by Dakota Black
“We should have known. We should have guessed. Money. Blackmail. Revenge. What the hell is going on?” She lowered her head into her hands.
“I don’t know what to tell you.”
“Mitchell, I know there was a dark SUV in the Steele parking lot. Whoever killed him works for the firm.”
Mitchell gave her a sideways glance. “It’s a popular vehicle in Texas.”
“Maybe. Christ. What in the hell are we supposed to do now?” she demanded. The coppery scent of blood remained in her nostrils.
“Find out what Nash Waters knows. He’s the only person who knew you’d talked with Garcia. He was also indicted for attempted murder several years ago so my guess is if someone wanted to find a hit man, he’s our best bet.”
“What?”
“He wasn’t convicted, but if I was to place a bet on the hitman, I’d say he’s tops on the list.”
Turning her head, she gripped his arm. “This is a nightmare.”
He shoved the gear into drive and rolled out of the parking lot. “We’re getting close to the truth.”
“What the hell does that matter? How are we going to stop this?” Dani continued to rub her hands on her jeans.
“There has to be evidence of some kind.”
Evidence. She groaned and swallowed hard, bile remaining in her throat. “Where are you going?”
“The Steele site. There might be some computer files, a paper trail. Anything.”
“You don’t really think you’re going to find anything there, do you?” she asked, her voice strangled. She looked back just as the red lights of an emergency vehicle approached.
“I don’t honestly know, but it’s a place to start.”
They remained silent as Mitchell drove. She rested her head on the passenger window, barely blinking as the lights of the city passed by. She was conflicted, her nerves on edge. Nothing seemed to make any sense but her feelings for Mitchell. “Why do you trust me?”
“Why?”
“Yes. How, I guess. You have no reason to.” She laughed bitterly at the thought. She’d wanted nothing more than to find a new life. This was certainly more than she’d bargained for.
“Because I can see the woman inside. Because I know you have an amazing heart and because…”
When he hesitated, she glanced in his direction, her thoughts roaming. “Because?”
“Because I’ve fallen in love with you,” Mitchell said quietly as he eased the car down a long driveway to a series of gates.
Stunned, she tried to process what he was saying, realizing she’d fallen very much in love with him as well. The irony was cathartic. “I love you, Mitchell. I don’t know what to make of this or anything else, but I know what I feel, but I’m scared and I don’t mind telling you that. This isn’t going to stop. Whoever is out to get you will stop at nothing. I don’t want you hurt or ruined.”
“I know you don’t. We have to get to the bottom of what’s going on one way or the other.” He didn’t look in her direction as he lowered the window, flashing a small card across the security unit. As the gates rolled to the side, allowing them to enter, he sighed. “We’ll get through this. I have no idea how, but I swear to God I’ll stop at nothing to get to the bottom of it.”
Dani wasn’t certain they would or if he could. She held her breath as he pulled around back. Fear remained sweeping through her system.
Mitchell stopped the car, cutting the engine and scanning the auxiliary lot. “Doesn’t appear anyone is here, but if that was an intentional hit, there’s no doubt they’ll come here eventually. Let’s go inside. Just stay alert.”
She climbed out, closing the door with a soft click and walked around to the other side. Suddenly cold, she held her arms and leaned against the car. Mitchell was shoving something into his waistband. “What are you doing?” When he said nothing, she leaned in, her eyes opening wide. “A gun? Mitchell. You can’t be serious.”
“I’ve owned one for years and I know how to shoot to kill. I told you that I was going to protect you and I plan on keeping my promise.”
The conviction on his face was overwhelming. “I don’t want you hurt.”
“And I don’t plan on that happening. Come on. Let’s do this quickly.” He grabbed her hand and moved toward the front, scanning the parking lot every few seconds. After sliding his card and opening the door, he took one last look before ushering them inside. “I suggest you search the paper files in Nash’s office first and I’ll get into the computers and see if I can find anything including email strings.”
“Won’t somebody know you’ve been searching?” Dani heard the fear in her voice.
“They may but I’m hoping that isn’t going to matter.”
“What are you hoping to find?”
Mitchell turned on a small desk lamp. “Reports that are either showing the contamination or ones that provide unusual information. If you can get your hands on the initial reports from Bryce Miller, the firm we used, let me know. I can tell if they’ve been altered in any way.”
“I can’t imagine that Nash would leave damning information in his office, especially if he’s the hired gun. He’s a smart man, that was easy to tell.”
“To the naked eye, the reports might seem legitimate, but you or I might be able to denote some inconsistencies. Up to this point, everything I’ve said on the news, to employees and to the Board of Directors has indicated my belief in the facts as they were presented. The only people who were told about the third test was Camden and Zach.” He looked away, shaking his head.
“If Camden is truly the one behind this, don’t you think he would have called Nash or whoever is working with him to destroy the evidence?”
“I’m just hoping we beat him to it.”
Dani heard such sadness in Mitchell’s voice, as if he was already convinced he’d been betrayed by his friend. She had too many doubts to grasp onto the belief one hundred percent. “I’ll see what I can find.” As she started to walk away, Mitchell took her hand, pulling her into the heat of his body.
“No matter the outcome, you have no idea how much I appreciate you being here, trusting me. I want you to stay. You’ve become very important to me, to my life. Please never forget that.”
She palmed his chest, allowing her fingers to grasp his shirt. Drinking in his essence, she wasn’t certain about the future, but she did believe in the man, the incredible hunk who stilled her heart and reminded her that love could really exist. “Let’s get through this. Then we’ll talk.”
Brushing his thumb across her check, he leaned down. “You’ve changed me.” He tilted her head until their lips were touching. “Love isn’t easy for me, but you have my heart.”
Dani’s lower lip trembled as he held the stance. He was giving her the choice. “Mitchell.” As she pressed her lips against his, she shuddered, a wave of heat rushing into her pussy. Wet and hot, she fell into the kiss, savoring his strong arms and musky scent.
Mitchell crushed her mouth as he intertwined his fingers in her hair and slid his tongue past her lips.
The kiss became a passionate dance, a melding of two hearts, two damaged souls. She eased her arm around his neck as the embrace continued and stars floated in front of her eyes. Their tongues entwining, she whimpered, a series of goose bumps popping along every inch of her naked skin. Nothing had ever felt so right.
He eased back, breaking the connection and without saying another word, took several steps backward into the darkness.
Swallowing hard, she turned and walked toward Nash’s office, her thoughts remaining on the kiss. She would have to make a difficult decision soon enough, but tonight she intended on finding evidence to exonerate his friend. There had already been too many betrayals in Mitchell’s life.
After almost a half hour, she groaned and resisted slamming the last file drawer. As anticipated, Nash had left nothing indicating any kind of blackmail scheme or tainted report. One thing was certain, someone knew they’d made a trip to El Pas
o. Garcia’s untimely death was proof. She walked toward the window, glaring out at the almost full moon. Revenge. The word continued to surface in the forefront of her mind. The scheme was well planned, which meant whoever was involved had known of Mitchell’s desire to purchase the Steele site. Perhaps the person had known about his other business venture. If so, what perfect information to leak just at the right time.
She turned and hissed, kicking the floor in frustration.
Whap!
The thudding sound made her jump. She slapped her hand over her mouth and looked around at the dimly lit room. She noticed a dark object on the floor that hadn’t been there only seconds before. Squinting, she walked closer, squatting down. As she picked up the book, she frowned then glanced up at the bookcase. The size and shape of the hardback was unusual, indicating a plant of some kind?
Dani rose to her feet and closed the distance, peering at the hole where the book had been. She pulled another down, then another until she uncovered a thick envelope. “Bingo.” Adrenaline rushing through her, she tugged the brown covering from its hiding place. There were no markings indicating any clue about its contents, but her gut told her this was the smoking gun.
“Mitchell. I think I found something.” She moved back to the desk, eager to reveal the contents. “Mitchell. Come here.”
There were no sounds.
The hair raised on the back of her neck and she held her breath. Something was wrong. Tipping her head, she searched the dark hallway from where she stood. She held the envelop against her chest and eased toward the door. Peering out of the doorway, she was unable to see anything. Swallowing hard, she took tentative steps toward the main room.
The moment she entered the area, she gasped.
“Dani, stay back,” Mitchell commanded.
From where she stood, she could see a form in the shadows and there was something else.
Mitchell had both hands on the gun and the weapon was pointed toward an intruder.
Chapter 12
“Mitchell! No!” Dani rushed into the room.
“Everything is fine. This is exactly who I thought we might run into,” Mitchell hissed as he glared at Nash. “Get your hands up, Nash. I have no doubt why you’re here.”
Nash took a step forward, out of the shadows, then glanced over at Dani. “What the hell does that mean?”
“Good question. Why are you here? It’s Sunday night.” Dani asked as she flanked Mitchell’s side.
“I might ask you both the same question. I work here and in case you haven’t noticed, we have a crisis on our hands.” Nash snarled.
“He’s here for this.” Dani held up the oversized envelope.
Mitchell turned his head. “Where did you find that?”
“Where Nash hid it,” she commented, a wry smile on her face. “Let me venture a guess. The real reports are in here. Right? You lied about the others, paid them off to provide the kind of report that would make everyone believe the wells are tainted beyond use.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Nash insisted.
“Who are you working with?” Mitchell demanded. He could see animosity in the man’s eyes. When Nash didn’t answer, he took a long stride closer. “Talk to me and maybe you can cut a deal with the prosecutor’s office.”
“Prosecutor?” Nash shifted. “I’ve done nothing wrong.”
“Stay the fuck there!” He nodded toward Dani and stole a quick glance at the doorway. The man had to be working with someone else.
“Listen to me. This isn’t what you think, Mr. Rush. Yes, there’s some shit going on, but I’m not to blame. I was trying to help.” Nash’s eyes went back and forth from Dani to Mitchell.
Dani opened the flap, pulling out the contents.
Mitchell laughed. “Okay. Let’s go along those lines. Then what is it?”
Nash exhaled and looked away.
“I see. I think the lady may be right. Let’s see how this plays out. Shall we? You were in on this from the beginning with Mr. Steele. He hid the fact several men died because of shoddy safety practices. No doubt you were the one to sweep the incidents under the rug. When he sold the company, he conveniently left the information regarding the deaths from the disclosure paperwork. I’m certain Mr. Steele paid you a pretty penny for your help. Didn’t he?” His blood boiling, he took another long stride forward.
“That’s not the way it went down,” Nash said between clenched teeth. “You don’t understand.”
“Then tell me how it is!” Mitchell allowed his fury to show.
“Mitchell, these are the initial reports but there’s more,” Dani half whispered as she continued flipping through pages.
Mitchell shot her a look. “Who’s paying you? Steele? Or is there someone on the inside of my company? My freaking company! Were you also responsible for the death of Garcia Sanchez?” He tightened his grip on the gun as adrenaline rushed through every cell in his body.
Nash shook his head. “Death? What? What do you mean?”
Removing the safety on the gun, Mitchell pointed the barrel at Nash’s head. “Talk. To. Me.”
“Jesus!” Nash opened his eyes wide. “I didn’t kill anyone, but I know who did. Just listen to me!”
“Mitchell, you need to take a look at this.” Dani lifted her head and walked closer. “This is damning evidence. We have everything we need, but it’s not what you think.”
Mitchell exhaled and took side steps in her direction just as his phone rang. “Shit.” He kept his right hand on the gun as he struggled to tug his phone from his back pocket. “Zach. This isn’t a good time.”
“Buddy, I’m glad I got you. You were right,” Zach said quickly.
“Camden?” Mitchell’s heart fell.
“The money. Took me a while and the trail was twisted, but you were right. There was a large deposit made almost four months ago and another just within the last two weeks,” Zach continued.
“Who are we talking about?” Mitchell could feel sweat slithering down his back.
“I can’t believe all that I found. They did a damn good job covering the trail, but not good enough. You have to listen to me. I found something else… and… when…”
Groaning, Mitchell shook his head hearing the static. “Zach. Who are we talking about?”
“The plane is on the way… for you… out before it’s… late.”
“What are you saying to me?” Mitchell hissed. He could see a true hint of fear in Nash’s expression.
Nash shifted from foot to foot.
“What is going on?” Dani asked as she moved in front, her eyes full of concern.
“Zach. Say again. Who is on the way?” Mitchell stopped moving, praying to God the damn connection would get stronger.
“Mitchell. Get out… knows that you’re… and… on the way.” Zach was shouting.
“On the way,” Mitchell mumbled. If someone was on the way then… A shift in movement flashed across his periphery. Turning sharply, he dropped the phone as Nash lunged forward.
“Revenge is sweet, my dear.”
Mitchell opened his eyes in horror as she raised the gun, her expression one of satisfaction. “No. No! No!”
Boom!
“Thank you all for coming. I very much appreciate everyone taking the time.” Mitchell stood in front of the podium, looking out over the crowd of reporters as well as those who’d come to support both he and his company. Glancing to his right, he smiled seeing Dani. She’d been his saving grace in so many ways.
Dani gave him a heated look and winked before giving him a nod of approval. She stood to the side, her expression one of satisfaction.
“I will have a full statement later today regarding some changes coming to Rush Enterprises, but I’m here to announce a new business venture. This is a project that’s near and dear to my heart and I have several people to thank for allowing me to venture away from producing oil.” He looked out over the crowd, surprised they remained quiet. “To that end, I’d
like to announce that with the backing of the Board of Directors from Rush Enterprises, we’ve purchased St. Francis Hospital.”
The news an obvious shock, the reporters murmured, raising their hands as they moved closer.
“As you all know, the previously state-run hospital was considered a way for those without health insurance to find medical care. I’m very pleased to announce that the hospital will receive a multi-million-dollar renovation and will return as the premier cancer research facility in the country.”
The entire crowd cheered, their claps and whistles floating into the mid-day sky.
Mitchell held up his hand. “Thank you. I appreciate your support. While this will be a work in progress, I can tell you that I’ve been lucky enough to hire some of the finest men and women in the industry. These doctors, nurses and research analysts are going to find a cure for cancer within our lifetime.” He turned to look at Dani. Her beaming face was all he needed.
“Furthermore, the hospital is being renamed.” He moved to a large board, the rendition carefully drawn and presented by the finest architects in Texas. He nodded to the two men and as they slowly removed the covering, he took a deep breath. “From now on, this amazing hospital is going to be known as the Sarah Rush Center for Health and Well Being.” He took a step back as the oversized board was presented and gulped air, tears flowing down his cheeks. This was one of the best days of his life.
After the applause died down, he stepped back up to the microphone. “Again, I’ll have a more formal announcement today, but I want to offer my condolences to the men who lost their lives at one of my facilities. While this occurred prior to the purchase of the Steele and Sons firm, the loss of lives will not go without notice. They were proud American Indians who lost their lives needlessly. I can assure you that our company is working diligently to make certain safety measures are exactly as they should be.” He looked to his left.
Zach was beaming, the tribe Elder by his side.
Perhaps the evil spirit would leave he and those he loved alone.
“Mr. Rush. What can you say about the allegations that former office manager, Marisha Hartwood colluded with a member of the Rush Board of Directors in an effort to take over the company?” The male reporter moved in front of the others.