Tara handed the keys to her Toyota to the wide-eyed valet, deciding that given the way she was dressed, she could afford to have someone else park her car. Besides, the clearly bowled-over, stuttering attendant confirmed that she looked as spectacular as her sisters had fiercely proclaimed. Walking into the expensive club, she was relieved to see that other women were also wearing stylish, upscale dresses. She’d been afraid that she would look hopelessly out of place. After all, this was, Sierra Vista, Arizona, not New York or San Francisco. Not recognizing many of the attendees, she remembered that Governor Simpson had asked Griffin to throw the party. Apparently, the governor had also had a hand in the invitations. Tara recognized some of the prosperous-looking men from their pictures in the “Style” section of the New York Times, a newspaper that she and her sisters had poured over since they were young. She sighed, acknowledging that in addition to turning her world on its axis, Griffin was introducing a whole new level of society to their dusty little town.
Doing her best to contain her nervousness, Tara raised her chin and reminded herself that she was also known in the wider world. After all, not every newspaper editor won a Pulitzer, and she’d snagged two of them. One was for the widely heralded story she wrote about Tanya and Ryker Thompson’s takedown of an international border corruption scheme while simultaneously solving a hideous rape and murder. She’d positioned the story as a “you’ll never believe what happened in our small town” feature, and it had captured the rapt attention of media outlets the country over. Her second Pulitzer was for the series she wrote documenting the involvement of white supremacist groups in the criminal coyote industry that was ferrying illegal immigrants over the border. That series, while winning the coveted prize, was consistently derided by most of the Sierra Vista residents who didn’t want to be known by their most unsavory neighbors.
At that moment, she spotted him across the room. He was surrounded by a group of polished men and their elegantly attired wives. As always, Griffin took her breath away. His tousled dark hair hung rakishly over his forehead, contrasting with his flashing emerald eyes. His dark beard shadow emphasized his chiseled jaw, high cheekbones, and full sensuous lips. But tonight, it was his physique that grabbed her attention. How could it not? He was wearing a modishly tailored sport jacket over a black silk shirt that was open at the neck. His slim pants topped an outrageous pair of Bordeaux-colored boots replete with brightly colored dragons embroidered on the sides. She later learned they were multi-thousand dollar Gucci boots that only a man confident of his cutting-edge taste would have chosen.
Tara wished she could have continued to focus on Griffin. Unfortunately, her attention was drawn to the exquisite woman who was standing beside him, one delicate hand resting possessively on his arm. Forgetting her sisters’ raving accolades about her silver and white dress, Tara was struck by how gaudy it looked in comparison to the tasteful and clearly expensive dress Jia was wearing. Her stunning Asian features and tiny body also underscored the difference between them. Usually Tara was proud of her tall, slender body. Now she felt like a Clydesdale horse in a Budweiser beer commercial compared to a small, delicate Arabian daintily capturing the space next to Griffin.
Just when Tara was seriously considering being stricken by an attack of the stomach flu and fleeing to the safety of her pedestrian Toyota, Griffin met her gaze. She would have to be blind not to see the excitement in his eyes as he gazed at her, a soft smile tugging at his lips. As he strode to her, in the process knocking Jia’s hand off his arm, Tara’s heart surged. At that moment, nothing mattered except that Griffin was obviously as excited to see her as she was to see him. It was as though they were the only two people in the room the way the crowd seemed to part to let him through.
She should have been embarrassed when he reached for her hand and pulled her close to him, brushing his lips across her cheek. But she wasn’t. If anything, she longed to rest against him. Instead, she looked up at him. “You look wonderful, Griffin. I . . . I missed you.”
His eyes darkening to a jewel-hard emerald green, he shook his head and murmured, “And you, Tara, are simply the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” He added with a wink, “I only have two questions. One, how the hell am I going to keep every man here from attacking you, and more important, how am I going to keep from attacking you?”
“I’ll second those questions, Griffin. And may I confirm that you weren’t exaggerating. If ever a dress was made for a woman, it is this one.” Magnus bowed slightly and said with a grin, “You look truly beautiful, Tara. No wonder my boss man is as gaga over you as he is.”
At that moment, Governor Simpson and his wife approached. Knowing that the governor was well aware of her eco-rep and likely her opposition to Shadow Peaks, she wasn’t surprised that he looked astounded that she was here and standing next to Griffin. He coughed slightly and then said coolly, “Good evening, Tara. I’m pleased to see you. I haven’t seen you since you wrote that scathing indictment of my proposed budget and had the audacity to call me for comments.”
Fortified by Griffin’s presence, Tara said with an impish smile, “I remember that conversation, Governor Simpson. Some of what you said to me was even fit to print.”
When both Griffin and Magnus laughed, the governor had the decency to look embarrassed, then gamely tried to recover. “Frankly, I didn’t expect to see you here. But you look lovely. Please give my best to that imposing father of yours.”
“Come now, Governor Simpson, why wouldn’t I invite the most beautiful woman I’ve met, one who has captured me with her passion?”
Startled at what she knew was a double entendre, Tara was relieved when Griffin qualified his remark to the surprised governor. “Besides, while Ms. Trouble has strong views about development, she also has an uncanny sense of what will work and what won’t. I’m pleased to say that she has been willing to give me some good advice that I’m attempting to work into my plans.”
For a quick moment, Tara wondered if Griffin was merely covering for her, but seeing his sincerity, she wondered if in some crazy way she and Griffin could actually work together on his project. Knowing she would never give up what she considered her core principles, she recognized Griffin’s olive branch for what it was and decided she could at least hear him out. To her surprise, for the next hour, he kept her at his side, including her in the various conversations, asking for her opinion, and respectfully listening to her answers. Needing to go to the ladies’ room, she was surprised when he leaned over and murmured for her ears only, “Hurry back. I don’t want you out of my sight for even a moment.”
Walking across the patio back to the party, Tara was surprised when Jia Yanlin stepped out of the shadows. She muttered as close to a pleasant greeting as she could and was preparing to pass by when Jia said, “You actually think he cares for you, don’t you?”
When Tara stepped back, too startled to respond, Jia’s sneer widened. “You’re all the same. It would be funny if it weren’t so pathetic.”
Forcing herself to answer, although she wasn’t sure how she did, Tara said, “Excuse me, are you talking to me?”
Jia glanced around the empty deck and scoffed. “Who do you think I’m talking to? Although you could be any one of a hundred women who were foolish enough to think that Griffin actually cares for you.” When Tara just stared at her, truly too startled to respond, Jia’s lips curled in an ugly smile. Glancing up and down Tara’s dress, she didn’t bother to hide her distaste. “I knew you would wear it. I chose it because I was sure you would, no matter how garish it looks.”
Tara tried to keep from stammering but it was impossible. It was a wonder that she could get any words past the grapefruit-sized lump in her throat. “You . . . you chose this dress?”
Jia’s mirthless laugh sliced at her reserves. “Did you think that Griffin did? You are as foolish as the rest of them. I choose the dresses for all of his women. And it wasn’t as though we could let you come to the party in one of your bargain basement outfits.” As if she hadn’t already sliced Tara’s heart in two, Jia snorted. “I actually thought you were smarter than that. That you’d refuse to wear it, knowing that he was just trying to buy your support.” Hearing footsteps, she glanced at Tara’s dress and murmured, “Well, at least you’ll have something to wear after he finishes his project and goes on to the next. Although, given this horseshit town, I’m not sure where you could wear it, except to a Halloween party. Maybe you could go as the White Witch of the West.”
Tara wasn’t sure how she made it to the valet stand. She must have looked as shattered as she felt because the wide-eyed, clearly-distressed valet had her car out to her in minutes—after asking three times if she was all right. She started to drive home but found herself in front of Tanya’s house. She knew that she couldn’t go home. She was afraid that Griffin might come after her and she couldn’t bear to see him, much less speak to him.
****
Looking at his watch for the third time and seeing that it was nearly twenty minutes since Tara went to the ladies’ room, Griffin admitted that he was concerned. Knowing that the event had to be challenging to her, he was determined to find her, ensure that she wasn’t intimidated by the crowd of business and government muckety-mucks. Even as he thought it, Griffin had to smile. Given how Tara had expertly handled any and all comments that came her way, it was the elite crowd that should be intimidated. It was then that he saw Magnus approaching him. His partner’s stern expression didn’t bode well. Assuming that something was awry with the kitchen staff, he was surprised when Magnus took his arm and pulled him away from the crowd.
“What’s wrong, Magnus?”
“Christ, Griffin, I don’t know how to tell you this, but Tara left.”
“What? What do you mean left?”
“She left . . . the party. Damn, man, you aren’t going to believe this, but Jia truly went over the deep edge this time.”
At first Griffin didn’t believe what Magnus was telling him. It was when he finally acknowledged that it had now been at least a half hour since Tara had gone to the bathroom that he forced himself to hear what Magnus was saying.
“I’m not surprised you’re shocked, Griffin. I could barely believe what I was hearing. I always knew Jia could be vicious. Hell, we both knew that. All of the other women are terrified of her. But she purposefully waylaid Tara, then took after her in a way that I wouldn’t have believed even Jia was capable of. And hell, man, she didn’t pull any punches. She told Tara that you ordered her to pick out a dress for Tara so she wouldn’t look like an idiot, and that the only reason you were after her was to get her support for the project.”
Later, Griffin would wonder how he kept from strangling his unrepentant assistant. He didn’t know when he had been so angry. It was a wonder he could speak. Grabbing Jia by the arm, he practically dragged her from the party and yanked her into the back of the busy kitchen. Ignoring the wait staff who quickly turned and left the area, no doubt seeing their host reaming out one of his employees, he spit out the words, “Goddamn you, Jia, you better hope that Magnus is exaggerating. But if you said half of what he overheard and Tara has truly left the party, you have no idea what I will do to you. Your life won’t be worth living when I’m through with you. You’ll wish you were dead.”
Her face ravished with pain, Jia appealed to him. “Don’t you see, Griffin? I was trying to protect you. She would have ruined you. Convinced you to compromise your project. You would have been a laughing stock. Everyone would know you did it because of her. I couldn’t let that happen. We’ve worked so hard to get to where we are. She would have ruined everything that we built.”
Griffin could barely contain his wrath or his shock. “What are you talking about? Everything that we have built? Good God, Jia, even you can’t be that presumptuous.”
Before he could continue, Jia grabbed his arm and cried, “I love you, Griffin, and I know you love me.”
He stared at her for a long moment and then said softly, “Jesus God, you truly are insane. I can’t believe I just thought you were wicked, but you’re more than that. You’re crazy.”
He stepped back and said over his shoulder as he headed for the exterior doors, “I don’t want to see so much as a glimpse of you by tomorrow morning. I want you out of here—out of my life—or face the consequences. Trust me, Jia, you have no idea what I’m capable of, but test me, and you’ll wish you hadn’t. Now, get the hell out of my life or be sorry forever.”
****
Magnus did his best to explain Griffin’s sudden exit to the rest of the guests. When it was clear that Griffin wasn’t going to return, little by little the guests left. When the governor and his troupe decided to leave, the party fizzled to a close. Magnus drove to their headquarters and began hunting for Jia. He was surprised to find her in Griffin’s office, actually sitting at his desk as if she belonged there.
He stared at her and then put up his hands in disbelief. “Holy Mary, mother of God, are you truly as crazy as you seem? How in God’s name couldn’t you know what Griffin would do when he found out what you’d done?”
He stepped back in shock when instead of crying, which he was sure she would do, she turned on him, as angry as he’d ever seen her. But even he wasn’t prepared for her attack.
“This is your fault, Magnus. If you hadn’t encouraged him, bought that stupid underwear and helped her snare him . . . ”
“Damn, Jia. You really have lost it, haven’t you?”
Her face twisted into a grim replica of what he’d used to think was a beautiful woman. Instead, he saw her as the viperous witch he’d always known her to be. What he hadn’t known was that he was her next target.
“No, Magnus, I haven’t lost it, but you have. You thought you could betray me? Tell Griffin what you overheard me saying to that pathetic, small-town nothing? Did you honestly think you could betray me and not face the consequences?”
Magnus frowned. Christ, the bitch really did look deranged. He had to admit, he felt a shiver of unease. Hell, how could he not? He’d seen accomplished women and men flee from the room in tears after being strafed by one of her vicious personal attacks. Not missing the demonic gleam in her coal-black eyes as she glared at him, he realized that he was the subject of her fury. Forcing himself to appear indifferent, he said in a cavalier tone, “And what consequences might those be, Jia?”
To his surprise, a smile overtook her expression, if that was what one could call the evil grimace curving her lips. It was clear that his unease was warranted when she said, scorn underscoring the fateful words, “Do you honestly think that I don’t know about your unusual financial machinations? That I’m not aware of what you have been doing these last three years?” Rising to her feet, her face warped with hate, she sneered at him. “I warned you, Magnus. I told you not to sell me short. I told you that at the level I play the game, I know everything I need to about my enemies and my supposed friends. But you didn’t believe me. You just wrote me off as a jealous woman. Someone you could betray to Griffin.” She flicked her fingers in a dismissive gesture. “Too bad you didn’t heed my warning. As I told you yesterday, I never lose. You should have listened to me, Magnus. Your loss.”