by Lexi Blake
Carly’s eyes had a sheen to them. “She wouldn’t do that.”
Drew stared at her. “And you know her so well, Carly? You’re conspiring against your boss to help that woman tear her apart in print.”
Bran stood, moving slightly so he was in front of Carly. His brother could be intimidating and he wasn’t about to have Carly feel threatened. “Back off, Drew.”
Drew started to say something, but Hatch reached out and put a hand on his arm.
“Take a deep breath. None of this is Carly’s fault,” Hatch said in a reasonable tone. “Shelby Gates was looking into Patty long before she met Carly, and God knows there isn’t a woman on the planet who deserves a takedown more than Patricia Cain.”
“Can I give you some advice, Drew?” Taggart was the only one who looked completely unemotional.
“You’ll do it even if I say no.”
“Talk to this Shelby woman. Bring her in,” Taggart said. “Otherwise you’ll have to deal with her in a way you don’t want on your conscience. She’s curious and a woman like that won’t let a little thing like some feds investigating her for hacking stop her if she thinks she’s found a truly juicy story.”
“I’m not talking to her.” Drew’s face went stubborn, his jaw locking.
“You’re already talking to her,” Taggart said with a shake of his head, as though he was speaking but he already knew he’d be ignored. “You’re her new online friend.”
“How the hell did you know that?” Drew turned to stare at Taggart, his eyes wide.
“Because big brother knows everything,” Case said with a laugh. “You’ve had Adam tailing him, haven’t you?”
“He’s reckless and he makes decisions based on emotion and not logic,” Taggart said quietly. “He’s got you involved in his plans, so yes, I do keep an eye on him. If you think for a second I’ll let you go running around unwatched, you don’t know me at all, brother.”
This was where Drew should acknowledge that he understood. He was the head of the family and he watched out for his brothers and sister the same way Taggart watched over his family. Bran wished that was true, but he wasn’t surprised at all at Drew’s reaction.
His big brother stood up, Drew’s face implacable because when he got pissed, Drew didn’t go hot. He went arctic cold. “Mr. Taggart, please feel free to turn around and take yourself back to Texas. We’ll handle things from here.”
Hatch shook his head and Mia’s eyes went wide. Bran knew he had to deal with that shit now. Drew didn’t handle anyone questioning his authority, but they needed Taggart. He was their in. If they didn’t have McKay-Taggart, they would have to start at the beginning. And they would really piss off Case, and that meant upsetting Mia.
Bran stood and reached his hand out. “Don’t mind him. You’re right. He’s not thinking logically. We’ve got a meeting with Cain Corp in a couple of hours. Why don’t you go and clean up and we’ll have some lunch before we have to head into St. Augustine?”
Taggart stood and shook his hand, but his eyes went right to Carly. “Is she making lunch?”
Carly didn’t miss a beat. Despite what Drew had said about her friend, she stood beside Bran like they were a team. “I’ve got the ingredients to make a lovely tomato bisque and grilled cheese sandwiches.”
That was his girl. She knew when to stand by his side.
Taggart nodded. “I’m going to take a shower and get ready. I’ll be back in an hour. Deal with your brother. I’m not going to lose mine because your brother can’t keep his head on straight. And when we get to Cain Corp, you’re going to let me do all the talking. After all, I’m putting my company on the line here.” Without another word he turned to Carly, his expression softening and his whole demeanor changing. “Thank you for the muffins. They were delicious. If you ever need a job, my brother and I own a chain of restaurants in Dallas. There’s a job for you there no matter what happens with this crazy revenge plan.”
Carly practically glowed. “Thank you.”
Taggart nodded his brother’s way and turned and walked toward the small office that served as the fourth bedroom of the condo. Mia and Case would take over the room Drew had been sleeping in and Drew and Hatch would double up until Bran and Carly went back to her place.
Drew stared Bran’s way. “I think it might be time to cut our losses with McKay-Taggart.”
Case’s head fell back with a groan.
Mia leaned in. “Don’t you dare. He’s been nothing but helpful. Do you have any idea what he’s been through? He’s not willing to lose another brother. His whole company is on the line for you.”
“And I don’t need him if he’s not all in,” Drew shot back.
Hatch stared at Drew. “He’s right and you know it. You’re thinking emotionally with this Shelby girl. You need to figure out what she knows and move on. But no, you’re playing games with her. You’re spending all your time poking this woman and trying to get her attention.”
“I’m trying to get her to give up the story,” Drew practically snarled.
But Bran saw through that. “You would have talked to her and tried to bribe her if you wanted her to give up the story. She’s hit a nerve and you’re playing with her. Let Carly talk to her.”
“It won’t work,” Drew shot back. “She’s got it under her skin. She’s not simply asking for autopsy reports and the police reports. She’s trying to find all the records CPS had on us.”
“Are you kidding?” It sent a shiver through Bran. No one needed to know about those days. “Why would she need that?”
He heard the door close down the hall and they were alone. Not that it meant anything. They still needed Taggart. They needed him and his firm.
Drew’s tone was icy cold. “I don’t know why she wants to see pictures of our dead parents, but I intend to stop her from publishing them. Your girl started this. Tell her to finish it or I’ll do it myself, and you watch every single thing that man does. We have to get out of this whole.”
Case frowned. “It won’t be my brother’s fault if you don’t.”
Drew strode out, walking back to his bedroom.
Mia put a hand on her husband’s shoulder. “We know that. Drew’s worried. It’s been hard to keep the Lang identities separate from Lawless. He’s on edge because there’s a reporter looking into us now. We all know what Ian’s doing for us but this kind of thing is hard on Drew.”
Hatch sighed and stood up. “I’ll go talk to him. Bran, take care of Taggart this afternoon. Mia’s right. We need him. And maybe Carly should figure out what’s going on with her reporter friend.”
Bran didn’t want Carly more involved in this than she needed to be. “I’ll deal with it.”
“I can talk to her,” Carly said, ignoring him.
He wasn’t going to argue in front of everyone. They’d done enough of that already. He simply squeezed her hand and started to lead her back toward the bedroom. “We’ll talk about how to handle it but for now, someone calm Drew down.”
He closed the door behind them as Carly turned.
“I can help, Bran.”
“You are helping, but I want you to think about what we learned from last night. Someone is trying to kill your boss and they won’t mind taking you out if you get in the way. It might be time to get you out of the line of fire.”
“I can’t quit and you know why.”
“I can hire the very best lawyer for your sister.”
“That’s not happening.”
Why wasn’t she listening to him? “Sweetheart, I can do this job without you. Hell, it doesn’t even have to be me. We can send in a McKay-Taggart operative and they can get the job done.”
“You do whatever you like, but I’m not leaving my job. I made that plain. You can have a partner or you can walk away, but I’ll still be at Cain Corp no matter what you decide.” She stare
d up at him, pure will in her eyes.
He wanted to growl at her and put her on a plane with Taggart when he left. In the past they hadn’t been above a little kidnapping when it came to keeping loved ones safe.
Shit. Had he thought that word? He couldn’t think that word.
Bran took a deep breath. Why the fuck couldn’t he think it? He wanted her. She wanted him. He could control himself. Maybe if he wasn’t out prowling around every night looking for a fight he would find himself more in control of the volcanic rage that always seemed to simmer under his surface.
It was bubbling up right now, but he quashed it. He wasn’t going to get angry. Not with Carly.
“All right.” They could talk about something else. He’d told his brother he would figure out how to handle the reporter. “How well do you know this Shelby woman?”
She stopped for a moment as though trying to decide if she wanted to continue the conversation. He gave her some space, striding into the bedroom and hoping she would follow.
Her eyes were cautious as she watched him pull his shirt over his head. If he was going to meet with Patricia, he would need to clean up a bit.
“Like I told you before, she contacted me when she took over the book from her brother. I decided to help her and we became friends. I know her and she doesn’t publish stories that would hurt innocent people. She actually has a lot in common with you. She firmly believes Patricia killed her brother. I think the big blond guy is right. I think she could make a valuable ally.”
The trouble was Drew didn’t believe in allies who weren’t family. “Why does your friend think Patricia killed her brother?”
Carly was still watching him, her back to the wall while he slid out of his slacks. “Because he died in a single-vehicle accident the same day he met her for an interview.”
He couldn’t miss the fact that while the room wasn’t chilly at all, Carly’s nipples were suddenly visible against the shirt she was wearing. Drew’s overreaction might have made her wary, but Bran thought he might be able to warm her up. He needed to tempt her, coax her back into intimacy.
“That does seem convenient.” He turned, unbothered by his nudity. She seemed to like his body well enough. He wished he could drag the clothes off her and haul her back to bed, but he wanted her to come to him again. “I suppose the police called it an accident.”
She suddenly seemed to find the carpet endlessly fascinating. “Are you going to walk around naked?”
Did she think they were going to go back to being polite after the day they’d had?
“I’m going to take a shower. I usually do that naked.”
“Bran, you’re all . . . aroused and stuff.”
Yes, he was. He’d gotten hard the minute he realized her nipples were rigid, and he envisioned getting those sweet berries in his mouth again. “I get that way around you.”
Her face was flushed when she looked back up at him. “Your brother doesn’t like me.”
He knew her wall had something to do with Drew. She’d been a perfect partner, though. She hadn’t shown a single sign of being upset until they’d gotten into private. He moved into her space. She had to get used to him being naked around her. He intended to do it a lot. “My brother doesn’t matter. Not when it comes to us.”
She shook her head, but her hands came up, grazing along his chest. “He does. Your family is everything to you. You won’t hang around a woman for long if your brother doesn’t approve.”
“I think you don’t know me as well as you think you do.” He tilted her chin up. “Carly, I do what I want. I learned a long time ago that tomorrow’s not guaranteed for any of us. I’m not about to walk away from you because my brother threw a fit. He’s incredibly smart, but he’s not that great when it comes to people. You have to be direct with Drew. He often misses subtleties. You handled him fine. And if you want me to deal with him, I will. I’m not going to let him make you feel uncomfortable.”
“Why are you trying to get rid of me?”
“What?” They were having trouble communicating today. “I’m not trying to get rid of you. Not at all. I’m worried about you. Someone tried to kill you last night.”
Her hands moved over his skin. “They tried to kill Patricia. I think you’re right. I think he wasn’t a pro and he panicked. He saw the cape and thought it was her. I got caught in the cross fire, but I’ll be more careful from now on. I thought that was your way of getting rid of me.”
“Why the hell would I get rid of you?”
“I thought maybe the sex hadn’t been as good as you hoped.”
Oh, it was time to disabuse her of that notion. “The sex was the best I’ve ever had.”
Her lips curled up. “Really?”
He lowered his mouth, hovering above hers. “Really.”
The sound of a chime nearly made him growl in frustration.
Carly sighed. “I’ve got to see who it is.”
“Or you can ignore it.”
“It could be my sister.” She ducked out from under his arms and grabbed her phone. “It’s Shelby. I should take this.”
And his playtime was done. He kissed her forehead. “I’ll be in the shower if you need anything. Find out what you can about how deep she’s gotten into our business.”
He kissed her again and walked off to take a cold shower. It looked like his afternoon wasn’t going to start as well as his morning had.
Chapter Eleven
Carly watched as Bran strode off, his incredibly toned backside making her catch her breath. That was one beautiful man and apparently he trusted her. He wasn’t standing around waiting to listen in on her conversation. She’d been honest about who was calling, and Bran had rewarded her with his trust.
Not so much his brother, though. Despite Bran’s sweet talk, she knew Drew could cause serious problems between them if he chose to.
Why was she even thinking that way? It wasn’t like they had long-term plans. And yet she’d sat there and her heart had ached when she realized Drew didn’t trust her.
And maybe he had good reason.
“Hello?”
“Hey, I wanted to call and make sure you’re all right,” Shelby said, her words rushing out. “I saw on the news that something happened at the art gallery you were supposed to be in last night. The grande dame was caught looking not so perfect. She’s got to be pissed about that.”
Carly hadn’t turned on the TV all day. She also hadn’t looked at her phone like she usually would. Normally she would have spent the entire day making sure any and all press concerning the night before was positive. She would have been on the line with the promotions department and Patricia’s personal publicist. She likely would have been called into Patricia’s office and had her head nearly taken off if even a single unflattering photograph had surfaced.
And yet her phone had been silent all day. Her boss should have called or texted a hundred times today no matter what Bran had said. She could be on her deathbed and Patricia would still be texting.
What was going on?
“How is the media covering it?”
“They said it was an accident. Something about a gas leak from an art piece,” Shelby said. “Is there something they’re not saying?”
How far would Shelby go to avenge her brother?
“All I know at this point is I’m never going to love modern art.” She heard the shower turn on. She glanced back and caught sight of the most magnificent male backside she’d ever seen.
“Well, the press got pictures of Patricia looking very harried. In one of them she’s obviously yelling and her makeup . . . It looks like she was crying, Carly. What the hell happened at an art show that made the ice queen cry?”
Carly took a deep breath because Patricia had to be furious. Maybe the reason she hadn’t gotten a call or a text was that she no longer had a job. Would t
hey arrest Meri? Another deep breath. She had a few questions for her friend first, and then she would figure out what was happening at the office. “I don’t know. I was at the hospital. I happened to be in the room with the gas leak.”
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line and when Shelby spoke again, her voice had gone low and serious. “I think you should leave. Now. Come out here to LA and stay with me.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Because I think someone powerful wants Patricia Cain dead.”
“Why would you think that?”
“I’ve been looking into some notes my brother left and I started thinking about what you said to me last week. It made me look into the first company Cain made money off of. I don’t think Benedict Lawless killed his wife. I think he was assassinated along with her and it was paid for by the other investors in the business. Do you know who the man behind 4L Software is?”
So Shelby had been connecting dots. “I do.”
“What if Andrew Lawless is clearing up his debts? I want you to think about this. Phillip Stratton died before 4L was stratospheric. He couldn’t get to Stratton. But someone got to Castalano and now they’re trying to get to Cain.”
“Steven Castalano had a heart attack.”
“Did he? He died about two hours after Patricia went to see him. It was also the day before he was set to talk to the police. I think that is interesting timing. I looked at CCTV of the hospital. Here’s the crazy thing. I’ve got a woman going into Castalano’s room ten minutes before his heart attack. The police officer steps away and then mysteriously returns after the woman slips back out.”
“Was it a nurse?” Sometimes Shelby could get carried away with her theories.
“She was dressed in scrubs, but they were in the middle of a shift change. He wasn’t scheduled for another check for at least an hour. And this so-called nurse manages to never look directly at a camera. I think she killed Castalano and now she’s coming after Cain. What if the Lawless siblings are out for revenge? They’re all alive. They’re rarely photographed. Why would they try to keep their faces out of the press if they weren’t planning something?”