Baddest Bad Boys(46)

“No surprise there.”

“Excuse me?” His interruption caught her off balance, confusing her.

“Forget it. Go on.”

“I work with him. A few days ago I discovered he’s been stealing from the company. Maybe as much as a million dollars.”

Mac whistled softly. “Busy guy. How?”

“False invoices, Internet bank transfers. There’s probably more but those I can prove.”

“And you told him what you knew.”

She looked down, wanted to escape his knowing gaze. “I trusted him…cared for him. I thought if I spoke to him, he could find a way to put the money back.”

Mac didn’t say a word.

“You think that was stupid, don’t you?” If he agreed with her, she’d kill him. She’d given herself the required forty lashes for idiot-girl thinking—she didn’t need more from him.

“It doesn’t matter what I think.” His hand grazed her knees as he straightened and rose to stand over her bed.

“The problem is,” she went on, “Reid told me there were others involved—”

“That’s his name, Reid?”

“Reid McNeil, CPA. Brought in by…Hired by Del Designs over a year ago to streamline all the admin and accounting systems.”

“And you think he’s telling you the truth—about these ‘others.’”

“That’s just it, I don’t know.”

“You don’t have to.”

“What do you mean?”

“Because you only have one option.”

“And that is?”

“Call the cops. Turn what you have over to them.”

She hesitated.

“You have a problem with that?” He bent to turn on the nightlight on her bedside table, kept his attention fixed on her face.

The low-wattage bulb didn’t do much to lighten the room, but it was enough for her to see Mac’s skeptical expression, his mouth—so close to the sneer she remembered so well. She wanted to explain her reluctance to go to the police, but was afraid it would sound as dumb as her first mistake, confronting Reid.

When she didn’t say anything, he raised a brow, shook his head—definitely disapproving. “If that torch you’re carrying for McNeil is still lit, he damn well better be worth it. Because if you don’t turn over what you know—and quick—you might find yourself named as a co-conspirator and be responsible for returning your share of the funds.”

Tommi felt her eyes widen. “What are you talking about?”

“That’s the way it works. So you’d best make up your mind what you like best, your bank account or your boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend!” She would have leaped from the bed—if she’d had any clothes on. “Give me my robe!” She pointed to it, her exhaustion replaced by a powerful surge of anger.

Mac tossed it to her, and she shrugged into it, reaching under the covers to pull it down before getting up. For all her precautions, she knew Mac got a generous view of her thighs.

So mad she didn’t care, she shot to her feet and poked a finger in his unyielding chest. “First off, Mr. Smug and Self-righteous, Reid is a liar and a thief—not my boyfriend. And second, I didn’t go to the police because Del Designs is a family business. Reid is stealing from Paul McNeil, his own father. And if it was my family, I’d want to handle it my way. Paul lost his wife last year. And now, to hear about Reid—” She closed her eyes against her friend’s pain. “I’ve worked with Paul for over six years. He’s been good to me. He deserves the chance to deal with his son in his own way.”

Mac took her finger from his chest, cocked his head. “So why didn’t you go to him?”

“He’s in Europe on a buying trip, and I can’t bring myself to tell him about this mess over the phone. It would be cruel.” She sat heavily on the edge of the bed, shoved her hair back with both hands, held it there, and pressed her palms against her temples. Anger gone, bone-weariness rushed front and center. She refused to cry, refused to give in to the confusion and bottomless fatigue—the fear of what Reid might do. “Oh, God, I don’t know…maybe I should call him, maybe things will be an even bigger mess by the time he gets back. Especially if Reid didn’t lie and there are other people involved.”

Mac took her hands from her head, held them between his own. “I doubt there are. Embezzling’s generally a loner’s game. Probably just his way of scaring the crap out of you.” He touched her hair, pushed some wild strands off her forehead and secured them behind her ear. Then he lifted her chin, made her face him. “Get some sleep. It’s two in the morning—there’s nothing we can do about it now. We’ll talk it over when we’re both awake.”

He pulled her to her feet and threw the covers back on the bed. “Get in,” he instructed.

Nearly asleep on her feet, Tommi nodded, started to drop her robe.

“Whoa.” He grasped her hands. “A man can only take so much.”

His voice seemed muted and distant. “I forgot you were here,” she said, not completely sure it was true.

“Thanks for the ego boost.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets, glowered at her, then jerked his dark head toward the door. “My room is down the hall. I’ll leave the door open. I’m a light sleeper, so I’ll hear you if there’s a problem.”