The Cutting Edge Read online

  His emotions had swung from hurt and pain to raw fury; then the anger had changed to outraged pride, and a determination that she would never have the chance to make a fool of him again. Now, however, pride didn’t seem very important beside the fact that he’d lose her forever if he let her go to prison. Her guilt no longer mattered. What mattered was that he have her back in his arms again. He’d coddle her and keep her safe for the rest of her life, and make damned sure that she never got in this kind of mess again.

  With that inner realization that nothing else meant as much to him as Tessa, he became aware of a growing sense of peace, an easing of the weight on his shoulders. The action he needed to take was abruptly clear. He never thought that it would be easy, but he knew what had to be done. He’d catch the first flight he could get to San Francisco.

  He was able to go back to sleep, but he woke early, eager to get things moving. There was no need to pack. He planned to be back that night, even if he had to drive. He showered and shaved, not noticing in the mirror that his face was set in grim determination. After calling the airlines and getting a seat on a flight leaving at nine-twenty, he called Evan.

  “I’m going to see Joshua this morning,” he said grimly when Evan answered.

  “Has something come up?”

  “I’m not letting her go to jail.”

  Evan sighed. “It’s about time. What’re you going to tell the old man? He was dead set on making an example of the thief.”

  “I’ll handle it.” If Joshua didn’t decide to make things difficult, he had a plan all worked out, one that would reimburse Joshua and keep Tessa out of jail. If Joshua wouldn’t go along with that, Brett knew what he had to do.

  “Have you talked to Tessa?”

  “No. I don’t want her to know anything about it yet.” Perhaps it was a little cruel to keep her in the dark, but not as cruel as getting her hopes up and keeping her nerves strung out until she could hear from him again.

  “Maybe this will settle things down at work,” Evan grunted.

  “Maybe.” As he hung up, an unwilling grin touched Brett’s hard mouth. Tessa didn’t lack for support. Everyone was in an uproar, and he was about as welcome as Typhoid Mary. He expected to get a knife in the back at any time from that little red-headed spitfire, and a couple of times he’d had the uneasy feeling that the papers in his office weren’t exactly as he’d left them. It didn’t matter, because he kept all important papers locked in his briefcase, and all the evidence against Tessa was in the D.A.’s possession, but if he caught anyone in his office they’d be fired on the spot. Even spineless Perry Smitherman had gotten huffy with him, something that had given him a moment of bitter amusement at the incongruity of it.

  Shortly before noon, he was striding through the plush dove-gray carpeted corridors of the Carter-Marshall building. Some of the people he passed greeted him; most didn’t. The frown on his face was enough to discourage all but the most intrepid.

  He entered Joshua Carter’s office, and the secretary looked up. A smile lit her pretty face as she recognized him. “This is a surprise. We weren’t expecting you, were we?”

  “No, we weren’t,” he growled, but he managed a tight smile for her. Donna had done a lot of favors for him in the past.

  “Are you back for good…until the next crisis, that is?”

  “Just a flying visit. I need to see Joshua. It’s urgent.”

  Donna pursed her lips, frowning. “Well, he has a luncheon appointment, but I’ll stall them. Go on in.”

  “Thanks. I’ll dance at your next wedding.”

  “Deliver me,” she muttered. Donna was currently off men, having just gotten through a messy divorce.

  Brett gave the door one hard rap, then opened it. Joshua Carter looked up from his desk, surprise widening his eyes; then he grinned. “Hell, I should’ve known who it was from the way you came barging in, but I didn’t know you were back. Everything sewn up down there?”

  Brett put his briefcase on a chair and walked over to the bar that occupied one end of Joshua’s office, going behind it to the coffeepot that was always kept full. He poured a steaming cup of coffee, then looked up at his employer. Joshua was of medium height, but bulky from a lifetime of doing hard manual work. His gray hair was thinning, and he had to wear glasses now, but there was still a glint in his hard blue eyes that warned people he was a formidable opponent. Joshua had started out dirt poor, but by his own crafty intelligence and sheer determination he’d built a fortune. He wouldn’t be inclined to dismiss charges against someone who’d been stealing from him. In Brett, he’d met his match in willpower, and now they were going to do some hard dealing.

  “Let’s negotiate,” Brett said evenly.

  At the tone of Brett’s voice, Joshua lifted one gray eyebrow, his blue eyes growing cautious. “Negotiate? This sounds serious. Is some head-hunter stealing you away?”

  “No. It’s the case in Los Angeles.”

  “The woman you caught embezzling? What about her?”

  “I want to make a deal with her.”

  “What sort of deal?” Joshua blazed.

  “All charges dropped in exchange for full restitution.”

  Joshua got to his feet and braced his hands on his desk. He drew a deep breath. “There’s no way in hell.”

  Brett sipped the coffee. That was exactly the response he’d expected. “I don’t want her in prison,” he said coolly.

  If there was anything Joshua was, it was shrewd. He looked at Brett for a long, hard minute before he snorted. “But you do want her in your bed, don’t you?”

  “Exactly.”

  “I never thought I’d see the day,” Joshua muttered. “I think I need some coffee, too.” As the older man crossed the room, Brett poured another cup of coffee and set it on the bar. Joshua sat down on one of the stools and picked up the coffee. “I’m not inclined to let her off with a slap on the wrist. How much is missing? Fifty thousand?”

  “Fifty-four.”

  “What did she take it for? Jewelry? A fancy vacation?”

  Brett shrugged. He hadn’t seen any evidence that she’d spent the money on anything. She dressed well, but not fifty-four thousand dollars worth. “You’ll be paid back.”

  “She still has the money?”

  “I don’t know. If she doesn’t have it, I’ll pay you back.”

  The gray brows drew together. “Brett, that’s an expensive woman you’re playing with.”

  “I’m not playing,” Brett said laconically.

  “Well, I’ll be damned.” For the first time, a faintly helpless note entered Joshua’s voice. He was genuinely fond of Brett, a man made in his own mold, someone who let nothing interfere with getting the job done…or at least, nothing until this woman. “She must be something.”

  “She’s special. The L.A. office is practically in revolt against me for arresting her. Evan’s been dragging around like a whipped hound.” Brett pushed his fingers through his tawny hair. “And I’m worse than all of them put together,” he admitted raggedly.

  “Tell me something. Why should I agree to drop charges against her? Why shouldn’t she pay for breaking the law?”

  “She has paid.” Brett’s fingers tightened on the cup of coffee as he remembered her white face. It had been a week since he’d seen her, and he was aching to touch her, to whisper to her that everything was going to be all right, that he’d take care of her.

  “You’re going to marry her? What if she doesn’t want to marry you? I don’t imagine you’re her favorite person, right now,” Joshua pointed out.

  Brett knew that, but he hadn’t let himself think about it. He’d handle that when the time came, after she was no longer in danger of losing her freedom. When he had the charges against her dropped, when she was safe, then he’d deal with her anger. He still had his own anger to work out, and it would probably be a stormy few days before they got everything settled between them, but he wasn’t going to let her slip away from him.

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