Hot on Her Heels (15 page)

“Right.”

They looked at each other.

Part of her wanted him to kiss her. The girly side she didn't let out much thought a hug would be good. Some kind of physical contact. But she didn't ask and he didn't offer and then he was gone.

Dana heard the front door close, then went to make sure it was locked. She walked through the large living room, crossed to the floor-to-ceiling windows and stared out at the skyline of Dallas.

This wasn't her world. In her tiny apartment, she looked out onto a poorly maintained courtyard. She couldn't see clear to the horizon. An issue she would deal with later. First she had to unpack. But instead of returning to the guest room, she walked into Garth's room.

The bed was made, the dresser tidy. One drawer was partially open. She went to close it, only to realize it was empty. As was the drawer below it and the one below that. She crossed to the bathroom and the big closet beyond.

Garth's clothes still hung in place, but they'd been shifted closer together. While the last time she'd been here, she'd noticed he wasn't using all that much space, the new configuration left more than half the closet empty. As if he had planned to share it.

Is that what he'd been expecting? That she would join him in here? Is that what he'd been hoping? Or were the questions just wishful thinking on her part?

 

G
ARTH LEFT THE FINANCE
meeting feeling better than when he'd entered. Not only were profits up eighteen percent in the past quarter, the entire company had exceeded benchmarks for the year to date. The news was nearly enough to burn away his disappointment.

He knew he was being a total guy. He'd told Dana he wanted her to move in so she was safe from Jed. At least when she wasn't out on her own. It was the only reason—he'd even discussed it with her best friends.
Or so he'd thought right until she'd taken the offered guest room over sharing a bed with him and he'd been…

What? Hurt? Was he turning into a woman? He wasn't hurt. Of course it was more practical for her to have her own space. Hell, they barely knew each other. They'd slept together exactly one time. Neither of them trusted easily. It wasn't as if she was living with him because they had a relationship.

But he'd wanted her with him and he hadn't known he did until she'd refused.

He pulled out his PDA and checked his schedule. His five o'clock said nothing more than “ST.” Who or what was ST? There was only one way to find out.

He took the stairs to the executive floor and rounded the corner, only to see Skye waiting outside his office.

“You're my five o'clock?”

“I made an appointment and everything. You should be so proud.”

“That depends on why you're here,” he said cautiously. Izzy, he understood. She was straightforward and open. But Lexi and Skye were still a mystery to him.

He motioned for her to enter his office and followed her inside.

“By the way,” she said as she took a seat in front of his desk and set her briefcase on the second chair. “Don't worry about dinner. Dana's going out with Izzy.”

“You know she moved in.”

Skye's green eyes crinkled as she smiled. “Yes, and
I'm not going to ask you how you did it. I'm just happy to know she's protected. My father can be a dangerous man.”

More than Skye knew, he thought, remembering his promise not to tell any of the Titan sisters what had happened.

He hovered by his desk. “You wouldn't be more comfortable on the sofa?”

“No. This is a business meeting. Go ahead and sit behind your desk. It will make you feel like you're in charge.”

“What makes you think I'm not?”

She gave him an enigmatic smile. “Oh, please.”

Wishing he knew why she was here, he did as she requested.

She opened her briefcase and pulled out a folder. “We did a detailed analysis. I have more paperwork to explain the numbers, if you need it.”

She passed him the folder. He opened it to find a bill for three million dollars from her foundation. Behind that was another sheet listing various expenses.

“Your pranks, for lack of a better word, cost me money,” she said calmly. “Legal fees to fight the rumors, lost donations. I had staff members resign and they had to be replaced. According to my chief financial officer, this should cover all of that, plus give us a little bonus, by way of an apology.”

“Because I'm feeling remorse?” he asked, admiring her willingness to simply ask for what she wanted.

“Of course. We're family now.”

“So says Izzy.” He glanced at the paperwork. “Three million dollars seems high.”

“Do you know the number of children right here in this country who go to bed hungry every night? My foundation works every day to feed them. You took money away from that, Garth. Do you really want to complain about an amount you can easily afford and write off as a tax donation?”

She looked determined. Her green eyes snapped with temper. He would bet Mitch did his best to make sure he never pissed her off.

“Three million seems fair,” he said quickly. “Will a personal check be acceptable?”

She relaxed in her seat and smiled. “As long as it doesn't bounce.”

He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out his checkbook. “Having sisters is a bigger pain in the ass than I thought it would be.”

“Part of our charm.”

He glanced up and their eyes met. For a second, he felt a connection with her. A sense of shared respect and a certain humor. Then he blinked and it was gone.

He wrote out the check and handed it to her. She reached across the desk and took it.

“Is Lexi going to come after me for money, too?” he asked. “Or Izzy?”

“Only if they think about it.”

“Great. Something to look forward to.”

She tilted her head. “I'm sorry for what happened all those years ago. With Kathy.”

He shrugged. “It had nothing to do with you.”

She leaned toward him. “I wish you'd come to us. We could have helped.”

“Skye, I was fourteen. You were maybe seven or eight. What would you have done?”

“Oh. Right. I keep thinking it's current because all this is happening now, but your mom got sick a long time ago. I wish…” She drew in a breath. “There's nothing that can be done for her?”

“Nothing. She's been to a dozen experts. The damage is irreversible. It's not like a broken bone.”

Her mouth twisted. “I'm sorry my father is such a bastard.”

“He's my father, too.”

“If only he'd acted like it.”

Garth didn't want to think about that. He knew the pain of wishing things could be different. There was no win in that and only a whole road of hurt.

“He'll get his,” he said.

Skye didn't look reassured. “Vengeance isn't known for its healing properties. Would Kathy have wanted that?”

“She would have wanted a chance to get better. Jed took that from her. Now he's going to pay for it.”

 

“T
HIS IS A BAD IDEA
,” Dana said as she sat in the middle of the dining room while Lexi pulled on her hair. “Do
you want to know if that hurts?” she asked as her former friend wielded a very large curling iron.

“No,” Lexi said cheerfully. “But yell if your scalp starts to burn. We're talking painful burn here, not mild discomfort.”

Izzy strolled back in from her tour of the place. “Very nice,” she said. “Love the view. You really do have your own bedroom.”

“How do you know that?”

“I opened a few drawers.” Dana's expression might have made her nervous because she immediately held up both hands. “I didn't touch anything. Don't wig out on me.”

“Wigging out isn't what I had in mind.”

Although a good hour of kickboxing sounded really good right about now. Who knew that getting ready for a stupid party could be so time-consuming?

Lexi had shown up nearly two hours ago to work her magic on Dana. Because spending the morning at Lexi's spa hadn't been enough. There Dana had been massaged and endured a pedicure. A cheerful yet vicious woman had practically ripped off seven layers of skin to get, as she had put it, “The perfect eyebrow arch.” Individual fake eyelashes had been glued on before Dana had endured the humiliation of standing naked except for a thong in a tanning booth while a complete stranger had sprayed her with fake tan. She'd smelled funny all day.

Now she had on enough makeup to be an extra in
Madam Butterfly
and Lexi was determined to curl every hair on her head.

“You should think about growing your hair out a little,” Lexi said, moving to another part of her head. “I'm not talking superlong, but maybe to your shoulders. You have a bit of a natural wave.”

“Lucky me,” Dana muttered.

“Trust me,” Izzy said, puffing her own wildly curly hair. “Guys so go for the big hair. It's sexy.”

As was Izzy. She wore a halter top and loose black pants, which sounded normal enough. Until Izzy moved. Then the slits that went from the band on her ankles all the way up to mid-thigh were visible. It was the kind of outfit that made a little black dress seem almost plain by comparison.

“Done!” Lexi announced, then sank into a chair. “Just in time, too. My back is killing me.”

Dana turned to her. “You should have said something. We didn't have to do this.”

Lexi looked at Izzy, who grinned. “Oh, honey, we so had to do this. Go put on your dress.”

Dana touched Lexi's arm. “Are you all right?”

“I'm fine. Cruz will be here in twenty minutes to pick me up. Due to my advancing pregnancy, I get to spend the evening at home watching reality TV.” She gave Dana a little push. “Go get ready. You still have to squeeze into your shapeware.”

“Right. The tube of death.”

Dana scrambled to her feet then hurried back to the
bedroom she used. She stripped off her jeans and shirt, then spent five minutes wiggling into something obviously designed by a misogynist. The dress was next. Thanks to the shapeware, it fit her perfectly. She pulled up the zipper, then reached for the diamond dangle earrings Lexi had loaned her. The hideously high shoes were last.

Izzy burst into the room. “He's back. Don't you hate a guy who's prompt. You'd better—”

She skidded to a stop and stared. “Wow! You look fabulous, and I don't say that lightly.”

Dana smoothed the front of the dress. “Is it okay? It's not nearly as sexy as what you're wearing. And you have on pants. Maybe this is…”

Izzy grabbed her hand and pulled her into the bathroom. There was a full-length mirror by the tub.

Dana stared at herself, not recognizing the woman staring back. Her dark, short hair had perfect waves with lots of layers that looked amazing. The makeup made her eyes huge, and the long lashes didn't hurt, either. The dress hugged curves she hadn't realized she had. And the tan made her legs look slim and long. She had to admit that while she hated the heels, they looked great with the dress. She was elegant and sophisticated and longed to look this good every day.

“Oh,” she whispered. “Okay.”

“Yeah,” Izzy said, hugging her. “Okay for sure. Let's go dazzle Garth.”

“You think he'll like it?”

“He won't be able to talk.”

Dana wasn't so sure. She followed Izzy down the hall, into the living room where Garth stood talking to Lexi. He looked like a male model in a perfectly fitted tux and white shirt. Her heart gave a funny little lurch, which she ignored.

“Are you ready?” he asked as he turned toward her.

And then the most amazing thing happened. He stopped talking. His mouth hung open but he didn't say a word. He closed his mouth, then opened it again. But there still wasn't any sound.

Next to him, Lexi sighed. “I love it when a plan comes together.”

“T
HE LIMO WAS A NICE TOUCH,”
Dana said as they climbed the stairs to Glory's Gate. She'd been in the house a thousand times before. As a kid, she'd spent the night nearly every weekend. There was nothing to be nervous about. So why were her insides quivering?

“You hated the limo,” Garth said, putting his hand on the small of her back, as if to guide her.

“I wasn't sure of the purpose. You have a very nice car.”

“It was for show. This is all about how things look, not how they are.”

“There's a philosophy to embrace.”

They reached the top of the stairs and moved toward the open front door.

Dana could see into the main floor of the huge house. Three or four hundred people milled around inside. Light glittered from a dozen crystal chandeliers. Servers in black pants and white shirts circulated with trays of expensive food while the sound of champagne corks competed with the chamber orchestra.

Nothing about this was her, she thought, knowing it was too late to turn back now.

“You okay?” he asked.

She reached for Garth's hand and squeezed it. “I'm fine.”

“You're lying.”

“Go with it.”

They walked into the party. Dana knew she was probably cutting off the circulation in Garth's hand, but she couldn't loosen her grip. Not when there were so many well-dressed strangers everywhere she looked. Senators, oil tycoons, movie stars. Not a crowd designed to make her feel at home.

“Garth, good to see you,” an older man said. “You remember my wife?”

His wife was a blue-eyed blonde with a face that didn't move. Dana wasn't sure if she was twenty-five or fifty.

“Of course,” Garth said easily. “Amanda, you look lovely. Jason doesn't begin to deserve you.”

“So I tell him every day.”

Garth chuckled. “This is my friend, Dana. Dana, Jason and Amanda Barkley. Jason is the ambassador to Costa Rica.”

Dana smiled and shook hands with the couple. They chatted for a few more minutes, then moved on.

“Want to head to the bar?” Garth asked.

“Do I look like I need a drink?”

“No, but I do. Liquor makes the party easier to tolerate.”

“Then I'm glad we came in a limo,” she whispered, as he nodded at more people he knew.

When they'd reached the bar, Dana accepted a pale green “drink of the night” with no idea what it was. Garth asked for Scotch.

They moved through the crowd. The downstairs of Glory's Gate had been designed for entertaining. Seemingly solid walls could be moved out of the way, creating an open space that could accommodate nearly a thousand people. There would be less tonight because there was a sit-down dinner. Dana had seen Skye plan for a big event before, but she'd never appreciated the sheer size of the major fund-raisers. Everything she'd ever been dragged to before had been tiny by comparison.

“How does this work?” she asked. “Do people pay to come?”

He nodded. “It's five thousand a plate.”

She nearly choked. “Five thousand
dollars
? You paid ten thousand dollars? for us to be here?”

“That's nothing. Ask me about the three million she made me pay the other day.”

Dana had no idea what he was talking about but she couldn't wrap her mind around the idea of that much money.

“Later there's an auction. She should walk away with a couple of million easily.”

It boggled the mind, Dana thought, taking a sip of her drink.

Nick came up and joined them. “Izzy found someone who's actually been cave diving. She's badgering the poor guy for details. I couldn't listen.”

Dana didn't want to think about underwater cave diving, either. “Do you think she'll really try it?”

Nick shook his head. “We're talking about Izzy. You want to take bets?”

“No.” Izzy had always been wild, although falling for Nick had calmed her down a lot. She was going back to college in a couple of months. “Maybe she'll be too busy with homework.”

“We can only hope.”

The orchestra started another song.

Nick took her drink and put it on a small table by a pillar. “Come on, Dana. Distract me with a dance.”

The line was smooth enough and Garth gave her an encouraging push toward his friend, but everything about the moment felt strange. Rehearsed, almost. She turned to say something to Garth, only to find him walking away.

“So this was a plan,” she said, following Nick a few steps, then coming to a stop. “Want to tell me what's going on?”

“No.”

“What is he up to?”

Nick sighed. “It's not what you think.”

“I don't know what
to
think.”

“It's not another woman.”

“I never thought it was.” Which was true. So why
would Garth want to go off on his own? A business deal?

She dismissed that. Not here. Not at Skye's party.

“Is it Jed? Is he here?” she asked.

“Apparently he bought a ticket.”

She didn't like the sound of that. “Garth shouldn't be alone with him. Something could happen.”

“Don't worry. Garth can take care of himself.”

“That's what I'm worried about. Jed will do anything to win, including trap Garth.” She turned to walk away.

Nick grabbed her arm. “Dana, leave him be.”

She shrugged free. “Are you really going to stop me?”

Nick stared into her eyes. “No. But tell him I tried, okay?”

“Sure.”

She went in the same direction as Garth, hoping she could find him before something bad happened. Unfortunately the tiny evening bag Lexi had loaned her hadn't been big enough to conceal any of her handguns, so she wasn't armed. Fashion was a big pain in the ass.

She reached the edge of the main room and hesitated. Glory's Gate was a really big house. There were a dozen places the men could be. But only one Jed would consider his own, Dana thought, and opened a door leading to a long hallway.

She walked the familiar route to Jed's study. The door was partially closed. Dana debated simply pushing her way inside, but then what? Better to find out what was going on.

She shifted so she could see into the room, but there wasn't anything in her view. Slowly, carefully, she pushed the door open a little more, then nearly gave herself away by gasping. Garth stood behind Jed, his arm around the older man's throat. He held a lethal-looking knife at Jed's chin.

“She bleeds, you bleed,” Garth said, his voice low and threatening.

“All this for a woman,” Jed said, obviously trying to sound relaxed, but the fear in his eyes and the lack of color in his face gave him away. “I didn't think you'd have that much trouble getting laid.”

Garth tightened his grip. “Is there any part of you that doubts me, old man? You
will
leave her alone.”

Dana hesitated. While she wanted to bargain and stop the man games, she was more curious about Garth's plan. Still, she didn't want him putting Jed in the hospital and himself in jail. Just when she was about to step inside, Jed nodded once.

“I'll leave her alone.”

Garth released him.

Dana stepped back, then turned and walked toward the party. Her mind jumped from image to image. She could still hear the anger in Garth's voice.

No one had ever tried to protect her before, she thought, confused by what he'd done. No one had ever flirted with an assault charge to make a point on her behalf. She knew Garth was more than capable of making good on his threat. He had the physical scars on
his body as proof of his strength. Strength he could use against anyone at any time. But to risk it all to protect her?

She slipped back into the party, then headed away from where she'd left Nick. She walked around the perimeter of the crowd, not ready to talk to anyone. She felt uncomfortable, but couldn't say why.

A few minutes later, she walked by one of the many bars and ordered the drink of the night. She'd barely taken a sip when the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.

“No one is fooled,” Jed said, standing right behind her. “No one thinks you belong here.”

She turned to face him. He was still a little white around his mouth, although she doubted anyone else would notice. Were words all he had left?

“Do you hear that ticking?” she asked coolly. “There's a big clock counting down to your destruction. Your own family wants you in jail. That says something. What I can't figure out is why you did it. All those years ago when Garth showed up, you could have easily paid for the surgery. That's all he wanted. Then none of this would have happened.”

Jed's lip curled. “You're going to lecture me?”

“No. I'm just curious. You should never have gone after Izzy. Lexi and Skye could have forgiven nearly anything else.”

“Collateral damage. The price of war. I didn't plan on her getting hurt.”

“You arranged for a bomb to blow up an oil rig. What did you think would happen?”

He shrugged. “That she'd be scared. The purpose of the explosion had nothing to do with Izzy. The Duncans needed to learn a lesson.”

Oh, God. Because he'd been setting up Garth, she thought. Then she replayed his words in her head. “The Duncans? Not just Garth? Kathy has a part in this?”

How could he have anything against Kathy? “Is this about the past?” she asked. “About what happened between you and Kathy all those years ago?” She tried to read his expression and couldn't.

“This is about making sure Garth doesn't win.”

“He's already got you beat.”

“Don't be so sure, Dana. Garth has a lot to lose.”

 

W
HEN
G
ARTH FINISHED
with Jed, he had trouble locating Dana. She wasn't with Nick, or with Skye. Eventually he found her with Lexi who was seated on a chair by the wall while Cruz hovered nearby.

“I thought you weren't coming,” he said to Lexi as he approached.

She smiled. “I wanted to see Dana dazzle. We're only here for a few minutes.” She put her hand on her belly. “Someone else wants to party.”

He frowned, not sure what she meant. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him closer.

“The baby's kicking. You can feel it.”

There were a whole lot of things he would rather be
doing than touching her stomach, but he couldn't figure out a polite way to refuse. Then his palm was against the surprisingly hard curve of her belly and he felt a jab right under his thumb.

He looked at Dana. “Have you felt this?”

She nodded, then looked away.

He grinned at Lexi. “It's really a baby.”

“The alternative was that I was developing an unnatural affection for fast food.”

An older couple joined them and started talking to Lexi and Cruz. Garth stepped back, then put his arm around Dana's waist and led her away.

He'd thought she might resist, but she went with him. When they were relatively secluded beside a large leafy tree in a massive pot, he released her.

“What's wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

The right word, but she wouldn't look at him. He stared at her.

“You followed me.”

She drew in a breath and finally looked him in the eye. “He could press charges.”

“He won't and that's not the problem.”

“No, it's not.”

He couldn't figure out what bothered her. “You were shot at. I couldn't let that go.”

“If the person with the gun had wanted me dead, I'd be dead now. It was a warning.”

“Just being a warning doesn't make it okay.”

“But it's perfectly fine to hold a knife to someone's throat?”

“Is that what's bothering you?”

“It doesn't make me happy.”

“Jed isn't someone who responds to quiet conversation. Dana, he can't be allowed to think there aren't consequences. Jed has never had to answer to anyone before. Now he has to answer to me.”

“Vigilante justice is still illegal.”

“I'm not interested in breaking the law.”

“No. You just want to win at any cost. You're more like him than you think.” She drew in a breath. “Has he had any contact with Kathy since the surgery?”

“No, why?”

“He said something.”

“You spoke to him?”

“Mostly he wanted to tell me I didn't belong here, with you. Which isn't important. He implied there was something he owed the Duncans. Not just you.”