“At first, I thought it had something to do with the merger. But now I think it might have something to do with the city contract that we were just awarded. Except…I don’t know. I’m not sure.”

  Journey exchanged a look with Prentice. He was probably thinking the same thing she was thinking. The proposed merger and the mention of that city contract had come up twice in the past hour. From what she understood, the merger had fallen through over a year ago.

  Still, Journey wanted to ensure she did her due diligence and investigated. That went for the contract, too. There was probably some information in one or the other that could shed light on the whole case.

  “I think Joyce might’ve been murdered because she threatened to go to the authorities about us manipulating the financial records,” Marta said in a rush, as if she had to get the words out before changing her mind. “It was wrong. I know it was wrong, but we were told to do it or we’d lose our jobs.”

  “Who is we?” Journey asked.

  “Me and my team, which included Joyce and Shawn Ridley.”

  Journey jotted Ridley’s name down to remind herself to see what they had on him.

  “Before discussing a merger, Dennis wanted us to make changes to the company ledger. We were forced to keep two sets of financial records. The real set, and another set that was used to get loans and lure investors. He insisted we hide some of the debt he’d been accumulating and add revenue that didn’t exist.

  “At first, it was small amounts that were easy to conceal, but over the last few months, the amounts were getting too large to hide. I was concerned that either the potential investors would request an audit or the city would. We have had several large city contracts over the years, and it’s not unheard of for them to do that.”

  “So basically, he wanted the business to look more profitable than it actually was,” Prentice said.

  Marta nodded and released a heavy exhale. “I’ve been with the company almost ten years, and we used to do everything by the book. Dennis was an honorable man. That’s how the company kept growing. People trusted our brand and us.”

  “Why did you lie to us and try to make it seem like Leverage Construction was a great place to work?” Journey asked.

  “Because I didn’t want to get in trouble. I didn’t know what would happen if you or the detectives discovered that the company was committing fraud.” She swiped tears from her eyes. “Leverage was doing well at first, but then a couple of years ago, a major contract that Dennis was banking on fell through, and it seemed like a snowball effect. He was losing other deals.”

  Journey wasn’t sure the information the woman shared was worth killing over. Yes, it looked bad that Dennis had manipulated his employees into fudging the books…but murder?

  “When we were awarded this new city contract a few weeks ago,” Marta continued, “I thought for sure we could start operating the way we used to, but then Dennis had to start paying the councilwoman more than he could actually af….” Marta gasped and slammed her hand over her mouth.

  “Wait.”

  “What?”

  Journey and Prentice spoke at the same time. Journey was on her feet, standing in front of the woman who looked as if she was going to bolt.

  “I shouldn’t have said anything. Forget I said anything,” Marta stammered and stood, grabbing her bag from the floor. “I have to go. I can’t—”

  “Sit down, Marta,” Journey said firmly. “You’re not going anywhere until you give me a name. What city council member are you claiming has been taking bribes?”

  Marta looked from her to Prentice and back to Journey again. She swallowed hard before saying, “Councilwoman Tamar Warner.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Journey laid her head back against the bath pillow and closed her eyes. Soft jazz filled the bathroom, candles flickered from every flat surface, and she savored the calming feeling of the bubble bath that Laz had surprised her with.

  Heaven. That’s what it was. Pure heaven.

  They had renovated their huge master bathroom when they purchased the home a few years ago. Now it had all the luxuries—heated floors, marbled tile, a double-wide steam shower, a glorious, free-standing tub big enough for two, and the list went on. Still, she could count on one hand how often she got to soak in her tub.

  That was just depressing. She worked her ass off every day, made an amazing living, and didn’t make time to enjoy the fruits of her labor.

  “That’s going to change,” she mumbled to herself, meaning every word.

  She had arrived home tonight from work at exactly six o’clock. It was sad that she couldn’t remember the last time she’d gotten home before eight. Even then, she often brought work with her, but not tonight. Laz had been adamant that their date night be a work-free zone, and she was all for it.

  Instead of eating dinner right away as she had expected, he’d had a snack prepared for her. Cheesecake bites. She smiled at the memory. He’d insisted that she deserved to have dessert before dinner, and all she could do was laugh at the idea. Even as an adult, she had difficulty allowing herself to eat dessert first. It had been an ongoing joke between them.

  Sighing, Journey settled deeper into the warm water and bubbles that stopped just below her chin. Immediately, her thoughts went to the conversation with Marta.

  Tamar Warner accepting bribes?

  It didn’t make sense. Journey still couldn’t wrap her brain around that, assuming Marta was telling the truth, and that was a big assumption. The woman had lied more than once after her coworker was killed. Who was to say she wasn’t lying now?

  But why would she lie? What would she have to gain by saying Tamar—a city councilwoman loved by the people of Atlanta—was accepting bribes?

  Then again, when it came to Tamar, anything was possible. The woman was condescending, entitled, and definitely the jealous type. She’d also do whatever she had to do to win at anything, but Journey had never known her to break the law. Heck, the woman knew the law better than anyone.

  Journey eased her eyes open as a thought occurred to her. “Which also means she’d know how to break it without getting caught.”

  Then there was Marta.

  Journey shook her head and let her eyes drift close again.

  After questioning the woman and wanting to believe what she was sharing, Journey had arranged for a squad car to sit outside of Marta’s house temporarily. At least for a couple of days until she could find proof to prove the woman’s claims. If what she told them was true, Journey could make the case that protective custody was needed, seeing Marta would be a key witness.

  And if her claims about Tamar were correct, the Feds would have to be notified. A public figure accepting a bribe was a federal offense.

  What a mess.

  Journey might not like Tamar, but she hated thinking that the woman would risk everything…and for what? A few dollars? Favors? If the accusation was correct, not only could she kiss her job and the possibility of becoming a US Senator goodbye, but she could also expect to spend some time in jail.

  Oh, no. Tony….

  “Jay? Tell me you didn’t fall asleep,” Laz said from somewhere in the bathroom, and Journey smiled.

  She opened her eyes just as he sat on the upholstered stool next to the tub.

  “I think I love you,” she said wistfully, feeling totally relaxed despite the route her mind had taken.

  Laz laughed. “Well, I should hope so since you’re stuck with me.”

  He kissed her lips, then boldly cupped her breast, caressing and teasing her pert nipple. Journey couldn’t stop the moan from slipping through. His nearness and his touch had desire swirling inside her, and her head fell back against the bath pillow.

  This man. This sweet, sexy, badass man knew how to turn her on.

  “I came in here to tell you that dinner is ready, but now that I’m here, I’m thinking maybe I should help you relax a little more before we eat.”

  He slipped his hand into the water. Like a heat-seeking missile, he found his way to the apex of her thighs. Journey sucked in a breath and arched her back when he slipped a finger inside her. Between his thumb and fingers touching, teasing, pinching, and basically driving her crazy, she couldn’t help squirming in the water.

  “Goodness. You were right the other day when you said there’s a lot you can do with one hand,” she said with a nervous laugh. “Or maybe I said it. Ohh….”

  She nearly leaped out of the tub as he continued stoking the flame burning inside of her. Her legs squeezed together, trapping his hand in place while she struggled to keep breathing. The man’s fingers were magical, like a weapon he used to shut her up and keep her in line. That wasn’t even an exaggeration. Between the water swishing between her legs, and the way he was picking up speed, sliding his fingers in and out of her, Journey couldn’t speak. She could barely think.

  One last stroke of his fingers and she fell apart. The toe-curling orgasm had her gripping the sides of the tub tighter as everything inside of her exploded.

  “Oh, my….” she panted.

  When she glanced up, Laz was smiling. “Well, the first part of this date is going better than I expected.” He bent over and kissed her sweetly. “Now, quit messing around, and come on. I don’t want the food to get cold.”

  Journey sputtered a laugh, scooped up a handful of water, and threw it at him. He laughed, dodging most of it before hurrying out of the room.

  She sat back, wanting just a few more minutes of relaxation.

  God, I love my man.

  Laz was feeling pretty proud of himself. It had been a long time since he romanced his wife. Knowing that the last few days—hell, the last few months—had weighed on her, he wanted to do something special. He wanted to make her feel special because that’s what she was to him.

  If the shooting had taught him anything, it was that life was short and could be snuffed out in a heartbeat. The days of taking what they had for granted were over.

  “Man, this is so good,” Journey crooned, moaning as she stuffed a piece of honey-glazed chicken into her mouth. “Thank you for this, and feel free to cook for me anytime.”

  Laz chuckled. She knew as well as he did that the only part of the meal he’d prepared was the broccoli and garlic bread. He had ordered the chicken, three-cheese scalloped potatoes, and cheesecake bites from her favorite restaurant.

  “Only the best for you, baby,” he said, bringing his beer bottle to his mouth and taking a healthy swig. Sitting across the candlelit table from her, watching her enjoy the meal, was all the thanks he needed.

  He had wanted to take her to her favorite restaurant, but it wasn’t safe yet. It was bad enough that they had security sitting outside the house. Going to a restaurant with her would’ve meant even more guys watching their backs. So, he’d done the next best thing and ordered in. Until they found the mastermind behind the hit, they weren’t taking any unnecessary chances.

  Thinking about taking chances brought to mind his adventures from the night before. He had handed over the recording once he’d gotten Wiz to clean it up, and the shooters had been arrested. All three were in protective custody at the hospital, recovering from concussions, busted ribs, and a few broken bones. Neither volunteered how they had sustained their injuries, but Laz was sure Ted and Remy knew.

  Laz and Parker, after they visited with Benny that night, found Shaggy, the other shooter, and they also found the driver. The two assholes happened to be roommates and lived in an apartment on the east side of town.

  After a bit of persuasion, they confessed to their role in the shooting and suffered a similar beating as Benny. It helped that Laz knew enough about their families to use them as a threat to get the punks to talk. It also ensured that they’d keep their mouths closed about how they had sustained their injuries.

  Laz had no plans of going after any of their family members, but they didn’t need to know that.

  Ashton had been a huge help, and Laz would forever be in his debt. His friend had been instrumental in getting the evidence to Ted, making it seem like he got everything from a confidential informant. That included Benny’s gun that Laz had confiscated.

  A couple of hours ago, he had gotten word that, after ballistics had been run on the weapon, the data confirmed that it was the weapon used in Laz’s shooting and matched a homicide case from two months earlier.

  Needless to say, the three punks would spend the rest of their lives in jail.

  Journey set her fork down and wiped her mouth with a napkin. She smiled at Laz over the tapered candles that had melted down to stubs, and his heart squeezed at the love he saw in her gaze.

  “I can’t remember the last time I felt this relaxed,” she said. “Thank you for giving me just what I needed. I always enjoy our date nights, and I promise we’ll get back to having them regularly.”

  He could tell she was still feeling guilty about her role in their marital issues, but Laz was more than ready for them to move past any problems. They had both apologized, agreed to do better at putting their marriage first, and that was all he needed. He just had to figure out how to get her past it.

  Time. All it would take was time for her to realize they were in a good place.

  He reached across the table for her hand. “I have no doubt we’re on the right track, but babe, you talk about this being a relaxing evening, and I can tell you’ve been distracted for much of it. What’s on your mind?” he asked, caressing the back of her fingers with his thumb. “And before you say nothing, remember, I used to be a detective. I’m good at reading people.”

  She gave a little laugh and sighed. “I’m sorry. I know you said this is a work-free zone tonight, but I can’t stop thinking about this case.” She squeezed his hand before releasing it and picked up her wine glass. “It started as a murder case, but it’s turning into so much more, including company fraud.”

  He pushed his chair back and stretched out his legs in front of him, crossing them at the ankle. Laz didn’t know much about the case since Journey didn’t really discuss it—or any of them, for that matter. But he could tell early on that this one bothered her more than others. That was saying a lot, considering some of the heinous crime cases she took on.

  “No, I’m not doing this,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m not going to ruin a beautiful evening with my husband to discuss work.”

  “Babe, if you need to talk it out, we can.”

  “Thanks, but no. We’re on a date, and I’m giving you all my attention.”

  Laz sat forward and shrugged. “All right, cool. Then let me clean up the kitchen. Then we can go upstairs, and I’ll see if there’s anything I can do to take your mind completely off work.”

  A sensual smile spread across her mouth as she stood and sauntered toward him with a seductive swing of her hips. He liked the white shirt dress she was wearing. It was thin, but not quite thin enough for him to see through the cloth. What he loved most was that it provided easy access.

  She hiked up the hem of the garment and straddled his lap.

  “I was thinking….” She started unbuttoning his shirt, and Laz shook his head.

  “No,” he said emphatically, despite her moving closer to position herself on top of his dick. “Don’t even think about it. We’re not doing this in a chair tonight.”

  He cursed under his breath and tried to ignore how she was grinding against him. Tried to ignore the way her hips moved rhythmically while her hands roamed up his body. And he tried to ignore how incredible she felt.

  Damn this woman and her sexy ass when she got like this. She always made it hard for him to….

  “Jay,” he hissed, his fingers digging into her hip, struggling to keep his body from matching her moves. “I told you, the next time we….”

  Her cell phone, which was sitting on the table, rang with her father’s ringtone, and Laz stiffened. It was almost ten o’clock at night, and they had already talked to their daughter. There was only one reason Logan would be calling.

  “Get it,” he demanded, his body going rigid for fear that something had happened to his baby.

  Journey leaped from his lap, stumbling in the process, before snatching up the device.

  “Dad?” Journey put the phone on speaker. “Is everything all right? Is Ari all right?” she asked in a rush.

  “Hi, Mommy,” Arielle said, her sweet little excited voice flowing through the speaker. “I saw Princess Tiana today!” she screeched. “And you know what else….”

  Laz released a ragged breath and dropped his forehead on the table while trying to get his heartbeat back to normal. Damn. Damn. Damn. This situation was going to give him a heart attack.

  Journey rubbed his back, but the small circling of her hand did nothing to settle his tattered nerves.

  He couldn’t keep living like this. Living with the fear that someone was going to get to his family. He didn’t scare easily, but that was the one thing that scared him to death.

  I have to find whoever this person is. And I have to find them soon.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Laz couldn’t remember the last time he’d been in the DA’s office, but he did recall all of the debates he’d had with Journey whenever he showed up to request a warrant. She wasn’t one to hand them out easily, always asking a ton of questions to decide if he had probable cause to get one.

  The thought warmed him from the inside out. If anyone had told him back then that she’d one day be his wife, he would’ve laughed them out of the room. The woman was so far out of his league, then and now. He never imagined that they’d ever get together, even if he wanted them to. Their relationship was living proof that anything was possible.

  Laz readjusted the large white bag of food in his hand and strolled through the hallway past the staff lounge. Before Journey left for work, he had suggested they have lunch together and had been surprised when she agreed. It probably wouldn’t be a long meal, but at least they took time for each other.