Nothing To Lose: A Grey Justice Novel (42 page)

“I know exactly what he’s capable of, but how am I supposed to just sit back and wait when I know I have a viable lead?”

“Because that was our agreement. We’re a team…remember? If you get some intel, you find a way to let me know, and then we’ll decide how to proceed together. Going off on your own isn’t going to accomplish anything other than get you killed.”

The conflict was there in her beautiful eyes. She was so damned independent and stubborn. How ironic that he found those qualities so attractive and yet they might end up getting her killed.

She released a ragged breath, and he knew he’d finally gotten through to her.

“Fine. I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”

“You had to know I’d have my eyes on you.”

She grimaced, guilt shadowing her face. “I thought you would be asleep. That I could be gone and back before you noticed.”

He struggled not to explode again. “You knew I’d be pissed.”

“Yes.” She sighed again. “I admit, it was stupid. Okay?”

Before the discussion ended, Nick needed her to know where he stood. “Do that again, or anything remotely similar, and you’re off the case. Understand?”

Temper flared in her eyes, but thankfully she decided not to argue the point. Instead, he saw a slight smile curve her lips as she said, “So now can I tell you what I found out?”

“Yes, as long as you promise you won’t do it again.”

“I promise. Okay?”

He nodded, satisfied. “Okay, what did you find out?”

Even though a part of her still smarted from the lecture, she was mature enough to know that Nick was right. She’d acted impulsively, and if she’d been caught, it might’ve destroyed their entire plan.

Still, she hadn’t been caught, and she did have something to share. “When Adam was showing me around the mansion, his butler interrupted us to tell him he had a call and suggested he take it in the ‘secure room.’”

“Secure room?”

“Yes. That room was definitely not on the tour and isn’t on the blueprints of the mansion.”

“I’ll be damned, the bastard’s got a secret room.”

Smiling brilliantly, she added, “And I found it.”

“Where?”

“Right next to his office is a keypad. It’s designed to look like a thermostat, but on closer inspection I realized it’s a security keypad. I felt around the area, and there was a long, narrow indent in the wall that I believe is an opening.”

“I’m not even going to think about what would have happened if anyone had seen you feeling around the wall.”

“They didn’t, so let’s get past that and talk about how we’re going to get into the room.”

“I’ll talk with Justice and Eli. We’ll discuss scenarios during your spa day on Friday. Sound good?”

“Yes.” She glanced down at her watch. “I guess I’d better go. Adam’s driver is waiting outside to take me back to the house.”

Kennedy forced herself to head to the door. If she stayed any longer, she would bring up issues he wasn’t ready to deal with yet. Her hand was on the door when he called out, “I had a long talk with Thomas last night.”

She turned back to him. A lump of emotion jumped to her throat. She knew that had been hard for him…and maybe even harder to admit. “Did it help?”

“Yeah…a lot.”

“And?”

His eyes locked with hers, he walked slowly toward, saying softly, “When this is over, I want to take you to a tropical island and make love to you for days on end.”

Happiness bloomed throughout her body. “Sounds perfect,” she whispered.

Standing before her, he continued in that soft, growling voice she loved “And I’d like to talk to you about another kind of partnership. A permanent one.”

“Sounds even more perfect.”

Lowering his head, his breath warm and sweet on her face, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead, her nose and then her lips. “I love you Kennedy. Forever, for always.”

Before she could respond, he kissed her with a reverence and tenderness that brought tears to her eyes and made her heart swell with emotion. Kennedy let him set the pace for the kiss, understanding that Nick was finally letting go of the guilt and pain he’d felt for so long.

When he raised his head, he gave her the brightest, most beautiful smile he’d ever given her. “I’ll see you Friday.”

Her heart so full she felt it might burst, she nodded and walked out the door as if she were walking on clouds. The battle to gain justice for Thomas was still on, but at last, she had won the war over Nick’s heart.

Chapter Thirty-nine

The minute Grey walked into his penthouse, he knew she was gone. There was a feeling of emptiness about the place, and though he’d been in his home many times without Irelyn there, this time was different.
 

Last night, he had undressed her and helped her put on a nightgown. She had been silent, her face blank. He knew she had still been in shock. He had offered her a cup of tea, laced with a mild sedative. She had shaken her head when he’d put the cup to her lips, and he had set the drink aside, allowing the small defiance. After carrying her to bed and covering her with a light blanket, he had stayed to watch her sleep. In his gut, he had known it might be the last time.

Refusing to put off the inevitable, he went directly to her bedroom and shoved open the door. Irelyn’s delicate scent, jasmine with a hint of spice, lingered in the room. A fragrance he’d had developed especially for her. Though everything still looked the same, including the glass cabinet in the corner filled with porcelain clowns she had collected on their travels, the atmosphere was cold and barren. Without Irelyn’s dynamic personality, the room was a beautiful, empty shell.

Even though he already knew the answer, he crossed over to the walk-in closet. The instant he opened the doors, his suspicions were confirmed. Suits, dresses, jackets, slacks, and evening wear, color coordinated and neatly hung, filled the spacious area. One entire wall was devoted to her love of shoes. Irelyn was a clotheshorse…looked phenomenal in anything. With her generous salary, she had been able to purchase whatever she wanted. And while the full closet should have reassured him, he was immediately aware of one telling exception.
 

The cubbyhole where she kept her “go bag” was empty. When she had created the space years ago, he had been amused. She had done it to taunt him with the knowledge that she could leave anytime she liked. They had moved around the world, and wherever they ended up, she had found a prominent place to store the reminder of her independence. Years had passed before he had realized she did this not only to taunt him, but as a reminder to herself that she wasn’t a prisoner. That it was her choice to stay and not because he wouldn’t let her go.

Grey turned away from the evidence of her defection. A familiar, unwanted ache of abandonment threatened, but he pushed the feeling away with a lifetime of discipline. He searched for the fury and rage he’d expected to feel and knew it was no longer there. It had been years since he’d felt those things for her. The job Irelyn performed last night had been her last payment to him. A stupid, insane part of him had hoped she would stay for other reasons.
 

Pushing aside all emotions, he pulled his cellphone out and pressed a key. The sooner he had her things removed, the better. As he’d learned a lifetime ago—one went on, no matter what.

Nick eyed Justice as he walked into the living room of the penthouse. Eli would be along shortly. Before he arrived, some things needed to be cleared up.

Nothing showed in the other man’s face, but there was something different about him. Pinpointing it would have been a useless endeavor. Justice would go only so far in his trust of others. Nick could identify with that personality trait. What concerned him right now was just how far this man would go with another issue.

“You want to tell me what happened to Irelyn’s informant?”

Not a flicker of guilt or secrecy showed in the other man’s eyes. “I believe I mentioned he died of heart failure. Many do…even soulless, merciless killers.”

“Damn convenient.”

“Not for him, it wasn’t. I’m sure he was quite put out.”

“Cut the bullshit, Justice. Did you have anything to do with his death?”

“Are you asking as an officer of the law or as a member of the Justice Group?”

“You know full well I’m no longer a cop.”

“But you’re not a member of my team?”

Instead of answering, Nick said, “You told me once that your group didn’t murder to achieve justice. Has that changed?”

“Despite what you may think, what happened to Irelyn’s contact has nothing to do with you.”

“He was responsible for Thomas’s death, wasn’t he?”

“He was guilty of many other things unconnected to Thomas O’Connell’s death.”

“So you did kill him? Or have him killed?”

“I don’t intend to answer the question, Gallagher, no matter how many times you ask. If you’re a member of my team, certain information is on a need-to-know basis. If you’re not a member, then the matter is definitely none of your business.”

Nick knew he had a choice to make. Justice could cover this up as well as the Slaters could conceal their own sins. And how many lives had been saved by ending this bastard’s life?

“Let’s get one thing clear. If I become a permanent member of the team, getting involved in vigilante justice is out for me. I’ll do what I have to do to help others, but I draw the line at murder.”

“Contrary to what you apparently believe, so do I. As I said, this man’s death had nothing to do with you or the O’Connell case.”

Eli came through the door, and Nick let the matter drop. As a cop, he’d been walking a fine line since he had become acquainted with Justice. But he was no longer a cop, and the man who’d arranged Thomas’s death was gone. Try as he might, he couldn’t work up an ounce of outrage that a sleazy contract killer had gotten what was coming to him.
 

“So what’s this new information?” Eli asked.

As Nick explained what Kennedy had uncovered on her unauthorized search, Eli’s eyes lit up like he’d been given an early Christmas present. “I’ve been in that house a thousand times and not once knew about a secure room.”

Justice looked almost as pleased as Eli. If Kennedy had been here, she’d have been patting herself on the back, making him doubly glad she wasn’t. The last thing she needed to see was their approval.

“With nothing incriminating in either his work or home office, makes sense that this is where he’s keeping his private files,” Nick said. “Question is, how are we going to get inside?”

“How about Irelyn?” Eli asked. “She was able to bypass security and search his office at work. Think she can do the same at his house?” He glanced over at Nick. “I know you can pick locks and break into his house but Irelyn’s got the kind of skills to break into Fort Knox.”

“Irelyn is no longer on this operation. She has chosen to terminate her employment.”

“Damn, I hate like hell to hear that,” Eli said.

By not even the slightest flicker did Justice indicate that Irelyn Raine leaving his employment disturbed him. His very lack of emotion or regret told Nick that it bothered the man a hell of a lot.

“We’ll find a way in,” Justice said. “We’ll meet with Kennedy on Friday. In the meantime, work on some scenarios you think might work.”

Nick stood. “The sooner we can get inside and obtain whatever information Adam has, the sooner Kennedy can get away from him.” Before walking out the door, he glanced back at Justice. “And if that job offer is still open, I’ll take it.

Chapter Forty

The days passed in an agonizingly slow pace for Kennedy. Even though Adam kept her busy with his daily schedule, sometimes they seemed to be running around in circles. Luncheons, cocktail parties, impromptu business meetings. Thankfully, she didn’t have to attend most of them, but keeping up with his schedule was a challenge. When she’d worked for Eli, he had spent most of his time in his office. When he did go out, his destinations revolved around business. There had been little socializing.

She was beginning to see the many differences between the two brothers and found herself continually surprised that they were even related. Working with Eli had been interesting because she’d had the opportunity to observe the various aspects of running a large company. She had liked Eli’s business style—tough but fair, with a sense of humor thrown in.
 

Adam was supposed to be in charge of several different interests for Slater Enterprises, but she’d seen little of his business skills. From the few reports she’d been permitted to see, others managed those interests. Which begged the question: Just what the hell did Adam Slater do?

Eli had said that Adam was the weakest link, and she could definitely see his reasoning. The prestige and power behind the Slater name were there, but without intelligence to back them up, the man was an empty suit.

Living in the same house with him hadn’t created the headache she’d feared. Other than riding to work with him in the mornings and returning home with him in the evenings, she saw little of him outside the office. Was his absence a concession to his wife? Or, now that he had achieved his goal of stealing her from Eli, had his interest waned? Either way, Kennedy was grateful. Unless he was ready to reveal secrets that would help achieve her goals, she was quite happy to stay off his radar.