Aislyn surged to her feet in panic, opening her mouth to voice the only explanation that made any sense before clamping her lips together. He would never believe his son could do such a thing, just as he’d always denied Heath’s drinking problem and his anger issues that had landed him on the wrong side of the law more than once in the two years she’d been here. Darren was a smart businessman, a wonderful employer and generous to a fault. His one flaw was the blind spot for his son’s destructive behavior. Watching him walk out without another word sent a wave of anxiety and trepidation through her. She could navigate a computer as well as anyone, but there was no way she could hack her way into those accounts without the passwords to retrieve the stolen money. Even if she could, she would still go to jail for the theft.
Tears blurred her vision as she gathered up her things, stuffing the papers Darren left into her purse as she wondered what to do, where to go or who to turn to for help. She stumbled out to her car, mentally going over her meager savings and dismissing the idea of getting a lawyer. She had tried to stay away from Heath once she realized what a jerk he was and witnessed Darren’s weakness in dealing with him, but the company was small and Heath enjoyed taunting her with snide remarks and rude innuendos whenever no one else was around. She loved her job and Darren, so she had ignored him the best she could. It helped to see Heath treated all of the employees with the same insolent disdain and disregard.
Thinking of the devil. Aislyn had been so immersed in her thoughts she didn’t hear Heath approaching until he clamped a hard hand on her arm and spun her around as she reached her car. A wave of white-hot anger ripped through her anguish and she lashed out with a wild swing of her arm, uncaring who might see them. The slap echoed in the air, the bright red imprint it left on his face as satisfying as the shock in his cold dark eyes.
“You bitch. If it wouldn’t draw too much attention down on me, I’d knock you on your ass for that.” With a bruising grip of her upper arms, he gave her a jarring shake. She gritted her teeth, refusing to back down. At this point, she figured she had nothing to lose by finally standing up to him.
“You’re nothing but a drunk bully, Heath. Darren deserves a better son than you. I’m not going down for your thievery.”
“Go ahead and believe that for as long as you can. As soon as I heard about the audit, I skimmed what I could and left the rest with a trail leading right to you.” Bending, he sneered, “You’re not as smart as you think you are and now it’s my turn to gloat.”
As fast as she’d struck, a pair of green eyes filled her vision, these a bright, enigmatic emerald filled with regret and concern. Gavin. A day hadn’t gone by in the last two years when she hadn’t thought of him at least once. Her heart stuttered, as always, but she ignored the ache to contemplate her options. Had he meant it when he had pressed the card with his family’s ranch location in her hand and insisted she contact him if she ever needed anything?
Aislyn spotted two miners walking their way, carrying their lunches. “Let go of me or I’ll call them over. Your father is the only one who refuses to see the truth about you.”
Heath dropped her arms and stepped back, pasting a false, insincere smile on his face. “As long as he does, I’m golden. Get a good lawyer, babe. You’re going to need one, and soon because I’m headed in to talk to Dad and put a few more nails in your coffin.”
The terror returned tenfold and by the time she made the thirty minute drive back into Boise and entered her apartment, numbness had invaded her body and she’d exhausted all but one option for saving herself. She hated running away, leaving the only place she had lived since leaving her foster parents’ house ten years ago, but what choice did she have? Her closest friend, Amanda, worked for the airlines and was on an overseas flight schedule until next week. Not that she would be able to offer anything except a sympathetic ear. Other than two ex-boyfriends she hadn’t heard from in months, there was no one else, no one who possessed the means or enough of a connection to her to offer a glimmer of hope of getting out of this mess. And thanks to Heath’s parting comment, she might not have the time Darren promised her, which meant she needed to act now.
She crossed the living room to the small desk in the corner and pulled open the middle drawer. There, right on top, was Gavin’s card. With no other choice she could think of, she shoved it into her purse and dashed into the bedroom to throw a few items into a bag. If she thought too long or too hard on her decision, she would back out, and then where would that leave her? He broke her heart but still made sure she could find him if she needed him. That had to mean something, friendship, if nothing else, and right now, she really could use a friend and a place to hide out until she figured a way out
