by Jeannie Moon
Jordan’s eyes flew open. “You what? Why?”
“He seemed to think feeling me up was included in the purchase price of a very expensive sculpture he bought for his summer cottage. I wasn’t having it.”
“And they fired you? How hard did you hit him?”
Nat twisted her fingers. “There wasn’t that much blood. They made such a big deal out of it. Such a wuss.”
Lilly was trying not to laugh, because the situation was horrible. But of course, with Natalie telling the story, there was a certain humor infused into the narrative. She was making light of it, and it forced Lilly out of her own head. She was sorry Nat lost her job—okay, not really, if it meant she’d be home—but Lilly was a lot better off helping Nat than worrying about herself.
“You punched him? Hard enough to make him bleed? This I’ve got to hear.” Jordan wanted the whole story. Lilly couldn’t blame her.
“I didn’t exactly punch him.”
Jordan and Lilly turned to each other before looking at Nat and waiting. No words were needed. They just waited.
At first, their friend pretended she didn’t notice them staring, but eventually, she caved. “I hit him with the sculpture. He threatened to sue, and so did I, because hands on my ass without an invitation. But I still got canned. Part of me wonders if it was because I clocked the old bastard, or because I broke the bloody statue. It was… expensive.”
“Define expensive,” Lilly asked. She didn’t think much could shock her when she found out how much the jewelry Gio had given her was worth. “Like, how many zeros.”
Nat rolled her eyes. “I don’t know. Too many.”
“Are… are you okay?” Lilly’s concern for her friend went to her bones. She was blowing off a sexual assault like it was nothing.
Natalie nodded. “Of course. Yeah. I’m fine. I’ll be fine.”
Jordan took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “You’re sure?”
Natalie blew off the question like it was nothing. Considering she had at least a few million dollars in her trust fund, she didn’t need to work, but still, she’d had her world turned upside down because an old man couldn’t keep his hands to himself. It wasn’t fair.
Stuff like this was never fair, but at least Natalie had stood up for herself. Lilly couldn’t say the same.
Looking back and forth between her two friends, Natalie sensed their discomfort and waved it off. “Don’t worry about it! Come on. It’s fine! What’s for lunch?”
Lilly popped open the pasta salad, while Jordan went to the fridge and pulled out a plate of chicken cutlets.
“Nat,” Jordan said. “Grab some plates from the cabinet behind you.”
The three of them gathered the plates and utensils and set up lunch on Jordan’s back porch. It was then, when the food was all out, that Jordan’s dog, Gertie, rolled her sausage-shaped body off the chaise lounge and trotted over to the table. She parked her little golden behind right next to Lilly.
“Your dog is a mooch.”
“She knows you’re going to give her food.”
That was the truth. Lilly loved that little dog; she kept thinking she needed a pet of her own.
The day was pretty much perfect. The weather was gorgeous, and she was with some of her favorite people. Looking out at the harbor, she closed her eyes, letting the breeze tickle her skin.
“So. Lilly.” When she looked over, Natalie had her sunglasses perched on the end of her nose. Her big blue eyes were wide and mischievous. “Tell me…how is my big brother, Jack?”
Chapter Four
Knowing Gio was in town was enough to put Lilly on edge. But as long as she kept her distance, there was a good chance she would have been able to keep her secret. The secret. The one that haunted her and affected everything she did. Keeping her head down, doing her work, keeping her circle small, had been working for her. That was deliberate. In her mind, it kept victimhood at bay. It was an attempt at forgetting, a silly and naïve belief, but one she held onto regardless.
When Jack came to see her a few days ago, he blew that illusion all to hell. Going to the police seemed like a good idea, just in case she ended up in the ER, but she had no idea why the FBI had gotten involved. Something wasn’t quite right about Jack, or anyone from his agency, being brought in on the case. Sure, it crossed state lines, but there was something else at work. Something he wasn’t telling her.
At this point, it didn’t matter what made sense. He’d shown up, with access to every report and knowledge of all the things she didn’t want people to know. He was understanding. Kind. And then he said the stupidest, dumbass things. Oh sure, he meant well. But often, the most well-meaning people ended up on the road to victim blaming.
She had to be careful. She needed to understand. What Lilly understood was that men shouldn’t hit women. Full stop. The end.
After tossing his ass out, Noel had come up right after, hoping to talk her off the ledge, but she wasn’t in a reasonable state, especially when her old friend suggested Jack’s presence was the best thing that could have happened. Lilly might have snapped at him. Fiercely.
It galled her that he was probably right.
Unlike her family, and the friends Lilly had grown up with, Noel had knowledge. He’d been in the Hollywood pit longer than she had, and her friend knew that while there were a hell of a lot of nice people, there were some real assholes. Gio was an asshole, and beyond.
Noel had never been able to wrap his head around how Lilly had been able to hide what she was going through so completely, and he didn’t like it. If she thought about it, Lilly didn’t know if it was fear or shame that allowed her to put up such a convincing façade. If she was honest with herself, both played a role.
It was a gorgeous morning, and Lilly did her best to put the emotional upheaval of the night before behind her. The computer screen told her that schedule at the salon was packed for the day. And being a Saturday, that meant the grannies would be in for their weekly appointments.
The grannies, as they were referred to by most of the town, included her Abuela; Jack and Natalie’s grandmother, Anna Miller; Mia’s grandmother, Janet Lang; and Lina Rinaldi, Nick’s grandmother. Between the four of them, they knew everything and everyone in Compass Cove. Her grandmother was the newbie of the group, having joined their shenanigans when she retired. It was a match made in heaven.
“We have to be on our game,” she muttered. “They’re going to be full of Lina’s waffles and fully caffeinated.”
The thought of four sugared-up grannies, strung out on caffeine, was sure to provide a lot of entertainment. In a few minutes, the shop would be filled with chatter and laughter. They would share all the new gossip floating around town, question her about her love life, and there would be at least one offer to fix her up with someone’s son or grandson. If all that didn’t get her mind off her troubles, nothing would.
Kendall, her lead stylist, peered over her shoulder and smiled.
“At least I’ll be able to catch up on the local gossip.”
“You will,” Lilly replied. “But don’t overshare. Lina goes right back to the café after she leaves here, and anything you say will become fodder at the lunch counter. So, don’t say too much unless you want everyone in town to know about it.”
“I know.” Kendall waved her hands around. “I should plant a fake story, something really juicy.”
Lilly chuckled. “Interesting idea, until Lina finds out about it.”
“True. I like to eat, so I don’t want her mad at me.”
Warm outside, but not sticky, Lilly left the front door of the shop wide open. That allowed her to hear the chorus of familiar voices approaching as soon as the ladies neared the shop. Turning to Kendall, Lilly smirked. “It’s showtime, go warn the gang.”
Kendall did a mock salute and headed toward the back of the shop, clapping her hands rhythmically to get everyone’s attention. Four stylists, and two high school girls on summer break working the sinks, were ready. No one
in town commanded attention the way the grannies did.
Lilly couldn’t say she didn’t enjoy it. She did, especially since she got to spend more time with her grandmother. When she was growing up, Abuela would do her hair every day, playing with ribbons and clips, and indulging Lilly’s changing preferences. Now it was her turn to play with Abuela’s hair and, no doubt, there was something very special in the reversal of roles.
Janet Lang was the first one to enter the shop. Almost eighty, she wore every year like a badge of honor. Still slender, she didn’t look much different than she had when she taught Lilly in high school. Her hair was very long, and almost completely white. With her flowy clothes and peaceful aura, there was something magical about Janet.
Mrs. Lang wrapped her in a warm hug. “Long time no see,” she joked. It had been less than a week since Mia’s hair trial, and their visits would only become more frequent as the wedding approached.
“I love seeing you,” Lilly said, returning the squeeze. “It’s going to be a crazy couple of weeks.”
By the time she looked up, Lilly saw Lina, along with Abuela, had entered the shop. Last but not least was Mrs. Miller, the matriarch of the very wealthy Miller Family of Jennings Bay. Petite and always turned out like a lady, Mrs. Miller was charming and gracious in ways one didn’t often see any more. Looking at the four women, who couldn’t be more different, Lilly saw an amazing array of experiences and temperaments. But above it all, she saw love. The women represented generations of love. It was a blessing that could not be measured.
Her Abuela patted her cheek and smiled. “Good morning, Mi’ja,” she said simply before heading back to have her hair washed. The other ladies followed, gabbing as they went. It had become a lovely ritual, one that made Lilly feel like she was really making this work. The grannies were regulars. Sure, they were family, but they weren’t the only ones in town who had embraced Lilly’s shop. It was a little thing, but small victories and baby steps still amounted to forward motion. Eve, her receptionist, leveraged herself into the stool at the counter and pulled the stopper out of a tall to-go cup that probably contained enough espresso for three people.
“I got this, boss. Your girl is waiting for you back there.” That’s how everyone referred to her grandmother when Lilly did her hair. There was something wonderful about it. Just as she was about to turn and head back, one more person stepped into the shop.
Jack.
“Hey.” He tucked his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. The sight of him took her breath away. It was so unfair. He looked nothing like Special Agent Miller today. With his cargo shorts and T-shirt he looked like he was ready for a day on the water.
“Hey yourself,” she responded. “Why are you here?”
“I’m my grandmother’s driver today.”
“Her driver?”
“Yeah, she wrenched her shoulder last week, and the doctor doesn’t want her to drive right now. So, here I am.” Smiling at Eve, he extended his hand. “Hi, I’m Jack.”
His grin tilted one corner of his mouth, and his boyish good looks transformed into smoldering hotness. Eve’s response was predictable. She grinned, blushed, and finished the flirt with a toss of her long, blonde mane. Lilly expected her ovaries had exploded. “I’m Eve. Nice to meet you.”
Yeah, this had to stop. Eve’s brain cells were frying.
“Okay, right. Look, your grandma is going to be a while. You can come back, okay?”
Walking around the small reception area, Jack stopped in front of the large water feature that dominated the space. He examined it up and down, leaning in and stepping back to get the full effect. “This is nice. Big.”
It was. The waterfall, which was an enclosed system, cascaded down an entire wall, covered by crackled glass. It was her favorite part of the shop. But she didn’t have time, or the desire, to make nice with Jack—especially after the way things had gone down the other day.
Okay. That was a lie. But she couldn’t have him hanging around. He was a distraction.
“She’ll be done in an hour.”
Lowering himself into one of the soft suede chairs by the window, Jack pulled out his phone and smiled at her. “I’ll just wait. I can scroll through my phone, see what’s happening in the world.”
“You’re going to wait? Don’t you have anything else to do? Bad guys to catch?”
“Nope. I’m on vacation until after the wedding. So, you should get used to me being around. I hear you saw Nat. I’m glad she stood up for herself, but I hope she doesn’t get sued.” He extended his legs, focused on his device, and started scrolling, just like he said. How did he do that? No matter where he was, Jack just made himself comfortable. If he’d been laying on a bed of nails, it wouldn’t have made any difference.
He glanced up. “Don’t you have someone’s hair to do?”
“Oh, um… are you really going to sit there?”
Slowly, he nodded. “Is that a problem?”
“No. Yes. Ah… no. No problem. I’ll be in the back.” Then, turning, she pointed at him. “But you stay here.”
“That’s the plan.” He was calm, his affect as smooth as the cove on a windless night, which annoyed her. Damn him.
“Good. Fine. You stay there.” Spinning around so quickly she almost lost her footing, Lilly didn’t look back again. Why was he here? Was he playing the protector? Was she reading too much into it? Ever since she’d learned her ex was in town, she’d been watching over her shoulder. Her whole vibe was off.
There was no good reason to feel the old dread. But it was there, lurking below the surface. The worry. The fear.
God, she had to shake this off.
She was fine. Gio wasn’t going to bother her here, in her hometown… he wasn’t stupid.
Suddenly, awareness whooshed in and stopped Lilly in her tracks.
“Damn,” she whispered. He wasn’t stupid at all. He was brilliant. Which was exactly why she should be worried.
Gio had no conscience, and no concept of right and wrong. He simply felt he was owed possession of everything in his orbit, including the people. It was very possible he might come to see her. He was a golden boy, and all hearts would be aflutter if he graced the sidewalks of Compass Cove. He knew this. There would be no need for an overt threat. The town would be witness to a friendly hello between friends. And because no one knew what had transpired between them, Lilly would be trapped.
Gio would know that a ‘friendly’ visit would allow him back into Lilly’s head. It would give him control.
Jack only knew the physical details of the case, but as she broke it all down, his presence was a comfort. He was there to watch out for her. To let her know he had her covered.
If she wasn’t so annoyed by his need to take control, she’d be touched. Because it was a very sweet thing to do. Very Jack.
Damn him.
*
Lilly all pissed off was fun to watch, and Jack was having a ball pushing her buttons. He figured he’d give it five minutes, then wander in the back to fuss over the grannies. That would get him lots of brownie points from the ladies, and death stares from Lilly.
That was fine with him. As long as she was annoyed, she kept hold of her edge, and she was going to need it to get through this movie shoot.
So, yes, she was angry. He didn’t care. Jack was going to stick to her until the film crew left town. Because safe trumped angry every day of the week.
His boss was wrong about considering Lilly a suspect. Gio may have made the complaint against her thinking he could cover himself, but if the cops in L.A. hadn’t been blinded by his celebrity, they would have connected the dots and seen that her charges against him were the ones which were credible. The guy had left a trail of old girlfriends, and Jack had been able to interview the two in New York and the one in Boston.
Each story gave him another piece of the investigative pie. Gio didn’t have a specific abuse pattern, but he was predictable. He wanted psychological dominance.<
br />
One victim suffered physical abuse. For another, it was mental and emotional cruelty. For a third one, like Lilly, it was both. Hearing their accounts hit Jack like a bat to the chest. The memories were like raw nerves because none of the women had been believed. All the dread, the fear, the shame, came bubbling up in the conversations. There was also anger. Lots and lots of anger. Their complaints against Gio Graham had been blown off as crazy or exaggerated. The message that was sent to all these women was simple: creatives like Gio were known to be temperamental, and being with him, getting benefits of all that star power, came at a cost. They just had to deal with it.
Jack called bullshit.
It didn’t take long to put together a profile, and Jack fumed at the at the callousness of the response they’d gotten from law enforcement. In all fairness to the police, it appeared it was one or two detectives, and a tool in the DA’s office who let things slide. He wouldn’t call it negligence so much as indifference.
But there was something else, and he’d dropped what he found out on the desk of a buddy from the Cybercrime division. One of the women told him she’d been having trouble with her phone, and when she had it checked out, the repair tech discovered malware on the phone, and it was bad. It had tapped into her GPS and her home security software, tracking her every move and invading her privacy.
Chances were, she wasn’t the only one who had been hacked.
The situation was bigger than he even imagined, and while he couldn’t keep an eye on all the women who had been victimized, he could stick close to Lilly. This was personal. There would be no contact with her ex, and if Gio tried anything, the son of a bitch was done.
Checking his phone, Jack was satisfied he’d given everyone enough time to settle into their appointments. He stood and stretched, causing Eve to look up from her computer.
“Do you need something? Can I get you a coffee or a cappuccino, maybe?”
“Oh, no. Nothing. Thanks.” Her smile was sweet and solicitous, and at any other time he’d be inclined to ask her out to dinner, but the past couple of days his mind had been on a particular curvy brunette with a smart mouth. “I’m just going to check on my grandmother.”