One Good Reason (Boston Love #3)(67)

They don’t interrupt. They just watch me in silence, waiting for me to finish.

“I never saw his face. He was big. Strong. Southie accent. That’s all I know.” I swallow again. “He had a knife. He — he put it to my throat so I couldn’t struggle.”

The air gets a little tense, when I say that. Parker’s arm tightens again.

“And…” I dart a glance at Luca. “He said…” Breathe.

“What?” Nate prompts softly. “What did he say, Zoe?”

“He said to stay away — to tell my boyfriend to stay away. And to make sure he knows if he tries anything, I’ll pay the price.”

Before I can explain, Luca’s rounded the bed, grabbed Parker by the lapels of his button-down, and hauled him to his feet.

“What the f*ck did you do?” he hisses.

“Go on, just give me an excuse to hit you,” Parker returns, his voice vibrating with anger. “Please.”

“Luca!” I yell, jumping to my feet – ouch, every bone in my body aches like I’ve been hit by a truck – and pushing my way between them. “Stop!”

Thankfully Nate is there to intervene, because there’s literally no chance of them listening to me. Emotions are running too high for either of them to see reason, at the moment.

“Come on,” Nate says, shoving the men apart with a rough jab to both their chests. “This really how you two want to play this? Upsetting Zoe even more, after what she’s been through?”

His words snap the two brutes out of it — they back off, but still eye each other with wary glares and angry expressions, each ready to go for the jugular at the slightest provocation.

“Knew you were terrible for her,” Luca mutters darkly. “Should’ve stopped it. Should’ve locked her up until she forgot about your stupid ass.”

“Zoe makes her own decisions,” Parker volleys back. “Always will, when she’s with me. That’s exactly why she’ll never be with someone like you.”

“Enough,” Nate growls. “Both of you. Or I’ll make you leave.”

They shut up. Grudgingly.

For a moment, there’s total silence in the loft. I sink back onto the edge of my bed, feeling exhausted down to my marrow from the attack, the onslaught of emotions, everything.

“Luca,” I start in a soft voice that makes the three of them focus on me. “He wasn’t talking about Parker.”

“What?” they all say in unison.

“The man… he was talking about you.” I look at my best friend, hating to see the guilt filling his eyes as he stares back at me. “The factory. He must’ve seen you there, when you went to check it out.”

The blood drains out of Luca’s face as he realizes what that means — that he’s the one who endangered my life. Not Parker, who he was so quick to blame.

“What are you talking about?” Nate asks. “What factory?”

“Does this have to do with the Lancaster case?” Parker adds, sitting down by my side again.

“Lancaster?” Nate’s voice is dark. “Robert Lancaster? The CEO of Lancaster Consolidated?”

“I think so.” I chew my lip. “Luca and I… well, we were investigating some of the LC financials, after they screwed all their employees out of their pensions and closed the factories without warning. But… I think we found something.” I glance at Parker. “Something bigger.”

“Explain,” Nate says in a no-nonsense tone.

I do a quick run-through of my trip to the Lynn factory, the pipes I found, the man who was watching me from across the parking lot as I left.

“You didn’t tell me about that,” Luca growls angrily. “You never f*cking said there was some LC goon keeping tabs you. Jesus, babe, what were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t sure he was watching me! Not really!” I protest. “How could I know something like that?”

“Still should’ve told me,” Luca grumbles.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I think…”

“What?” Parker asks.

“I think it might’ve been the same guy. The one watching me at the factory and the one who attacked me.” I expel a sharp breath. “I’m not positive. It’s just… a gut feeling.”

The three of them are silent for a few moments, each lost in their thoughts.

It’s Nate, who finally breaks the silence. “So, you think Lancaster is covering something up.”

“I don’t just think,” I say, rising shakily to my feet and crossing to the desk where I keep the file with all my notes from the investigation. “I found a work order, proving the pipes were installed after the plant closed.”

I pass the document to Nate, and he studies it for a long moment. “Could be asbestos, some kind of toxin he exposed his employees to, while they were working at the factory. No other reason to go in and change out the pipes after closing things down. Especially if he’s just going to demolish it in a few months.”

“He’s covering his ass,” Parker mutters.

“That’s the sense I got, when I went to the plant,” Luca says, nodding. “Air ducts had been scrubbed, too. And the water pipes had been rigged to pump shit straight into the bay. Highly doubt that’s compliant with EPA guidelines, but in a pinch, if you’re trying to flush your system and get rid of evidence…”