HellKat (22 page)

Kyle sat across the table, fidgeting, clearly uncomfortable in her presence. He’d done nothing but pick at the takeout food she’d brought with her, and he’d barely said two words since she’d arrived. Kat looked around his stunning Tribeca loft. Masculine in its tone yet refined in its clean lines, midcentury furnishings, sculpted artwork, and bold prints.

“What’s your problem, Kyle? You didn’t want to meet in public, so I’m here at your invitation.” She looked down at her plate. “I’m the only one who’s eaten anything, and you obviously don’t really want me here.”

His eyes shot up. “That’s not true! I’ve wanted to talk to you.” He glanced away and pushed his plate off to the side.

“Could’ve fooled me. Most of my calls go to voicemail, and then when you do respond, it’s a text. Why are you avoiding me?”

“Things are just tough right now, Kat, you know that. The family’s understandably in an uproar over the will, and it all spills over at the office. The whispers, the stares. Everybody wondering what the hell is going to happen. It’s madness, upheaval all around.”

She placed her utensils on the plate and folded her arms. “What do you think should happen?”

His previously self-conscious demeanor relaxed in apparent relief, and his eyes lit with hope. “I think you should seriously consider disclaiming your ownership interest in the business. Keep the extra money, I don’t care, but JAMESCO?” He scratched at his head, face twisted in doubt. “It doesn’t make sense, Kat. Why did he do that?” He waited for an answer but she sat mute, looking at him as if he should already know the answer. “What did he say to you in the hospital before he died? Did you know about any of this in advance? Why was he so hell-bent on seeing you, hanging on just for you? That’s how the nurses described it.”

Kat would’ve laughed out loud if not for the sheer depth of disappointment. His loyalties shouldn’t have come as a surprise, though. After all, Kyle was only doing what he’d been trained to do: represent his clients’ interests.

“Is this a deposition, Kyle? Do I need to have an attorney present?” He looked genuinely offended, and guilty. “Our family has been terrific fodder for the tabloids lately, as you well know. I was particularly disappointed with a picture I saw recently.” She paused. “You and Margo at the Met.” His eyes dropped in shame. “How’s Eric feel about that?”

“Leave it alone, Kat.” He closed his eyes, tone threaded with regret.

“You’re really going to allow yourself to be coerced by them? Why? Because you think it’s easier? What happened to you and Eric moving to the West Coast?”

He slapped his hand on the glass tabletop, pushed up, and walked away, hands clasped at the back of his head. Kat followed on his heels, the despicable deceit perpetrated by Grant Collins and her family still fresh, painful, in her memory.

“What you’re doing is wrong, Kyle. It’s not fair to you or Margo. Does she know about Eric? Is she on-board with a loveless sham of a marriage?”

“I said I don’t want to talk about it.” His words were sharp, but she heard the subtle cord of anguish.

She could feel the stress wound tight around him.

“Fine. Let them run your life. Tell you when to invite me over. Coach you on what questions to ask me.” Her impatience grew stronger. “Tell them I said they can all go to hell!” He winced. “For once in your life, Kyle, it would be nice if you picked my side.”

He swung around to face her, his cheeks flushed with anger. “I’ve always been on your side!”

“Like hell you have! Oh, sure, in private where it’s
safe
. But around them?” She shook her head. “I’m your favorite sideshow, Kyle. I always have been.” She stepped closer. “You like to watch from a safe distance, because you don’t have the
guts
to do it yourself! You’re a fence-sitter, a benchwarmer! You’ve always lived vicariously through me. You fan the flames when no one’s looking; cheer me on when no one’s listening, because you’re weak, and afraid to do it yourself! Because you’re too scared to live the life you deserve! The life you should have!” Her finger poked at his chest, and her heart ached from having uttered all those terrible words, spoken with a harshness she’d never before directed at the one ally she’d been lucky to have her entire life.

The one person she was proud to call family.

The hurt on his face only compounded her torment. She wanted so badly to throw her arms around him and beg his forgiveness. But she had to save him, or at least try, if it wasn’t already too late.

He backed away a few steps, stunned, and then turned his back to her, just as his eyes filled with a glossy sheen. He rocked on his heels, the city landscape sprawled in his view. He remained silent, stoic.

When he spoke, his words were distant. “What are you going to do?”

She moved closer to his side, but he continued to look straight ahead. So she joined him in his empty appraisal.

“I’m going to do what our father should’ve done. What he left me in charge to do, because he lacked the guts to do it himself. I’m going to clean house, Kyle. I have the advice of a good attorney that I’m well within my rights to do so. We both know the will’s not going to be thrown out. The family can bitch and moan all they want, it’s not going to change facts.” She gave him a sideways glance. “Parker and Charlie have to be stopped before they destroy the company our father and grandfather built. You’ve played a part in all of it, Kyle. I don’t know how much, but I’ll find out soon enough.”

He shook his head, with an indignant huff, still staring out the window. “You’ll find out when you read the minutes from our board meetings. I’ll even give you access to my emails. My concerns always fell on deaf ears.”

Kat wanted that to be true, but time would tell.

“I’ve been in touch with Stella. She’s given me access to Father’s office. They’ve sent me a flash drive with agendas, his calendar, the company’s calendar, that sort of thing. I’ll be taking over his wing and staff in the next few days.”

His rocking stopped. “I don’t think that’s wise. It hasn’t been long enough.”

“There’s never going to be a good time, Kyle. I’d rather rip the Band-Aid off quickly. And I’m sure as hell not going to sit back and appear uninterested, like certain people want me to.” The corners of his eyes creased slightly. “I’m going to shake things up, and there’s going to be a lot of fallout. More than you can imagine.” He almost turned to her but stopped himself, kept his eyes glued on the industrial building turned high-end lofts across the street.

“Why are you interested now, not before? Is it because of what you heard at the dinner when Tucker made such a splash?”

She almost smiled at the memory, but then a heavy weight settled around her. “Oh God, Kyle. I wish that’s all it was.”

She released a weary sigh, then turned to leave. She tried one last time to regain his attention, but he still wouldn’t make eye contact. His rejection stung, but she knew she deserved it. She’d hurt him deeply, probably irrevocably. She’d hurt him in an effort to draw out the man caged inside. The man clawing at the surface to be free. She reached out, tentative, squeezed his arm reassuringly, and then she strode, dejected, across the stylized concrete floor.

As she swung the heavy door open to make her exit, his voice echoed across the room. He stood stuck in the same spot, his back to her, hands deep in his pockets. “Parker’s called a board meeting to shore up support in his favor, and against you. It’s not going to appear on anything Stella’s given you. It’s off the books. It’s in three days. I’ll make sure you have everything you need to prepare for it.” His tone was hollow, cold.

Then he disappeared from her view. Slipped away without a glance, a nod, or a goodbye.

She knew then, even if she had managed to save him, she’d still lost him.

****

She uploaded the files from the flash drive to a secure online storage site. Her eyes were strained, her body riddled with caffeine. She’d read everything. Memorized the profiles of each of the seven board members and the agenda for the upcoming meeting at a cloak-and-dagger location in Midtown, not in a posh conference room at headquarters. Kat snorted and shook her head. Parker was such a snake, even Charlie wouldn’t be at the secret power conference. Of course, her eldest brother probably preferred it that way. Charlie had always liked staying above the fray, out of the dirt, while Parker enjoyed stirring shit and watching others lick the spoon.

Kyle had also included digital files with settlement information and notes on all sites with environmental disputes and any related pending litigation. He’d had the thumb drives delivered by messenger.

That had hurt.

Her stomach rolled with a wave of familiar disappointment that had become common since they’d last spoken, since she’d bet the house she could force the man inside him out of hiding. She’d felt sick ever since leaving his loft on such sour terms. Somehow, she had managed to both win and lose that risky bet. A kiss at the top of her head and a squeeze at her shoulder dragged her from her melancholy musings.

“Time for the call?” Tucker sat next to her at the table.

“Yeah, it is.” She picked up her cell, selected her recent calls, and tapped an image.

She sure hoped Tucker would behave himself. He hadn’t been thrilled to hear about Dan Walsh’s involvement, or rather
her
involvement with Dan in years past. Tucker was not some unthinking caveman, she knew that, and she knew if the situation were reversed, she’d be none too happy about a beautiful woman he’d been on and off with for years helping him, in any way.

“Right on time, Kat.”

“Hey, Dan. Listen, before we get started, I’m going to put you on speaker. I want Tucker involved in this too.”

There was a long pause, followed by a sigh. “Sure that’s wise?”

“Yes, I am. I’m placing you on speaker now. Tell us what you’ve got so far.” Tucker gave her leg a gentle squeeze of encouragement.

“Okay, well, first off there’s been some pushback on the cold case for Rose Kelley. Questions you’d expect, but an unusual level of resistance in checking out the leads you provided. A fairly hard push to know exactly
who
is providing the information. They’re not happy about the tips being anonymous. I’ve kept your name out of it for the time being as requested by you, but at some point, you’re going to need to come forward, Kat. Produce your evidence if there are too many roadblocks to get around in the proper channels.”

“That’s not a problem, Dan. I’m just not ready yet. Right now I’m more interested in shaking the trees to see what falls out. See how well they hold up. And I’d like to get some other things in order before the shit
really
hits the fan on this.” She and Tucker exchanged knowing looks.

“I get that, Kat, I really do. But something feels off. It feels like there are entrenched powers at play here that aren’t going to budge until they’ve been backed into a corner, run out of options.”

“So what’re you saying? You’ve already hit a dead end?”

“No, no, no. You know me better than that.” Tucker stiffened next to her. “I always find a way, Kat. That’s why Channel 2 is going to run a quick piece on Rose Kelley’s cold case. I think it might help loosen some lips. The GM there and I go way back; we both like deep-sea fishing. Anyway, they’re going to slot space in the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours. I’ve given them enough information to run it as a story about a hard-working, single mother,” his pause felt painful, “brutally murdered while her kidnapped infant appeared to have been sleeping nearby.” His tone had lowered in apology, and sympathy. “The crime covered up by old money and power protecting its own.” He paused. “That sound right?”

She swallowed the lump in her throat as Tucker pulled her against him for support. “Yeah, that sounds right.”

“Is there something you’re not telling me? Do you know who did this, Kat?”

She glanced to Tucker. “Dan, the information I have is solid, but I have no idea how it will hold up in court when it comes to chain of custody. I’m going to seek the advice of an attorney on how best to turn it over. I need to make certain it doesn’t become a useless pile of papers.”

“I can help you with that too.”

“I know, but I’m going to talk to an attorney first before I do
anything
. Right now, I just need to make some people nervous, keep them in their place so I have time to do what needs to be done. And so I can do it right, give my mother justice. I don’t want anybody getting away with this because I pulled the trigger too fast or didn’t think it through.”