Cut (11 page)

“Fine; we're even on that front. But still, don't you need certification or something to do what you do?”

“To grade gemstones, yes, you do. I'm certified. Is that what you want to hear? Does that make a difference to you?”

“I used to think so.”

“What do you do for work?”

Jessie gave a small laugh. “I wait tables.”

“Then your future is wide open.” He grinned and shot her a loaded glance.

“I'm happier taking orders than I ever was in medical school.”

“Are you going to wait tables forever?”

“I haven't decided.” She looked down at her hands. “The truth is I've been riding on Carl's dreams and not my own. I have no idea what to do with my life. It's hard enough to admit this to myself. It's worse to be made to feel like my career has to define who I am.”

“It's honest.”

“Did you always know you wanted to work with gemstones?”

“Not even close. I left home at a young age. I didn't have the luxury to try and figure it out through classes and internships.”

“How young were you?”

“Seventeen.”

“I assumed you and your family were close.”

“You assumed wrong.”

“Why did you leave home?”

“It's not the kind of thing I usually share with people.”

“Sorry I asked.”

Brent's hand tightened on the steering wheel. If he needed to earn her trust, he had to open up, something he wasn't comfortable doing, but the circumstances called for an extra measure and reluctantly, he conceded. “I'll tell you how close we were. There's this flower garden my mother grew every summer. My father didn't let her do much of anything, but he allowed her this space in the backyard to do with as she pleased. This one time she managed to produce these impressive red roses. I remember how much she loved them because she rarely smiled and that summer, she came in from her garden and I could tell they brought life back in her. She would take extra care of them, like they were her children. She loved them. One day she did something to upset him, which wasn't hard, and to get back at her he didn't hit her—a fact that still gives me chills to this day. I knew it was bad when he didn't use his fist.”

“What did he do?” Jessie asked in almost a whisper.

“He wanted me to go out to the roses and rip them from the ground. He told me to cut off their heads and put them to the side. Then, when there would be nothing left except a few stray petals and heaps of dirt where the stems used to be, he instructed me to burn the pile.”

“Oh my God.”

“I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't let him use me to hurt my mother. So I left, before he could hurt me, before I became one of those rose heads.”

Jessie's finger brushed away a tear sliding down her cheek. “I'm sorry.”

“You don't have to be sorry. He's dead. I don't think about him anymore. That was a long time ago.” He felt uncomfortable about sharing so much of himself. He hadn't thought about that day in a long time and he was surprised at how easy it had been to tell her, regardless of his reasons for doing so. He saw the concern on her face and the tear she wiped away. He cleared his throat and said, “We should think about today. Don't you want to know where we're stopping first?”

“Yes.”

“We're going to Union Square.”

“What's there?”

“Restaurants, shopping, hotels.” He guided the car into the busy, mid-day traffic. Buildings crammed together took up every inch of space on either side of the road. “There's also this jewelry store that hasn't opened yet.”

“Your jewelry store?”

“Yeah, I have to check on something for Luke. He's not able to get down there anytime soon with everything going on at the moment. The stop won't take long.”

The drive to Union Square took no time. The upscale, iconic area bustled with people. Some of the city's most recognizable streets surrounded the plaza in the middle and were crowned by the column of the Dewey Monument. A mix of historic and modern architecture made up the outer perimeter with stores, hotels, and galleries. It was also one of the most expensive real estate areas for businesses in the city. The location Luke chose held significance. Right smack in the heart of the city. A place thriving with consumers eager to spend big money on luxury items.

The future residence of Trace Elements came up on his right and he slowed and pointed. “There she is,” he said. The storefront, already under construction, sat between an art gallery and a high-end day spa.

“Right there?” Jessie said, sounding impressed. “You're right in the middle of this place. Your rent alone must be astronomical.”

“The rent is beside the point. We bought the building.”

“Luke must be more successful than I ever thought possible. Wow.”

“Would you like to see the inside?”

“Yes!” Jessie smiled. “This is exactly what I need to keep my mind off Melanie.”

And it keeps you away from your hotel.

Brent turned right and drove down to a back alley where he turned into a private parking lot bombarded by several Do Not Park and Tow-Away Zone signs. Brent pulled the car into one of the spaces and turned off the engine. They got out of the car and closed their doors simultaneously.

A set of three short stairs led them up to the back door. They stepped into a small space not built for more than two people at a time. Brent stretched his arm over her shoulder and flipped on the light switch. The warmth of her breath grazed his neck. All he could think about was kissing her. Except
right now
needed to be about business, but he made no promises about later.

He moved past her and went to the second door, the one that lead to the store. A hefty
click
and a
clunk
sounded and the door sprang open. “After you,” he said, stepping aside.

Overhead lighting popped on automatically with each step they took down the narrow hallway. The walkway led to another door and yet another lock. Brent punched in a code and the door sprang open.

They walked inside to the large showroom shrouded in drywall. Workbenches and tools stored off to the side for the contractor and his crew. Wires hung from the ceiling and various places throughout the wall. The wood frame for a second wall took up the middle of the room and would serve as the backdrop with a sales station and their company sign. A tarp covered up the front window. At the back of the store a cutout of an oversized door existed where the vault would be placed. Brent moved up to Jessie and stood next to her.

“What do you think?” he said.

“I think this place will look beautiful when the construction's done.” She walked around the room and took a look. “Why isn't your other brother around?”

“Damon isn't involved in the jewelry store. He's a lawyer in Chicago and he's slowly been removing himself from the company. Even if he was interested, we wouldn't include him.”

“Why not?”

“I don't trust him.”

“Is there anyone you do trust?”

“There are a few people, one of them being your sister. I follow my instincts about people and usually, I'm not wrong. The nature of my job tends to crossover to my personal life. I'm in the business of looking for flaws; to scope out the real from the fake. I tend to see people through a microscope. It can't be helped.”

She cocked her head. “Good thing I have no flaws.”

Brent's lip twitched. He liked the way she looked at him with a lush face and desire burning in her eyes. “I see you clearly, Jessica.”

“You don't think I'm meant to be with Carl.”

He folded his arms over his chest. “You want to do this now?”

“Yes.”

“It's simple. If you were serious about your fiancé, you wouldn't have kissed me.”

“I got caught up in the silly bachelorette game. The whole thing was stupid.”

“You knew what you were doing.”

She glared at him.

“Ask any other bride weeks away from her wedding. She would have refused the game. The thought of kissing another man would have made her sick. You didn't turn down the challenge because you don't want to be married to Carl.” He took a cautious step towards her. Brent ran his hand over her smooth cheek and down lower, over her neck. “Plus, you did more than kiss me again back at my house.”

Each time he came close to her, he couldn't get enough of her. He lowered his face to hers, oblivious to anything else in the room. Her chest brushed against his. He swore he felt the pounding of her heart against his. Brent lowered his lips to hers to make a point that she couldn't resist him either.

She stepped back. “You think you know me. The truth is you know nothing about me. You're arrogant.”

“And you are—humble?”

She exhaled a long breath. “Do what you need to do and let's go.”

“I will.” He got out his phone and took some photos of the progress. The slot shape for a series of windows near the ceiling, along with the dimensions had been drawn in marker. The location for the new wall in the middle of the room and the back area where the vault would go made up the rest of the area.

“Do you know why I really brought you here?” he said, finishing up with the photos.

She looked up from her phone. “To get your photos.”

“That's partially true.”

“Then why?”

“This is the last place I saw Melanie—before the incident. She came for a tour to see the progress. We met for lunch across the street and then I brought her here.”

Jessica's guard dropped for a moment. “You and Melanie were here?”

“She wanted to see the progress.”

“What did she have to say?”

“She looked forward to the grand opening. She was excited. Melanie loves our family business. She supported Luke whole-heartedly in this endeavor. I'd like to think that Melanie would want us to work together to solve the mystery of her attack.”

Her guard went back up. “I know you don't trust me.”

“Do I have any reason not to?”

She studied him for a moment. “If we're not basing this conversation on my past offenses, then you have every reason to believe me.”

“There's nothing at all you want to tell me? Anything that would help us find Melanie's attacker or give us clues to what she was doing the night she got attacked?”

This time a lie flashed in her eyes. Brief enough for him to see that she hid something from him.

She held her ground. “Nope.”

Brent tried another angle. “I'll make you a deal. If you find out anything about Melanie, I'll talk to Luke on your behalf. Say you have information you feel like sharing, I'd help you and your mother get access to your nieces.”

The corner of her mouth drew up in a smile. She seemed to hold her breath. “I don't know what you think I'll uncover. Melanie and I are strangers.”

“I'm simply making an offer. You're aware that my brother won't let you see Vivian, Lydia, or Annabelle. If you want to ask him, be my guest, but I can assure you he's protective of those girls and Melanie's wishes. Now more than ever.”

She continued watching him. He saw something in the way her lips hesitated. The offer enticed her. For one sweet moment he could see it in her eyes. She wanted to tell him. Brent held his breath, wanting her to do the right thing. The word diamond was on her lips. He could sense it. Except he stepped forward and the floor creaked. The moment broke, and the possibility flew out of his grasp.

The moment passed.

“Don't even think about putting them in the middle.”

“I'm trying to help you.”

She straightened her shoulders. “I don't have anything to tell you.”

“Then let's get on with our day.”

Jessie's hands slid over her front pockets. “Fine by me.”

The offer on the table wasn't good. Not by a long shot. The strange and sudden gesture from Brent bugged her. Like he knew she had the diamond.

But
how would he know about that in the first place?

A knot tightened in her stomach. Good or bad, the offer did tempt her with the potential of seeing those three little girls. Jessie tried to hold it all together. Melanie's attack. The diamond. Brent. They each had a common link. She couldn't ask him outright what he knew and give her position away. She couldn't give up the secret in her pocket. She simply would have to be more careful around him and not let his offer distract her.

“We're headed to Lyon Street,” Brent said, and drove them towards the next destination.

“The street names mean nothing to me,” Jessie said, opening her eyes.

“Haven't you ever been to San Francisco?”

“Once, a long time ago. My parents took us when we were younger. I don't remember much.”

Except that we'd been a family back then.

The thought triggered memories from a lifetime ago. Once in a while she got caught up in remembering how good everything used to be for their family. Fast-forward to the present and she didn't recognize those days at all anymore. Her father lived in a different town, her sister was in a coma, and her brother was in prison.

“Better times, huh?”

“Something like that,” she said from the bottom of her heart.

It didn't take long to arrive at their destination. Brent pointed out some of the history of the city along the way and Jessie listened with polite attention.

“We're here,” he said.

Jessie looked out the window. The sight of a rotunda and columns appeared above the tree tops. A circle of columns and more trees surrounded the exterior. A small lake glistened. The place carried a breathtaking beauty she could see from the car. A torrent of emotions ran through her and she said in a quiet voice, “This is the place.”

“The only place you wanted to see today.” Brent parked the car in a row close to the entrance.