Chapter 9 #2
"I just wanted you to know, before your team comes across it, that my family's business has been under investigation by the FBI for over a year. And I don't think they know about it."
"But you know about it?" he asked.
She nodded. "The FBI approached me a year ago.
They hoped I could get them some information, but I haven't been able to help them.
It's not that I think my family's innocent.
Quite the contrary. But I haven't had the courage to do the digging to find the evidence.
I've stayed late at the office more than a dozen times over the past year, telling myself that after everyone goes home, I'll get on my uncle's computer.
Or look through my father's files. I know what to look for.
I've had my suspicions for a long time. But not once have I had the courage to follow through. I end up just going home."
There. She said it. Now he knew what a coward she was. Sparks extinguished.
"I'm not like you," she said.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"When your boss, your mentor, asked you to do the wrong thing, you stood up to him.
You did the right thing. Even though you lost that relationship.
I haven't had that courage. If I dig for this evidence and find it, and hand it over to the FBI, that'll be it.
I won't have any family. Only Cassidy. She's the only one who could be innocent. "
"That's why you followed her out here, isn't it? I know you're concerned about her safety. But also, she's the only one in your family you feel you can trust."
"Ironic, isn't it? The one person I don't suspect of any foul play is vacationing in the Caribbean with a criminal?
She's ignorant to what Emil's doing. I know that.
She can be flighty sometimes. And takes crazy risks.
Probably leading to some bad decisions. But she's not the kind of person who would knowingly break the law, steal something, or hurt someone else. "
She fidgeted with Nutmeg's leash, thankful Nash was mostly keeping his focus on the road. She didn't want to see any disappointment or judgment in his eyes. She couldn't stand that.
"I may not be able to do the right thing about my family's business. But I can protect Cassidy. Or at least try to."
"It was brave of you to come out here."
"No," she snapped. "Are you listening? I'm a complete coward. I don't even have the courage to go into my father's office and look through his files. I don't want to face what's in there."
He pursed his lips. "Is it possible your family's innocent?"
She petted Nutmeg. Because she needed to concentrate on something. Because she needed to feel grounded. The tears pricking her eyes wanted to fall, but she refused. "No," she whispered.
She rubbed Nutmeg's chest and behind his ears, avoiding any possible eye contact with Nash.
"Look, I only wanted to tell you because I figured your team would come across some of that information, if they haven't already.
And I didn't want you to assume I'm one of the bad guys.
I'm not." She shrugged. "Though I guess I can't prove that. "
The car slowed, and Nash shifted into park. Palm trees and some bushes she couldn't name filled her view when she looked up. No oil-change place. No buildings at all.
She whipped her head toward Nash. "What are we doing? Why did you stop?"
He took off his Top Gun sunglasses and pivoted in his seat to face her. "I don't think you're one of the bad guys, Lena. You don't have to worry about that. You don't need to prove anything. Okay?"
Oh. "Okay."
"I thought we'd built some trust. Do you trust me?"
She couldn't quite articulate why, but yes, she trusted him. "Yes."
"Good. And I trust you."
She couldn't find her voice.
Nutmeg did not share her struggle. He looked right at Nash and barked.
Nash's mouth quirked up. "Wasn't talking to you, furball." He scratched Nutmeg behind the ears. "Jury's still out on you."
Nutmeg barked again.
Lena giggled. "Aw, you hurt his feelings."
"I did not. He just wants us to get out of the car or start driving again." Nash started the engine and Nutmeg leaped to his preferred spot—paws on the windowsill, back legs on Lena.
Nash slipped his sunglasses back on. "See?"
Lena had to laugh. And it felt good.
Her whole body felt lighter. Nash trusted her. She trusted him. She wasn't sure which fact amazed her the most.
They spent the rest of the day running errands in Morghana City, with a brief stop at a city park for Nutmeg's benefit. Lena took advantage of the Wi-Fi in the city to text several pictures to Victoria, assuring her that Nutmeg was happy, safe, and receiving plenty of attention.
Every now and then, for a minute or so, Lena would forget her stresses and simply enjoy Nash's company. The vibe between them was easy. Comfortable.
Sparks doused? Nope.
Something simmered there. Didn't prove anything, though.
Keep your head on straight, girl. Just be grateful God sent you someone you can trust to help you find Cassidy. She's the reason you're here—the only reason you're here.
After hours away from Emil's estate, running errands with Lena, Nash had hoped his cameras would've picked up something interesting while they were gone. He waited until Lena returned to the main house for the evening before diving into the camera recordings.
And he found hours and hours of nothing.
Delphine came and went, keeping to her normal schedule. And Ed Chester showed up, but he walked in the front door like a legitimate business manager and didn't climb through a window like a cat burglar. So, not necessarily suspicious.
The only other activity was a delivery of two crates of wine. But Delphine mentioned expecting that delivery, so again, nothing particularly shady.
Frustrated and exhausted, Nash crawled into bed and fell asleep almost immediately. He slept hard.
Until fierce banging on his door jerked him from a deep sleep.