“Kalen, I need you,” I cried out.
My knees rubbed against the planks of the wood floor. Something struck my leg and caused a sharp sting. I woke with an arm around me. I jerked back, afraid what I might find. Tousled hair belonging to Turner greeted me.
“Morning,” he said smiling at me moving closer for a kiss. I rolled away. This just all felt wrong. I’d just been dreaming about Kalen again. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” I said covering my mouth with a lie. “Morning breath,” I mused.
He grinned. “That hasn’t stopped me before.” He pulled me close, and I had no other excuse except the truth. His lips pressed to mine. Thankfully, he pulled back quickly. Otherwise, he may have noted my lack of response.
This only exasperated my weary mind. I couldn’t do this to Turner. I’d become a liability to him. I’d break his heart again if I left. Kalen couldn’t offer me the stability that Turner could. Look how easily he’d let me walk away and now he’s back interfering in my life.
Easy going Turner said something that stopped me from moving towards the ladder. “I think you have an admirer.”
Sitting up I, I asked the question. “Who?”
“Jeremy. Not that I blame him. He asked a lot of questions about what we were to each other.”
“What did you say?” I asked quickly. My words may have been a bit sharp. I was giving myself away.
“You two awake up there?” my sister called from downstairs. It was a dumb question because most likely she’d heard us which was the reason for her question.
“Yes,” I called out cowardly, not wanting to talk anymore about Kalen. I needed to be honest with Turner sooner rather than later. But I also needed the right words. And at the moment I wasn’t sure what to say. Turner would want to know what would happen about us. I just didn’t have that answer.
Breakfast was awkward. Mike kept throwing looks my way. Turner left shortly after we came down from the loft because he had to make sure Jeremy… Kalen had something to eat. I couldn’t help but wonder if Kalen noticed Turner hadn’t slept there and drawn any conclusions to where he might be.
I stood from my seat. “I should head out and start morning chores.” Really I just didn’t want to be here with Mike. He was lingering, something he hadn’t done since I started staying at his house.
He reached for my wrist stopping me from heading away from the table. I glared at him and his forwardness. Then I turned to Violet when it was apparent he wasn’t letting me go.
“Mike, she’s not interested.”
That chilled me to my bones. Violet understood her husband completely. “That’s not how she reacted the other night,” he said still keeping a steel grip on my wrist.
“She was drunk. She’s my sister. Please don’t,” she pleaded.
He let go and stood himself. “I have some supervising to do.” He left out of the house in a huff. The door gave a resounding thwack when it closed behind him.
My sister put her hands on her cheeks and started to weep. I sat again, because I didn’t really have to go. It was an excuse. “What’s really going on Vi?”
“You don’t understand. He’s bored. Hell, I’m bored. There’s nothing to do around here,” she said, her face still hidden in her palms.
I couldn’t condemn her feelings. Isn’t that why I wanted to leave? “So what was this about? You guys share other people with each other?” I asked uncertainly.
“It’s not like that. And don’t judge me. It sort of happened once and now he kind of expects it.”
It was quite possible I looked at my sister like she’d been body snatched. “I’m not judging you.” But I was. It was hard not to. We weren’t brought up this way. Not that I was a poster girl for our community. “I’m just surprised you would be okay with that. And…with me.” It felt like I had a taste of something bad. My faced soured.
“No,” she paused and licked her lips. “I can’t say that if Turner wouldn’t have objected, I wouldn’t have minded.”
My feet propelled me up. My hands were raised in the stop position. “Don’t say it. Please don’t say it.”
“Don’t you start with me. Mike told me about the guy at the dance.”
My hand found the top of my head. I drifted towards the window.
“Who was he?” she asked.
There was no point in lying. “Kalen.”
Her eyes became pools of frothy water. The white in her eyes enlarged around the clear blue. “He came for you.”
Her words were like currents on the wind. She breathed them out like it was the end of the world. Or based on the look on her face, the beginning of one.
“I’m not sure why he’s here. Turner got to him before I could ask.” I pulled my hair free from its holder and twirled pieces around my finger while I gazed out into the day.
“You know why he’s here. The question is what are you going to say to Turner.”
My back shifted and pressed against the cool window. “You say that like I’m going to choose Kalen.”
“Well aren’t you? I saw Turner try repeatedly to get close to you this morning and you side stepped him every time.”
I swallowed. She would be observant. “Do you think he noticed?”
She gave me a deadpan look. I closed my eyes and turned to press my forehead to the glass.
“Turner was never anything to you but a diversion. Kalen comes and Turner is chopped liver. It’s not right, Bailey.”
The conversation had somehow shifted and became about me. I could easily say a number of things to throw in her face about her and her husband, but I didn’t. I was guilty of several things myself. Although none of them pertained to the inhabitants of this house.
“I have to go,” I said, and walked out the door. I hadn’t helped clean up the dishes from breakfast, but I figured Violet owed me one. She’d set me up to do her husband. Or at the very least, she’d known it was a possibility that Mike would want to, and she hadn’t warned me.
Liabilities. They were adding up. I’d been a liability in New York, and I turned out to be one here. I didn’t want to believe my sister was that manipulative. Had my presence only made her world a little worse? I wasn’t conceited and knew that for Mike any half decent girl staying at their house would probably do.
Lost in my own misery, I nearly walked past Kalen and Turner. Turner was talking to a group of men probably about the task for the day. Kalen was off to the side paying attention but not. Like a squirrel dodging a car in the street, I scampered off into the tree line hoping I hadn’t been seen. It was the gutless way. I wasn’t ready to talk to one of them. Certainly, I wasn’t ready to talk to both of them together.
The snap, crackle, pop under my foot sent me farther into the woods. I feared that my noisy steps would have Kalen or Turner turning my direction and notice me. It was crazy. I really needed to get over myself and face the men I loved. And wasn’t that the problem. I loved both of them.
The cadence of his voice stopped me mid step. “Bailey.”
I looked up into those forest green eyes of his. My eyes trailed down the tunic he wore. It was cream and not tied at the neck giving a glimpse to that hard muscled chest of his. I didn’t stop there. My vision filled with the brown trousers that laced up the front where that delicious cock of his lay hidden. My mouth went dry, but I spoke anyway. “Kalen…or should I call you Jeremy?”
We stood miles apart though it was mere feet. My body having no loyalty to Turner was priming itself for the man that was before me. It was always like that with us. No other man created that kind of response. I finally understood what chemistry meant. And we had the sexual kind. Was that all we had?
“Kalen. My friends and the people who know me best call me that.”
I didn’t waste time. “Why are you here?”
With his fingers, he combed through his hair. “Look, I’d planned to give you your space. I owed you that and more. I fought the urge to find you after I made several unanswered calls
to your cell and then to your apartment.”
My stomach twisted. He had given me up. “And that heiress?”
His jaws muscles worked, and I thought he swallowed. In no way did he look comfortable with this situation or our conversation. “You called… You said we were done. And what about him?”
The him didn’t need to be given a name. We both knew he meant Turner.
I looked away. “He’s a friend.”
He laughed without humor. “We both know he’s more than a friend.”
“Fiancé,” I blurted without so much background that was needed.
His eyes narrowed. “You said you didn’t have a fiancé.”
“I don’t. I mean I didn’t. He was before I went to college. I left him.”
“And now you’re back,” he offered.
“It’s not what you think. I didn’t come here for him.”
I wanted to squirm under his stare.
“But he is here. That was the reason behind your call wasn’t it?”
“No… Yes… I don’t know.” I ruminated.
“What do you know, lass?”
“I know you aren’t supposed to be here. Remember. You sent me away. Your lawyers said we couldn’t be together. So why are you here?”
His hand went back into his hair. Clearly he was frustrated. He turned to the side, as if he wanted to pace. We weren’t in a clearing so it made it difficult to do that.
“I was heading out on vacation when I get this call from my lawyer.”
Brows knit, I said, “Vacation. Don’t you have an empire to run?”
His body shifted and his focus again fell on me. I remembered how intense he could make me feel by giving me his full attention.
“This thing you found with the monthly dollar or so transactions,” he said. “It was just the beginning. It appears this started a while ago, like a test or something. Once whoever did this believed they could get away with it, they went bigger.”
I sucked in a breath waiting for his next words.
“The auditors have found approved invoices payments and wires to dummy companies.”
“What?”
“Yes. Companies that only exist on the paper the invoice is printed on. This goes back a couple of years.”
“Oh my god,” I said and shook my head. “So why are you on vacation?”
“To clear my name.”
Stunned, my mouth gaped. “Why would they suspect you? Your company is wholly owned by you and not publically traded.”
“This wasn’t my company until my father died this year. Some of the authorities have questioned my motivations suggesting I did this as a way to steal from my father.”
“But you didn’t do it.”
“I know it. You believe it. And thanks for that. Now I have to prove it,” he said pensively.
“They’ll learn the truth.”
“They will. And hiring two different accounting firms, one to handle the audit, and one for overseeing future cash transactions, will further show my cooperation. If I’m not at the helm, then I further remove myself from suspicion.”
“So my firm isn’t handling the audit anymore.”
He shook his head. “It was better to bring in someone totally new for both engagements.”
I understood the need for independence. An auditing firm needed to show they had nothing to gain in order to certify that financial statements were in order according to government standards. I also knew that a firm handling an audit couldn’t also be consultants like temporaries in a company. It would be conflicting objectives.
“That still doesn’t explain why you’re here.”
“Like I said, I got a call from my lawyer.”
I didn’t want to hurry him along, but we’d yet to get to the point. “And?”
“And, he called to tell me that your apartment had been broken into.”
As much as I wanted to keep distance between us because my brain was cloudy enough with him five feet away, I couldn’t, because that was Lizzy’s place. Stepping closer to him, I nearly touched his chest when I reached out and said in a panicked voice, “Lizzy.”
He took my hand. It was like plugging something into an electric socket. My body became alive. A shiver of Goosebumps trailed up my arm and shivers ran though me.
With our fingers entwined, he said, “She’s fine. She’s still in Chicago.”
“That’s good.” My mini freak-out was displaced. I talked to her yesterday. It was just that I couldn’t be sure if when this break-in happened and if she’d gone home after our chat. We hadn’t discussed her travel plans.
“It’s fine. I have a cleaning crew and a security firm getting everything fixed up.”
My first thought had been Lizzy. I didn’t think about damage. “What did they do?”
“I think the first problem is that they got in.”
“You got in those nights,” I said, pulling my hand free.
He frowned. “What do you mean? Lizzy let me in most of those nights. Her brother the others.”
“Mike.” My eyes widened, neither of them had told me.
He nodded. “The problem with the break-in is that your building has a doorman. The only other entrance is a well-lit back door that has a hidden security camera. And there are more cameras throughout the building on each floor. This guy… or girl had to know about them. On top of the fact that there is a small segment of missing footage, we never see this person enter or exit the building. We don’t think this person is working alone.”
I took a step back, not wanting to believe that I was still a target. “Why would they come after me? The damage is done. Harming me won’t stop them from getting caught.”
Moving forward and cupping my cheek, he said “I know.” Then he pulled me in close wrapping his arms around me. He smelled woodsy and like pine. I drank him in. I knew he had more to say that I wouldn’t like. It was easy to see the ugly truth of why he was here.
“Tell me,” I said, my need and my fear warring within me.
“Whoever it was spray painted Die Bitch on your wall.”
“This is personal,” I absently muttered, letting him hold me up because I felt weak.
“It looks that way.”
A crazy thought crept in my head. “How did they know which room was mine?”
Drawers were opened on your desk. I think they confirmed it by a piece of mail in your desk according to the reports. Lizzy’s room appeared untouched as was the living and kitchen areas. Your room was destroyed, including your closet.”
I felt the first of my tears. Stepping back from him, I said “They’re just things. They don’t matter.” I wiped at the stupid leakage from my eyes and was grateful I’d brought not only my laptop but my company’s issued one as well. I was certain I wouldn’t have a job to go back to. And I didn’t want to spend what funds I had saved up to replace their equipment. Currently, both were locked in my car hopefully not suffering ill effects for being locked in a sometimes hot trunk.
“You came all the way here to tell me that,” I said, shooting the messenger with all the venom I had for this psycho person or persons.
“I think you know why I came.” His voice was blunt but his eyes were soft.
“I’m in danger. Why aren’t the cops here?”
“They’re looking for you. And I don’t think you want the Feds descending on your family compound. I’m sure you want this place to remain a secret.”
It was true. But how did he know that. Suspiciously, I asked “How did you find me?”
“Before I became suspect number one, we were given most of what law enforcement and your audit firm found in summary for the most part. Your background was part of that information.”
“They ran a background check on me?” I asked, shaking with exasperation.
He shrugged. “They had your application. Where you went to school is on there.”
“So why aren’t they here?”
“I’m sure the Feds are aware of your
community. I’m also certain they probably already have a file on this place. They’ll assume you left with the intensions of never returning. However, I have no doubt at some point they will come sniffing around here, which is why it’s important for you to leave.”
“Leave?” It wasn’t like I didn’t know that I would need to. It was more of a when statement.
“The sooner the better.”
“I can’t just leave.” I shook my head and began to pace the tiny area between trees.
He stared at me like I was from Mars. “Him?”
We were trading one word questions. It was getting ridiculous. Or maybe it was just the situation. “Not just him, my sister, my family. I can’t just leave. I need a couple of days.”
I expected him to rant or rage and demand I leave. His words however were reasonable. “You are putting everyone at risk. If I figured it out, the feds and this psycho will too.”
“Isn’t there something we can do? I need a day at least. My sister is in a bit of a mess. I can’t just leave her.”
“She can come with us.” He offered it like it was a simple solution.
For the first time since he dropped that bomb on me, I truly felt a smile.
“Really?” I asked unsure if I heard him correctly.
“Yes. And he can come too if it will let you leave this place sooner,” he said with truth of his words plainly written on his face.
Dumbstruck, I just stared at him.
“I told you I loved you and I meant it. I’ve never said those words before. As much as I want to kill him, I want you safe and happy even if it’s with him.”
My world spun on its axis leaving me feeling dizzy and more confused than ever. “How can you love me?” My question came out in feeble words.
The pad of his thumb traced my lips. “You want me to count the ways.” It took more than gravity to stop my lift off onto my toes and pressing my mouth to his, somehow I managed.
“No,” I recanted. “Don’t tell me.” I didn’t think I could handle that truth right now. There were more important things I needed to set in motion. “I need to go and convince my sister to leave with me. What will we do to divert anyone from thinking I’m here?”
Liabilities (Balance Sheet 2) Page 10