One Secret Night (13 page)

Now Autumn turned to him, her green eyes ablaze with outrage. “How could you?”

“How could I what?” He stood as she approached. “Welcome him with open arms because he’s dying? Why did he wait until now to contact me?”

“He
needs
you.”

“I needed him when I was growing up.” Ain’t life a bitch? He sounded childish, but he couldn’t stop it.

“That’s in the past, Raith. Don’t turn your back on him. He’s making an honest effort. He traveled to Houston to see you when he’s obviously very ill.”

Although he steeled himself against caring, he did care. That’s what bolstered his defenses. And the building instinct to see his father again only added anger to them.

Autumn came to stand before him, a woman on a rampage of morality. “Are you just going to let him die?”

She didn’t understand. She hadn’t lived the way he had.

“You’d rather hold on to the past?” she pressed.

He stopped himself from saying anything. He’d rather let go of the past and forget he ever had a father, forget that father had come to see him. One last time before he died.

“Wouldn’t it be better to let go and forgive?” Autumn wasn’t going to give up. “Wouldn’t it be better to have a good memory of your father instead of bad ones? If you have a chance to remember him in a positive light, why not take it?”

“The bad will always be there, Autumn.” He was a man who never shied away from the truth, no matter how ugly or overwhelming.

“Is that all you have? Bad memories? You have no good memories of your childhood?”

She’d zeroed in on exactly what would possibly be the only reason he’d see his father again. When he was very young and his mother was healthy, yes. Then she realized what a loser she married and everything had changed. No more good memories after that.

“You do,” Autumn said.

“It doesn’t matter. My father was already dead to me when I left home. He was dead to me then, and he’s dead to me now. So why put myself through the misery of losing him again?”
Loss
was hardly the word he preferred.
Killing
was a better one. He’d killed the memory of his dad. He would not do it again.

Folding her arms, Autumn looked at him with disdain. “Is that how you expect to be treated when it comes time for you to die? You’re okay with people turning their backs after you ask for their help?”

“Leonardo isn’t asking for help.” He was asking for forgiveness. Not money, Raith realized. He genuinely needed forgiveness. That’s all.

Seeing Autumn follow his train of thought, he moved away from the seating area and headed for the door.

He had nothing left in him to give his father.

* * *

Autumn left Raith alone last night. He didn’t come back to the room until after 2:00 a.m. She’d paced the hotel suite and had to stop herself from going after him. He needed to be alone. He needed to think. She’d let him do that.

This morning she’d watched the news and then a movie. Finally, at eleven, Raith was ready for the day. Appearing in the living area in jeans and a short-sleeved shirt, he looked ragged and worn from a night of deep thinking. The hotel had slipped the daily tally of expenses under the door and she’d seen what he’d charged to the room. He’d spent the night in the hotel bar, but he hadn’t overdone it. Judging from the amount, he’d only had one. What had he done all that time there? Met and talked to someone? As a loner, likely not. He’d probably left the bar and gone for a walk or something. Found some secluded place to just think.

His father’s alcoholism had taught him a valuable lesson. He’d never turn to booze to ease anxiety. Autumn fell for him a little more knowing that. Raith was a good man. Grounded. Ambitious. And despite being a loner, steady.

And as much as he denied it, his father’s health condition had moved him. He cared. Maybe he could admit that much, that he cared. But he fought caring. He chose to turn his back, but his heart resisted. In his heart he cared. That had stopped her from being so frustrated with him.

He parked in a visitor space at Defense Technologies Corporation. A big, bold sign over the main entrance read DT Corporation. She hadn’t known they were coming here until she’d recognized the street. He still hadn’t said anything to her.

When she reached for the door handle, however, he curled his hand around her left forearm.

Turning, she saw his somber eyes. “I’m sorry I left last night.”

“Don’t be. You needed the time alone.”

Drawing his hand back, he looked straight ahead.

“I almost went after you,” she said.

“Why didn’t you?”

“If it was me who’d just learned the father I hadn’t seen in more than two decades was dying, I’d prefer to be alone, too. It’s a lot to take in.”

With a grunt, he nodded. Then he sighed. “I’m going to call him.”

Autumn smiled. “I’m glad. For you.”

Leaning over, Raith ran his hand along her neck and tipped her head so that her lips were poised near his. She stared into his glowing green eyes, seeing the mountain of emotion coursing through him just before he kissed her.

“What was that for?” she asked.

He grinned. “Let’s go talk to Kai about that company in Singapore.”

Walking with him toward the building, Autumn wondered why he had kissed her. She didn’t have time to think too long. Inside the building, Kai’s assistant appeared to bring them to his office.

Kai stood when they entered, extending his hand to Raith and then Autumn.

“Have you found whoever hired the assassin?” he asked.

“Not yet.” Raith moved one of the two chairs at his desk to give Autumn more room to sit. She did, and he took the seat beside her. Kai sat down again.

“Why did you go to see Nash Ralston?” Raith asked.

Looking baffled, Kai glanced from Autumn to him.

“Autumn and I were there. We saw you talking to him in the lobby.”

Kai’s eyebrows rose and he leaned back against his chair, studying him. “I had a business meeting.”

“You discussed the NV Advanced subsidiary in Singapore.”

“The technology is questionable for that type of manufacturing in a foreign country.”

“Why do you care about that?”

Kai just stared at him.

“NV Advanced isn’t your company.”

“It’s in DT Corporation’s best interests for Nash not to engage in that sort of activity.”

Autumn didn’t know much about high technology or government defense contracts, but that sure sounded like a load of crap to her. “I’ve been wondering something.”

Both men turned to her.

“How does an assassin as good as Leaman Marshall miss a target?” When they continued to stare, she went on. “You were in your garage, right?”

Kai nodded uncertainly.

“And he drove by shooting.”

Again, he nodded.

She tapped her forefinger on her lips a few times. “How does a professional killer miss? And more importantly, why would a professional killer do a drive-by shooting?”

Kai stuttered and then managed to say, “How would I know? He shot at me. I didn’t know if he was professional or not.” He shifted his attention to Raith. “That’s why I called you.”

“Why did you really go see Ralston?” Raith asked.

“I told you why. It was about the technology.”

“Subassemblies for night-vision equipment?” Raith asked.

“How do you know so much about what we discussed?” Then he leaned back again. “Ah...the assistant. Nash never was good at hiring employees he could trust.”

“Maybe he should treat them better,” Autumn said, noticing how that comment made him turn to her and drill her with a penetrating look. And she found it interesting that he’d pinned Nash’s assistant as the one who’d leaked the information. Maybe that’s how he’d learned of it, through some employee, and that’s what had made him go meet Nash.

“Why is the technology bad for DT’s business?” Raith asked. “And why did you go see Ralston without telling me?”

Kai turned to him. “It’s Ralston you should be focusing on, not me.”

“Is it?”

A moment drew on while Kai assimilated Raith’s meaning. Kai had obviously gone to see Ralston about something he had intentionally withheld from Raith. “Maybe I was wrong about you, De Matteis. Maybe I don’t need you, after all.”

“No?”

“I need someone who will help me. It doesn’t sound like you’re helping me. It sounds like you’re investigating my business affairs.”

“Do your business affairs have anything to do with Leaman’s attempt to kill you?”

“I think it’s time you left. And you can take your bodyguard with you.”

“Not very afraid for your life, are you?”

What had changed to make him feel he didn’t need Raith anymore? Autumn recalled how he’d said only Raith could help him. Why had he changed his mind?

Kai didn’t respond.

Whatever he wasn’t saying threatened him more than the attempt on his life.

Raith stood and said to Autumn, “Let’s go.”

She followed him out of the office, looking back at Kai, who watched them leave beneath a grim brow.

Outside the office, Raith spoke to the bodyguard, who had no significant reaction to being told he was no longer needed, and Kai’s assistant escorted them all to the lobby.

Leaving the building, Autumn waited for the bodyguard to go his own way and then asked Raith, “What government contractor would manufacture U.S. military equipment in Singapore?”

“Certain parts can be manufactured that way. U.S. companies can save money by outsourcing. It’s not unusual. The Singapore company manufactures subassemblies.”

Not the entire component. “We’re missing something.”

“That’s for sure.” He touched her lower back as he reached around her to open the passenger door of the rental.

“Wait,” a woman’s voice called, her heels clicking on the pavement as she hurried to catch up to them. She passed a limo parked along the circular driveway in front of the building.

Raith straightened and turned with Autumn. The woman was blonde and tall, wearing a short dark blue skirted business suit with a white blouse.

She slowed her pace as she reached them, slightly out of breath. “Kai’s assistant told me you’ve been working for him on his attempted murder.”

“I’m sorry, but you are...?” Raith said.

The blonde smiled at him, eyes flashing a flirtatious message. Raith was a hot guy. Most women would react to him.

Autumn pushed back an unreasonable flash of jealousy.

“Rylie Sanderson. I work at DT Corporation. I used to be Kai’s assistant until...”

“Until what?” Autumn coaxed.

The woman hesitated, glancing around. “Let’s go somewhere we can talk. There’s a coffee shop across the street.”

They walked across the street and entered the coffee shop. Tall fig trees created the illusion of private seating. The aroma and shelves of artfully displayed coffee and accessories teased the senses. Raith bought them all their choice of coffee. Autumn carried her decaf vanilla latte and sat beside Raith at a four-seat table. Rylie sat across from them, two fig trees behind her. The coffee shop was slightly busy at this hour, just after lunch.

Rylie sipped some coffee and then blurted, “I had an affair with Kai Whittaker.”

Autumn glanced at Raith, seeing he wasn’t sure how this was important, either.

“He broke it off six months ago,” Rylie continued. Then she registered their confusion. “Kai’s assistant said you were asking him about the NV Advanced Singapore company.”

“Yes,” Autumn said, and Raith tapped the toe of his shoe against her high heel.

“Is he blackmailing Nash Ralston?” Rylie asked.

Blackmail? Autumn kept quiet and waited for Raith to reply.

“Why would he do that?”

“He does it all the time. He warned me not to say anything, but I’m tired of living in shadows because I made the mistake of sleeping with him, a married man on top of that. Kai Whittaker is a slimeball. He blackmails other businessmen whenever it helps his own company and his position. He treats his employees terribly, and his women even worse. Except his wife. He worships her. I found that out the hard way. I don’t even know why he started pursuing me. Maybe I was just a spice. He said he realized he made a mistake with me and that he loved his wife. It was an accident to him. I haven’t told anyone except Kai’s assistant. She hates Kai.”

Both Kai’s and Ralston’s assistants hated their bosses. There were a lot of similarities between the two CEOs.

“How does he blackmail his adversaries?” Raith asked.

“He gets information on them, whether it’s personal or professional. He backs them into a corner and forces them to do what he wants.”

“What does he want from Ralston?” Autumn asked.

“Probably the new technology NV Advanced is developing. Kai told me he’d discovered something and it was big.”

“What kind of technology?” Raith asked.

“Kai wouldn’t say.”

“How does he know? It belongs to NV Advanced. Isn’t the contract between them and the United States government?”

“That doesn’t matter. Kai has his ways of finding things out. He probably has someone on the inside over there, an engineer working the program or something. He probably will try to use NV’s technology and come up with something better. He’s done it before.”

“What is significant about the Singapore company?” Raith asked.

“I don’t know, but if you find out, you might be able to catch Kai doing what he does best—cheat people out of a decent living. There are a lot of people here at DT who’d cheer you on. We’d celebrate his resignation, or his trip to jail. Nobody likes him.”

Nobody liked Kai and nobody liked Ralston, and they didn’t like each other.

“Does his wife know about his affair?” Autumn asked.

Rylie’s eyes grew wide and round. “No. And can never find out. I feel awful about it. Kai was a sweet-talker. He made me feel as though I had a chance with him. He was lying, of course. That’s the way he operates. He’ll say and do anything to have his way. He took me out to lunch a few times, then occasionally to dinner. Over about a two-month period, he romanced me, and then he rented a penthouse suite and gave me a key. I should have known then that it would never work. He never took me to his house, and every time I asked about his wife, he’d give me a vague excuse.”