47. Calling in favors
Calling in favors
Wade
“Well, calling in a favor worked.” Pete sits back with a smug smile, his fingers interlaced over his belly. “Kicked the rat out from his hole and cut ‘mommy dearest’ off before she could get him out.”
I’m still salty I couldn’t interrogate Max, but he went directly to wanting a plea deal.
“Gonna share your secret?” I grumble. My thumb traces the brim of my hat where I have it perched on my knee.
“I have a friend in the U.S. Marshals. High enough that he could open an investigation into Judge Simmons and her using her position to keep her useless children out of jail. She’s temporarily off the bench until the investigation is over.
” Pete’s glasses catch the glimmer of the morning sun.
“We don’t even need the vandalism and extortion charges since Max is denying them.
Preliminary testing is showing a match to the rape kit from the murder case six years ago. ”
I hate how flippant he is about something that devastated so many of my close friends, especially Ford.
“So we aren’t pursuing those charges at all?” Everything Elena had to go through is meaningless? It’s frustrating to know she was forced to do such awful things, and he won’t even pay for it.
I guess in the end, it brought her to me. And my daughter.
“They’re a lot harder to prove. It’s a ‘he said, she said’ situation at that point.” Pete shrugs.
Elena shouldn’t have to suffer over a crime that isn’t even going to be tried.
Speaking of.
“So what do you think about lessening the monitor on Elena? Maybe make the rest of her sentencing probation?” The way I see it, she cooperated flawlessly .
Or maybe I’m just antsy because we both agreed not to have a wedding until she’s free.
Pete waves his hand idly and sits up, dropping his elbows onto his desk. “I can make that work. You know you’re pushing for favors now? Gonna run for judge soon?” His smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
“This’ll be the only one.” I shake my head. I’ll call in any advantage I have to make her happy.
I guess I’m pretty well smitten.
“Fine. We’ll remember this the next time one of your ranch buddies gets in a bar fight.” He jabs his fingers against the keyboard of his computer for a few strokes. “It’ll likely take a week or two with the holidays coming up.”
“Thanks. Don’t hurt yourself bending over backwards.” I set my hat back over my ears and stand. He knows I’ve never asked him for anything before. And I do damn good at my job.
“Wade, I’m sorry,” Pete sighs. “The judge makes me cranky. This is going to be a huge win getting Max put away.”
I think it has more to do with Max not wanting to have Ford waiting in the parking lot when he gets out.
But I’ll take the apology.
“I’m glad that fucker is gonna pay. There’s only one thing that still bugs me, though.
When he was trying to take Elena, he told her there was someone else.
Is that part of the deal? Will Max reveal who ‘he’ is?
” I’ve gone over it with her a dozen times in the last few days, hoping for some small tidbit that she may have forgotten.
Pete shakes his head. “And we may never know. I’m going after the crime that will stick. He’s off the streets, that’s all that counts.”
I nod, then step into the hall.
Why does getting the bad guy not feel satisfying in this instance?
Is it because I couldn’t exact my own justice on him? Should I be pissed that Sawyer was watching that night, or grateful that I don’t have more skeletons to bury?
Who knows?
I’ll take the light at the end of the tunnel, that Elena will finally be free of the ankle monitor.
That will make the surprise I have planned for her even better.
When I pull into the parking lot of the station, Dad’s car is already sitting there.
But stepping inside, my stomach drops when I see who he’s talking to.
Fucking Paige.
“I thought you were taking leave?” I grumble as I walk through the main room.
She narrows her eyes at me. “I needed the money now that you made me single.”
Dad glances between us, his brows raising.
“I didn’t do that. You’re the one who put yourself in that position.” I wave at him to follow. I don’t have the patience to deal with her right now.
“What position?” he asks when we make it into my truck.
“Horizontal with her legs spread.” I hit the gas a little harder than I intended, making the gravel churn under the tires.
He snorts. “Did you fuck her? Before Elena, I hope?”
“Yea, Dad. Thanks for the vote of confidence. It was long before Elena, but Paige’s husband just found out and booted her ass out a couple of weeks ago.” Today is a day I’m starting to question if I want to keep working at this job.
Between the D.A. being a dick and Paige being back, it’s going to make things miserable.
“Does Elena know?” He doesn’t look at me, but I can feel him judging.
“Yes. I’m not hiding anything from her.” I take the turn that leads into the industrial section of Campton.
“Except what happened to her father.” This time he looks at me.
I hate that I told him in a moment of weakness.
But at the time I needed someone to help me with the pain. It wasn’t just what I did to Quincy, it was losing Maria too.
“That was a long time ago, Dad. I’ll tell her.” I pull up to the autobody shop and stop. “I’m sure there’s shit you never told Mom. It didn’t ruin your relationship.”
“The stuff I kept from her were things at work I wasn’t allowed to talk about. Or maybe an extra beer when I was out with friends.” He glances at me, then reaches over to pat my arm. “But I understand why that would stay in the past.
I’m not sure how I feel about that.
He’s giving me an out, yet now I almost feel guilty for taking it.
“Here’s the keys. Remember, give me ten minutes.” I flip them by the ring for him to take.
“See you at home, son.” He raises his arm in a wave after he shuts his door.
Maybe he’s right?
I should tell her. I just need to figure out the right time.
Not today.
She’s standing in the kitchen, stirring something delicious on the stove when I get home.
This is always my favorite part of the day. When I can wrap my arms around her waist and find solace in the warmth of her body.
“My sexy little outlaw. I have a surprise for you.” I weigh the option of whisking her to bed first.
Just the press of her ass against my crotch has blood rushing south.
She twists to frame my cheeks with her cool fingers and rises to her tiptoes to kiss me. “You talked to the D.A.? Will he let me take this thing off?” Her leg lifts for her to shake her ankle.
“Darn tootin’. He said it’ll take a week or two since Thanksgiving is coming.”
Her eyes widen. “Wow. Can you believe the year is almost over?”
“And almost six months since I caught you.” I lean over far enough to cup her thighs, then lift them around my waist.
“That was the only good thing that came out of all of this.” The corner of her mouth drops into a frown. “Everything else was awful.”
“Quit beating yourself up. You did it out of love. We all do crazy things for it.” I start walking towards the door.
“Wait! Where are we going? I have the stove going.” She wiggles, but I don’t let her down.
Instead I u-turn.
“Turn it down, we’ll be a minute.” I let her tilt in my hold to turn the burner to low, then head outside.
Just as Dad turns into the driveway.
“Huh, perfect timing.” Letting her slide down my chest, her feet hit the porch floor as he rolls to a stop.
“Oh my god!” Her scream pierces the cold afternoon. “Is that my Jeep?” Her hands clasp to her mouth, then she jumps up and down before rushing to hug my dad.
“I appreciate that, but this was all Wade.” He grins up at me with pink cheeks.
“Thank you! Thank you!” Tears stream her face as she traces the edge of her hood.
It used to be a crumpled mess, torn and shredded like paper from the impact of the concrete.
She runs back up to me, throwing her arms around my waist. “You’re so amazing!”
“Just remember, you can’t go anywhere you want until that monitor comes off. If you do, I need to plug it into the app first. You’re still restricted.”
“I know. I’m just so happy.” She looks up at me and rests her chin on my chest.
The absolute adoration in her gaze puts a knot in my throat.
“Anything for you, baby girl.” I stroke her back, then kiss her forehead.
“You’re the best, daddy.”