She sighed and carried her coffee to the porch. Everything important always seemed to happen on a front porch. She waited until he settled in the chair next to her. Even on a day like today when she was about to bare her soul, the man looked good. One thing about a cowboy; their jeans always fit perfectly.
"You know how I switched jobs from the bank here in Manitou to the one in Denver."
He nodded. "Right. I hated you making that commute."
"Randall was my boss. He was the president overall, and specifically my manager in the accounting department." She sucked in a breath. "Everything was fine until he asked me out. Several times. He didn't like being told no, but I didn't realize just how much he hated it. We were already engaged, and after about a month of his bullshit, I was about to quit and just go back to work here. The money wasn't worth the hassle."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
She could see the anger rising and pointed at him. "Because of that, right there. I knew you'd want to confront him, but I needed to stay on the best terms that I could so I could transfer back." She gestured with her hands. "Besides, I didn't realize how bad the situation was and by the time I did, it was too late."
He waited and didn't say anything.
"Randall had me working on a project, a type that I'd never done before. I wasn't completely sure of what I was doing, and he was the one training me. It was a huge investment account, and I figured that the experience would get me brownie points back here. What I didn't realize is that Randall was running a huge money laundering scheme through the bank, and I was going right along with him helping him get it done." She sighed. "He may have been using my computer when I wasn't there, I don't know. Anyhow, by the time I finally questioned it, I was in deep as an accomplice even though I had no idea."
"So, he blackmailed you."
"Partially, yes. But he was also stealing money from the laundering part, skimming off the top, and the account was some big organized crime syndicate. When they started asking questions about missing amounts, he made it look like it was all me, the horrible, greedy, sticky-fingered accountant. I turned into this huge thief, but Randall made a deal with whoever that he would take care of me and make it right. I don't know what happened after that with that account, because we suddenly moved to New York City and I didn't work anymore."
"But, Val, why did you go with him?"
"I had to disappear, don't you see? I had two choices. Blow the whistle and end up in prison because Randall was a master at covering his tracks, and since he'd been purposely framing me, he was extra diligent in making me guilty, and he was going to let the syndicate destroy everything and everyone that I had ever loved while I was locked up, or I could marry him and he'd make sure that my friends and family were safe."
Tyson rocked in the chair, and she waited to see what his reaction was going to be. "This guy is a real piece of work."
Tears rolled down her cheeks. "I didn't know what to do. I know you dragons can take care of yourselves, but my parents were still alive then. I had friends. Randall threatened everyone."
"How is it that he's not here yet?"
She paused. "He didn't know all the specifics about my life. He's not from here, so while he knew I had a boyfriend, he had no idea who. When I first met him, something sent up a red flag so I was careful about giving away too much information."
"What happened after you married him?" The expression on his face told her how hard it was for him to ask the question.
"Things were okay. I got pregnant with Londyn about a year later." She sucked in a deep breath. "I missed you so much. Every day I was with Randall I felt like I was dying inside. But when he finally laid his cards on the table and I realized how much trouble I was in, I had to break from you cold turkey to keep you hidden."
"You could have come to me." His words were quiet and sad. "We could have worked it out."
"I'd have been in prison before we finished the conversation." She shrugged. "That much I'm positive of."
"What else?"
"He took a lot of trips. He was really tight with his brothers, but none of them ever seemed to even try to get along with me. It was like I was the queen of the castle while being the outcast imprisoned." She cleared her throat. "Other than the two kids, we didn't even really have much of a... you know..."
"Sex life?"
"Never any intimacy." She groaned. "I can't even believe I'm telling you this. We never had a normal relationship. I was more like a possession than a wife. He conquered me and that was good enough for him. You know the story of his relationship with the kids."
"Has he always kept Mitchell from you? Which, by the way, still blows me away that you named him after me."
"Randall didn't care much about details like that so I went with it. He took Mitchell because he suspected that I found the books that I needed to prove my innocence so I could get out from under him once and for all. Mitchell was his wild card, and he holed him up at his parents' fortress of a house so I couldn't get in."
"You know I could get him in about thirty seconds." Tyson wasn't bragging; he was simply stating a fact.
"I know you could, but it would never end. Randall would never give me a moment's peace."
Tyson frowned. "But if you have the books to prove your innocence, wouldn't that be the same proof to convict him?"
"That's the funny thing. I don't have them. I found them and knew what they were. But I got caught skimming off his accounts before I could grab them." She held up her hands. "I was penniless, and he taught me how to do it. I found the books and knew that was my answer for freedom. But I also know that if I didn't get the money I needed first, I wouldn't have the opportunity to do it after he noticed the books were gone."
