Unbridled and Unbroken (14 page)

Besides, Clay had a nose for women who were abused by men and she didn’t fit the bill. Still, something had sent her running into the street, unwilling to wait for the taxi he’d called. He heard the vestibule door slam open and the glass rattle in the panes and gone to check it out. Through the open outer door of the club, he’d seen her run into the street and flag down a cab. Something was wrong. Why hadn’t she waited for the taxi he called?

He’d pondered this question all day long. Once he had some down time he decided to investigate the incident. It was after midnight before he was able to set aside some time to check the club’s surveillance tapes.

Loading the security film from this morning, he fast forwarded to the incident and the minutes directly before she left racing into the road.

The vestibule camera had a perfect view. She rose when Zachary entered and asked him if he was there for her. Zachary’s puzzled expression, then Clay knew he’d come to the door right then. Zachary exited the room. She looked sheepish over the tailor remark. A few seconds later and bam. There it was. She gasped and put her hands over her mouth as if to keep from letting a shriek escape.

Good lord, what on earth had she heard to garner that frightened reaction?

Clay paused the tape and scrolled his memory back to that moment. Zachary had said something about, “Don’t you know who I am?”

His eyes popped open. Clay remembered he’d said Zachary’s full name in his response.

Changing to a different camera footage from outside the club, Clay watched as she slipped her shoes off and ran into the street to catch a cab on the opposite side. He’d seen it before, but zoomed in on her face.

She was clearly terrified. Of Zachary? Clay couldn’t fathom a reason why she’d be afraid of him.

Maybe it was time to ask Zachary.

First, he’d have to find out her name. Then he’d grill Zachary about why a girl he didn’t recognize was scared to death of him enough to run into a traffic filled street barefoot.

* * * *

Johnny waited impatiently for ten o’clock to arrive. He’d slept fitfully after their midnight coffee and snack run to Veronica’s convenience store. He’d been so relieved when she was happy to see them last night he’d once again forgotten to get her phone number.

He wasn’t even sure she’d give it to him. Her privacy was obviously very important to her. Given the antics of the nut job, Jerry, on the first night he’d met her, Johnny couldn’t really blame her.

The truth of the matter was he and Adam were visitors from another state. Perhaps she didn’t see their recent intimacy as a lasting possibility for a relationship and therefore unimportant.

An irrational part of his mind feared Veronica wouldn’t show up this morning. And if they visited her work place tonight, they’d discover she’d quit her job and disappeared into the world and they’d never see her again. An ache formed around his chest at that particular disappointment.

True, they hadn’t known her long, but he knew in his heart that she was special. He wondered at Adam’s feelings on the matter. Adam was so much more practical in affairs of the heart. He could distance himself more easily, but Johnny thought even Adam liked Veronica enough to consider a future with her. As if his thoughts had conjured his friend, Adam walked past the adjoining room door.

Johnny asked, “Should we start talking to Veronica about a more permanent situation?”

“What?” Adam entered his room buttoning a pressed dress shirt.

“If we discover that she’s the right woman for us and she wants to join our lifestyle, will we encourage a long-distance relationship?”

Adam grimaced. “That’s not exactly optimal. But then again, maybe she’d be worth it.”

“Think she’d move to Colorado with us?”

He shrugged. “I guess we could ask her, but you’d better be prepared for her to say no.”

“Not the encouragement I’m searching for.”

“You want a different answer from her, ask a different question. We don’t even know where she lives or her phone number. There may be a reason for that. She obviously guards her privacy. Besides, she acts more like she wants this to be a temporary arrangement. So don’t ruin it by pressuring her. I want to see her as much as possible this week.”

“Fine. I won’t bring it up. I wanted you to understand my intent.”

“I like her, too. But don’t fuck things up. Your
intent
may be well placed, but I don’t want to scare her off.”

His phone rang and interrupted the brewing argument. Johnny looked at the caller display surprised to see Clayton’s number.

“What’s up, Clay?” he asked instead of a civil greeting. Adam’s attention turned his way as if to listen in.

“Not much. Just wondered if you spoke to your date from the other evening again.”

“Why?”

“She ran out of here in a hurry yesterday morning and I want to make sure she’s okay. I’m always concerned over anything that might reflect poorly on the club.”

Johnny’s heart stuttered in his chest. He’d forgotten all about asking her why she’d left in a hurry. Not to mention, why she’d been upset. He was grateful he’d seen her last night at the convenience store or this phone call would have been much worse.

“What are you saying, Clay? Do you think we did something adverse to her?”

There was a long pause on Clay’s end of the line. “That wasn’t the first notion I had. In my limited experience, you two always treat women very well. But she seemed very upset when she left and I’ve got the video surveillance to prove it. So my concern is justified.”

Johnny knew the club was important, but it was also supposed to be discreet. He resented even a hint of the implication that they’d done anything abusive to their date. “What do really you want, Clay?”

“I’d like to speak to her.” Johnny drew a breath to disagree, but Clay quickly added, “Don’t get upset. I just want to make sure she’s unharmed. Maybe I want to make sure
I
didn’t do anything to scare her.”

“What did you do?” The urge to leap to his feet and race down to the club to watch the video, and ensure Clay had been completely above board in dealing with Veronica, rushed through his limbs. He had to force himself to remain seated.

“Nothing. I just called a cab for her. But something soon after that upset her and I simply want to make sure she’s okay. I’d like to talk to her if it’s at all possible.”

“It might be possible. What will you say to her?”

There was a long sigh at the end of the line. “My only concern is club related. I simply want to ask her a couple of questions. That’s all. Maybe she was late for something and it had nothing to do with the club. I just want to make sure. Will you ask her for me please?”

“Fine. We spoke to her last night and we’re meeting later on today. If she’s willing, I’ll have her call you.” He snapped his phone shut without a civil farewell, too.

“What did Clay want?”

“Apparently, because Veronica looked so upset when she left the club yesterday morning, Clay wants to speak to her to ensure it won’t come back on the DRMC.”

“Well, obviously she wasn’t upset about anything we did, or she wouldn’t have agreed to meet us today.”

Johnny glanced at his watch. His body deflated slightly as there was still more than two hours before she’d be here. Now he really hoped she showed up and hadn’t been putting them on. And he also wanted to know why she was so upset when she left.

Chapter Eight

Veronica raced home after her shift and got ready to spend some quality time with Johnny and Adam. She even went so far as to gather an extra uniform and put it in her car in case she didn’t make it home before it was time for tonight’s shift at work.

Her phone was ringing insistently when she came back inside. She didn’t have a cellular phone, as it was too expensive to maintain and one of the main reasons she didn’t give her number out. The other was because she was frightened. This could only be either her convenience store boss, and she hated talking to him, or her former supervisor Tom, from her previous life. Tom hadn’t called in so long she didn’t expect it to be him, but at this hour of the morning and given where she was headed, she wasn’t looking forward to talking to either of them.

She closed her eyes, picked up the handset and whispered, “Hello.”

“Veronica,” Tom’s exuberant voice came charging through the line, “I’m so glad I caught you.”

“Tom. What’s going on? I haven’t heard from you in so long. I’d almost given up hope.”

“I know and I’m sorry to be so distant for this long of a time, but nothing much had changed. However no news is often good news. It also means no one else has found you. And that’s always the best news.”

The memory of hearing Clay say Zachary Barrett’s name, and how she’d promptly panicked, rushed forward in her mind. Before she thought it through too much, she blurted, “I actually almost ran into the lawyer from the case yesterday.”

“What!” Tom’s shocked and outraged tone replaced the previously congenial one. “I told you not to seek him out. My Lord, what did he say to you?”

“I didn’t talk to him, Tom. I also didn’t seek him out. I overheard someone say his name, and then I ran like my life depended on it.” Veronica wondered why he was so belligerent all of a sudden.

She heard Tom’s sigh of relief over the line. “Good. You did fine.”

“He didn’t look so scary.”

“Well, that’s because he doesn’t know who you are. If he finds out you were the one who sidelined the property deal he was arranging for his client, you’d see his big, bad lawyer side in a hurry. Don’t contact him Veronica, I’m warning you, he will put you in jail before you can utter a word in your own defense.”

“Are you certain? Even after all this time?”

“Yes. His client almost lost the property they were seeking to acquire. They had to renegotiate the deal at a higher price to get the parcel of land they already set to buy before their account was drained of funds. The insurance replaced it, eventually, but the timing couldn’t have been worse. They were very unhappy about the situation and your part in it.”

“But I wasn’t the one who stole the money.”

He released a long sigh once more. “I know that, but as of yet, that information cannot be proved. The money is still missing and your password was the one used for the transaction. Which was never in dispute. And unfortunately, you can’t remember who you were even with that night. Or has that changed? Are you remembering anything from then?”

“No. Nothing’s changed. I blacked out. God only knows where I was, who I talked to or what happened during that twelve hour period. Given the ache in my head and stomach the next morning when I woke, I’m still certain I was drugged.”

“Which you can’t prove because you didn’t go to the hospital and have a blood test run at that time.”

“I didn’t know that my password had been used during the time I was unconscious. That revelation didn’t come until much later. Besides, I still believe my history with the company should count for something. I should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.”

“I have no doubts at all that you’re innocent. That’s why I’ve helped you all this time. I’m just saying you don’t have any card to play right now in your own defense.”

“Still—”

“Stop, Veronica. We keep hashing over the same argument. You have to trust me. Stay hidden and don’t approach Zachary Barrett. You’ll be arrested before you can even say, ‘I didn’t do it.’ And more importantly, I won’t be able to intercede on your behalf this time.”

“Fine. I know you’re right. But I need to know how much longer this will take. I hate this life so much.”
Except for Johnny and Adam
. “I don’t know how much longer I can stay here and not go completely stir crazy.”
I’ll truly go insane when they go back to Colorado.