“What!” Marie’s horror was evident in her big brown eyes. Her blond hair, falling from its ponytail, could have been sexy. But it wasn’t. At least not to him. “What makes you think such a thing? Oh, Liam, I know he’s being cold right now, but—”
“—you found something.” Gabi’s quiet words reached him. It was as if she could read his thoughts. And he was beginning to realize that it had always been that way.
He told them about the Schlotsky account. The changed figures. His absolute certainty that nothing had happened while he’d been in the room.
“If push comes to shove, he’s going to use that incident to prove that I’ve been crooked from the very beginning. He’ll say that’s why he never gave me any real responsibility. He brought me up to the top floor so he could keep his eye on me, but didn’t ever give me an opportunity to do any damage. And yet I somehow managed to do it behind his back. I’ve been his safety net all along.”
“So why would he cut you loose?” Marie asked.
Liam watched Gabi, who wasn’t saying a word. Her expression gave him no clue as to her thoughts. He needed to know them. To know she’d be watching out for him, with him, letting him watch out for her for the rest of their lives.
In spite of the spouses they’d have someday.
“Because somehow he knew the FBI was looking at him. Just like he knew we’d signed the papers on this place two seconds after it was done. He’s going to claim that he stumbled on evidence that led him to believe that I was into something bad. That he’d hoped that he could put an end to my criminal activities by getting rid of me. Firing me wasn’t enough. Getting me away from the company wasn’t enough. He had to completely disown me—cut me out of his will, which is a legal document that I’m sure he’ll supply in court—to prevent me from cashing in on his reputation, trading on people’s respect for him for my own nefarious gain. He’ll say that he planned to cover my tracks and make up the damages before I was caught. Because I am, after all, his only son. He’ll plead guilty to obstruction of justice.”
It fit. He didn’t want it to. Lord knew, he’d spent the better part of an hour pacing his own apartment—from one end to the other—trying to find the holes, any single tiny little pinprick hole, in his theory.
“What about Missy’s offshore account? If your father is the one behind all of this, why not erase evidence of that account first?”
“Maybe he thought he had. Or he knew he only had a few minutes and went for the legally incriminating accounts first. Since he didn’t appear put out by the fact that we went to Florida. His affair isn’t illegal. I was a big part of the reason he was keeping them secret—you heard Missy say so. Obviously he doesn’t care anymore if their existence is exposed.”
“I’m not disagreeing with you, just playing devil’s advocate here, but if he doesn’t care if Missy and Tamara are exposed, why was he refusing to speak to me until I mentioned Florida?”
Liam’s case grew stronger in his mind with every question Gabrielle posed. As did his sense of loss. “Because, while he doesn’t intend to keep them secret, he doesn’t want them hurt. He didn’t think we’d bring Missy and Tamara into this or turn their existence into a big circus. He knows me. He knows I’d never hurt my little sister. Or use her, either.”
“So why not call my bluff?”
Liam stared across at her. He had that answer, too. “Because he doesn’t know you,” he told her. His father had made no secret of his low opinion of Gabrielle.
In truth, Walter Connelly was the person who wasn’t worthy of his son. Not that that was going to help him now. Or ever again...
Liam rubbed a hand down his face. “I don’t know, maybe he just slipped up with Missy’s account. They say that every criminal eventually makes a mistake. No one’s perfect. Maybe that account was his. More likely, his first priority was keeping himself out of jail. Not protecting them. And the FBI got there before he could do both.”
The look of fear on Gabi’s face—there and gone in an instant—told him that he was making sense. His father was going to let him pay for his sins.
“He’ll get a slap on the wrist, and I’ll go to prison....” No one knew better than Liam how smart and capable and successful his father was.
And not just at investing other people’s money.
How conniving he could be.
“You are not going to prison,” Marie said.
Gabi remained silent. He wanted to lose himself in her kiss.
Even as he felt more nails sealing his coffin.
* * *
“I THINK YOU should fight the restraining order.” Marie stood up to get them some more tea. She’d already put Gabrielle’s cabbage rolls in the refrigerator. None of them were the least bit hungry.
Gabrielle shook her head, wishing she knew what to do. Growing up in a rough neighborhood, she’d learned very early to watch for any danger in her path. How to keep herself safe.
And she was standing on a precipice that was giving way beneath her.
Liam needed her help. Her intensely personal need to help him was scaring her.
Marie had confidence in her. And yet she was worried about the effect Liam was having on Gabi. All three of them knew their friendship could be on the line.