The Innocent Liar (16 page)

Chapter Thirty

E
li couldn’t stop hearing Fiona’s voice as he sat focusing on the floor between his feet.
I love you.
It almost didn’t make sense to him. He’d been awful, he’d been cruel, he’d been cold, and he’d done everything in his power to convince her she was unwanted by him, but she loved him. Fuck. He couldn’t love her—not someone like this, not someone who had the power to keep his guts twisted up, and his heart throbbing in pain. She was too complicated, and she left him feeling like he was going insane and in ecstasy all at the same time. She was just too fucking much for him to handle, mainly because there was nothing to handle. She was a mystery, she was an unknown threat to his fucked up existence, and he wasn’t one to deal with those things.

He pulled himself up from the chaise, hating that he’d have to face her again in the midst of his guests after that admission. He didn’t entirely trust himself not to tell her he hated her in front of them. It wasn’t true, couldn’t ever be true, but he was far more apt to err on the side of cruelty than kindness when he felt so vulnerable. If he didn’t tell her he hated her, he might just fall apart and confess how he really felt, and he didn’t trust himself to do that effectively either. He loved her. It had been a bit easier to handle when he wasn’t so upset with her, but now? Well, now all he could think about was how much her secrets could hurt him. When had he become such a pussy? Oh, yeah, when he learned trusting people could destroy him, when he’d learned it was easier and safer to be a dick than care for something or someone who could hurt him.

He was an asshole who knew he was an asshole. He didn’t like himself for it or hate himself. It was just who he was, and he wasn’t willing to change and put his heart on a chopping block for the first would-be butcher to come along. Then again, Fiona was different.

“Hey, Mike. Sorry about that.” He clapped the old man on his shoulder as Mike smiled warmly.

“It’s all right. Beth called, and I had to talk her off the ledge. Dog’s vomiting, and she thinks it got food poisoning from the leftovers she fed it.” Mike shook his head for good reason. He loved his wife beyond all measure. Eli had known her nearly as long as he’d known Mike, and the woman could be a bit eccentric when it came to King Henry the Maltese, also known as the Second Coming by Mike, who would likely be sleeping on the couch tonight so King Henry could sleep on the bed with Beth.

“Where’d Chris go? And…” He was struggling to even acknowledge her existence.

“Just wondering the same thing.” Mike started looking around.

“Chris took Fiona home with him.” Cinda perked up, smiling at them. “Need to keep that man away from her. She’s far too pretty for him to be civil. She took off before we could even say anything, or we’d have given her a ride.” Aaron and Cinda stood then, grabbing their coats off the back of their chairs. She approached Eli, grasping his elbow and leaning up to plant a kiss on his cheek. “Thanks for a lovely evening, boss, and you are far too generous to your newest employee who’s been with you for only a matter of weeks.” She winked at him then. “The kids will love you for it though, we’re thinking about a family vacation to Disney World in February, and this helps a lot.”

“I’m glad to hear it, Cinda, and you’re worth it. You stepped in quickly when I needed that position filled, and I’ve heard nothing but good things from our clients. Thank you.” He hugged her, shook Aaron’s hand, and then they were out the door.

Eli turned back to Mike, who was watching him.

“We need to talk.” The old man’s face was suddenly very serious as he spoke.

Eli didn’t bother arguing, and instead, he followed Mike into his living room, flopping down on the sofa as Mike sat in the armchair.

“What happened with you two?” Mike was studying him intently.

“Nothing.” Eli knew the non-response wouldn’t satisfy the man, but he was hoping.

Mike ignored his stubbornness as he fished his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed. “It’s Mike. Just wanted to make sure you got home okay. No one should have to endure Chris alone.” He smiled as she said something. “Well, I’m glad you’re safe and sound at home. We’ll see you tomorrow, Fiona.” He hung up quickly and Eli watched expressionlessly, knowing Mike didn’t need a response to know how relieved Eli actually was that she was home safe. He usually tolerated Chris’s antics just fine, but since Fiona had arrived on scene, he’d learned just how ridiculous the man could be around a woman, and he’d lost any trust in Chris’s ability to act rationally.

“She’s married.”

Mike’s face remained calm; there wasn’t an ounce of shock. “Obviously, separated too.”

“That’s not the problem. She lied about it. She didn’t omit it, she didn’t hide it, she just out and out lied to my face about it. Didn’t need to, but she did it anyway.”

“I’m sure she had her reasons.”

“Yeah. I’m sure she did. She’s…” He contemplated outing her completely, but angry as he was, he wasn’t willing to jeopardize her identity.

“I know.” Now Eli’s eyebrows shot up. “You forget I’ve known your father far longer than you’ve even been alive.”

“For people charged with protecting her identity, y’all seem to struggle to keep your mouths shut.” Eli offered a wry smile, and Mike chuckled

“They were worried you’d be…hard on her. It wasn’t your choice after all, and you don’t do well with anything outside your own control.”

“I could have said no.”

“But you wouldn’t—not to your father, and they were counting on that. The favor was asked of you specifically. Sam trusts you, and he has a special interest in keeping this girl safe.”

“Let me guess, you can’t tell me what the special interest is?” He really wasn’t expecting an answer to that one.

“She’s his daughter.”

Eli might have choked on his tongue then, but he was too busy staring at Mike like an idiot to really react.

“He wasn’t always a part of her life, but he is now. She needed help, and he has a lifetime of absence to make up for.”

Eli shook his head as he tried to wrap his brain around what Mike was saying.

“Eli, you don’t know this girl’s story.”

“Isn’t that kind of the problem?”

“That’s
your
problem, and it has to do with your own personal hang-ups, not her.”

Eli said nothing for a moment There was no point arguing with a man who knew him so well.

“She shouldn’t have lied, but she’s out of her element, and she’s just trying to get through this thing in the best way she knows how.”

“She told me she loved me.” He finally shocked the man, and as Mike’s eyebrows shot up, Eli exhaled deeply.

“Now why’n the hell’d you let a thing like that happen?” Mike smiled.

“Well, had I only known she was Sam’s daughter… Can’t believe the man didn’t punch me at Thanksgiving dinner when he realized I’d seen her naked.” He glanced out the window as Mike laughed.

“Sam’s been out of her life too long to think he has any say in how she chooses to live her life. He just wants her safe and happy.”

“Then he’d be none too happy with me now.”

“So, you love her too, I assume.”

“Why do you assume? Do I strike you as a man who falls in love easily?”

“With her, yes. It’s kind of obvious. You wouldn’t be this upset about her being married if you weren’t.”

Mike was right, of course, but Eli remained silent. Mike stood, stretching his old tired limbs, and then he looked down at Eli.

“I happen to like this gal for you. I think you need to forgive her.”

Eli said nothing as he stood, and then he walked Mike to the door.

When he was alone, he retreated to his master bath and sank into a deep tub of hot water with a beer sitting on the ledge. He wanted Fiona so much it hurt. He wanted to own her, and he didn’t want that to be a question between them. He wanted to know her, every ounce and every second of her past—good or bad, he wanted to understand it and then put it away. He wanted her to trust him, and he didn’t want this bullshit standing in the way of that. And more than anything else, he wanted to trust her too—enough to give her
his
past, and then, God willing, put it away as well.

He downed another beer before he finally collapsed onto his bed, and then he was out. He dreamed of those fucking words invading his brain. I. Love. You.

Chapter Thirty-One

“B
ack off, Chris.”

Fiona had told him four times already, but he wasn’t taking the hint. He was drunk, wallowing in self-pity. He and Kathy had a fight, and here Fiona was thinking she needed a drink too after being ignored for half a week. Eli had said nothing to her for days. He’d spent the vast majority of his time working in the shop rather than his office, and he was going out of his way to avoid her.

She’d catch him looking at her on occasion, but he’d look away quickly. His face was almost always sour and unhappy, and she was reminded very much of the first time she met the man. She couldn’t help but remember just how he coped with his own divorce, and she hoped like hell he wasn’t handling their break-up in the same way, not that he didn’t have every right to, seeing as he was a single man. She wasn’t even sure it could be called a break-up. It wasn’t like they were dating. They’d had a short, hot affair that had cost her a friendship with Jake and maybe her integrity too.

It was no secret at the shop that Eli had gone from liking her just fine, or in as much capacity as he was able, to pretending she didn’t exist overnight. Jake looked at her sadly every time he saw her, and he glared at Eli just as much, but she supposed she had to be glad at least he no longer hated her. It didn’t much matter though. She didn’t trust his intentions with her could ever be truly friendship alone and not something else, and she also didn’t trust that Jake didn’t resent the hell out of her—even if he obviously pitied her at the moment.

But Monday evening following the Christmas party when Eli still hadn’t decided she was human enough to warrant treating her like one, she was ready for a stiff drink with the guys. Mike had extended the invitation when she’d come downstairs to grab timecards, and the second she said yes, Jake perked up and offered her a small smile. It didn’t go unnoticed by Eli who was sitting beside Mike, and he first glared at Jake while shaking his head and then stared at Fiona.

Mike asked Eli if he wanted to go as well, and after glancing back at Jake, he nodded, and now, here she was trying to get a drink at the bar while Chris tried to grope her ass, whining on her shoulder about the cruelty of women. He was sloppy-ass drunk, near tears, yet he was still not managing to keep his hands to himself.

“Chris, I need to get back to the table.” She pushed past him with her beer in her hand, but he grabbed her hand, dropping his head dramatically to her shoulder as her beer sloshed on her wrist.

“No…I just…I just need to…Listen…” He couldn’t seem to form a complete sentence to save his life, and she was tired of his rambling half thoughts. She was also getting more nervous with every touch. She yanked her hand away that time and walked quickly back to the table.

Her place at the table was by Mike on one side and Jake on the end of the table. Eli was opposite her, next to the other end seat, and his attention followed her for half a second as she took her chair and wiped the beer from her wrist. His eyes narrowed when he saw Chris staggering back to the table from the bar, but he dismissed it quickly and started staring daggers at Jake as he struck up a conversation with her.

“What are you doing for Christmas?” Jake was leaning toward her as he spoke.

“Just staying here. Don’t really have any plans.”

“No family to visit?”

“Not this year.” The very thought of sitting in her loft over Christmas alone was depressing. She’d only spent a handful of holidays away from her family, and most had been the past couple years. She was ready to be done with that, and see her mom again. Sadly, even though she was done with her old life, she wasn’t free of it yet.

Eli was watching her as she spoke to Jake, but she didn’t guess it really mattered anymore. It didn’t mean she was interested in Jake in the least, and she couldn’t help but worry she was sending the wrong message. She was only trying to be nice, and nothing of what she was saying or doing was flirtatious. It didn’t mean Eli wouldn’t take it to be. She’d figured that out once already.

She spent thirty minutes making small talk, sitting rigidly in her place more nervous than she cared to admit. She was careful how she regarded Jake, she did her best to stay at least two feet away from Chris, and she tried, if at all possible, to keep Mike in her conversations. Eli never glared at him, and when Mike spoke to her, Eli would usually look at the table top, take a deep breath and relax. It was odd. It was as if Mike’s being kind to her, reminded Eli that she was human—even if only briefly.

When Eli walked over to the bar and the only female bartender started chatting him up, Fiona decided it was time to give herself a break and headed to the ladies room. Eli didn’t actually seem to be enjoying the attention, and he seemed more annoyed that the bartender’s flirting was making it take longer for him to get his beer, but it didn’t really matter. Her nice relaxing drink with the guys had become anything but relaxing.

She stared at herself in the bathroom mirror for a moment. She brushed some lip gloss over her lips and took a deep breath. This hurt entirely too much. She was an idiot to get involved with Eli, and more than that, she was a damn fucking lunatic to fall in love with him. He’d acted like her admission had been painful, and she was quite certain it was to him. He obviously shared none of the same feelings for her, and now here she was stuck working for the man, desperate to make him care about her, and at the same time, helpless to even get him to speak to her.

She was certain, however, that it was nothing a shot or two of tequila couldn’t help. So that became the objective. Tequila. And perhaps another beer. She blew out one last frustrated huff of breath before she pushed through the bathroom door and into the narrow corridor that led back out to the bar.

“Chris!” She’d run right into him, and he instantly clutched her up in his arms. He was a hulking large man, and she felt very nearly enveloped by his body as he pulled her into a completely unwelcome hug.

“Fiona…Fiona…Let me come home with you. I just want to talk, I swear. That’s all. Just…”

She pushed against his chest, but it did little good. She was practically smothered by the hard brick of muscles she was against.

“Please, let me go, Chris!”

His arms tightened, and he moaned and lowered his head to hers. She shrieked as her panic became all out terror. When his hands suddenly released their hold, the relief was short lived as she soon felt both hands clasp the side of her head as he pulled her mouth to his. His tongue assaulted her lips, pushing harshly past them and into her mouth. She started gagging, and he started moaning as though he were completely oblivious to her hands pushing at him and her throat gagging around his sloppy wet kiss. Instead of figuring out what any other person could have seen within half a second, he shoved her body up against the wall, continuing his assault. She was now pinned, pushing, and wriggling to get away as his tongue stifled her cries.

But it was all made infinitely worse when one large paw of a hand dropped down to her breast and started groping. His grip was painful and intense, and as her tears started to fall, his tongue continued to thrust. His hand pushed down below the neck of her shirt. His palm was under the fabric of her bra in an instant, and he moaned loudly into her mouth as he squeezed. When he pinched her nipple harshly, she was still trying to cry out in vain.

She pushed, she kicked, and she started screaming against his tongue as it moved like a snake around her mouth, but none of it meant a thing to him until she finally made contact with something that mattered. She brought her knee straight up into his groin as hard as she could, and he let out a God-awful groan as he finally gave her her first real breath of air. He was sucking in air as he braced himself with his hands on his knees. She was frozen against the wall, wanting desperately to dart past him and back to safety, but he was still blocking the way.

His groan turned to a growl, and as his head slowly came up, she saw rage in his expression. She whimpered, and her cries came out in a shuttering sob. He looked vicious, and the sight of his snarling lips alone ratcheted up her fear. When he lunged, she cocked her elbow back and threw it into his face. She thought she was aiming at his jaw, but she connected with his nose, feeling the crunch of the bones and cartilage as his head snapped sideways. All she was really doing was mimicking some kickass moves she’d seen on TV because she could think of nothing else to do. She never imagined it might actually work. She only imagined what would happen if she didn’t try.

When she pushed past him, she glanced down just to see blood gush out of his nose to the floor beneath him, and it wasn’t until she looked back up that she realized she was no longer alone with Chris. Eli was skidding to a stop in front of her in the entryway between the bar and the corridor, and Mike was close on his heels.

“Fiona!” He grabbed at her cheeks, tilting her face up to his and running his thumb over her lips. “What did he do to you?” Eli’s face was a furious snarl of anger, and his focus kept shifting behind her to Chris who sounded as though he was rousing from his blow. Her lips were sore and painful, and as he ran his thumb over her swollen lower lip, he winced, but then his eyes lit on Chris again. He released her face, brushing past her.

She turned, calling out to him, but as she moved to follow, Mike caught her by the elbow holding her back.

“No, Fiona.”

She watched as Eli yanked Chris upright by the collar as his blood splattered on the opposite wall. Eli slammed Chris to the wall behind him with his hand to Chris’s chest.

“What the fuck did you do to her?” Eli was seething, his focus glancing quickly out to the main room. It was clear he was trying not to attract attention, but it was an obvious struggle. His jaw was tense, his lips pulled back in a ferocious growling line, and his posture was ready to attack.

“Wha’d I do? That bitch…that bitch broke my fucking nose!” Chris was sputtering blood as he yelled, and there wasn’t an ounce of restraint. He didn’t give a shit if the entire bar witnessed this little charade. “Callin’ the cops. Fucking bitch…” He made to move toward the bar as Fiona started to panic, and then Eli slammed him back to the wall again.

“The fuck you will!” Eli roared that time, and then his eyes flashed out toward the bar again. Not attracting attention was going to be downright impossible. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” He punched the wall behind Chris’s shoulder, and then Chris was shoving past all of them and out into the bar in a rage, yelling along the way.

Eli stared at the wall where Chris had been, and then he looked over to her. She knew she looked terrified, and he released a huff of breath at the sight of her before glancing to Mike who was standing behind her shoulder. Chris was in the bar yelling about calling the cops, and she could almost hear the ticking of a time bomb inside her head. She was fucked.

“Fuck.” It seemed to be the only thing Eli could say at the moment. “Okay. Mike, you have to get her out of here.” He nodded as he looked at Mike. “Back door. Now.”

“Out of the bar or out of the city?”

“I’m sorry. City. The police are going to be looking for her. I need to stay and do some damage control. Fuck, Mike. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. I’ll call you when we stop. I assume you’re calling Sam?”

Eli nodded, and Mike led her down the corridor away from the bar, and as they approached Eli, he grabbed her arm. She turned peering up into his dark and terrifying eyes. She had no idea what to make of him at the moment. He still looked two seconds away from unleashing hell on something, and she didn’t know if that something might be her. When he reached for her mouth, running the pad of his thumb across her lower lip again, she relaxed. His brow flinched as he watched the path his thumb ran.

“Eli. Later.” Mike pulled her away from him, and she glanced back once just before she darted out the back door to the deserted alley.

Eli was watching her. His head was tilted to the side, and it was all sadness. She’d failed or maybe he thought he had, but whoever he blamed, the sadness of it was written on his face. He shook his head, and he turned back to face the music of her mistake.