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UP IN FLAMES 44
Vanessa looked down. When she raised her head, her expression was stubborn. “I’m not letting anyone keep chasing me out of my own home,” she said. “I'm tired of it. I’ve done nothing wrong or illegal, and if my husband stole money, I didn’t know anything about it.”Paul sighed. “I know. But even if you are totally innocent in all this, do you really think that makes a difference to the bad guys?”Vanessa's proud expression fell. For a moment, she appeared shattered, devastated by the horrible possibility Paul outlined. Alaric had to suppress a surge of anger at Paul. While he understood—and even respected—the man’s reasoning, he hated seeing Vanessa hurt. Even for her own good.“Nothing will happen to me,” she declared, her voice steady and strong. “Alaric will make sure of that.”Alaric felt like he’d been punched in the gut. Paul's gaze swung to him before landing back on Vanessa. “What if they kill Alaric?” Paul asked, the coldness in his voice giving the words extra impact. “Do yo
UP IN FLAMES 45
“But these are for you.” He headed toward her, placing them on the desk. “Careful. They’re heavy.”Her eyes scanned the roses and tiny white flowers as she stood there in a stupor. She didn’t see a card, but she hadn’t realized that in time. The deliveryman was already gone.Sitting down slowly, she stared at the magnificent, beautiful display of roses. This…this had to cost a pretty penny and she couldn’t even fathom who’d sent them to her. Surely it could not be…She was still staring at the roses when she heard Anita's gasp from her open office door. “Holy crap, that’s a lot of roses,” she said, hurrying closer to the desk to inspect them."How are you always around when things like this happen?" Vanessa grumbled. Anita ignored her comment. She was still inspecting the flowers. Her wide eyes met Vanessa's. “Does this have anything to do with who’s on his way up the elevator?”Vanessa stiffened, half afraid. “Who’s coming up the elevator?”“One incredibly sexy Detective Alaric Harp
UP IN FLAMES 46
Left panting and scattered, she watched him stalk toward her door. Was he leaving? Nope. He shut the door and locked it, then faced her. The hunger in the tight line of his full, expressive lips and the heavily hooded look to his eyes stole her breath.She stood, her legs weak. “Alaric, what are you doing?”“No talking,” he growled, prowling around the corner of her desk.Her eyes widened as he pulled her chair back. “Excuse me? No talking? Who in the fuck—?” she began. His mouth was on hers once more, but this kiss… Good God, she’d never been kissed like this before. Thoughts of random roses vanished in an instant. It was like he was staking a claim, marking her as his with his mouth and tongue. She had no idea how that was possible, but she felt claimed. Knew that she was. There was no fighting it, not when his tongue rolled over hers as he pulled her against him. She could feel his erection burning hot against her belly, pushing through layers of clothing.Alaric broke off the int
UP IN FLAMES 47
For a moment, she considered not answering, but then, she was done hiding from reality. She’d face this head-on.“I hope you liked those flowers I sent,” the caller said. “See how easy it is for me to get you there? It doesn't matter if you have that boy toy following you around. Now, I want my money.”“I want my proof,” Vanessa replied, hoping that she sounded brave enough. “It seems like you might be having trouble coming up with that.”“Ask Christopher's assistant for the ledger. The other ledger, the one he keeps locked in the safe behind his desk. That’s where you’ll find your proof.”She took a deep breath. “Was Chloe in on this with him?”“She knew. Whether or not she received a cut, I have no idea. But it’s probably likely she did, as money to keep her mouth shut. If she knows where the three million is, I would be surprised if she doesn’t take it and try to run.”Wincing, Vanessa shook her head. It was bad enough to learn that the man she’d thought was an upstanding— if remot
UP IN FLAMES 48
“Drug cartels? Money laundering?” Chloe shook her head, her voice full of simmering anger. “How could you possibly believe Christopher was capable of such awful, illegal things? He was an upstanding business leader with political aspirations. He would never have done anything that might jeopardize his chance of becoming governor! He believed in what he was doing and wanted to make a difference.”Vanessa couldn’t tell if the other woman truly believed her words or had become a damn fine actress. “Whether you like it or not, it would appear Christopher was involved in all this,” Vanessa began. Their catfish arrived just then, and she had to wait until the waitress left before continuing. “I have someone making threats and demanding this missing money. Christopher cleaned out our joint bank account before he was killed. Someone shot out my back window and ruined my car and apartment. So don’t sit there and try to make me believe you’re completely in the dark. You were Christopher's assis
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“Yikes.” Chloe raised her hands up in the classic gesture of defeat. “You win. I’ll show you where he kept all his private, top-secret files. I know where he kept the key.”Finally, they were getting somewhere. Chloe led the way into Christopher's office, opening his middle desk drawer and retrieving a full key ring. “It’s one of these,” she said, turning to the back wall and removing a large, framed picture that concealed a safe. Instead of a keypad, it had an inset lock.Chloe began trying keys. Her fourth attempt turned out to be the right one. “Here we are,” she said, opening it. Once she had, she stepped back, allowing Vanessa to see the inside.Instead of stacks of cash, there were several large envelopes and folders, stuffed with papers. Vanessa moved forward, half-afraid of what she’d find.“I’ll leave you to it,” Chloe told her, backing out and closing the door behind her.Vanessa transferred everything from the safe to the desktop, then she pulled up a chair. As she’d suspe
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“Apparently. Which explains a lot.” She didn’t elaborate, but he got the idea. “His parents are super religious, so I’m guessing that’s why he felt he had to keep it a secret.”“I get that,” he mused. “Plus, with his political aspirations…” They both fell silent. When Vanessa spoke again, a tinge of sadness colored her voice. “I had no idea he wasn’t living an authentic life. He always seemed so confident, so self-assured, as if he knew exactly what he wanted, where he was going, and how to get there. I wish he had told me the truth.”“Would knowing have made any difference in how you felt about him?” he asked, not sure he really wanted to know.“Yes, it would.” She took a deep breath. “I’m not sure if you realized this, but Christopher and I were never close. I would have understood his complete and utter rejection of me much better if I’d known he was in love with someone else.”His heart squeezed. He hated to think of Vanessa being rejected, especially by the man she’d married. “
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He let his gaze roam over her, unable to keep from wanting her as much as he wanted to breathe. He thought back to earlier, when he’d realized she wasn’t in the house and the awful, paralyzing fear he’d felt.“We need to talk,” he said, jamming his hands down into his pockets to keep from touching her. Raising her head, she eyed him. Absent-mindedly, she tucked a silky strand of her hair behind one ear. “About what?”“You taking off like that. It’s not safe. I know you’re aware.”Slowly, she nodded. “I just needed some space.”Though she likely hadn’t intended them to, her words wounded him. “Don’t do that again.” He kept his tone curt. “If you don’t want to be with me, then just say it.”Eyes wide, she stared. “What’s wrong with you?”He almost abandoned the idea then and there. After all, with the undercover assignment still hanging over him, he couldn’t come out and declare his undying love right now. There were so many intricate layers and he knew it could all come crashing down
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