His eyes narrowed. “That’s just one of the reasons you need a lawyer in your corner. You’ll need to get out of this marriage and take everything you can get your hands on, before the whole house of cards collapses and me with it—if that’s what’s going to happen. Take my word for it—you won’t want what’s left of me by the time this is over.”
Allison’s stoic expression masked a storm of emotions. Her husband was telling her to divorce him, for the most mercenary reason she could imagine. How could he believe her capable of such a cold-blooded act? She had vowed to take him for better or for worse, and she’d never intended to break that vow.
But right now, her hurt feelings couldn’t be allowed to matter. She was here to learn and understand, not to judge.
“You say you were working on the refinance,” she said. “If you go ahead with the application, what are its chances of being approved?”
“They were fair, at least before I had this cursed accident. I’ve got good credit history with the bank, and the theater’s free and clear, except for that short-term loan I took out. But now—” Burke shook his head. “The trouble is, I can’t do anything from this blasted hospital bed. Hell, I can’t even sit up long enough to fill out the paperwork or drive to talk to the loan officer. And Garrett has no interest in working with the bank. He wants to take the easy way out.”
“With an investor. I know about that. Garrett says he’s got one ready to sign on. So what’s the problem? Wouldn’t that solve everything? What’s holding you back?”
He exhaled with a pain-wracked breath. “You’ve been talking to Garrett. He’s a smart man. But he’s not telling you everything.”
“So far, neither are you. What am I missing?”
His eyes locked on hers. “Just this. Good, solid investors don’t grow on trees. And the American Heartland is an old theater. It would take a major upgrade to turn it into a moneymaker.”
“Go on,” Allison urged into the stillness.
“To find that investor he’s so keen on, Garrett had to scrape the mucky bottom of the barrel. Have you ever heard of the Edgeway Investment Group?”
Allison shook her head.
“I hadn’t either, until Garrett brought them by the office,” Burke said. “I did a background check on them—even talked to some connections I have in the FBI.”
He paused. Allison let her silence ask the next question.
“Edgeway is a front for the Mob, Allison,” he said. “They’ve been trying to get a foothold in Branson for years.”
Allison stifled a gasp. “Does Garrett know?”
“Of course he does. But the Edgeway people have convinced him that this will be a legitimate venture, and that they’ll be silent partners, collecting their share of the profits, but otherwise leaving us to run the business.”
“I take it you don’t believe that.”
“Hell, no!” The words exploded out of him. “They’ll be running the show by the time the ink’s dry on the contract. Garrett’s naïve and more than a little greedy. He wants quick cash and a bigger piece of the pie. What he doesn’t see is money laundering, drugs, pornography, and worse. I’ve read the contract. It would give the bastards free rein. I won’t sign it. I’ll let the American Heartland go under first, or burn it to the ground!”
The monitors above the bed were beeping an alarm. A nurse rushed into the room to give him more oxygen and encourage him to relax. After a few minutes Burke’s vitals stabilized. He lay back on the pillow, breathing deeply.
“What happened to him?” the nurse asked Allison.
“My fault, I’m afraid.” Allison said. “We were discussing something he felt strongly about, and he got carried away. I’m sorry, I’ll see that he gets some rest.”
“We mustn’t let this happen again,” the nurse said. “Call me if he becomes agitated.”
Allison leaned over the bed as the nurse left. “You heard the lady,” she said. “No more talking. You need to rest. I should be still and let you take a nap before Brianna gets back.” She found his hand again. “Thank you for helping me understand the problems. It helps, at least, to know what’s going on.”
“Then you know why I need you to get away from this mess, legally and physically, before you get sucked into it. These are ugly people. If they won’t take no for an answer, they could even threaten you or Brianna to get to me.”
“Hush. Close your eyes and rest.” She squeezed his hand and released it. “I’m going to the nurses’ station to see if I can talk them out of some coffee. When I come back, I want to find you asleep—or at least making a good show of it.”
“Call that damned lawyer,” he said as she walked out the door.
Allison pretended not to hear him.
She took her time, getting coffee and chatting with the nurse on duty. When she walked back into the room with her cup, Burke was sleeping peacefully, his vitals stable.
She sank onto the chair beside his bed, still taking in what he’d told her and trying to make sense of it all. Was he really in danger? Was she? Should she jump in and try to help him or keep her distance and protect her own interests?