Talia

“Are you kidding me?”

“Keep your voice down,” Stan says to me while Nathan quickly moves to shut our boss’s office door.

“It’s out of our hands, Talia.” Stan closes the folder with Bank’s interview in it and moves it over to the right side of his desk, his action final. “As soon as Nathan’s police contact saw the painting on the wall in that photo you took of Banks, he said that Nathan’s right. It appears to be from a museum collection that was stolen six months ago. I know you told Banks he could see a proof of the interview today, but you need to tell him we got held up and you’ll get it to him in a couple of days. The police don’t want him seeing the photo and spooking him. That should give the police enough time to investigate.”

“You mean give them enough time for a surprise raid of his home!” I snap. “Look, I don’t know if he’s guilty or not—for all we know it’s a very good replica—but my reputation is on the line here, Stan. I promised Banks the only reason I was there was to interview him. He’ll never believe a police shake down the day after I interviewed him wasn’t my plan all along.” My heart thumps erratically with my worry. My boss and Nathan have no clue about Sebastian’s past connection to Banks and I certainly won’t be sharing that info with the Tribune, but coming down on Banks would be like kicking a hornet’s nest and turning it on the Blakes.

“Calm down, Talia. If the painting really is from that collection, then this is for the greater good. And honestly, that’s what your job is supposed to be about anyway, not fluff articles.”

“Good investigative work,” Nathan chimes in as he moves to stand next to me. “Remember, that’s what we do here.”

“I prefer ethical investigative work.” I glare at him, folding my arms. “After this, my ‘word’ won’t mean anything.”

I pivot and start toward his door. “Where are you going?” Stan calls, tension in his tone. “We need to discuss upcoming projects.”

“For a late lunch. Rest assured your duplicitous message will be conveyed.”

I leave his office and march straight toward mine. Nathan’s so close behind me I can smell his cologne.

“Talia, wait up.”

I stop in my doorway and block his entrance. “I don’t know what your problem is, Nathan, but you just put me at risk.”

“I insisted that the police have to find some other reason to get into the house. That way it can’t be traced back to us. You’re worrying too much.”

“Are you really that naive? Banks may seem easy going, but he’s not the kind of guy you cross. Once the police zero in on that painting, Banks will blame the only investigative journalist who’s recently been allowed an exclusive interview in his home.”

Nathan slides his hands into his pockets and rocks on his heels, his expression confident. “I guarantee you that Banks has made many enemies over the years. You’re probably the last person who’ll enter his mind.”

“Good journalists don’t bank on probabilities,” I snap.

He lowers his arms, tension edging into his stance. “I was there too. He could easily blame me instead.”

“Well, that makes me feel so much better.”

“If he tries to come after you, he’ll regret it, Talia.” Gaze hardening, he crosses his arms. “With Banks’s history, I could dig up so much dirt on the guy I could bury him.”

My ex has done some things on a professional level that I’ve wanted to choke him for in the past, but listening to him now makes my stomach churn. This reckless and aggressive behavior is something I’ve never seen in him before. “What has gotten into you lately?”

His brown gaze sharpens, his jaw hardening. “You should’ve married me, Talia. I can protect you just as well as Mr. Ex-Military.”

“That’s what forcing me to go back on my word with Banks is all about? Who I’m with?”

“I didn’t put that painting on that guy’s wall. And the old Talia wouldn’t have let it slide either, but my point is I’ll protect you.” Stepping closer, he lowers his voice. “For fucks sake, I took two bullets for you, Talia. If that doesn’t say I never stopped caring…I don’t know what does.”

My face heats with guilt over Hayes shooting him. I’ve seen Nathan wince and roll his shoulder from time to time. “You don’t need to prove anything to me, Nathan. We’re work colleagues, nothing more.”

His jaw tightens. “You came to the hospital. You care, Talia.”

“I wanted to make sure you were all right. I felt horrible that you got caught in the crossfire of Hayes’ vendetta against me. But you mistook human decency for something more. I’m happily married, Nathan. You need to move on.”

Before he can say anything else, I walk into my office and shut the door, ending the conversation. As angry as I am at him for this Banks’s situation, Nathan’s partially right about one thing. I don’t view things as black and white as I used to, but then again, I have more than myself to worry about now. I have a family to protect, too.

Sitting down, I immediately dial the number I have for Banks. I’m pretty sure it’s the house’s landline—the guy’s that private. My hands shake as I wait for him to answer. Once it goes to voicemail, I leave the message Stan asked me to convey, then hang up and type Stan an email. Once I hit Send, I bite my lip and try to decide what to do next.

For all I know, the police could raid Banks’s house today. The last thing I want is for the Blakes to suffer any kind of blowback from this. I cooperated as far as the police are concerned, but how can I still honor my word with Banks? It’s not as if I wouldn’t go hard after the guy if he later became part of a Tribune investigation, but in this particular case, my word is who I am. My gaze lands on the flyer for a brand new pizza delivery place in my inbox, and I quickly grab the paper and my purse before I head down the backstairs, hoping like hell this new place delivers to the Lower East Side.

As I'm rushing to my car, the last person I expect to see is my aunt.

“Talia, I was just coming up to see you, dear,” she calls from across the lot as I reach my car.

She seems a bit wound up, which puts me instantly on alert. All I can think about is her fighting with my father yesterday and then my father asking me to give her a second chance. The dual imagery is making my stomach roil. “Aunt Vanessa I have an appointment that I really need to keep. Could this possibly wait until later?”

She twists her purse's straps around her hands. “I'm sure you're busy with decisions and check lists and such, but since you haven't left any voice messages this past week, I thought I'd be the one to open the lines of communication, so I came to you.”

What is she talking about? “I haven't called.”

“Oh...” The look of disappointment on her face makes the invitation in my purse suddenly feel like a cinderblock. This would be the perfect time to invite her. Before I can tamp down my apprehension enough to speak, her expression tenses. “Well, in that case, then I do have something to talk to you about. I'd like to hire BLACK Security. I know a word from you will help smooth the path.”

She shifted gears so fast, I blink in surprise. “Why do you want to hire Sebastian?”

“I think someone's watching me,” my aunt says in a whisper after she glances behind her.

“There's no one there,” I say, pursing my lips. The parking lot behind her is empty. Is she messing with me? How many times has she manipulated my life and relationships in the past? Were there more than the ones I’m aware of?

“They're not there now,” she says, bristling. “This has been going on for a couple of weeks. I want someone I can trust to take on my case.”

“I'm so glad you feel he's trustworthy.”

“Of course I do. He saved your life. That’s all that matters in my book.”

My sarcasm completely flew over my aunt's head. She's serious. And now she's trying to drag my husband into her twisted web, which will in turn include me. What new angle is she playing? I can't deal with not knowing her agenda, but I definitely won't allow her to rope Sebastian into whatever plan she's concocting. That invitation in my purse is going straight into the trash. “I'm sorry, but you'll have to hire another firm to help you, Aunt Vanessa. There are tons of reputable ones out there. I really need to go now.”

“But...Talia.” She reaches for my arm. “I'd really like to work things out. I miss being a part of your life. Seeing you get married would be such a highlight.”

“I miss trusting you implicitly. And I don’t know that I ever will again.”

The hurt on her face makes me feel like a royal bitch. I’ve never been so blunt with my aunt, but she needs to understand how much damage she caused and I need to focus on mending other relationships right now. Pulling free of her hold, I shut the door and drive off to save the Blakes from a mess I created.