IZZY SHOWED UP the next morning with Danish, coffee and a copy of the paper. Dana had spent the night in Garth’s bed and there hadn’t been a lot of sleep on the agenda, so she was still groggy and not feeling like she wanted company.
“I should take the food and run,” she said, then yawned. “But that would require too much energy.”
Izzy followed her into the kitchen. “Someone got to bed late last night,” her friend teased. “Want to share details?”
Dana got out plates and napkins, then led the way to the dining room. The small table in the kitchen should probably be wiped down before anyone ate at it.
“He’s your brother,” she said as she took a seat and reached for one of the containers of coffee. “Are you sure you want details?”
“Never mind.” Izzy had already gone through the paper. She pushed a folded page toward Dana. “Brace yourself. You made the society page.”
The hot coffee seemed to get stuck halfway down Dana’s throat. For a second she couldn’t seem to swallow. She finally managed to get it down only to cough until she gagged.
“W-what?” she managed, then cleared her throat. “There’s a society page in the paper?”
“Uh-huh, and you’re the star. That’s what happens when you go out with one of the city’s most eligible bachelors. Being one of Garth’s women comes at a price. By the way, you look great.”
She turned the page so Dana could see the picture of herself standing next to Garth in front of Glory’s Gate.
Dana felt the beginnings of a headache right behind her eyes. “Seriously? I didn’t see anyone with a camera.” She’d been too freaked about the whole party to notice details. That didn’t bode well for her returning to a career in law enforcement. “I’m losing my edge.”
“You were probably trying not to trip in high heels.”
“True, but not an excuse.”
Dana studied the picture. She had to admit, she looked good. The dress fit perfectly and Lexi had worked magic with hair and makeup. But seeing herself with a caption under the picture was beyond surreal.
There were several other pictures, including one of Skye with Mitch, and an article about the fund-raiser. She scanned it.
“They print the menu?”
“The little people are curious,” Izzy teased. “Now that you’re no longer one of them, you’ll have to learn to be kind.”
“Bite me.”
“That would be Garth’s job.”
Dana drank more coffee. The society page. “How do I keep this from happening again?” she asked.
“Avoid society events.”
Dana didn’t think it would be too hard. Then she remembered something else her friend had said. “What do you mean ‘one of his women’? He has others?”
Izzy shifted in her seat. “Not that I know of. It was just an expression. I’m sure he’s not dating anyone else.”
Dana winced and reached for a Danish. “You’re the wrong person to be asking. That’s a conversation I need to have with him.”
She told herself not to worry. He was home early every night. All the time she’d been following him, he’d never gone out with anyone.
Izzy sipped her coffee. “Is it getting to the point where you need to know that kind of thing?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I’m sleeping with him. I’m a big fan of serial monogamy. But I didn’t bother asking about his preferences.”
“He’s a good guy,” Izzy reassured her. “I wouldn’t worry.”
“You don’t have to. It’s fine. We’ll have a rational, adult conversation.”
“Because you like him.”
Dana raised her eyebrows. “I don’t care how athletic you are, I could so take you.”
“You’d have to catch me first.”
Dana nodded. Izzy was skinny, but she was also fast. She sighed. “I guess I do like him. A little.”
Izzy grinned. “Casual like or serious like?”
“I’m not sure.”
“That means serious like, or you’d be willing to say.”
Dana glared at her. “Because it’s impossible to believe I’m actually not sure?”
“Oh, please. You’re very decisive. You wouldn’t be sleeping with Garth if you didn’t already like him.”
“Maybe.”
Izzy stared at her. “How serious?”
“I don’t know.” Dana took a bite of Danish. Maybe the sugar rush would help her think more clearly.
“He’s not like the guys you usually date.”
She swallowed. “Tell me about it. I don’t know. There are things I really admire about him, but sometimes…” she looked at Izzy “…he scares the crap out of me.”
“That’s how all good relationships start. You can’t be scared if you have nothing to lose.”
“Meaning?”
“You’re putting your heart on the line. That’s good.”
“Not for me or my heart.” Dana licked her fingers. “Want to go work out?”
“Ick. No. But I’ll go rock climbing with you.”
“Anything that works up a sweat and keeps me from thinking is fine.”
Izzy grinned. “Have you ever been rock climbing before?”
“No.”
“You are so going to love it.”
GARTH WALKED INTO ONE of the smaller conference rooms after lunch to find his three sisters waiting for him.
“Thanks for coming,” he said.
“We were summoned,” Izzy said. “I, for one, keep a very busy schedule, so this had better be important.”
“What she said,” Lexi told him.
“Ditto,” Skye said.
Garth winced. “I shouldn’t have my assistant call and ask you to stop by?”
“Probably not,” Izzy told him. “Although if you had snacks, that would help.”
“I’ll remember that.” He took a seat.
Women were complicated at the best of times. The Titan sisters were more complicated than most. But they were also smart and funny and he liked spending time with them. Guilt flashed through him. Guilt for what he’d done, how he’d upset their lives. But there was more. A sense of loss. How different his life would have been if he’d gotten to know them earlier. If he’d grown up with them as his family.
Enough with the emotion, he told himself. They had a bully to ruin.
“I want to talk about Jed,” he said.
“We figured that,” Izzy told him. “It’s not like you want to ask about our plans for the holidays.”
“Which are quickly approaching,” Lexi said. “I’m guessing we won’t be at Glory’s Gate this year. So where are we celebrating?”
“Your place,” Izzy told her.
“Why me?” Lexi sounded faintly panicked. “I’m seriously pregnant. I can’t be expected to cook.”
“Skye’s talking about a Christmas Eve wedding at Mitch’s house. Nick and I live too far away. That leaves you. But don’t worry. I’ll help with the cooking.”
Lexi winced. “You know less than me.”
“That’s true, but I have a secret weapon. Nick’s cook, Norma, has said she’ll help, too. So we’re fine.”
Lexi didn’t look convinced. “Are you coming?” she asked Skye. “Or will you be off on your honeymoon?”
“We’ll be there. We’re not leaving Erin on Christmas. We’ll head out a few days later. So expect a crowd.”
“You were in on this!” Lexi sounded annoyed. “Ganging up on me. That is just so typical.” She rubbed her belly. “You have very mean aunts. You’ll have to watch them carefully.”
Garth held up his hands in the shape of a T. “If we could get back to the subject at hand.”
“Which is?” Izzy frowned, then relaxed. “Right. Jed. How did we get on Christmas?”
“That would be your doing,” Lexi told her.
He ignored that and reached for the stack of folders in the center of the table, then passed one to each of the women. “I need you to look these papers over and sign them. I’ll be buying shares in Titan World in each of your names. The amounts of the shares will require disclosure. Jed will see your names. He already knows we’re working together but he may consider this a different level of betrayal.”
They all stared at him with identical expressions of outrage.
“Excuse me?” Lexi asked.
Garth felt trapped. Had he misunderstood? Didn’t they want to take down Jed?
“We, ah, talked about this,” he reminded her, then glanced at Izzy and Skye. Neither of them looked especially friendly, either. “Working together. Letting Jed know we’re a united front.”
“You’re giving us money,” Skye said mildly. “That’s why we’re upset. No one is upset about taking on Jed.”
“Okay.” Relief swept through him. They were on the same page. “Then what’s the problem?”
“You’re giving us money,” Izzy repeated. “We don’t want your money.”
Once again the female mind baffled him. “Why not? I have more than all of you.”
“That warm, delicate nature,” Lexi said, shaking her head. “He gets it from Jed.” She leaned toward him. “We can buy our own shares.”
“No, you can’t. I’m talking hundreds of thousands of dollars here. Several million in total. None of you have it. You’ll be filing forms with the SEC showing ownership.”
“Isn’t that technically illegal?” Skye asked. “You giving us money to buy shares?”
“I have a very expensive lawyer making sure we’re doing everything the right way.”
“Which isn’t the point,” Lexi told him. “We don’t want your money. This isn’t about getting anything from you.”
Izzy shook her head at Lexi, then turned to him. “We love that you’re including us, but we can’t do this. It feels funny.”
“I don’t care how it feels,” he told her. “It’s about getting Jed.”
“It’s too much,” Skye told him. “Garth, you mean well, but there has to be another way.”
They were hung up on the amount? “If it was twenty bucks you wouldn’t care. Is that it?”
“Sort of,” Izzy said, giving him a sympathetic smile.
“This is part of the plan.” He did his best not to give in to frustration. The last thing he needed was them digging in their heels. “We talked about this.”
“You didn’t say anything about giving us nearly a million dollars’ worth of shares.”
“I’m not doing it to give you anything,” he said, trying not to clench his teeth. “I’m doing it to get Jed.”
“No,” Skye said, pushing the folder toward him. The other two did the same.
Women, he thought, leaning back in his chair.
He could tell them that they could sell the shares when all this was over and give the money to charity, but he wasn’t sure that would actually help. Which left him with a pounding sensation over his left eye.
Buying the shares was important. But how to convince them?
He straightened. There was one card left to play.
“Jed went after Dana.”
Three pairs of eyes locked on him. Lexi and Skye both went pale while Izzy looked ready to take on her father and beat him into submission.
“How?” Lexi asked.
“First he had someone run her off the road, then he had a guy shoot at her. That’s when she moved in with me.”
Skye’s green eyes filled with tears. “She’s all right, isn’t she? We just saw her and she’s fine.”
Lexi nodded. “She didn’t say anything. She didn’t want us to know. She didn’t want us to worry.”
Garth held in a groan. He just remembered he’d promised Dana he wouldn’t say anything to her friends. “Look, you can’t tell her I told you.”
Lexi and Skye glanced at each other. Izzy gave him a pitying look. “You poor, poor man.”
“Seriously, she doesn’t want you to worry.”
“Too late,” Skye whispered.
She was so going to kill him, he thought grimly. But before that happened, he might as well get it all out. “I spoke with Jed at the fund-raiser. Told him to lay off.” He’d done more than talk, but he was in enough trouble already.
“You think that’s going to work?” Lexi asked.
“I don’t know. But the quicker we get Jed in jail, the safer everyone will be. We all want to take him down.” He pointed at the folders. “It’s the best way.”
His sisters looked at each other, exchanging information in that silent way women did.
“We’ll sign,” Skye said. “But we’re not keeping the money.”
“I don’t have a problem with that.” They could cash out and light it in a bonfire for all he cared. “Just don’t…” He stopped. Maybe he should have asked the other guys to come to the meeting, as well. They would have understood the next step.
Izzy looked at him, her eyebrows raised. “Don’t what?”
“Stay safe,” he said instead. “Once Jed finds out, he’s going to be pissed.”
The three of them exchanged another look. “We will,” Lexi told him. “Don’t worry-we’re not interested in annoying Jed for sport. We want to get him out of our lives as quickly as possible.” But she sounded sad as she spoke.
“You don’t have to do this,” he said. “I can find another way.”
“After you went to all this trouble?” Izzy pointed to the folders. “They have our name on them and everything.”
Skye smiled at him. “This isn’t about you, Garth. We’re sad because it’s come down to trying to ruin our father. It’s not a decision we’ve made lightly. But he nearly killed Izzy and we can’t forgive that.”
He nodded cautiously, not sure if he was being let off the hook or lulled into a false sense of security.
“You’ll take care of Dana?” Lexi asked as she signed the paperwork.
“Yes.”
Izzy looked up at him. “Does she know that?”
“It’s an ongoing negotiation.”
DANA SPENT MOST OF her afternoon poring over computer printouts. She was doing her best to find traces of Jed’s foreign deposits, which sounded easier and more interesting than it was. Fortunately, a distraction arrived in the form of all three Titan sisters walking into the command center.
“Look at you, all businesslike,” Izzy teased as they hugged. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
“Me, either.” Dana hugged Skye and Lexi. “I’m learning how to hack into computers. It’s not as fun as it looks on TV.”
The sisters pulled up chairs.
“Not that I’m not thrilled to see you,” Dana said. “But what are you doing here?”
“We came to give you a stern talking-to,” Lexi said grimly. “Dammit, Dana, what the hell is wrong with you?”
Skye frowned. “Lexi, don’t make her defensive. It doesn’t help anyone.”
“I’m pissed,” Lexi said. “In my condition, that’s not a good thing.”
Dana stared at them. “What are we talking about?” These women were her friends. They were never upset with her.
Izzy started to speak, but Skye shook her head. “I’ll do it,” she said. “Dana, we know what happened with Jed and we’re very upset and hurt that you didn’t tell us yourself.”
Dana sprang to her feet and circled behind the desk. “I told Garth not to say anything. I asked for one thing, but could he do it? Of course not. Typical man.”
“Garth is many things, but typical isn’t one of them,” Lexi said. “And it’s not his fault. We were being difficult about signing some papers. He needed to point out how serious the situation is with Jed.”
“By using me.” She was furious. He could have told them something else. Anything else. She looked at her friends. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to worry.”
“It comes with the relationship,” Izzy said. “Worry are us. Or something like that.”
Lexi still looked upset. “Dana, Jed is our father. You’ve been a part of our lives since we were kids. We have the right to know if he’s threatening you.”
“Why? It has nothing to do with you.”
“It has everything to do with us,” Skye said, standing and facing her. “We love you and don’t want anything to happen to you. If it does, we have a share of the responsibility.”
Dana held up both hands, as if to push them away. “That’s crazy. You can’t control what Jed does and you’re not responsible. I don’t accept that.”
“You must,” Lexi said quietly. “Otherwise you would have told us. You knew how we’d feel.”
Talk about a tidy trap, Dana thought, feeling both small and guilty. “I didn’t want any of you to be upset.”
“If he divides us, he wins,” Skye said. “We have to remember that. The only way we’re strong is if we’re together.” She stared at Dana. “We want you to promise that you won’t keep any more secrets about Jed.”
“I can take care of myself,” she reminded them.
“This is about more than you,” Skye told her.
“Did you get the we love you part?” Izzy asked. “You’re one of us. You know-family.”
Because that’s what they had always believed. Family. Was it possible?
Lexi struggled to her feet, then waddled over to hug her. “You’re stuck with us. You need to stop resisting. It’s exhausting.”
Skye and Izzy joined in the hug. The women holding her tight should have made her feel trapped. She should have been wanting to escape. Instead she felt warm and safe and loved. The emotion filled up a space that had been empty for so long, she’d nearly forgotten it was there.
“No more secrets,” she whispered, telling herself the burning in her eyes came from a lack of sleep and nothing else.
“This is so cool,” Izzy said. “Now let’s all go get matching tattoos.”
Skye sighed. “Someone hit her.”
GARTH WALKED INTO THE condo that night, took one look at Dana and knew his time of being confronted by the women in his life was far from over.
“You’re pissed,” he said by way of greeting.
She sat in the living room, dressed in jeans and a sweater, a glass of wine in her hand.
“Hardly a greeting to treasure,” she said. “Especially after I slaved all afternoon, cooking you dinner.”
The words sounded right, but there was something flashing in her eyes. Something that, had he been less secure in his masculinity, would have scared the crap out of him.
“You cooked?”
“I’m full of surprises.” She pointed to the chair opposite the sofa, next to a small table where a second glass of wine waited. “Have a seat.”
He shrugged out of his suit jacket, then did as she suggested. He reached for the wine.
“Are you going to poison me?” he asked.
“You mean go behind your back and do something you’ve specifically asked me not to do?” she asked, coming to her feet and glaring at him. “You mean upset people you’ve cared about all your life and then not even warn you?”
He winced. “They came by.”
“You bet your ass they came by. What the hell is wrong with you? First, you told them what happened with Jed, then you didn’t even have the grace to warn me.”
“I, ah, didn’t think they’d say anything. At least not that fast.”
“Because you’ve never met a woman before? Dammit, Garth, I had my reasons. I trusted you and you betrayed me.”
He stood and faced her. “Look, I’ll accept that I screwed up, but betrayal is going too far. I didn’t have a plan. I needed them to sign some papers and they were resisting.”
“So you sold me down the river.”
“That’s dramatic.”
“It’s the truth!” she yelled.
“It’s what had to be done. I thought we all had a goal here-to take down Jed Titan. At least that’s what everyone is saying they want. But when it comes to action, no one is showing up. I asked them to sign some paperwork to buy shares of his stocks. They resisted.”
She watched him warily. “Why would they do that?”
“For the same reason you will.” He reached for his briefcase and pulled out a folder. “I have the same thing for you. I’ll be buying nearly a million dollars’ worth of Titan World shares in your name.”
She jumped back as if he’d burned her. “What?”
“That’s what they said, too.”
“I’m not taking your money.”
“I’ve already had this argument today,” he said, rubbing his forehead. “Look, Dana-”
“No, you look. This is bullshit. It’s bad enough I have to live here, but I’m not taking your money.”
He told himself she was upset-that her complaint about living with him wasn’t personal. But he felt the sting, all the same.
“Then go back to your own place,” he said, his voice low and angry. “I’ll get you a full-time bodyguard.”
She stood very still. “That’s not what I meant.”
“It’s what you said.”
“I’m sorry.”
Two words he’d never expected her to say.
She drew in a breath. “I can’t take your money. I sleep with you. If you give me money, then I’m your whore.”
“Dana, we have a plan here,” he said, doing his best to stay calm. “We’re trying to back Jed into a corner. Having him know everyone is buying into his precious company is going to seriously piss him off.”
She tucked her hands behind her back. “No. And while we’re negotiating-”
“Saying no and changing the subject isn’t a negotiation.”
She ignored that. “I want to go back to work.”
He tossed the folder onto the coffee table and swore. “Sure. Why not? Spend your day totally in the open with no protection. That’s smart. When the bullets come, what are the odds you won’t be the only victim? What happens when they take out your partner or some innocent citizen?”
She looked uncomfortable, as if she hadn’t thought that part through. Not that he was prepared to accept victory. He wasn’t that clueless.
“I’m supposed to be a deputy,” she snapped. “I want my career back and my life, as well. You don’t understand. You have a life, a place to go, people to see. Probably women. By the way, who else are you dating?”
If he lived to be five hundred and eight he would never understand women. “Who else would I be dating? Are you serious? When would this happen? If I’m not at the office, I’m with you. We’re sleeping together. Are you seeing anyone else?”
“Oh, please.”
That pissed him off. “So it’s fine for you to accuse me, but not the other way around? That’s fair.”
“We’re not talking fair,” she yelled. “You’re this rich, successful guy. We were in the society pages after Skye’s fund-raiser. My picture was in there with you. That doesn’t happen to me.”
He still didn’t understand the problem but was thinking wine wasn’t going to be close to enough. It seemed more like a Scotch night.
“I don’t control the press. I didn’t even know there were society pages.”
“Me, either,” she snapped. “So you’d better fix this.”
“Fix what?”
“Everything.”
They stared at each other. Tension filled the room. There was anger and frustration and something else he couldn’t figure out.
He had no idea what to say, so he settled on the truth. “I’m not seeing anyone but you. I wasn’t seeing anyone before I met you. I want you to sign the papers because it’s the next logical step in bringing down Jed. Signing them doesn’t say anything bad about you and when all this is over, you can sell the shares and give the money to the charity of your choice.”
He watched her watching him, trying to read her expression, but he couldn’t. For all he knew, she was going to pull out her gun and shoot him.
“I get that it’s frustrating for you to be stuck here. Going back to work is dangerous, not just for you but for everyone around you. Nick needs some help out at the ranch. You’d be fairly isolated there and probably safe. If you’re interested, I’ll ask him. But I’d want you to have a driver or a car tailing you on the trip there and back. It’s a long drive that would leave you exposed. Or you could stay there. Which wouldn’t be my choice, but as you’ve said, this isn’t about me.”
“Damn straight.”
He held up both hands. “I’m not trying to run your life. I just want to keep you safe. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.” He lowered his hands. “That’s it. You can yell at me now.”
One corner of her mouth twitched. “I’m not a yeller.”
“Right. You’re calm and diplomatic. An iceberg of emotion.”
The twitch turned into a smile. “You can call me Ice if you want.”
“Can I?”
The tension eased from the room, leaving them alone. Dana walked toward him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.
“I just want you safe,” he repeated.
“And Jed in jail.”
“I’ve always been a high achiever. Is this okay now? Are you going to turn on me again?”
She looked into his eyes. “I won’t turn on you. At least not for this.”
“At the risk of making you froth at the mouth, are you going to sign the papers?”
She glanced at the folder, then back at him. “Yes, but I won’t like it.”
“Duly noted.”
She stepped back, then slugged him in the upper arm. “Next time, keep my secrets.”
The place she’d hit stung like a sonofabitch, but he was a guy. He couldn’t rub it. “You have my word.”
“Like I believe that.” She sighed then went into his arms again. “Want to get Chinese?”
“I thought you cooked.”
“Like I know how.”
“That’s my girl.”