by S. M. Butler
“If you keep staring at me like that, I’m likely to catch fire.”
It had been a few weeks since that job with Scott. The longer time went on, the more he relaxed that maybe Reilly wouldn’t figure out Penny’s involvement. Not that she was involved, but that he involved her. She’d left Jubilee two days ago, right after Christmas and he was already missing her like crazy. Though she’d called when she’d gotten to her apartment to let him know she’d made it, his anxiety still continued to spike. He hated being this far from her, so far that he couldn’t protect her, particularly when she went back to work, completely unsuspecting of what he’d done, right in the thick of Reilly’s domain.
“Muldoon could have killed you,” Bea said finally.
Jordan stopped stretching out his foot and looked at his friend. “But he didn’t. Says something, doesn’t it?”
“Says he didn’t find a good moment,” Bea shot back. Bea’s anger typically ran like a boiling pot, constant and lasting. But if a person hit the right trigger, she turned into a Roman candle. Right now, she was simmering.
“You know as well as I do, I had to follow orders. We don’t have a choice. We can’t pick and choose. He owns us.” Jordan couldn’t keep the bitterness out of his voice. They’d all sold their souls for various reasons, but the common thread was the new life it gave them. Him, Bea, Jack, and even Hardy. All of them had traded their lives to create a new one in which they’d have a second chance to do some good. Though Hardy was probably the exception of them all—he’d never been a thief or an assassin or a traitor.
Bea’s lips pursed together tightly. Fiery rage seared inside her eyes before she controlled it. “It’s not that. Not exactly that.”
“Then what? What is it you want from me?”
“You’ve been different for a while,” she said. “Working all the time. You never stop. Even on an injury, you were down here every day going through the files from that system you and Scott broke into.”
That wasn’t much different than what he’d done before he’d been shot. The difference was… he needed to know what was so important that he had to potentially ruin a woman’s life. The woman he loved.
“I’ll be okay,” he murmured, though he wasn’t sure he was saying it for Bea’s sake or his own. Nathan and Bridget were keeping what they were up to very close to the vest, and that in itself was more irritating than he’d thought.
“You need to be more careful,” she said slowly. “I don’t know what you intend to accomplish with Reilly’s little stooge—”
He growled. “Don’t call her that.”
“See, this is what I’m talking about. You don’t get attached. I’ve never known you to think twice about a woman, particularly ones that you stole from.”
He winced. That was exactly what he’d done, wasn’t it? He sunk onto the stool, staring straight ahead instead of at Bea. “It’s not like that. Not with her.”
“You can’t have her,” Bea said, this time more gently. Like he might break if she said it any louder. Hell, he might.
Penny didn’t know what he was. She didn’t know what his real job was. She didn’t know he’d been ordered to seduce and steal from her. Was he just fooling himself into thinking they could have anything at all? He’d be found out eventually. And being around her was just putting her into more danger.
“She’s bound to find out about you, Jordan. When she does, she will hate you. For the lies. For the manipulation.”
“And with good reason,” he replied evenly. “I’m not fooling myself, Bea.”
“So, what are you doing with her?”
“I don’t know,” he snapped. Palming his face, he drew his hand down like he could wipe away the frustration. “That job is so important to her. It is everything to her, even though Reilly’s a fucker… I stole that from her. Then I pretended to care and manipulated her so I could stay near her.” He snorted, but his heart ached. “Trust me, Bea. I know she will hate me when she finds out.”
Bea stayed silent. He was glad. He wasn’t sure he could manage enough energy to leave the room if she started in on him again. Every moment that Penny was gone just zapped him, both physically and mentally.
“Then why are you going to see her now?”
He snapped his gaze up to hers in surprise. He hadn’t realized Bea had figured out where he was going. He was still grounded, but that didn’t mean he had to stay in this shithole of a town. He’d thought he could drive up to see Penny, even if he didn’t actually talk to her.
“I just need to know that she’s okay,” he added quietly.
“You’ve lost your mind.”
“And you’re any better?” he snapped again. She’d taken a beating to save her man’s life. Jordan could still see her broken body when he’d pulled her down from the chains. She had fresh scars across her chest and back from them that probably would never fade away.
“Do you love her?”
Love hadn’t ever been a part of his life. He didn’t remember his mother all that much. His father sure as hell only loved what Jordan could accomplish for him. The women he’d slept with over the years… the sex had been almost robotic, like a release he knew he needed instinctively but didn’t really care to have. Then came Penny. The sex was explosive and so far from robotic. It was primal and passionate and fuck… he did love her.
He met Bea’s eyes. Hers narrowed into accusatory slits. He shook his head and in a deadpan voice, he lied to his best friend. “No. I don’t love her.”
What a load of shit coming out of his mouth. Every waking thought he had was consumed with Penny Lawson. The way she smiled. The way she brightened a room when she walked in. The way she made those cute little moans right before she came. Of course, he loved her. He’d loved her since the moment he’d touched her.
“Right,” Bea replied. From the look on her face, she didn’t believe his lies either. “So, why again are you headed to the city?” He didn’t answer. He couldn’t. Admitting it to another person made it too real.
She laughed. “Okay, con man. You can lie to yourself all you want. But you can’t fool me. All I’m saying is… be careful.”
“I’ll check in when I get there,” he said as he laced his boots up.
“Are you going to at least arm yourself?”
He looked at her. “Bea, have I ever?”
“You carry that ridiculous tranq gun around.” She shrugged. “I’d feel better if you took a real fucking gun. A knife. Anything.”
“I’ll be fine,” he replied as he headed for the door. He hadn’t carried a gun in years. Not since that last night with his father. He wasn’t about to start now. He was still limping a bit, but he could cover that up if needed. “I have another few weeks of being off duty, thanks to Nathan. I’m going to take advantage of the free vacation. Don’t wait up, Mother.”
He let the door shut after him as he strode down the hallway. His leg pulsed with pain, but he kept moving. Walk it off, he thought. But as the fear of Penny potentially in danger because of him pulsed inside his chest, he wondered how he was going to walk off the pain in his heart.
~*~*~
Penny stared at the computer, not really seeing the screen. Work didn’t really appeal to her at the moment, as much as she loved it. The screen was filled with tasks to be completed, emails to answer, and yet, she couldn’t focus on it.
The gallery was busy today, filled with people perusing the pieces hung in the main hall. There was a local artist event going on, one that she’d set up months ago, and from what she saw of the receipts so far, it was going well. She should have been happy and yet, all she could do was stare at the screen in front of her.
The soft click of her door opening brought her attention to it. It was Reilly’s head of security that popped his head in. “Miss Lawson?”
“Yes?” she said. The guy didn’t say much to her and she got the impression he didn’t really care for her too much. But he was always respectful and polite. She’d heard about the
break-in at the gallery a few weeks ago and she imagined it probably chafed his ass, because he’d doubled security around the gallery, replaced the hired security firm with men from his own team.
“Mr. Reilly would like a word.”
She hadn’t even realized that George Reilly was in the building. She frowned and stood up, coming around the desk. “What about?”
“He just said he’d like to see you in his office, ma’am,” he replied evenly. His dark eyes were a black void, completely empty of anything she might have been able to read. As he pushed the door open, she smoothed her suit jacket down where it belonged. As she passed by him, he pressed his hand to his sternum, like it pained him.
She glanced at him. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “Just a bit of heartburn. Shouldn’t have had that burger for lunch.”
She smiled at him as she watched him shut the door to her office behind them and he led her down the corridor toward the back offices. They were silent as they walked, giving Penny the chance to take in the man. He walked with alertness, his eyes straight ahead but missing nothing. A lot like Jordan had done a hundred times when they’d walked the streets of Jubilee.
This man was nothing like her Jordan, though. Though he was tall and built, his posture was stiff, like he held himself in check with every step he made. Jordan had been far more relaxed. Her stomach churned and her jaw clamped down as she walked. Ugh. Maybe she had a little bit of heartburn too. She’d indulged in a roast beef sandwich at lunch and it didn’t seem to be agreeing with her stomach right then. Or maybe it was nerves at seeing her boss, who usually didn’t grace the gallery premises all that often.
Sam opened the door to Reilly’s office for her, gesturing for her to enter. She frowned as she didn’t see anyone inside. “Where’s Mr. Reilly?”
“On his way. He will be here shortly.”
“Okay,” she said, stepping into the room. She jumped a little as Sam shut them inside the office together. Though she interacted with the security on occasion, in general, they were mostly concerned with Mr. Reilly’s whereabouts than what went on at the gallery. Maybe that had changed with the break-in. It seemed like a lot of people were on edge around her.
“Please, sit,” he said, though the request came out sounding more like an order.
Frowning, she lowered herself slowly into the chair across from Reilly’s desk, though she really didn’t like Sam being at her back.
A moment later, the door clicked open and her boss came in. Dressed in another one of his signature gray suits, he also wore a light blue tie that matched his eyes. A small golden pin held the tie in place, which she found interesting. Not a lot of people wore tie pins these days. “Miss Lawson, thank you for coming.”
Reilly’s tone was cheerful enough, professional as always. His gaze, though, raked over her, expressionless. As he walked to his desk, she wondered why he wanted to see her. He rarely called on her, and even more rarely asked to see her in here. Generally, she emailed what she needed, and he would send it back.
Sam stayed by the door; his hands clasped in front of him. His shoulders were squared, his body erect and alert.
“Is there something I can help you with?” she asked, desperate to end the silence that had reigned in the room since she’d come here. Penny felt the small room close in on her, the air stifling and stale. A moment ago, she’d been able to breathe, but something about this encounter didn’t sit right with her.
“How was your Christmas?” he asked politely, as he sat down at his desk and opened his laptop. The thing whirled to life as he absently picked up a letter opener. He tapped the sharp end on the desk, ran his fingers down the thing, and then flipped it to tap the butt on the desk. He kept repeating that as he glanced at her in silence. Tension squeezed her chest, unease wrapping around her lungs so tight it was hard to breathe.
“It was good. Saw my sister and her fiancé.”
“Good. That’s good,” Reilly said absently as he stared at the laptop.
She frowned. “Is there something wrong?”
“You might say that,” he mused as he stopped the letter opener flipping long enough to tap something on the screen before he resumed the flipping. “We had a break-in a few weeks ago. Were you aware?”
“I heard,” she said. “Did they find who did it?”
“In a manner of speaking,” he replied, his tone even. His gaze flicked to hers. “Two men. They took nothing. We’re still not sure why they were here.”
She didn’t say anything. It didn’t seem like he was finished. He set the letter opener down and the keys of his laptop clicked as he typed.
“It took us some time to unscramble the system from the damage they did. Whoever did it had extensive knowledge of the computer systems we use here and access codes that granted them entrance to the back vault.”
The back vault? Even she wasn’t allowed in the back vault. She had access to the outer one, where they stored the pieces that had been sold until they were prepped and shipped to their new owners. She looked up sharply. She had access to the outer vault. One of only three, and all three of them were in this room.
“Sir?”
“Ah, so you understand, then?” He turned the computer around, which was playing video. Two men kept their faces away from the cameras. One used a card to swipe the lock. It clicked open and the two went through. It continued to play, switching screens, following the men as they went into the outer vault.
She froze. One of them swiped a card. One that looked like hers. She pressed her palm to the lanyard around her neck, where the keycard sat. The cool plastic hit her hand and she gripped it like a lifeline.
“Someone gave these men access,” he continued, but her gaze was glued to that screen. He tapped something on the keyboard and the view switched to a picture instead of the video. “Sam uncovered this photo from the surveillance footage.”
It was slightly fuzzy, obviously enhanced for recognition. But the scruffy chin and the broad, muscular shoulders, and the brilliantly clear blue eyes could not be mistaken. Even though the image was black and white, she knew they were blue. Because she’d stared into them enough times.
“Imagine my surprise to find out you’re in quite an intimate relationship with one of these men.”
Penny’s gaze shifted to her boss. “What?”
“Don’t you dare lie to me, Miss Lawson,” he growled. He touched the keyboard again, and the image changed. This picture was clear as day. It was the park bench on that last day in Jubilee before she’d left. She was sitting in Jordan’s lap, smiling with Ralph’s leash in her hand. Jordan gazed at her with what she’d thought was wonder at the time.
“Where did you get that?” she whispered.
“So, you don’t deny knowing this man?” Reilly asked. Like she could deny that. She was sitting in his lap in the picture.
“I don’t understand,” she managed to say. Stunned, she couldn’t quite sort out her own feelings. What was she feeling? Anger? Humiliation? Sadness? All of the above?
“Collusion to commit a felony is still a crime,” Reilly said, his tone soft and dangerous now.
“I didn’t…” She let out a frustrated breath and tried to pull herself together. “I love this job. I wouldn’t.”
“Did he steal it from you?” he asked, even though he could plainly see she had a death grip on the card in her hand.
She shook her head. “I never let it out of my sight.”
“Think carefully on this, Miss Lawson. I don’t want to have you arrested, but I will not tolerate liars either.”
“I…” she trailed off and tried to remember the last time that card hadn’t been with her. She’d carried it everywhere with her, even while she was in Jubilee. Jordan had somehow taken it. Was that even possible? Why would he?
She breathed out a long breath to calm herself and tried to think through it. When had she not had it on her? Well, there had been a few times, mostly when she’d been na
ked. With Jordan. Pain sliced her heart in half. No, she always had it and when she didn’t wear it, it had been in her purse.
“When did you meet him?” Reilly pointed the letter opener to the screen. At Jordan’s handsome face on that goddamned photo. What if that hadn’t been wonder… but disbelief? Or an act altogether? Had the whole thing been a lie? A way to get to the card she had been so invested in protecting? Every fiber of her being screamed that it wasn’t possible, that he wouldn’t dare do this to her. But the facts, the pictures, told a different story. Had she always been a target? He’d said he was a thief in his past. Had that been why he’d approached her in the first place? Maybe that part of Jordan’s life hadn’t been over. Maybe he was still a thief.
“The night of my birthday,” she whispered. As she glanced up, she blushed under her boss’s scrutiny. “I spent the night with him.”
“And the card?”
“It was in my purse,” she admitted. It had still been there in the morning when she’d left.
He slammed the letter opener into the table and Penny yelped. The little metal stick stuck out of the wood, waving back and forth. Her stomach rolled over and her jaw tingled as the nausea followed. But she swallowed hard and prayed she didn’t throw up as her boss stood and walked around the desk to her.
“You’re telling me, you allowed a dangerous man access to my most valuable possessions so you could get laid?” The crassness of his words warred with her previous impression of him. She stared up at him as he rounded on her, leaning his big palms on the arms of the chair she sat in. The heat of his anger rolled over her as he stopped, inches from her face.
Her heart pounded as his lips turned upward into a sneer of rage. The violence that rolled off him made her want to run, to keep running. But where would she go? To Jordan, who had lied to her? To the police, who would probably arrest her for inadvertently helping a thief?
“I-I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to—”
He growled and pushed off the chair, shoving it back a couple inches. She was frozen, rooted to the seat even as it moved back. Her body trembled as he straightened and grabbed the letter opener again, twirling it between his fingers like he’d done it a hundred times.