Broken Ground: (Broken Series Book 1) (18 page)

Fuck. Me.

No matter what, I couldn't ask Ali and Talia to leave. Spencer better be able to make peace with that when he did find out. They needed me, and I wasn't letting my screw ups interfere with keeping them safe.

His radar must have kicked in again because he said, "So, now that I've ruined your morning, tell me about the gala. How'd it go? Did you turn into a pumpkin at midnight?"

He was trying for levity and missing by a mile, but I appreciated the effort.

"It was fine. Dropped a big fat check and shook a bunch of sweaty diamond encrusted hands that had never done a hard day's work in their lives."

"And Ali?"

Ali? She tastes like honey and could suck a bowling ball through a garden hose... No, wait, can't tell him about that.

Focus, Clay.

"She did fine. Her bosses seemed to have missed her." They were also encouraging about her future and gave the impression that she might just have a job to go back to, but I wasn't telling him that. He didn't know the truth about Ali's work situation, and I saw no need to tell him. It had no bearing on her job with us.

Just like I wasn't going to tell him I remembered how she and I had met. I wouldn't be sharing that story with anyone. She'd already been forced to live through it, that was enough. Repeating it, saying the words would give it new life somehow and I didn't want that, for her sake.

Spencer blew out a breath, sounding relieved. "Good. I'm glad you offered to be there for her, but I have to admit that I was worried about the ramifications. No need for the company name to be linked with any more scandal than it already is."

He was right, not that I would have let that stop me. It wasn't who my date was that had been the problem it had been what I remembered. The only thing that had kept me from beating the shit out of Keith was my respect for Ali, nothing more. Just more proof that I was selfish. "You act like you thought she and I were going to level D.C. or something. It was a charity dinner." Might as well get it all out on the table, well, most of it anyway. "But there was some trouble."

"Shit. What now?"

I loved the way he managed to make three words sound like an impeachment of my character. "Nothing at the gala. There was an issue when we got back here. When the girls got back to their apartment, it had been broken into and vandalized. Shit was shredded all over the place."

"Oh God. Are they both okay? Any idea who did it? Is there anything we can do to help?" He was sincerely concerned, panicked even, and I realized that I'd been snapping at him a lot lately for no good reason. He wasn't the one being an asshole, I was. I took everything he said the wrong way because I resented the deal he'd forced me into. The contract. Gran's house. My personal life. All of it. And he was right on all accounts. Fuck. I really was a shitty friend. He deserved better than that after all I'd put him through over the years.

"They're fine. Just shaken up. We have a couple of people in mind as possibilities but aren't sure of anything." I sat on the edge of the tub and braced myself for his reaction. "As far as helping, we kind of already are."

His voice was cautious, slow as he asked, "How exactly are
we
helping?"

"Well, they couldn't stay in the apartment, obviously, and I wasn't about to let them stay in the one crappy motel this town has to offer, so I brought them back here and gave them the first floor." I sat there cringing as I waited for his reply, hearing nothing but the soft hiss of the open line.

After a lengthy pause, he sighed. "Probably a good idea."

"I'm sorry... what?" No bitching? No accusing? No jumping up and down like a pissed off cartoon character?

"I said it was a good idea. I saw that motel, I wouldn't have wanted them there either, and they'll be safe at the cabin with you. At least until they find out who's responsible for the break in. Let me know if I can help with anything." After a long pause he continued, "So, what time is your meeting with the building inspector today?"

Wait a goddamn minute. He wasn't going to say anything else? Not even a not so gentle reminder about our deal? No lectures or pointed comments? He'd just finished telling me about the lawsuit and he's okay with me moving my new assistant in with me? "Around ten. You're not going to say anything about Ali and Talia staying here?"

"What else should I say?" Why did he sound amused?

"I don't know. I kind of expected a warning of some sort, something reminiscent of your infamous 'don't fuck the employees' speech." It came out with more of an edge than I'd intended. Dammit. Snapping at him for
not
lecturing me? I really had lost my mind.

He thought it was funny. Laughing, he asked, "If we'd decided to send one of our Richmond-based assistants to Denson for the project, chances are they would have had their own floor of the rental cabin, right?" I muttered an agreement, knowing how close we'd come to doing just that. Both our assistants had family obligations that made it difficult to travel, though. "Something like that is not unusual for long business trips. And why would I bitch at you for doing something honorable for a friend? A year ago, it would have never occurred to you to step in. You would have been in full-on 'not my circus, not my monkeys' mode, never giving it a second thought. You really are being a friend to Ali." The humor left his voice when he said, "Not to be a condescending ass, but I'm proud of you."

Much as I wanted to bust his balls for talking like a girl, I couldn't. I was surprisingly touched by the compliment. I'd never tell him that, though, it would just encourage the behavior. "Not necessarily condescending, but ass sounds about right."

HAVING GIVEN SPENCER
my word that I'd keep him informed about the break-in, I ended the call and fired off a quick text to Brant apologizing for missing our customary Sunday night strategy session. He replied almost immediately, as he usually did, dismissing my apology as unnecessary and suggesting we try for a mid-week reschedule.

That was Brant, laid back and adaptable. Thank fuck for that.

I replied in the affirmative, silencing my phone and slipping it into my pocket as I emerged from my room. Ali and Talia were in the kitchen, leaning against the counter and sipping coffee as strips of bacon sizzled and hissed away on the stove. Seeing them there, I couldn't help thinking of standing the same way with Ali in their D.C. apartment, the taste of good scotch and Ali's juices mingling on my tongue.

Ali cleared her throat, vying for my attention. I realized I'd been standing there in a daze. At least she'd snapped me out of it before I sprung a boner right in front of them having my little daydream. Shit. I needed to learn to focus. It was difficult with her so close. "Good morning, Clay. Coffee?" Her smile was warm and genuine.

"Good morning, ladies." I glanced at Talia, who nodded and stared into her mug. Not a morning person. Dually noted. I smiled at Ali. "Yes, please. Coffee sounds great."

While Ali and I sipped our coffee and made small talk, Talia went about making breakfast. She wasn't talkative in the morning, but she could still cook her ass off, half-asleep or not.

We finished breakfast, and I insisted on helping Ali with the dishes while Talia showered and got ready for work. She washed, I dried. Neither of us made any move to use the dishwasher, preferring to stand side-by-side and work together. When we were alone, Ali said, "She's not a morning person on a good day but today she's worse than usual. I don't think she slept much."

"It's understandable. Give her some time, she'll bounce back."

She finished the last of the dishes and turned to me as I dried. "Should she be going to work today? Lauren could have been the one to trash our apartment and Talia will be working with her all morning."

"She's never shown signs of hostility toward Talia, has she?" Ali shook her head, no. "Then Talia should be fine, but I understand why you're worried." There were faint dark circles under her eyes. She'd probably been up all night, too. "I have an idea. I don't have to meet the inspector until ten, and none of the contractors are coming in until after lunch to give time for the inspection, so I have a couple free hours this morning. Why don't we go down to the diner and talk to Lauren?"

She pursed her lips, debating. "I doubt it will go well, but it's worth a try." Glancing toward the stairs, she leaned closer to me. "Just you and I, though. No need to put Talia at odds with her. So far, it's just me she hates." The corner of her mouth curled into a small smile. "And possibly you."

"Yeah, I suspect she doesn't take rejection well."

We laughed it off, but we both knew there was a very real possibility that things could escalate beyond property damage. If Lauren was behind this, she needed serious help.

WHEN WE WALKED into the diner an hour later, a full hour before Talia was due to arrive, Ali's whole body tensed at seeing Lauren behind the counter. I stood behind Ali, having held the door so she could enter first. My hand rested lightly on the small of her back and her muscles were tight as piano wire.

She wasn't afraid. If I was reading her body language right, she was fucking pissed.

She hadn't been afraid to begin with, not for herself. She'd been afraid for Talia and, now that Talia wasn't around, Ali was spoiling for a fight. It was an instantaneous transformation. She'd been fine on the way there, smiled when I held the door, but seeing Lauren seemed to have snapped something inside her. She was seething, fists clenched, jaw flexing.

I rubbed slow circles on her back and leaned down to speak into her ear. "Remember, she's no different than Keith. They get off on forcing you to react. Don't let her win."

She relaxed a bit, releasing her jaw and taking a deep breath. She looked up at me with a tight smile. "Thanks. I needed that."

I continued to caress her back while keeping my attention focused on Lauren. She had her back to us, writing something on her ticket pad. When she finished, she tore the slip off, slid it into the window, and turned. She locked eyes with Ali, and her eyes widened briefly before shifting to me with a look of distaste.

Ali shifted and pointed at the parking lot as she addressed her. "Lauren, I need a word with you. Outside."

Every eye in the place was instantly on Lauren. She glanced around at the curious customers and smirked before shrugging and making her way from behind the counter. "Anything you say,
boss
."

Snotty bitch.

I gently tugged Ali back a step to allow Lauren to pass by and out the door. I had a feeling that if Lauren tried pulling the same shit Keith's date tried, there'd be a lot worse fallout this time around.

I followed them outside, surprised by the sudden appearance of storm clouds. It wasn't raining yet, but it looked to be just a matter of time. The threatening gray clouds were moving quickly, seeming to mirror Ali's mood.

She wasted no time getting to the point. "Someone broke into Talia's and my apartment while we were gone over the weekend. You know anything about that?"

Lauren gave her a bored look. "I'm not a thief. Besides, I doubt you have anything I'd want." Her gaze flicked to me briefly. "I have much better taste than you."

"Quit looking at him, Lauren. He turned you down, get the fuck over it." There was that dirty mouth again. "And I didn't say anything was taken. Someone trashed the place. Destroyed clothes, dishes, books, even my paintings. But nothing was taken. I find that odd. Don't you?"

Lauren scoffed. "Hardly. They were probably trying to do you a favor. You dress like a preschool teacher, you always have your nose in a damn book, and your paintings probably suck. Take it as an opportunity to start over."

"Why didn't you mention any of Talia's things?" I shot back.

She looked at me with a startled expression. "What?"

"You didn't say anything about Talia's ruined stuff."

She wrinkled her nose in confusion and sputtered. "I don't know. Maybe because she's not in my face accusing me of doing something I didn't do."

Ali took a step closer, her fists clenching again. "Or maybe it's because you knew only my stuff was damaged."