CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Zoe was beginning to hate the conference room at the Reliance Group offices. Nothing good happened in this room, and she had a feeling that today’s meeting would be no different.
At the moment, she was sitting alone, waiting for Caleb and Sean to arrive, which gave her too much time to think about what the two men wanted to discuss with her, and to also replay in her head this morning’s sexy trysts with Sean.
Of course, the most prominent memory that was indelibly etched in her mind was the way he’d made her come undone with the deepest, most intimate kisses she’d ever had the pleasure of experiencing. His mouth had been ravenous, unrelenting, and earth-shattering. Even now, thinking about the scandalous things he’d done with his tongue had her shifting restlessly in her chair and her cheeks warming from the erotic recollection.
If that provocative encounter with Sean hadn’t been enough to leave her aching for more, then walking in on him in the shower had been like adding fuel to her desire for him. Instead of being shocked by catching him in a blatantly sexual situation, she’d been turned on—and unable to turn away. He’d looked so masculine, so virile, so overwhelmingly male as his muscular body bunched and flexed as he stroked himself toward gratification.
She’d wanted to be the one to take him over the edge, just as he’d pleasured her. And while it had taken a bit of convincing on her part, when he’d finally relented she’d felt an undeniable streak of excitement bolt through her. She’d loved pressing her wet body up against his, enjoyed every moment of touching him and feeling him pulse and swell in her hand, and reveled in the heady sense of feminine power in being the one to make him lose control.
And that, in itself, had been magnificent to watch.
Even now, remembering every detail of his frantic, frenzied orgasm, along with the searing heat of his release against her palm, she bit back an inappropriate groan, even as an equally inappropriate rush of damp heat settled between her thighs.
Unfortunately, after their steamy encounter in the shower there was no mistaking the emotional walls Sean had erected, and she’d instinctively known it wasn’t a good time to talk about what had happened between them or where it could possibly lead. Figuring he needed time to process everything, she’d let him have his space.
They’d each gotten dressed and ready for the day, then stopped for a quick breakfast quiche and a vanilla latte for her from a nearby French bakery before heading to her apartment so she could change from yesterday’s clothes. She’d also packed an overnight bag to stay at Sean’s place until they caught the guy stalking her.
Seeing her car in the parking garage right where she’d left it, the tires still brutally slashed, had caused her to shiver with a new dose of fear. Sean must have seen her reaction, because he’d quickly assured her that no one was going to hurt her, not while he was around. He’d promised to make the arrangements to get her car fixed, but for now he’d be her chauffeur and drive her wherever she needed to go.
And the first place on his agenda had been the Onyx, because according to Sean there were some things about her father he and Caleb needed to talk to her about. What those things entailed she didn’t have a clue, but after what she’d learned from George at her father’s office yesterday, she was preparing herself for the worst.
Growing increasingly anxious the longer she sat, she nearly jumped out of her seat when the door behind her abruptly opened and Sean and Caleb walked in.
“Sorry to leave you in here for so long,” Sean said as he shut the door behind them for privacy, his demeanor as cool and professional as Caleb’s. “We were talking to Lucas about your father’s hard drive, and I gave him the one you recovered from Sheila’s computer yesterday, which he’ll start analyzing right away.”
“Has he found anything on my father’s hard drive yet?” Zoe asked hopefully.
“Nothing significant,” Sean said with a shake of his head as he sat diagonally from her, and Caleb took the chair across the table, so they were all facing one another. “Your father’s home computer is pretty clean.”
Sean looked as disappointed as she felt.
Caleb set a file folder on the table in front of him but didn’t open it. “Now that Lucas has Sheila’s hard drive, he’ll be sure to do a cross-check reference with any names he’s already pulled from your father’s computer, to see if there are any connections between the two.”
She frowned, not quite following what he meant. “What do names have to do with anything?”
Caleb and Sean exchanged a glance, a silent look of understanding passing between the two men before Sean replied to her question.
“Because chances are your father has taken on a false identity.”
“Oh.” She didn’t know what else to say, because that thought hadn’t crossed her mind. The possibility that her father had gone so far as to assume a false identity made Zoe’s mind reel, because it would mean that he was deliberately trying to hide something.
“Have you ever heard of the name Elliott Cooke?” Caleb asked.
She thought for a moment, but no recognition surfaced in her mind. “No. Why? Who is he?”
“Your father,” Caleb stated in that blunt way of his. “Elliott Cooke is an alias he’s used in the past.”
Her stomach started a slow twist of dread. She looked at Sean, who, for now, was sitting quietly and letting Caleb carry the conversation—even though she was certain Sean had knowledge of all these details about her father, too.
“What would he use an alias for?” she asked, needing the answer, even though she instinctively knew she wasn’t going to like what she heard.
Caleb paused for a moment, and a hint of compassion flashed in his gaze, as if he was well aware of how much his next words were going to hurt. “He used the name to help orchestrate a Ponzi scheme years ago.”
Oh, God. She could hardly process the implications of Caleb’s claim, but as much as she wanted to deny what he’d just told her, she’d come to learn that there was no reason for Caleb to lie.
Ignoring the pressure in her chest, she shored her fortitude for what she knew was going to be a very difficult conversation. “When did this Ponzi scheme take place?”
“Twelve years ago this summer,” Caleb replied. “Do you remember your father being on trial during that time?”
Zoe mentally thought back and realized she’d been fifteen at the time and had just finished her sophomore year in high school. She also recalled how that particular summer had been a tumultuous one between her parents, filled with loud, hostile arguments that had ultimately led to their divorce. Then again, most of their marriage had been strained and antagonistic, but there had definitely been an added element of stress that summer that Zoe had been very aware of.
“I do remember that year,” she said, and as those old memories emerged she tried to make sense of them now that Caleb had provided a solid reason why her parents’ relationship had completely deteriorated. “I heard arguments between my parents, and I knew something was going on with my father, but not specifics.”
She hesitated for a moment, then decided there was no reason for her to keep anything from Caleb, or Sean, either. “There was one time when I overheard them fighting about him being at the police station, and how humiliating it had been for my mother. When I asked her what was going on, she was vague with her answer and told me that my father’s being at the police station was a big misunderstanding. A few days after that, my mother took me to Europe for the summer, and I only talked to my father a handful of times while we were gone. By the time we came back to the States, it seemed like nothing had ever happened.”
“That’s because your father cut a plea deal to cooperate with the prosecutor, which included testifying against the other man arrested in the same case,” Caleb said as his fingers absently tapped the file folder still lying on the table in front of him. “The attorney who represented your father maintained that he had no role in the management of the investment deals and had just been a securities broker who marketed the investments to his clients.”
She was feeling desperate enough to believe in her father’s innocence that she latched onto the positive aspects of what Caleb had just told her. “He didn’t go to jail, so that must be true.”
Sean, who’d sat silently across from her while Caleb gave her the details of her father’s past arrest, finally spoke up. “Your father knew exactly what was going on,” he said, the terse tone of his voice catching Zoe off guard. “He was just very careful about his involvement so there was no direct evidence to trace him, or the name he was using at the time, to the crime.”
She stiffened, a little wary of the sudden animosity radiating off Sean, and she couldn’t help but wonder where his negative energy stemmed from. “How do you know that?”
A muscle in his jaw clenched. “Because Grant Russo’s partner was my father, Casey O’Brien.”
She stared at Sean in confusion and disbelief, certain she’d misheard him. And if what he’d said was true, why had he kept such a huge, shocking revelation from her when they’d already shared so much? Before she could find the words to respond, Caleb stood up, and she shifted her gaze to the other man, taking the much-needed moment to process the implications of Sean’s statement.
“I think the two of you can handle the discussion from here and could use some privacy,” Caleb said, obviously feeling the sudden strain in the room and knowing when to make a graceful exit.
But before he turned to go, he pushed the file folder across the table toward Zoe. “Here’s an investigative report on your father, along with information on his past arrest for you to read. But I think Sean will be able to give you a more accurate account of your father’s relationship with Casey O’Brien and what really happened between them.”
Caleb left the conference room, and an uncomfortable silence settled between her and Sean. Not sure what to say or do, she reached for the file folder, opened it, and scanned the reports and articles inside.
She felt Sean’s gaze on her the entire time, watching her, no doubt waiting for some kind of reaction. But as she perused the contents of the file and evidence of her father’s association to the case, she realized that most of the reports and newspaper articles provided only superficial information and lacked the depth and knowledge of what really had transpired between Grant Russo and Casey O’Brien.
Knowing that Sean was three years older than her, that put him at eighteen when his own father had been arrested. She suspected that Sean hadn’t been as sheltered as she’d been before his father’s arrest or during the actual trial. Which meant Sean most likely had a better understanding of the case, a deeper knowledge of the facts, and had been exposed to details and truths that the media wouldn’t have known.
Zoe was torn between being pissed with Sean, wondering why he’d withheld such crucial information about both of their fathers from her, and wanting to know all the details about the dad she’d adored but hadn’t known at all. Understanding what happened in the past had to come first, then she’d deal with Sean’s second deception.
The realization that she was deeply hurt by this latest turn of events told her just how far she’d fallen for Sean, in such a short amount of time. But at least now she had a better idea of why he’d put up a wall between them and tried to reject her advances this morning. Apparently, he had some scruples about lying and sleeping with her. Just not enough to make him come clean earlier with the very fundamental fact that their fathers had shared a criminal past.
Exhaling a taut breath, she met Sean’s gaze. He was still watching her with eyes that were dark and shadowed, and his expression was more stoic than she’d ever seen it before. Every line in his body was tense, as if he was waiting for some kind of argument from her.
“I want you to tell me what you know about your father’s relationship with mine, and what really happened between them,” she said, closing the file Caleb had given her and pushing it aside. “Not the watered-down version I just read in the newspaper articles in that folder, but what you know. Then we’ll talk about why you kept the truth from me.”
A skeptical look passed over Sean’s features. “Are you sure you’re prepared to face the truth?”
She heard the doubt in his voice, along with the slight warning, and didn’t let either sway her decision. “I already know I’m not going to like what I hear, but I need to find out what really happened. All of it this time.”
Sean had known today’s conversation with Zoe was going to be difficult, and he was amazed at how well and easily she’d accepted that her father had led the life of a con man so many years ago. Even before she’d seen the documents, she hadn’t argued with Caleb’s version of the past and had listened with a surprising calm.
But as soon as Caleb left the two of them alone, it became very clear just how upset she was with Sean for keeping their fathers’ past association a secret from her. Honestly, Sean couldn’t blame her for being angry, and while he questioned the wisdom in holding back this particular information until now, it was too late to change the decision he’d made. He’d only meant to spare her more heartache and protect her from the unpleasant reality of what and who her father really was.
Unfortunately, Sean’s good intentions had backfired on him, and now the only thing he could do to try to repair the damage he’d done was divulge the truth about what had transpired between Grant Russo and Casey O’Brien all those years ago.
Needing a moment to gather his thoughts, he stood up and walked to the far side of the conference room and retrieved two bottles of water from the mini-refrigerator before returning to his seat next to Zoe. He gave her one of the chilled bottles, then twisted the cap open on his and chugged half of the liquid, wishing it were something much stronger than water. She took a sip of hers, and waited for him to speak.
Finally, he did. “Your father and mine were business partners and started a real estate investment company together, and over the course of three years they scammed hundreds of clients out of over five million dollars.”
A flicker of pain flashed in her eyes as she listened to the extent of her father’s deceit, and as much as Sean hated adding to her misery, he was relieved to finally get it all out in the open between the two of them.
“At the time, your father was using the name Elliott Cooke for all his business transactions, and he was very careful to make sure that my father was in control of all the investments so he wasn’t linked to any of the fraud,” Sean went on as he absently swiped the condensation on his bottle of water with the tips of his fingers. “All the paperwork pointed toward my father being the one who regulated all the securities and payouts to the investors, and even to himself and your dad. When things started falling apart and the company couldn’t pay the promised returns to their clients, legal authorities figured out what was going on and arrested your father, and mine, for securities fraud.”
Still, Zoe said nothing, though the anguish etching her features spoke volumes.
“After the arrest, your father insisted that he had no idea that the money deposited into his bank account wasn’t legitimate profits, since he hadn’t been in charge of any of the accounting or payouts.” Despite his attempts, Sean found it difficult to temper the bitterness he felt toward her father.
“Since prosecutors were unable to find any evidence to the contrary, your father struck a plea deal, which included his full cooperation in the investigation of the case and his testimony against his partner. Your father provided all the evidence to put my father away, using information he never would have known if he wasn’t somehow involved in the Ponzi scheme from the very beginning.”
“Oh, God.” She looked both stunned and devastated, and Sean wasn’t even finished yet.
“In return for your father’s full cooperation, he pled no contest to a single misdemeanor securities violation, lost his broker’s license for three years, and was sentenced to the twenty-seven days he’d already served in jail while waiting for the trail to begin. Then he was placed on probation for five years. My father, on the other hand, received a fifteen-year prison sentence, which he is still currently serving.”
Sean exhaled a deep breath. “My father was guilty of fraud, but so was yours,” he said, wanting to be sure she understood that Grant Russo had been equally responsible for what had happened.
“I believe you,” she whispered in a strained voice, then pressed her fingers to her lips as tears filled her eyes. “And I’m so sorry.”
He frowned, because he had no idea what she had to apologize for. “For what?”
She wiped away a single tear that fell down her cheek. “That my father betrayed yours and sent him to jail.”
Sean felt his own chest tighten in response, and it took effort to resist the urge to pull her into his arms and comfort her.
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” he said, refusing to let her carry that burden.
“Why didn’t you tell me all this sooner?” she asked. “Like the last time I was in this conference room learning that my father was being accused of investment fraud. Don’t you think that would have been a good opportunity to let me in on the fact that your father and mine had once been partners in a Ponzi scheme?”
“In hindsight, yes,” Sean said, and scrubbed a hand along his jaw, wishing now that he had done things differently. “But I wasn’t sure you were ready to hear the whole truth about your father, or that you’d believe my story.” He swallowed his pride and gave her the apology she deserved: “I made a mistake, Zoe, and I’m sorry.”
She stared at him for long, tense seconds before exhaling a slow, even breath of air. “I just have one more question, and I’d appreciate an honest answer. Did you take on this case for revenge?”
He thought about his answer very carefully before replying. “I took the case because I work for The Reliance Group and that’s my job. But I fully admit that I resent your father for what he did all those years ago. My father was guilty and he’s paying the price for his actions, but your dad sold out mine and walked away without looking back. I’m not looking for revenge as much as I’m hoping for justice and retribution.”
Unable to read her expression, Sean was left wondering where, exactly, things stood between them. She didn’t strike him as a woman who held grudges, but he had a feeling that earning her complete forgiveness would take time.
A quick, brisk knock on the door echoed in the conference room, and a second later Nathan Fox stepped inside. Grateful for the interruption, Sean introduced Zoe to his co-worker and the head of security at the Onyx; then Nathan got down to the reason why he was there.
“We’ve reviewed all the surveillance tapes from your apartment building around the time of your attack yesterday,” he said, addressing Zoe. “And unfortunately, we weren’t able to ID the guy on the bike. The license plate had been taped over, so there’s no way to trace the bike’s registration, or who the owner is.”
“I can’t say I’m surprised,” Zoe said with a shake of her head. “The guy obviously knew what he was doing.”
“Yes, he did,” Nathan agreed as he slid his hands into the front pockets of his slacks. “Sean also told us about the things this man said to you, about being double-crossed by your father and someone named Bunny.”
Zoe nodded, her expression pained. “I already told Sean that I don’t know anyone named Bunny, so I’m afraid I’m not going to be able to help you much with that bit of information.”
“That’s okay.” Nathan’s gaze shone with compassion for Zoe’s situation. “It’s something new we didn’t have a day ago and it might help us uncover some kind of lead on your father.”
“I hope so,” she said, her voice weary.
“Since we weren’t able to nail the guy who attacked you, it’s imperative that you’re watched twenty-four/seven,” Nathan told her. “If Sean can’t be with you, then we’ll make arrangements so someone else will be.”
“Okay.” Zoe’s fingers absently played with the long crystal necklace draped along the front of her blouse as she talked to Nathan. “Construction inside the boutique is scheduled to start in a few days, and inventory will be arriving, too. Is that going to be a problem?”
“No. Anyone who steps foot into the boutique will have to submit to a thorough background check and you’ll have an armed security guard posted inside the shop while you’re there,” Nathan assured her.
“Thank you,” she said, and visibly relaxed. “I really do appreciate everything you’re doing to keep me safe and protected.”
It was hard not to notice how gracious Zoe was with Nathan, and Sean could only hope she extended the same reprieve to him for keeping the news about her father a secret for so long.
“You’re welcome.” Nathan clasped Sean’s shoulder in his hand and graced Zoe with a friendly grin. “Trust me, we’ve got you covered, and I know for a fact that Sean isn’t about to let anything bad happen to you, either.”
“I know,” she said.
Zoe met Sean’s gaze, and in that instant, looking into her eyes, he experienced a small sense of satisfaction. While he might have caused her a wealth of disappointment today and shaken the foundation of what was between them, she ultimately trusted him to keep her safe. And right now, that’s all that mattered to him.
As far as he was concerned, it was a good thing she no longer had that total faith in him, because his own past was marred with a criminal record that proved he was no better than her father.
And that, Sean reminded himself, was ultimately the reason why he and Zoe didn’t stand a chance together beyond this case.