Trust by Design (Colorado Trust 2)

Liz shifted her blue gaze from him to her brother. “Morning, Michael.”

“Hey, sis.” He immediately turned back to Dean. “Listen, this thing with Gina is perfect. We can work this to our advantage, and as long as we know their end game, we’ll come out ahead, not them.”

He frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“Jack and Gina. This whole elaborate set-up they’re obviously working on.” Dark eyebrows rose in disbelief. “Whoa. You don’t honestly buy her ‘I want to help,’ act, do you?”

“Sure seemed like you did.”

“I’m playing along man, that’s all.”

Dean’s ire rose again at the thought of Mike playing her for a fool. “You did notice her face, right?”

“Yeah? So? She said she walked into a cupboard door.”

Of course she did. He leaned forward for a glance in the direction she’d disappeared, but this time it was different than with the police. “Jack did that,” he said in a low voice. “Friday night. He showed up at her apartment and knocked her around enough to scare her into coming over here to offer to help me.”

As his friend absorbed that bit of news, Liz turned, her arm half inside the bag of groceries she was unpacking. “He hit her?”

“Yes,” Dean confirmed. He sliced his gaze back to Mike. “And I believe her. Not only because she said that’s what happened, but because he as much as confirmed it when he and I had a little chat on Saturday morning.”

“At his house?” This from Liz again, her voice an octave higher. Her brother looked just as surprised as she added, “I thought you guys were going to lay low and let him come to you?”

“We were,” Mike stated, a note of accusation in his tone.

“This was different.” Personal. More so than usual with Jack involved.

Speculation filled his friend’s eyes. “Sounds like you had quite the weekend.”

He walked toward his office as he muttered, “You don’t know the half of it.” Because they didn’t even know about the visit from the cops. Not to mention that evening of playing house over at the Morgan ranch.

Footsteps sounded behind him and he stepped into his office as Mike said, “I’m going to ask you one last question, not to piss you off, but just to make sure we consider all the angles.”

He wasn’t going to like what came next, but nodded anyway as he shut the door after Mike entered.

“She seemed awfully nervous when she first started talking to me this morning.”

“Because I’d already said no.”

Mike’s expression said maybe, maybe not. “Is it possible the attack was staged?”

“No.”

At his lack of hesitation, his buddy took a seat at the table and fixed him with a hard look. “And you took the time to consider that answer objectively?”

He sat down opposite him and leaned back in his chair as he reconsidered the question.

“I trust her, Mike.” Honest to God truth, he realized. And he didn’t trust easy, but from the beginning, he’d been easing into it despite all efforts to resist. “We talked a few times over the weekend, and I believe she’s being honest about the whole thing.”

A shrug came from the table. “As long as you’re sure.”

“I am.”

He nodded. “What are your thoughts on her ideas?”

Dean held back a resigned sigh. Despite all his insistence that she not be involved, he reluctantly admitted, “They might actually work.”

“I thought the same thing.” Mike’s dark eyebrows rose again. “So, we’re a go?”