Karma (28 page)

“I’m sorry to hear that.” He tipped his head to the side
and paused. “Whatever happened with the duplicate checks?” he asked.

Liza swallowed hard. “I’m handling it.”

He hesitated, then walked farther into her office, closer to her desk. “I’m sorry to tell you this. Actually, I probably should have said something sooner, but your brother begged me not to.” Peter’s pasty skin flushed red.

Unease skittered up her spine and Liza shivered. “What is it?”

“This isn’t the first time there have been issues with checks. I hesitated to tell you this time, but I was afraid I’d be the one you blamed if you discovered the problem.” He wrung his hands in front of him, clearly upset.

Nauseous, Liza swallowed. “Peter, please start from the beginning and explain.”

“The duplicate checks? It’s happened before. Your brother periodically
borrows
money by printing two checks, forging signatures, and cashing the second one. He always promises to replace the money, and occasionally he does, but this time he seemed more desperate.”

Liza set her jaw. “Why is this the first time I’m hearing about this?”

“I promised Brian.”

“Yet you told me about the duplicate checks to Annabelle’s Antiques and held back the rest?” Liza rose from her seat until she was eye level with the man.

He bobbed his head up and down. “I…I felt guilty knowing. I thought you’d look into it and figure things out on your own. And now your brother’s been out of the office and he isn’t answering calls…”

“What do you know about why Brian
borrows
money?” She said the word with distaste. Her brother was stealing from the firm, plain and simple.

Peter shrugged, his suit jacket bunching around his shoulders. He didn’t meet her gaze.

“Peter?” she pressed.

“Gambling?” he squeaked.

Liza shut her eyes. “Are you asking me or telling me?”

“I promised your brother I’d keep his secrets, but I need my job and I’m sorry.” Suddenly shaking, Liza lowered herself into her chair. She needed to think. “That’s okay, Peter. I understand you were caught in the middle. Please just go. I’ll let you know if I need you.”

“Thank you. Thank you,” he said, backing out of the room.

Gambling. No wonder Brian had borrowed money from a loan shark. Could this situation get any worse? How many addictions could one man deal with before succumbing completely?

She opened her eyes and her gaze fell on a small photo on the side of her desk. Liza and Brian as children, dressed in snowsuits outside the house. Although Liza remembered her grandparents had taken the picture—her parents had been in Europe at the time, one of their many vacations—it had been a good time in her life. A fun day.

There hadn’t been many of those.

A dull throbbing pain began in the base of her head. She rose and took two ibuprofen pills and settled back in to work. She even ate lunch in the office, opting not to go out, which would have necessitated taking someone with her. Jeff stopped in to say hi and see how she was doing, and Liza was grateful for the normalcy that surrounded their working relationship. No awkward moments between them.

At five o’clock, she was still digging through outstanding work from the week of her injury but making steady progress. She decided to stay late and keep at it. She had nowhere else to be anyway, and it wouldn’t be the first time she stayed late.

Knowing it was Nash Barron’s day to be her designated driver, she called and explained. Then she texted Dare and asked him to pick her up when his shift ended at ten. He, of course, asked if someone else would be in the office, which prompted her to make the rounds to see if anyone else would be torturing themselves on a Friday night. Jeff was waiting
for changes on the Mystic job and said he’d be there at least as long as she was.

Liza texted Dare back to let him know she had someone to look out for her. And since he’d asked, she took pleasure in letting him know who. If she could be jealous of Cara, he could stew a bit over Jeff. Even if her relationship with Dare was over. With that thought, a pulsing in her head reminded her the pain hadn’t gone away.

She and Jeff ordered in take-out Chinese, which they ate together while discussing various jobs. When they finished, Jeff went to check the fax machine and Liza headed back to her office.

She was busy looking over specs when she heard a knock on her door. She glanced up to see a dark-haired man looking at her. “Sorry to disturb you, but—”

“Do I know you?” she asked warily.

He shook his head. “No, but you come highly recommended. You see, my parents know your parents. They met in Florida. My aunt left me her house in her will. It’s an old Tudor and there’s a possibility it has historical significance. I want to renovate, but the town has been holding me up. Your father said you’d be happy to help.”

“And you decided to come here on a Friday night?” She tightened her hands around her desk.

“I came up to check out the house, and when I passed by here, I saw the lights on. Thought I’d see if I could get lucky and find someone in.”

Since the firm was located in a free-standing building that looked more like an old home than an office, his excuse sounded plausible. “It’s late, Mr…?”

“Barton. James Barton. And I promise I won’t take much of your time. Can we just talk for a minute and then set up an appointment?” he asked.

He’d come in person and if she sent him away, there was a chance she’d not only lose potential business, she might also ruin any goodwill seeing him now might create.

“Of course. Come in.”

He stepped into the office and immediately shut the door behind him, so quietly she barely heard the click.

Liza narrowed her gaze and remained standing, her nerves suddenly screaming. But she wasn’t alone. Jeff was next door and so was his assistant, she reminded herself, forcing air into her lungs. Besides, this man didn’t look anything like the thug who’d stopped her on Ethan’s driveway.

She stepped out from behind her desk. “Can I get you something to drink because I could use some water.” And some breathing room. Whether or not she was overreacting to a closed door, she didn’t care.

She planned to ease closer to the exit, but he stopped her with a hand firmly on her wrist.

Her mouth went dry. “Excuse me.” She stared at his large hand wrapped around her much smaller wrist.

“I just wanted to give you a message for your brother. Or for you. At this point it doesn’t matter,” he said, his friendly tone gone.

Dizziness swamped her.

Liza dealt with many things in her life, but real threats and confrontation weren’t among them and she was scared. “Say what you have to and leave,” she said, trying to sound brave.

And probably failing.

His grip tightened. “The fifty grand your brother owes?”

Fifty thousand?
“What about it?”

His expression turned menacing. “My boss isn’t happy. Seeing as today’s Friday, you or your brother have until Monday night to come up with the cash.” The “or else” was implied. “Understand?”

Liza thought she nodded. Her ears had begun to ring, a loud sound reverberating inside her head. Not good, she realized when little black dots swirled in front of her eyes.

“Say it,” the man said. “You understand?”

She swallowed. “Yes. I understand.”

“Good.”

“Where does he…where do I bring the money?” she asked, knowing she’d have to take it from her savings. Nausea swamped her.

“You’ll hear from someone. We’re never far away. It’d be smart for you to remember that.” Without warning, he released his grip and she realized he’d not only been squeezing tight, but he’d been pressing on her pulse until she grew light-headed.

Suddenly she realized he’d swung open the door and disappeared. She hadn’t seen or heard him go. Her heart slammed against her chest so loud she was surprised Jeff couldn’t hear next door. Jeff.

She wasn’t alone…but she hadn’t been safe, either. At the thought, Liza reached for her desk before she could collapse and dragged in deep, calming breaths.

“Liza?” Another male voice called her name and she jumped when a large shadow appeared in her doorway.

“Liza? It’s me, Nash.” Dare’s brother stepped into the office, filling the space where the other man had been.

He took one look at her and knelt beside her. “What happened?”

“What are you doing here?”

“Dare called. He didn’t like your company and sent me over to check on you.” He narrowed his gaze. “Where is your co-worker, anyway?”

“In his office, working.”

Nash set his jaw. “So I’ll ask again. What happened?”

“Did you see anyone leave?” Liza asked, not answering his question.

“No. Was it the same guy from the house?” Nash asked.

She shook her head. “I didn’t recognize him. But you had to be coming in at the same time he left. How did you miss him?” she asked.

“Is there another exit?”

“A back one.” Liza met his gaze. “We only thought to
make sure I wasn’t alone. I didn’t think anyone would bother me with people around. I guess Dare didn’t either.”

Nash exhaled hard. “He’s going to be pissed.” Nash looked down and saw her massaging her wrist. “Son of a—” He grabbed for his phone.

“What are you doing?” she asked, stopping him.

“Calling Dare. What else?”

Liza shut her eyes. “Don’t. I’ll tell him, I promise. Just…let it be for now.” The man had relayed his message. She wasn’t in any danger. Not until Monday night, anyway. “He’s working and he’s missed enough time.”

Nash scowled at her.

“Oh, come on. I will tell him tonight. I swear.”

“Fine.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and helped her stand.

“I’m better now. I was just shaken up.”

Nash led her to the car, his hand on her back, muttering about stubborn women and how his brother was going to kill him. Like Dare, he was a gentleman, helping her into the car, making sure she had her seat belt on, checking to see her wrist wasn’t worse than she let on.

Her skin had begun to turn purple and she covered the bruising with her good hand.

Nash buckled himself in when his cell rang. He answered on the first ring. “I’ve got her,” he said before the caller could speak first.

It had to be Dare.

“What? How? When? Is she okay?” Panic tinged Nash’s voice, causing sheer panic to settle in Liza’s chest.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, touching him lightly on the arm.

Nash held up a hand and Liza held her breath until he finally disconnected the call. “Tess is in the hospital.”

Oh, no.
Liza’s stomach lurched. “What happened?”

Nash shook his head and shoved the key into the ignition.
“Something about alcohol or drugs.” Nash cursed as he pulled out of the parking lot.

Without asking, she knew he was going straight to the hospital.

“She’ll be fine,” Liza said, praying to God she was right.

Sam and Dare had partnered for the night. A slow night that consisted of too much time cruising the area, too much time to think, and definitely too much of his best friend’s yammering. Dare was glad he was driving. At least focusing on the road gave him some sort of distraction.

“So how’s bodyguard duty going?” Sam asked.

“Fine.” And it was.

The problem wasn’t the so-called job; the problem was them. So what else was new, Dare thought, holding in the rumble of anger that threatened to escape.

“She’s behaving?” Sam asked.

“She’s perfect,” he muttered.

Unlike many people who didn’t want to deal with a cop or someone either tailing them or keeping them company, Liza had been smart by accepting it and she hadn’t complained. She’d even made sure she wasn’t alone in the office. No, Jeff was there, Dare thought irritably. Now he knew how Liza had felt when he’d gone off condo hunting with Cara, and there was nothing fun about it. He didn’t even feel guilty sending Nash to check up on her. He believed in Liza. It was the flower-sending Jeff he didn’t trust.

“Then what’s with the mood?” Sam asked, not taking the hint with Dare’s one-word answers.

Dare raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t going to discuss Liza tonight. He’d had enough of that with his brothers the other day.

“How’s your love life?” Dare asked instead.

“Nonexistent,” his friend muttered, and shut up instead of asking more questions.

Dare grinned for the first time all night.

Suddenly a crackling sounded and the dispatcher’s voice broke into the silence. “Headquarters to Car Five.”

Sam answered. “Car Five on Main.”

“Ten-four. Car Five respond to Three Seasons Avenue.”

“Car Five en route,” Sam said.

Dare’s stomach clenched at the mention of the address where Tess had gone tonight.

Static again and then, “Car Five, be advised the caller stated there is an underage female passed out on a bed inside house. Serendipity EMS is en route as a precaution. Advise if any other services are required once on scene.”

“Ten-four,” Sam said, then muttered to Dare, “Damned kids and alcohol.”

Even as Dare swung the car around, he’d broken into a sweat. “Tess is at that party.”

“Shit.”

Dare hit the siren and floored the gas.

By the time he pulled up to the house, any cars that had been parked out front had disappeared and his stomach dropped, memories of his friends doing the same ten years ago coming back in vivid color.

They sprinted across the lawn and burst through the front door.

“Where?” Sam asked.

A shaking girl pointed to a doorway off the living room, and when Dare beat Sam inside his worst fears were confirmed. Tess lay passed out on a bed, with only her friend Michelle beside her.

Dare ran to her side and checked for a pulse. Thready but there.

“Parents or adults around?” Dare heard Sam ask.

“They went out after we got here,” a trembling Michelle said.

Dare kept his hand on Tess’s cheek, telling himself she knew he was there with her now. Sam sent Michelle out with
instructions to wait in the other room just as paramedics burst in, for which Dare said a silent thanks. Though he and Sam had basic CPR training, for all Dare’s cool, he couldn’t handle this.