Hard to Handle (23 page)

Sam was silent, driving and thinking for a few moments. “You think he was talking about Lyle Gordon, the mayor of Baltimore.”

“Absolutely,” she declared passionately. “Who else is a city official in a high place and untouchable?”

“He could have meant a businessman.”

“But think about it. Didn't you say that Fortis had identified the bribes from two small companies? So the only unknown was the last one. So why would Mark specifically mention city officials unless it was for the one you couldn't confirm? And the other two were hardly in high positions, right?”

Sam thought quietly again. She made a lot a sense, but something about the information just seemed inconsistent with the facts they had already confirmed.

“So, are you thinking the message from Battleford was unrelated? Or was he working for the mayor?” he asked.

“I don't know. It could be either, really. But if Jason told Mark that it was someone high up at city hall, that's what my dad found out. And that would have been the knowledge that got him into this mess,” she concluded. “Does it really matter if Battleford was involved or not?”

“Kaylee, the facts always matter, especially when they are inconvenient.”

She looked away, and Sam could feel her frustration at him, as though he were holding her back from finally discovering the truth. And he understood exactly why she would feel that way. But he had promised to keep her safe, and that was what he had to do at all costs.

“Look, the FBI is still talking to Fleming. Why don't we see what comes of it over the next few days before we draw any conclusions?”

Kaylee sighed and rested her head back in the car seat. “Okay.”

They drove the rest of the way in silence until they were going through D.C.

“Are you still going to your parents' house for the evening?” he asked.

“Yes, if that's okay,” she replied, looking out the passenger-side window. “Only my dad is home, but Junior said he'll stop by later.”

“No problem. We should be there just after four o'clock.”

She nodded, and went back to thinking. Soon, she was directing him through a very upscale neighborhood, though Sam was already familiar with the streets, since Evan's family home was not far from hers. Both were equally massive and elaborate in design. He pulled his Jaguar into the circular driveway.

“Can you stay?” Kaylee asked before they got out of the car. “You don't have to. It will probably be awkward. But you can if you want to.”

Those smudges were back under her eyes.

“Sure, I can stay.”

CHAPTER 23

Ida opened the door as soon as Kaylee rang the doorbell. It didn't seem appropriate to use her key when she didn't live there anymore.

“Ms. Mikayla, so good to see you!” the older woman exclaimed, pulling Kaylee into a hug.

“Hi, Ida. You too. This is a friend of mine, Samuel Mackenzie,” she said as they broke apart, and the three of them walked farther into the house.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Mackenzie,” Ida replied politely.

“It's Sam, please. Nice to meet you also.”

“Where's Dad?” Kaylee asked. The house was eerily quiet and they continued past the front rooms through to the kitchen at the back of the house.

“Last I saw, he was in his study watching the news,” Ida replied. “Can I bring you both anything to eat or drink?”

“No, we're fine, thank you.”

Kaylee continued on with Sam silently beside her until they reached the study. She knocked. There was a muffled response so she opened the door, only to find her fifty-one-year-old father with his pants around his ankles and his naked butt squeezed as he worked on the woman bent over the desk in front of him. Sam had the fastest response, gripping Kaylee's arm and pulling her back. It took a couple of seconds for her to grasp what she was seeing, and it was impossible to hold in her scream.

“Dad!”

George Clement whipped his head around in surprise, as did the woman bent over the desk equally as bare assed. She just happened to be Kaylee's mom. There was more screaming, before Sam finally pulled Kaylee away and firmly shut the door. He kept a hold on her arm until they reached the kitchen and he settled her down into one of the counter stools like a child.

“Breathe,” he encouraged, rubbing his hands up and down her arms. “Just breathe.”

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,” she panted, now waving her hands in front of her. “I can't stop seeing it. Ewww, ewww, ewww!”

She felt his laughter before the boom sound came out of his chest. Then Kaylee watched as Sam doubled over uncontrollably. She thought back to the image of her parents, who were always so polished and proper, going at it like kids. Even well into his cups, and yelling about something at the slightest provocation, George Clement was more dignified than most men. So to see him with his pants dropped in the middle of the day . . .

Kaylee snorted; then it turned into a giggle as she covered her face with burning embarrassment. Sam was still laughing uncontrollably. She would look up and scrub at her eyes, and he would look at her and double over again. After a few tries, he managed to speak.

“That's not what I expected when you said your dad was not doing well. He looked pretty good to me.”

Then they both realized what he'd said and started laughing hysterically again. Kaylee's stomach started to hurt, and tears were now trickling down her cheeks.

“Please stop,” she begged.

“That's not what she said.”

Kaylee hit him; then they were out of control all over again.

“Blimey, Kaylee, I hope that was your maw.”

She grinned up at him, then put her head down on the counter and covered it with her hands. “We have to go,” she mumbled.

“What?”

“We have to go,” she repeated louder. “I don't want to see them. What would I say? Oh god, this is horrible.”

“Don't be daft. It will be fine.”

Kaylee sat up and studied his relaxed expression. He sounded so cute when he reverted to funny-sounding Scottish words, though almost all seemed to be insults. She was pretty sure “daft” meant stupid.

“Too late anyway. Here they come.”

She bowed her head in defeat and turned toward her parents as they walked into the kitchen. They looked comfortable and relaxed now that they were fully clothed, though her mom's hair wasn't quite as neat as usual.

“Hi, sweetheart. We had expected you a little later,” Elaine said without any sign of embarrassment.

Kaylee hopped off the stool and gave her mom a dutiful hug.

“Hi, Mom. I didn't mean to barge in like that.”

“Just forget about it,” Elaine suggested, and Kaylee really hoped that she could. The sparkle in Sam's eyes suggested he might not let her anytime soon.

“Hi, Dad,” Kaylee said, then hesitated before giving him a hug also. He held on for a little longer than she'd anticipated, then rubbed her back. She blinked back the tears that swelled up.

“Hi, baby. It's good to see you.”

“And who is this, Mikayla?” At her mother's prompting, they all turned to face Sam.

“Mr. Clement, I'm Samuel Mackenzie with Fortis. We met a few years ago.”

“Yes, of course,” her dad replied in a booming voice. “Evan's partner.”

“That's right. And Mrs. Clement, it's a pleasure to meet you.”

Noting the questioning look on her parents' faces, Kaylee added more of an explanation. “Sam and I were out together this afternoon, and he offered to give me a ride here.”

“Any friend of Evan's is a friend of ours,” her mom replied, though her eyes still sparkled with speculation.

And that started a very enjoyable evening. As promised, Junior showed up at around six o'clock for dinner, and they ate together in the dining room. Afterward, they moved outside to relax and enjoy the beautiful weather by the pool. Kaylee watched her parents interact, and was confused by how connected they seemed. There had been several times in the last year where her mom had seemed at the end of her rope dealing with her dad, so their current interaction was an unexpected relief. George still drank a few glasses of scotch, and wasn't quite sober by the end of the night. There was some quiet brooding, but no dramatic moodiness or outburst.

“I like your Sam,” her mom said later as things were winding down.

“He's not really mine,” Kaylee protested, looking over at the topic of their gossip. He was talking with her dad and brother, then looked back at her and grinned.

“Sure, he is,” Elaine said knowingly.

“Mom, how are things with Dad? And I don't mean what I saw earlier!” Kaylee quickly protested slapping a hand over her forehead. “Oh god!”

“Don't be silly, sweetheart. You're a grown woman so you have to understand these things.”

“What does that mean, Mom? I know Dad hasn't been himself for a long time.”

“Oh, he has his moments. Yes, he's not the same as he was for most of our marriage, but sometimes that happens. I'm just learning to take advantage of things when it's good.”

“Is he still drinking too much?” Kaylee asked.

“Yes, I won't deny that. But until he wants to do something about it, I can't help him. And neither can you or Junior,” her mom explained. “I know that's hard to hear, but that's the truth, Mikayla. The sooner you learn that, the less stress you'll have in your life.”

Kaylee bit at her lip.

“Is he still angry with me for moving away?”

“Not angry. More disappointed and overly protective. But he'll get over it, okay? He has to. You can't live with us forever, afraid to upset your father.”

Kaylee leaned into her mom, and the two women shared a loose embrace for a few moments.

They left her parents' house at almost ten o'clock and drove back to Sam's secluded cottage. Niko was waiting patiently for his walk so they quickly took him around the block. In the bedroom, they quietly got naked before Sam picked her up high under the bum and lay her back at the edge of the bed as he stroked deep. There were no preliminaries, no words, and only one position.

Friday morning, Sam woke her up early for a run. They went four miles at a steady pace. She came back a sweaty, gasping mess, and he looked like he had gone to get the mail. They ate toast and coffee in his small but modern kitchen. Kaylee's mind was off concocting plots when he interrupted by clearing his throat.

“I have a confession.”

She sipped her coffee and looked back at him. Her confessions lately had been pretty massive, so it seemed fair that he could have one or two of his own. She held her breath and waited.

“I lied to you about taking you and Antonoli as a client.”

Her brows furrowed with puzzlement.

“What do you mean?”

“It means I'm not actually working for you. Like, there is no official assignment here.”

Kaylee smiled, shaking her head and feeling a little like
Alice in Wonderland
.

“Okay, you're going to have to explain that one to me. I've just seen you and a bunch of your employees put in a lot of hours in the last two weeks. So how is that not working for me?”

“I'm on vacation,” he added as though that would somehow make it clearer.

“What?” she said, laughing. “You really have to find something fun to do in your downtime.”

“Funny. That's what Renee said.” Then he cleared his throat. “You won't be billed for the work because I did it on my own time.”

“You mean you're literally on vacation. Right now?” He nodded, looking a little sheepish. “Why? Because we're sleeping together? Is that some kind of violation to the company code of conduct?”

Sam sat back in his chair.

“I've never read the company code, to be honest. And that would have been a good reason. But I wasn't charging you from the beginning.”

“Why?” Kaylee asked. She wasn't mad, just perplexed.

“You wanted complete confidentiality or you would get someone else, and I couldn't do that. So I pretended to agree to your terms like you were the client. But that was just so I could help you without argument.”

“Hmmm, clever,” she mumbled and sipped at her coffee.

“I don't lie to my partners, Kaylee. Not intentionally. And one secret was enough to last a lifetime.”

“I get it, Sam. I insulted your integrity,” she said quietly. “Why did you help me then, on your vacation?”

“Don't ask me that. You knew I couldn't walk away from you even if I tried,” he said in a heated voice. “That's why you came to me in the first place, Kaylee. I just wasn't going to do it under your terms.”

Kaylee had known they had unresolved things between them. How could they not, after everything that had happened? But it didn't make it any easier to face them, knowing they were her doing.

“I don't know what to say. Thank you seemed inadequate.”

He looked away. “You don't need to thank me, lass.”

“Can I at least cover the cost of the team and the equipment? The expenses you've incurred?” she suggested, starting to feel really guilty about the trouble she had caused. “Please? It wasn't my intent to put your people at risk, impact your business or take advantage of our . . . relationship.”

“The team is always well compensated so the matter is settled,” he said, chopping his hand through the air.

“So why are you telling me?”

“Well, I could hardly hide it from you once a bill is due, now could I? And I want you to understand that I have not been following your direction through this situation. I've been directing it. I will continue to do so.”

She looked at him, trying to figure out what he was saying. Finally he looked back with his sky-blue eyes sharp and direct.

“You want to go after the mayor, Kaylee. And I won't let you do it alone. So if we do, it's with a plan that I approve.”

They studied each other for a bit until Sam raised an eyebrow and Kaylee sighed.

“Fine. But I won't sit on the sidelines, Sam. I won't be tucked away while you and your band of warriors go to battle.”

“Why would I do that? I might need your ninja skills.”

Kaylee couldn't resist a small exasperated smile.

“Now, today is my last official day of vacation and I've been told I need to do something fun. So let's go find something.”

They went golfing, something they both loved and hadn't done in years. Sam had a set of clubs that he'd brought over from the U.K., and they made a quick stop at her parents' house to get hers out of storage. The country club her family belonged to was booked weeks in advance so after some research, they found a small nine-hole course outside the city. While the round started out casual and fun, it quickly became competitive. He was good. Powerful and accurate, but Kaylee was better. It turned out that Samuel Mackenzie was a big, bad-ass motherfucker, except when he was losing to a girl. Then he was just grumpy, volatile, and downright emotional. Kaylee hadn't had so much fun in years.

Afterward, they returned to his place to shower, then walked to a nearby pub that Sam often frequented.

“We can't go at him with threats,” Kaylee determined, talking about how to shut down the mayor's involvement in widespread corruption in Baltimore. “He's too connected with many unsavory people who want to keep him in power. It has to be more surgical and controlled.”

“Like, go after what matters to him most?”

“Exactly. What would matter to a politician who's been in power for over seven years? Something more important than money?”

“More power? His health? Family?”

“Hmmm, maybe,” Kaylee pondered. “I have a friend who still works in his offices. I haven't spoken to her in a few years, but she might have some insights into what he's like personally, besides what's in the papers. But there has to be something we can use to apply pressure.”

“You mean, like coercion?” he asked with a straight face. “I'm starting to see that you would make a brilliant criminal mastermind.”

“Hmmm. Maybe that will be my next career move.”