Night After Night (19 page)

Finally, he did. “Your father and mine were business partners and started a real estate investment company together, and over the course of three years they scammed hundreds of clients out of over five million dollars.”

A flicker of pain flashed in her eyes as she listened to the extent of her father’s deceit, and as much as Sean hated adding to her misery, he was relieved to finally get it all out in the open between the two of them.

“At the time, your father was using the name Elliott Cooke for all his business transactions, and he was very careful to make sure that my father was in control of all the investments so he wasn’t linked to any of the fraud,” Sean went on as he absently swiped the condensation on his bottle of water with the tips of his fingers. “All the paperwork pointed toward my father being the one who regulated all the securities and payouts to the investors, and even to himself and your dad. When things started falling apart and the company couldn’t pay the promised returns to their clients, legal authorities figured out what was going on and arrested your father, and mine, for securities fraud.”

Still, Zoe said nothing, though the anguish etching her features spoke volumes.

“After the arrest, your father insisted that he had no idea that the money deposited into his bank account wasn’t legitimate profits, since he hadn’t been in charge of any of the accounting or payouts.” Despite his attempts, Sean found it difficult to temper the bitterness he felt toward her father.

“Since prosecutors were unable to find any evidence to the contrary, your father struck a plea deal, which included his full cooperation in the investigation of the case and his testimony
against
his partner. Your father provided all the evidence to put my father away, using information he never would have known if he wasn’t somehow involved in the Ponzi scheme from the very beginning.”

“Oh, God.” She looked both stunned and devastated, and Sean wasn’t even finished yet.

“In return for your father’s full cooperation, he pled no contest to a single misdemeanor securities violation, lost his broker’s license for three years, and was sentenced to the twenty-seven days he’d already served in jail while waiting for the trail to begin. Then he was placed on probation for five years. My father, on the other hand, received a fifteen-year prison sentence, which he is still currently serving.”

Sean exhaled a deep breath. “My father was guilty of fraud, but so was yours,” he said, wanting to be sure she understood that Grant Russo had been equally responsible for what had happened.

“I believe you,” she whispered in a strained voice, then pressed her fingers to her lips as tears filled her eyes. “And I’m so sorry.”

He frowned, because he had no idea what she had to apologize for. “For what?”

She wiped away a single tear that fell down her cheek. “That my father betrayed yours and sent him to jail.”

Sean felt his own chest tighten in response, and it took effort to resist the urge to pull her into his arms and comfort her.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” he said, refusing to let her carry that burden.

“Why didn’t you tell me all this sooner?” she asked. “Like the last time I was in this conference room learning that my father was being accused of investment fraud. Don’t you think that would have been a good opportunity to let me in on the fact that your father and mine had once been partners in a Ponzi scheme?”

“In hindsight, yes,” Sean said, and scrubbed a hand along his jaw, wishing now that he had done things differently. “But I wasn’t sure you were ready to hear the whole truth about your father, or that you’d believe my story.” He swallowed his pride and gave her the apology she deserved: “I made a mistake, Zoe, and I’m sorry.”

She stared at him for long, tense seconds before exhaling a slow, even breath of air. “I just have one more question, and I’d appreciate an honest answer. Did you take on this case for revenge?”

He thought about his answer very carefully before replying. “I took the case because I work for The Reliance Group and that’s my job. But I fully admit that I resent your father for what he did all those years ago. My father was guilty and he’s paying the price for his actions, but your dad sold out mine and walked away without looking back. I’m not looking for revenge as much as I’m hoping for justice and retribution.”

Unable to read her expression, Sean was left wondering where, exactly, things stood between them. She didn’t strike him as a woman who held grudges, but he had a feeling that earning her complete forgiveness would take time.

A quick, brisk knock on the door echoed in the conference room, and a second later Nathan Fox stepped inside. Grateful for the interruption, Sean introduced Zoe to his co-worker and the head of security at the Onyx; then Nathan got down to the reason why he was there.

“We’ve reviewed all the surveillance tapes from your apartment building around the time of your attack yesterday,” he said, addressing Zoe. “And unfortunately, we weren’t able to ID the guy on the bike. The license plate had been taped over, so there’s no way to trace the bike’s registration, or who the owner is.”

“I can’t say I’m surprised,” Zoe said with a shake of her head. “The guy obviously knew what he was doing.”

“Yes, he did,” Nathan agreed as he slid his hands into the front pockets of his slacks. “Sean also told us about the things this man said to you, about being double-crossed by your father and someone named Bunny.”

Zoe nodded, her expression pained. “I already told Sean that I don’t know anyone named Bunny, so I’m afraid I’m not going to be able to help you much with that bit of information.”

“That’s okay.” Nathan’s gaze shone with compassion for Zoe’s situation. “It’s something new we didn’t have a day ago and it might help us uncover some kind of lead on your father.”

“I hope so,” she said, her voice weary.

“Since we weren’t able to nail the guy who attacked you, it’s imperative that you’re watched twenty-four/seven,” Nathan told her. “If Sean can’t be with you, then we’ll make arrangements so someone else will be.”

“Okay.” Zoe’s fingers absently played with the long crystal necklace draped along the front of her blouse as she talked to Nathan. “Construction inside the boutique is scheduled to start in a few days, and inventory will be arriving, too. Is that going to be a problem?”

“No. Anyone who steps foot into the boutique will have to submit to a thorough background check and you’ll have an armed security guard posted inside the shop while you’re there,” Nathan assured her.

“Thank you,” she said, and visibly relaxed. “I really do appreciate everything you’re doing to keep me safe and protected.”

It was hard not to notice how gracious Zoe was with Nathan, and Sean could only hope she extended the same reprieve to him for keeping the news about her father a secret for so long.

“You’re welcome.” Nathan clasped Sean’s shoulder in his hand and graced Zoe with a friendly grin. “Trust me, we’ve got you covered, and I know for a fact that Sean isn’t about to let anything bad happen to you, either.”

“I know,” she said.

Zoe met Sean’s gaze, and in that instant, looking into her eyes, he experienced a small sense of satisfaction. While he might have caused her a wealth of disappointment today and shaken the foundation of what was between them, she ultimately trusted him to keep her safe. And right now, that’s all that mattered to him.

As far as he was concerned, it was a good thing she no longer had that total faith in him, because his own past was marred with a criminal record that proved he was no better than her father.

And that, Sean reminded himself, was ultimately the reason why he and Zoe didn’t stand a chance together beyond this case.

Sitting on the couch in Sean’s living room later that evening, Zoe clutched her cell phone in her hand as the revealing conversation with Sean that morning played over in her mind like a bad horror movie—as it had on and off all day long.

After leaving the Onyx, she’d headed to the office with Sean in tow and done her best to concentrate on the work needing her attention. While Sean sat in the reception area and thumbed through magazines and took calls on his cell phone, she’d approved the jewelry and accessory samples she’d received for the new pieces in her fall collection for ZR Designs, then placed a large order to carry her through the holiday months. She finalized the drawings on the construction for the interior of the boutique, and after giving the okay to start the work on Thursday of that week she had the company e-mail her the names and identification for anyone who would be in her shop. She’d then forwarded the list to Nathan to run background security checks for those employees before they were allowed access inside her store.

She’d even managed to carve out a half hour of time for Jessica, who stopped by the office unannounced but came bearing their favorite treats—red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Grateful for the sugar boost and her presence when Zoe needed it the most, she brought Jessica up to speed on the latest with Grant, as well as his connection to Sean’s dad, then listened while Jessica told her all about her overnight date with Noah—which explained the glow on her cheeks, along with a bubbly, blissful disposition Zoe couldn’t help but be happy for but also secretly envied.

A phone call from a local reporter interested in writing an article on the opening of her boutique brought her too-short time with Jessica to an end, and by five o’clock that afternoon Zoe felt drained and exhausted, as though she’d worked an eighteen-hour day when, in fact, only six hours had passed since she’d arrived at the office.

Sean had driven her back to his place, and while she’d taken a hot, relaxing shower and changed into a pair of comfortable Juicy sweats, he’d grilled chicken and vegetables for their dinner and served it over steamed brown rice. The man could cook, something she’d appreciate more if she wasn’t so exhausted.

There was no outward animosity between them from that morning’s discussion. As far as Zoe was concerned, it was a waste of energy to dwell on something that was already done and couldn’t be changed.

But deep in her heart, in the part that had been steadily falling for Sean, she felt a normal amount of hurt and disappointment that he’d kept the truth from her. But she also understood that he’d been trying to protect her from the pain of knowing the extent of her father’s deception. And to Sean’s credit, he’d been man enough to apologize, to admit he’d been wrong.

For her, Sean’s ability to express regret, and mean it, was huge. Because the only other man she’d ever fallen in love with had lacked any kind of decency when it came to lying to her and, worse, betraying her trust. For nearly a year Ian Croft had carried on a long-distance affair with another woman, and even after Zoe had confronted him with proof of his infidelity he’d expressed no remorse or contrition for his behavior. Nor had he ever apologized for breaking her heart.

Instead, when she’d asked him why he’d cheated on her, Ian had simply told her that she was sweet and classy and good for his image as an attorney, while the other woman he spent time with on his business trips was the kind of woman he could fuck.

As far as explanations went, it was a huge blow to Zoe’s feminine pride, and his brutal comment had caused her to question her sexuality—until a pep talk with Jessica and a couple pints of Ben & Jerry’s had helped Zoe come to the conclusion of just how much of a self-centered asshole Ian was and that she deserved so much better than being some man’s arm candy.

She was smart enough to know that there were very few similarities between Ian and Sean, if any at all. Despite Sean’s withholding the truth about his father’s involvement with hers, Zoe instinctively knew that Sean would never deliberately hurt her. And that was what made all the difference in the world to her and made forgiveness possible.

Sean had insisted on doing the dinner dishes and was currently in the kitchen cleaning up, and while Zoe was tempted to call it an early night and crawl into bed and succumb to a deep sleep, there was one more thing she’d spent the entire day avoiding that she needed to take care of.

Before she changed her mind, she pressed the speed dial on her BlackBerry for her mother’s cell phone. Even before the line began to ring, Zoe’s stomach knotted in dread, because she knew the upcoming conversation wasn’t going to be a pleasant one. But talking to her mother was necessary, because Zoe needed to hear from Collette exactly what she knew of Grant’s arrest twelve years ago.

There was a three-hour time difference between Las Vegas and New York, where Collette was vacationing, which put it close to ten o’clock at night on the East Coast—as good a time as any to get the answers to the questions that had been on Zoe’s mind since that morning.

“Zoe!” her mother exclaimed breathlessly as soon as she connected the call, just seconds before it would have gone to voice mail. “Tell me you’ve finally heard from your father.”

Of course, the first thing on her mother’s mind was that damn missing alimony check. “No, I haven’t,” Zoe said, unable to keep the annoyance from her voice. “I called because I need to talk to you
about
Dad.”

“What about him?” Collette’s voice was clipped with impatience.

Zoe clutched her cell phone against her ear, already feeling the tension between herself and her mother rising, and knew it was going to get a lot worse. “About his arrest twelve years ago.”

A dead silence descended over the phone line. Zoe knew she’d caught her mother off guard, and it didn’t take Collette long to recover.

“Zoe, is this really necessary?” her mother asked, her tone brusque. “It’s late and I’m entertaining.”

“Yes, it’s
very
necessary.” Zoe refused to let her mother dismiss her or brush off something that was so important to her. Not this time.

“Fine. Give me a second.” Collette didn’t even try to disguise the fact that she felt put out by Zoe’s insistence on having this particular discussion with her.

Zoe glanced toward the kitchen, catching a glimpse of Sean as she listened to her mother tell someone that she needed to take this call and would be back in a few minutes. A male voice responded in the background, then a door shut, and Zoe’s mother was back on the line, more annoyed than she’d been a few moments ago.

“Why is this so important now, Zoe?”

“Because Dad isn’t on a business trip as he’s led everyone to believe,” she said, not mincing words but getting right to the point of the matter. “He’s gone missing, and he’s taken a lot of money with him. Money that doesn’t belong to him, but to the clients who invested in the Meridian project.”

“How do you know that?” her mother asked, her tone cautious.

“George at the office confirmed that checks are bouncing and money is missing from business accounts that only he and Dad have access to. There is also an investor claiming that Dad owes him millions of dollars.”

“Unbelievable,” Collette muttered in disgust. “I should have guessed something was up when I didn’t receive my alimony payment.”

Zoe shook her head at her mother’s inconsiderate attitude. Of course, for Collette, it was all about the money
she
was out. Never mind the hundreds of other people who’d trusted Grant Russo with their investments and were now left wondering if they’d ever see another dime from him.

The one thing that really stood out for Zoe was the fact that Collette wasn’t at all shocked by what her daughter had just told her—and Zoe called her on it. “You don’t sound surprised to learn that Dad was most likely operating a Ponzi scheme under the guise of taking investments to develop the Meridian project. Is that because he’s done it before and that’s why he was arrested twelve years ago?”

When Collette didn’t respond right away, Zoe went on, unloading the frustration that had been building within her. “I was only fifteen at the time, but I remember things, Mom. I remember loud, angry arguments between you and Dad about him being at the police station, and how he wanted you to take me to Europe for the summer to get me away from
everything.
”

Other memories came rushing back, painful ones that had opened Zoe’s eyes to just how manipulative and self-absorbed her mother truly was. Collette had agreed to take Zoe out of the country, for a price—Collette wanted a divorce, along with a hefty payout above and beyond monthly alimony. Zoe’s father had obviously wanted to protect her from the scandal of the arrest and trial, while her mother had used her daughter as a bargaining chip for monetary gain.

“Your father’s arrest was a misunderstanding,” her mother said, refusing to admit the truth even now.

“Dad’s arrest was legitimate,” Zoe refuted in a straightforward manner her mother couldn’t argue with. “But he cut a plea deal that sent his partner to jail for fifteen years, while Dad got off with a slap on the wrist in comparison.”

Out of the corner of Zoe’s eye she saw Sean in the kitchen again, and she knew he was done with the dishes but was giving her privacy to talk to her mother. Zoe wasn’t modifying the level of her voice at all, so she was certain he could overhear her side of the conversation—not that she cared. She had nothing to hide from Sean and wanted him to know she was on his side when it came to what had happened between her father and his.

“Fine. It’s true,” her mother replied irritably. “What does it matter now? It’s done and over with.”

“It’s not
over with,
Mom.” This time, Zoe’s voice did rise in pitch, and she didn’t even try to temper it. “Did you not hear what I just told you? That Dad is being accused of scamming people
again
? God knows how many lost their investments!”

“They aren’t my problem, Zoe. My missing alimony check is.”

Zoe’s jaw dropped open, and she promptly snapped it shut again, stunned by her mother’s careless reply—though she shouldn’t have been surprised. Collette didn’t possess the capability to feel empathy for anyone but herself.

“I need to go,” Zoe’s mother said, making it clear she was done with the conversation.

“Fine.” Zoe didn’t push the issue. There was no reasoning with her narcissistic mother, so why even try? “Goodbye, Mother.”

The line disconnected, and Zoe laid her head against the back of the sofa, closed her eyes, and released a heavy, defeated sigh. She’d called her mother hoping to get answers and closure, and instead Zoe had been forced to face the fact that Collette just didn’t care about what Grant Russo had done in the past or even was doing in the present. As long as it didn’t directly affect
her
in any way.

“I thought you could use some chocolate.”

Zoe opened her eyes to find Sean standing next to the couch, a plate stacked with brown squares in one hand, a glass of cold milk in the other, and a charming smile on his lips that instantly lifted her spirits.

She sat up and took a closer look at what he was offering and laughed. “Brownies? What did you do, whip up a batch while I was on the phone with my mom?”

He set the milk and treats on the coffee table within Zoe’s reach, then sat down on the sofa next to her. “I wish I could take the credit, but they’re store-bought.”

Regardless, she appreciated the sweet, thoughtful gesture after dealing with her mother’s cool and indifferent behavior. “Hey, it’s chocolate. It’ll do. Thank you.”

She picked up one of the squares and took a bite of the moist, fudgy cake, the taste immediately making her feel better. Or maybe it was Sean’s presence that calmed her. Either way, she was grateful for both, and that revealed far too much of her feelings toward Sean.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She heard the concern reflected in his deep voice and shrugged. “I should be used to my mother’s self-centered personality, but I just don’t understand how she can be so cavalier about something so serious that has hurt so many people. Twice now.”

Sean relaxed against the cushions and stretched an arm along the back of the couch, the tips of his fingers close enough to touch Zoe. “Maybe she’s that way because she’s been through all of this with your father before.”

“It’s just not normal.” Zoe took a drink of milk, knowing that Sean was giving her mother the benefit of the doubt. But Zoe knew Collette so much better than he did, and she didn’t deserve his consideration. “I know there’s nothing she can do about the things my father has done and she’s not responsible for his actions, but she can at least show a little compassion about the situation.”

Zoe set the glass of milk back down on the table and waved a hand in the air between them, refusing to let any further thoughts of her mother bring her down. “There’s no changing her, so I just need to let it go.”

But the one thing Zoe couldn’t stop thinking about was the fact that during her father’s arrest twelve years ago, while she’d spent the summer in Europe having fun, oblivious to her father’s trial and what he’d ultimately done to Casey O’Brien, she was pretty certain that for Sean there had been no escaping the painful trial process or listening as Grant Russo betrayed Sean’s father.

There was so much she didn’t know about Sean. Other than telling her that he was an only child and his mother had passed away when he’d been twelve, he never spoke of his past and childhood. But now Zoe was genuinely curious about how it had been for him, growing up without a mother and living with a father who’d ended up in jail by the time Sean had turned eighteen.

With the intention of getting the answers to her questions, she finished her brownie and felt a tug of awareness in her belly as Sean’s dark blue gaze watched her lick a smudge of chocolate from the corner of her mouth. As she remembered everything that had happened between them just that morning, the slow burn of renewed lust prickled along her skin.