He didn’t know the half of it.

  “Go sleep that shite off. We have work tomorrow.”

  This had to end soon. This was so much bigger than money. If my enemy won, I could not only lose my company and my freedom, but my son. And that was one thing that couldn’t happen with Keely considered his next of kin.

  Twenty-Seven

  “Lizzy,” I said desperately into the camera. “What do I do now?”

  “Fuck him again?”

  “That’s not helpful.”

  I blew out a breath that caused the free strands of hair around my face to swirl in the air.

  “Get on the plane and help the man,” she said like it was the obvious answer.

  “Why?”

  “Because that’s who you are. You’ll never forgive yourself if he’s convicted of something he didn’t do.”

  I closed my mouth because she was right.

  “By the way, I’m not loving that hair color on you. Though you do look like a badass bitch. So put your big girl panties on and make him admit he’s crazy in love with you.”

  I slumped and propped my arm up on my thigh so I could rest my chin on my palm.

  “I can help him, but as for the rest I can’t. I need a break from men.”

  “How long? One month, two?”

  “A while. I’m moving and starting a new job. I want to focus on me and my career.”

  She laughed. “I’ll bet you a hundred dollars you screw that grumpy but gorgeous man again.”

  I wouldn’t take that bet.

  “Exactly, which is why I need distance from him.”

  “Keep telling yourself that. You’re hot for him and that’s not going to change in a few months.”

  I stuck my tongue out at her and she giggled. “I’ll never know unless I try.”

  “Fine. Is Griffin flying with you?”

  “Probably. Why?”

  “Tell him I said hi.”

  Her wicked smile said more.

  “Did something happen between the two of you?”

  She laughed. “Wouldn’t you like to know? But he’s a massive flirt and plays the game better than me. It’d be a bad match and always a test of wills. I’ll pass. Though I’ll admit, he’s super hot.”

  I wasn’t sure I believed her.

  “I agree. Stay away from him,” I said.

  “You’re only saying that because he’s Kalen best friend.”

  “Yep. And then I’ll never get rid of him.”

  “Like you’re really trying. You got rid of one hottie because you’re mad for the Scot. Bye.”

  She waved and the screen went dark before I could deny, deny, deny, which would all be lies.

  I sent an email to Kalen agreeing to help because my phone didn’t work here. Twenty minutes later, I had instructions. He would be picking me up in an hour.

  Twenty-Eight

  Leave it to the lass to be waiting outside for me instead of inside the apartment. She hadn’t wanted us to have any alone time and I needed to explain, but not with the driver and Griffin around.

  The ride was quiet, which was strange for Griff. It wasn’t until we boarded the plane and it had lifted off before my best mate went into business mode.

  “This is the plan,” he began.

  “I should have flown coach on a commercial flight,” Bailey interrupted, barely glancing my way. “If anyone is checking customs for my passport activity as you appear able to do, they’ll know this is a setup.”

  Griff held up a hand. “First of all, if they are tracking you, Bailey Glicks with red hair isn’t going to audit Brinner Financial.”

  “Who is?” she asked.

  He reached over to hand her a manilla envelope. “Nancy Drue is.”

  She rolled her eyes at him. “You can’t be serious.”

  I looked down at the business cards I’d snagged out of the envelope and noticed the spelling of the last name was different.

  “Deadly. It’s a conversation starter and we’re looking for information.”

  Her lips flattened. “I’m not a very good liar.”

  She wasn’t.

  “You don’t have to lie about anything but your name. The rest is real.”

  “And what happens when I don’t complete the audit with financial statements and such?”

  Griff looked at me.

  “You could finish,” I began.

  “I’m a first-year auditor, fresh out of college.”

  “You passed the CPA exam.”

  “Yes, but—”

  “Or we could say that your firm wasn’t prepared to handle the load. It really doesn’t matter,” I said.

  “Because we hope to have what we need before anyone starts asking questions,” Griff said.

  “You really think whoever is behind this is working for you?”

  I shook my head. “No.”

  “But we hope to find a weak link we can follow,” Griff finished.

  Then he fished out his phone. I just need one thing. She glanced up and he snapped a picture.

  “What’s that for?” she snarled.

  “That is for the company security file and ID I’m making for you that will give you entrance.”

  “Fine.”

  She got up from her seat and walked away from the both of us to sit in a set of seats not grouped with ours.

  “Man,” Griff whispered. “You fucked up.”

  I had and the fact that he’d said fucked and not fecked in jest meant that I’d messed up really badly.

  Twenty-Nine

  Galway had been an amazing place to spend a few weeks. But Edinburgh was too. It was full of life and people who appeared to love life.

  I’d done my best to avoid Kalen on the plane and he’d avoided me since we arrived. I’d been set up in a hotel with a security duo across the hall and hadn’t seen the devil since.

  The modest business clothes I’d suggested had been delivered without fanfare.

  The very next day I’d walked into Kalen’s company, Brinner Financial, and had worked hard to remember my new fake name, Nancy Drue.

  The security guard hadn’t even batted an eye at my name. Then again, he probably wasn’t a lover of teenage girl mystery novels or the TV series.

  After meeting with the team, I’d been shown an empty cubicle I could use. The one thing I could say was that the accounting group at Kalen’s company was much friendlier than the one in New York.

  As it turned out, only two people had commented on my name. One of them was a woman who headed up the department and the other was an American intern named Brian.

  The few days I’d allotted myself flew by with ease. The only question about my presence that came up was why I was focused solely on cash balances. Quick on my feet, I’d surprisingly made up a convincing lie.

  “My team got caught up with another audit. I was sent ahead since I’d finished my part.”

  Brian nodded, but there was something about him that was worth looking into. He was the one asking most of the questions and he was just an intern.

  One positive thing I’d reported to Kalen through email was everyone was responsive in getting any and all information I requested. I did find wires that had supposedly been approved by Kalen with all the documentation. He’d be the one to know if it was fake or not.

  “So this is it?” Brian asked.

  “For my part, yes.”

  I handed him back all the original files.

  “I guess I can ask you out then. We can trade notes about being American in Scotland.”

  I smiled. He was cute, but I wasn’t interested. Griffin had given me the name Nancy Drue for a reason. And so far, I didn’t think I’d learned enough to help them. Plus, I had this niggling feeling something was off with the guy.

  “I know a great place.”

  Though I wasn’t a real detective, I heard myself say, “Sure. You have my card. My number’s on it. Call me with the details.”

  In the envelope Griffin had given me there had been a smartphone I assumed was untraceable, but certainly monitored.

  When a text came through from Brian, I texted Griffin who’d preprogramed his number under Andy Griffin. I’d never heard the name before but knowing Griffin, there had to be a joke behind that. A quick Google search, which had suggested a different spelling to the last name, and I got it. There was a character on a very old TV series with a similar name who was a cop.

  Though I wanted to laugh, I wondered how Kalen was going to react when he found out I was technically doing two things: going on a date and putting myself in potential danger while doing so.

  The music took a downturn in tempo. It was kind of a dark and mysterious song.

  Brian had been quite chatty, so much so I’d begun to have my doubts there was anything sinister about him.

  He’d told me he was adopted and had found a half-sibling through one of those DNA sites living in Edinburgh. They’d connected, and with no family ties, he’d traveled to Scotland after he’d gotten the lead on the job with Brinner Financial through him or her.

  The music had been loud and I hadn’t heard if it was a woman or man and felt bad to ask him to repeat himself when he was giving me the information I needed.

  I might have taken a couple more shots than I needed, knowing I was leaving for D.C. tomorrow and I hadn’t told Kalen. The ticket I’d purchased was out of Glasgow. I planned to catch the train tomorrow, which I would buy with cash. I timed it to show up with little time to spare in case anyone tracked me down.

  According to Lizzy, the media attention had, in fact, forgotten me, though Kalen was still in the news. At least I could go home without cameras waiting for me.

  I’d worked off some of my buzz by dancing the night away when Brian came over with another drink. He was actually a nice guy.

  “You look thirsty,” he said, tugging me close. His blue eyes were intense on me. “Drink up,” he said, rolling his hips over mine. His focus was solely on me. I was caught, unable to decide what to do as he methodically urged the glass to my parted lips.

  Before I could decide how to tell him to back off, he was gone. My first drunken thought was that Brian was a vampire because suddenly he wasn’t there. I realized my assumptions were all wrong when green eyes replaced the blue ones and they weren’t at all happy to see me.

  “Hey, man,” Brian protested, stumbling his way back over to where I was.

  “I suggest you leave,” Kalen threatened, snatching the cup from my hand, not even bothering to look at him.

  I spotted Kalen’s wing man, Griffin, eying the guy. Brian rubbed at his jaw. Had Kalen punched him?

  “I could call the Yard and have them test the contents of this cup,” Kalen said with deadly intent.

  Brian blinked while my jaw dropped. Deciding two against one weren’t odds in his favor, Brian stumbled off. Ire burned off more of my intoxication. That asshole had been a creep, just not the type I thought.

  Kalen nodded at Griffin and crushed the cup in his hand, liquid spilling everywhere.

  Griffin all but shouted, “I’ll find him, boyo.”

  I turned, the last of my buzz soured. Kalen snaked his dry arm around my waist. “Do you always look for trouble?” he said.

  “You’re like a dog trying to mark your territory. Why are you here? You don’t want me. You just don’t want anyone else to have me,” I sneered.

  “That’s where you’re wrong.” He spoke in my ear, “I want you gone from my thoughts, but you just keep showing up.”

  “Let me go and I’ll leave your sight.”

  “Not until I have my fill.” He kissed me like he planned to screw me right here on the dance floor.

  “You can’t have it both ways,” I protested, pulling back.

  With eyes that spoke of all the wicked promises he could fulfill, he weaved us through the crowd with a death grip on my arm. We entered a room labeled VIP. He didn’t stop there. He pulled us through another door off to the side.

  “Should be familiar,” he said without raising his voice. I easily heard him because the music had become background noise in that space.

  My hand rose, poised to slap him as he made the crude link to our first time together in a hotel bathroom stall. He clucked his tongue and shook his head.

  “Just tell me to stop,” he said, crowding me at the granite top of the vanity. It filled one end of the tiny restroom. My butt stopped at the edge. Smoothly, he lifted me to sit atop the thing. With practiced hands, he spread my thighs apart as he wedged himself between them.

  I said nothing, lost in the remembrance of the feel of him. I began to irrationally reason internally that this might be the last time I’d ever have him. He ripped holes in my lace boy shorts until it was useless as underwear. He freed himself and probed my entrance.

  “Always wet for me, aren’t you, lass?”

  “Fuck you,” I said with all the boldness I could muster. I hadn’t told him to stop or shoved him away.

  “I will.” And he filled me like no other. My head dropped back to thump against the mirror behind me. I enjoyed the delicate balance of pleasure and pain that only came with Kalen’s girth.

  “Mine,” he growled at my ear and bit my lobe before grazing his teeth down the line of my throat.

  My breathing quickened as he masterfully thrust into me to the rhythm of the music playing. I was left empty in the space of a second. He spun me around and bent me forward. I nearly smeared lipstick on the glass that was too close for comfort. Before I could ask, he pushed into me again. Not expecting it, I did end up creating a messy lip print on the mirror.

  His answer was to grab my hair and tug my head back, almost to the point of pain. He pushed my shoulders down at the same time, my breasts filling the tiny sink bowl. “That’s it, lass. Watch me fuck you.” The man had tentacles, not arms, because he touched me everywhere. He freed one of my breasts and pinched my nipple hard.

  This was a far cry from our tryst yesterday. There was no tenderness to his punishing strokes. There was a jolt of pain with every thrust as he tapped the end of me. I couldn’t process the pleasure from the pain. It was intense, especially when he left my bra to rub against the bottom of my sensitive nipple from his continued assaults on my senses.

  “If you wanted to be fucked, all you had to do was ask. You didn’t have to rub up against some bawbag who wouldn’t know a clit from a G-spot.”

  To illustrate, his next stroke made my bundle of nerves bang against the lip of the counter. “That, lass, is your clit.” In the mirror, I watched him roll his hips as I squeaked from the extreme feeling. “And that, Miss Glicks, is your G-spot.” The man was a sex god. I was ready to bow down and kneel at his feet.

  “If you need a fuck buddy, I can handle the job.”

  Before I could feel the sting of shame from his words, he managed to hit both pleasure spots internally and externally at the same time while he jackhammered in and out of me. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to walk out on my own when he was finished.

  He leaned down, continuing to pump while he whispered in my ear, “I’m the only one that knows just how you like it.” He kissed and sucked at the tender flesh of my neck before he rose up again. I didn’t think I could take any more sensations with his hand still fisting in my hair, forcing me to watch myself get fucked from behind.

  “You’re ready, aren’t you?” he said in a guttural voice. He was getting close. Just like he knew me, I knew him as well.

  In the mirror, I caught sight of a lost clown who got stuck in a downpour. It sucked that it was my own reflection. My makeup was smeared. A path of mascara that defied its waterproof name tracked with the tears I didn’t know had fallen. My lipstick was a one way line from my lips almost to my right ear. I certainly didn’t look sexy, yet the orgasm that was ready to blow said I felt otherwise.

  “I can feel your cunt tightening around me. Come for me.”

  I wanted that explosion below despite the state I was in. I swallowed a scream that I held in my throat, wanting to hold on to some dignity. Proving me wrong, he bucked against my G-spot and the screech I tried to hold in, released. With my head still jerked back, I saw the smug expression on his face. I closed my eyes and rode out the pleasure.

  When he finally pulled out, having achieved his own release, I stumbled forward after he let go of my hair. Weak from pleasure and still somewhat inebriated, I managed to turn without falling. I had a strong need to slap him. My arms flailed around in an attempt to make contact. “Bastard,” I cursed.

  “Some call me that.” Faster and more in control, he avoided my lame attempts to hit him. Instead, he laughed at me. “You should clean that up,” he said while tucking himself back into his pants.

  Pointedly, his eyes first took in the state of my face. Then I followed his gaze to the wetness I felt beginning to drip from my center. My eyes burned and not with tears. Rage. His chuckles were the last thing I heard as he let himself out of the bathroom. That was further evidence this was different than the night before. Then, he’d taken the time to tenderly straighten my clothes. Today, not so much.

  I finally understood the meaning of a word. I had been thoroughly and uttered fucked.

  Turning in the mirror, I stood in horror. I’d seen my destroyed makeup. I expected my dress to be bunched around my waist. I’d spied his cum dripping down my leg before realizing he hadn’t used a condom. But what pissed me off was that the fucker had marked me. Like a freaking teenager, I had a hickey on my neck.

  Furious, I squirted liquid soap onto my hands and mixed it with warm water. I washed my face in what was probably a no-no by every dermatologist ever. I scrubbed hard as I not only tried to wash away the makeup but also my broken feelings.

  Maybe I deserved this? I’d hurt him by choosing Turner. He obviously hadn’t understood that I’d made a mistake with my confession yesterday that I lied about that. Did I really expect him to forgive and forget? Did I really expect him to?

  He was a proud guy, and according to his mother had been through a lot. Hadn’t everyone, including himself, told me he loved me? And what did I do? I spat on his love and let him believe I’d given mine to another man. And instead of having one of them, I had neither.