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She seemed to be mulling it over.
He needed her to say yes. “It’s just a date.”
“Yes,” she said with a smile to her lips. She backed away from him, breaking their connection. “I have to go or I’ll be late for my appointment.”
“I need your telephone number,” he announced. For their date, Evie had set up the entire thing, so he hadn’t spoken to Aspen before they’d met. “I don’t think we will be needing Evie to set this one up.”
She chuckled as she came back to him. They exchanged numbers, and he couldn’t keep the smile from his face. She turned away with a wave. He watched her walk up the stairs until he couldn’t see her any longer. He turned and strode down the grand hallway to go have his meeting at the mayor’s office.
A strong senseof déjà vu was settling over Aspen as she sat in the chair across from US Marshal Ball.
“What are you saying?” she asked, unsure of what he was explaining to her.
He took his glasses off, rested them on the table, and stared at her. She bit her lip, apprehension filling her chest. She wanted all of this over with so she could make something out of the life she’d been given. It wasn’t what it was, and according to the man sitting across from her, it wouldn’t ever be.
“The timeline for you to be back in California has moved up. You will be needed to testify earlier than expected.”
“What?” she exclaimed, sitting forward in her chair. She was floored. There was no way she was ready to face him in court. She turned toward the window and took in the beautiful blue sky, the memories of that night surfacing.
Her heels echoed on the marble floors as she made her way toward the executive offices. She braced her evidence against her chest. She was still in disbelief at what she had uncovered.
Her father had been right.
Someone was embezzling money from the company, and it was in the millions.
That someone was none other than her father’s best friend and partner, Ray Acosta. He was like an uncle to her. She’d known him her entire life. He had been with her father since he’d created the company. Her father had brought him in a few years later once the company had got off the ground. He was one of her father’s most trusted associates.
And he had betrayed him.
As a forensic accountant, this was her specialty. Had she not been a specialist, then she may not have caught the disappearance of the money. Someone had been paying contracts to dummy corporations, and she had figured it out. She had yet to contact her father and wanted to confront Ray herself.
It was late in the evening, and the offices were empty, but she was sure he was still in his. She needed to hear why he was stealing from the company before turning all of her evidence over to the authorities in the morning. If he were in trouble, her father would have helped him.
Raised voices traveled down the hallway, and she slowed. Who would be here this late arguing? Her footsteps faltered, then she continued on toward Ray’s office. The voices grew louder once she arrived at his door that was left ajar.
Ray sat behind his desk with a man sitting in the chair in front. Two large men stood behind Ray, shouting at each other.
“I don’t care,” Ray snapped.
“You are getting sloppy,” the man in the chair growled. “I can’t keep covering for you anymore.”
“You aren’t going to do a damn thing but what you’ve been doing.” Ray leaned back in his chair.
Her breath caught in her throat. She knew she should move away from the door, but she was captivated on what was going on before her.
“Ray. I’m done. You don’t pay me enough to take your bullshit.” The man stood suddenly, almost knocking the chair over.
“You don’t have a choice.” Ray’s voice dropped low.
Aspen leaned closer to the door and stifled a gasp. Ray held a gun on the man while the two goons behind him moved forward.
“What are you doing?” the man asked. “You don’t have the fucking balls to pull that trigger. I’ve been doing all your dirty work.”
“Now see, that’s where you’re wrong. I choose when to get my hands dirty.” Ray stood, and she watched in horror as he pulled the trigger.
The sounds of gunfire filled the air. Aspen held her breath. The man’s body jerked a few times, then he stumbled back, falling over his chair and landing on the floor.
“No,” she cried out.
