Night After Night (14 page)

As she drove forward, she heard the loud, high-pitched sound of a motorcycle and glanced in her rearview mirror just in time to see a red and black low-profile bike zoom through the small opening seconds before the gate slid shut.

The motorcycle followed her into the parking garage and all the way up to the third level. She parked her vehicle in her designated spot while noticing that the motorcycle had stopped closer to the stairwell. Putting the other person out of her mind, she gathered her purse and laptop case and got out of her car, then headed toward the bank of elevators.

That’s when she realized that the man who’d been on the motorcycle was now striding purposefully toward
her.
He was still wearing his helmet, and the tinted face shield kept his identity concealed from her view and kicked her unease up a few notches. She glanced around, but there wasn’t anyone else in the parking structure, and she slowed her steps as he continued his determined approach.

She was beginning to feel stalked and trapped, since there was no getting to the elevators unless she walked around the guy, and something was screaming inside of her to run in the opposite direction. A rush of adrenaline spilled through her veins, bringing on a surge of panic she heeded.

Trusting her instincts, she turned and ran back toward her car, using her remote to unlock the driver’s side door. Too frightened to look back, she quickly slid behind the wheel, slammed the door shut, and locked herself inside—just as the motorcycle man reached her vehicle.

Standing by her window, he withdrew a long, lethal-looking knife from the sheath strapped to his leather belt and held it up for her to see. The steel glinted menacingly, and the sharp, pointed tip of the blade made her breath catch in her lungs.

Finally, the man flipped open the visor part of his helmet, giving her a glimpse of dark, angry eyes glittering with contempt. The same ones she remembered as belonging to the guy who’d approached her a week ago at Caesars Palace. He was back, and this time he obviously had some kind of vengeance in mind.

He narrowed his gaze and kept that threatening, deadly-looking knife within her view. “Where the fuck is your father?” The man’s voice was deep and loud enough for her to hear through the rolled-up window.

She swallowed the lump of fear lodged in her throat and forced herself to answer. “I…I don’t know!”

“Well, you’d better find out, and fast. That bitch and your father double-crossed me!” he snarled bitterly. “I put my ass on the line to get all that money, and now Bunny and that bastard screwed me over! I want what’s
mine.
”

His words made no sense to Zoe. The first time this man had confronted her she’d thought he was a disgruntled investor—now he was yelling about being betrayed, and that was something altogether different. And who was this Bunny person he kept referring to?

“What are you talking about?” Zoe asked, her voice quivering with confusion.

“Your father will know exactly what I mean.” The man’s thin lips twisted with a chilling malevolence. “Here’s another message for you to give to him, to let him know just how serious I am about getting paid for all my hard work.”

He proceeded to walk around her car and brutally slashed every one of her tires. She had no idea what the man intended to do next, and the scenarios flashing through her mind filled her with an irrepressible terror. He was big and strong enough to break her window with one blow from the butt of his knife, and she would be helpless to stop him.

Shaking off the paralyzing fear gathering within her, she scrambled for her phone, her hands trembling as she dialed the one person she instinctively knew she could count on, no matter what.

As soon as he answered, she spoke the words she’d never believed she’d ever say to him.

“Oh, God, Sean…I need you.”

Sean, I need you.

Even through a raspy voice tinged with tears, Sean immediately recognized Zoe’s voice and the panic in her words. He’d been sitting next to Lucas Barnes in one of the security offices, the two of them discussing some of the information the computer technician had unearthed on the hard drive Sean and Zoe had retrieved from Grant Russo’s home computer.

But now Sean’s attention was completely focused on the phone call from Zoe and how she was babbling incoherently about a guy on a motorcycle who had a knife and had slashed her tires.

What the hell?
Frowning in concern, Sean stood up and paced away from Lucas’s desk, trying to make sense of what she was saying. “Sweetheart, slow down,” Sean said evenly, even though Zoe was anything but calm.
First things first,
he thought, and asked, “Where are you?”

“I’m…I’m sitting…in my car,” she said, her voice shaking so badly she sounded as though she were freezing to death, which was impossible in the ninety-degree summer weather.

He needed details.
“Where?”

“The…the parking garage,” she said, her voice dropping to a frantic whisper. “At my place. I’m…I’m too afraid to get out of the car.” A sob broke over the line. “He’s gone now, but he said he’s going to slash my neck the next time if my father doesn’t pay him what he’s owed.”

The blood went ice-cold in Sean’s veins at the thought of her being in danger of any kind. The threat against her was enough to send him over the edge. “Who, Zoe?”

“I don’t know.” There was still a slight quiver to her voice. “It’s some guy who’s been following me.”

She made it sound as though this wasn’t the first time this guy, whoever he was, had approached her. And that wasn’t good. Not at all.

“I need you,” she said again, her words a panicked plea he’d never expected to hear from her lips. Not after the way he’d betrayed her.
“Please.”

“I’m on my way,” he promised. There would be plenty of time later to find out what, exactly, had happened to her—when he knew for certain she was safe and with
him.
And then he wasn’t going to let her out of his sight. “Just hang on a sec while I let Lucas know what’s going on. Do
not
hang up the phone,” Sean ordered.

“Okay.”

Knowing his expression was as grim as he felt inside, Sean glanced at Lucas. “Tell Caleb that something important came up with Zoe and I’ll get in touch with him later.”

Lucas nodded in understanding and waved a hand for Sean to go. “Will do.”

Within minutes Sean was in his car racing through the streets of Vegas toward Zoe’s place. He kept her on the phone the entire time, doing his best to keep her calm by letting her know how close he was and making sure she knew he’d never let anyone, or anything, hurt her.

It was a huge promise he had no right making, considering
he
posed the biggest threat. Because there was no question in his mind that when she discovered how Sean’s father was linked to hers and how the two of them had been involved in a Ponzi scheme together years ago she was going to be devastated. And she’d probably hate Sean, too, for wanting revenge against her father, the man who’d sent Sean’s dad to prison.

Add to all that the fact that Sean used to be a con man just like her old man and had more than a few black marks on his record and she’d start to wonder who the monster in all this really was.

“Give me your access code,” Sean said as he reached the security gate, so he didn’t have to deal with the guard at the shack and take precious time to explain the situation.

Zoe gave Sean the number, he punched it in, and the gates slid slowly open—which made him wonder how the mysterious motorcycle man had made it past security without being stopped or questioned.

Sean intended to find out.

He drove up to the third level of the parking structure and came to a stop directly behind Zoe’s car, then got out of the vehicle. As soon as she saw him in her rearview mirror, she flung open her door and plastered herself against him. She wound her arms around his neck and clung to him for dear life.

Knowing she needed the comfort and reassurance of feeling safe, he wrapped her in his warm embrace, savoring the rare moment of tenderness and trust between them.

Having her in his arms felt so damned good. Better than good, actually. Except for the trembling part. Her entire body was shaking with the residual remnants of fear, and he tenderly caressed his hands up and down her back until she relaxed and softened against him.

“You’re okay,” he whispered in her ear, trying like hell not to think about the crush of her full breasts against his chest and how badly he wanted to kiss her and ease her pain with something more pleasurable.

After a short while, she pulled back, her red-rimmed eyes filled with genuine appreciation. “Thank you for coming.”

“No thanks necessary.” Reluctantly, he let her go, before he gave in to the urge to taste her soft lips, or more. “Let me get your things out of your car. I’m taking you back to my place for the night.”

She didn’t argue, which said a lot about just how frightened she was. He tossed her purse and laptop case into the backseat of his Camaro, then buckled her into the passenger seat before sliding behind the wheel and heading to his small, modest house in the suburbs.

Now all he had to do was keep his hands to himself for the night and off of her and they’d be just fine.

He had a feeling it was going to be easier said than done.

“How’s Zoe doing?” Caleb asked.

“She’s okay, all things considered.” Cell phone pressed to his ear, Sean walked out of his living room and into the adjoining kitchen so he could talk to Caleb privately.

Currently, Zoe was curled up on the far end of Sean’s sofa, legs tucked beneath her, watching the ten o’clock news—though he doubted she was really paying attention to the show. Not only had she had an exhausting day emotionally and mentally, but they had just spent the past few hours talking about what she’d learned of her father’s deteriorating business, his secretary’s mysterious disappearance, and even the attack against Zoe in the parking garage earlier that evening.

“Zoe told me that today isn’t the first time she’s been approached by the man who slashed her tires,” Sean said as he leaned against one of the counters in the kitchen that gave him a view into the living room so he could keep an eye on Zoe. “About a week ago the same guy accosted her while she was shopping with her friend, demanding to know where her father was and letting her know that Russo owed him money. It’s clear that this guy is getting bolder and more hostile with his confrontations and now he knows where she lives.”

“And we’re taking that threat very seriously,” Caleb said, his tone adamant. “Looks like you’ll be on security detail with Zoe until either the guy is caught or things with her father finally get resolved.”

In other words, Sean was now Zoe’s personal bodyguard. “That’s not a problem.” He’d rather have her close by and know that she was safe than constantly worry about her welfare when they were apart.

“I didn’t think it would be.”

Sean wasn’t certain whether Caleb was alluding to something more personal between him and Zoe or if it was just Sean’s own imagination making more of his words, but he certainly wasn’t going to ask. “Look, I need you to contact security at Panorama Towers and find out what kind of video footage they have on the guy on the motorcycle and the attack against Zoe. Hopefully one of the security cameras got his license on tape and we can trace that information through DMV to find out who the bike is registered to.”

“I’ll get Nathan on that first thing tomorrow morning,” Caleb said, giving the assignment to another Reliance Group member who’d been a vice cop and had connections in all the right places.

Sean switched his cell phone to his other ear and continued on, relaying what Zoe had told him about her time at her father’s office and what she’d learned about the failing business. It was information The Reliance Group was already privy to thanks to their private investigators, but it let Caleb know that Zoe was beginning to realize just how serious her father’s disappearance was. She no longer believed Grant Russo was on a business trip, and with George confirming that there was big money missing from the company accounts, there was no denying her father was looking guiltier by the day. And now it appeared that Grant’s secretary might be involved somehow, too.

“By the way, Zoe managed to retrieve the hard drive from her father’s secretary’s computer,” Sean said, still surprised that Zoe had been thinking straight enough to do so. “I’ll bring it in tomorrow morning for Lucas to analyze.”

“Perfect. Lucas has pulled a few things from Russo’s hard drive that we intend to follow up on, but overall the history cache was pretty clean, which is to be expected from a man with Russo’s past experience. He’s smart enough not to leave a trail of evidence on his personal computer, but maybe his secretary wasn’t as careful.”

While Caleb talked, Sean’s gaze traveled back to Zoe. Since he hadn’t taken the time to get anything from her apartment when he’d picked her up, she was currently wearing one of his T-shirts and a pair of his drawstring shorts, which she’d changed into after taking a long, hot shower after their discussion. Her hair had dried into soft waves and her face was devoid of makeup, making her look so much younger than her true age and twice as vulnerable.

After everything that had happened to her today, he knew she was feeling less than balanced and questioning everything she thought she knew about her father. And the growing knowledge of what Grant Russo was capable of was tearing her apart inside.

Unfortunately, it was going to get a whole lot worse for her, because now that she was coming to terms with the reality of what her father was being accused of, there was a lot more she needed to know. Like the fact that this wasn’t the first time Grant Russo had scammed millions of dollars from unsuspecting investors.

Since there was no longer a valid reason to put off the inevitable, Sean released a deep breath and let Caleb in on his thoughts. “I think it’s time to give Zoe the file on her father’s past.”

On the other end of the line, Caleb was silent for a long moment, as if contemplating the consequences of those actions. “Are you ready for that?” he asked quietly.

Closing his eyes, Sean pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers, his stomach in knots. No, he wasn’t prepared for Zoe to discover just how closely their pasts were intertwined and how Grant Russo was responsible for making sure Sean’s father enjoyed a nice, long sentence in prison for a crime both men had committed together. How, without guilt or remorse,
Elliott Cooke
had turned his back on his business partner to save his own ass.

And then there was Sean’s hatred and resentment toward Grant Russo that would always stand between him and Zoe.

God, what a freakin’ mess.

Sean clenched his jaw. He was far from ready for Zoe to learn the truth, but it was necessary, and honestly, it was a secret he no longer wanted to keep from her.

“Considering how fast everything is escalating, she’s going to find out about her father’s past eventually,” Sean said. “I think she’ll be better off knowing the facts so she has time to digest the truth before the real shit hits the fan.”

“Okay.” Caleb’s tone was even and without judgment. “It’s ultimately your call.”

Sean appreciated Caleb’s support but knew if he thought it wasn’t the right time to show Zoe the files, he would have said so.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Sean said, and disconnected the line.

Setting his cell phone on the counter, he released a deep breath and walked back into the living room. Zoe glanced from the TV to him, her normally bright green-gold eyes filled with a sadness that made his heart ache for her and the betrayal he was certain she was feeling.

“Why didn’t you tell me about the first time this guy attacked you?” Sean asked, sitting next to her on the couch. “If I’d known you were being harassed, I
never
would have left you alone.” As it was, he felt sickened that she’d endured such brutality without anyone around to protect her.

“The first time it happened, I didn’t know that you were investigating my father,” she pointed out, though there was no trace of bitterness in her voice, which Sean was grateful for. “And I thought it was a one-time thing and he was a disgruntled investor. But now, thinking back on both attacks, there were things he said that first time, then again tonight, that were…
off.
”

Sean frowned. “Off how?”

She drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around her legs, her gaze troubled. “The first time, at Caesars Palace, he made a comment about telling my dad to get back to Vegas, along with the money he and Bunny worked so hard for. Then, tonight, he said something about how ‘that bitch’ and my father double-crossed him, and how he put his ass on the line to get all the money and now Bunny and my father have screwed him over.”

Sean processed what Zoe had just told him, finding it both interesting and intriguing, as it put a whole different spin on things. “Do you know someone named Bunny who knows your father?” Sean asked.

Zoe shook her head, her expression as weary as the day had been long. “No, and I don’t mean to be stereo-typical, but I have to admit that the name does sound like someone my father would date. He likes younger women with more fluff than substance, and ‘Bunny’ certainly fits the image.”

Sean cracked a smile at Zoe’s wry tone. “Well, it sounds like this guy who attacked you is definitely connected to your father and the missing money somehow, along with whoever this Bunny person is.”

Most likely the duo had been Grant’s partners in crime—and it sounded as though he’d double-crossed at least one of them. No big surprise there, considering how easily the guy had betrayed Sean’s father. Deceiving people was what Russo did best.

“I’ll make sure to pass that information on to Caleb tomorrow, and Lucas as well, since he’s reviewing the hard drives,” Sean said, and stood. “But for now, it’s after eleven and you’ve had a long day. How about we put you to bed?” He extended his hand to help her up.

“Sure.” Her tone emotionless, she placed her fingers in his palm and stood, then followed him to the guest bedroom.

He pulled back the comforter on the bed, and when she was settled on the mattress he covered her with the sheet and blanket. “I’m right down the hall if you need me for anything.”

He turned to go, but her soft voice stopped him before he reached the door.

“Sean?”

He glanced back at her, steeling himself against her somber expression when he’d much rather see her smiling or laughing. “Yeah?” he asked, his tone huskier than he’d intended.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “For everything.”

Her words were like a knife in the chest, because while she might be filled with gratitude tonight, she wasn’t going to be thanking him tomorrow, when her world as she knew it came crashing down around her a second time and he was the reason why.

“No problem.” After turning off her light, he locked up the house for the night before retiring to his own room.

He stripped down to his boxer briefs, got into bed, and managed to doze off—until the creak of the wooden floor, along with the soft sound of footsteps, jarred him awake. He blinked his eyes open and found Zoe standing beside his bed, a shaft of moonlight silhouetting her body and shimmering off her blond hair like a halo.

Immediately he sat up, concerned that something was wrong. “Are you okay?”

“Not really.” She shifted on her bare feet and bit her bottom lip anxiously. “After everything that happened today, I…I don’t want to be alone tonight. Can I stay in here with you?”

“Of course you can.” Even knowing that letting her sleep beside him was probably going to keep him awake and most likely aroused all night long, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse her. Tossing back the covers, he patted the mattress next to him. “C’mere.”

She crawled into his bed and lay on her side facing him, her gaze searching his in the shadows. “Sean…,” she whispered longingly, “will you hold me?”

The muscles in his abdomen tightened at her request. Was she trying to test every ounce of willpower he possessed? Didn’t she realize that he had very little self-control when it came to her? Apparently not, since she took it upon herself to close the distance between them before he could reply. She snuggled up to his side and rested her head on his chest, trusting him when he’d given her very little reason to.

Oh, hell.
Wrapping his arm around her slender waist, he pulled Zoe closer to him—right where she belonged. Her body relaxed against his, and she sighed, her warm breath fanning across his bare chest.

Succumbing to temptation, he threaded his fingers through her silky hair, offering her the physical kind of affection and comfort she seemed to need tonight. He skimmed his hand along her arm in a tender caress, loving the feel of her soft skin beneath his palm, and whispered caring, soothing words that lulled her to sleep.

He gave her the warmth of his embrace, the safety of knowing she wasn’t alone, and a brief escape from the harsh reality she’d faced today. But the one thing he couldn’t give her was the reassurance that everything was going to be okay. No, that would be a lie, and he wasn’t about to give Zoe any more false illusions.

With a happy smile on her face, Jessica rested her head against the passenger seat in Noah’s BMW, feeling more exhilarated than she had in a very long time. And wiped out, too, since they’d just spent the past four hours at the Adventuredome at Circus Circus, where they had played carnival games, eaten junk food, and she had screamed her head off as they rode the Canyon Blaster roller coaster and other thrill rides meant for adrenaline junkies.

Of course, Noah chuckled the entire time, enjoying the fact that she’d clung to him on the wilder rides while her stomach bottomed out and her throat grew hoarse from all her high-pitched shrieks.

Just like old times.

Back when they were teenagers and dating, her time with Noah had always been fun and carefree and filled with laughter, the exact opposite of the anger and hostility she’d been subjected to at home. Then and now, he made her feel special, and she realized that being with a man, without pressure or expectations, was something she’d missed having in her life.

As promised, there had been no talk of their past or why she’d left him, which made the time with Noah that afternoon even more enjoyable. It also made her glad that he’d won the auction, instead of a stranger, because she’d been able to just be herself, and the outing had given her a sense of normalcy.

Releasing a sigh of contentment, she glanced over at Noah, admiring his strong, masculine profile and the easy smile on his lips. His dark hair was mussed from the rides, but the tousled look only made him sexier. “If you were trying to wear me out, I think you succeeded.”

“Yes, that was all part of my nefarious plan, so I can have my wicked way with you later.” He waggled his brows at her.

She laughed at his teasing remark. That’s how relaxed she’d become with him over the last few hours. He was no longer her adversary but had established himself as someone she could fall for all over again.

Noah might have been on his best behavior when it came to not discussing their past relationship, but that hadn’t stopped him from flirting shamelessly with her. He hadn’t missed an opportunity to touch her as they stood in line for the attractions, or put his arm around her when they sat next to each other on the rides.