“Iniquity. It’s a den of iniquity.”
“Is that like a financial thing? Equity?”
Yep, there were times he wondered how she’d made it through school. “Sure.”
Her face brightened and her whole demeanor changed from “lost and damaged soul” to “life of the party.” “I’m so excited. This is going to be awesome. I need some fries. They’re vegan, right? Oh, and they have bacon. Nice. You can pick up the check, right, brother? I don’t have a job yet. I’m thinking about maybe trying to be a party planner. I can totally do that.”
He’d be picking up the check and all the bodies along the way because Georgia Dawson, while good-natured, was a force of chaos the world hadn’t seen since the last atomic bomb had been dropped. He was pretty sure Georgie had been the thing let out of Pandora’s Box. Bad shit followed her.
As though on perfect cue, a weird sense of joy went through him.
Georgia stopped her chatter long enough to stare. “Oh, you’re having one of those twin moments. I can always tell because you flush a little and look really surprised. Why are you so surprised? It happens all the time.”
His stomach turned. That was him, not Chase. “Chase is happy.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Oh, shit. Who died? Do you think he killed them?”
At least she knew her brother. His cell rang. Fresh hell. That was what Chase would bring. Ben had no doubt. “Just tell me.”
“We got a dead body, bro. We’re going to Hicksville. I already called and had your plane rescheduled. Murder. Awesome.”
Ben let his head hit the table. “Check, please.”
“This isn’t over, Natalie.”
Natalie sat in the back of Cal’s SUV. Cal was driving, but her other lawyer had his head turned back, a sympathetic gleam in his eyes. Finn Taylor had blown through the small sheriff’s department with a commanding presence that belied his submissive nature. She’d learned that about Finn long ago. He was deeply submissive until he got his “lawyer” on. The minute Finn started in on the legal crap, he shoved his betaness aside and took over the room. Even Cal, überDom, had stepped aside and allowed Finn to take over.
“I know.”
She was only out because Finn had scared the crap out of the sheriff. And she wasn’t supposed to go anywhere. Awesome. Like she had anywhere else to go.
“How long until they get all the DNA stuff back?” Nat asked.
Cal’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “It’s not like TV, Natalie. It can take a very long time.”
“I’ll have Julian push some people around, see if we can get it done faster.” Finn turned back to her. “Unless there’s something you want to tell us. Was he hurting you? Did he try to rape you? Do you remember what happened, sweetie?”
She groaned. Just because she’d killed one asshole in a fit of rage and self-defense didn’t mean she went around doing it for fun. “I happily gave up the DNA, Finn. I didn’t screw the Furniture King. Yuck.”
It was building inside her. Damn it. It had been months and months since she’d felt the need to hurt herself. She didn’t want to go through that again. She didn’t want to fall back into that terribly dark place she’d been in after freeing herself from Hawk.
Finn reached back and touched her knee. “I’m sorry, Nat. I just wouldn’t have blamed you if you had. So, I’ll have Julian apply a little pressure, and we’ll get this cleared up. Whoever had sex with the bastard is probably the one who killed him.”
It didn’t make a lick of sense. “I locked the door.”
“And he unlocked it.” Cal turned up the long drive that would take them to the resort. Normally the gorgeous, tree-lined drive made her calm, but her head wouldn’t stop working. “I made sure they dusted for prints on the inside of the door. He didn’t need a key to get out or to let someone in.”
“But who? I didn’t see anyone.” Of course she’d gone back to her office. She hadn’t sat outside the door.
Finn patted her knee. “Don’t worry about this, Nat. You didn’t do it. I don’t trust the police here so I’m bringing in my own investigator. Two of them, in fact. They’re brilliant. Well, one of them is, and the other one is the, well, human one. You’ll see. When he shows up, just answer their questions and this will all go away soon.”
“Why does she let you do that, but she cringes when I try to comfort her?” Cal asked.
Cal had been good to her. She liked Cal. She hated the fact that he was hurt by her quirks. She clenched her fists. The need to pinch herself or scrape her skin until she drew blood was so close to the surface. “I’m sorry, Cal. It’s nothing against you.”
“She knows I’m not a Dom. She knows damn well I’ve never held a whip or crop, just felt one against my ass.” Finn turned back, facing the front.
“I would never hurt you, Natalie,” Cal said. “My wife loves you. That means you’re practically part of my family. I just wish you would let me help.”
Because Cal was one of the good ones. Cal was an actual Dom and not a sadistic bastard. He wanted to help the subs around him, needed to be needed for the unique protections he could offer. She knew damn well he had zero sexual interest in her, but she was close to his wife so he would want to help her. And she couldn’t let him. “I’m just…sorry.”
She could lock herself in and no one would have to know. Her thigh. Just a little cut and the pain would float away.
“I have to get back to Dallas, Cal. Ben is in Colorado on an errand for Julian, so don’t expect them until maybe midafternoon.” She watched Finn stiffen, his body hardening as though he hated what he was about to do. “Nat, I’m so sorry. I have to tell him. She’s going to lock herself in her room and cut her legs. You can’t let her do that.”
Cal stopped the car, the SUV jerking. “What?”
Tears formed, Finn’s betrayal cutting her deeper than she ever cut herself. She didn’t respond. Didn’t need to. Now Gaby would know what a fucked-up piece of shit she was and her job would be toast. She wouldn’t be allowed around clients because no one wanted a psycho chick rubbing them down.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you do it.” Finn’s eyes were soft as he looked at her through the rearview mirror.
“No biggie.” It was huge, but Nat wouldn’t let him know. He was just one more asshole who watched out for himself. It was the way of the world. She’d kind of thought they were friends, but friends didn’t mean much when weighed against business interests. Maybe Julian had even told Finn to do it. She was trouble, and if it came to her or Julian Lodge’s business interests, well, she knew where she stood—on the outside. And he’d paid his debt to her. Julian and Finn had already gotten her off one murder rap. She couldn’t even be really pissed at them. They were clean.
“She’s a cutter?” Cal sort of breathed out the question. Nat could hear the horror in his voice.
“It’s left over from my time with Hawk.” Nat kept her own voice completely even. No one needed to know she was screaming on the inside. “And I haven’t done it in a long time.”
Six months, three days. Some people used alcohol to numb the pain. Nat used, well, pain to numb the pain.
Finn turned in his seat. “Tell me you aren’t thinking about it right now.”
“Not your problem, Taylor.” She turned her head, looking out over the peaceful grounds. She’d been safe here, but nothing was forever. “So this whole ‘don’t leave town’ thing? Was the sheriff serious about that?”
She would have to find a place in town. And a job. Maybe there was a fast-food place. She’d be qualified for that.
“What is she talking about?” Cal asked.