Page 2 of Corrupted Lies

Kids had always thought they were going to wind up a couple too.

But it had never happened, never would happen. They were best friends, and he had no intention of messing that up.

Because they were best friends, he couldn’t lie to her when she asked point blank. “No, sunshine, I'm not safe. No one in my family is.”

Fear filled her eyes. Although Alannah had a family, she’d been virtually no contact with them for years given the way they continued to treat her, and although she had plenty of friends, and was more often than not dating someone, he was the closest person in her life, and he knew he probably should have clued her in on what was going on.

Raking his fingers through his hair, he nodded to the stairs at the side of the large open space. “Can we go talk in your office?”

It was time to tell his best friend what was going on. Jake realized this was exactly what he’d needed. While it had felt selfish to take a little time to himself, everyone else was safe andbeing watched. Cooper had Willow, Cole had Susanna, Connor had Becca, and now that he’d gotten his head on straight, Cade finally had both his five-year-old daughter, Esther, and the former nanny Gabriella.

This was whatheneeded.

“Of course we can,” Alannah readily agreed.

Without another word, they packed away the weights they’d been lifting and headed for the stairs. Alannah’s gym was broken down into multiple floors. Top floor was a men’s only space, then came a women’s only space, the unisex space they’d been using, then a seniors space, a teen space, a kid’s space, then the ground floor was used for classes, and the basement was office, storage, and a childcare area.

Since he knew this place like the back of his hand, had encouraged her to follow her passion and start the gym, Jake led the way down the several flights of stairs and past the playroom where there were a handful of toddlers building with blocks and banging on some instruments while the carer sat on the floor playing with them, down a hall, and into Alannah's office.

“I’m really worried about you, Jake,” she told him as soon as he closed the door behind them.

Like it always did when he was in Alannah's space, whether it be there or at her apartment, Jake felt peace and calm flood into his soul as he settled beside her on the couch. No wonder he’d caved and said yes today when she called and asked if he wanted to do a workout session with her. His body and his mind knew what he needed, and it was a couple of hours recharging his batteries with his best friend.

“I didn't keep any of this from you to hurt you or shut you out, but these people are targeting anyone they even suspect of being connected to us,” he told her.

“What people?” Alannah asked. “Did you get a lead on the men who had your dad’s team killed and then set him and yourstepmom up to take the fall? Last I heard, Cooper was going to Egypt to try to get answers from some Egyptologist, but when I asked you about it after the news broke that he’d died, you told me it was nothing.”

Of course, he didn't miss the tiny thread of hurt in her voice even though he was sure everyone else would have.

Before he could open his mouth to assure her once again that he hadn't shut her out on purpose, he smelled something that had the hairs on the back of his neck standing up.

Smoke.

October 13th

1:01 P.M.

Alannah Johansen was about to open her mouth to ask Jake what was going on with his family and why he kept talking about danger and not wanting to get her involved, when she froze.

Was that …?

Startled, her gaze snapped from Jake to the door to her office, which they’d walked through no more than two minutes ago, and then back to Jake again.

“Do you smell?—?”

“Smoke?” he inserted, saying exactly what she’d been about to.

Both jumped up off the small couch in her office where she’d spent more than the occasional night sleeping when she’d first been starting up her gym. It had taken a lot of time, a whole lot of hard work, and every cent of the inheritance she’d gotten from her grandparents.

Which she’d had to fight to maintain after her parents tried to have it taken away from her and given to her sister instead.

But that was not what she should be thinking about right now.

Smoke.

They’d both smelled smoke coming from the other side of the door, only when they’d walked through the area to get to her office, there had been no indication of a fire or anyone about to start one.

What the heck was going on?

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