Page 21 of Dancing With Lies

“I’d guess the diamonds are worth that much.” He said quietly, thinking it over. “Why do you need the money, again?”

He should have mentioned the inheritance, should have mentioned his former stepfather was looking for her, but for some reason, he decided to hold that information back.

“My boyfriend Nathan needs it for bail. He’s been arrested for burning down my old place, but I know he wouldn’t do something like that.”

“The guy that burned down Elmo’s?” He asked, stunned that he’d been so close to her without even knowing it. If he’d dug into that Nathan dick’s life a little more, he’d have found her. Un-fucking-believable.

“Yeah, how did you know about that? Did Dylan mention it?” Her eyebrows pulled together until he nodded.

“Yeah, Dylan mentioned it. He was there with his wife, right?” Lincoln asked, his eyes back down on the phone. He couldn’t tell her he’d had a guy investigating the crime for a while.

“Yeah, I was too. I was one of the owners.” She shrugged and looked away, out at the moonlight dancing on the water. Probably reliving that night if the way she shivered meant anything.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” He sat back in the chair and looked over at her, waiting for her beautiful face to come back to his.

He waited for a while. She was too lost in her own thoughts to be present for the moment. When she did turn back, he saw a woman haunted by more than just the distant past. It was a look that made his heart ache for her.

“Nathan’s alone. He has nobody, just like me. Dylan offered to pay the bail and I know I have no right to ask you, but you’re the only one that would give me what the watch is worth. I don’t want charity. I just want a fair deal.” She swallowed, pursed her lips, and brushed her hair out of her face when the wind blew it into her eyes.

“You know he’s probably going to go to prison, right? There’s a lot of evidence he was the one that did it.” He didn’t move, didn’t try to touch her, just spoke quietly, and waited.

Tears popped into her eyes and her lips twisted as if her nose itched. “I know that, but, even if he’s guilty, I have to try. When I met him, he was a good guy. I’d have married him if he’d stayed that same man. But he didn’t. Something happened and he turned into someone else. I have to give him a chance to form some kind of defense and he can’t do that if he’s locked up in jail.”

“And if he runs and you lose the bail money?” Lincoln asked softly, wanting to make sure she understood the risk. He’d wanted to rip the guy’s head off before he found out what he was to Roxie. Now, he wanted to just straight-up stuff the man in a suitcase and drop him in the bay.

“So be it. I’ll have done what I could. I’ll have done what nobody else bothered to do for him.” She said and Lincoln knew she still had a heart of gold, under all that tough exterior. Even now she pulled her chin up to stare at him with defiance burning in her eyes.

“I see.” He said, stalling for time to think. He knew that asshole would probably run and Roxie wouldn’t get her money back. Lincoln had thrown away more than that on weekends in Greece, he had it to spare, so why not? But he didn’t want her to lose that kind of money. It was life-changing money, and it was her mother’s watch. Did she really want to let that go if she still had it after all this time? She’d held onto it for a reason. Was this Nathan guy worth it?

“I’ll agree to this, on one condition.” He finally said, an idea coming to life in his head.

“What condition?” She pulled back, looking at him warily.

“I want you to work for me. For one year.” He held up a single finger, showing her that was the only string attached.

“I’m not moving to fucking New York!” She declared, shaking her head vehemently.

“And you won’t have to.” He shook his head in time with her, a smile forming on his face. “You won’t have to tell anyone who you are, or what you’re doing, you just have to give me one year of your life. Or I’ll sell the watch.”

“Forget it. Like you said, nobody will want the watch with a dead woman’s name engraved on it, even if the diamonds are worth that much. I’m not moving back to New York, not even to get Nathan out of jail.” She sat back, her arms wrapped under her breasts, as if to shield herself from him.

“And I said you won’t have to.” He reminded her, staring at her with smiling brown eyes.

“What kind of work?”

“I’ll think of something.” He winked at her this time, which only seemed to make her more nervous, as he knew it would. He was kind of enjoying having her in this tight spot.

“So, if I work for you for a year, you’ll give me the watch back, no strings attached?” She repeated it all, as if to make sure she understood him correctly.

“You have my word.” He offered her his hand and she stared at it, uncertain for a long moment.

“Fine.” She took his hand and shook. From the dread on her face, he had to wonder what kind of work she thought he had in mind. He wasn’t a monster, but he did want his money’s worth out of her. And he’d get it one way or another, he thought, with a twisted smile.

8

Roxie

“I’ve paid the bail, you can go pick him up.” Lincoln sent a text message to Roxie the next day.