Keeping Her Guilty Secret (Forever Yours Trilogy) (10 page)

Chapter 17

Nicole sat in the passenger seat of the car she shared with her sister as Kate drove.

“How are you feeling?” Kate asked.

She gave her a weak smile. “Okay.”

“You don’t look okay. You’ve turned a putrid shade of green. Are you sure you still want to go to the mall? I can take you home if you’re not feeling well.”

The hospital released her last evening after twenty-four hours of observation and several tests, satisfied she hadn’t suffered any significant injuries, so the throbbing in her head and nauseous stomach had nothing to do with the accident and everything to do with the text message she’d received a few minutes ago as she and Kate had gotten in the car.

She hadn’t been paranoid after all. Carlo
had
caused the accident. And that scared the hell out of her because if he was willing to ram a car into her, there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do to get what he wanted.

“Nicole?”

She turned to face Kate. “Yes?”

“Do you want me to take you back home?”

“No. I need to pick up a few things at the fabric store to put the finishing touches on Ashley’s gown.”

Kate nodded. “Have you’d talked to Max since he’s been gone?”

“Uh huh. The meetings are going well and he should be home the day after tomorrow.”

“Things seem pretty serious between you two.”

His heartfelt words from the other day whispered through her mind.
I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost you.
They may not be a declaration of love, but they proved he cared. “They are.”

“If he takes this job does that mean you’ll be moving away with him?” Kate asked hesitantly.

Nicole shook her head. “He’d be based here, in Chicago, so you don’t have to worry about me going anywhere.”

Kate gave her a cheeky grin. “I’m glad to hear it. I’d miss you if you moved away. With Ashley gone, you know, for all intents and purposes, who would I gossip about guys with?”

Nicole mock-punched her in the arm. “Nice to know I at least hold some importance to you. So, come on, dish.”

“Okay, I met a really cute guy last weekend, at the comedy club.”

“Oh yeah? What’s his name?”

“John. He deals with high-risk investments and recently moved here from New York.”

Nicole raised her eyebrows. “I thought you were only interested in the artistic type?”

Kate laughed. “Usually I am, but this guy is different.”

“Sounds as if you like him a lot.”

“Maybe. Okay, yes. I like him a lot. He’s smart and funny, not to mention really hot.”

Nicole snorted. “Hot, huh?”

Kate grinned as she pulled the car into a parking spot. “Smokin’.”

“So, when are you going to see him again?”

“He’s meeting me at Panera Bread for lunch in fifteen minutes. Wanna join us?”

“No. Two’s company, three’s a crowd.”

“You’re kidding, right? Seriously, come and join us when you’re done shopping. I really want you to meet him.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to intrude on your date.”

“Of course I’m sure.”

An hour later, Nicole gathered her purchases and walked through the mall entrance to Panera Bread. Kate spotted her and waved from a booth in the back. She nodded and strolled to the table.

“Oh good, you’re here,” Kate said and slid over to the inside seat. “This is John.”

Nicole gasped.
Oh god, oh god, oh god.
She grabbed Kate’s arm and yanked her to her feet. “Come on, we’re getting out of here now.”

Kate’s eyes widened. “What are you doing?” She pulled away and sat back down in the seat. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Is there a problem?”

“There’s no problem, John. You’ll have to excuse my sister. She was in a car accident recently and whacked her head—hard. She’s not usually this rude.”

Nicole sucked in a deep breath and glared at Carlo, not John.
You bastard.
He’d gone after Kate knowing Nicole couldn’t do a damn thing about it if she wanted her past to remain a secret. “We have to leave. Now.”

Kate glowered. “Why?”

Carlo smirked. “Yes, Nicole, isn’t it? Why are you insisting on Kate leaving now? We haven’t finished our date.”

She closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. No way could Kate continue seeing him. He’d ruin her life.
I can’t do this anymore. I can’t keep running from the past.

“This man is not John. His name is Carlo and he doesn’t deal with high-risk financial investments, he deals drugs.”

Kate shook her head. “You must be mistaken.”

Carlo’s dark eyes bore down on her.

You went too far this time, Carlo. No one messes with my family!
“There’s no mistake, Kate. He’s a convicted felon. Come on, let’s get out of here.” Pulling her to her feet, Nicole gently pushed Kate toward the exit. When she was out of earshot, Nicole turned back to Carlo. “Stay away from me and my family.”

Carlo yanked her against him and stared down at her, his eyes frigid. “You’re going to pay dearly for that display of bravado, Nicole.”

Chapter 18

Max hefted his suitcase from the cab, paid the driver, and hurried toward the entrance of the apartment building where he’d rented the small one-bedroom until he could find something better. Better encompassed a long wish list, but his number one ‘must have’ was a place he and Nicole could share.

He planned on asking her to move in with him tonight.

In the meantime, a quick shower was in order after the long flight, then off to surprise Nicole. She didn’t know he’d returned from Paris a day early and he couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when he showed up at the house. Maybe he’d stop and grab a bouquet of flowers for her. And a bottle of champagne, to celebrate. The moving in together, not the new business venture.

The meeting in Paris had started off on the right foot, but in the end a final agreement couldn’t be reached, so it was back to the beginning on the job front, but he’d deal with that tomorrow.

Now all he wanted was Nicole in his arms. He missed her, more than he thought possible, and couldn’t wait to see her again.

Carlo lurched forward from his spot against the wall the moment Max stepped into the lobby. How had he gotten in? So much for the excellent building security the real estate agent had gone on about. The last thing he needed now was a confrontation. “What are you doing here?”

Carlo lifted his hands in the air as if surrendering. “I just want to talk.”

He didn’t have time for this. “I don’t want to hear anything you have to say.”

Carlo nodded and took a step toward the exit. “Okay, but I was only trying to save you a little misery. Nicole Bradford is not who you think she is.”

“Why would I believe anything you have to say about Nicole?”

Carlo gave a careless shrug. “Suit yourself. But if you change your mind . . .” He bent down and reached inside the backpack resting on the floor, pulled out a large envelope, and thrust it toward Max.

Max stared at the package. He recognized the prestigious New York law firm letterhead in the upper right hand corner. What had she done that required hiring a criminal attorney? Probably nothing. Carlo was here to cause trouble and he’d do well to remember that.

“Take it,” Carlo urged. His eyes turned serious. “Learn for yourself what she’s been hiding from you before you get in too deep.”

Hiding?
His palms started to sweat. Images of Angela and Eve, together in bed, swam through his head.
No.
Nicole wasn’t like Angela. She hadn’t lied and wasn’t keeping anything from him. Was she?

No, of course not. Carlo wanted to cause trouble. Right?

He’s none of your concern.
Nicole’s words echoed in his head.

No.
Max turned away from Carlo and the envelope, strode to the bank of elevators on the far end of the room and stabbed the call button.

The door slid open. He stepped inside and swiped his keycard for the twenty-first floor.

Carlo tossed the envelope into the car. The door whooshed shut and the car ascended.

Max stared down at it. “Damn it,” he muttered and bent to scoop it up. He couldn’t leave it lying there for someone else to find.

Five minutes later, he dumped his suitcase on the bed, pitched the envelope into the trash, undressed, then stepped into the shower. He closed his eyes and let the hot water ease his tired, aching muscles. But the longer he stood there, the tenser he got.

Why hadn’t Nicole told him why Carlo was harassing her? What was she hiding?

No. You’re playing right into his hands.

Max turned off the tap, stepped from the stall, dried off, and stalked back into the bedroom. The envelope peeked out of the trash can, tormenting him.

He turned his attention back to the task at hand. Boxers, socks. Then trousers and shirt.

Once dressed, he went back into the bathroom to shave and brush his teeth.

He retrieved his wallet off the dresser and stuck it in his back pocket.

His eyes drifted back to the garbage. Whatever Nicole’s secret, it couldn’t be as bad as what Angela had kept from him.

Reaching down, he snatched up the envelope and tore it open.

Nicole knocked on the door to Reed’s office. He motioned for her to come in.

She closed the door behind her and took a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

“You should be home resting. You just got out of the hospital yesterday. What are you doing here?”

“I need to talk to you.”

Carlo would make good on his threat. It had been his intent all along. These past few weeks hadn’t only been about blackmailing her into giving him money, they’d been about him exacting revenge.

You cost me everything six years ago and now it’s time to pay up.

Why hadn’t she seen it before now? Her arrest and conviction was a matter of public record. Yet, she believed the truth would stay hidden. Stupid, really. Well, no more. It was time to come clean and let the chips fall where they may. She’d told Kate the story last night. Would have told Ashley and Reed, too, but they hadn’t been around.

“Max will have my head if he finds out we’ve been talking about work.”

Max. Lord, she dreaded telling him most. What if . . .? No, she’d make him understand. “It’s important. There’s something I have to tell you. I—”

The door burst open, crashing against the adjoining wall. Nicole jerked around to see who had made the noise. Max stood in the opening, a thunderous expression on his face.

Reed’s eyebrows furrowed. “What’s the problem, Max?”

He knows,
the voice inside her head jeered.

No! That’s not possible.

“She’s the problem,” Max said.

He knows,
the voice persisted.

Her stomach heaved.
No.
Carlo had no way of knowing Max would return early. Even she hadn’t known.

Reed’s eyes rounded. “What is wrong with you, Max?”

Instead of answering, he stormed into the room and stopped in front of her. Waves of anger and contempt rolled off of him. She caught a glimpse of the letterhead on the front of the large manila envelope crushed in his fist.

“Care to explain this?” he drawled, his tone at odds with the aggression emanating from him.

Reed frowned. “What is it?”

Max turned the envelope upside down and the documents spilled over the desk. She started to shake, her worst fears confirmed. Legal documents, interrogation files, her arrest record, and those awful pictures Carlo had created.

Max’s gaze bore down on her. “Well?”

“I can explain.” She reached for his hand, but he pulled it away. His rejection gutted her.

“I didn’t want to believe it, had scoffed at the idea when Carlo showed up at my apartment yesterday afternoon and handed me the information.

“I spent all night going over every detail, checking and double-checking dates and times, praying Carlo had fabricated everything, but he didn’t. It’s all true. Isn’t it?”

“Let me tell you what happened. It’s not what it seems.”

He pointed to the papers strewn across the desk. “The evidence speaks for its self.”

No.
Why wouldn’t he listen? “Please, you don’t understand.”

He ignored her plea and turned his attention to Reed. “Are you aware you’ve hired a convicted felon, little brother?”

Nicole gasped. “No, Max. You’ve got it all wrong. I told you it’s—”

“A drug smuggler, to be exact.”

Reed’s eyes widened, and nausea burned in her throat.

“Six years ago your ‘right-hand man’ got busted for smuggling drugs into the country and selling cocaine to innocent children.”

Nicole’s mouth dropped open. “No! I never sold anything and especially not to children. I wouldn’t do that.”

Reed shook his head. “I don’t believe—”

“I didn’t want to either, but you will once you read through the papers.” He turned to Nicole. “You must have had one hell of a lawyer to get the authorities to reduce the charges with this much evidence against you. It must have cost you a fortune. No wonder you had to work another job to make ends meet.”

Just like all the others.
She shot to her feet. “That’s enough. You know nothing of what happened.”

He glared at her. The empty envelope vibrated in his hand. “I can’t believe I fell for the sweet, innocent façade you present to the world. These”—he picked up one of the incriminating photos and tossed it at her—“these tell the truth of who you really are.”

“No. You’re wrong.”

“Max, you can’t be serious. There’s got to be some mistake,” Reed said.

He sneered. “There’s no mistake.”

What was the use in trying to explain? He wasn’t going to believe her. No one had believed her before. Not the police, not the FBI. They’d all found her guilty as charged. If it hadn’t been for her lawyer, they’d have convicted her, too. But she wasn’t guilty of any crime.

Standing, she squared her shoulders and handed Reed a white envelope containing the letter she’d prepared. Just in case. “My resignation. I’m sorry.” Then she turned and strode out the door with her head held high.