Hard Rules

“Riker’s gay,” he says. “Which wouldn’t be a problem except for a few important details. He’s not only in the closet, he’s married to a woman, has three kids with her, and a father who’s a conservative politician. And yes, I have proof. The man is in bed with so many men I wonder how his wife doesn’t know. And before you ask, I’m thorough. She doesn’t.”

I suck in a breath and let it out. “I don’t want to be the person that screws up this family’s life.”

“He’ll never let me tell her,” he assures me. “And I wouldn’t without your approval anyway. You know that. But for the record, this family’s life is already screwed up and it’s fucked up that they don’t know it.”

I hesitate all of two seconds. “Do it.” The truth is, my fleeting moment of guilt was wasted on a man who revels in breaking the law.

“I’ll leave tonight then,” Seth replies. “Right after I pay the ‘other woman’ a visit.” He motions to the desk. “Need me to do anything about Nina?”

“I have it handled.”

Still he doesn’t leave, an expectant few beats of silence passing before he asks, “Anything else?”

Translation. He wants to know about Emily, and while I have every reason to get him digging around about her, somewhere in the middle of this conversation, I’ve decided I’m not done with her myself quite yet. “Nothing,” I say.

He narrows his gaze a moment, clearly weighing my reply. “Very well,” he says, heading for the door.

“Don’t shut it,” I call after him, grabbing the envelope with the deal memo and staring down at it, clear on how to handle it, but Emily is another matter. Creating a distraction to keep me from finding the Martina connection would be smart. And yet, I’m foolish enough to want to believe Emily is telling me the truth. She’s either the only woman who’s ever rocked my world, or she’s a source of information I can, and will, use.

I round the desk and the instant I’m out the door, Jessica says, “Your father—”

“Handled,” I say, and I don’t stop walking, passing my brother’s closed door and dark office before cutting down the hallway and through the lobby, where Kelly is greeting a visitor I don’t know.

Continuing on, I enter the next hallway to my father’s office, not sure if I should expect to be requesting Emily’s phone number through human resources after visiting with my father or if I’ll find her still present and accounted for. I round the corner, bringing the empty desk in front of my father’s office into view, and the idea that Emily’s run again is actually a relief. If she was a game piece my father and/or brother placed in an attempt to distract me, or throw me off my game, she’d still be here.

I walk to my father’s open office door and enter, finding him behind his desk on the phone. I shut the door and he glances up. “I’ll call you back,” he says to whoever is on the line, clearly not waiting on a reply before hanging up to direct his, “About damn time,” at me.

Stopping in front of his desk, I toss the envelope down as I had the photo of Derek and the FDA inspector. “I know that’s a payoff.” I know I can’t cave too easily or he’ll suspect something is wrong. “Which is exactly why you asked me to bring it to you on a thumb drive or hard copy. You didn’t want it proof of our file transfer. What’s it for?”

He leans back in his seat. “Must you always try to prove why you earned that Harvard law degree?”

“You expected me to be the best and I am,” I reply. Pushing for any piece of information I can get, I ask, “What does Nina Thompson know that she shouldn’t?”

“Does it matter?” It’s my turn to offer a deadpan look, and after two beats he scowls and snaps, “Riker had an affair with Nina. When he tried to break it off, she threatened to go to his wife.”

Riker, who is gay, had an affair with his female employee? I’d laugh at the blatant lie if I wasn’t concerned about what’s really going on, and how my father’s involved. “Why didn’t you just tell me that?”

“Your skills are better used for bigger things. I handled it. Like I always do.”

Like he handled the Feds, but I let it go, pushing for a way inside this deal’s origin instead. “If I call Nina’s lawyer, what will I hear?”

“I convinced her not to hire a lawyer.”

Of course he did. “If I call her, then?”

“What do you think?”

I consider him. “I’ll pay her off. Consider it handled.”

“I’ll deal with the conclusion of the agreement.”

“Part of my employment contract requires my signature on all legal agreements. I’ll handle it.”

“Not this time,” he says, his tone absolute. “Riker’s a friend and he’s worried about his family.”

I shake my head at the absurdity of him having friends. “Of course, Father, and fucking around on his wife certainly proves that concern.” I pick up the envelope. “An investment is the wrong packaging for a gag deal. I’ll rework it and you’ll have your contract by morning.”

I turn and walk away to hear him growl into his intercom, “Come to my office, Emily.”

Tension ripples down my spine and I open the door to come face-to-face with my sweet-smelling potential liar. She physically flinches at our standoff, a reaction that hits me in a variety of ways. One: She’s fucking gorgeous and I still want her. Two: No one trying to rattle me would be this rattled by me—not unless she’s a good enough actor to fool someone who makes a living reading people.