LITMIR.BIZ

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reached Virginia’s car before it was taken away, but he’d still had his suspicions confirmed. Someone had cut her brake lines. Reddish brake fluid made a large puddle where her car had been parked. This was no mere leak.

      Cliff backed up two steps before he caught himself. “What are you talking about?”

      Dillon flattened his palms on the highly polished table and leaned toward Cliff. “Don’t give me orders. If you want to meet with me, say so, but don’t get pissed off at your sister and then bark at me.”

      Cliff tried a show of umbrage. “Now, see here…”

      “I’m a damn good employee, Cliff. I’ve upgraded your entire security system and saved you a bundle in the process. I’ve found glitches most men would never have noticed. That’s my job and I do it well. But I don’t need this job and I don’t need to be talked down to. Understand?”

      Dillon was pushing it, but Cliff seemed to gain more respect for him every time he asserted himself. Unlike Virginia. It made sense to Dillon. He’d be damned if he’d want some marshmallow in charge of protecting the interests of his company. Not only was Dillon in charge of securing the actual property against theft, both at the offices where Cliff and Virginia worked and at the retail outlets, but he evaluated the security potential and estimated costs of future retail sites. He also oversaw the personal security for employees, including the boss. Johnson’s Sporting Goods wasn’t a nickle and dime operation.

      Dillon recognized his value to the Johnsons. He’d learned his trade from the best. His father had taught him how to secure, and how to breach, the legal and the illegal, which made him unique, and one of the best in the business.

      Cliff needed him, especially with Virginia constantly breathing down his neck.

      Besides, now that he believed Virginia was being threatened, he wasn’t quite up to maintaining his pretense with Cliff. Virginia had finally agreed to some intimate time alone with him, and it was entirely possible he’d be able to settle things just by getting a few good leads from her. Surely Virginia would know what trumped-up evidence Cliff had manufactured. If she would talk.

      God, he hoped it would work out that simply. He hated playing the dutiful employee. He preferred working for himself, hiring himself out on short-term jobs, spending his free time in Mexico with his father and his horses and his land.

      Dillon figured that once he established a relationship with Virginia, he could quit the company. Virginia would undoubtedly find him more appealing as a free agent; there would be no reason for her to think she was being used.

      Dillon shook his head. He didn’t like the warmth that swelled over him when he considered pleasing her. It didn’t matter what Virginia thought or would think. If her bright golden eyes were angry or aroused. None of it mattered. None of it could matter.

      A heartfelt sigh from Cliff broke into Dillon’s thoughts.

      “You’re right,” Cliff said. “I do value you as an employee. It’s just that Virginia can be so damn arrogant, and I’ve got enough on my mind right now without her harassment.”

      Very slowly, Dillon straightened. “Oh? Anything I can help with?” Little by little, Cliff opened up to him, making him a confidant, wanting him for a cohort in his grievances against his sister.

      Cliff waved dismissively. “It’s a matter that came up before you were hired. I have people already on the problem.”

      “What exactly is the problem?”

      “A little matter of internal embezzlement. A former employee used his position to siphon funds from the company. The theft occurred mostly in insubstantial amounts, so it was hard to notice. I knew it was him, and I fired him on the spot, but of course I can’t accuse him officially without solid evidence. Finding proof is taking some doing. You know how difficult it can be to trace numbers. However, I believe we finally have him nailed. We should be able to wrap things up any day now.”

      “What kind of evidence do you have?” Keeping his tone so mild, so bland, was more than difficult when he wanted to grab Cliff and slam his fist in his mouth. He wanted to force him to admit it was all a scam. Wade couldn’t be guilty.

      Except…Cliff didn’t look as though he was scamming. He looked smugly confident. It shook Dillon.

      “My lawyers have advised me not to discuss the case.

      Suffice it to say, when we go to court, we won’t lose.” He pushed a button on the intercom, then requested that Laura bring in coffee. Cliff stacked some files and turned to face Dillon. “The others will be joining me soon, but I wanted to talk with you for a minute or two first. Virginia interrupted us downstairs. But now is as good a time as any.”

      This was curious. Dillon considered telling Cliff why Virginia had interrupted, about the cut brake lines, but decided against it. Cliff could be the very one who had tampered with Virginia’s car. At the moment, he wasn’t willing to put family loyalty to the test, especially not in Cliff’s case.

      Dillon hid his thoughts well as he gave Cliff his attention. “I didn’t realize we were having a meeting. Is your sister invited to this one?”

      “Hell no.” Cliff chuckled. “I try to keep her as much out of the way as possible. You’ve seen firsthand how offensive she can be. No, the meeting is about expanding the downtown operation.”

      Not again, Dillon thought, tired of that tune and trying to explain to an idiot that opening an outlet downtown was a waste of funds. Unless the entire area was revamped, Cliff would be better off withdrawing and investing his money on renovations elsewhere. Though Virginia had told Cliff that countless times, it didn’t take someone with her business sense to see it. Dillon had backed up her reasoning, on a security level. Cliff wasn’t listening.

      “You know how I feel about that, Cliff. I can upgrade all the systems there, hire good people to work in shifts, but it won’t do you any good. Even without the petty theft, which is rampant and you know it, that store is a money hog. There’s not enough business to warrant the effort.”

      Cliff gestured with his hand, looking distracted and annoyed. “That’s not what I want to speak to you about. No, I want to talk to you about my sister.”

      Dillon turned his back to look out the third-story windows. Below him was human congestion, smog and noise. The sides of the street were piled high with blackened snow and sludge. Traffic flowed, the same traffic Virginia had almost encountered, without brakes. He shuddered.

      He hated being here in Delaport City on this ridiculous ruse. He wanted to be home again, listening to his father grumbling and recounting all his old adventures. This didn’t feel like an adventure. This felt like one huge mistake. “You want to talk about your sister? What about her?”

      “I, ah, know from your file that your expertise includes surveillance.”

      “My expertise covers a lot of activities that aren’t exactly part of a legitimate job résumé, especially not for the position you hired me for. I only gave you a few facts because I figured you’d need something to recommend me.” The information was accurate, just in case Cliff had the sense to look, which Dillon wasn’t certain of. But Virginia would have checked, of that he had no doubt. So he’d supplied the names of the few companies he’d ever worked for. Like his father, he could ferret out trouble—or cause it. With equal success, according to who was paying the most. It wasn’t a trait he felt any particular pride over. Just a way of survival.

      “Virginia insisted on checking into your employment background. She was impressed, which says a lot, even though your lack of consistency with any one job concerned her. Has she ever spoken to you about it?”

      Dillon still faced the window. He was afraid if he looked at Cliff, all his anger would show. “No. Other than a few casual exchanges, we’ve never spoken.”

      “Excellent! Then she’ll never suspect you.”

      “Suspect me of what?” He did turn to Cliff now. “What is it you want

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