Topaz smoothed a loose lock of her hair behind one ear. “What did the, um, assignments involve?”
Alex’s eyes narrowed. “I was labeled a bouncer, but my duties sometimes extended to arm and leg breaker,” he confessed, turning away when he heard Topaz utter a quick gasp. “I think I was like a machine then,” he continued. “I couldn’t even see what a monster I was turnin’ into. Later, I tried to justify what I did by reminding myself that I was hurtin’ some people who’d done some real foul shit to others anyway, so what the hell?”
Topaz’s emotions went out to Alex at the lost hollow tone to his words. She watched as he took a seat on the edge of the bed and braced his elbows on his knees.
“All I knew was, I was makin’ enough cash to keep me and my mother living well,” he said. “I was able to invest some and I even paid my way through college.”
Topaz turned to face him. “At least you did something good with the money.”
“Hmph. A college degree wasn’t enough for me to change my ways. My pursuit to become as wealthy as possible as quickly as possible made me resort to some pretty heinous things.”
“I can’t believe that,” Topaz whispered, her light eyes wide and probing. “What about the paper?” she asked, refusing to believe he could ever have been so heartless.
Alex shrugged. “The paper came later. Much later, too late, I think sometimes.”
Pressing her lips together, Topaz debated a moment before asking her next question. “When you say you resorted to ‘heinous’ things, what did you mean?”
Alex leaned forward to cover his face with both hands. He had no desire to further the discussion, but knew he’d gone too far to suddenly develop a case of cold feet. “Do you know what it means to take out a contract on someone’s life?” he asked, looking over at her.
A chill brushed her bare arms and legs. “I’ve heard the phrase,” she whispered.
“But do you know what it means?”
“To have them killed. Alex, what are you trying to tell me?”
“I think you know. I made a good portion of my money carrying out those very contracts.”
Topaz began to shake her head wildly. “No,” she mumbled, almost stumbling to the floor in her haste to leave the bed.
“It’s true,” Alex softly confirmed, his eyes filled with regret as he watched her covering her mouth while shaking her head. “Topaz—”
“No! Alex, please, stop. Just stop, okay!” she cried, waving her hand to further emphasize her words.
“Baby, I need to tell you everything,” he said, rising from the bed.
Topaz was nearing hysterics. “I know you do, I know you do,” she chanted, “but not now. Not now, please.”
“Honey, shh ...” he soothed, stepping close to cup her dark lovely face in his big hands. “Honey, I know about the petroleum.”
Topaz’s expression cleared, her eyes searching his face. “How ... ?”
“Weston Enterprises acted as the front for the company owned by the man I used to work for,” he explained, watching despair fill Topaz’s wide, exquisite eyes. “They thought it’d be better to have a local company acting in the forefront instead of making their presence known. Weston, in turn, felt it would be better to have a front for themselves—hence Lockhurst Properties.”
“So everything we suspected about the others being forced ... ?”
“It was true.”
If possible, Topaz appeared even more wary. “The fire ...”
Alex brushed his thumbs across her cheeks. “Honey, I’m so sorry ...” he whispered, pulling her close when the sobs shook her body.
Topaz was unable to supress her sobs and almost soaked the sleeve of Alex’s sweatshirt with her tears. She wouldn’t allow herself to remain content in his embrace, though, and jerked from his hold.
“Did you have anything to do with it?” she questioned, her gaze accusing.
Alex’s stare never wavered. “On my life, I didn’t. I promise you that.”
“So how did you find out?”
Alex hesitated, but only for a moment. “These people want you dead,” he revealed, making her face him when she would have bolted off. “They know what you’re planning with the gas company and they want you out of the picture before the papers are signed.... Getting rid of you—a woman—would show the others they mean business.”
Topaz finally succeeded in wrenching out of his hold. “Why are you saying this?” she blasted.
“Baby, it’s true—”
“How do you know that!”
“I told you I used to work for them.”
“And they just laid it all out for you!”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Damn it, Topaz, because they want me to do it!” he roared, muttering a low curse at the horror on her face. “They want me to do the job,” he clarified in a softer tone.
Topaz shook her head, slowly backing away from him. “They—they—they want you to—to ...”
