by HELEN HARDT
After the hunt—I could say it now —I was a mess. I turned to drugs, and after I struck a deal with Derek Wolfe to pay off my rehab bills and finance a new start, I still wasn’t interested in men. I was clean, I had a good job that kept me in great physical shape, and I didn’t have to worry about anyone except myself.
It wasn’t exactly heaven, but it was good. As good as I figured things would ever get for me.
Then Reid Wolfe catapulted into my life, asking me to be his date for his family’s double wedding in Las Vegas.
And feelings I never thought I was capable of surfaced.
Raw feelings. Raw yet pure in the most devastatingly wonderful way.
The Wolfe of Manhattan wasn’t in love with me, and I could live with that. I’d been around the block enough to know I wasn’t in love with him either. I could easily mistake the pure emotion I felt for love, but I was skeptical. I’d been beaten down more than most, and I didn’t believe in love at first sight, or even love at first feeling.
Just didn’t happen.
Still, today had been the most amazing day of my life so far, and it had only just begun.
Reid cupped my cheek. “I can’t lie to you, Zee. It was pretty damned amazing for me too.”
A soft sigh escaped my throat. Reid was the Wolfe of Manhattan. He’d probably uttered those same words to dozens of women. Make that hundreds.
But I chose to believe them. This wouldn’t last forever, so I’d take what I was given.
This had been special for him. I’d take him at his word.
“Are you hungry?” he asked. “I can have the chef make you some breakfast.”
Chef. He had his own chef. Wow. “I could eat. What do you like for breakfast?”
“The breakfast will be for you,” he said. “I have a meeting to get to.”
“Oh.” The disappointment was apparent in my voice, but Reid didn’t seem to notice.
“So what will it be? Eggs and bacon? Pancakes?”
Pancakes sounded good. Sort of. I’d just burned a lot of energy, but my appetite had waned in the few seconds after Reid told me he wouldn’t be joining me.
“Zee?”
I bit my lower lip. “Coffee. Black. And a few pancakes would be nice. Thank you.”
“I’ll get it ordered.” He grabbed a towel and rubbed it over his short hair. When he hung the towel back up, his hair was spiky and nearly dry.
“So”—I cleared my throat—“when will I meet with your detective?”
“He’s not my detective,” Reid scoffed.
“I didn’t mean—”
“I’m sorry,” he said kindly. “I didn’t mean to get short with you. It’s just that this guy has been the bane of my existence since the murder. He’s gunning to get one of us to go down for it.”
“You don’t think…”
“Think what?”
“That he’ll try to pin it on me?” My voice came out like a squeak.
Reid touched my shoulder. His hand was warm. “I don’t. I’ve discussed that with my brothers and sister. Your show was dark the night of the murder, but we can easily prove you weren’t anywhere near New York. Flight logs will show you weren’t on a plane, and it would take days to take the train or drive. Plus, you don’t have the kind of money or connections to have it done.”
I knew all this, but his words flew at me and pricked me as if they were little shards of metal. His voice seemed so distant and cold, in contrast with his hand so hot on my flesh.
“I suppose you’re right,” I said.
“Trust me. I’ve been through this with my lawyers ad nauseum. You won’t be charged. I guarantee it.”
“How can you guarantee it?”
“I just can. You may have a motive, but you’ve had that motive for ten years, Zee. Why now? And you weren’t even in the state of New York.”
His words still pricked me like talons, but he made a lot of sense.
“So when, then?”
“When what?”
“When will I meet with him? The detective?”
“Oh, right.” Reid squirted a tiny amount of gel into his palm and then whisked it through his hair. “Sometime today, I imagine. I have to go in for more questioning as well.”
“Will you be with me when I’m questioned?”
“You’re not being questioned, Zee. You’ll simply make a statement.”
“But after that, they’ll question me, I assume.”
“Not if I have anything to say about it.” He touched my cheek lightly.
His words no longer pricked me like tiny nails. He was sweet Reid again.
“Okay.” I attempted a smile.
He let his towel drop to the floor. I kept my eyes from widening. I’d already seen all of him, but he was still magnificent every time. Tan and muscled and spectacular.
“I’m going to call in your breakfast and then get dressed. I’m already running late.”
Okay. Back to distant Reid.
But was this truly distant Reid?
Perhaps this was businessman Reid. Billionaire businessman Reid. A billion-dollar empire didn’t run itself, and Reid had been his father’s right-hand man.
God, his father…
I’d learned to compartmentalize over the years. Some days I was more successful than others.
Right now, though, my mind didn’t really know which way to go. I was here with the son of my tormentor. I’d just slept with him, and now I had to tell the story of what his father had done to me.
So it was pretty difficult to compartmentalize, especially when I was in love with his son.
Except I wasn’t in love. I’d already been through that in my head. It was simply emotion spurred by physical reaction.
It had to be. No other explanation made any sense.
I unwrapped my towel, hung it over the shower door, and donned one of the lush white robes, my hair still bound in the turban. I left the bathroom and found Reid already in boxer briefs and black dress socks. Not really a good look on a man but he pulled it off astoundingly well.
“Food’s on the way. I figured you’d be more comfortable eating in here.” He opened his closet door.
I gasped.
This wasn’t a walk-in closet, it was another bedroom. Suits hung, separated by color. Then shirts, again by color. Five different racks of ties. And…
I couldn’t hold back a gasp.
One wall was all shoes.
I never imagined a man could own so many shoes. No wonder he sent me shoes. They were obviously his thing.
He chose quickly and dressed with similar speed. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Within minutes, he was ready to grace the cover of GQ.
Then a knock on the door. He opened it, not seeming to worry that I stood right within eyeshot in a robe.
“Breakfast, Mr. Wolfe.”
“Thanks, Lydia.” He took the plate and carafe of coffee.
“Better than room service,” I said.
“I have a great staff.” He set the items on the small table by the window. “It’s all yours.”
“What should I do with the dishes?”
“Leave them. Lydia will clear them when she does the room.”
This was better service than the poshest of hotels. Not that I’d know, of course.
“I’ll be in touch when I know more about when you’ll be giving your report. In the meantime, make yourself at home.” He adjusted his tie.
“But when—”
He brushed his lips over mine quickly. “Sorry. I’m already late. I’ll let you know as soon as I know anything.” Then he left his bedroom, closing the door behind him.
I plunked down in the chair where my breakfast waited on the table before me.
And I wasn’t hungry at all.
30
Reid
My elevator took me straight to the private entrance to Wolfe Enterprises. I checked my watch once more. Ten minutes late. Ten minutes.
I was never late.
I ope
ned the door to our private conference room.
“So he joins us,” Rock said.
“Sorry.”
“Never thought I’d see the day. You’re usually all over my ass for being late.”
“Sorry,” I said again.
Terrence slid a cup of steaming black coffee in front of me.
“Thanks,” I murmured.
“Morgan is due here in less than an hour,” Rock continued. “So let’s get our ducks in a row.”
“Zee is ready,” I said. “She’s just waiting for me to tell her when and where to be.”
“Good.”
Lacey swept into the room with Charlie behind her. “Sorry!” Then she looked around. “I guess we’re not the only ones.”
“The others don’t work here or live here,” I said.
“You’re the one making excuses?” Rock lifted his eyebrows. “Am I in the right universe today?”
Lacey swatted his arm as she took the seat next to him. “How’s Zee doing, Reid?”
I cleared my throat. Oh, she’s great. I gave her a good hard fucking. “She’s good. Ready to talk. I’ve told her I don’t believe she’ll be considered a suspect.”
“It’s unlikely,” Lacey said, “but I honestly don’t know. Somehow I’m a suspect and I have no motive at all.”
“We’re going to take care of that, babe,” Rock said soothingly.
Lacey was scared, though. She tried to hide it behind her lawyerly demeanor and a slight bit of humor, but I knew.
And so did Rock.
“I’m texting Roy,” Charlie said. “I don’t know what’s keeping him and Riley.”
“Riley’s still in her honeymoon phase,” Lacey said.
“I got married the same day she did,” Charlie countered.
“Yeah, but you and Roy were together longer.”
“About a week longer.” Charlie laughed.
I had to hand it to all of them. They were taking this better than I was. Rock and Riley both had more of a motive than I did, but they didn’t seem as concerned.
Rock had a decent alibi, of course.
But Riley?
No way would my little sister go down for this. No way would any of us go down for it.
Not on my watch.
“We need to take this seriously,” I said.
“We are,” Rock said. “But a little humor never hurt anyone.”
Lacey cleared her throat. “Actually, Reid is right. Things are coming to a head, so we have to be ready.”
“Turns out I was in the office the day that phone call was made to your landline, Rock,” I said. “I doubled checked everything against my calendar. I hope you believe me when I tell you I didn’t make that call.”
“I do believe you,” my brother affirmed. “But now we need to find out who did.”
“Dad was still alive,” I said. “My bet’s on him. All of our voices are similar enough that he could have made the call to you with enough confidence that you’d believe it was me.”
Rock nodded. “And then when Nieves intercepted the call, she just assumed it was you, never having heard your voice.”
“Right.” I inhaled deeply. “Which means we’ll never know why he made the call, since he’s not here to tell us.”
Rock sighed. “Which also means none of this helps at all.”
“We do know one thing, though,” Lacey said. “We know your father knew a hit was out on him. Or he wanted you to think there was a hit.”
“I’m still not ruling out that he orchestrated the whole thing,” I said. “It’s off brand for a megalomaniac, but I swear, I get a niggling at the back of my neck every time I consider it. I’ve learned never to ignore that feeling.”
“I hear you, brother,” Rock said. “The news from your men who searched St. Andrew’s should be in sometime today.”
“Did they search Father Jim’s living quarters too?” Charlie asked.
“Yep. All of it.” I took a drink of coffee. “They’re the best. No one will know they were ever there.”
“Where was Father Jim? And the staff?”
“They took care of it,” I said. “I’ve learned not to ask those kinds of questions.”
“Just out of curiosity,” Lacey said, “are these people who worked with your father?”
I shook my head. “No way. I hired all new people. I don’t trust anyone who worked with him.”
“Good call,” Rock said.
“We’re paying through the nose,” I went on, “but we can afford it.”
Roy rushed into the conference room. “Sorry!”
“Why are you so late?” his wife inquired.
“I got a phone call right as I was leaving,” he said. “A gallery got an offer on one of my older pieces. I felt I should consider it.”
“When all our lives are at stake?” I asked.
“Easy,” Rock said.
“Fuck easy. This is important!” I had to physically stop myself from pounding on the table.
“Reid,” Roy said, “I understand, and I’m sorry I’m late. What’s gotten into you? Until now, you’ve been… I don’t know. Cool and collected. Pretty business-like.”
He was right. I had been. I hadn’t worried too much about all of us being implicated because I knew damned well none of us had done this.
Now?
The game had changed.
Zee was involved.
Zee.
And I vowed to protect her just as I vowed to protect the rest of my family.
One way or the other, I’d get us out of this, but I needed all of their cooperation.
Riley shuffled in, finally, and my anger softened a bit. What she’d gone through at that monster’s hands…
What Zee had gone through…
Fuck.
“All right,” Rock said. “So are we going on the assumption that Dad made the call to me pretending to be Reid? Or do we investigate further?”
“I’ve got one of my men investigating on the inside,” I said. “Someone I trust. I hired him myself a few years ago.”
“Are you sure he was never tainted by Dad?” Rock asked.
“I’m sure. Besides, we’re in charge now. What good would any loyalty to Dad do him?”
“Fair point.” Rock nodded.
“So yeah, I’m investigating, but I’m still pretty convinced Dad made the call himself.”
“Good enough.” Rock glanced down at his notes. “Nieves Romero. She still hasn’t answered my calls, so I’m going to have someone in Montana go in.”
“Who?” I asked.
“Just someone I know who can get things done quickly. He’ll scare her into telling the truth.”
Riley’s lips trembled. “I don’t want anyone else to be hurt.”
“He won’t hurt her,” Rock said. “Just scare her a little. Look, sis, either we go down or someone else does. I’m all for it being the guilty party.”
Riley nodded. “You’re right.”
“I’m with you too,” I said to Rock. “That little bitch got her hands in this because she thought she and her sister could make a buck. Maybe they did. I don’t rightly give a shit. But if she knows something, she has to come clean. All our lives depend on it.”
Charlie’s phone buzzed on the table. She glanced down. “Great news. Detective Morgan has arrived.”
“I suppose we should be grateful he’s not dragging us all down to the station,” Lacey said.
“Are you kidding?” Rock guffawed sarcastically. “Free donuts here. Bagels too.”
“Christ.” I raked my hands through my hair.
Charlie stood. “I’ll go get him. I doubt he’ll go for questioning us together in here, but we can hope.”
“He’ll never do that,” Lacey said. “He can’t risk us communicating with each other in nonverbal ways.”
“No, he won’t,” I agreed. “But I will be in the room when he talks to Zee.”
“Zee isn’t a suspect—not yet, anyway—so he shouldn’t have an iss
ue.”
“As soon as he hears her story, though…” Riley bit her lip nervously.
Lacey shook her head. “We’ve already gotten the flight logs. She performed the day before and the day after the murder. If she wasn’t on any flight, she couldn’t have done it.”
Although this wasn’t surprising news, a cement block seemed to float off my shoulders.
Zee was safe.
She wouldn’t be arrested or even implicated.
Thank God.
But fuck.
I cared way more than I thought I did.
I knew I cared, but now?
I was in love.
Fucking in love with a woman whose life my father had tried to destroy.
God help me.
31
Zee
I felt…useless.
I wanted to do something. Something to help Reid. Something more than just tell the story of what I’d been through long ago at his father’s hands.
The priest’s hands.
There were others there too, but I didn’t recall any of them chasing me. Were they chasing others? I tried to remember, but I couldn’t. I’d been focused only on one thing.
Survival.
Funny, how the mind works. The instinct for survival is greater than anyone can imagine. I didn’t know how strong it was…
Until I’d had to face it.
I’d been ready to do anything—absolutely anything—to prolong my life for one more second.
If I’d had a weapon, I’d have used it. I’d have maimed or killed to save my own life.
I’d have spread my legs and let the two of them rape me.
But they weren’t interested in rape. Only in the hunt.
The hunt to kill.
Strange that I hadn’t thought about it in so long. After rehab, I’d gotten therapy and trained myself to compartmentalize.
I’d done pretty well until now.
Now, when my feelings for Reid Wolfe brought it all together in my mind. He was Derek Wolfe’s son, which blew the compartmentalizing thing into outer space.
It just wasn’t possible anymore.
Yet I couldn’t bring myself to feel too sad about that. I wouldn’t trade my time with Reid for anything. It was so special, and I wanted it to last as long as it could, which wouldn’t be long.