Seeking Justice (28 page)

What
am
I doing? I’m an idiot, letting Miranda get to me. She knew I’d ask Liam and she also knew what his reaction would be. I played right into her scheme to cause trouble between the two of us.

“I’m sorry, Liam. I have no right to—”

Without warning, he yanks me into his arms. I only have time to gasp in surprise before his mouth comes down hard and insistent on mine. His is hot and demanding, punishing as his tongue boldly forces its way into mine. He fists his hand in my hair, and I moan, gripping the front of his t-shirt as he pulls my head back to better assault my mouth. His other hand slides up under the skirt of my dress to grip my ass. He holds me in place exactly as he wants me as he relentlessly ravishes my mouth, my senses. His erection is hard against my belly, his heat like a branding iron.

When he abruptly releases me, my world is spinning and I stumble forward, struggling to keep my balance. I am embarrassingly breathless, panting with the need he has ignited in my traitorous body.

He reaches out to steady me and then turns, walking back to his desk to sit; his eyes on me once again as he calls toward the door, “Come!” Then his eyes gleam wickedly. “Not you, darlin’,” he says softly. I huff a breath and turn away from him.

Holy hell!
I’m ready for him to take me right here, right now. He’s made sure of that. I want to rub my breasts to ease the throbbing but instead I take a deep breath, willing myself to calm down before turning back around.

Mike stops mid-stride into the room. “Am I interrupting?” He glances between us.

“Yes you are, but Caitlyn and I can—resume our discussion later.” Liam’s eyes are still on me as he raises his brow, arrogance written all over his face. He licks his bottom lip before drawing it into his mouth. His eyes gleam when he sees my flush. He knows exactly what he does to me.

Embarrassed, I quickly head for the door, giving Mike a small smile as I pass by him.

“Cait,” he says in greeting.

Once out the door I lean against it. Well, I never thought Liam was a saint, and the thought of him with others is not a pleasing thought. But he’s made it perfectly clear that he wants me, and that is all that really matters. Miranda be damned.

I enter the doors of Query Magazine just shy of noon, hoping to lure Paul away for lunch. What I need to relate to him needs said away from anyone who might overhear.

After I’d gone home, showered and changed, I called in a picnic lunch from the deli across the street from the magazine. I plan to drag Paul to a nearby park. It’s too nice of a day to eat inside.

I’m a little surprised to find the lobby void of people. There must be an employee meeting going on, and I hope it’s not bad news about Valerie.

Query Magazine has a new receptionist, and she looks up as I cross the lobby.

“May I help you?”

“Hi. I’m Cait Shaw.” I give her a smile, which she does not return. Geez. She wouldn’t last a day if Valerie were here. Valerie is big on treating visitors to the magazine as if they were guests.

“I’m here to see Paul Sims.”

“Let me check if he is available.”

I wait patiently while she calls Paul, eyeing me speculatively.

“Cait!” Paul rounds the corner.

“Hey.”

He gives me a hug. “Have you met our new receptionist? Cait this is Lisa Brown. Lisa, Cait Shaw. Cait used to work here.”

“It’s nice to meet you Lisa.”

“You too Miss Shaw.”

“You can call me Cait.” I don’t think she hears me; she’s too busy ogling Paul.

“Lisa, you don’t need to call when Cait stops by, just send her on back to my office.” Lisa gives me a look, one that annoys me.

I step over and loop my arm through Paul’s. “Ready big boy?” He gives me an amused look.

“Has Julie met her?” I ask as we head back toward his office. Before he can answer, I ask, “Where is everyone?”

“They’re all in a meeting. Guess—”

“Paul wait until you hear what’s been going on at Justice House!”

He stops. “What’s been happening at Justice House?”

“Two nights ago someone tried to break into the file cabinets where they keep the member files.”

He frowns.

“You know that I think Valerie was looking for someone within the clientele of Justice House. Well, now I think her interest was on a more personal level.”

Paul narrows his eyes in that way he does when he’s not sure he agrees with me. He takes my arm and starts walking again, guiding me down the hall.

“I also think that either Joseph Case had something to do with the attempt of getting a look at those files or there is someone else looking for the same thing Valerie was.”

Paul continues to frown. “What do you think is so interesting to everyone?” he asks.

“Well—I don’t know, but you were the one who pointed out that some of the members might take drastic measures to protect their privacy.”

It’s my turn to stop, drawing Paul to a halt beside me.

“I haven’t had a chance to tell Liam yet, but I think the attempted break-in is a two man job. I think there is someone working at The Justice who helped this—unknown thief—to get inside the mansion. Remember I told you about the man who entered Justice House a few weeks ago, the one who made it all the way upstairs. I don’t think they ever found out who he was or how he managed to just walk right in without someone noticing him.”

“So why do you think someone helped this recent intruder?”

“After the incident, with the guy upstairs, Liam beefed up security, hiring extra guards and implementing a state of the art security system. What if the person working on the inside knows how to shut down the alarm system?”

“What about the guards?” Paul asks.

“It wouldn’t be hard to find out their routine, slip past and enter an unlocked door.”

“I don’t know, Cait.”

“It wouldn’t be impossible if they had a helper on the inside. There is information within Justice House. Information that Valerie was seeking, and if Joseph Case did not put someone else in there after I quit, then—” I raise my eyebrow. “What if Valerie’s disappearance is connected to all of this?”

Paul nods, considering what I’ve explained, then he quirks his finger at me.

I frown. “What?”

He pushes the door open to the magazine’s Media room.

“Let’s ask her.”

Bemused, I enter coming to a dead stop as soon as I see Valerie at the front of the room.

Paul chuckles as he comes in behind me, pushing me on into the room.

“What? When?” I sputter.

“She came in this morning,” Paul whispers as he guides me to a couple of empty seats. “I was just getting ready to call you when you showed up.”

“Where the hell has she been?” I look up at him, and he shrugs, shaking his head, clearly as puzzled as I am.

We sit through the remainder of the meeting as Valerie assures everyone that it is back to business as usual. As things stand, I have no business sitting in on the meeting since I’m no longer employed by the magazine. But there is no way I am going anywhere until I know where in the hell Valerie has been.

The meeting wraps up, and as the room clears Paul and I remain seated. As Valerie makes her way toward us, she’s busy grilling Bob Welch, head of the Advertising Department.

“Bob, I’ll need the reports on collections and publication by the end of the day,” she says briskly, clearly dismissing him.

“No problem, Valerie. I’ll have them to you before I leave tonight.”

“Paul, Caitlyn, how nice of you both to be here for the meeting.” She barely looks at us. “Come with me.”

My eyebrows lift in surprise, and then I laugh. Good to know some things never change. Paul nudges my arm. “I don’t work for her anymore, I can laugh,” I whisper at him.

We follow Valerie to her office. Her presence in the building has already restored order where there was only a semblance of that order the last few times I was here during her absence. Valerie Sharp
is
the heart of this magazine. Whereas she might be brusque and short-tempered, she is highly professional and demands the same from her employees. And when you work in a high-stress workplace, you can take comfort from sound authority.

“Pat, step into my office please,” Valerie says to her private secretary barely glancing at her.

“Certainly, Valerie.” Pat looks questioningly at Paul and me. I lift my shoulder and give a shake of my head.

“Shut the door, Paul,” Valerie commands as she strides to her desk.

“Caitlyn, I do not accept your resignation.” Valerie opens a drawer in her desk as she sits, sliding what I assume is my letter of resignation across the top.

I almost laugh out loud again. “Valerie, you don’t have to accept it.” I sit in one of the chairs in front of her desk. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I quit the magazine shortly after you left on your little vacation.” She tilts her head. “And where have you been?” I ask.

“Pat, contact personnel to re-instate Caitlyn on the payroll—”

“No, Pat,” I counter command. I glare at Valerie. She is not going to bully me on this. “I work for The Justice House, Valerie. I am not coming back to the magazine.”

Valerie’s eyes narrow.

“You work at The Justice because of me, Caitlyn.
That
is the only reason you are working there.” She enunciates each word in that precise way she has of speaking.

“Easy, ladies.” Paul holds up his hands. “No reason for either one of you to get upset.”

Valerie leans back in her chair. “Paul—Pat, I’d like to speak to Caitlyn in private.” When neither of them makes a move to leave, Valerie raises her eyebrow. “Now,” she says forcefully.

The door closes with a click as they leave.

Valerie stands and moves to her corner liquor cabinet to pour us a drink.

“Valerie—where have you been?”

She hands me a glass and then returns to her chair. She downs half her drink. “I need you in Justice House, Caitlyn.” She makes direct eye contact as if willing the answer she wants from me.

I take a sip of my drink. “I need answers from you Valerie.”

She sits back in her chair, a begrudging smile on her face. “You remind me of my sister,” she says. I’m surprised. I didn’t know she had a sister. She’s never spoken of a sister or any family for that matter.

“I am searching for someone,” she finally admits.

And?
I say silently. If she thinks that unsurprising revelation is going to appease me, she’s sorely mistaken. I remain silent, though.

“For several years now, I’ve followed this—
individual’s
activities around the country, even into Mexico and Central America.”

I set my drink down. “This person must be very important to you.”

I see a flash of something in her eyes before she hides it. “Very.” She finishes the last of her drink. “A year ago the trail led to Justice House.”

Wow.
“You’ve been very patient.” The wrath of a woman scorned.

“I have to be. I made a mistake a few years back, and I’ve paid for it since.”

“So, she’s looking for an ex-lover to extract her revenge. Seems extreme but knowing Valerie—”

“I need you in Justice House, Caitlyn,” she says again.

“Valerie”—I lean forward in my chair—“I quit the magazine because I couldn’t deal with the aspects of the job. You know I was having a difficult time with the deception involved. Yes, in retrospect—I should also have quit my job at the Justice, I see that now.” I take a deep breath, nervously looking away from her too sharp gaze.

“You’ve become involved with Liam Justice.”

My gaze flies back to hers. “Yes,” I say quietly.

She stands and moves to look out her window at the busy world going on outside of Query Magazine.

“Out of respect for you, I have never told Liam I was working as a spy at Justice House. I wanted to wait until you returned so I could tell you first. I felt I owed you that much. But, things have progressed between Liam and me, and I have to tell him now because I owe
him
that.”
I just pray he understands.
Panic grips me again. I should have told him already. I should have told him this morning.

“Valerie—where have you been? You had to know people would be worrying about you. For Pete’s sake, the police were called in!”

“I was in a situation where I had to lie low. That’s all you need to know.”

I sigh. “Okay.” I stand, knowing that’s all I’ll get from her. Gathering up my purse, I stare at her back, she’s turned once more, looking out the window. I feel guilty. I’m not sure why, but I do.

“Thanks for everything, Valerie. I appreciate you giving me a job.” I feel my throat closing up.

At the door, I turn back.

“Maybe if you met with Liam—explained your situation—” My voice trails off. Liam Justice would never let Valerie Sharp, editor of Query Magazine, anywhere near Justice House, let alone invade the privacy of his club members.

“Goodbye, Valerie,” I say softly, but she doesn’t turn or say a word.

Paul, and I have a quick lunch discussing our views on Valerie’s return. Lying low? What does that mean, that she put herself into a situation where she feared for her safety? Paul thinks there is a lot more to the story, and so do I.

Now I’m hurrying out of my cab at Justice House. I wanted to get here early. Liam is going to hear what I have to say, whether he wants to or not.

The security guard nods as he picks up the phone as I walk by. It’s a beautiful day, and the grounds of Justice House are lovely. Flowers bloom in numerous beds, and the flowering ornamental trees give up their delicate scents to float on the warm breeze.

It’s early enough in the day to still be reasonably quiet, but I know that will change once the dinner crowd arrives and then later when the nightclub opens.

I wave at Leon as I walk past. The two male members he’s talking to at the bar look up and smile.

“Hi, Tansy.” I pull out a chair to sit beside her. She’s filling out her shift paperwork.

“Cait.” She smiles. “You’re early.”

“I need to talk to Liam before my shift starts.”

“He came by earlier and left a message for you. He wants you to come straight to his office as soon as you arrive.”

She wiggles her eyebrows, and I laugh as I stand.

“I guess I’d better not keep the boss waiting.”

I knock lightly and then walk in. I come up short, surprised, and then smile. It looks as if the whole gang is here.

Holly is sitting on the couch. Bryce and Mike are at the bar. When my gaze encounters Miranda’s smug, evil smile, a frisson of unease makes its way down my spine. My eyes immediately seek out Liam. He’s standing, his back to the room, at the large windows behind his desk, looking out to the front of Justice House.

He knows.

I can tell. Not from the way the others are looking at me, but because Liam is not. He always looks at me, as if he can’t keep his eyes off me.

I need to talk to him alone.

It’s only been a matter of seconds since I walked in the room, but it feels like an eternity as I wait, praying Liam turns and looks at me, willing him to ask me to explain. I suddenly can’t breathe, and I feel as if I’m going to be sick, my hand goes unconsciously to my stomach.