Free Byron-4 by Kathi S. Barton Page B

both knew that was what he was doing. He was a smart man, much smarter than she had given him credit for. Ronnie was sweeter at her demands, but no less effective.
    “I never wanted to get either of you involved, you know. I just wanted to get some information so that I could figure this out on my own. I’m terrified and you’re not helping. The sooner you back the fuck off me; I’ll be able to think.” He smiled. Damned Grant men. Why did they have to be so friggin’ sexy when they did that? She could see a bit of Jamie in Devin’s smile and even a little of Byron there.
    She wasn’t going to think of either man; she so didn’t want to cry again.
    “No, you didn’t. But we are involved now. And tomorrow morning, I’m going to give you a contract dated for yesterday that says that we are now representing you. You need us. Now quit stalling and tell me the whole story.” Glaring didn’t faze him either, she realized.
    “On Thanksgiving, I was inputting some checks when I realized I had put in the same amount several times. I did a ‘find’ on the sheet and found the same dollar amount more times than I thought was a coincidence. I pulled the account numbers of those deposits then pulled the corresponding files. That’s when I saw that they were dead.”
    “How many times and the names on the files?” he asked without looking up. This was the tricky part, she thought; now she found out how much trouble she was in.
    “I have...would you like to see them?” Ronnie and Devin exchanged looks and Taylor stood to leave. “I knew this was wrong. When the Freedoms told me to put the payments in the ledger, I should have just done it and kept my mouth shut. But, oh no, not Taylor Bennett. She had to just dig deeper until she uncovered more problems than her ass could cover. Which you would think would be an ample amount being as my—
    ” Ronnie’s laughter had her stop. Taylor wasn’t even aware she had been speaking out loud.
    ~~~
    “You work for the Freedom brothers? Well, that explains a lot. I don’t suppose you have it in writing that they gave you permission to update the accounts, do you?” Ronnie asked with a smile.
    “Yes. I seldom see them and they are always leaving...you still want to help me? I don’t understand. I thought that once you found out that I was using my own computer and keeping copies, you’d just wash your hands of me.”
    “No, we’d never...wait; did you say you’ve been using your own computer? Do they know this too?” Devin said as he walked over to the bassinet with his daughter in it.
    Taylor had little experience with kids. She had been an only child and when her parents were killed when she was seven, she had gone to live with her maiden aunt.
    Taylor had never even held a kid.
    “Well, sure. When the one they gave me died, I emailed them to let them know and asked them until I got a replacement, would it be all right if I used mine? Jason Freedom said yes and then I heard from Paul a few days later saying it was okay with him too. But that was four months ago and I’ve still not seen a replacement. So every day, I drag mine on the bus to work and then home again.” He was smiling. Not a good one either, but one that made her think of a beast just realizing his prey was within his grasp.
    “Taylor, I think I could fall in love with you. You have those emails, don’t you?” She nodded. “Good girl, let’s see what you have.”
    The head nurse came in at three to run her off. She packed up her things to leave immediately. Ronnie had been asleep since Taylor had pulled out her laptop. Devin was scribbling notes and looking over the copies of the files she had made the first day. She was nearly to the door when she realized he was right behind her.

    “Come on, I’ll take you home. It’s too late for you to be out on the streets alone. If anything happened to you, Ronnie would kill me.”
    “No, that’s all right, I can just take a bus. There’s a hotel