Nora Roberts Land(7)

Tanner set his bourbon aside. “Wait a minute. You accepted a position at the journalism school for me?”

Sommerville drained his drink. “Yes, keep up, McBride.”

Tanner stood, shoving his chair back so hard it scraped across the wood floor. “I don’t know who the hell you think you are, but you have the wrong man. My lawyer will be contacting you about dissolving our employment agreement. Since your new offer breaks all the conditions we agreed upon, I don’t expect you’ll fight it.”

Sommerville leaned back in his chair. “I won’t have to. Sit down, McBride. There’s more.”

There had to be, he thought with dread. Tanner landed hard in the seat as Sommerville slid a file toward him. He opened it and rocked back in his chair. Dirty black and white photos filled his vision. The time stamp indicated they were ten months old. The woman with his brother wasn’t his wife. Shock and sadness rolled over Tanner.

“Your brother is expecting a baby, I hear. It’s a shame he wasn’t more careful about the company he kept when he fell off the wagon last year. Prostitutes have a way of ruining a man’s political position, notwithstanding his marriage and his family life.”

Tanner closed the file with the flick of a finger. Red hot rage flashed through him. “I don’t believe it,” he said, but the photos looked real. And David had always been a ladies’ man. But a prostitute?

“You can check, but I promise you they’re real. You helped raise him, right? After your dad left? Must have been tough for a fourteen-year-old kid. All that responsibility.”

“You fucking bastard.”

Sommerville chuckled. “As if I haven’t heard that before. This is business. It’s not personal. I need you to do something you don’t want to do, so I found leverage. It’s the way of the world.”

Tanner had seen people be used in despicable ways, but typically he was the one writing about it…not the victim. His objectivity went through the window. He reached across the table and grabbed Sommerville’s blue silk tie.

“I could fucking kill you for this.”

Sommerville’s mouth curled. “We’re not in Kabul, and that tough guy routine won’t help your brother. The only way I’ll give you the negatives to this photo is if you go to Dare and keep tabs on Meredith, make her fall for you, and stop her story. Let go, McBride.”

Tanner gave the tie another yank before releasing it and flexing his hands. Sommerville didn’t intimidate easily. It was something to remember.

“I could tell you I don’t care about the photos.” The lie burned his lips like a blister.

Sommerville rattled his ice cubes. “We both know you do. Call him and ask. I’ll wait.”

He’d wait all right. Like a spider with a fly. “I need to use your phone. I haven’t bought one yet.”

He made the call and received the confirmation he no longer really needed. If he lived in a parallel universe, he might have walked away. But he’d made his mother a promise to look after his kid brother. Even though they didn’t live together anymore, and David was of age, he couldn’t refuse to help him. Especially not now that he’d clawed himself back to AA and was re-building his life. Actually doing something good for a change. Serving in the local government to help his community.

“Okay, so you either set him up or bought these pics from someone. Which was it?” he said when he clicked off.

Sommerville leaned back against the booth. “Does it matter? When people run for public office, they step into the spotlight, just like I’m about to do. Your brother made a mistake. I capitalize on people’s mistakes. I won’t let anyone capitalize on mine.”

“Why me? You could hire any number of better-looking jackasses to stop your ex.”

He twirled his drink. “You’re the perfect match. You and Meredith both went to Columbia University on swimming scholarships. You can reminiscence about being a Columbia Lion. Ra-ra and all that. Plus, you’ve been in war zones and have racked up a pretty impressive reputation. Meredith will respect you as a journalist.”

“I think you’re overestimating my influence.”

“No, I’m not. I’ve done very well with the ladies using that script—or something like it.” He raised his glass in a mock toast. “More importantly, teaching journalism in Dare is the ideal cover, and it’s a move that would make perfect sense for someone of your caliber coming back from overseas. Don’t you admire Arthur Hale?”

“Who doesn’t?”

“No one knows you were joining my staff, which keeps everything under the radar. As far as Meredith goes, you’ve got nothing to worry about. You’ll never fall for her. She’s not your type, and you’re too ethical to take pleasure in this situation.”