Liabilities (14 page)

The cadence of his voice stopped me mid step. “Bailey.”

I looked up into those forest green eyes of his. My eyes trailed down the tunic he wore. It was cream and not tied at the neck giving a glimpse to that hard muscled chest of his. I didn’t stop there. My vision filled with the brown trousers that laced up the front where that delicious cock of his lay hidden. My mouth went dry, but I spoke anyway. “Kalen…or should I call you Jeremy?”

We stood miles apart though it was mere feet. My body having no loyalty to Turner was priming itself for the man that was before me. It was always like that with us. No other man created that kind of response. I finally understood what chemistry meant. And we had the sexual kind. Was that all we had?

“Kalen. My friends and the people who know me best call me that.”

I didn’t waste time. “Why are you here?”

With his fingers, he combed through his hair. “Look, I’d planned to give you your space. I owed you that and more. I fought the urge to find you after I made several unanswered calls to your cell and then to your apartment.”

My stomach twisted. He had given me up. “And that heiress?”

His jaws muscles worked, and I thought he swallowed. In no way did he look comfortable with this situation or our conversation. “You called… You said we were done. And what about him?”

The
him
didn’t need to be given a name. We both knew he meant Turner.

I looked away. “He’s a friend.”

He laughed without humor. “We both know he’s more than a friend.”

“Fiancé,” I blurted without so much background that was needed.

His eyes narrowed. “You said you didn’t have a fiancé.”

“I don’t. I mean I didn’t. He was before I went to college. I left him.”

“And now you’re back,” he offered.

“It’s not what you think. I didn’t come here for him.”

I wanted to squirm under his stare.

“But he is here. That was the reason behind your call wasn’t it?”

 “No… Yes… I don’t know.” I ruminated.

“What do you know, lass?”

“I know you aren’t supposed to be here. Remember. You sent me away. Your lawyers said we couldn’t be together. So why are you here?”

His hand went back into his hair. Clearly he was frustrated. He turned to the side, as if he wanted to pace. We weren’t in a clearing so it made it difficult to do that.

“I was heading out on vacation when I get this call from my lawyer.”

Brows knit, I said, “Vacation. Don’t you have an empire to run?”

His body shifted and his focus again fell on me. I remembered how intense he could make me feel by giving me his full attention.

“This thing you found with the monthly dollar or so transactions,” he said. “It was just the beginning. It appears this started a while ago, like a test or something. Once whoever did this believed they could get away with it, they went bigger.”

I sucked in a breath waiting for his next words.

“The auditors have found approved invoices payments and wires to dummy companies.”

“What?”

“Yes. Companies that only exist on the paper the invoice is printed on. This goes back a couple of years.”

“Oh my god,” I said and shook my head. “So why are you on vacation?”

“To clear my name.”

Stunned, my mouth gaped. “Why would they suspect you? Your company is wholly owned by you and not publically traded.”

“This wasn’t my company until my father died this year. Some of the authorities have questioned my motivations suggesting I did this as a way to steal from my father.”

“But you didn’t do it.”

“I know it. You believe it. And thanks for that. Now I have to prove it,” he said pensively.

“They’ll learn the truth.”

“They will. And hiring two different accounting firms, one to handle the audit, and one for overseeing future cash transactions, will further show my cooperation. If I’m not at the helm, then I further remove myself from suspicion.”

“So my firm isn’t handling the audit anymore.”

He shook his head. “It was better to bring in someone totally new for both engagements.”

I understood the need for independence. An auditing firm needed to show they had nothing to gain in order to certify that financial statements were in order according to government standards. I also knew that a firm handling an audit couldn’t also be consultants like temporaries in a company. It would be conflicting objectives.

“That still doesn’t explain why you’re here.”

“Like I said, I got a call from my lawyer.”

I didn’t want to hurry him along, but we’d yet to get to the point. “And?”

“And, he called to tell me that your apartment had been broken into.”

As much as I wanted to keep distance between us because my brain was cloudy enough with him five feet away, I couldn’t, because that was Lizzy’s place. Stepping closer to him, I nearly touched his chest when I reached out and said in a panicked voice, “Lizzy.”

He took my hand. It was like plugging something into an electric socket. My body became alive. A shiver of Goosebumps trailed up my arm and shivers ran though me.

With our fingers entwined, he said, “She’s fine. She’s still in Chicago.”

“That’s good.” My mini freak-out was displaced. I talked to her yesterday. It was just that I couldn’t be sure if when this break-in happened and if she’d gone home after our chat. We hadn’t discussed her travel plans.

“It’s fine. I have a cleaning crew and a security firm getting everything fixed up.”

My first thought had been Lizzy. I didn’t think about damage. “What did they do?”

“I think the first problem is that they got in.”

“You got in those nights,” I said, pulling my hand free.

He frowned. “What do you mean? Lizzy let me in most of those nights. Her brother the others.”

“Mike.” My eyes widened, neither of them had told me.

He nodded. “The problem with the break-in is that your building has a doorman. The only other entrance is a well-lit back door that has a hidden security camera. And there are more cameras throughout the building on each floor. This guy… or girl had to know about them. On top of the fact that there is a small segment of missing footage, we never see this person enter or exit the building. We don’t think this person is working alone.”

I took a step back, not wanting to believe that I was still a target. “Why would they come after me? The damage is done. Harming me won’t stop them from getting caught.”

Moving forward and cupping my cheek, he said “I know.” Then he pulled me in close wrapping his arms around me. He smelled woodsy and like pine. I drank him in. I knew he had more to say that I wouldn’t like. It was easy to see the ugly truth of why he was here.

“Tell me,” I said, my need and my fear warring within me.

“Whoever it was spray painted
Die Bitch
on your wall.”

“This is personal,” I absently muttered, letting him hold me up because I felt weak.

“It looks that way.”

A crazy thought crept in my head. “How did they know which room was mine?”

Drawers were opened on your desk. I think they confirmed it by a piece of mail in your desk according to the reports. Lizzy’s room appeared untouched as was the living and kitchen areas. Your room was destroyed, including your closet.”

I felt the first of my tears. Stepping back from him, I said “They’re just things. They don’t matter.” I wiped at the stupid leakage from my eyes and was grateful I’d brought not only my laptop but my company’s issued one as well. I was certain I wouldn’t have a job to go back to. And I didn’t want to spend what funds I had saved up to replace their equipment. Currently, both were locked in my car hopefully not suffering ill effects for being locked in a sometimes hot trunk.

“You came all the way here to tell me that,” I said, shooting the messenger with all the venom I had for this psycho person or persons.

“I think you know why I came.” His voice was blunt but his eyes were soft.

“I’m in danger. Why aren’t the cops here?”

“They’re looking for you. And I don’t think you want the Feds descending on your family compound. I’m sure you want this place to remain a secret.”

It was true. But how did he know that. Suspiciously, I asked “How did you find me?”

“Before I became suspect number one, we were given most of what law enforcement and your audit firm found in summary for the most part. Your background was part of that information.”

“They ran a background check on me?” I asked, shaking with exasperation.

He shrugged. “They had your application. Where you went to school is on there.”

“So why aren’t they here?”

“I’m sure the Feds are aware of your community. I’m also certain they probably already have a file on this place. They’ll assume you left with the intensions of never returning.  However, I have no doubt at some point they will come sniffing around here, which is why it’s important for you to leave.”

“Leave?” It wasn’t like I didn’t know that I would need to. It was more of a when statement.

“The sooner the better.”

“I can’t just leave.” I shook my head and began to pace the tiny area between trees.

He stared at me like I was from Mars. “Him?”

We were trading one word questions. It was getting ridiculous. Or maybe it was just the situation. “Not just
him,
my sister, my family. I can’t just leave. I need a couple of days.”

I expected him to rant or rage and demand I leave. His words however were reasonable. “You are putting everyone at risk. If I figured it out, the feds and this psycho will too.”

“Isn’t there something we can do? I need a day at least. My sister is in a bit of a mess. I can’t just leave her.”

“She can come with us.” He offered it like it was a simple solution.

For the first time since he dropped that bomb on me, I truly felt a smile.  

“Really?” I asked unsure if I heard him correctly.

“Yes. And he can come too if it will let you leave this place sooner,” he said with truth of his words plainly written on his face.

Dumbstruck, I just stared at him. 

“I told you I loved you and I meant it. I’ve never said those words before. As much as I want to kill him, I want you safe and happy even if it’s with him.”

My world spun on its axis leaving me feeling dizzy and more confused than ever. “How can you love me?” My question came out in feeble words.

The pad of his thumb traced my lips. “You want me to count the ways.” It took more than gravity to stop my lift off onto my toes and pressing my mouth to his, somehow I managed.

“No,” I recanted. “Don’t tell me.” I didn’t think I could handle that truth right now. There were more important things I needed to set in motion. “I need to go and convince my sister to leave with me. What will we do to divert anyone from thinking I’m here?”

He seemed relieved that I was going to take his advice and not put up a fight. “I have an idea. I’ll make a call.”

“How? We don’t have any cell towers here. There isn’t any reception here.”

“I came prepared.” He pointed to a satchel lying at the foot of a tree. “I have a satellite phone.”

“Wow,” I marveled.

“We aren’t done here, lass. There is still more I need to say before we’re not alone.”

“Okay, tonight after dinner. I’ll find you.”

He took my hand before I could leave. “You have one day maybe two tops. This ruse I’m going to create isn’t going to hold up long.”

And he let go. My feet scraped the ground as I fled the scene. I kept looking back and fought against the urge to jump him, kiss him, make love to him or fuck him. It didn’t matter. My need was palpable as shown by the wetness between my legs. A cold shower was in order and headed for the sanctuary of my childhood home.

The dawn had bloomed with a gray that blanketed the sky. Birds called their song above, and I longed for their freedom. As much as I loved my family, my home, I knew I didn’t belong here. Kalen’s showing up only reminding me what I’d left. I missed Lizzy with a fierceness, and thought I just might ask Kalen to borrow his Sat phone to make sure she was okay even though she was in Chicago.

My father stepped out on the front porch just as I walked onto the worn path to the door.

“Bailey,” he said looking up at me. His gray eyes matched the pallor of the day. In them I saw that he knew just who Kalen was.

“Dad.” It wasn’t a term I’d often used but it slipped out. He opened his arms and I folded myself into him.

“That young man is really worried about you.”

I nodded while he held me.  He’d done this on rare occasions when I was young. What I feared was he’d tell me that the threat was too great, and that I should leave for the greater good of the community.

“I know, and I’ll be out of your hair soon. I just need to take care of a few things.”