Dance With Me - By Hayden Braeburn Page 0,39
are,” he countered. He leaned across the table. “Your father chose me to represent you because he knew I could win for you, regardless of the despicable things you insist on confessing to every cop you lay eyes on. Hate me all you want, but you will cooperate.”
She glared at him, her lips a thin line, her fists clenched. “Fine. You win.”
“Exactly.”
~*~
“How much longer do I have to stay in this horrible place?” Dylan asked Caleb.
“You were just shot twice, Superman. You're gonna have to give it a little time.”
“I'm fine.”
Caleb shook his head. “You are not fine.” At Dylan's disbelieving face he said, “Look, I'm the doctor here, and I say you need to stay at least another few days. We have to insure you don't develop an infection and you're healing well.”
“I know you're a doctor, but I've done this before. I know I'm well enough to go home.”
“No, you're not.” He studied his patient for a moment, sure there was another reason for the skittishness more than just boredom. “You're scared of my sister.”
“What? No. Why would I be scared of Cassidy?”
“She's taken you into her care, decided she will nurse you back to health. You don't want her to see you less than whole.”
Dylan knitted his brows. “You sure you're not a shrink?”
Caleb laughed. “MD all the way here, but you learn things in trauma.”
“It's not like I don't appreciate what she's doing,” Dylan started.
“But you're interested in more than the Florence Nightingale routine?” Caleb finished, smothering a chuckle when the larger man's golden eyes widened .
“She's your sister.” He swallowed. “I don't know how to answer that, exactly.”
Caleb grinned, a dimple showing in his left cheek. “Between you and me, Cass needs more than a project, she needs a man.”
Dylan tilted his head. He wasn't sure where Caleb was headed with this. “Okay.”
“You're a man, you're not a project.”
“Agreed.”
“So, be a man. Let her take you home, and then stay there.”
“Are you offering me your sister?”
“If you're worthy, then yes. You've already saved my brother, now, save my sister.”
“You don't ask for much, do ya?”
“Not at all.”
~*~
Brandon paced his office. He should have planned this better. Then he would have Prissy's fingerprints on the coke and call it a day. Now he had to figure out how to pin his crime on her instead of Katerina. He had been playing the system his own way for so many years right under Cavindish's nose, it was a game. What could he get away with next? Who would pay him for information, or to make things go away? He laughed. He could make this work. Prissy was this close to being wrapped in a straightjacket; even if she screamed his name from the rooftops, no one would believe her.
He pulled the blueprint of Dance With Me from a book on his shelf. Prissy's home and office had already been searched and cataloged, so he had to figure out where he would “find” this little gem. The blueprint detailed how to get into the studio from the adjacent fabric store, which closed in 2010 and was all to easy to breach. If he were honest, which admittedly he rarely was, he would say Priscilla planned the set-up, all he had to do was provide the coke and plant it in the ceiling. The coke had been the hardest part—he'd had to call in a favor from Sheridan PD and pretend he had an investigation that required he be granted access to evidence. There was so much cocaine up there it would hardly be noticed, and it had done the job beautifully. He drummed his fingers against his thigh. Now he had to tie everything up in a perfect little bow to present to the Commonwealth's Attorney's office. A slow smile spread on his lips. He had the perfect plan.
~*~
“Is this really a good idea?” Kat asked as she watched Mason slide an onyx cufflink through his ivory shirt cuff. “I'm sure you don't have to go in today. You're still heal—”
“I have to go,” he interrupted. Seeing the hurt look on her face, he reasoned, “If I don't go today, then I just go tomorrow, or the next day. The end result is the same, babe. I have to go eventually, so why not today?”
“Because you left the hospital against doctor's orders two days ago after being abducted?” she snapped. “Just take another day. Or two.”
“If I'm scared of my office, she wins.”
Her eyes widened. “Not at all.