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"Heck no. No one knows these systems like he does. Mind if I take off, boss?"
David looked over at Jason and smiled. "You go on home and take a little time for yourself today. You did a fabulous job, Jason. I'm proud of you."
Blushing, he looked at the floor. "Thanks," he muttered, and then he tipped his hat to Kiera. "Nice seeing you again, Ms. Donnelly."
She chuckled. "Nice meeting you, too, Jason. Thank you very much."
Twisting her hands together, she trailed behind David as he followed Jason out the office door. Once Jason left, she walked to the living room and motioned for David to sit on the sofa.
"Would you like something to drink? I have tea, coffee … something stronger." The knots in her stomach wouldn’t allow her to swallow anything, but she wanted to be a good hostess.
"No, Kiera. I'm fine." His deep, rich voice floated over her. He stiffly walked to the sofa and waited for her to sit before he did.
She twisted her hands together, knotting her fingers tightly into a ball. "Thank you for allowing me to explain myself. I've thought about this moment so many times since I left, and to be honest, now that we're here, I'm at a loss at how to start."
"Start with why you left me," he clipped.
She looked into his eyes, the faint lines around them more pronounced today, yet the look was incredibly sexy on him. So, the beginning, that was a good place to start.
She swallowed and let out the breath she’d just sucked into her lungs. "My dad had gotten into trouble—again. He owed money to some very angry, bad people." Her lips quivered.
David snorted. "Your dad was always in trouble. What did he do, gamble?"
"No, it was worse. He stole money from the retirement accounts at his job. His boss caught on to what he was doing and had him followed to see what he was doing with the money. They followed him to school one day when he came to have lunch with me."
She looked out the window and sighed deeply. "My father's boss was powerful and mean. He wanted the money back, and my dad didn't have it. He felt that much of the money was spent on my education. I’ve never found out if that’s true.” She bit her bottom lip a bit and tucked the hair behind her ears. “The afternoon before I ..." Swallowing, she paused, and picked at an imaginary piece of lint on her pants, before continuing, "… before I left, Dad's boss, Nicholas, paid me a visit at my apartment. He told me what Dad had done and gave me an ultimatum. He wouldn't kill you or Dad if I married him."
David sat quietly, listening to Kiera tell him her side of the worst time in his life. "How did you know he would follow through, Kiera? People make idle threats all the time."
"He showed me pictures of men ..." She cleared her throat, "… men who owed him money—they had been beaten, bloodied, and murdered. He said he didn't like it when people took his money, and when they did, he made them pay. He gave me twenty-four hours to decide. I came to your apartment that night, and I saw him watching me from his car in the parking lot. He knew where you lived. He knew how to get to my dad."
Her heart hammered in her chest, and she worried she’d pass out from the intensity. Glancing over at the antique dresser in her living room she’d found at a little shop last year and spent a month refinishing, she scooted to the edge of the sofa and made her way to it and pulled a tissue from the box on top. Dabbing at her eyes, she sat back on the sofa, her back rigid and hands shaking. Wiping her nose, she swallowed a sob, and a groaning noise escaped her throat.
David sat stone-still. She could hear his ragged breathing and his knuckles cracking as he flexed his hands open and closed.
"I couldn't risk it, David. I loved you more than anything or anyone in the world. I couldn't let him do anything to you if I knew I could stop it, and he promised me he wouldn't touch you."
David jumped up from the sofa and paced the room. "Why didn't you tell me? We could have gone to the police."
"I was afraid. You didn't see the pictures. You didn't see the look in his eyes. I knew what he was capable of. I asked my dad why he’d stolen from him and if he knew how dangerous Nicholas was. He said he did, and he begged me to marry Nicholas and keep him alive. Hebeggedme. I couldn't live with anyone's death on my hands when I knew perfectly well I could prevent it."
Crying in earnest, she raised her knees and hugged them to her chest.
“You always did cave to pressure and take the path of least resistance.”
Pacing around the space, David dragged his hand through his hair. "He knew you were with me that night? But he let you stay?"
Wiping the tears from her face, Kiera swallowed. "I didn't stay, David. As soon as you were asleep, I left. I knew he was out there, and I was afraid he would come up to your apartment … but I couldn't leave without making love with you one more time." She stood up, her arms at her sides, palms facing up, pleading. "I loved you with all my heart. If I couldn't be with you, at least I’d know you were alive."
"Did he know you made love with me that night?"
She nodded, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes.
"And he didn't do anything about it? He wanted to marry you, but he let you make love to another man?"
Softly, almost inaudible, she replied, "Believe me, I paid for it."
"How?" David stopped pacing and turned to face her. "How?" He raised his voice.
