Seeking Justice (29 page)
Authors: Rivi Jacks
“Cait?” It’s not until he says my name for the second time that I look at Bryce.
“Yes?”
“Do you work for Query Magazine?”
I swallow against the nausea rising up in my throat. “No, I—”
“Yes, she does!” Miranda glares at me with ill-concealed hatred. “Valerie Sharp assigned her to investigate you, Liam!”
“Miranda, you may go now!” Holly’s voice is sharp. “I’m sure you have—
duties
to take care of.”
“No! I need to stay, and make sure she doesn’t lie her way out of this.”
“Get the hell out, Miranda!” Holly states more firmly.
Miranda looks to Liam for help as Mike holds his arm out and motions for her with the curling of his fingers.
“Liam?” Miranda uses her best hurt voice.
“Go,” Liam orders without turning around.
I look quickly at him.
Please look at me.
Miranda tosses her hair and flounces out in a huff. After the door closes, I glance at the others and then back at Liam.
“Please, Liam I can explain.” I need to explain. He doesn’t respond in any way.
“Explain, Cait,” Bryce says softly.
I take a deep breath to steady myself, but my voice still comes out unsteady. “I did work for Query Magazine—”
“Oh, Cait!” I hear Holly say in a plaintive whisper as if she’d been holding onto the hope that Miranda was lying.
I glance at her quickly. “But, I quit the magazine a week after I started working here.”
Holly glances at Liam.
“Why did you do that?” Bryce asks.
“Because—” my voice breaks. Damn. This is going to sound lame. “Because I’d been having doubts about what I did for the magazine, and I liked everyone here”—I meet Holly’s gaze—“and—” I look at Liam’s back. I can’t say it in front of the others, but I’m hoping he knows I mean him, that that’s when he and I started.
“Why were you investigating Liam?” Bryce asks.
“At the time I wasn’t told specifically why, and I had my doubts about my assignment.”
Please, Liam. Please look at me.
When no one says anything, I tear my gaze from Liam. “I suspected the real target was one of the members here at The Justice.”
“You were the one who tried to break into the files.” Mike finally speaks his voice angry.
“No,” I say emphatically. I turn toward him. “I didn’t, I swear.” My gaze sweeps the room, meeting the doubtful stares of each one of them. Except for Liam. “Please, you have to believe me. I quit the magazine right after I started here. I
never
gave Valerie any information.”
“A private investigator has been keeping tabs on you for the past few weeks,” Mike informs me.
A Private Investigator!
I know with certainty that is Miranda’s doing.
Mike continues. “You have been documented going in and out of Query Magazine on numerous occasions.”
“My friend Paul still works there.”
I glance at Liam’s back, and I think I see a tightening of his shoulders.
Mike reaches over for a file lying on the bar top. “At least one of those visit’s was a meeting with Valerie Sharp’s attorney, Joseph Case.”
Holy hell.
“Was this meeting before, or after you quit Query Magazine?”
I can’t breathe. I feel as if a noose is tightening around my neck. “After,” I whisper, trying to push the panic back down. “But the meeting wasn’t about—”
“Get out,” Liam says in a deadly quiet voice.
“Please, Liam let me explain. That meeting wasn’t about you or Justice House. Valerie was missing—”
He turns and levels blue eyes filled with a frightening rage, on me. I quell under the burning anger I see there.
“I don’t need to listen to any more of this.”
“Please! You have to know I would never do anything to hurt you!”
“You—are fired.”
I shake my head. “Please,” I whisper as I blink against the sudden tears.
“Get the
fuck
out of my house!” His shout reverberates around the room.
I blanch at the look of disgust he levels on me.
“Get her out of here!” he utters from between clenched teeth.
“Let’s go,” Mike says.
“No. I’ll walk her out,” Bryce says.
I’m barely conscious of Bryce taking hold of my arm as I watch Liam walk to the elevator. He doesn’t look at me again as he enters and turns to hit the button that will close the doors forever against me.
He believes I have betrayed him.
I know my punishment.
I no longer exist to him.
Author Bio
Rivi Jacks has a lifelong love of books, and she is a true believer in holding onto a good love story. One reason her attic and barn are full of the books she has collected through the years.
She lives in the Missouri Ozarks on a farm with her husband, and when not writing or reading, she likes to take long walks down country roads, cook, fish, and spend time with family and friends.
Playlist For Seeking Justice
Stripper (Ribbed Music) ~ Sohodolls
Sexy Back ~ Justin Timberlake
Dark Horse ~ Katy Perry
Dark In My Imagination ~ of Verona
Fire Breather ~ Laurel
No One Like You ~ Scorpions
Sexy Silk ~ Jessica Cornish
Sing ~ Ed Sheeran
Love Don’t Die ~ The Fray
Love Runs Out ~ One Republic
Stay ~ Rihanna
Blue Blood ~ Laurel
Let Her Go ~ Passenger
You Can Be The Boss ~ Lana Del Rey
Make It Wit Chu ~ Queens of the Stone Age
