Killer Career (17 page)

His eyebrows knit together. His lips tightened. She’d hit a nerve.

“It’s the truth. I find it a chore to force the ideas and the
words out when they don’t want to, but I’ve got a deadline.”

Tyler’s admission made him seem more human, yet the look on his
face and in his eyes was ruthless, almost like a glimpse into a dark
soul, a villain in one of his books. She sensed this man would go to
any length to get what he wanted. God help the person who stood in
his way. Goose bumps broke out on her arm.

“Are you cold,” he asked.

His perception was disconcerting. Ignoring her unease, Julie switched
the subject to the first thing she could think of, because it had
been on her mind most of the day. She told him of her run-in with
Barabat, the surprise videotape and her disappointment over her
client’s betrayal.

“I can’t believe I misjudged Watson so thoroughly. The man seemed
so sincere.”

“That’s one of your flaws, my dear Julie. You tend to look for
the good in people where none exists. You’re a champion of lost
causes. Look how you’re attracted to me.”

She glanced quickly across the table, and was met by a bland
expression. What went on behind that mask?

“You’re a successful man and a force to be reckoned with. I
hardly consider you a lost cause.”

“If you only knew.” He pushed back his plate. “Enough about
me. What about you? Are you writing?”

He’d hit a nerve. She wanted to write, but emergencies kept
springing up to divert her attention. The split with Dade was taking
longer than she’d intended. Julie sighed. “I wish I could. Dade’s
accident plus all those tests I had to take really set us back.
Business won’t wait for us to catch up. Everyone wants us.”

“Get out. Don’t let it bury you.”

“It’s not that easy. I do have obligations.”

“Oh, yes, to your partner.”

The way he emphasized partner made it sound like a dirty word. That
wasn’t fair to Dade.

“Yes, to my partner. Dade and I go back a long way. We grew up
together. I could never leave him high and dry. I’ll work it out
somehow.”

“Don’t be a fool. Your first duty is to yourself. Leave before
it’s too late. He’ll get along.”

She shot a killing glare at Tyler. “You don’t understand. I’m
not that kind of person.” Her voice was rising, but she couldn’t
help it.

“You’ve got to see reason. He’s not your family, just your
partner. He’s using you. You’re his moneymaker and he doesn’t
want the manna to end. If he cared what was best for you, he’d let
you out.”

How dare he infer that Dade didn’t count. How dare he tell her how
to run her life. It didn’t matter that she’d already decided to
follow his suggestion. This was her decision, not Tyler’s. Famous
or not, the man was overstepping. She’d handle her business her own
way.

“I believe I’m a better judge of what’s best for me than you.”

Three women at the adjacent table, distracted by Julie and Tyler’s
raised voices, turned in their direction, then took a second look.
Excited whispers alerted Julie as to what was happening. Someone had
recognized Tyler and was spreading the word.

An auburn haired woman in a tan business suit appeared before them at
the table, holding out a small piece of paper.

“Mr. Jensen, I do love your books. May I have your autograph?”

From the woman’s appearance, she had to be a professional, yet her
face lit up like a school girl’s with a crush on a football player.

Tyler’s eyes glinted from suppressed fury. He turned from the woman
and beckoned to the waiter. “I will not be bothered while I eat,”
he said in a clipped voice.

The man nodded and politely gestured to the woman to leave. Her face
turned red. She crumpled the paper, threw it on the floor and stomped
it with her heel. “You son of a bitch,” she whispered.

With stiff legs she marched back to her table. Like a swarm of
hornets circling for the kill, voices buzzed around them. Soon
everyone would know what had happened. Julie felt like crawling under
the table.

“I don’t have to take this. Let’s get out of here,” Tyler
said.

He threw some bills on the table, darted to Julie’s chair and
pulled it out. She barely had time to pick up her purse before she
was steered by the elbow out of the restaurant.

“Get the car,” Tyler barked at the valet.

Almost immediately, the Jaguar appeared at the front curb. Before
Julie could fasten her seatbelt, Tyler had swerved out of the parking
space and headed toward the theater.

Did he realize what he’d done or didn’t he care? She had to find
out. “You were rude. You could have signed that autograph. It would
have meant a lot to the woman.”

Tyler, with eyes fastened on the road, bit out, “And who are you to
talk? You’ll never have occasion to choose between nicety and
privacy. Huddled safely in your stifling cocoon, afraid to break free
of your mindless rut, you’ll never be asked for an autograph. I’ve
made it. I have the right to choose what I do.”

How dare he talk down to her. “You conceited snob. If I do make a
name for myself, I’ll always have time to be considerate. I’ll
never let anyone down.”

“Ah, again the naive innocent. You have a lot to learn.”

“Maybe about writing, but not how to treat people. Take me home.
I’m not going anywhere with you.”

At last he was showing his true colors. Deep down, he didn’t
consider her or anyone else his equal. Thank God she’d learned now
before she’d done something she would have regretted. His eyes
blazed. He looked ready to reach over and slap her, yet he swerved
onto the expressway. She pressed her lips tight, refusing to speak.

He finally turned off at Arlingdale Road. She’d soon be home, away
from the megalomaniac beside her. She could hardly wait.

Tyler pulled up in front of her brick ranch. He turned off the
ignition and faced her. “I see you’re upset. Let me rephrase what
I said. Make no mistake, you are talented. Unfortunately, if you
don’t do anything about it, your potential will be wasted. No one
can do the job for you. You have to want it badly enough to do it
yourself.”

The damage was done. He’d torn her apart, then had had the temerity
to believe a few sweet words could fix everything.

“Don’t try to butter me up. The bottom line is you were mean
tonight. It wouldn’t have taken much effort to share a small part
of yourself by signing that autograph. It would have meant a lot to
that woman. Instead, you humiliated her. Then you insulted me and
acted like I don’t have a brain in my body.”

“You don’t get it, Julie. Fans are like feeding piranhas. They
can pick you dry. They have to be controlled.”

“No, they’re human beings,” she said quietly.

He grasped her by the shoulders and turned her to him. “You’re
serious, aren’t you? You actually care about a stranger you’ll
never meet again. You don’t know her. She’s nothing to you or
me.”

The streetlight shone across Tyler’s face. Mesmerized, Julie stared
into his blank eyes. They looked void of compassion. Either he didn’t
care or didn’t have a clue about what he’d done. She didn’t
know this man and didn’t want to.

“You don’t get it and I don’t think you ever will.” She
shrugged away from his hold. “I’ve got a long day ahead of me
tomorrow. Goodnight.”

The man was insufferable. Julie swung open the car door and raced up
the path to her house.

Once inside, with heart pounding, she leaned against the doorframe.
Tyler was correct in one respect. She must have been naive to think
there was more to him than what lay on the surface. She’d had no
business going out with him in the first place. She should have known
better than to give in to her curiosity and ego.

The car motor purred outside. Tyler was waiting, probably thinking
she’d run out and beg his forgiveness. Not a chance.

The hum persisted. If he wasn’t leaving, would he force his way in?
He’d seemed angry enough to do anything. She spun around and
checked to make sure the deadbolts were secure. Yes, thank goodness.
It would be awfully hard for him to get past them.

The Jaguar continued to idle for at least half an hour. He was
playing mind games with her. She wouldn’t give him the dignity of a
response.

Finally, the motor sped up and roared away. Thank God he was gone.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Julie plopped onto the nearby arm chair.
She sat in the quiet darkness letting distaste and disappointment
wash over her.

Her eyes, which had been purposely closed before her date, now were
wide open. Instead of seeing Tyler Jensen as the jerk he really was,
she’d made excuses for him. Dangerous and different, he’d lured
her away from her everyday life. King of his craft, he’d epitomized
a standard she yearned to achieve.

Julie sighed. If only he’d been different. The two of them could
have been so wonderful together.

“If only he were a better man, like Dade,” she voiced aloud.

The words echoed off the walls and bounced back at her. With blinding
clarity, the realization struck her. It wasn’t Tyler’s fault she
didn’t like him. It was hers. All along, she’d been looking for
an excuse to dump him. She’d thrown him up against an impossible
standard which he could never achieve.

No matter what he did or said, he’d fail. He could never be Dade, a
man with a truly good soul, whom she really loved. What was worse,
she could never have Dade in that way. He loved her as his sister and
nothing more.

She couldn’t give up her adopted family. They were all she had
left. Because of that, when she left the law firm, she’d still run
into Dade at family gatherings. In time, he’d probably marry a
lovely woman. How could she bear seeing him look lovingly at his wife
and children?

She was in a horrible situation and couldn’t get help. She
certainly couldn’t ask Dade’s advice, as she usually did in
important matters. Her other confidants, Avery and Marcia, were also
off limits. By telling them, the secret would get out and sides would
be drawn. From the fallout, Julie could lose the only family she had
left.

From tonight on, she’d be treading a thin line, masking her true
feelings from the people who knew her as well as she knew herself.
How long would the facade last before they caught on?

Chapter Twenty

A full week passed during which Dade traveled downstate to try cases
in Joliet and Springfield. Though somehow he’d hoped a miracle
would happen and Julie would change her mind about leaving, the
determined tilt to her chin told him otherwise.

She wanted out. His feelings on the issue didn’t matter.

As she sat across from him in his office going over the next week’s
agenda, her mind seemed far away. She was probably mooning over
Jensen. A stab of resentment filled him.

“By the way, how was your date with the great mystery writer? Did
he live up to his killer reputation?” The words flew out of his
mouth before he could stop them. He sounded petty and stifling, but
he didn’t give a damn.

“Suffice it to say, I won’t be seeing him again.”

“Why, was he a groper?”

She avoided his eyes. “No, nothing like that. Let’s just say, I
woke up. I decided I didn’t like what I saw.”

Dade raised his eyebrows. “Oh, and what was that?”

“Actually, it’s more what I didn’t see. The man’s missing
something. It’s hard to explain.”

“He’s probably not a people person. He could be decent at heart.”
Dade could kick himself. Why had he stuck up for the guy?

Julie shook her head. “I expected too much. It’s my fault, not
his.” She averted her eyes and gathered up her folders. “Time to
get ready. I’ve got an early case up at the Commission.”

Dade gave her an assessing look. Why was she being so evasive?
Whatever had happened upset her more than she was letting on. Hell,
she must really care for Jensen.

As Julie started to get up, Dade put his hand on her arm. “Julie,
we may not see eye to eye, but remember, we’re family. If
anything’s wrong, I’m here for you. You’re welcome to cry on my
shoulder any time, day or night.”

“That won’t be necessary.” she said, her shaky smile belying
her words. “I’ve got to get going. I’ll see you later.” She
turned and almost fled from his office.

“Bye,” he said to the empty air.

He wasn’t in any position to dispense advice to Julie about Jensen
anyway. If he tried, he might slip and say something that was better
left unsaid.

He picked up the phone. Maybe reinforcements would help. “Avery,
could you do me a favor?”

“Sure, bro’, but make it quick. I’ve got a story to cover. I
don’t have scads of time.”

“I’m worried about that mystery writer. Something happened
between him and Julie that she won’t tell me about. I don’t like
the looks of the guy. Maybe you could talk to her.”

His words were greeted by a long, drawn-out sigh. “So, once again
Big Brother focuses his beady eyes on poor little Julie. Ease up. If
the guy’s right for her, it’ll work out. I figured it all out
when my guy came along.”

Dade sighed. “You’re probably right. It was gutless of me to
shove the job off on you.”

“Shove what off?”

“Never mind. Try to stay out of trouble, okay?”

On a regular basis, Avery, as a reporter for the
Chicagoland
Times
, kept her ears tuned to the police scanner. When a story
broke, she rushed right into the thick of it, no matter where, no
matter how dangerous.

It worried him that his sister enjoyed living on the edge where
anything could happen. He’d hoped she’d settle down with a quiet
type who’d steer her into a more mundane occupation, but no such
luck. Instead, Avery had fallen for a great guy, but a fellow
reporter, who was as gun-ho as she about covering breaking news.
Avery’s husband and job were her life. Dade should be happy for
her. Most of the time he was.