Nothing To Lose: A Grey Justice Novel

by Christy Reece

  He considered her for several more seconds and then said, “I admire your faith in people, especially after what you’ve gone through.” Before she could respond, he went on, “But I’m not willing to gamble on your safety.”

  “And what does that mean?”

  “Simply that Justice knows you’re the only one I care about in this project. No matter what happens, you stay safe. End of story.”

  How could he say that…look at her in that piercing, intense way of his, and act the way he had this morning? It made no sense.

  “So Grey knew these people. How?”

  “Apparently, they were Irelyn’s parents, who worked for an organization similar to the one Justice has now. They were killed, Justice and Irelyn came to the U.S.”

  “How sad for Irelyn. I didn’t realize she and Grey had been together that long.”

  “I told him we had agreed to their new plan.”

  “I’m glad you said yes. If this will get me inside Adam’s place faster, then it’s what we need to do.”

  Nick dropped a half-eaten slice of pizza on his plate and stood. “I’m going out for a while. Need anything?”

  Apparently, their talk was over. Unable to stop herself, she asked a question for which she wasn’t sure she wanted an answer. “About last night. Can we talk about what happened?”

  “There’s nothing to talk about. We had sex.”

  “And that’s all it was to you? Sex?”

  “Look. We got carried away. It was good…even great. But we need to keep our minds on the reason we’re here. This is for Thomas. Remember?”

  “Don’t patronize me, Nick. I know damn well why we’re here.” She stood and said with as much dignity as possible, “You’re right. It was just sex. And people say things they don’t mean all the time. It meant nothing.”

  She turned her back and began to wash out her plate in the sink. She knew he was still there…knew he was staring at her back. She willed him to say something…say anything that would indicate that last night had meant more to him than just sex.

  “I’ll call you before I come home…see if you need anything.”

  She closed her eyes against threatening tears. She shouldn’t have expected more.

  “And you’re wrong, Kennedy. It wasn’t just sex. And everything I said last night, I meant.”

  She whirled and faced an empty room. Seconds later, the roar of his motorcycle told her he was gone once more.

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  “What’s your problem, O’Connell?”

  Kennedy jerked her attention back to the woman in front of her. She’d been less than attentive this afternoon and had tried Irelyn’s patience more than once.

  “Sorry. Just have a lot on my mind.”

  “Oh, really? Gee, sorry if finding justice for your husband’s murder is getting in the way of your other social obligations.”

  The stinging barb went deep. Kennedy opened her mouth to defend herself and then stopped. Irelyn was right. Pining over a man who obviously didn’t know the meaning of love and commitment was a useless thing to do. This and only this should be her priority.

  “You’re right. I’m sorry. Can we go over that one more time?”

  She had to hand it to the woman. Irelyn wasn’t one to hold a grudge. She simply nodded and repeated what she had said earlier, “The evening will begin at seven with cocktails in the grand parlor.” She pointed to a large area on the diagram. “Dinner will be served at eight here in the formal dining room.” Again, she pointed to the dining room on the diagram.

  The entire floor plan for Adam Slater’s twenty-six-room mansion lay before them. After almost two weeks of absolutely no progress, things were finally about to heat up. Two days after they’d made the decision to up the ante on enticing Adam, he and his wife, along with Mathias and Eleanor Slater, had left the country. Mathias and his wife took a trip each year at this time, but Eli had said this was the first time Adam and his wife had accompanied them. The news of their departure had put a considerable damper on their plans.

  Not wanting the weeks to be a total waste, she and Eli had officially become “an item.” And even though the aim was only to establish themselves as a twosome, she discovered that she was enjoying herself. Pretend dating didn’t have the pressures of real dating. There was no need to worry about whether he would kiss her or expect something from her. Anything remotely romantic was done in front of as many people as possible to make an impression. So far, that had been only some handholding, and once he’d kissed her cheek in front of some Slater House employees. Eli said nothing got the rumor mill going faster than a little office romance.

  One thing she hadn’t expected was how much she had come to genuinely like Eli Slater. Despite his wealth and evil relatives, he was a kind, considerate man with a surprisingly down to earth take on life. If she hadn’t been so hung up on Mr. Tall, Dark and Grimm, she might have wished for something deeper.

  Things were about to get even grimmer. Adam was now home and had called Eli with an invitation to a formal dinner for some business associates from Italy. And not just any associates. From what Grey had said, these men were Mafia, through and through, and would have made Tony Soprano look like a choirboy.

  “How long will the dinner last?”

  “The main meal…at least two hours. The evening is designed to impress. My source says there are twelve courses. Adam is flying in a chef and his staff from a restaurant in New York to prepare the meal.”

  Twelve courses. That kind of meal was beyond Kennedy’s knowledge. Fortunately, once they finished reviewing the house plans, Irelyn would go over what would occur during dinner. Heaven forbid she picked up the wrong fork.

  “So the dinner will be over at ten or so. What’s after that?”

  Irelyn pointed to another room. “This is the formal parlor, where after-dinner drinks will be served. Women will congregate in one part of the room, men in the other.”

  “That seems very archaic. Even if these men are little more than thugs, are wives always pushed aside?”

  “Probably. Machismo is alive and well in the Mafia. However, these women aren’t wives, they’re mistresses. The men rarely bring their spouses. The business trips are thinly veiled opportunities to travel with their insignificant others, while their wives and children stay oblivious and at home.”

  Correctly interpreting Kennedy’s look of disapproval, Irelyn laughed softly. “You’ll soon learn that mistresses can be much more valuable when gathering information. A powerful man will say certain things to his lover that he would never tell his wife.”

  Having the opportunity to be separated from the men was a good thing, then. While she was listening to the women chatter, hopefully she could pick up something useful. And Eli would be doing the same with the men.

  The reason behind the dinner was unclear, as was Adam’s invitation to Eli. The brothers rarely saw each other socially. Everyone agreed on one thing—Adam was up to no good. Was he about to enter into something illegal with the Mafia? If so, could they discover something worthwhile that would finally put a stop to the bastard?

  “And there are eighteen guests coming?”

  “Yes. Not including you and Eli, along with Adam and his wife.”

  “What about Nick? When will he arrive?”

  “As soon as everyone is seated for dinner.”

  According to Eli, any proof that Adam had ordered Thomas’s death or documentation of any other illegal activities he was involved in would be in his house. Eli hadn’t added, but had made it clear, that someone had already conducted a thorough search of his brother’s office and found nothing.

  While she and Eli were listening to idle chatter with the hope of picking up something they could use, Nick would be breaking into the mansion and searching Adam’s office. If caught—she shivered at the thought—he would play Rachel Walker’s jealous ex-lover and demand to see her. When she protested that no one would believe such a lame excuse, she was told it was up to
her and Nick to be convincing enough to make it plausible.

  Since she and Nick were now barely talking to each other, convincing others that they were ex-lovers might well prove the easiest part of the job.

  “You’ve wandered off again, O’Connell.”

  “No, I haven’t. I was just thinking how, if it becomes necessary, Nick and I are going to convince people we’re ex-lovers.”

  “Why? Because you are lovers and you’re concerned you can’t pretend he’s your ex?”

  “It wouldn’t be pretend…not really.”

  “So he is no longer your lover?”

  Without any idea it was about to happen, her lips trembled and tears pooled in Kennedy’s eyes. She missed talking to other women. If Julie were here, she’d spill her guts. With Irelyn, she wasn’t sure what to say. Even though she had glimpsed the occasional vulnerability behind her beautiful façade, she still wasn’t convinced that Irelyn felt emotions like other women.

  Kennedy took a chance and confessed, “Nick is barely speaking to me.”

  “Why?”

  “That’s the thing. I don’t know. We made love for the first time a couple of weeks ago. And it was beyond spectacular. He even told me he loved me…had loved me for years. The next morning, he acted like it had meant nothing. Later, he said he meant everything he said, but he still acts so angry and cold. When I try to talk to him, he says we need to concentrate on this job, nothing more.”

  An unusual, awkward expression appeared on Irelyn’s face. “Just so you know, I’m not the kind who’s going to hug your neck and tell you everything’s going to be okay. Got it?”

  “I don’t need a hug or trite reassurances. Tell me what you would do.” As soon as she said the words, she knew the request was foolish. There wasn’t a man alive who could sleep with this beautiful woman and act like it meant nothing.

  Surprising the hell out of her, Irelyn’s gaze went distant and unfocused as she said softly, “You act as if it meant even less to you. You pretend there’s nothing he can do or say that can hurt you. You become impenetrable to pain. He never has to know that each harsh word or uncaring act cuts so deep you feel as though you’re bleeding out.”

  Kennedy was wise enough to know they were no longer talking about her and Nick. Who had hurt this woman so badly that she had to pretend to be impenetrable to pain? Grey? Or someone from her past?

  As if she was aware of her exposure, she smiled slightly and her slender shoulders lifted in an elegant, dismissive shrug. “If that doesn’t work, toss him aside. If he’s too stubborn to see that you love him, that’s his problem.”

  “But I don’t—” She swallowed the words, realizing she was about to deny something that she wasn’t sure about. Was she in love with Nick? Is that why his cold behavior had hurt so much?

  “I need to run an errand, and from the look on your face, you need some time alone. Just be sure you’re comfortable with the layout of the mansion. You need to know every nook and cranny if something goes wrong. When I return, we’ll review the menu and utensils.”

  Kennedy nodded, barely aware when Irelyn left the room. Yes, she would memorize the layout and be ready. For right now, she needed to consider the monumental realization she’d just experienced. She was in love with Nick.

  How and when had it happened? When she’d fallen in love with Thomas, it had been a quiet knowledge…a gentle awareness that he was the man she was meant to be with. But now, with Nick, it wasn’t a calm, serene knowing. Her feelings were explosive, mind-boggling… absolutely astonishing. She wanted to sing, shout, cry, laugh and dance. And she wanted to get in his face and find out just what the hell was wrong. Then she wanted him to kiss her until they were both breathless with need.

  “You’re either remarkably excited about your upcoming evening at Adam’s house, or something else is going on.”

  Grey stood at the door, only a few feet away. When he wanted, he could be as quiet as a ghost.

  “Just have a lot on my mind.” She winced. She’d said the same words to Irelyn. She really needed to come up with some better excuses.

  “I’m sure you do. I wanted to reassure you that our team will be right outside the mansion, and infrared cameras will pinpoint each person. Once Nick begins his search, we can follow his progress. If anyone is coming his way, he’ll have a few seconds’ notice to either hide or get out.”

  A few seconds didn’t sound like a lot, but she was grateful for any advanced warning. The thought of Nick being caught by Adam’s guards worried her a lot more than being in the presence of evil men.

  “Can I ask you a question, Grey?”

  “Certainly.”

  “As grateful as I am to be involved in going after the Slaters, I can’t help but wonder why you allowed an amateur like me to do this. Nick told me about all the people working for you. I’m sure there’re others who could do what I’m doing…probably with their eyes closed.”

  “That’s true…though maybe not with their eyes closed.” He shrugged as if unsure how to explain. “What happened to you was immensely personal. I believe every person has a right to gain their own justice, if possible. You deserve your pound of flesh. And don’t underestimate yourself. You’ve done an exceptional job capturing Adam’s attention.”

  “Thank you. And thank you for allowing me to be a part of this. You’re right. Being personally involved in gaining justice is enormously rewarding.”

  He nodded solemnly and started to back out of the room. Kennedy couldn’t help but make sure he knew how grateful she was to someone else. “I couldn’t have done any of this without Irelyn, either. She’s a remarkable woman.”

  “Yes, she is.”

  “Now she could have done this with her eyes closed.”

  Something like sadness flickered in his eyes. “I agree. There’s nothing that Irelyn can’t do.”

  “How long have you two been together?”

  As if he feared she’d be asking even more inappropriate questions soon, he gave her his signature enigmatic smile, said, “Not nearly long enough,” and retreated.

  Kennedy returned her attention to the diagram in front of her. She would complete this job and make sure the people responsible for Thomas’s murder paid for their sins. Then she wanted to move on with her life. The question was—would Nick want to move on with her?

  “Okay, move around the room one more time. The feed was a little blurry, but I think we’ve got it fixed.”

  Holding the phone to her ear, Kennedy made her way around her bedroom once more and without thought, sang softly to herself, “August Mendoza had a problem and asked Stuart Singleton to help him out. Then Omar Delucci told Stefano Denzi—”

  “How’s that?”

  Kennedy grimaced, feeling silly. She was no great composer or singer. “Sorry, I made up a song to help me remember the men’s names.”

  There was the slightest pause on the other end, telling her she’d surprised Grey. “Well, that’s…different.”

  “So is the picture clearer?”

  “Yes. Perfect.”

  “That’s good. I don’t think I could find another place to put this thing.” And she wasn’t exaggerating. The short, sleeveless, backless cocktail dress had precious little material, much less a place to pin a jeweled brooch. Fortunately, the shoulder straps were wide enough to accommodate matching jeweled brooches, one of which held the tiniest camera she’d ever seen.

  “Eli is headed your way…ETA, five minutes.”

  “Okay. Thanks.”

  “Talk to you when you get home. And don’t worry, we’ve got your back,” Grey said.

  Her back wasn’t what she was worried about. What if Nick got caught and someone hurt him? Even if they believed his excuse for breaking in, that didn’t mean they wouldn’t do something to him. A stalking ex-lover might make them angry, give them incentive to teach him a lesson. What if she couldn’t stop them? What if they—

  “You look...amazing.”

  She turned to see Nic
k standing at her bedroom doorway. His gaze swept up and down her body, hot enough to melt her clothes off. Kennedy shivered at the look. This was the first time since the night they’d made love that he had shown her anything but polite indifference.

  “I can’t figure you out.”

  A small smile lifted his mouth, but his eyes remained solemn. “It’s not worth your time to try. Just wanted to reassure you that everything will be fine. I should have no trouble getting inside. Justice has assured me anyone headed my way should be no problem to detect.”

  She nodded. They’d gone over this a dozen times. Adam’s people would disarm the security alarms while the guests arrived. This would enable Grey’s team to hack into the alarm company, override their system and show a false reactivation. Nick would be able to enter without alerting anyone to his presence. Everything should go fine as long as he didn’t get caught.

  “And you’ll just be searching Adam’s office, nothing more.”

  “Yes. Eli is certain any damning files that exist will be there. By the time your meal is finished, I should have the entire room searched.”

  “If you get caught—”

  He shook his head. “Stop worrying about me. You’ve got enough to deal with.”

  The doorbell rang, alerting her that Eli had arrived. She wanted to say more…so much more. Instead, she turned to grab a small, jeweled purse from the dresser. When she turned back, she was surprised to see the worry in Nick’s expression.

  Moving toward the door, she mustered a reassuring smile. “Don’t look like that. You’re the one taking the risk. I’ll be enjoying a twelve-course feast and listening to scintillating conversation.”

  She was about to slip by him when he grabbed her elbow and pulled her into his arms. Warm masculine lips pressed a soft kiss on her forehead as he whispered gruffly, “If anything happens to you, I’ll never forgive myself.”

  Kennedy closed her eyes, drawing strength from his hard, strong body. She didn’t know what Nick’s issues were…she might never know. However, she didn’t doubt that he cared.