Tempted By Her Tycoon Boss

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Cecilia had thought she was doing the right thing in pointing out the bad pathway that Stacey had followed. For some reason she’d thought that because Stacey had been so angry at the time her sister couldn’t possibly have been hurting. Tears sprang to the backs of Cecilia’s eyes again. How could she have been so short-sighted?

‘I should have found a better way to deal with your situation than I did.’

‘You were worried about me, and with good reason.’ Stacey sighed. ‘I can’t understand now how I was so blind. Joe seemed nice at first—a little rough around the edges, but charming with it.’

‘And then the charm wore off.’ Cecilia understood that. She’d been there herself with Hugh. At least in this she could try to rebuild some solidarity with her sister. ‘We’re not very good at finding great men, are we?’

Stacey agreed, and then sounded a little troubled and vulnerable as she went on. ‘I need to tell you that if you start coming to see me it will help my chances of gaining parole, because I’ll be demonstrating that I have a sound relationship with someone reliable. I want you to know that before you come in, so you don’t think I asked just because of it. I’ve missed you and I’m longing to see you.’

‘I believe you, and I want that sound relationship again.’ Cecilia had longed for it over the past months. ‘I’m so glad you phoned, Stacey.’

‘I am, too. I’m allowed to have a sister.’ Stacey’s words were firm, almost defiantly so. ‘And to see you and have a relationship with you. I should have stuck up for that from the start.’

‘Of course you are.’ Cecilia frowned. ‘Who’s told you otherwise? Surely not the authorities there?’

‘Joe did—constantly throughout my relationship with him and again quite recently before I finally woke up.’

Cecilia clamped her teeth together so she wouldn’t speak without thinking first. Finally, she said carefully, ‘I thought that after the armed robbery he’d gone underground. Wouldn’t he be detained and taken in by the police if he visited you?’

‘He found a way to get messages to me in here through another inmate who was about to be released.’ Stacey admitted it in a low voice. ‘At first I was happy. I thought there must be some explanation for Joe dragging me into what happened that day and then leaving me to pay for being an accomplice to something I didn’t even understand was going to happen until it was too late.’

‘I’m guessing that’s not what happened?’ Cecilia wished she could give her sister a hug.

‘No. He wanted me to tell him if I had any secret money stashed anywhere outside of here or any valuable jewellery.’ Stacey made a disgusted sound. ‘I sent a message back telling him never to contact me again.’

‘That was horrible of him, Stacey.’ Cecilia could only be glad that Stacey had cut the man off. ‘I love you, sis. We’ve got through life up to this point, and we can keep getting through it.’ Cecilia struggled not to choke up again. ‘I just want to see you. When can I come?’

‘Let me talk to the officers here and find out.’ Relief filled Stacey’s tone.

‘You’ll ring again?’ Cecilia wanted that assurance before Stacey hung up.

‘I will. As soon as I know when you can come.’

They said their goodbyes then, and Cecilia slowly placed the phone into her pocket. They’d never been cut off from each other before. At least now she could see Stacey. Relief and gratitude tugged even further at her teetering emotions.

But right now, somewhere on the other side of the door, Cecilia had to face Linc. What could he possibly think?

Stacey had been unhappy since they were teenagers, but this was the first time she had done anything actually against the law. No one knew about the jail sentence. In fact, no one here had even met Stacey. The sisters had tended to meet up after work, and then when Joe had come on the scene, Stacey had kept contact with Cecilia to a minimum. Cecilia understood why now.

The guy hadn’t wanted anyone else to have influence in Stacey’s life. Thank goodness her sister had finally sent the man packing.

Cecilia wanted to undo Stacey’s history and get her out of there because she’d been tricked. Those wishes were unrealistic, and she knew it, but she hated it that Stacey’s life had been impacted so deeply by this whole situation.

Well, for now it was time to face Linc. Cecilia didn’t feel ready, but she had no choice.

She forced herself to open the office door and to speak to Linc, who lounged with pseudocasualness against a pillar partway across the courtyard.

‘I’ve finished my call. Thanks for giving me privacy for that.’

‘It was no problem.’ He started towards her.

Cecilia didn’t know what else he might have said. Anything, or nothing at all. But suddenly she couldn’t stay there to find out. Not right now. Not until she could get her emotions under better control. If he was sympathetic she might fall apart. She couldn’t let that happen.

‘I need to do a few things in the repurposing shed.’ She blurted the words and turned on her heel. ‘I’ll be back in a bit.’

She couldn’t even speak to him about getting Jemmie to come out of the retail section and cover the office during her absence. Cecilia couldn’t say anything more at all. But she had her back turned before Linc reached her, and she walked herself quickly far enough into the rear of the nursery that no one would see her until she could blink back the well of emotion that threatened to overcome her.