Chapter Eighteen

 

Veda ended her meeting the next morning with the small team that would be working with her on the new line. Everything was going so well, but this was still the early stages and anything could happen.

“You’re doing well, so far, Veda,” Anne Marie murmured as everyone filed out.

Veda gave her a smile. “Do you think so?”

Anne-Marie smiled. “There won’t be any doubt in your father’s mind how competent you are six months from now,” she said and squeezed Veda’s hand.

“Are you saying that because you think I’m too fragile to take the truth?”

Anne -Marie laughed. “You? Fragile? You’ve never been fragile where business is concerned. In fact, you have the same sharkish attitude as your father. He’s so hung up on the disease he can’t see the real you.”

She pushed out a harsh breath. “That’s my fault.”

“Without a doubt,” she agreed firmly. “You’re taking control of your life though in the last six months. You’re doing so well that I know your mother would be proud of you if she was here.”

“Are you?” she asked. “’Cause that’s all that matters right now, is what you think.”

Her mouth flew open and a hand went to her throat. “What I-I think? You care what I think?”

“Of course,” she said quickly. “I asked dad if you could work on this with me because I think you’re smart, and I trust you to help keep things on budget and on track.”

Anne-Marie laughed and it was a startled sound. “You think—I thought your father wanted me involved because he wanted me to keep tabs on you.”

Veda laughed. “Dad didn’t think you’d want to do this.”

“No, I do!” she exclaimed. “I’ve wanted a chance to be involved with the company for years. Thank you, Veda.”

Veda’s chest tightened at the dampness of Anne Marie’s eyes. Sabrina was right. Anne Marie needed to hear how much she cared for and appreciated what she’d been to her. Her throat felt tight and her eyes burned.

“I’m glad you said yes.”

Anne-Marie hugged her and laughed and so did Veda. A clearing throat pulled them apart and they both turned to the door.

Veda frowned at her secretary and the man looking over her head. “What’s going on, Stephanie?”

“Two agents here to see you, Veda,” she said quietly.

“What? Agents? What kind of agents?” she demanded suddenly feeling a little warm.

“FBI agents. They want to talk to you about someone named Sabrina Cain.”

“What? Show them in,” she ordered, heart thundering and pulse racing. What was going on? Sabrina had said she was no good for, but she’d said nothing about being wanted by the FBI.

Two men filed in one behind the other. Both men were clad in dark suits with neatly styled hair. One was tanned with hard blue eyes and the other darker skinned.

“Have a seat.” Veda motioned to the long cherry wood table in the middle of the conference room. “Coffee?”

“No,” the darker skinned one said. “Agent Jansen and Crow.” He looked to his partner when he said the last.

She watched Crow scan the room and felt Anne-Marie move to stand next to her.

“I’m getting your father,” she whispered.

Veda nodded. “What do you want?”

“Do you know Sabrina Cain?” The dark-skinned one tossed a glossy black and white on the table.

Veda looked down at it. “Yes.”

“How long have you known her?” Agent Crow asked with a chill in his tone.

“Not long. Why?”

“She’s a person of interest in the murder of an agent as well as her sister and her sister’s boyfriend. Both were drug pushers.” His partner tossed more pictures on the table. “They were killed the night before last. Where were you?”

“With Sabrina,” she said.

“How long and why? Business?” Agent Jansen asked.

“No.” She shook her head. “We were having dinner.”

“All night?” Agent Crow demanded.

“I was with her up until midnight,” she said stretching the timeline a little. She was falling for Sabrina, and Veda couldn’t help but lie to protect her. Everything in her told her Sabrina hadn’t killed anyone.

“You seem like a nice girl,” Agent Jansen murmured. “I don’t want to see you get mixed up in murder, drugs, and human trafficking.”

“Sabrina wouldn’t get involved in anything like that,” she snapped angrily. Not the woman she knew. Sabrina was strong and dominant, but not murderous.

“Are you sure?” Agent Crow asked. “One of the reasons we’re looking at her for the murder of her sister is because we found a message on her sister’s phone this morning. She was blackmailing Sabrina over a murder she saw Sabrina commit when Sabrina was sixteen.”

A trembling hand flew to her mouth, and the bottom dropped out of her stomach. “You’re lying,” she whispered.

“…but I’m not good for you, baby girl. I’m one of the girls your mamma warned you about.”

Sabrina’s words came back to haunt her, but Veda clenched her sweaty palms into fists against the fear snaking through her. No wonder Sabrina didn’t want to talk about her family.

“We don’t have any proof because she took it with her,” Agent Crow retorted, his tone hard and his blue gaze filled with determination. “So, tell the truth. You weren’t with her, were you?”

“I—”

“What the hell is going on here?” Claude demanded from the doorway. He quickly strode to her and Veda could all but feel the anger radiating off him. His aura was a visible though translucent rainbow that quickly turned dark blue.

She leaned into her father’s taller, sturdy frame as Agent Jansen explained to him why they were there. Claude looked at her.

“Tell them you weren’t with the woman,” he ordered. “Let them do their job.”

She looked up at him. “I was with her, Dad,” she said quietly. “She owns one of the magazines that I placed an ad with.”

“So you spent the evening discussing business?” he asked. “That’s where you were that night?”

“Yes.” She turned back to the agents. “That’s what I was saying, but they want me to lie.”

She thought about Pamela’s appearance in Sabrina’s office and her belligerence and demand for money. Sabrina hadn’t been too keen on giving her anything. She’d even said she’d kill her, but so what? People said that all the time. Didn’t mean they went around killing people.

“Take a look at the pictures of the victims,” Agent Crow insisted. “Maybe once you realize how violent this woman is, you’ll stop lying for her.”

“I’m not lying,” she snapped and glared at them with a hand pressed to her hip.

“Enough,” Claude said coldly. “You can leave now. She’s answered your questions.”

“I have another question,” Agent Jansen said. “How long have you been seeing Cain outside of work?”

“Not long.” She shrugged.

“Then, she’s using you to establish an alibi,” Agent Jansen said quietly.

“And when we get the proof we need to nail her, we’re bringing charges against you for impeding our investigation as well as aiding and abetting and accessory before and after the fact.”

“I didn’t do anything,” she said through gritted teeth. “You want to check where we were? The name of the hotel is Stony Hotel. Sabrina ordered the room service and received it. The guy was some freckle-faced teenager, and he made a comment about not being old enough to deliver to rooms that ordered alcohol.”

“How much did you have to drink?” Agent Crow demanded.

“Nothing, idiot,” she snapped. “I told you the kid said he wasn’t twenty-one. So we had tea. The kid delivered us another carafe at ten with popcorn.”

“We’ll be checking out your story,” Agent Crow retorted.

“Good for you,” she muttered. “Now, I need to get back to work.” She grabbed the file folders and her phone from the desk and stalked from the room.

What the hell?

Sabrina had called her that night after she got home, so she hadn’t been out killing anyone.

“Flowers delivered for you,” Stephanie said with a grin. “This thing’s getting H.O.T.”

She gave her a weak smile as she passed her on the way into her office. Once inside she saw the wolf head for her desk and sit next to it. The form was even more tangible than it had been a few days ago.

Danger was near, but it couldn’t be from Sabrina. The wolf hadn’t tried to warn her that Sabrina was dangerous at the hotel that night or even last night at home.

Her cell phone rang, and she jumped then glanced at the number. Veda didn’t recognize it so she ignored it and set the phone on her desk and turned her gaze to the vase of pink and white roses had been placed.

She bent to give them a sniff and her door burst open. She shifted her gaze to it and her father stalked in with Anne-Marie on his heels.

“What’s going on?” Claude demanded. “Are you having an affair with that woman?”

“So what if she is, Claude?” Anne-Marie asked patiently. “She’s of age to sleep with who she pleases.”

He gave her an irritated look before turning back to Veda. “Veda?”

“Dad, don’t okay? I was with her.”

“Just talk to our lawyers,” Anne-Marie said. “They can advise us on how to further proceed.”

“You’re staying away from that woman, that’s how you’re proceeding or no new line.”

“Claude,” Anne-Marie said in warning.

“You don’t want me to do this anyway,” Veda snapped. “You were just looking for some excuse not to let it happen. Well, fine, but it won’t stop me from seeing her.”

“Veda!” he snapped.

“What?” She put her hands on her hips. “You try to control every facet of my life as if that will stop me from binging or purging. You can’t protect me from myself, Dad. I have to do that, and I’m finally at a place where I’m really trying.”

“These women break up with you and you go on a downward spiral. We have to pick you up again. I’m not letting it happen.”

“I’m not going to spiral,” she screamed. “I’m in control.”

“The fact you think you’re in control proves you’re not!”

“Fine, I won’t see her, but I won’t change my story,” she said. “I was with her that night.”

“But it ends here and now or else,” he said.

“Right,” she agreed. “Now do I get back to work on my new line or something else?”

Claude sighed. “Your new line, but I’m only doing this to protect you,” he told her and went to try to cup her face, but she stepped out of reach.

“I know.” Her tone was stony.

He frowned and dropped his hand. “Don’t forget about lunch or your appointment today.”

“I won’t forget the shrink.”

“And you’ll be at Sunday dinner,” he said. “No excuses.”

“No excuses,” she agreed. She wouldn’t give any Monday when he ragged her about where she’d been.

“Claude you’re making a mistake,” Anne-Marine murmured as they headed from her office. “You’re handling this all wrong.”

“Do you want your family to find out?”

“That’s a silly question,” she said softly. “They aren’t the ones trying to control her, you are.” She exited ahead of him and Veda didn’t catch his reply but she could guess what it would be.

She sighed raggedly and for a moment thought of canceling her trip, but decided she wasn’t going to allow her father to run her life. He’d have to do what he would as far as business went.