Sex, Lies and Midnight

by Tawny Weber

  Regret.

  There was only one reason he’d pretend to be something he wasn’t and get her to bring him to her hometown. Only one thing in town anyone in law enforcement would be after in Black Oak.

  Her arms tightened protectively around her father’s waist.

  Her guts clenched, tight and painful in her belly. Simon had used her to get to her father? Betrayal left a bitter taste on her tongue.

  “We should go,” she whispered through the blood roaring through her head. “Dad, let’s go.”

  His arms tightened, but he wouldn’t move.

  All of her anger, her petty issues, disappeared.

  So he was fallible. And human.

  He was still her father.

  “Let the game play out, Pumpkin.”

  “The stakes are too high. You don’t know…” Her words trailed off when she glanced at her father’s face. Implacable. And confident. She drew strength from the latter since she knew she couldn’t get past the former.

  She vowed to do whatever she could, use whatever she had, to mitigate any problems she herself had created by bringing Simon to town.

  As if he could read her mind, he looked over. He said something to the other men. Hunter pulled out his cell phone, but Caleb glanced their way. Maya tried to read her brother’s expression. She tried to take comfort in the hope that he wouldn’t be in on anything that would hurt their father.

  Except she knew that Caleb toed firmly to that legal line he’d chosen when he’d joined the DEA.

  Simon said something else and Caleb nodded, then headed down the alley. He didn’t look back. He didn’t stop to talk to his family. He just left.

  Maya’s guts turned liquid. Her fingers dug into her father’s jacket so tight, she was pretty sure she could feel his ribs. Simon headed their way.

  “Maya, Mr. Black,” he greeted quietly after looking around at the crowd. His eyes were distant, but alert. He carried an air of violence and authority that she’d never noticed before.

  Probably because he’d been lying to her before.

  “We’re heading to the sheriff’s office,” he said. His words were for both of them, but his gaze was locked on Maya. “Could the two of you join us?”

  “Why Maya?” her father asked.

  “Safety.”

  Her father’s arms tightened around her shoulders for one second. Maya almost whimpered when he unwrapped her from his protective hold. He gave her a long look, as if checking to make sure she could deal with whatever was about to happen. Then he gave a nod.

  Like he was sure she could handle anything that was coming.

  Why, she didn’t know. Because she sure as hell wasn’t.

  “Mr. Black?”

  They all turned to face Hunter. He was just as pretty as he’d been before, but now Maya hated him. Hated what he stood for, even though she had no idea what that was.

  “Will you walk with me over to the jail? Barton will bring your daughter in a few minutes.”

  “Why?” Maya snapped. “Why separate us? What are you planning?”

  All three men gave her calming looks. Pacify the drama queen? But she wasn’t about to be pacified.

  “Pumpkin,” her father started to say.

  “Maya,” Simon said at the same time. He didn’t touch her. Maybe he knew if he tried, she’d bite him. But his tone was just as calming as the sweep of his fingers down her back would have been. “Someone hurt Jason Raines badly. The EMTs say he’ll make it, but only because we found him so quickly. Someone is likely targeting people associated with Black Custom Bikes, which means you and your father both might be in danger.”

  “Dad?” she asked, her voice low with fear.

  “It’s okay, Pumpkin.”

  “Your brother went to secure his office, to make sure the jail was safe. Hunter will walk your father over, protecting him. Once they’re there, we’ll follow.”

  Her father patted her shoulder, then gestured with his chin toward the end of the alley. “Shall we, Mr. Hunter?”

  Without a word, Hunter turned and left. The younger man was alert, keeping Tobias one step ahead of him, his hand loose, but poised at his side as if ready to grab a weapon.

  “Hunter will text when they’re at the jail,” Simon said, his tone soothing.

  But Maya had no interest in being soothed.

  “Who are you?” she demanded. “I mean, really, who are you? You’re obviously not an investment pretty boy. And given how chummy you are with Caleb’s college roommate, who has a major cop vibe going on, I don’t think it’s too hard to guess what field you’re really in.”

  Bottle-green eyes stared into hers but all she could see in those gorgeous depths was an apology. Something she had no interest in. All she wanted from him was the truth.

  “Maya—”

  “I don’t want to hear any of your bullshit,” she warned in a low growl. Stepping toe to toe, she poked her finger into his chest in a single sharp jab and glared. “You lied to me before. Now I want the truth.”

  The conflict on his face was almost as painful for her to see as it obviously was for him to experience. He grimaced, then reached out to take her hand. Not wanting him touching her, Maya tried to pull away. But he wouldn’t let go.

  “Look, I don’t want to hurt you. Whatever else you believe, please know that’s the truth.”

  She gave him her whatever look.

  “I promise, I’ll explain everything,” he told her. He shot a quick look around the crowd, then took a deep breath as if he were making a major decision. Before he could act on it, though, his cell phone buzzed.

  He glanced at the display. His jaw stiffened like he was clenching his teeth. Then he shoved the phone back in his pocket and looked at Maya.

  “Let’s go.”

  “Not until you explain everything.”

  “Explanations are waiting at your brother’s office.”

  “I want to hear them from you. Now.”

  He gave her a long look. Like she’d just asked him to choose between cutting off his arm, or his leg. Then he gave a slow, regretful shake of his head. “Let’s go.”

  Maya gritted her teeth so hard, she was surprised they didn’t crack. Then she puffed out a breath and lifted her own chin. “Fine. But you and I? We’re not finished with this.”

  He tried to put his arm around her shoulder but she shrugged him off. One hand under his jacket, most likely on a gun, he finally settled for taking her arm. She thought about yanking free but the warning look he gave her made her think twice.

  Their walk was eventless. People stared, a few pointed, but other than the anger mounting with each stamp of Maya’s feet, nothing happened.

  Releasing her arm, Simon opened the door to the jailhouse and gestured for her to precede him. Her father, brother and Hunter were already there. Caleb behind his desk looking all official. Hunter leaning against a wall, observing. And Tobias pouring himself a cup of coffee, looking oddly smug given the enormity of the circumstances.

  “Now that we’re all here, we can work together to get to the bottom of this situation,” Hunter said, instantly taking command of the room. “According to the report I’ve received, there is a cache of weapons being ran through Black Custom Bikes. After receiving this information, I ran checks on all of Tobias’s employees and associates.”

  Maya gasped, her worried eyes cutting to her father. He didn’t look concerned, though. Why was he not freaking out?

  “Before we get into that, why don’t you tell me where you got that report,” Caleb interrupted, his face hard with anger. “I might be new at this sheriffing gig, but I’m pretty damned sure that should have been run past me.”

  “I’m running it all past you now,” Hunter said, his words calm and assured.

  “Who filed the report?” Caleb prodded.

  For the first time since she’d met him, Hunter looked uncomfortable. He gave her an odd look, then inclined his head toward Simon.

  “Simon?” Maya whispered
. No! Please, no. Don’t let him have betrayed her. She knew it was a useless plea. Because her gut—her heart—knew he had.

  She stared at him with devastated eyes. After a nod from Hunter, Simon cleared his throat and reported, “Three days ago I uncovered a cache of fully automatic lower receivers being ran through Black Custom Bikes. We ascertained by running the serial number that the weapons were meant for a military facility in Texas and were reported stolen a month ago.”

  “You think my father stole illegal guns?” Maya asked in horror. She’d suspected it, but hearing proof was like a kick in the gut. Maya was horrified. Not only that she’d brought him here, but that she’d freaking paid him to come.

  Which was worse? His betrayal of her? Or her betrayal of her father? Tears gathered, hot and aching, behind her eyes. But Maya refused to let them fall. There was no way she’d let Simon know how much he’d hurt her.

  “WE DON’T THINK YOUR father stole the guns,” Simon insisted just a second before Hunter echoed his denial.

  He couldn’t stand to see Maya so upset. God, this sucked. He’d spent the past twenty-four hours mentally tossing and turning between her and his career. But now when faced with the results of his inadvertent choice, he knew he’d made the wrong one. Maya should have come first.

  “We think someone is using your father’s shop as a shipping point, hiding the weapons in crates of motorcycle parts,” Hunter explained. “Since this is the second setup in as many months, it’s clear someone is trying to set him up for an ugly fall.”

  “Lilah was involved in this, wasn’t she?” Tobias asked. His tone more than his words made Simon turn and face the man he’d spent his entire career hoping to arrest. He looked as ashamedly angry as he sounded. “I was so focused on using her to get Maya home, I missed the signs that she was using me as well.”

  Simon winced. Meeting Hunter’s insistent gaze, he sighed and, obeying the unspoken order, stepped forward.

  “It wasn’t Lilah.”

  “How do you know?” Caleb asked.

  “She has an alibi.”

  Simon wanted nothing more than five minutes alone with Maya. A chance to explain. To take Tobias’s advice and tell her how sorry he was.

  He didn’t care about his promotion. He didn’t even care about his career. In this second, right now, he’d walk away from it all if it meant keeping Maya.

  But that wasn’t his choice to make.

  And from the look on her face, so coldly defensive and angry, their future had ended about ten minutes ago.

  So he kissed happiness goodbye and continued with his report.

  “Because in the time leading up to Jason Raines getting whacked over the head, Lilah Gomez was with me.”

  “With you,” Caleb repeated. His face looked like it was carved in stone. Very angry, potentially violent stone.

  “Stripping down to her underwear while she danced around the shop in the back of Black Custom Bikes. There are plenty of witnesses, since she was doing it right in front of the windows and the customers at Moonspun Dreams were in the audience.”

  “Stripping.”

  Simon glowered at Caleb, wishing the man would quit repeating everything he said. It wasn’t like Maya had missed the declaration the first time. Her teary-eyed glare made that abundantly clear.

  “I didn’t ask her to, and had no interest in the show.”

  Then, because he needed to get this over with so he could attempt to save the best thing that’d ever happened to him, he focused exclusively on Hunter. Just giving a report. No betrayal here, no expectations. Just the job.

  “She was there from eleven-fifteen until eleven-twenty-seven. It’s been established that the victim was hit at approximately eleven-thirty. The attacker entered through the side door. It’s not clearly visible from Moonspun Dreams’ windows. Witnesses saw Jason Raines come around the building, pause for a conversation with Lucas, the mechanic, before Lucas drove off in the company truck to make deliveries. However, nobody interviewed saw anyone else coming or going.”

  Unable to stop himself, Simon’s gaze cut to Maya for a brief second. Her lower lip trembling, she stared at him through betrayed eyes.

  Damning himself, he forced himself to continue his report.

  “Caleb has ascertained that there’s no way anyone could get from the front entrance of Black Custom Bikes down three businesses to the end of the sidewalk and around to the side door in less than five minutes. Whether she’s connected in some other way or not, Lilah Gomez is alibied for the actual assault.”

  “Did you establish motive for her visit?” Hunter queried, his face expressionless as usual. “Other than her apparent desire to put on a show, that is.”

  “The show was just that, a show, sir. While I have no doubt she’d have accepted an advance, my impression was that she had a more specific reason for her visit.” This time he didn’t let himself look toward Maya. He could hear her breath, shaky and rough, and knew she was crying. His gut clenched. He was the world’s biggest jerk.

  “Barton.”

  Hunter’s reminder pulled him back. With a grimace, Simon reluctantly continued. “From what I’ve been able to discern in my investigation over the past few days, Lilah Gomez’s primary goal is to extort as much money as possible from Black Custom Bikes. She’s promising customers favors, special deals and sneaking added features on to their orders in exchange for cash in her pocket.”

  He glanced over at Tobias, noting that the older man didn’t look surprised. Did the guy know everything that was going on, and if so, why was Hunter even here?

  “She’s…” Regardless of how much Tobias knew, screwing just sounded tacky. “She’s having an affair with Jason Raines. She made like she wanted to start something hot with me, but that was mostly theater.”

  “Theater, my ass,” Maya muttered.

  Bracing himself, Simon looked at her. Hair a little wild from shoving her fingers through it and her face tearstained beneath the fury, she was curled into her brother’s arms.

  “I’m not saying she wouldn’t have given the opportunity, but I wasn’t interested in offering her a chance. And since sex wasn’t her actual motivation, she wasn’t pushing the issue.”

  He winced at the watery snort of disbelief coming from Maya’s corner of the room.

  “What was her real motivation?” Caleb asked, sounding like he believed not one word of Simon’s report.

  “To hurt Maya,” Simon said simply.

  Before anyone could react, the phone rang. Caleb released his sister to stride over and grab it.

  “Black,” he answered.

  Listening, his brow furrowed and he shot a glance toward Hunter.

  “You’re sure?” He grimaced, then added, “Fine. Bring her in.”

  Hanging up, he said, “That was the state police. They picked up the truck Barton I.D.’d. Lucas claims he’s making deliveries. They counted the crates. Same number Barton reported were loaded in the bed of the truck. They didn’t find any weapons.”

  “Do you have an APB out on Lilah?” Hunter asked.

  Stone-faced, Caleb nodded.

  “She’s clearly involved,” Simon agreed. “But she’s not the mastermind. This is a carefully orchestrated ring. The drugs last month, now guns. There’s something bigger going on.”

  Hunter nodded and Caleb jerked his head in agreement. Tobias looked resigned, but not surprised. Only Maya seemed upset.

  “A crime ring? Apparently one that’s targeting my father.” She bypassed her brother to stomp over to Hunter and glare into his face. “What are you doing about this?”

  “What am I doing?” Hunter actually looked shocked.

  “Yes, you. You’re obviously in charge. What the hell are you doing to protect my father? To keep his good name from being dirtied by this ugly mess?”

  Good name?

  Caleb snorted so hard he almost knocked over his coffee. Even Tobias looked surprised at that declaration. Simon couldn’t hold back his own grin.
/>   He had to hand it to Hunter, though. The guy didn’t even blink. Instead he gave Maya a look that was somewhere between sympathy and warning. “Ms. Black, I assure you, we’ve got this under control. Your father isn’t under suspicion, nor is he in danger.”

  “We? Who the hell is we?” she demanded. Before Hunter could respond, she spun around and pointed at Simon. “You’re a part of his we. So you tell me. Who do you work for?”

  Simon cut a glance at Hunter and got the go ahead. He steeled himself, then told her, “FBI.”

  As if someone had poked a sharp pin in Maya’s balloon of angry energy, she simply deflated. Her shoulders drooped, her eyes filled with fear and she seemed to shrink. “FBI?” she whispered. “You used me. From the beginning. You lied about everything.”

  “Not everything,” Simon protested. Then he stopped, shaking his head in regret. She was right. He had no defense. All he could do was take Tobias’s advice. “Maya, I’m sorry. I can explain everything, try and justify my choices. But none of that changes the fact that I hurt you.”

  She gave him a long, indecipherable look. Then she stepped away.

  “You hurt me, and you used me to hurt people I care about. You and I? We are through,” she told him, her words causing an actual pain in his heart. “Completely.”

  With that and one last glare, she turned on her heel and stormed out the door.

  Simon wanted to run after her, but he knew it was pointless. Hunter inclined his head to indicate that he had someone outside by now, ready to follow her and make sure she was safe.

  “Son, you have some work ahead of you.”

  Startled, he looked at Tobias. He’d been so caught up in having his heart ripped from his chest, he’d forgotten the other men were there.

  “Work?”

  All three nodded.

  “On the case?”

  They gave him pitying looks.

  His gaze went to the door and he sighed and shook his head.

  “No point. That particular case is clearly closed.”

  Caleb looked smug. Hunter’s face was impassive, as usual, but there was a hint of sympathy in his eyes. And Tobias? He was grinning. Why? Some instinct told him that Simon’s main objective had been to bust him, and this was his revenge?