Chapter Thirty-Three #2
“Yes, in cash.” Fuller laughed. “￡750,000, minus the fuel it took to catch up with you. Where the hell are you going anyway, and who’s that pretty young thing in the front with you?”
“I’ll introduce you.” It was Lawes’ turn to laugh. He wondered how Hannah would react to the latest development. “Listen, thanks, Brandon. This is fucking huge.”
“You got it.” Fuller took Lawes’ outstretched hand, his attention returning to the money-filled bags. “We’ve been through a lot, you and I. We need to look after one another.”
“Sir?”
Lawes straightened at the sound of her voice, wryly anticipating the way he was going to punish her for her disobedience.
“I told you to stay in the car.” His tone was hard as he turned to her. He couldn’t wait to give her the good news about the money he’d recently come into, but first, he had a reintroduction to make.
“I was worried,” she gasped. “And—”
“Hannah?” Whatever excuse she was about to conjure was interrupted by Fuller, his eyes wide as his gaze traveled between the two of them. “I didn’t recognize you with your clothes on.”
Hannah recoiled at the look of him, doubling over as though Fuller had punched her.
“Behave.” Lawes’ gaze narrowed at his friend’s quip.
“What are you doing here?” Her focus flew between the two men.
“Mr. Fuller was driving the red Audi.” Lawes motioned to the car.
“Oh my God...” she retreated. “I can’t... I can’t do this again.”
“Relax.” Lawes caught her wrist and yanked her back in his direction. “Nothing bad is going to happen to you, little girl.”
That was another partial lie. He was going to spank her ass until it was red raw for not obeying his command, but as it transpired, her impromptu arrival was proving to be fortuitous.
He could show her off to Fuller and take the cash his friend had ever so kindly claimed for him—all at the same time.
Snaking an arm around Hannah’s middle, he kissed the side of her head.
Let Fuller see what she meant to him. Lawes wanted him to know.
“So, Hannah’s the woman you’ve been wooing!” Fuller snorted with surprised amusement.
“How do you know what I’ve been doing?” It seemed Fuller had secrets of his own. Somehow, he’d managed to track Lawes down, and Lawes wanted to know how.
Beside him, Hannah’s breathing hadn’t calmed, and splaying his hand on the small of her back, he tried to stroke away some of her stress. He understood how disturbing it must have been for her to see both of her old captors together. Those were wounds he needed to help her heal.
“I hired a P.I. with my share of the loot.” Fuller stared at Hannah, his expression knowing. “The P.I. found out which hostel you went to after your release and went from there. You weren’t so difficult to find.”
How reassuring.
Lawes watched the attentive way Fuller was looking at Hannah.
It didn’t thrill him that his friend also knew her intimately, but he couldn’t blame Fuller.
Without him, Lawes would never have achieved the dental enterprise.
Without him, Lawes would never have met Hannah.
He hoped Fuller enjoyed the memories of those times with her.
Lawes would make sure he never had the pleasure again.
“The P.I. must be good at their job.” Lawes thought he’d been careful not to leave a trail that others could follow.
“The best,” Fuller declared. “And what about you, Hannah? How did you come to be in Mr. Lawes’ company again?”
Hannah swallowed, her beautiful eyes closing when she replied. “Mr. Lawes decided to take me back.”
Fuller looked at him, bewilderment flashing in his friend’s eyes. “Take you back?” he repeated.
“Hannah is being kind.” Lawes’ thumb drew small circles on her back. “What she means to say is I abducted her again. I had a score to settle, and I wrongly thought taking those feelings out on her would satisfy me.”
“Jesus, Mark.” Fuller grunted. “Fresh out of prison and this is what you do?” He signaled to Hannah. “No offense, Hannah. From what I recall, you are lovely, but I mean... really?”
Hannah let out a sigh. “Really.”
“But having Hannah back didn’t satisfy you?” Fuller’s tone was sardonic.
“Exacting my revenge didn’t, no.” Lawes’ hand rose to the back of her neck, and to his amazement, she reached for his hand. He’d never been happier than he was in that moment when the woman he’d tried to pulverize grasped his hand in support. “It turns out I wanted something more.”
“We both do.” She sounded more confident that time, her fingers tightening around his.
“So...” Fuller looked stunned. “You’re together ?”
His surprise was understandable. Even Lawes couldn’t believe what a lucky son-of-a-bitch he was.
“As in, consensually together?” Fuller looked at Hannah for clarity.
“Yes.” She pulled in what looked like a steadying breath. “It’s complicated, but yes.”
Fuller whistled. “And you think this old sod can make you happy, Hannah?”
“Hey!” Lawes interjected, but he hesitated at her laughter, sensing her relax at his side.
It was weird to see her chatting with Fuller as though they were old colleagues. Only a few years prior, he’d been the master of her every inch as much as Lawes had, yet standing there, a casual observer would never have known.
“We’re figuring things out.” Her answer was uncharacteristically diplomatic, but then, that was his little girl these days.
She’d changed a lot.
They both had.
“So, what’s this impromptu gathering about?” She cocked an eyebrow, using Lawes’ gesture of choice on both men.
Fuller smirked as though he recognized the symbolism. “I have a windfall for Mr. Lawes.”
“For us both,” Lawes clarified. “Whatever I have now, I’ll be sharing with Hannah.”
He waited while Fuller explained their new financial abundance, watching while Fuller reached for the first bag and shoved it in his direction. Dropping Hannah’s hand, Lawes tucked the bag to his chest, amazed at how heavy the money was.
“Looks like we can ditch the car and buy something new.” Lawes couldn’t wait to drive a decent car again.
“Yes, but I’d use a false name if I were you,” Fuller warned. “You don’t want to give the authorities any leads to follow up on.”
Lawes nodded. Fuller was right.
It was almost like old times.
***
P RESSING THE ACCELERATOR to the floor, Lawes’ gaze flitted to the sun rising high in the sky.
“Are you all right, little girl?”
Hannah had been quiet since they’d got back on the road. The back seat of the car was filled with the cash-stuffed bags, a reminder that they needed to find an upgraded vehicle as soon as they could.
“It was a shock seeing you and Mr. Fuller together again, sir.” She seemed to suppress a shiver. “For a minute there, I thought...” Her voice trailed away.
“You thought what?” As if he didn’t already suspect what her withdrawn countenance had been based on.
“I thought this had all been a ploy.” She frowned. “That you didn’t really care for me, and the two of you were going to hurt me.”
“Hey, you don’t have to worry about that, little girl. He’s never going to touch you again.”
If Lawes got his way, no one ever would.
“And no one’s going to hurt you, either. Not unless you count me spanking the hell out of your backside for defying my order earlier.”
She glanced his way. “What? I...”
“Don’t ‘what’ me.” He grinned. “I told you to stay in the car, yet somehow, you couldn’t keep that pretty little bum on your seat.”
“I was worried, sir ,” she muttered, though he sensed her protest was mainly feigned.
“You were looking for a spanking,” he reiterated. “And that’s what you’re going to get.”
“Yes, sir.” She faked a salute as she glanced out of her window. “Whatever you say.”
“That’s right.” He couldn’t wait to find a roadside car sales room, ditch their current vehicle, then book them into somewhere fabulous to stay in Scotland.
The money Fuller had given him was beyond a privilege.
It gave them a shot of luxury as they explored the limits of their new relationship. “And don’t forget it.”
“Are you going to make all the decisions, sir?” Her tone was still playfully petulant. “Or do I get to spend some of that money too?”
“You can help spend it,” he promised. “I owe you that much.”
Her lips curled. “That and a whole lot more, Mr. Lawes.”
He reached for her hand and skimmed his lips over her knuckles.
“You’ll get everything that’s coming to you, little girl.” His vow hung in the air between them, charging the already heightened atmosphere. “Everything and more.”
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The End