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Lana didn’t know what to make of Sullivan. The more time she spent in his company the more confused she became. They’d always bickered—no, that wasn’t true. There had been a time when Sullivan’s legendary charm was bestowed on her, as well as every other female in existence. She had even enjoyed the moments she’d spent basking in the sun of his attention. Nothing compared to being Sullivan’s sole focus. She hadn’t experienced anything like it and hoped never to be sucked into that state of adoration ever again.
That was the difference now. She no longer saw him through the clouded lens of infatuation. He’d always be gorgeous and sinfully seductive, but she didn’t have to lose herself to him. She was strong, independent, and too intelligent to define herself by any man—even one as decadent as Sullivan Brady.
None of it mattered though. She’d been to hell and back in more ways than one. Her latest medical emergency topped that long list of spine-building drama—there was nothing she couldn’t face and come out stronger because of. Once she was fully healed, she’d once again be the dragon everyone knew her as. For now though, all she wanted was to crawl into her own bed and sleep for several days without interruption. The hospital was supposed to be a place one could rest, that was if the nurses and doctors would leave the patient to do so. She never fully appreciated the patients’ complaints until she experienced the situation for herself. When she returned to work, she’d be more considerate, or at least try to be.
She headed toward her bedroom to crawl into her bed for much needed slothiness when the sound of her doorbell echoing through the house made her pause mid-step. Who the hell was disturbing her now? She sighed and headed toward her front door. The chances of it being Sullivan again were slim. He probably left her and went straight to his latest fling. That should leave a sour feeling in her stomach, but sadly she’d grown rather used to the idea of him bouncing between females.
Who was she kidding?
No matter what she said or did, it bothered her. A small part of her had never gotten over him and never would. But the rational side of her had let the idea of being with him go when she’d overheard him proclaiming he’d thought of her as a sister. Men didn’t kiss their sisters the way he had earlier though. A flutter sprang to life inside of her that she didn’t recognize and wasn’t sure if she wanted to. She brushed it aside and opened her door. It wasn’t Sullivan, but it might as well have been.
“Hello, Dani,” she said cautiously. Had Sullivan sent his sister to check in on her? “What brings you by?”
“I went to the hospital to check in on you and discovered you’d been released. I’m not disturbing you, am I?” She nibbled on her bottom lip. “Recovering is exhausting, and I don’t want to tire you further, but I had hoped to talk with you.”
Lana wanted to say, “Hell yes, you’re disturbing me,” but bit back the retort. It wasn’t Dani’s fault she was tired and irritable. Most of the time she actually liked the other woman and understood why Dr. Rendall Sousa loved her. Lana had worked beside Ren for a while and respected him.
“It’s fine,” Lana told her. “Please, come in.” Dani stepped into the hallway and Lana shut the door, then gestured for her to follow behind her.
They went to Lana’s front room. She hadn’t been home long enough to settle in, and most of her stuff from the hospital was lying across her coffee table. Not that it accumulated too much. Her stay wasn’t a planned one, and it was just the clothes she came in wearing and her medications. Lana hated when things weren’t neat and clean though and wanted to remove them from her sight.
“Please sit,” Lana said. “I’d offer you something to drink, but I fear I have diddly-squat. I’m afraid to look in my refrigerator.”
“I don’t need anything,” Dani said and then smiled warmly. “I won’t be long enough for you to bother.”
Dani sat down on a nearby recliner and Lana settled on the sofa. Once Dani left, she fully expected to curl up on it and fall asleep. At this point, her bed was too far away, and she had everything she needed right here. The afghan on her sofa would suffice, along with her decorative couch pillows. What more could a woman ask for?
“What can I do for you?” Please let this not be about Sullivan. If it was, she planned on killing him the next time she crossed his path. “It must be important for you to stop by.” Maybe it was wishful thinking on her part that Sullivan would have sent his sister to check in on her. He probably didn’t think about her as much as she thought he did.
“It’s about my wedding...”
That had been the last thing she expected for Dani to say. Lana had been so absorbed in her Sullivan line of thinking, she fully believed that was the reason for her visit. “Is something wrong?” Lana was confused.
“No,” she paused a moment. “At least I hope not. It should go off as planned in a couple of weeks. I wanted to make sure you were all right and let you know if you don’t feel up to it you don’t have to be one of my bridesmaids.”
Lana chuckled. “You’re worrying over nothing. I’m all right, truly. A little sore and tired, but that shouldn’t be an issue on your wedding day. I promise to rest and regain my strength before your big day.”
“If you’re sure,” Dani hesitated. “I don’t want you to feel obligated. It wasn’t long ago I was shot and recovering too. It’s rough to find the energy to crawl out of bed, let alone be on your feet all day. If you change your mind, promise me you will let me know.”
Lana wouldn’t miss the wedding for anything. She was rather looking forward to it. No one had asked her to be a part of a wedding before. She didn’t make friends easily, and now she had two—Dani and Jessica. Two unlikely people, yet they both were part of her life now.
Kind of funny when she thought about it... There was a time when she’d loathed Jessica. That showed anyone could change. Jessica had been married to Ren once upon a time. During their marriage, Jessica had been selfish and snobbish. Now, she was with Preston and much more amiable. Ren found Dani after a decade separation and was finally marrying the woman he’d always loved. Sometimes it took longer than necessary for two people to find happiness together. That was the case with Ren and Dani. They were the epitome of the happily-ever-after most people dreamed of having.
“I promise,” Lana said, “that if I can’t attend, you will be the first person I contact. Although, I don’t anticipate that will be the case.”
“Good,” Dani replied. “I’ll leave you be so you can rest.” Lana started to rise to show her out, but Dani held up her hand. “No, stay where you are. I can find my own way outside. We will talk again soon.” Dani leaned down and hugged Lana. “Don’t be surprised if my big brother hovers over you. He’s been a bear since your accident.”
That was an understatement... “I don’t understand him, and sometimes I doubt I ever will.”
“You’re ahead of me, having grown up with him,” Dani replied. “You know him far better than you realize. Go with your gut instinct; I doubt it will fail you. Now I must go. Call me if you need anything.”
With that final statement, Dani rushed out of the room and left Lana alone with her own thoughts. What was she going to do with Sullivan?
***
SULLIVAN RUSHED TOWARD his office and stopped short when he found his assistant, Ali Davis, pacing in front of the entrance. She fidgeted as she walked, tapping a pen against her palm. When she noticed him, she halted and faced him.
“Oh, thank God you’re finally here.”
“What’s the emergency?” He still had to meet with Wilson, and now whatever the hell this was... “I have an appointment.”
“Cancel it,” she ordered. “This can’t wait.”
He was surprised she hadn’t interrogated him on the contents of his schedule. She, more than anyone, knew what his overall schedule was. Anything of importance, she’d be aware of. At least most of the time... His meeting with Wilson was unplanned and rather essential to the company.
“I don’t think...”
“Don’t finish that statement,” Ali said with a glare. “Thinking in this instance will not help the situation—rather it will, once you understand, but not before. Right now, you have to see it.”
What in blazes did that mean? “I don’t follow.”
“You will in a moment,” she told him and moved toward his office. “I hope you’re not the queasy sort. I should inform you I have already called the authorities and they should arrive soon.”
Called the authorities? Was he in a bad movie? “You best show me what you found.” There would be no other reason for her to call anyone outside the company. At first, he’d thought perhaps she’d stumbled onto the same thing Wilson had, but it couldn’t be that. If it had been, it would be best to only involve him. This was something else entirely.
She partially opened his office door as she spoke. “I came back because I forgot to leave a file on your desk for the morning. The perfectionist in me was going mad, and I could either come back tonight and take care of it or arrive early. I decided to come back tonight; otherwise, I might not sleep tonight.” She paused before opening the door fully. “I didn’t expect to find what I did or I’d have stayed home. I’m not sleeping for a long time now.” With those words she swung the door wide so he could see past her.
Sullivan’s mouth fell open at sight before him. Not once when he rushed to Brady Blue had he anticipated that this particular sight would be what greeted him—not that he’d have any reason to expect it. It just startled him to realize what the emergency turned out to be. Damn it.
Crimson splatter decorated the wall beside his desk and the body of Wilson Stuart graced the top of it. His eyes were wide open and glazed over. His white shirt was stained red across his chest and down to his stomach, and three holes appeared to be in his shirt, presumably where he’d been shot. Sullivan supposed it could’ve been something else that caused his death, as he was far from being an expert. He understood now why Ali said she’d not sleep for a while. He feared he might not as well. If he’d come sooner, perhaps this could’ve been prevented. There was no way to know for certain.
“How long have you been here?”
“Not long,” Ali answered. “I texted you as I was calling the authorities. So maybe twenty minutes.”
He’d left immediately after her text. The ambulance and police should arrive soon. It had taken him fifteen minutes to get there. That was close to a half hour from when he’d spoken to Wilson. Whoever had killed him had to have already been in the building and acted. Ali probably found him shortly after he’d been murdered and might have even passed by who did it.
“Did you see anyone here?”
She shook her head. “No one else was in the building when I arrived.”
So much for that. He cursed a blue streak. “He was working on something for me. I’m afraid that is the reason for all of this.”
“Perhaps you can tell us what that is,” a male said as he entered.
Sullivan turned and met the gaze of Carter Jackson—the detective who’d handled the case when his sister had been shot. His blond hair was windblown, and his brown eyes seemed to harden at the sight of Wilson’s blood-soaked body. His partner, Dane Hunter, followed behind him. The two detectives were as different as night and day in appearance. Where Carter had blond hair, Dane had black. Even their eyes differed, with Dane’s being pale blue. They were competent at their jobs, no matter their appearance, and hopefully would figure out who was responsible for Wilson’s death. Sullivan would have preferred that the detectives hadn’t overheard that last part of his conversation with Ali, but perhaps it was for the best. With Wilson’s demise, things had gone down a path of no return. Someone was willing to kill to hide their secrets.
“We have an internal accounting problem,” Sullivan replied. “Wilson was going over the information and believed he’d found something. He called me to meet with him tonight. He insisted I had to see it in person.”
“Did he show it to you?” Dane asked.
“I arrived a few moments ago, and he was already dead.” Sullivan shook his head. “What he had for me may still be in the office, but I couldn’t be sure. We left everything as we found it.” Dane nodded and jotted something in a notebook.
Somehow, Sullivan doubted that they would discover the evidence Wilson had uncovered. He hoped whatever copies Wilson had made hadn’t disappeared too. What Wilson hadn’t said was if the copies were digital or paper and how he may have sent them.
“That is good. We will have questions for you, of course, but for now we ask you to clear the area. The CSI team will be here soon, and we don’t want to taint the evidence. Is there somewhere you can wait for us?”
Sullivan scrubbed his hand over his face. It was going to be one hell of a long night. Not how he planned for it to go at all. “There is a conference room across the hall. Ms. Davis and I will wait for you there.”
“We’ll be over as soon as we are able to,” Carter said. “Make yourself comfortable. It’s going to be a long one.”
Sullivan was very much afraid that would be the case. He’d have to make plans to see Lana a different night. He’d waited forever to pursue her, and now he was being forced to stall his plans. He didn’t like it one bit, but he had no choice. A man was dead, and he owed it to Wilson to see this through. The people responsible would pay.