Page 53 of The Murder Club

“Why not? It’s time to put this unfortunate incident behind us.”

“Being accused of murder isn’t an unfortunate incident. And I’m not about to forget how easily I was thrown under the bus after dedicating myself to this place for nearly a decade.” She tilted her chin an inch higher. “And honestly, I haven’t decided if I’ll be back at all.”

Silence greeted her warning. A heavy silence that pulsed with disbelief. The Donaldsons’ obviously expected her to leap at the opportunity to return to her old job even after they’d treated her like trash.

“Is this about money?” Logan abruptly demanded. “Do you expect a raise?”

“Absolutely not,” Lorene protested.

Bailey sent the older woman a cold smile. “I will certainly expect a raise if I return, but that won’t be the deciding factor.”

“What do you want?” Logan demanded.

Bailey turned toward the door. She didn’t know what she’d expected to happen. Embarrassment at being caught outright lying to her? Guilt for allowing Gage to harass her with ugly accusations? Admitting they’d been wrong to suspend her? Whatever she’d hoped for, it was obvious she was never going to get it. Not from the Donaldsons.

“What I want is respect.” She paused at the door to give the two one last glare. She was never going to work for either of them again. “Something you’d never understand.”

Chapter 11

Dom ignored the icy breeze as he leaned against the side of the Land Rover and waited for Bailey to return. Logically, he knew that she wasn’t in physical danger. Not that something bad couldn’t happen, but it was extremely unlikely in such a public setting in the middle of the day. But he was worried about her emotional well-being.

He’d seen the devastation in her eyes when she feared that people might believe she’d coerced an old woman into handing over her money. And the shame of being suspended from the job she loved. He very much wanted to have a word with the Donaldsons.

Only the fact that she’d specifically requested to speak with them alone kept him where he was. This was her fight. And the only way to purge her anger was to confront them face-to-face.

Thankfully, his nerves weren’t tested beyond the limit of endurance. Less than a half hour after they’d pulled into the parking lot, Bailey was storming out the front door, her face flushed with an intense emotion.

He was guessing it was anger.

Shoving himself away from the SUV, he reached out to grasp her hand. Her skin was chilly despite the fact that she’d been inside.

“Is everything okay?” he demanded, then he grimaced. “Sorry, I’m asking that a lot.”

“I’m fine.” Her voice was low, as if she was struggling to keep it steady. “And really, I think I needed that meeting. It opened my eyes.”

He studied her upturned face, trying to judge whether she was fine or not. “Is that a good thing?”

“Hopefully. If nothing else, it forced me to realize that I’ve accepted being used and taken for granted for the sake of comfort.”

“I assume you’re talking about the Donaldsons?”

She nodded. “I love the residents, I truly do, but I’ve stayed here because I was too scared to take the risk of trying something new.”

“A new job?”

“A new anything.” She ground out the words, as if her anger wasn’t just directed toward the Donaldsons. She was mad at herself. “A new job. A new house. A new life. Being in a rut was better than exposing myself to disappointment.” She paused, her gaze unfocused, as if she was trapped in her inner thoughts. “Or loss.”

He lifted her hand to press it against his lips. It was understandable that she’d been eager to create a sense of stability. She’d lost her mother when she was a young child and her father had all but abandoned her. Then her grandmother died. A part of her would always be expecting her loved ones to disappear from her life.

“I get that,” he assured her.

“Do you?” She arched her brows in disbelief. “You’re not scared of anything.”

“Ah.” He released a sharp laugh even as he allowed his gaze to skim around the parking lot in search of a stalker. Since realizing that Bailey was in danger, he’d been plagued by a fear that she would be hurt. The unease buzzed through him like an electric current, scraping his nerves raw. “If only that was true.”

“You traveled to America when you were sixteen,” Bailey insisted. “That seems pretty courageous to me.”

Dom hesitated. When he left France he liked thinking he was daring, a risk-taker who was off on an adventure. It took years of soul-searching before he accepted that he wasn’t searching for a fresh start. He was fleeing the world that was crashing around him.

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