working at Black Crescent as a college intern when Vernon and Nikki’s dad, Everett Reardon, had disappeared. Well, Nikki’s dad had tried to disappear. He’d fatally crashed his car into a tree while fleeing the police.

  Nikki hadn’t been inside Black Crescent headquarters since she was a senior in high school. Nothing much had changed. Her father’s old office was at the opposite end of the hallway. She didn’t look in that direction. Her heart was already beating too rapidly. Being inside this building brought up painful memories.

  Haley had a puzzled frown between her eyebrows. “I’m sorry, I—”

  “It’s me. Nikki Reardon. I’m here to see Joshua. Very briefly.”

  The other woman’s face lightened. “Nikki, of course. How nice to see you again.” Her gaze went to the computer screen at her elbow. “I don’t have you on his calendar...”

  The door behind the desk opened, and Joshua Lowell poked out his head. “Thanks, Haley. Please hold my calls. Nikki, it’s good to see you after all these years.”

  Nikki entered Joshua’s office and waited as he closed the door. “I won’t take much of your time, Josh,” she said quietly, conscious of the gatekeeper just outside the door.

  Joshua waved her to a comfortable seat in front of his massive desk. “No worries. Let me have your coat. What can I do for you?”

  She shrugged out of her thigh-length parka, handed it to him and sat down. Joshua was Jake’s twin. By all accounts, she should be feeling the tug of sexual attraction. But despite the fact that both men shared an unmistakable physical similarity, they projected a different vibe.

  Josh was very handsome, confident and appealing. But he projected authority and a no-nonsense air of being all business. Where Jake was funny, and at times outrageous, Joshua was more reserved.

  Nikki folded her shaky hands in her lap. “I’m sure Jake has already talked to you since last night. I owe you an apology,” she said bluntly. “He showed me one of the emails my mother sent. I knew nothing about them, and I am so very sorry. I’m going to speak to her firmly and warn her never to do anything like this again. She was trying to help me, but it was wrong. I hope you can forgive me.”

  Joshua leaned back in his chair and smiled wearily. “I think you and I both know that parents don’t always make good choices.”

  “Touché.”

  “How did my brother react when you told him he’s the father? He wasn’t forthcoming about that part of the evening.”

  Nikki tried not to fidget. Joshua Lowell was a powerful man. “Well, you had already given him a heads-up. I suppose me telling him wasn’t news. He says he wants to be part of Emma’s life.”

  “And?”

  “And I’m not sure. You know your brother, Josh. What your father did—what my father did—sent Jake running fifteen years ago. As far as I can tell, the only reason he’s back at the moment is because you asked him to go with you to see Vernon. I don’t think he’s father material.”

  “You could give the guy a chance.”

  The suggestion was couched in mild tones, but Nikki felt the unspoken edge of criticism. Her defenses went up. “I have to protect Emma. She’s my first priority.”

  “I understand.”

  “May I ask you a personal question?” she said, taking a deep breath.

  His eyes widened fractionally, but he nodded. “Yes.”

  “Is it true that you’re giving up your position here at Black Crescent? That you’ve been interviewing potential replacement candidates?”

  Joshua nodded slowly. His gaze narrowed. “Yes. I have.”

  Nikki leaned forward, feeling an urgency that was perhaps not hers to feel. “Have you thought about asking Jake to replace you? I know he likes to pretend he has no depth, but he’s whip-smart. Especially with finances. He could do this job and do it well. Maybe the challenge would be enough to make him stay. To put down roots.”

  Jake’s twin sighed, and his expression filled with sympathy. “I get where you’re coming from, Nikki. And, yes. That would be a great plan. But I already offered him the helm of Black Crescent, and he turned me down flat.”

  “Oh.” The bottom fell out of her stomach. Suddenly, she realized she had been naive. She knew it was stupid to think she and Jake could have a relationship after all this time, but her need for him continued to sabotage good sense. Clearly, Jake only wanted to leave. Again.

  She stood abruptly, near tears. Her sleepless night was catching up with her. “I should go. Thank you for your time.”

  Before Nikki could move, the door burst open and Jake strode into the room. He pulled up short when he saw her, his gaze narrowing. “What are you doing here?” The question was just short of rude.

  Nikki hitched her purse on her shoulder. “I wanted to talk to Joshua. Don’t worry—we’re done. I’m leaving—”

  Josh interrupted before Jake could speak. “It’s my turn to ask you something, Nikki. Jake is here now, because he and I are headed into the city to see our father. It occurs to me that you might want to ask a few questions, too. Since your own father can’t answer them. My dad owes you that much.”

  Jake’s face had frozen in stone. “I don’t think that’s appropriate. Vernon asked to see us. No one else.”

  Nikki flushed, mortified. “Thank you, Josh, but Jake is right. This will be a family moment. I don’t want to intrude.” She scooted toward the door.

  Josh snorted. “We’re going to see the worthless son of a bitch who for a decade and a half let his own wife and kids think he was dead. I doubt we’ll share any Hallmark moments today. You’re welcome to come.”

  Nikki was torn. She did have questions. A million of them. Why did the two partners steal from their clients? Why did they run? Why did Vernon never come home? Why did he and Everett think it was okay to destroy dozens of lives? And for what?

  Jake sighed. “Come if you want. I doubt he’ll talk, anyway. He won’t want to incriminate himself.”

  The cynicism in Jake’s voice didn’t entirely conceal a son’s pain. Vernon Lowell had betrayed his own flesh and blood. How could he have been so selfishly cruel?

  “My mother is with Emma. Let me see if she can stay.” Nikki stepped out into the hallway and called her mom’s cell. It wasn’t hard to fabricate an excuse. Besides, Roberta loved spending time with her granddaughter. Not to mention the fact that Nikki partially supported her mother. Other than a small government retirement check, Roberta had no income. The woman who had once been a society maven and influencer now shopped for groceries at a discount store and drove a ten-year-old car.

  Nikki liked to think her mother had adapted to their new reality, but the truth was, Roberta never gave up hope that one day she might reclaim what she considered to be her rightful place in the social scene.

  When Nikki returned to Josh’s office, the two brothers had their heads together and were talking in low tones. They both jerked upright with identical guilty expressions on their faces.

  “Am I interrupting?” she asked wryly.

  “Of course not.” Jake gave nothing away. “We’re ready to head out. You okay with the plan?”

  He didn’t mention Emma’s name. The oblique question was odd. “I’m good,” she said.

  Downstairs in the employee parking garage, Joshua motioned to a large black SUV. “We’re taking mine. Jake is leaving his car here. He spoke to our security guard and asked him to feed your parking meter. I hope that’s okay.”

  “I appreciate it.” She wasn’t going to jockey for shotgun position. Before either man could say a word, she climbed into the back seat. The interior was nice. It reminded her of a Secret Service vehicle.
Nothing wrong with that.

  Falling Brook was an hour from New York City, depending on traffic and the destination. Once Joshua put the SUV in motion, Nikki fell dead asleep...

  She roused as the car slowed and turned a corner. Up ahead, she saw a sign for the correctional facility.

  Jake shot her a glance over his shoulder. “You okay back there?”

  She nodded, rubbing her eyes and smoothing her hair. “Yes. I can’t help thinking about all the times my mother and I came to the city for a play. Or shopping. Those days seem like another lifetime, another person. I was spoiled and naive.”

  He frowned. “Don’t beat yourself up. You were the only child of wealthy parents. Of course they gave you the best of everything.”

  Until they didn’t.

  This prison, among others, made the news now and again for overcrowding and poor treatment of inmates. Nikki shivered. Her own father could have landed here before his certain conviction. Maybe death had been a kinder sentence.

  When the three of them exited the parking garage a short time later, Nikki huddled into her coat. The wind whistled through the streets between tall buildings. The sun was out, but it shone hazily behind a thin veil of clouds.

  Once inside they had to go through a security checkpoint with a metal detector. She began to wish she hadn’t come, but it was too late to back out now.

  Joshua signed a visitor log for the three of them, and then they sat in a waiting room. About fifteen minutes later, a uniformed security officer appeared in the doorway and called Joshua’s name. Jake and Nikki stood, too. Her stomach fell to her feet.

  Without overthinking it, she slid her hand into Jake’s. He was about to see his father for the first time in a decade and a half. What was he thinking? His fingers gripped hers tightly.

  The officer’s face was stoic. “Mr. Lowell has changed his mind. He doesn’t want visitors today.”

  After a moment of silence, Josh cursed beneath his breath. He and Jake had both gone pale. Joshua straightened his shoulders. “Perhaps you misunderstood. My father asked us to come today. We’re here as a courtesy to him.”

  The man shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you. Mr. Lowell was perfectly clear. He’s in his cell, and he doesn’t want to be disturbed.”

  Nikki could feel the tension in Jake’s body. “Well,” he said, his tone gruff. “I guess that’s it.” He turned on his heel, dragging Nikki in his wake.

  Joshua followed them out onto the street. They all stood on the sidewalk, stunned. Nikki let go of Jake’s hand, self-conscious now that Joshua might notice.

  Jake exhaled and stared at the ground. “I’m not sure why we’re surprised. The old man is a class-A bastard. We’ve done our duty. Now we’re off the hook.”

  Joshua shook his head slowly. “I can’t believe it. Why would he ask us to come and then refuse to see us?”

  “Maybe he’s ashamed,” Nikki said. She tried to put herself in Vernon’s shoes, but couldn’t imagine it. What kind of parent abandoned his family?

  Jake made a face that could have meant anything. “It’s freezing out here, and I’m starving.” He gave Nikki a quick glance. “You up for walking a couple of blocks?”

  “Of course.”

  They ended up at a little hole-in-the-wall place the Lowell brothers remembered from their teen years. Jake actually smiled when they entered. “We used to come here on the weekends and eat pizza and play pool. We felt like such rebels.”

  “Why was that?” she asked.

  “Because it was a million miles from Falling Brook,” Josh answered. He looked around the crowded, dimly lit room with a grin. The booths were covered in faux green leather. The wooden floor was scarred. The dartboards on the far back wall might have been relics from the Second World War.

  There was an awkward moment as they were being seated. A booth for three meant that two people were cozy. In this case, Jake and Nikki. She squeezed toward the wall and tried to pretend she wasn’t freaked out by the fact that his leg touched hers.

  He helped her take off her coat.

  Though Joshua seemed oblivious to any undercurrents, Jake’s gaze, intense and warm, held Nikki’s for long moments. Thankfully, the waitress came, and Nikki was able to catch her breath.

  It occurred to her that the three of them had been frozen in time. Jake and Nikki had left Falling Brook fifteen years ago, headed in opposite directions. Joshua had stayed behind, the dutiful son, though Nikki had to wonder if his sacrifice had been worth it.

  And now, here was Nikki, pressed up against the man who made her quiver with awareness and need. She’d had a taste of intimacy with Jake...in Atlantic City. Though she didn’t want to admit weakness—even to herself—the truth was, she wanted more, even if her brain was shouting danger, danger, danger.

  “This is a weird reunion, isn’t it?” she said, clearing her throat. They had finished ordering, and now her stomach growled as they waited for their meal.

  Joshua nodded. He gazed at his brother. “Weird, but satisfying. I’m sorry it’s taken us this long to reconnect.”

  Nikki hesitated and then decided to indulge her curiosity. “Tell me, Josh. How have the finances at Black Crescent recovered? I felt so guilty for years that those families lost everything.”

  Jake slid an arm around her shoulders, resting it on the back of the booth. “My saint of a brother has been able to repay a lot of the money.”

  Her eyes widened. “Really?”

  Joshua grimaced. “Well, not at first. Although I wasn’t implicated in the crime, the feds were all over me for several years.”

  Jake nodded. “Everything was liquidated, including your home, as you know, Nikki. Our cars, yachts, vacation properties. Oliver’s remaining tuition for Harvard was canceled. Luckily for our mother, our home was in her name, since it had been in her family for generations. There were some Black Crescent assets liquidated, too, but not enough to cripple the company. It was in everyone’s best interest to keep things afloat so Josh could start rebuilding.”

  “I’m glad to know that you were able to make at least some reparations,” she said.

  The food arrived, and serious talk was sidelined in favor of hot pizza.

  Eventually, Joshua picked up the earlier thread. “Because of the nature of the crime, Black Crescent has been bound by some pretty stringent rules. Thankfully, I’ve been able to pay all the people our father cheated at least eighty or eighty-five cents on the dollar. It’s not everything, but our clients signed off on the agreement. They were thrilled, actually, to know that they would recoup most of their investments over the long haul.”

  Jake’s expression darkened. “I still want to know what happened to the money.”

  “Living off the grid for fifteen years isn’t cheap,” Nikki said.

  “But he took millions.” Jake shook his head slowly. “I doubt we’ll ever know.”

  A silence fell, rife with unspoken emotions. Nikki wondered what Jake was thinking. Perhaps he was deciding how soon he could get back to his travels. Suddenly, her throat was tight. “I hate to break up the party, but I need to get back to Emma.”

  “Of course.” Joshua raised his hand for the check, and then pinned Nikki with a determined gaze. “I was glad you turned up in my office today. I’d been planning to talk to you, anyway. Now that I have finally fulfilled all the company’s legal obligations, Black Crescent will begin paying you and your mother a monthly stipend. You were victims, too.”

  She opened her mouth, stunned. “Oh, no. My father was one of the perpetrators. Mom and I are fine. Don’t be ridiculous. We don’t need the money.”

  Jake’s eyes snapped with displeasure. “You’re working in a diner, and you can’t afford a babysitter. You are definitely not fine. My brother is doing the right thing.”

  Nikki straightened her spine, her cheeks burning with humiliation.
“My life may not look like much to you, Jake Lowell, but I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished. The good things in life aren’t always measured by dollars and cents.”

  Both Lowell twins were formidable when they put their minds to it. Joshua wouldn’t be moved. “What you do with the money is up to you, Nikki. Put it away for Emma’s college, if you want. But you deserve to regain what you lost.”

  Four

  Nikki didn’t sleep on the way back home, but this time, she sat quietly, listening to the two brothers’ conversation. It had been a strange and unsettling day. She wanted to spend time with Jake, but she was confused and worried. If she let him come around to see his daughter, Nikki might be tempted to sleep with him again.

  Joshua had offered his brother a permanent, full-time, challenging opportunity, but Jake had turned him down. Wanderlust. That’s what it was. Jake didn’t know how to stay in one place, and he was far too old to learn new tricks now.

  In the parking garage at Black Crescent, Joshua said a quick goodbye and ran upstairs. He was late for a meeting. That left Jake and Nikki standing awkwardly.

  “Let me take you to dinner tonight,” Jake said. “We still have plenty to talk about. And I’ve missed you, Nikki.”

  The raw honesty in his words seduced her more than anything. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I have to work.”

  He scowled. “Are you blowing me off?”

  She lifted her chin. “I’ll spend a couple of hours with Emma, and then I have to go straight to the diner.”

  “I see.”

  “How soon will you be leaving?”

  His face reflected shock. “What do you mean?”

  “You came home to see your father. That didn’t work out. I assumed you’ll be heading out again soon.”

  “No.” He leaned back against a concrete pillar. “Are you trying to get rid of me, Nik? Is that what this is about? Are you afraid of what I make you feel?”