Dangerous Temptation

“She’s okay,” said Nathan offhandedly now, making a careless gesture. “She lives her own life. I live mine. We don’t see an awful lot of one another.”

Jake stared at him. “Are you kidding?”

“No.” Nathan looked resentful. “Anyway, that’s another story. D’you want a beer?”

Jake hesitated. “A beer would be fine,” he agreed, and his brother left the booth to go and get it. Jake had the feeling he was glad to put off admitting the reasons why he’d come to North Carolina. But unlike Nathan, he didn’t have time to waste.

Nathan came back with the two beers and took some time taking a drink before he got to the point. Even then, Jake had to prompt him, and Nathan scowled at his brother for a moment before starting to speak.

“I wanted to talk to you,” he said grudgingly. “It’s a long time since we talked with one another, man to man.” He hunched his shoulders. “How have you been? How’s the new apartment? Fletch said it overlooked the ocean, out at Pine Bay.”

“You didn’t come here to talk about me or my apartment,” said Jake quietly. “And I don’t know about you, but I’ve got work to do.”

“And you’d rather do that than talk to your own brother,” said Nathan peevishly. “It doesn’t occur to you that I might need your help.”

“And do you?”

“Damn right.” Nathan rested his forearms on the table. “Like I said, I need to talk to you. I just—don’t know where to begin.”

Jake’s nostrils flared. “Try the beginning,” he suggested drily, and Nathan pursed his mouth.

“I’m in trouble.” He expelled a heavy breath. “Deep trouble.” He gave an uneasy snort. “Hell, I’ll probably end up in jail, if I live that long.”

Jake looked disbelieving. “Who?” he said. “Who’s going to send you to jail?”

“A guy I know,” said Nathan in a low voice, his eyes dark with bitterness. “If I don’t do as he says, he’ll probably kill me.”

Jake frowned and backtracked. “Who is this guy?” he asked crisply, and Nathan shook his head.

“He’s someone I owe,” he said heavily. “I owe him and he has to be paid.” He took another drink of his beer. “One way or the other.”

“In blood?” Jake couldn’t keep the sardonic note out of his voice, and Nathan gazed at him with angry eyes.

“Oh, yes,” he said. “I knew you’d find it amusing. But it’s my life that’s on the line here. And there’s nothing amusing about it.”

Jake sobered. “You’re exaggerating.”

“Am I?” Nathan gazed at him with accusing eyes. “You may think you’re tough because you deal with criminals every day, but Carl Walker is a serious menace. He plays for keeps.”

“I don’t think I’m tough.” Jake defended himself mildly. Then, taking a reluctant swallow of his beer, “I take it you owe this Walker some money, am I right?”

“Haven’t I just said so?” Nathan’s tone was peevish. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. He says if I don’t do as he wants, he’ll tell Cat’s father, Webster, what’s been going on.”

Jake was growing impatient in spite of himself. “For Christ’s sake, Nate, stop talking in clichés. Get a hold of yourself. And why are you short of money? You married a rich woman. Or was that an exaggeration, as well?”

“No!” Nathan was indignant. “She was. She is. Her father is anyway. But I can’t ask her for money. I can’t tell her what I’ve done. Don’t you understand, that’s why Walker’s got me by the balls. If Cat ever found out about—well, the situation, our marriage would be over.”

“And that matters to you?”

“Of course it matters to me.” Nathan gave him a resentful look. And then, his expression becoming wary. “What the hell do you mean?”

“I mean, you said you and your wife lived separate lives,” Jake reminded him quietly. “It was an innocent question. Do you love your wife, or don’t you?”

“What does it matter whether I love my wife or not?” Nathan sounded incredulous. “For Christ’s sake, Jake, what’s this with the hearts and flowers? I tell you my skin is on the line, and you ask me if I love my wife!”

“I just wondered what we’re supposed to be protecting here,” remarked Jake idly. “Your marriage—or her money.”

Nathan started to speak and then seemed to think better of it. Or perhaps he realised he was in danger of incriminating himself still further. There was silence for a while as he searched for answers in his beer. Then, lifting his eyes, he said passionately, “Of course I love her, dammit. Why do you think I’m here?”

“I thought you were here because this man, Walker, is after your ass,” Jake said flatly. “What has Caitlin got to do with it?”

Nathan hesitated. “It’s me he’s after. I’m not denying that. But don’t think Cat’ll be safe if I don’t do what he says.”

Jake sighed. “You still haven’t told me what he wants you to do,” he pointed out in exasperation. “You say you owe him money. So—what kind of money are we talking about?”

Nathan hesitated. “Half a million—give or take.”

“Dollars?”

Nathan grimaced. “Pounds.”

“Pounds?” Jake whistled. “You owe this guy half a million pounds? For God’s sake, Nate, what have you been buying? Coke?”

Nathan started at his brother’s words, and the line of red crept slowly up his cheeks. But when he spoke, his answer was resentful. “I don’t do drugs,” he retorted. “What do you take me for? I’d have thought one dopehead in the family was enough.”

Jake coloured now. He could feel the heat in his face, feel it deepening his tan. It was typical of Nathan to throw that at him, typical of him to use any weapon when he was in a corner.

“If you want my help, you’ll have to do better than that,” he said at last, and even Nathan had the grace to look ashamed.

“Just don’t bug me, Jake,” he muttered, swallowing a mouthful of his beer. “We’re neither of us perfect. We take after our old man.”

Wasn’t that the truth?

“Okay.” Jake heaved a sigh. “So, how come you owe this guy half a million?”

“Well…” Nathan expelled his breath noisily. “Look, Jake, are you going to help me or not? I need to know if I’m wasting my time.”

“I don’t know what you want yet,” Jake declared evenly. “It sounds like you’ve been embezzling money from the company. I guess that might explain why you can’t ask Caitlin for help.”

His brother’s expression was almost comic. Or it would have been if it hadn’t been so serious. “How the hell did you find out?” he demanded jerkily. “Are you psychic or something? How long have you known? Have you told the old man?”

Jake blinked, too stunned for a moment to work out what he meant. “What old man?” he asked blankly, and Nathan gazed at him with suspicious eyes.

“My old man—our old man,” he exclaimed irritably, and Jake suspected his brother had had more to drink than just a few beers. How the hell could he have told their father anything? He hadn’t known there was anything to tell.

“I haven’t told Jacob Wolfe a thing,” Jake assured him flatly. “How could I? I still don’t know what’s going on.” He took a steadying breath. “For Christ’s sake, Nate, what have you done?”

Nathan’s hand was gripping his beer so tightly, Jake was amazed the bottle didn’t shatter. “I’m trying to tell you, aren’t I?” he snarled. “It’s all that old man’s fault. He should be dead!”