Chapter 26
Never in the history of ever had an erection disappeared so fast. Lincoln was just glad his pants were still on and he wasn’t bare-ass naked in front of this man.
He scrambled off the bed and turned to face a man with warm honey eyes and a face creased with smile lines. Charm and charisma ran in this family, no doubt.
“Dad?” From her position sprawled on the floor, Zara jumped to her feet. “What the hell are you doing here? Oh God. Don’t tell me you pulled off some crazy escape and a SWAT team is about to burst in after you.”
“I like the sound of that, but no. I don’t know how or why, but I got pardoned by the governor.
I didn’t even know he could do that. Happened fast, too.
One minute I was playing cards with my buddy Antonio, winning too, of course.
The next they were shoving me out the door.
I don’t even have a parole officer. Sweet deal, huh? Lucky Lou got extra lucky.”
When he smiled at Zara, Lincoln caught another flash of their resemblance.
One big difference, at the moment, was that Zara’s face had flushed red with embarrassment, while her father showed no hint of anything like that.
Zara turned to Lincoln. “Meet my dad, Lou Morrissey, also known as Lucky Lou.”
Lou Morrissey shook Lincoln’s hand in a warm, hearty manner. “Nice to meet ya. Now do you mind if I talk to my daughter alone?”
“Don’t go anywhere, Lincoln. Please,” said Zara. Her eyes clung to his, pleading. He wasn’t sure why his presence was needed for this reunion, but he couldn’t say no to those puppy-dog eyes. He stayed where he was.
“If you’re going to pull some kind of twisted guilt trip on me, I want a witness,” Zara told her father.
“No guilt trips.” He flung up his hands to show his innocence. “I’m just looking for something I left here before I began my sojourn in the state’s finest correctional facility.”
“Wait…you did all this?” Zara gestured at the mess that filled every inch of floor space.
“It’s my house, and I was looking for something. The place was already pretty messy, honeybee.”
Zara gaped at him. “I hope you’re planning to clean it up.”
He glanced vaguely around him. “Won’t take but a jiff. Project for the kids. They’ll love it. We always make a game out of cleaning.”
“Made. You made a game, because there’s no way you’re just going to waltz back in here and go back to being ‘fun dad.’”
He pulled a wounded face. “I’m not trying to disrupt your lives, I swear. I know this is a shock. I thought you might be a little glad I’m out, though.”
And there it was. The guilt trip. Boy, did it work on Zara.
She stepped toward her father and gave him a little hug. “Of course I am, Daddy. I’m very glad you’re out of prison. I’m sure Mia and Eddie will be too, it was just a shock and—”
“No, no. You’re right. It’s too sudden. How about this. I’ll just find the thing I was looking for and I’ll be out of your hair, at least for now. I’ll come see the kids after you get a chance to prepare them. Don’t you worry, honeybee. I swear I’m not here to make trouble.”
Lincoln had to hand it to him; the man was good.
He knew how to pull every string. Lincoln had known many a smooth operator in his time, but Lucky Lou Morrissey had to be one of the best. Even Zara, who knew exactly who he was, fell for his moves.
She snuggled into her father’s arms while he patted her on the back.
Then she pulled away with a frown. “What are you looking for? You already tore the whole house apart. Are you sure it’s here?”
He slid a look toward Lincoln. “Never mind. It’s not that important. How about we go get some tacos to celebrate my release from hell on earth?”
Zara crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what’s going on.”
“Nothing, honeybee. Okay, I…well, I hid something here before I left. A go bag. Money, passport, that sort of thing. I thought this might be a good moment to make use of it.”
“I’ve never seen anything like that here.”
Lincoln’s hackles rose. He didn’t believe that Lucky Lou was telling the truth right now.
“Maybe I was wrong and I hid it somewhere else.” His eyes shifted from one corner of the room to another.
“Wait,” said Zara. “You said ‘go bag’? Were you planning to flee the state before they change their minds and send you back?”
“It crossed my mind,” he admitted, his cheeks reddening. “You kids are doing so well without me, and I surely don’t want to go back behind bars. That’s it. My big secret.” He shrugged, hands open wide. “Can you really blame me?”
Zara rolled her eyes. “I mean, no, but I’m not sure we’re doing so well. Mia’s getting bullied, Eddie has to go to Urgent Care every other week, and I’ve been averaging five hours of sleep for the past year. Where were you headed? Jamaica?”
“Close. Bermuda. It was a bad plan, pure panic, so simply wipe it from your mind. Poof!” He pretended to wave a magic wand, as if that could erase the fact that he’d been considering skipping out on his family.
Then he clapped his hands together. “Better yet, you should all come with me. Well, not you,” he said as an aside, to Lincoln.
“Unless my daughter insists, but she’s not usually one to get too deep with a man.
She keeps it light, you know? Probably gets it from me.
But all you kids, you should all come to Bermuda and we can start a new life.
Hawaii’s getting so commercialized. From now on, it’s the simple life for me.
Back to our sailboat days. What’s wrong? ”
Zara was waving her hands to get him to stop talking. “We’re not starting a new life, Dad. Jesus. You should just relax. Why would they pardon you, then send you straight back to prison? They can’t do that, not unless you commit a new crime.”
He beamed at her, then turned to Lincoln. “Look at my smart lawyer daughter. Beautiful, too, isn’t she, uh…what’d you say your name was?”
Lincoln debated how to answer. Zara hadn’t said his name when she’d introduced them. Maybe that was deliberate, and she didn’t want her father knowing she was hanging out with billionaire Lincoln Kerr.
“I’m Lincoln, a friend of your daughter’s.”
“A friend, huh? Looked like a little more than that.” He winked. “How do you two know each other?”
“He’s the nanny, Dad. Jeez. What does it matter?” Zara pulled out her phone and checked it for messages. “I haven’t heard from Mia and I’m starting to get worried. I need to get to Juicy Java to check on her.”
“Yes, yes, you should go. Both of you,” said Lucky Lou, waving a hand.
He wanted them out of the house, Lincoln realized. Either to do more searching, or for something else. He watched the man steadily, with a growing sense of unease. Lou’s eyes kept darting back and forth, as if he was still looking for something.
The man was lying. All his harmless chatter was masking something.
And what about the odd timing of this pardon? It had come out of the blue. What if Tanaka was behind it? That man had dirt on everyone, probably including the governor of Hawaii. Had he strong-armed him into pardoning Zara’s father? Was Lucky Lou actually here on Tanaka’s behalf?
Just then, Zara’s phone rang. Relief flooded her face as she glanced at the screen, then flashed it at Lincoln. It was Mia.
“Stay right where you are,” she said. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” She turned to Lincoln. “Mia just had a fight with her best friend and she’s sobbing her little heart out.”
He tossed her the keys to the Mercedes. “Go. I’ll stay here and keep your dad company.” Meaning, he’d watch him like a hawk.
Zara froze, looking from one to the other of them. Lou scowled and stared at the floor. He didn’t want Lincoln there, which was exactly why Lincoln didn’t plan to let him out of his sight.
Zara seemed to understand without him explaining. She nodded, then came close and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. “I’m so sorry,” she murmured.
“For what?”
“For what you’re about to experience.” She added, in a whisper so light her father couldn’t possibly hear, “Keep your guard up. He has more tricks than a magician. And whatever you do, don’t tell him you’re a billionaire.”