Page 90 of Close Pursuit

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Alex moved over to his clothes, strewn on the floor. Bent down and picked up his pants. Pulled them on. Zipped them. Reached for his shirt. Draped it across the back of a chair. Smoothed the fine cotton. He wasn’t a professional actor, but a stellar performance was called for, now.

“Well?” Katie demanded angrily.

He looked up at her grimly. “I grew up with the man. I know when not to cross him. He opened that call by referring to you and Dawn. Don’t you see? He was threatening the two of you. I get him his list, or he comes after the two of you.”

Katie’s outrage deflated like a balloon with the air being let out of it. “But Alex, it’s treason to spy.”

“It’s not treason to share information from a private company. Doctors Unlimited is not a government-sponsored organization.”

“It’s still theft.”

“Is it?” He shrugged. “If the Russians want the information so they can stay out of our people’s hair, where’s the harm in that?”

“Seriously?” Katie’s outrage was back, and she was magnificent in her fury.Excellent.

He shrugged. “It’s no big deal. I’ll just go into André Fortinay’s office, copy the master list off his computer, and forward it to my father. No harm, no foul. It doesn’t hurt anybody at D.U. My father gets off my case for a while. And most importantly, you and Dawn are left alone.”

The ends-justifies-the-means argument appeared to give Katie pause. But only for a moment. “It’swrong,” she said forcefully.

“Information like this has no cash value. I wouldn’t even be charged with theft. Industrial espionage involves proprietary information that’s vital to a money-making process or venture.”

“You could still be charged with breaking and entering.”

“I work there and have legal access to the offices. All I have to do is walk in. No breaking required to enter, babe.”

“I cannot believe you’re being so cavalier about this! I thought better of you.”

Okay, that stung. But this was necessary. He had to goad her to action.

Mentally, he cursed his father for pushing him into this corner. He’d thought there, for a while that he was finally out from under his father’s iron fist. Roman had mostly left him alone since he got out of prison, and he’d been praying daddy dearest had gotten the memo when his son chose to go to jail rather than work for him.

But no. The bastard was back, full-force, jacking him around and screwing up everything good in his life. Just like old times.

A wave of despair washed over him. It was a weak emotion he refused to give in to, but jeez. Would the guy never leave him alone? Would he never get a shot at happiness for himself? The emotional connection Katie was offering him tempted him like no other vice he’d ever been exposed to. He could get addicted to her so easily.

A little more time. A little more bonding—over Dawn, over their shared work—and the two of them could’ve had it all.

And then along came Roman,he thought bitterly. Now all that was left for him to do was finish destroying what Roman had just told him in no uncertain terms to wreck or else be forever vulnerable to his father’s manipulations.Damn the man.

Alex looked over at Katie coldly. “I already told you I’m not a saint. This is the practical reality of my life. I walk a tightrope between men like your uncle and men like my father. It’s not pretty, but it’s how I stay alive. Deal with it or get out of my way.”

Odd, but it actually hurt to say those words. Intriguing. Disturbing. Just how far gone was his heart?

He tried to imagine never seeing Dawn again and thanked his lucky stars he’d already nailed down shared guardianship of the infant. Katie couldn’t legally prevent him from seeing Dawn and being part of her life as she grew up.

And if he remained part of Dawn’s life, he would, perforce, remain part of Katie’s life. No matter how angry she was with him now, he could win her back. He always got his way in the end. Superior intellect, patience, and cunning always prevailed, after all.

“If those are my choices,” Katie declared, “I’m out.”

“What?” he blurted in spite of his resolve to do this thing.

“I’m out. I thought I was getting through to you. Making a difference. That we had something special going. But I don’t sleep with criminals.”

“Getting the list is not criminal!”

“Maybe. But it’s notright.”

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