Page 29 of Allie's Shelter
“Sorry,” he said, jerking his hand back. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”
“It’s okay.” She set the half-eaten apple on the table. “I don’t know what to think anymore.” Tears stung her eyes and she looked at the ceiling, blinking rapidly to clear them away. “None of this makes sense anymore.”
He rounded the table to sit at the opposite end of the window seat. She couldn’t help but notice the way the worn denim stretched over his muscled thigh or the scant inches separating his knee from hers.
“Eva got a hit on the fingerprint from the guy who invaded your aunt’s house.”
Allie looked around, but Eva hadn’t joined them.
Ross said, “I sent her on to the next thing on the list.”
“Oh.” Wouldn’t it be nice if she could fully appreciate that they were alone again? She cleared her throat and mentally swept her fantasy of a romantic reunion aside. “Does that mean you know who tried to shoot me?” Ross nodded, but he wouldn’t meet her gaze. “What is it?” She reached out, then snatched her hand back.
“The shooter was a mid-level gang-banger from the Washington, D.C. area.”
“How could I have incurred the wrath of anyone in a gang? I don’t know anyone like that.”
Ross’s mouth hitched up at the corner in a wry grin. “Didn’t think so, sweetheart. But it worries me.”
She could see that. Though his face didn’t give away much, she noticed the faint signs of frustration that mirrored the turmoil she felt. “Who would hire someone to kill me?”
“I wish you’d tell me.” Ross met her gaze and she almost winced. “My hands are tied here, Allie, until you let me in.”
His voice, rough and low, sent a tremor through her. He wanted information, but his words, his phrasing, and mostly his intensity made her want something else entirely different.
“Hear me out?”
Ross nodded.
“The report about me that crossed your desk?” She braced herself. “It was accurate. I did steal sensitive information, specifically the cost analysis on a new drug, that proves my company—my former company—was going to market the drug despite harmful side effects. Apparently the negative reaction is similar enough that it can be blamed on other drugs or complications with the illness it’s meant to treat. By the time the lawsuits hit, the financial impact will be minimal.”
“Roberts knew about the problem?”
“He wrote the cost analysis.”
“Holy crap.”
She swallowed and blinked back more tears. “I didn’t steal the money and I swear I’ve had nothing to do with most of those bogus transactions.”
“Most?”
“I did send a chunk from that offshore account he opened in my name to make a charitable donation to a research fund.”
“Maybe that’s why he raided the charity account.”
“After he died?” She turned away from the window and started spinning the apple by its stem.
“Who else knew about Roberts approving the drug?”
“Everyone in the company. This new product would’ve been huge, Ross. It was supposed to be a boon for the public. We were all buzzing with excitement over the launch.”
“So everyone with a vested interest in the bottom line had a motive here.”
Allie nodded. “Welcome to my world. It’s why I don’t know where to turn. When I approached the CEO, it became clear he didn’t want to hear anything remotely negative about Roberts or the drug. He assured me I was doing a fine job in my area and to stay focused on continuing my positive public relations efforts.”
“When did you meet with him?”
“Two days before I ran away.” For all the good it did. “When I went out for lunch that day I thought I was being followed. The next morning, I found myself with a flat tire and I had to wait for service. Called myself a paranoid drama queen, among other things, thinking someone was trying to keep me out of the office.”