Nothing To Lose: A Grey Justice Novel (17 page)

Though he had every intention of convincing Kennedy not to take this job, Nick couldn’t help but ask, “And what’s my role in all of this?”

“You’ll be Kennedy’s live-in lover.”

A frown furrowing her normally smooth brow, Kennedy was shaking her head.
 

Despite his determination to talk her out of doing this, Nick felt a little stab to his heart at her resistance to him playing her lover. She surprised the hell out of him with her next words.

“Nick’s role can’t be so minuscule. We’re in this together.”

“His assistance will be vital, I assure you,” Justice said. “As your significant other, he’ll live with you, be your protector and tail you wherever you go. If he’s caught, he can play the jealous lover, and no one would suspect he’s anything else.”

Nick shook his head. “That wouldn’t work. After my shooting, my photo was all over the news, and not just in Houston. If I’m seen with Kennedy, I’ll blow her cover.”

“I doubt that either Mathias or Adam are aware of what either of you look like,” Eli said.

“Still, I don’t want to take the chance.”

“No problem,” Justice said. “As long as you don’t mind some minor alterations to your appearance, we will make sure no one recognizes you.”

Hell, he’d have plastic surgery if that would help. That wasn’t his biggest concern.

As if she knew he was about to come out with a huge amount of objections, Kennedy grabbed his arm. “If it’s okay with you both, Nick and I need to talk about this before we agree.”

“That’s understandable,” Eli said. “Hopefully, while you’re making that decision, you’ll still come to work for me. Despite my ulterior motives for hiring you, I really do need an assistant.”

“Yes, of course,” Kennedy said. “I’ll be there tomorrow morning.”

Nick pulled Kennedy to her feet and pushed her gently to the door. Before he walked out, he turned and addressed both men. “We’ll be in touch.”

Chapter Fourteen

Half an hour later, Nick turned into Kennedy’s driveway. They’d said little to each other on the drive back, each lost in thought. He put the car in park, wondering exactly where to start to convince her that working directly with Adam Slater would be suicide.

“So, do you want to come in and talk about it?”

“Oh yeah, we’re going to talk,” Nick assured her.

“No, what you’re going to do is try to talk me out of it. That’s not going to happen, so if that’s the only reason you’re coming in, you can leave.”

When the hell had she gotten so stubborn and self-sufficient? Or had she always been like this and in self-preservation he had seen only what he wanted to see? Probably—because this confident, self-assured woman was even more of a temptation.
 

Confident or not, she was going to get herself killed if she agreed to this harebrained scheme. Damned if he would stand around and allow that to happen.

“Either hear me out or I’ll take you away right now.”

“Like hell you will, Nick. I make decisions for my own life. Not you.”

 
“Fine. Let’s go in, and we’ll talk like two adults.”

She nodded and got out of the car. Nick followed behind her. As she entered the code for the security system, he went through the small house to make sure all was clear.

They met in the center of the living room. The smile she gave him was slightly awkward. He didn’t like that. She had always been comfortable around him. He vowed to make himself more agreeable, no matter what.

“So…I could use something to eat. How about you?”

Hell, he’d dragged her out of the house after a long day of work. It was close to ten o’clock. She had to be starving. Here was his chance to show her his agreeable side. “Why don’t you sit down and let me fix you something? You must be exhausted.”

“Actually, my adrenaline is pumping like I’ve had five shots of espresso. This is the most optimistic I’ve been in months.”

Before they got into the discussion and the inevitable argument, she needed to eat. “How about we work together?”

“For a meal or the other?”

Turning his back to her, he headed to the kitchen. “Let’s start with a meal.”

Kennedy bit her lip and then winced, realizing it was sore. This wasn’t the first time she had done that tonight to keep herself from saying something she’d end up regretting. Her emotions were all over the place. What an incredible, mind-blowing day it had been.

Nick stuck his head in the doorway. “Where do you keep your skillet?”

Giving herself a sound, mental shake, she joined him in the kitchen. She needed the nourishment to deal with the major argument that would come once he realized nothing could deter her from this new plan.
 

Barely five minutes later, they sat down to plates of fluffy scrambled eggs and golden-brown toast, washed down with ice-cold milk. Considering that she often had to force herself to eat these days, she was pleased at her healthy appetite.
 

Nick had cleaned his plate, too, and was leaning back in his chair, his expression much less grim than an hour ago. Maybe they both had needed sustenance to be able to discuss this calmly and rationally.

“I don’t want you to do this.”

“I know you don’t, but this is a much better plan than me trying to dig up something on my own. This will get me into the Slaters’ lair much faster, and I’d have access I could never get on my own.”

“Your plan is only slightly less asinine than Justice’s.”

“Do you have a better way? You’ve been after the Slaters for what…more than a year? And you’ve gotten zilch.”

“No, not yet, but I’m—”

“But you’re what, Nick? Hoping that someday they’ll get what’s coming to them? When? When Mathias Slater dies of his illness and goes to hell? When Adam orders another person’s death and someone finally has the guts to bring the bastard down?”

His voice went low and furious. “Just what kind of guts do you think it will take to bring them down? Do you think you’re the only one who wants someone to pay? Thomas was my best friend. I miss him every damn day.” He leaned forward and locked eyes with her. “I worked for over a year to find enough dirt to bury the Slaters. Their covers can’t be penetrated—at least not the normal way. It got to the point where I was chasing my own tail and wondering if the family should be nominated for sainthood instead. They are that good. So don’t assume others don’t want what you want or haven’t tried.”

Nick was right. She wasn’t the only person hurt by Mathias and Adam Slater. “I’m sorry. You’re right.”

His hand reached across the table and grasped hers. “We will get them. I promise.”

Her eyes dropped to his hand. Large, strong, capable. Just like the man himself. When Thomas had been alive, she’d never given Nick enough credit. She had known he had good points, but his reputation of being a ladies’ man had overshadowed them. After Thomas’s death, he had been there for her, solid and dependable. Her rock.

“Then let’s talk about their idea—me enticing Adam Slater so he’ll try to steal me away from his brother. What do you think about it?”

“I think you’ll be putting yourself into a dangerous situation that you’re not prepared for or trained to handle.”

“Such as?”

“What happens when he wants something from you? Like sex?”

“Eli said—”

“Adam Slater might not enjoy sex like a normal human being, but sex can be about more than physical pleasure. It can also be about power. Eli also said his brother was all about power.”

She considered him for several seconds. Few people knew about her childhood. Thomas had told her more than once that her ability to survive had made him love her even more. Her past wasn’t something she liked to discuss, but if she and Nick were going to trust each other, then he needed to know.

“How much do you know about my background, before I met Thomas?”

The puzzled look on his face confirmed her thoughts. Even the man her husband had trusted most in the world hadn’t been given this information.

“Not a lot. I know you lost your parents when you were ten. That you lived in various foster homes. You went to a community college and got a degree in both criminal justice and business management.”

“All of that is true. What you don’t know is that when I was fifteen years old, one of my foster dads tried to rape me.” She took a breath and added, “I killed him.”

“Hell,” Nick said in a hoarse whisper. “What happened?”

“My foster mother was at work. Gerald, her husband, was on disability. His responsibility was watching us kids. He drank more than he did anything else. I was just developing and apparently caught his eye.”

Only by focusing on the facts was she able to block out the absolute terror of that day. “One of my foster sisters had warned me about him, but until that day he’d always kind of ignored me. I didn’t give it a lot of thought.
 

“I was in the laundry room, ironing clothes. He came in and backed me into a corner. Said a bunch of disgusting things, most of which I didn’t understand. I kept telling him no. When he grabbed me and threw me on the floor, I started fighting for real. He had one hand wrapped around my throat…I could barely breathe. When he was about to do it, I looked up and saw the cord to the iron dangling in front of my eyes. I grabbed it and pulled the iron down. It landed on his back. He jerked back and when he did, I took the iron and slammed it into his head.”

“One blow killed him?”

“Actually, no. He fell back and hit the sharp corner of the counter behind him. Cracked his skull.

“There had been suspicion of sexual abuse before, but when the girls were questioned by social workers, they’d clammed up. Almost before I could get myself together and explain what happened, three of the girls were coming forward. They said Gerald threatened to kill them if they told the truth. With his death, they didn’t have to worry about that.”

“I’m surprised I didn’t run across this information when I was investigating you.”

“You investigated me? Why?”

Fury and something else gleamed in his eyes. The look might have once frightened her, but now it only sent warmth throughout her entire body.

“You disappeared completely, Kennedy. The only way someone can vanish like that is if you had professional help. I dug deep into your past, thinking I could find an old friend or distant relative who might have helped you get away.”

“What did you find?”

“Two things. That you’re a lot more resourceful than I ever believed possible.”

“And?”

“You’re as alone in the world as I am.”

For some reason, that hurt her heart to hear him say those words. The thought of Nick being alone bothered her. Even with the multitude of girlfriends he’d seemed to have, he had been alone.
 

“And now I’ve discovered something else. Something I’ve known for a long time but didn’t allow myself to see until now.”

“What’s that?”

“You are an incredibly strong person.”

She smiled. Though it felt like a fractured version of her normal one—she had always been uncomfortable talking about herself. “I’m not that strong…not really. But I am a survivor. I told you that story so you would understand—I will do what I have to do. I’ve been on my own a long time. I’ll admit that when Thomas and I married, I got caught up in the dream. Losing him…losing our baby, made me remember the reality of life. There are pockets of happiness, but for the most part, life can be downright shitty. Stupid me forgot that.”

As much as Nick wanted to deny her claim, he wouldn’t. She’d fought hard for her self- sufficiency and strength. He damn well wouldn’t lessen her accomplishments by spouting platitudes and trite reassurances. She was right. Life could be downright shitty.
   

“So do you trust Grey Justice and Eli Slater?” Nick asked.

“Yes. As much as I trust anyone, besides you. I know they have their own reasons. I’m not naïve enough to believe they’re doing this for me. But if we can achieve the same goal, why not work together?”

“And you believe you can carry this off? Spend hours with the man who ordered Thomas’s death? Live with him?”

“Will I hate it? Yes. But I can do it. I don’t doubt that.”

“Then I’m with you.”

He caught his breath at the smile that broke out on her face. He hadn’t seen that smile since before Thomas was killed.
 

“Thank you. I’m hoping I’ll play my role so well that Adam Slater will hire me quickly and trust me as fast as possible.”

“And what if he doesn’t? What if this takes months…or years?”

That determined glint returned to her eyes. “It doesn’t matter how long it takes. Like I said before, I’m in this for the long haul. What about you?”

Without hesitation, he answered, “I’m in it for as long as you are. We’re a team.”

Chapter Fifteen

Kennedy sat at her new desk and reviewed the list of daily duties Eli’s former executive assistant had left for her. The list was substantial, but her mind kept veering to the unbelievable events of the last twenty-four hours. Getting a job with Eli Slater, having Nick reappear in her life, meeting Grey Justice, then learning that her new boss had hired her to help him expose his family’s corruption. Each event on its own was stunning. All of them together made for an explosive, mind-boggling day.