“Cat, are you feeling okay?” one of the ladies asked as she approached her office door.
“Yes, thank you.” She quickly walked into her office and closed the door, not feeling social but not wanting to be rude, either. She knew what she had to do and just wanted to get it over with.
Cat scrolled through the accounts on her monitor that she needed to address. Not one from Redline Trucking, but there was a real estate agent, heating and air conditioning company, lawyer’s office, and a plumbing company all with flags, so she started opening the transactions and company files for each. When she finished, she had just enough time to look at Redline to see if there really wasn’t anything. With just a few clicks of her mouse, she saw that Redline did indeed have a cash deposit, but the deposit was cleared prior to her arriving at work. Interesting. She made a mental note to tell Buck when she saw him.
After quickly gathering her purse and keys, she locked her office and headed toward the elevator. She passed Mr. Jones as he was stepping out of his office with a black briefcase. Great, this was all she needed.
“Catherine, you seem to be in a hurry,” he said.
“Hey, Mr. Jones. I’ve got a lunch date that I don’t want to be late for.”
“Oh, with Dr. Gregory I assume,” Mr. Jones said with a smile.
Cat’s face turned red as she shook her head. “No, sir. An old boyfriend from college.”
“I see.” Mr. Jones furrowed his brows.
Cat was thrilled when the elevator stopped on the second floor and someone from IT stepped in. When the young man entered, the smile on his face grew in greeting toward Mr. Jones, but all he received in return was an almost imperceptible shake of Mr. Jones’s head. The man’s gaze went straight to the floor, and no one spoke a word the rest of the ride down.
When the doors opened, the men waved Cat through first. She kept her focus straight ahead even though she heard the men speaking in low tones behind her. She couldn’t make out what they were saying but didn’t have a good feeling after the actions in the elevator.
Cat was pulling out of her parking place when she saw Mr. Jones and the man shake hands in her rearview mirror. They do know each other, so why the secrecy?
Less than ten minutes later, Cat pulled into the parking lot of the Riverton Crossing Diner. By the time she entered the restaurant, her hands were trembling. Looking around, she spotted Buck in the far corner with his hand raised to catch her attention. She smiled in acknowledgment and walked in his direction. When she was almost to the table, he stood and pulled out her chair. Before she could sit, he hugged her and kissed her cheek. Cat closed her eyes as she felt her face get hot.
“What was that for?”
“All the eyes watching you walk toward me. I thought I’d give them something to wonder about.” Buck had a sly smile plastered on his face.
She leaned toward him. “Let’s keep that to a minimum, please. I’m still with Thomas, and you know it.”
Buck nodded. “Anything new?”
“Plenty.”
Before Cat started talking, the door opened again and caught her eye. Mr. Jones walked in and looked around. When he spotted the person he was looking for, he walked toward them, but his steps faltered as he locked eyes with Cat. She turned away, and he gained his composure quickly before he sat down with a man several tables over.
Cat held Buck’s stare. “Is that why you picked this place?”
Buck nodded. “One of Evan’s officers said he has lunch here every Wednesday with someone usually from out-of-town, and there’s a black briefcase at these lunches that doesn’t leave with Mr. Jones.” He looked at Cat affectionately. He picked up one of her hands and entwined their fingers. “So, what happened today?”
“Redline had a deposit yesterday, but it didn’t show up in my flag report where I check the deposits and clear them.” Cat and Buck leaned closer together. “Mr. Jones handled it prior to my coming in this morning,” she whispered. Buck quickly kissed Cat’s lips.
She jerked back. “Quit that.”
“Cat, I came here to see you. I’m hoping you’re ready to leave this small town of yours and move to Atlanta with me.”
The waitress walked up just as Buck was finishing his statement. “What can I get y’all do drink?”
“Sweet iced tea for me.” Buck’s broad smile stretched across his face.
“Same for me.” Cat looked into the waitress’s eyes where she saw censure. Again, Cat turned away as her face heated.
When the waitress was out of earshot, Buck whispered, “What are you saying?”
“I think Mr. Jones came in early and handled Redline, thinking if there were no flag for me to clear then I wouldn’t look at the account,” Cat whispered. “The problem is I looked at it right before I came here.”
“Why is that a problem?”
Cat told him about the IT guy and how he acted when he stepped into the elevator and what she witnessed when she got in her car. “What if he’s having my movements tracked to see if I go into the Redline account again?”
“That could be a problem.” Buck pinched his lower lip.
“On Friday, y’all said this group of people is part of the same group Masterson Investments was a part of, so what if there are more accounts involved?”
“All I need is one to get a Federal Grand Jury Subpoena. I’ve already started looking at the companies and the names you’ve given me.” He held Cat’s hands and looked into her eyes. “I swear, Cat, I don’t need much more. I’m close to having enough, and then you’re out.” Buck drew a cross over his heart before he held up the boy scouts’ sign. “I swear.”
Cat looked around the room fortifying her nerves when she locked eyes with Mr. Jones for just a second before she broke eye contact and refocused on Buck. “Okay.” She gave a small nod.
They finished lunch with general get-to-know-you conversation. All too quickly Cat had to leave. When she stood, Buck did as well. He pulled her in for a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek.
“I’ll wait for the check so you can get back. See you tonight, dear.” He spoke loud enough to make sure others could hear him.
Cat waved as she walked away with the feeling of eyes following her movements to the door. Once she stepped outside, she breathed a sigh of relief that lunch was over. She hurried to her car parked in the back of the diner. As she approached, she noticed something caught under her windshield wiper. She looked around to see if anyone was near, but she was the only one in the lot. The closer she got, the object came into view. A single red rose with a card attached that read, “I miss you. Love, T.” Tears stung her eyes because she missed him, too.
Oh, how she missed him.
18
Scott Jones and Mr. Marco had just finished their lunch and waited for their check. He had snapped a picture of Catherine Livingston and the man she was having lunch with as well as another of her on the way out the door. Now, he’d wait until her date left to get one of him, too. Norma better know what the hell she’s doing.
It wasn’t long before the man walked toward the door, and Scott took his picture. “Who’s that?” Mr. Marco asked.
“I don’t know. I’m sending the picture to Norma. After the Curtis debacle, she doesn’t trust me to handle the locals, especially those nosing into the accounts.”
“What is she going to do?”
“I have no idea and want to keep it that way.” Scott slid the briefcase to him. “Listen, here’s what you need to deposit in North Carolina on Friday.”
Mr. Marco nodded and left the diner while he paid the bill. Once he sat in his car, he dialed a number he’d committed to memory.
“Did you get them?”
“Yes, Norma, and I’m sending them to you as we speak.” He heard the first ping on the phone. “Sounds like you got the first one.”
“So, that’s our little resident snoop. That isn’t the doctor.”
“No, she says that he’s her college boyfriend. This is the first time I’v
e seen him.”
“Where does the doctor fit in?”
“I don’t know, Norma. I’m not in the middle of the town’s gossip.” He blew an exasperated breath.
“My enforcers are already there. They know what the doctor looks like, so they’ll pay him a visit just in case he’s still in the picture.”
“Norma, I’ll handle Catherine. She won’t cause you any issues.”
“Sounds like you admire this girl, Scott.”
He massaged his forehead. “She lost her parents when she was a freshman in college. She’s worked her ass off, and I don’t want to see anything happen to her. Give me a few more days to make sure I’ve made my point clear.”
“Then what?”
He took a deep breath. “If I don’t get through to her, then you can send them. The elevator at the bank is getting serviced next week, so that’ll be your perfect in.”
“A week! You better hope your little orphan minds her own business, Scott. Believe me, she won’t be the first person who wished they had.”
19
Thomas knew he was going to bed late today.
He stopped by his parents’ house for an early lunch, then by the florist, and then the diner to leave what he picked up from the florist on Cat’s car. From the text he’d received from her this morning, she was feeling unsure about today’s events. He hoped this would help her know he was supporting her even though he couldn’t be with her right now. This shit needed to end soon.
As he pulled out of the diner, he pressed a speed dial number on his phone.
“Thomas?”
“Hey, Kayla, how was the honeymoon?”
“Do you really want me to answer that?” She giggled.
He all but rolled his eyes. “Not really. You’re home safely and that all I need to know.” He shook his head trying to get the images of Kayla and Mitchell together out of his head.
“Is everything all right? You’re usually in bed by now.”
“I’m heading there now. I need you to help me with something though.”
“Sure.”
“I’ll call Mitchell later, but I need you to invite Cat out to the ranch for a ride on Saturday.”
“Okay, but why aren’t you calling Evan?”
“Long story that I can’t get into right now. Just do it, okay?”
“Are you proposing?”
Thomas took a deep breath to calm himself. “No, not right now anyway. Please don’t ask a whole lot of questions because I’m not at liberty to discuss anything.”
“Fine,” Kayla sighed.
“Thanks, sis. I’ll talk to you soon. Love ya.” Thomas quickly disconnected the call. Playing twenty questions with Kayla was the last thing he wanted to do. He’d told Ben he’d treat this situation like doctor/patient privileges, so he wasn’t about to break that.
Four hours of sleep was never enough. Hopefully, he’d be able to grab a few hours tonight. It was six forty-five when he pulled into the dark hospital parking garage, so he removed his sunglasses and slipped them into the breast pocket of his scrubs. The chirp of the car alarm sounded, and he turned toward the hospital entrance when a car engine revved beside him. Thomas looked over just as the dark tinted window slid down barely to the end of the man’s nose and the top of a passenger’s head.
“Are you Dr. Gregory?” the man asked.
Thomas stopped and narrowed his eyes. “Who’s asking?”
“Yeah, you’re the one dating that sweet little number from the bank.”
Thomas’s heart pounded. What the hell was he supposed to say? “I think you have me confused with someone else.”
“I don’t think so, but don’t worry, she won’t be so sweet when I’m through with her,” the man said before he burst out laughing.
He drove off, and Thomas heard his laughter echo through the garage until the window was completely rolled up. He watched and waited for them to exit before he jogged into the hospital, pulling out his phone as he went. Reception in the garage was terrible, so he had Cat’s number ready to dial as soon as he was in a place where the call would go through.
He hit the call button on his phone and waited for Cat to answer. He listened to the ringing until voicemail picked up. He quickly left a message. “Call me as soon as you leave the bank.” He ended the call and kept walking toward the ER. He was halfway there and still no response, so he sent a text:
CALL ME NOW!
Surely, she’ll get it’s important and call.
Thomas signed in and got reports from the doctor leaving shift. When the doctor walked out, he checked his phone. Still nothing from Cat, so he approached the nurses’ station.
“What time does Dr. Michaels come on?”
“Eight thirty I think,” one of the nurses answered.
“Thank you.”
He checked on the few patients who were still in the ER. It was after eight when he finished, and he still hadn’t heard from her. What the fuck? He was still pissed at Evan for suggesting this stupid arrangement but knew he was the best person to call. Thomas walked to a deserted hallway and dial Evan’s number.
“Hey, man,” Evan said.
“Hey. I need you to check on Cat.”
“Why? I’m sure Buck is with her.”
“Not helping one fucking bit, Evan.”
“Sorry. What’s going on?”
Thomas told Evan about the man in the car, what he said, and gave him the license plate information as best as he could remember it. “I just need to know she’s okay. Another doctor comes on in about twenty minutes. If I haven’t heard from her or you in that time, I’m leaving here and going to her house.” He was pissed off and scared.
“I’ll send someone to her house and the bank,” Evan said. “Give me ten minutes. I’ll have something for you then.”
“Thanks.”
Thomas looked at his watch again. He pulled out his phone to make sure it wasn’t on silent for the third time. Where the hell is she?
“I know what’ll make that bad mood go away.” Jamison brushed her breast against his arm.
He looked at her with an even deeper furrow of his brows. Before he could say anything, his phone rang loud and clear. When he saw the name on his screen, he walked into one of the family rooms and closed the door. “Nathan, please tell me you have her.”
“Thomas?” Cat’s sweet voice came through the speaker.
“Cat,” he whispered as relief ran through his body, and he ran his hand over his head. “Where have you been? Where are you now?”
“I worked late because I knew I wouldn’t see you. I had my phone on silent and didn’t see your text or missed call until Nathan told me to look at my phone. I’m sorry. What’s wrong?”
“Are you at home?”
“Yes.”
“Okay listen. I know you still have your dad’s old pistol, and I know it’s been a while since you’ve used it, but please put it out where you can get to it tonight.” Thomas used the tone he’d normally use to calm an upset family member.
“Thomas, what’s wrong? This is scaring me.”
“I know, honey, but I don’t want to tell you over the phone. I can be there before you leave for work in the morning.”
“No, please tell me now.” Panic laced her voice.
Thomas paced the floor in the room. He didn’t want to scare her more, but she needed to be prepared. He’d ask Nathan to make extra patrols around her place tonight. He took a controlled breath. “Some men stopped me on my way into work. They asked if I was the one dating you then said some not-so-nice things in regards to you. I don’t want to take any chances.”
“Oh, God…”
“How much longer are you working with Buck?”
“Not too much longer. He told me he’s close to having enough that he won’t need me.”
“I want to hold you so much right now. Honey, for the love of God, please be careful. Keep your eyes open. Do not take any unnecessary chances, please.”
“I won’
t. Thomas, what if—”
“No. No, what ifs. You’re not going to have a good night sleep because I’m going to call you every couple of hours, and I’m going to ask Nathan to make sure there are extra patrols around your house tonight.” Thomas tried to sound confident.
“Okay,” she said through a tight throat.
“Cat, you are strong and smart. Keep your phone beside your bed. I’ll call every couple of hours, but it’ll be there if you need it. Get the pistol and have it ready.” He clenched his teeth so tight he thought he might break one.
“I can do that.”
“I know you can. Now let me speak to Nathan for a second, okay?”
Thomas could hear Cat telling Nathan that he wanted to speak with him. There was rustling as she handed over the phone.
“Hey, man,” Nathan said.
“Did Evan tell you what happened?”
“Not really, just that we needed to find Cat and have her call you. I thought it would be better from my phone so there wouldn’t be a record on hers.”
“Thanks. A couple of guys in a dark sedan hinted that they were looking to hurt her. I gave the information to Evan, but would it be possible to make extra patrols around Cat’s place tonight?”
“Not a problem at all—what the hell?” Nathan asked with surprise in his voice. “Did you know she has a gun?”
“Yes, it was her dad’s. She knows how to use it but hasn’t shot it in years. She needs to feel safe, Nathan,” Thomas said. For the first time in over an hour, Thomas was able to breathe comfortably. Cat could defend herself, and Nathan would watch over her.
“Sure, man. I’ll make sure all of Cat’s doors are locked, shades drawn, and that her floodlights are on before I leave. She’ll be secure, and I’ll make sure two patrols an hour go all the way down her driveway tonight,” Nathan said.
“Thank you. Can I speak to her once more?”
“Thomas?” Cat said.
“Hey, honey. I’ll slip in before you leave for work in the morning. Just don’t shoot me, okay?” Thomas tried to lighten the situation.
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