Dangerous Tenderness

Chapter two

By five o’clock, Isadora had discovered that the filing system at Grave Industries was less of a system and more of a crime scene.

She stared at the stacks of documents covering her desk.

Contracts were mixed with invoices. Confidential letters had been filed beneath financial reports. Several folders were missing, while others had been duplicated for reasons known only to whoever had organized the mess.

Isadora rubbed her forehead.

She had been working for nearly four hours.

Her eyes were beginning to ache, but she refused to give up.

If Lucien Grave wanted to test her, she would give him a reason to regret underestimating her.

She pulled another folder toward herself.

"Legal," she muttered.

Another.

"Accounting."

Another.

"Human resources."

She paused.

"This one doesn't even have a department."

She turned the folder over.

Nothing.

No label.

No name.

No date.

Only a thin black line across the front.

Isadora frowned and placed it aside.

A few minutes later, she heard footsteps.

Quiet ones.

Almost too quiet.

She continued sorting.

"Who worked here before me?"

"Three people."

Isadora nearly jumped.

She spun around.

Lucien stood behind her.

His suit jacket was gone, leaving him in a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled neatly to his forearms. His dark hair was slightly disheveled, but his expression remained calm and unreadable.

Isadora placed a hand against her chest.

"Do you make a habit of appearing without making a sound?"

"Do you make a habit of talking to yourself?"

"I was thinking aloud."

"So was I."

She stared at him.

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then the corner of his mouth shifted.

It wasn't quite a smile.

It disappeared almost immediately.

Lucien picked up a folder from her desk.

"This belongs in legal."

"I know."

He picked up another.

"Accounting."

"I know."

Then he picked up the folder with the black line.

"This belongs in my office."

Isadora looked at him.

"Then why haven't you taken it?"

His pale gray eyes met hers.

"I wanted to see if you'd notice."

Her eyebrows rose.

"Are you testing me?"

"Constantly."

He walked away.

Isadora watched him disappear behind the glass doors of his office.

She shook her head.

"Ridiculous man."

She returned to work.

By six-thirty, the main filing cabinets were finally organized.

Isadora leaned back and allowed herself a small smile.

Maybe she could actually do this.

Maybe this job could become more than a desperate attempt to pay the bills.

Her phone buzzed.

She looked at the screen.

Mum: Are you coming home soon?

She quickly replied.

Isadora: Soon. Just finishing something.

Another message appeared.

Mum: Don't stay too late.

Isadora smiled faintly.

Then she looked toward the windows.

Rain poured against the glass, turning the lights of Veylora into blurred golden streaks.

The office had become almost completely silent.

Most of the employees had gone home.

She glanced at the clock.

6:37 p.m.

She should leave.

Instead, her eyes returned to the filing cabinet.

The bottom drawer was slightly open.

She frowned.

She was certain she'd closed it earlier.

Slowly, she pulled it open.

Old contracts.

Financial reports.

Nothing unusual.

Then she noticed something tucked behind the other files.

A thin black folder.

The same black line was drawn across the front.

Isadora pulled it free.

Her heart began beating faster.

She opened it.

The first page made her freeze.

EDWARD BLAKE — CONFIDENTIAL

Her father's name.

Isadora stared at it.

Edward Blake.

The man who had disappeared two years ago.

The man whose disappearance had destroyed her family.

Why was his file inside Lucien Grave's office?

She looked toward Lucien's glass doors.

Empty.

Her fingers moved toward the next page.

Before she could read it, a voice came from behind her.

"Put it back."

She spun around.

Lucien stood several feet away.

His expression had completely changed.

"What is this?"

"Put it back."

"My father's name is on it."

"I know."

The answer stunned her.

"You knew?"

Lucien said nothing.

Isadora stepped closer.

"You knew my father?"

His jaw tightened.

"That's not what I said."

"It's what you implied."

"Isadora."

She stopped.

There was something different in his voice.

Not anger.

Concern.

She pushed the thought away.

"Why is my father's file here?"

"Your father had business with this company."

"My father never told me about Grave Industries."

"Your father didn't tell you a lot of things."

The words hurt.

"What does that mean?"

Lucien looked at her.

"It means you should be careful about what you think you know about him."

"My father disappeared."

"I know."

"My family lost everything."

"I know."

"My mother spent two years trying to find out what happened."

"I know."

Isadora's voice sharpened.

"How do you know all of that?"

Lucien was silent.

Then he said quietly,

"Because I was there."

Isadora's breath caught.

"What?"

"I knew your father."

"How?"

He didn't answer.

"Did you work with him?"

Silence.

"Were you friends?"

Nothing.

"Did you have something to do with his disappearance?"

Lucien's expression hardened.

"No."

The answer came too quickly.

Isadora studied him.

"Then tell me what happened."

"I can't."

"Can't?"

"Not yet."

Her eyes narrowed.

"That's not good enough."

"I know."

He reached for the folder.

She didn't immediately let go.

For a moment, they stood there, holding opposite ends.

Lucien's voice softened.

"You don't understand what you're looking for."

"Then explain it to me."

"I am trying to."

"No. You're trying to keep me away from it."

His eyes darkened.

"Because some things are dangerous."

"So is ignorance."

He paused.

Then he gently took the folder from her hands.

"Go home."

"No."

"Isadora."

"I'm not leaving until you tell me something."

Lucien stared at her.

Then he said quietly,

"Your father was involved in something much bigger than his company."

Her stomach tightened.

"What?"

"I can't tell you more."

"Why?"

"Because I don't know who is watching."

Isadora's anger faded.

"What do you mean?"

"People have been asking questions about you."

"Who?"

"I don't know."

"Then how do you know?"

"Because they asked me first."

Silence filled the room.

"What did they ask?"

Lucien's expression became unreadable.

"They wanted to know whether you knew anything about your father's disappearance."

"I don't."

"I know."

"How?"

"Because if you knew, you wouldn't have taken this job."

Before Isadora could answer, her phone vibrated.

She looked down.

Unknown Number

A message appeared.

You shouldn't have taken that job.

Her fingers went cold.

Another message appeared.

You have no idea who you're working for.

She slowly looked up.

Lucien was watching her.

"Who is it?"

She didn't answer.

A third message appeared.

Ask Lucien what happened the night your father disappeared.

Isadora raised her eyes.

Lucien's face had gone completely still.

He had seen the message.

"What happened that night?" she whispered.

Lucien looked toward the rain-covered windows.

Then back at her.

"Go home, Isadora."

"Why?"

"Because someone wants you to know they're watching."

She stared at him.

For the first time, she couldn't tell what frightened her more.

That Lucien Grave was hiding something from her—

or that he might be the only person who knew what had happened to her father.

She picked up her coat.

Before she reached the elevator, Lucien spoke.

"Isadora."

She stopped.

"Don't take the train tonight."

She turned.

"Why?"

His voice was quiet.

"Because I don't think the person who sent that message wants you to make it home."

The elevator doors opened.

Isadora stood frozen.

Behind her, Lucien remained by the window, watching the rain.

The doors slowly closed.

And somewhere inside Grave Industries, a phone began to ring.