Free Spirit Read online

  “Better?”

  “I haven’t sucked on it yet!” Jacey’s temper was wearing thin. “Look. Wha—” The lozenge had shifted to the back of her throat and she coughed, sending it flying across the room.

  “Careful,” Priory said with a smile. “You can take an eye out with one of those. Another?”

  “No! Just get to the point!”

  “Maybe I’m wrong—”

  “You certainly are!”

  “Jace, please. Maybe I’m wrong, but I think this is some kind of setup. We can’t both have missed the contract. I had a look through our inboxes and there was nothing. I also checked Eddles’s file and nothing. Not even a reference to Barco. I hadn’t seen it and I know you’d never make that kind of mistake either. That left me with two options. Either Eddles made a mistake or this is a setup. He doesn’t make mistakes.”

  “But what would he achieve with you out of the way?”

  “I have absolutely no idea. Want to help me find out?” Priory extended her hand in a silent plea.

  “Why should I?” Jacey swatted away Priory’s hand.

  Priory smiled at her. “Because you love me?”

  “Oh no, no, no.” Jacey held up her hands to ward off her boss. “You’re playing dirty.”

  “Can you blame me? I know I was an ass, but I really do want this relationship to work.”

  “Starting with my dismissal.” Jacey scrambled for some moral high ground.

  “You don’t want to help, even if it gets you your job back?”

  “And what will it be worth, huh? The dismissal will be a black mark on my record. Some will think that I’m guilty and that you got my job back, irrespective of whether I’m innocent or not.”

  “But you are innocent.”

  “And what? Are you going to follow me round for the rest of my life telling every prospective employer that ‘she’s innocent’? I don’t think so.” Priory smiled at her. “Stop smiling! That is so … so…” Jacey waved her hands wildly as she tried to think of an appropriate word. “… damned annoying!” It wasn’t the word she was looking for, but the effect of her tirade was already draining away.

  “What do you want from me, Jace? Just tell me and I’ll do it.”

  Jacey struggled to hold firm under Priory’s intense gaze. “Just leave.”

  “But—”

  “Leave,” she repeated. She almost gave in when Priory’s bottom lip quivered, but she remained silent.

  “You know where to find me if you need anything,” Priory said quietly. “Goodbye, Jacey Ryder.” She stood and made her way to the front door before she looked back over her shoulder. She whispered something before walking out the door, but Jacey wasn’t sure she heard it right.

  It sounded like, “I love you”.

  ,

  †

  Priory slumped against the wall outside Jacey’s apartment. Her attempt at reconciliation certainly hadn’t turned out the way she had hoped it would. The ache in her heart was constant and she grabbed the antacid roll she had offered Jacey. “Probably not,” she muttered before she shoved it back into her bag. If only heartbreak was that easily cured.

  Still….

  Jacey hadn’t attacked her with a carving knife or a cushion, although if she had to be hit, she would have opted for the cushion. The knife would have left a mark.

  She took the elevator to the ground floor and emerged onto the street. It was already too late to drive home, so she would need to stay at a hotel for the night. She had done this on a few occasions when driving all the way home was impractical, only to turn around a few hours later to drive back to work. An emergency bag was in the trunk of her car for such an occasion, and she was thankful to have it now. Turning up to work in the same suit she’d worn the previous day would telegraph too much information to the office. She could function normally without Jacey’s presence … couldn’t she? It was then she stopped thinking. Maybe she didn’t want to know the answer to that one.

  Priory dawdled back to her car. She was in no hurry to go to the hotel alone. Was she hoping Jacey would change her mind and chase her down the street? It was wishful thinking, but it didn’t stop her glancing over her shoulder from time to time. Finally the SUV came into view and Priory had to finally admit Jacey was not coming.

  She drove to the hotel she’d frequented since she bought her house and parked in front of the foyer. A valet appeared and put out his hand for her keys. “Good evening, Ms McAllister. Nice to see you again.”

  Priory smiled. He said the same thing every time she arrived: “Nice to see you again.” Did everyone get the same greeting, or just her? Well … not everyone, she considered, it would be stupid to greet a new guest that way.

  The young man slipped around to the trunk, opened it, and took out her overnight bag. “Have a pleasant night.” He closed the trunk, handed over her bag, and moved to the driver’s door. “Seven o’clock, as usual?”

  “Thanks”—she squinted, trying to read his name plate—“Michael.” She gave him a brief smile and slipped a note into his hand before climbing the handful of stairs to the front door.

  She made the trip to her room without thought. Same hotel, same floor, same room. She knew it all intimately. The bag dropped from her hand as she stood in front of the bed, while her other hand reached for the mini-bar. This particular drink needed ice, and she went back down the corridor in search of the ice machine. “What is wrong with me?” she said loudly.

  “I don’t know, but do it quietly!” the muffled voice yelled from behind one of the doors facing her.

  Things were spiraling out of control. She should be happy … shouldn’t she? She had just bought a new house. But since then, she’d found she had practical-joker ghosts, a three-hour return journey to and from the office each day, had found and lost someone she wanted to get to know a hell of a lot better, and now she was spending more time in a hotel than in her own home. Christmas was around the corner and it looked like she was going to celebrate it alone.

  The scotch barely had time to burn a path down her throat as she drank. She returned to the mini-bar and looked at the bottles awaiting her. It was a temptation she wanted to give in to, but she knew the consequences were harsh.

  “Damn it to hell!” she ground out and reached for her purse, again leaving her room to find the soda machine. Maybe she should find some food as well. Being cranky on an empty stomach was torture.

  Back in her room, she had her dinner of sandwiches and soda. So much for a hot meal every night. For the first time she was seriously considering whether she had made the right decision in buying the house.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The next morning Priory sat down in her chair, observing the vacant desk through the door. Jacey wasn’t there and she felt alone. Was Jacey pissed or had her one chance for happiness already slipped through her fingers?

  Priory tried to focus on the mess on her table. The contract was definitely missing or, she suspected, had never been delivered in the first place.

  First things first, though. She walked to the kitchenette and made herself a coffee. Curious eyes watched as she passed, and all she could do was smile. When she arrived back at her office, a young woman was waiting there.

  “Can I help you?” she asked as brightly as she could.

  “Ms McAllister,” the girl said nervously. “Is Jacey about?”

  “She’ll be away for a few days. What do you need?”

  “I … I … need a file.” The girl shifted from one foot to the other.

  “Which one?”

  “Michaels,” she answered swiftly.

  “Hang on a minute.” Priory walked into her office and observed her desk. “Make that a few minutes,” she muttered to herself. She slid the mess of files around until she found the file in question. “Here you go.” She held it out for the girl.

  “Umm, you need to sign off on it.”

  “Oh.” She opened it and studied the top page. “Can you give me five minutes? Go ge
t yourself a coffee or something.”

  The girl’s eyes widened and Priory just knew she was imagining a horn in the middle of her head. Yes, strange things are happening, kiddo. Priory ignored the girl’s departure and turned her attention to the file. It seemed simple enough and had no nasty surprises, unlike Eddles’s visit. Why did he have to be such a…? Priory’s head was about to explode. Calm down. We both know he’s a piece of shit.

  Priory signed the contract and closed the file. She leaned back in her chair and wondered what Jacey was doing. Hating my guts, probably. It didn’t take much of a leap of intelligence to figure that out.

  †

  The next morning Priory sat in her kitchen sipping coffee. Damn, it was quiet. She wondered what Jacey was up to. Looking for a new job, she supposed, or maybe installing a moat and drawbridge around her apartment. The absurdity of the picture made her chuckle. Her lips dropped quickly. She missed her.

  “Hey, Convent.”

  She dwelled on the first time they’d met. Had she felt something for Jacey back then? She couldn’t remember, but she’d certainly made life tough for the poor girl. Despite all that, Jacey had stayed.

  “Hey!”

  “What?” Priory looked up at Dylan.

  “What’s got you all goo-goo-eyed?”

  “Nothing.”

  “That’s not a look of nothing. Where’s what’s-her-name?”

  “You won’t be seeing her anymore. I’ve lost her.”

  “You must begin a search immediately.”

  “No, I didn’t lose her.”

  “But you just said….”

  “She left me.” It hurt to say it.

  “Hey, Rhee! Come here! Convent did somethin’ stupid!”

  “I didn’t….” Maybe she had. Of course she had, otherwise Jacey would still be in her life.

  “Lanie, don’t shout! What happened?”

  Priory glared from one ghost to the other. “Awww, hell.”

  “That’s not a word we banter around here lightly,” Dylan said seriously.

  “Sorry.”

  “What’s wrong?” Rhea asked.

  “She did somethin’ stupid.”

  “I didn’t say that…” Priory said before Dylan glared at her. “…but, yeah, I did something stupid.” She proceeded to tell them the whole story. Hearing it come out of her mouth made it seem all the more stupid. What was she thinking at the time?

  “What are you going to do about it?” Rhea asked.

  “Presents. Lots and lots of presents,” Dylan offered.

  “I already tried the roses. She put them in the trash.”

  “Come on. You have to be inventive. Send her a puppy or something,” Dylan said, as if it were the simplest solution to Jacey’s absence.

  “A puppy?” It was so impractical for someone who lived in an apartment, but even Jacey would melt over a puppy. It was a momentary thought, but she knew that Jacey would curse her after the first dog piddle on the carpet.

  “A pony. Who doesn’t love a pony?”

  Priory could see Dylan was on a roll. “A pony is even more ridiculous than a puppy, egghead. Is that how you made all your conquests?” Priory was about to dismiss the idea. “And where is she supposed to keep it? In a box?” A toy horse, on the other hand, was a possibility, but she wasn’t about to tell Dylan that.

  “I don’t hear you comin’ up with ideas, Miss Stinky.”

  Rhea shook her head and spoke to Priory. “You could talk to her. Appeal to her romantic side.”

  “Been there, tried that.”

  “And?”

  “She said goodbye.”

  “As much as I hate to say it, you really did screw up.”

  “Don’t you think I know that?” She hadn’t meant to raise her voice, but the frustration of the situation was beginning to get to her.

  “Presents. I’m tellin’ ya. What dame doesn’t like presents?”

  Her head throbbed. Without a better option, presents it would be. Maybe one a day for the next week and see what happens. Would it help the situation? It couldn’t hurt.

  “So what were you thinking about earlier? Had to be something nice.”

  “About when I first met Jacey.”

  “And I bet you were a jackass back then too.”

  “Pretty much.”

  “You are soooo predictable.”

  “Okay, smartass. How about you and Rhea? It must have been something memorable.” Memory was a funny thing. The exact same memory for two people could be as different as the North and South Pole, and she suspected that this particular memory would be no different.

  Dylan remembered her first meeting with Rhea, all right. She should have walked away then and there, but one look was all it took to tie her to the woman for eternity….

  A single overhead light marked the back entrance to the club. Dylan leaned against the wall outside the circle of light, content to stand on one foot while the other foot rested on the building behind her, and to finish her cigarette.

  Time passed … and passed … and passed. She had already finished her second cigarette and was now thinking about a third. She’d waited outside for Rhea, deciding that their first meeting would be on neutral ground. She was about to relent and go inside when the door opened. Her gaze caught a dainty shoe coming into view, followed by a show of a shapely calf. Her pulse jumped at the glimpse of stocking. She chuckled to herself as the words of a popular song came to mind, then she remembered the title of the song: “Anything Goes.”

  The woman she was meant to look after finally came into view and Dylan had to admit that Rocco had good taste. Very good taste. A jolt of fear shot through her as she remembered Bobby’s warning. Her risk of dying had just increased.

  Stepping into the halo of light, she introduced herself. “Miss Whitman? My name is Dylan. Mr Rizzoli asked me to drive you home.” It was an innocent enough statement, but the scowl on Rhea’s face told her otherwise.

  “You can tell Mr Rizzoli that I don’t need his help. I’m quite capable of walking home by myself.”

  “But—”

  “You can tell him from me that I’m not interested,” Rhea said firmly, then walked past her, leaving her dumbfounded.

  What was she supposed to do after the flat rejection from the woman she was ordered to protect? Rhea had nearly reached the street corner, so Dylan was forced to stretch her long stride to catch up.

  “Hey! Hang on a minute!” she called. “What am I supposed to tell him?”

  “What I just said. I don’t care,” Rhea said impatiently.

  “You do know he’s the one that hired you, right?” she explained.

  “And your point?”

  “My point is that he can just as easily fire you.”

  “I was hired to sing, not to go to bed with him,” Rhea replied.

  “Look,” Dylan began, “it’s dark around here and it’s really not safe for you to be walking the streets alone. Please, as a favor to me, will you get in the car?”

  Rhea gazed at her suspiciously. “And what if, by getting into that car, you turn out to be exactly what I was fearing by walking home alone?”

  “Huh?” Rhea had said something important but Dylan had lost the plot somewhere after “what if”. “Say that again?”

  “What if you’re the masher I’m trying to avoid?” Rhea explained.

  “Me? A masher?” She tried very hard not to laugh. If the woman only knew. She tried another argument. “You don’t want me to lose my job, do you?”

  “Oh, come on—”

  “He told me to get you home safely, and if I go in tomorrow and tell him I didn’t do that, he’s going to fire me.”

  “Then you better start looking for a new job.” Rhea turned on her heel and walked across the side street, continuing her journey along the main street, leaving Dylan standing on the corner.

  Left with little choice, Dylan ran to the car and jumped in. “Of all the stubborn…,” she muttered angrily as she started the eng
ine and put the car into motion. There was a squeal of tires and a virulent curse as she drove the car out in front of oncoming traffic. “Screw you!” she yelled back, giving a none-too-subtle signal to the driver behind her.

  As abruptly as she had pulled out into traffic, she drove the car into a vacant parking spot in the next block. She started to walk back toward the club and met up with Rhea walking toward her. “Will you just get into the car?” she growled.

  “Why?” Rhea stepped around her and continued walking.

  A drop of water hit her coat sleeve. Then another. “Because it’s about to rain,” she said as she turned around to face the back of Rhea. “And I’m going to follow you all the way home. So why don’t you make it easy on both of us and just get in the back of the car.” The random raindrops hither faster until they became rain. “I’m begging you, Rhea, get in the car before you catch your death.”

  She wasn’t sure what was going through Rhea’s mind. The woman had stopped walking away from her, and her shoulders lifted as she inhaled deeply. Rhea was certainly considering her options, Dylan could see that; otherwise, she would have kept walking. Just when Dylan thought she had won the argument, Rhea stepped off again

  “Wha…? Whoa…. Hang on a min—” she called out. Her words were cut short when Rhea stopped next to the car, apparently waiting for her to catch up.

  “You going to open the door for me, lackey?” Rhea taunted.

  “My name is Dylan,” she said menacingly as she moved into Rhea’s personal space and looked down upon her. “Don’t you ever talk to me like that again!” She reached across in front of Rhea, brushing her dress gently, to open the back door of the car. “Now get in.” As Rhea moved past her to climb into the backseat, Dylan’s nostrils twitched. The perfume was subtle and enticing, touching something deep within her. It was then she realized she was in more trouble than merely losing her life. She was now in danger of losing her very soul.

  Once Rhea settled in the backseat, the intoxicating scent dissipated. Dylan shook her head, trying to dislodge the hypnotic effect of Rhea’s closeness. Dylan tipped her head up and allowed the rain to hit her face. It was cold, wet, and a slap to her senses as she walked around the car to get into the driver’s seat. She slid smoothly behind the steering wheel, then took off her hat and shook off the excess water outside before throwing the fedora on the seat next to her. Almost hesitatingly, Dylan tipped the rearview mirror so she could catch a glimpse of her passenger. Not surprisingly, she saw she was being watched.