Sex, Lies and Valentines (24 page)

Too bad she hadn’t realize how much it’d hurt to have to choose between that career and the man she loved.

12

WORK. THAT’S ALL she could count on, and from now on, all she should care about. Danita ground her teeth to keep the tears at bay as she silently chanted that reminder. Gabriel had distracted her with sex and cats and the lure of a family. And all the while, he’d been conning her.

Using her.

Determined to prove she wasn’t as incompetent as he must think her, she followed Hunter’s orders and used Caleb’s secure computer to type her notes up into an official report. An hour later, as her fingers flew over the keyboard, she was viciously aware of Caleb’s presence.

Why had he returned? Shouldn’t he be supervising tuxedo fittings or filling Hunter in on groomsman duties? Groomsman, she thought with a surge of confused anger. Why hadn’t Hunter let her know he had a personal connection on this case? Because he didn’t trust her? Had he expected—rightfully—for her to screw up?

She wanted to beat on the keyboard, but figured abusing city property might irk the good sheriff.

Finally she couldn’t stand it. She glanced over and met Caleb’s eyes. They were so like Gabriel’s. Her heart stuttered a little at the look he was giving her. Long, intense and unblinking.

Those Black boys definitely had a lot in common.

“You have something you’d like to say?” she prodded.

“Just wondering how you’re holding up.”

“How
I’m
holding up?” she asked, leaning away from the computer to frown at him. “Why?”

“So suspicious?” He took his time pouring two cups of coffee then brought them over, setting one on the desk in front of her. “Why wouldn’t I be curious about your state of mind? You’re clearly a vital force in this case. Both my father’s innocence and my brother’s safety depend on your discernment and clear thinking, don’t they?”

Her spine rigid, she shifted her shoulders and lifted her chin. She felt like she was giving testimony before an aggressively ambitious prosecutor. A part of her, the part that still saw Caleb as her lover’s brother, wanted to tell him to back off. But the rest of her, the part that valued her career, realized that this was a coordinated investigation with a great deal on the line.

“You don’t have to worry about me doing my job,” she assured Caleb. Not liking the disadvantage of sitting there like she was in detention, Danita pushed away from the desk. With a nod of thanks, she took the coffee to the side table and added cream. Then, both to make a show of nonchalance and because it was chocolate, dammit, she selected a chocolate-glazed old-fashioned out of the donut box.

“How long have you known the FBI had an investigation open on your father?” she asked, taking the offensive along with a seat on the edge of the desk. “Clearly you and Hunter have a history. He’s even in your wedding, which appears to be quite the surprise for your best man. Does that history extend to forgiving an intrusion of this level?”

“There’s nothing to forgive,” Caleb said with a shrug. “I believe in the role of law enforcement. And I spent enough years undercover to know that a lot more gets done covertly than through official channels.”

Danita gave him her sweetest smile before nibbling an edge off her donut. “You didn’t answer my question, though. Did you know about the investigation? Were you clued in that I was FBI when we arrived?”

Caleb’s own smile was more wicked than sweet. The look he gave her was long and searching, as if he were trying to see, not into her work ethics, but into her heart.

“Let’s just say that as the person in charge of enforcing law in Black Oak, I prefer to know as much about what’s going on here as possible.”

He’d known.

Her heart ached for Gabriel. How would he feel when he found out his brother had been playing him? He had no room to complain, given that he had played his entire family with their false engagement. But she knew he’d be hurt.

“Apparently your family is quite gifted at lying to each other. And to others,” she added before she could stop herself.

“I guess we are. But only when it’s justified.” Caleb took his time refreshing his coffee. “You know, I essentially lied to Pandora when I came to town. I can justify it with the excuse that I was on a case. But the results are the same.”

“I didn’t lie to Gabriel.”

“No, but you did to everyone else under the guise of it just being your job, right?”

She opened her mouth to protest that she hadn’t slept with everyone else, hadn’t given her heart to any of them. Then she snapped it shut. Did it matter? Lying was lying.

“I’m sure, in the end, if you ask Gabriel, he’ll tell you that all of this—” he gestured to the room where they’d had their little powwow two hours before “—was just him doing his job.”

“It’s not the same.”

“No? Let’s set aside the physical risk factor for a second, since in this case Gabriel’s life was right there on the line next to yours.”

He waited, for what she wasn’t sure. Finally, frustrated, Danita gave a nod. Apparently that’s all he’d wanted, because Caleb nodded back, then continued, “Because when you do your job, you have, what…your reputation on the line?”

“I’d like to think I’ve devoted my life to my career for more than building a reputation,” she snapped. “This isn’t about my ego.”

“I’m sure it’s not,” he said agreeably. “But let’s be honest. In this situation, Gabriel had a lot more at risk than reputation. Or whatever time he’d have served if he didn’t scream entrapment instead of going along with Hunter’s plan.”

She sniffed, knowing that line of entrapment versus arrest was very blurry in Gabriel’s case. Still, he’d gone along. With a little extra incentive, of course. She dropped her gaze from Caleb’s to the vivid pink of her pointy-toed pumps. She had a feeling that extra incentive was going to be Caleb’s point.

“Failure to solve this case will be a smudge on your record. Failure for Gabriel means our father will be locked up for the rest of his life.” He paused for a sip of coffee. Danita thought it was for effect at first, then she saw the tension in his fingers clenched on the mug. He was just as worried as Gabriel. Maya must be as well. Danita’s heart clenched. As contentious as it might look from the outside, this was a family that all loved each other very much.

“So you might be mad that he took a few extra steps, hedged his bets, so to speak. But consider his reasons.”

She understood them. She could even accept them.

But she also had to accept the fact that they were proof-positive that she and Gabriel had no future. That he operated on the opposite side of the law.

It wasn’t her pride that was aching, she realized. It was her heart.

“When we initiated this investigation I didn’t realize he cared about his family,” she said quietly. “Not at first. He cut ties, walked away. Our reports show you’ve all been estranged for almost a decade.”

“We’re a stubborn bunch,” Caleb agreed. “But that doesn’t mean we don’t care, a hell of a lot, about each other. Just because Gabriel was trying to prove something, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t love our father.”

She nodded. “I realized that. After we got here. After I saw all of you together.”

“Then you shouldn’t hold his actions against him.”

“You wouldn’t be trying to convince me that Gabriel would have been all up-front and honest, laying all his cards on the table, if his father wasn’t the suspect?”

Caleb’s smile was wider than his brother’s. Edgier, with a hint of wicked where Gabriel’s was pure charm. But the way it lit his eyes was exactly the same when he laughed.

“Oh no. Like you said, lying is an art form in our family. It’s a part of the job.” The look he gave her was pointed and painful. “You should know that. I’d say you are pretty skilled in that department yourself.”

“I didn’t lie to Gabriel,” she snapped before she could stop herself. “He knew, from the beginning, what my job was. What I was here to do. He was aware that we suspect your father, and he was clear on the parameters of this case.”

“And you were clear on his.” Caleb gave her a long look, then with a deep breath said, “We don’t know who’s behind this. My father pulled strings to get Hunter, and in turn you, involved in this case. He says he did it to clear his name. He’s good enough that that, too, could be a con. But I have to believe it isn’t. And I know Gabriel, even though he knows we lied to him, will have to believe that, too.”

Caleb surprised her with a friendly pat on the shoulder before he turned to leave.

Danita dropped into the chair she’d vacated earlier. She didn’t know how long she stared at the blurred computer screen after the sound of the closing door signaled Caleb’s departure. His words, spoken and unspoken, rang through her mind.

She had a choice. She could give in to the aching demand of her heart. Or she could be true to herself and follow her career.

But could she live the rest of her life loving someone who operated on the wrong side of the law? Someone who epitomized everything she’d sworn to fight? Even if he gave it all up, could she trust him? What did they really have between them? Hot sex and a quirky cat?

She loved Gabriel. There was no question of that. But how long could she live with him if she gave up her job, her beliefs and her future?

And how long could she live with herself if she didn’t?

Tears tracked, unchecked down her cheeks as she struggled to accept the truth.

She couldn’t spend her life with him.

But she could make his life a little easier. She’d clear his father, give him his family back. And then she’d say goodbye.

Blinking away useless tears, she sucked in a shaky breath and got to work. She finished typing up her last report and added it to the FBI case file. Now she needed to check on the money.

She called Hunter.

“What protocol would you prefer I follow with the bank? Do you want me to maintain cover?”

“We don’t have time. I’ll run the bank owner for security clearance. Wait for my go-ahead.”

In typical Hunter fashion, she had the go-ahead text within ten minutes. She left the sheriff’s department to take the short stroll toward the bank. It was doubtful anyone would be stupid enough to make that large a cash deposit. But still, she’d cover all the bases.

“I’m Agent Cruz,” she said twenty minutes later, introducing herself once she’d reached the privacy of the bank president’s office. She went on to explain the situation—stressing the need for confidentiality—before requesting access to the bank’s cash vault. Like any good banker, Waxman, the president, first called the sheriff for verification, then the local FBI office as well. A half hour later, he gave her access to a small ATM vault and that morning’s deposits.

“Why don’t we start back here? It’s quieter and less obtrusive,” Mr. Waxman said, gesturing to a small room. “We haven’t sorted our night deposits yet. Please, don’t take offense, but I’ll stay with you as you make your inspection.”

“Of course,” Danita agreed with a cool smile as she took a seat and pulled the first deposit bag toward her. Thirty minutes later, she’d learned to block out the sound of Waxman’s fingers tapping “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” on the table.

Not even seeing the denominations any longer, her eyes blurred as she flipped through the serial numbers. This was such a waste of time.

Then something caught her eye. She pulled a twenty out of the rubber-banded stack of bills. Eyes narrowed, she inspected it. Pre-1998 currency redesign, the bill was soft with age. The color was perfect, as was the artwork. But there, just on the edge of the four in the serial number, was a pale line. As if the printing plate was missing ink.

Excitement zinged.

“Mr. Waxman, can you tell me which account this is?” she asked, indicating a large vinyl envelope. “The slip indicates an account number, but no name.”

He glanced at the slip, and obviously a credit to the small town, didn’t even have to look up the account number.

“That’s the Forever in Joy account. Our local wedding planner, Lisa Duffy.”

Wedding planner? Danita’s stomach pitched. Biting her lip, she held the bill up to the light, confirming the slight tell Gabriel had warned them of.

And she remembered Maya explaining why Cassiopeia had gone overboard with pre-wedding parties.