Big Easy Temptation (The Perfect Gentlemen #3)(59)
Dax shook his head and headed for the bar. She had a decent bottle of bourbon there and he poured out two glasses. “They’d intended to go to the papers with the pictures. And the reporter who was going to break the story was finalizing a publishing deal. Apparently they can’t take down my family with a single story. They needed a whole book.”
“Was finalizing a deal?” How far had they gone?
Dax handed her one before taking a good swig of his own. “Yes. My friends found out about the deal and it’s dead now.”
How would her man with no name take that? Would he be angry? Or could she satisfy him by throwing Dax off the investigation? Panic warred with anger inside her. She didn’t want to lose Dax but Holland was furious that she didn’t see a way out. Or had that all been part of their plan in the first place? They had to know Dax’s friends could kill that deal. This was all about making her look bad. The “deal” would get quashed so the rumors and investigations wouldn’t be public again, but one person would have to take the fall. Her. “How did they do that?”
“Zack handled it.”
When one of your best friends was the president of the United States, she supposed one could accomplish a lot with a minimal amount of red tape. “What are you going to do?”
Not that she could believe him. He hadn’t mentioned that he’d made plans to go to the prison. Unless the man on the phone had been lying to her?
“I’m going to find out who’s setting you up and I’m going to make them pay. I’m not an idiot, Holland. I know you wouldn’t betray me like this. Someone wants me to think you would. They’re trying to drive a wedge between us, and I won’t let it happen.”
She fought back tears because how many men in his position would believe her? None that she knew of. He loved her. It was the only reason he could possibly look at all the evidence and still come to the conclusion that she was innocent.
It was sweet and touching . . . and heartbreaking. Clearly, he wouldn’t stop trying to vindicate his father or her. Never. He would be a dog with a bone, and the mob would take him down eventually. They would call it an accident, a tragedy. No one would be able to prove anything, but Dax Spencer would cease to be.
She was the only one who could possibly stop it. She had to make him believe his father was guilty. It was the only way to end this. That was her real job in all this chaos.
“He was guilty.” The words dropped from her mouth like a boulder that was suddenly too heavy for her to bear.
“Connor is overseas right now, I suspect. I never really know where the man is.” Dax continued on like she hadn’t said a thing. “I’ll leave him a message, but as soon as I can I’ll talk to him about delving into your banking records. We have to be able to figure out who sent you that money.”
“He was guilty, Dax.” She had to make him understand. “Your father committed statutory rape and he killed himself because of the repercussions.”
He stared at her for a moment, his eyes not quite focused. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I don’t understand. What are you saying to me?”
This was going to be so much harder than she could have imagined. Dax wasn’t going to simply accept that his father had possessed a dark side and move on, but then that was the mobsters’ plan. The man on the phone had been explicit. He wanted Dax Spencer back at his Naval post and without resources here at home. He wanted her separated from Dax. He hadn’t counted on Dax believing she was innocent.
She needed the man she loved to think she was the bad guy. Holland didn’t see another way to make this work. If she told Dax the whole truth, he’d only fight harder and bring his friends into this danger. No, she had to sacrifice their relationship to save his life.
She thought for a moment, trying to figure a way out. Maybe she could tell him the truth and that he needed to leave her, get on his boat and they could try again, more quietly this time. He could leave her here and let her try to bring the mob down.
Yes, he would just quietly get on that boat and leave her. Not in a million years. He would never leave her behind. He would go straight to the Navy and open another investigation—this one into the threats against her.
They had no idea who the mob had on the inside. Of the cops. Of NCIS. Of the Navy.
The only way to save Dax was to hide the truth and get him on that damn boat.
Holland turned her back on Dax and wrapped her arms around herself. God, she’d love to hold him one last time . . . but that wouldn’t convince him that she’d sold him out.
Instead, she drew in a deep breath and forced herself to go cold as she turned to face him.
In a few months, maybe a year, perhaps she could try to talk to him again. Perhaps they could meet secretly and she could explain, but now there was no way except to make him hate her.
“You heard what I said, Dax. I’ve spent the last several weeks investigating this case. I’ve put my life on hold for it and I’ve come to one and only one conclusion. Your dad raped that girl. I’ve seen the photos. In fact, I was the one who found them.”
The blood leeched from his face, leaving him pale. He chugged back another long drink before looking up at her. “When did you find the photos? And where are they? I want to see them.”
She shook her head. “I don’t have them anymore.”
She placed careful emphasis on the “anymore,” praying he would come to the proper conclusions. She couldn’t handle a nasty, prolonged fight. At some point she would break down because what she needed more than anything was for him to pull her into his arms, to hold her close and promise everything would be all right. She needed it more than anything and it was the one thing she might never have again. After today, he might well hate her for the rest of their lives.