Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
WET DREAM
Lennon
Ican’t believe it.
After all this time, Andrei is behind bars. After all these years, I should be able to breathe freely.
But my dad is still roaming the world a free man.
Actually, he isn’t just roaming, he’s running.
Brax and King said my dad must have skipped town before they could get to the motel to do surveillance. When they went in to arrest Andrei, my father was nowhere to be found.
I guess he tore out of town like a bandit—which he is. He forgot his cell phone at the meeting, and with no other devices detected in the area, there’s no trail. Even though there is a warrant out for his arrest, Dad is long gone.
So, yeah, breathing easy isn’t in the cards for me yet. Andrei in custody means the police have his cell, which also means, they have the proof in their hands that I killed a man.
So, all good ... and all bad, because it wouldn’t be me if there weren’t some bad.
Payne Deacon sits across the conference room table from Jett and me. Devon sits next to Deacon. I might as well make it official and say goodbye to my last bit of dignity. It’s all dumped on the table for everyone to judge.
Payne Deacon is exactly how Felicity described, but he comes across as a hard-hitting attorney.
He’s tall with dark hair he wears long enough to look messy, but it still doesn’t look like he needs a haircut.
His eyes are the color of whiskey and were friendly when he walked into the room but turned sharp as swords when I began to spill the details of what I’d been through and what I had to do to escape.
I drop my head into my hands to massage away the headache that’s creeping into my brain. Jett rubs my back and leans in to press his lips to the side of my head.
“That’s it,” I mutter with my eyes closed so I don’t have to look at him until I remember one last thing.
I drop my hands to my lap and slump in my chair.
“Oh, I also stole a car somewhere in Alabama. I feel almost as bad about that as I do about the captain. But I had to get as far away as I could from Florida, and I didn’t need a trail of bus tickets behind me.
I know there are cameras in those stations. ”
Jett puts his fingers to my chin and forces me to look at him. “I’ll take care of the car. Don’t worry about that.”
Payne looks between me and Jett and back to me. He tips his head and contemplates me before pursing his lips, making his strong, square jaw tenser than it was.
“What?” I demand. “Is there no defense for what I’ve done? Is it that bad?”
“Dammit, Payne. Are we all missing something here? Give it to her straight,” Devon demands.
“Look, if you can’t take her on as a client, I’ll find someone else who will,” Jett bites.
Payne tosses his pen to his notepad where he’s been writing as fast as I’ve been talking. He’s got at least four to five pages of my last six years of history documented.
He points at me.
I suck in an anxious breath.
He finally gives it to me straight. “You’re my favorite kind of client.”
I exhale quickly. “I am?”
Jett wraps his arm around my shoulders possessively. “Watch it, Deacon. What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
Payne smirks at Jett. “Look who got a new lease on life and found love in the same breath. I heard you fell hard. Settle down there, lover boy. I’m not going to steal your girlfriend at recess.
But she’s still my favorite kind of client.
” Payne focuses those whiskey eyes on me.
“Guilty as sin, and still, innocent. You’re like a wet dream for any defense attorney. ”
“A defense attorney who needs to find new analogies,” Jett growls.
Payne’s smile turns into a wolfish grin directed at Jett. “All that jealousy can’t be good for your new organ. Your body needs to process that extra angst one way or another, man. Don’t make it work harder than it needs to.”
Devon leans forward. “Can we get to the meat of things? It’s been a bloody long day. Right before Petrov was taken into custody, I got the report from the security firm I hired about someone hacking into my system, setting off the alarms, and causing havoc among my guests.”
Payne looks at Devon. “Why are you here, anyway? It seems Jett has the jealous and protective thing taken care of.”
“Because I give a shit about my employees and want to make sure Lennon is free and clear after this.” Devon motions to Jett. “Trust me, I know Jett’s got it under control.”
I can’t take this any longer. “Can we just get back to the part where you said I was guilty as sin? That doesn’t sound good.”
Payne leans forward on his forearms and gets down to it.
“You killed a man and just told me you stole a car. Guilty-guilty. They might have you on video taking that asshole’s life, but what else is on the video is him beating the shit out of you.
I haven’t seen it yet, but from the way you and Mr. Possessive over here describe it, I can only guess how bad it was.
” The longer he speaks, his tone becomes more and more incensed with every word.
“You were fighting for your freedom. You were fighting to stay alive. You were fighting to save yourself, because there was no one else on the planet at the time to fight for you. When I finally see the video, I have all I need to move forward. Should this ever go to court—and I doubt it will—no judge will move forward with prosecution. This will be dismissed fast enough to make your head spin.”
I let out a relieved sigh. “Seriously?”
Payne frowns. “Are you questioning me?”
I shake my head. “Sorry. I’m perpetually in shock... about everything. What about the money they deposited into an account to make it look like I was there willingly working for him?”
Payne leans back in his chair and waves me off.
“You’ve got a man who plays with Russian oligarchs, cartel leaders, and invests in drug runners.
Then there’s you, who finished your freshman year of college and disappeared off the face of the earth.
Your father withdrew you from school, and no one’s seen you since.
No doctor’s appointments. Hell, not even a nail appointment—if you’re that kind of woman.
If the account is even real, that’s the last thing I’m worried about.
The car is another thing. Who knows you stole it? ”
“I prefer the word borrowed. It makes me feel better about myself,” I mutter. “A few people.”
Jett continues to click off my long list of problems. “And there’s Clive.
I told him she didn’t know it was stolen when she bought it.
I’ll make sure it’s returned. It’ll be like a gift for the owner when all is said and done.
When Clive is done with the car, he can look at my truck since it’s fucked up from the other night. ”
Payne whistles low. “I heard about that.”
Jett looks to Devon. “Are there no secrets in this town?”
“Only if your name is Lennon. She managed to keep her past under wraps for months after she got here since I saw no reason to run her background,” Devon says.
Payne digs a card out of his pocket and flips it across the table at me.
“Do not talk to anyone about any of this. If someone wants to question you, don’t even fart without me at your side.
I don’t care if it’s Mr. Bigshot or his agent friends from Miami.
I’ve known Dean my entire life, but he’s a cop, and we’ve all got our respective jobs to do.
And unless a video pops up of you stealing that car, do not admit to that.
Got it? Don’t turn into a difficult client on me. ”
I sigh. “Sorry. Anything else?”
“Nope. Consider yourself officially lawyered up.” He leans back in his chair and turns to Devon. “Let’s get to the juicy stuff. I want to know who managed to hack into the system of the secret British agent.”
Devon drags a hand down his face. “We don’t know who yet, but we do know how. My firewall was breached. I fired my security company and hired a guy out of Dallas who my sister recommended.”
“It’s not Statum Security, is it?” Payne asks.
Devon hikes a brow. “You know Eli Pettit?”
Payne looks at Devon like he’s an idiot. “Everyone knows Pettit. He’s built one of the best security and private investigative firms in the country. He was the go-to man in Texas, and now he’s taking his business nationally. My firm used him consistently. You’re in good hands.”
“I know I am. He found the breach right away and is making a trip here to review our hardware and systems. It can’t happen again. The last thing I need is a guest suing me for getting hurt on my property during a false alarm.”
“Better than a shooting.” Payne stands and holds his arms out. “And if you do get sued, you know where to find me. Your manor is bringing all kinds of business to the community, even for lonely defense attorneys who are forced to save the family business.”
“I have the preliminary report,” Devon goes on.
“I’m anxious for Pettit to get here and see everything in person.
I’m ready to revamp from top to bottom—hardware and software.
After what Harlow and I went through, I’m not leaving anything to chance.
Between my past and her being a Madison, we have enough people around the world who hate us. ”
Jett pulls at the knot of his tie. “I got a taste of that today. Being added to the board of directors was the gift I never asked for. But after that meeting, I’m making it my mission to become a thorn in their sides.”
“Harlow said it went well, even if they did put you through the ringer,” Devon says.
Jett’s tie hangs loose, and he unbuttons the neck of his dress shirt in a way he looks like he’d like to rip the thing off. If I’m being honest, I’m ready for him to do that too. “If there’s one way to light a fire under me, it’s telling me I’m not capable of something.”
This is the second time I’ve seen him in a suit. He wears it well. So well, I wanted to forget my meeting with my new attorney and tackle him to the ground like I did the first time we met.
I can’t stop thinking about our first time together.
I’d never wish to experience the last six years of my life again, but to live through that and end up with someone like Jett?
Lucky isn’t a strong enough word to describe the current state of my heart and soul, even with everything else swirling around us. I’ve been alone for far too long. But that’s the last feeling coursing through my veins.
Devon pulls me out of my Jett haze and back to our rocky reality. “Do I see a future for you in the Madison company?”
Jett offers me his hand, and I take it willingly.
The day has been long locked away in my office.
He pulls me to my feet and straight to his side.
“This is the first time in a long time I’ve had the luxury of thinking about the future.
My life has been in flux for far too long.
I’m looking at everything through a different light than I did before. ”
Devon stands. “I get that more than you know, mate.”
“It’s getting far too sappy in here for my taste. I prefer murder and theft.” Payne pins me with one more look before he leaves. “I’ll see what I can get out of Dean on the downlow. Hopefully you won’t need me past today. Just don’t talk to anyone without me.”
“Don’t worry,” I promise. “And thank you. Send me a bill for your time.”
Jett gives my hand a squeeze. “Don’t worry about that. I’ve got it worked out.”
I don’t have time to argue with him. Last night, he told me everything about his new trust fund and how Patrick Madison gave him a stake in Stonebridge.
I ignore Jett and turn back to Payne. “Bill me. If you don’t, I can’t accept your help. It’s bad enough Jett is paying to rebuild a car that I’m going to return to the owner.”
“Let’s see if you really need my services. I’m willing to chalk today up to being in the know in this place. I do like being in the middle of everything.” Payne moves for the door before offering us a low wave. “Stay out of trouble.”
Payne is gone, and Devon follows. “I’ve got to get back to Harlow. If you hear something on Petrov before I do, keep me in the loop.”
Andrei was arrested earlier today. The Winslet Police Department isn’t set up for criminals like Petrov.
He has refused to be questioned without his attorney and is being moved to the next closest city with federal prosecutors.
Brax and King said they will be able to question him as early as tomorrow.
Jett pulls me to his chest and dips a hand in my hair right before his lips crash to mine. Mine part for him, and his tongue delves in my mouth, hungry and with a desperation that creates a wetness between my legs.
I sink into his chest and hold on tight. The thought that he might be as desperate for me as I am for him warms me.
By the time he breaks his kiss, his hand is cupping my ass and we’re both out of breath.
His next question might only be short and clipped, but it’s laced with promise. “Room service?”
I nod too quickly, but I don’t care, because I know what that means. “Absolutely.”