TARA (The Trouble Sisters Saga Book 2)

by Taylor Lee

  At that moment, they heard the sound of an automobile roaring into the driveway and come to a hard stop. Tanya rose to her feet and muttered, “It’s a good thing that Ryker and Dad came when we called them. Not that I need any help to tell the ever-so-arrogant Mr. Black he isn’t coming in anywhere that I don’t let him.”

  With a fierce nod, she motioned to Tatiana to stay with Tara and headed out to take care of the man who hadn’t begun to know he’d met his match.

  Griffin rapped sharply on the front door, then shoved it open. Almost running into a very determined Tanya Trouble, he glared at her and then said as calmly as he could, “I know Tara is here, Tanya. I need to talk to her. Now!”

  Tanya drew herself up to her full five-foot-four stature. Glaring up at the man who towered over her, she spit out her words. “I know you are accustomed to running roughshod over everyone and anyone who gets in your way, Mr. Black. Unfortunately, you are now facing a deputy sheriff who goes by the name Trouble. Which is what you will be facing unless you stand the fuck down.”

  At that moment, Ryker strode into the hallway with a grin on his face. Capturing Tanya in his arms, he held her back tight against him and murmured, “Down, girl. Give Mr. Black a break. Can’t you see he’s hurting?” Turning to Griffin, he said, “Take a breath, man. It appears Tara needs a little girl time, and as you can see, my woman intends to see that she gets it.” Ryker added, “My sense is that she’s correct. And, buddy, you look as though you could use some guy time. It just so happens that the sheriff and I are sharing a hell of a bottle of Macallan on the deck. How about you join us?”

  Griffin looked at Tanya, who was facing off against him, her hands on her hips, her eyes dangerously narrowed. Not able to contain a wry smile, he said, “Hmm. I can see that the Trouble temper runs in the family.”

  “At least among its distaff members,” a deep voice declared from behind Ryker. Griffin turned to see a stern-faced Sheriff Trouble standing in the doorway. Before he could respond, Titus spoke directly to him.

  “Ryker is correct, Griffin. Tara needs her sisters right now, even more than she needs you.” He pointed to the deck. “Please join us.”

  Griffin glanced at Ryker, who shrugged. “The sheriff has spoken, man. And when the sheriff speaks, we listen. Hell, even his daughters do.”

  Griffin raised his hands in defeat. “Like I don’t know a lost cause when I am one . . . ” Turning to Ryker, he said, “I just hope you have a second bottle of Macallan, dude. It’s going to take a shitload of booze to calm me down.”

  ****

  Quaffing the rest of the amber liquid in his glass, Griffin held it out to Ryker, who obliged him and refilled it, then did the same for his and the sheriff’s. Griffin turned to Titus and appealed to him. “Goddammit, Sheriff, you know what I’m up against. You know the damage destructive women can cause. Christ, man, I need your help. You have to know how much I love Tara.” He gave a disconsolate sigh. “I knew Jia was a bitch, but I didn’t realize how truly wicked she is. Or that she would dare go after Tara the way that she did, spewing a passel of outrageous lies.” He ran his hand distractedly through his tousled hair, then said in an agonized voice, “But Tara believed her! How could she? How could she possibly believe that wicked woman? How could she think I would betray her? Holy hell, doesn’t she know how much I love her?”

  Before either Titus or Ryker could respond, he railed, “So help me God, if I never do another thing in this life, I will make that bitch pay for the damage she’s done.”

  Titus stopped him. “For what it’s worth, Griffin, I do believe you. Like you, I’m well aware of the wreckage a destructive woman can leave in her wake. But more important, I know that you love my daughter. And most important, I know that she loves you.” Turning to Ryker, he said with slight smile, “How about you go call off your attack dog, Agent Thompson? Tell her that her father and, incidentally, her sheriff says that the indomitable Mr. Black is allowed into the bedroom.”

  ****

  Striding past the unrepentant deputy sheriff, whose fierce glare confirmed that he was riding a thin rail, Griffin nodded to her, then closed the door solidly behind her. Tara was huddled in a ball on the bed wearing only her underwear. He spotted the white dress and stiletto shoes in a crumpled heap on the floor. That she’d thrown them off confirmed that she had believed Jia’s ugly lies. Griffin was struck by how angry he was. Not only at Jia but also at Tara for believing the spiteful woman’s mendacities.

  Coming up to the side of the bed, he reached for her. When she tried to push him away, he grasped her hands in his, then sat down on the edge of the bed and dragged her onto his lap. When she struggled against him, he tightened his grip. “Uh-uh, Tara. Forget it. If you think you’re going to get so much as an inch away from me, you couldn’t be more wrong.” Ignoring her irate insistence that he leave her alone, Griffin was fierce. “No, dammit, the last thing I’m going to do is leave you alone. Not in this world or the next several universes. But first, before we do another thing, you are going to tell me how you could have possibly believed a single word of what that vicious woman said to you.”

  Sitting her up on his lap, for the first time, he saw her swollen eyes and tear-ravished face. His anger dissipated like an ice cube of fury melting in the firestorm of her hurt. “Oh God, sweetheart, let me hold you. Tara, I’m sorry, so very sorry. I knew that Jia was a vicious woman, wicked even. But I never dreamed that she would take off after you like she did. You have to understand, she’s crazy. Christ, she’s insane. I never knew how truly unbalanced she was until tonight.” Holding Tara tightly against his chest, he couldn’t help but go back to the genesis of his angst. “But, honey, how could you possibly have believed her? How could you believe the vicious things she said?”

  For the first time since he’d picked her up, Tara tried to respond, her words contorted with tears. “You don’t understand, Griffin. She said that she bought that dress, like she always does for your women. So that I wouldn’t shame you, look like an idiot in my bargain basement clothes. I . . . I felt so dirty, so used . . . ” The rest of her sentence was lost in an inconsolable sob.

  Horrified at Jia’s cruelty, Griffin was chagrined that at least part of Jia’s diatribe was true. He felt compelled to tell Tara if only to confirm how different she was from the other women in his life. “Christ, honey, I have to admit that in the past I did give Jia that questionable assignment. But not for you, never for you. I saw that dress and those shoes in New York and couldn’t wait to see them on you. And, sweetheart, you looked even more beautiful than I knew you would.”

  “But why, why would she say such hateful things? Things that she knew weren’t true. That surely you would dispute?”

  “Because, Tara, for some crazy reason she thought I cared for her. At least she’d convinced herself of that. But even she wasn’t so crazy that she didn’t see how much I cared for you—that I love you. Which is why she attacked you the way that she did.”

  Tara sat up straighter and seemed to get her emotions at least somewhat under control. “She said you were only trying to buy my support for the project. Were you, Griffin? Please tell me the truth. I can’t bear any more lies.”

  Griffin’s anger flared at her accusation. He lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Dammit, Tara. Do you think I don’t know how passionately you believe in your core values? That no one, including me, could ever buy your support. But what is so goddamn frustrating to me is that I was beginning to think that we could work together. That you could help me make Shadow Peaks a showplace of ecologically aware development. And, goddammit, I didn’t give you those things to ‘buy’ you. I gave them to you because I knew they would be beautiful on you and, more important, because I love you.”

  Many long minutes later, after they’d both come to grips with the ugliness of what should have been a spectacular evening, Griffin asked, “Will you come home with me tonight, Tara? I need to hold you. Let you know in every way possible how much I c
are for you.”

  Tara surprised herself when she shook her head no. “I can’t, Griffin. I need to come to grips with what happened. I admit I allowed myself to believe the horrible things she said, which I knew in my heart weren’t true. Please understand. I need to stay here with my sisters and frankly with my dad.” Seeing his frown, she added, “Honestly, Griffin, this isn’t about you, it’s about me. I have to deal with the fact that I allowed that vicious woman to get to me. The only people beside you who can help me do that are the people who know me best: my family.”

  Griffin breathed out a hard sigh, not wanting to admit that her seeming rejection hurt him as much as it did. Instead, he did his best to acknowledge her feelings. “I understand, Tara. I wish I didn’t, but Jia hit all the possible fissures in our relationship. I think we both need time to think those through and decide how to ensure that it never happens again.”

  At the doorway, he turned back. Tara was startled at the fierce expression on his face when he said, “Trust me, Tara, Jia will never spew her vicious vitriol again. She’s done. She has no idea what the repercussions of her hateful rant are. But she will soon.”

  He put up his hands in defeat. “I love you, Tara. I need you to believe that.” He turned and left the room.

  With a sinking heart, she heard him rev up his powerful car and speed out of the driveway. Hours later, she would castigate herself, be horrified that she had sent him on his way rather than beg him to take her with him. If only she’d been brave enough to go with him, their lives might have been different.

  Chapter 25

  Staring at Jia, whose lips were curved in an ugly smile, Magnus forced himself to take several deep breaths before he tried to respond. He tried to convince himself that Jia couldn’t know what she’d accused him of. It wasn’t possible. He’d been much too careful. Good God, if Griffin wasn’t on to him, how could this despicable woman have seen through his perfidy? Griffin was the most street-smart executive he’d ever known. Hell, the guy had created a major fortune due to his economic brilliance paired with extraordinary vision. Griffin could look at a parcel of land and see what no one before him had seen. And then, with his flair for development and his stunning grasp of finance, he turned that pile of dirt into yet another stellar success. Given his gifts, it was almost inconceivable that Griffin wasn’t on to him. Magnus should have been embarrassed to admit that the reason he wasn’t was because Griffin trusted him. That trust was a gift he gave to precious few men. Except Magnus, all the chosen ones were fellow Delta Force operatives. But Magnus wasn’t embarrassed. If anything, he congratulated himself. The smartest man he knew had no idea that Magnus was robbing him and had been for the past three years.

  Staring at the vicious woman smiling at him, he tried to fathom whether Jia was simply sussing him out or if she actually knew the extent of his theft.

  As if he had betrayed himself, she laughed. A grating, triumphant sound. “Yes, Magnus, I do know what you have been doing. While you obviously think that you and Griffin are the only financial wunderkinds, I’ve been at this game almost as long as you have. Only I was smart enough not to steal money from his majesty. I merely kept track of those who were trying to cheat him so that when push came to shove, he would be forever grateful for my loyalty.”

  Knowing he had nothing to lose, Magnus pricked at her soft spot, her fanatical love for Griffin and her even more fervent hatred of Tara, who even Jia seemed to understand was the first woman that Griffin had ever truly loved.

  “Do you honestly think that Griffin will believe you? That he won’t see your lies as just more of your craziness? Your obsession with attacking anyone who was close to him? You screwed yourself tonight, Jia. You went after the wrong person. Damn, Jia. You really thought you could get rid of Tara? That Griffin wouldn’t go after her? Convince her that you are a deranged woman? That you are sick enough to believe that Griffin actually loves you? That he doesn’t think you are a crazy bitch?” Magnus shook his head and went for the jugular. “You would have to be truly insane, Jia, if you can’t see that Griffin is deeply in love with Tara and that he not only dislikes you, he pities you.”

  Magnus thought he had gotten through to her when her face turned an ugly shade of purple. But then, as she blew out an audible breath of air, her shocked expression morphed into what he now acknowledged was a sinister hatred that even he couldn’t overcome. Her face took on what was becoming her trademark: a twisted smile that reeked with evil. He should have expected her next revelation, but he’d been so concerned about fooling Griffin that he had failed to recognize the extent of her evil and what it meant to him.

  “Do you honestly think that I haven’t documented your theft, Magnus? That I would let you steal millions from Black Enterprises and not document it? However would I be able to take you down if I needed to, or if I decided I wanted a piece of your treachery?”

  She laughed, a hideous sound. “Oh no, my ever-so-clever friend. While you may have been able to fool Griffin—and only because he honors you as he does—you never fooled me. Trust me. When Griffin sees the files I’ve kept, the definitive record of your betrayal, he will be so determined to avenge his company that not only will you be in prison—if he doesn’t kill you first—but he’ll be too absorbed in your treachery to care a wit about Tara. Which will give me time to plant more seeds of doubt in her conflicted brain. At base, I know she’s smart enough to know that Griffin doesn’t love her. She knows he only needs her for the Shadow Peaks project.”

  It took Magnus several long, contemplative moments to acknowledge that Jia was right. She clearly knew the extent of his betrayal. Given her obsession, she had likely documented every cent he’d stolen. Once he’d concluded that she could not be allowed to go to Griffin, it was clear what he had to do, needed to do.

  At that moment, with a start, he realized that the Jia solution was also the Griffin solution. Moments later, when she’d stopped struggling and he was finally able to loosen his hands from around her neck, he congratulated himself. At some level, he’d known it would end like this. He would have to take Griffin down if he was to survive. He hadn’t known that not only would Jia get in the way but also that she would also provide the ultimate solution.

  ****

  Waking from a restless sleep, Griffin realized that the knocking sound he heard was coming from his front door. Dragging himself out of bed, he went to the door. He was shocked to see Sheriff Trouble on the doorstep with his deputy and Officer Sorenson close behind him. Griffin froze when he saw them. It was as if a heavy anvil had squeezed the breath out of his chest. His heart leaping in his throat, he managed to shove out the word, “Tara?”

  The sheriff shook his head. “No, Griffin. Tara is okay. But you are going to have to come with us.”

  Griffin grimaced, then reached for the sheriff’s arm. “I don’t understand, Sheriff. Please, man, please tell me if something happened to Tara.”

  Sheriff Trouble shook his head. “I promise you, Tara is okay, Griffin. But Jia Yanlin isn’t. She’s dead, Griffin. Someone strangled her to death.”

  “Jesus God! How? Where?” Griffin stepped back in shock. “I . . . I don’t understand . . . who?”

  Titus emitted a hard sigh. “Some of your staff members found her in your office. I’m sorry to tell you this, but according to a number of witnesses, several people heard you threaten her. We’re going to need you come down to the station, Griffin.”

  Griffin stared at him, then slowly allowed himself to grasp what the stern sheriff was implying. “Jesus Christ, Titus. You can’t think I had anything to do with this? My God, surely you don’t . . . Damn, man, you can’t believe that I . . . ” Seeing the sheriff’s deeply troubled expression, Griffin swallowed his astonishment and took a deep breath. “Of course I will come with you. Give me a minute to put on some clothes.” He shook his head and stood still for another moment, clearly trying to make sense of the situation. Turning back to face the sheriff, he finally said, “If it’s all right
with you, Sheriff Trouble, I’m going to ask Magnus Armstrong to meet us at the station. He’s my partner and also my attorney.”

  Titus blew out another aggrieved sigh and nodded in agreement. “That’s a good idea, Griffin. Tell him to meet us there.”

  ****

  Magnus barreled into the precinct and demanded to see Sheriff Trouble. When the tall, distinguished sheriff came to the door to his office, Magnus accosted him. “What the hell, Sheriff? Are you insane? You think that Griffin Black had something to do with Jia’s death? I can’t believe this . . . Where is he? I demand to see him.”

  Titus stood in the doorway and then motioned for him to enter. “Please, Mr. Armstrong, come in.” Walking back to his desk, he settled onto his chair and pointed to one in front of the desk. “Please. Sit down.”

  When Magnus sank onto the seat, Titus took control of the situation. “I understand that you are concerned, Mr. Armstrong, and yes, in a moment I will take you to see Mr. Black.”

  Magnus leaned forward, not containing his anger. “You damn well better, Sheriff. I can’t believe that you think Griffin had anything to do with this . . . this hideous incident.”

  Titus responded carefully. “The incident, as you called it, Mr. Armstrong, is the brutal strangulation and murder of Mr. Black’s right-hand assistant. And no, at the moment, we simply asked Mr. Black to come to the precinct to answer some questions.”

  “Well, you damn well better have told him that he didn’t have to answer a damn thing until I arrived. I am his attorney—”

  “I’m aware of that, Mr. Armstrong, and while Mr. Black was more than willing to answer our questions, I recommended that he wait until you arrived. A recommendation he chose not to take. He freely answered all of our questions.” Before Magnus could reply, the sheriff nodded to the tall, blond officer in the doorway. “Officer Sorenson, please take Mr. Armstrong to the interrogation room.”