His Hush-Hush Baby - Holly Rayner Page 0,51

a big risk telling Damian about hiring RJ, but the man was one of his closest friends. He trusted that he wouldn’t turn him in.

Damian whistled lowly when the whole story was over. “Wow, Kai…that’s quite a story.”

“Tell me about it.” Kai pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m this close to going up to Brie right now and letting her have it.”

“Don’t do that. You need to let the authorities take care of that.”

“And then there’s the whole fact that I only know this about her because I hired a hacker.”

“Yeah, that’s not good.” Damian grunted. “That can be worked around though, you know? One way or another. She committed a much greater evil.”

“I agree.”

“Plus,” Damian added, “I know you have some connections in the supreme court.”

“It’s not right to pull strings like that.”

“Screw what’s right. We’re talking self-preservation here.”

“This coming from a federal agent,” Kai pointed out.

“Have you talked to Diane?”

“No.” Kai realized how dumb he was being. “Oh my God.”

“What?” There was a sharpness to Damian’s voice.

“She and Brie are close. That must be where Diane heard about the emails.”

“Brie told Diane,” Damian said slowly. “Do you think she told anyone else?”

“I don’t know.” Kai jumped to standing. “People at Weiss Enterprises? I don’t know. It’s not like I heard anything.”

“Brie could be using Diane as a tool. A way to take you down from the inside.”

“I have to get over there.”

Kai was already rushing for the front door. Forget waiting until everything was tied up in a neat little bow to approach Diane. She was the love of his life. She was carrying his baby. And she was a victim of something dark.

He wasn’t going to let another minute go by without her.

Chapter 23

Diane

“Bye, Mom.” Diane squeezed Ruby tight in the doorway of the apartment. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning, and we’ll go shopping for those baby clothes.”

Ruby blinked rapidly as Diane let her go. She seemed to have forgotten not only all about the baby but about her request that they go shopping together immediately.

“The baby Diane is having,” Trevor reminded her. “You’re going to be a grandma.”

“Oh!” Ruby clapped her hands together. “Yes, of course. The baby! I can’t wait.”

After another round of goodbyes, her parents left and Diane was alone once more. Closing the door, she went into her bedroom to get dressed.

She had a mural job in a cupcake shop to get to, and it was only about five blocks away, which was nice. Any job that didn’t mean waking up at five thirty and taking two or three trains to get to was a blessing.

After putting on some work jeans—that were getting a little tight—and a shirt, she ran a comb through her hair and brushed her teeth. From the living room, her cell phone blared.

Putting the toothbrush back in its holder, she went to look at the screen.

The sight of Kai’s name made her freeze.

Her fingers itched the slightest bit. She wanted to pick the phone up and just hear what he had to say.

That would be a terrible idea, though. Since she’d flung those accusations at him the other day, his need to get in touch had become more than personal. If he wanted to talk about the stocks, she had no interest.

Silencing the phone, she went to make herself some breakfast. It wasn’t long, however, before there was another interruption, this time in the form of someone buzzing the door.

“Diane,” Brie called through the box. “It’s important!”

Diane hit the button and opened the apartment door.

“I have to leave for work in fifteen minutes,” she said as her friend appeared at the top of the stairs.

Brie was breathless, like she’d run her way there. “I’ll make this quick, then.”

“What’s going on?” Diane stepped aside so she could enter. “Are you okay? You look spooked.”

“Yeah. I am.” Brie leaned against the back of the couch and wrung her hands. “I went to the office, and Kai hasn’t shown up.”

Diane looked for her phone to check the time. Even before she picked it up from the coffee table, she knew Kai had to be at least an hour or two late for work. He always did early mornings.

“Why?” she asked Brie.

“I don’t know, and that’s what’s freaking me out. Did you tell him what we talked about?”

“No. God, no. I haven’t seen him at all since I left there the other day. He did just call, though. I didn’t answer.” Diane folded her arms, feeling like she could really use