Chapter Twelve
Lia
“I need you to have Max come get me out of jail.” I turn sideways on my barstool to look at Lucian. We are having breakfast before he leaves for work. As if sensing my eyes on him, he looks up from his perusal of the morning stock report and arches a brow at me in question.
I hold up my finger, telling him to give me a minute as I ask Rose, “What have you done?” I have a bad feeling she has been continuing her crusade to make Jake pay for screwing around on her. I knew things had been entirely too quiet on that front for the last few days.
“Well…” She lowers her voice before continuing, “I might have used my key to go into his apartment while he wasn’t there and put Bengay in his shampoo and body wash. I might also have replaced all of the water in his refrigerator with white vinegar and I maybe used his iPad while I was there and sent an email to his entire contact list asking for advice on the best sexual positions for men with small penises. I even found a small pecker picture on the internet to attach so people could see the scope of the problem. Oh, and I sewed the pants legs closed on all of his jeans. I would have done more, but his roommate interrupted me…and ratted me out.”
“Oh, my God,” I sputter, causing Lucian too look at me warily. “Rose, have you lost your mind? You just got out of jail, and out of curiosity, how in the world did you sew his pants legs closed?”
“I took my portable sewing machine with me. I was going to sew the holes closed on everything the bastard owned, but I got caught.”
I have no idea why, but the whole thing strikes me as hilarious. I start laughing, falling against the bar and almost upending my plate in my lap. When Lucian moves it out of my reach, I laugh even harder. Picturing my Martha Stewart/Lorena Bobbitt friend going to do evil things to her cheating ex with a tube of Bengay in one hand and a sewing machine in the other is just too much. Only Rose would be threading a needle shortly after breaking and entering. When I finally manage to catch my breath, I ask, “So, um, why do you need Max? Aren’t your parents back in town now?”
“Yeah,” she sighs, “they are, but I don’t want to call them. Daddy will be so disappointed in me.” I’m a little puzzled by her statement since she assured me the last time that her daddy would be proud of her for her violence against Jake’s car.
“I thought you said he would be okay with you getting into trouble if you were doing your whole payback thing?”
“He was fine the last time,” she says, “but he wouldn’t be happy with how I went about continuing my revenge. Daddy believes in meeting your problems and solving them head-on. He would think me weak and silly for doing the stuff I did.”
I give Lucian a WTF shrug of confusion as I say slowly, “So, if you had busted up his apartment with a shovel, he would be proud? But since you didn’t resort to violence, he would…not be?” I grimace knowing how crazy this conversation must sound to the man sitting next to me.
“That’s right. I wasn’t raised to play around with people. That doesn’t earn respect.”
“Good grief, Rose, who is your father, Hitler?” I ask, only half-joking. He sounds completely insane. Apparently, the man had drilled the whole ‘eye for an eye’ mantra in his daughter from an early age, and he meant it, literally. I bet Jake will seriously rue the day he ever met her before this is over.
“It’s just the way we are,” she says, not seeming to understand my amazement at the whole thing. “So listen, Deputy what’s-his-face over here is telling me my time is up. Can you please call Max and send him down here? He’s not taking my calls.”
“Wait…what? Maybe he’s just busy this morning.”
“He hasn’t been taking my calls since we got hot and heavy in his car. He’s trying to take the moral high ground even though he’s dying to fuck me.” I hear someone in the background, choking out, ‘time’s up.’ “I gotta go. Please have Lucian call him.” The line goes dead and I pull my cellphone away, staring at it as if it holds the answers I desperately need. Has the world gone completely mad? My best friend sure has.
Lucian plucks the phone from my hand and sits patiently, waiting for an explanation. “So…do you think you could ask Max to go to the police station and help Rose out this morning?”
After taking a long sip of his coffee, he says, “Of course. And what shall I tell Max is the problem this time?” His face is a cross between amused and resigned as I drop my head in my hands before repeating what Rose just told me. When I’m finished, he deadpans, “Your friend and her family are fucking nuts.”
“Luc!” I protest, although I know it’s weak at best. “She’s just going through a tough time right now.” It’s all I’ve got in the way of defense for her. After her comment about Max, I’m beginning to wonder whether she’s on a mission for revenge on Jake or to get Max Decker’s attention. Whichever it is, I hope she stops before she ends up behind bars for more than a few hours.
Lucian grabs his own phone and places a call to Max. I hear the other man yelling from where I’m sitting. Finally, Luc seems to have heard enough and snaps, “If you don’t want to do it, send one of the junior lawyers.” Max says something else I don’t catch. “All right then, take care of it.”
“Is someone going to help her?” I ask tentatively when he continues to scan the stock reports as if nothing has happened.
“Max is on his way to the police department now. I’m sure he’ll be able to get her out.”
“Max is going himself?” I ask for clarification. After all of the yelling, I can’t imagine him going if he could send someone else.
Lucian puts his iPad aside as he pulls me from my chair and onto his lap. “Yep, apparently he can’t stand to be around her but doesn’t want anyone else to be either. Go figure.” Before I can reply, he lowers his mouth to mine, nipping at my lower lip before slipping his tongue inside my mouth when I gasp. His tongue plunges over and over, reminding me of how he fucks. I wasn’t sure how he would act this morning after everything that happened between us last night, but he has been relaxed and almost loving. That seems to have changed, though, in the last few moments. Now he’s like a barely-leashed stallion, just on the edge of breaking free.
As his mouth continues to devour mine, he pushes a hand up my thin T-shirt, finding my bare, erect nipple. I moan into his mouth as he pulls on the sensitive peak, causing it to throb and beg for his attention. My core floods with moisture as he continues to work my body into a frenzy. I rub my bottom against his rapidly hardening cock, frustrated by the clothing separating us. “Luc, please,” I cry, as he drops his hand to the needy spot between my legs. “I need you now,” I groan. He has just touched my wet slit when there is a knock at the door. His hand pauses and I almost scream in frustration. “No! They’ll go away,” I whisper against him as I lick his neck. I feel him shudder. His hand begins to move against my clit again before another knock sounds.
“Ah, fuck.” He sounds as desperate as I feel. “It’s Sam, baby. I’ve got a meeting in half an hour, and he’s here to pick me up.”
“No, no,” I moan as I throw my arms around his neck. “Stay with me today.”
He chuckles softly as he pries my hands loose. “You have no idea how much I’d like that, sweetheart. Sam’s not going away, though, and as much as I hate it, I’ve got to go.” He gives me another kiss before putting me down on my feet. We both look at his prominently displayed cock, which is pushing against the zipper of his pants as if fighting to get out. I hand him his suit jacket off the back of the chair.
“You might want to cover that before someone gets hurt,” I joke, perversely glad to see he is suffering as much as I am. I walk him to the door where he calls to Sam that he’ll be out in a minute.
I jump in shock when he suddenly palms my core, resting his hand between my legs. “No touching this today, no matter how much you want to. This belongs to me, and I’ll have it tonight.” When I only laugh in reply, he pushes me back against the wall, growling in my ear. “Who owns your pussy, baby?”
I wonder briefly why his show of dominance after all I’ve been through doesn’t scare me. I think it’s because I want nothing more than to belong to this man and no matter how much he likes to dominate me in bed, I know he would never raise a hand to physically hurt me. Even knowing what he does, he doesn’t treat me as if I’m fragile. He lets me know how much he wants me with every look and every touch. I lower my hand to cover his, until we are both pressing against my damp heat. “You own it, Luc. You and only you.”
Our joined hands are rubbing my aching clit when an amused voice calls through the door. “Come on, kids; Luc needs to go to work now.” We both burst out laughing, feeling like teenagers caught making out. I give him a quick kiss and push him out the door before Sam can see my bedraggled appearance. I’m certain he knows what we were up to, though.
The desire to finish what we started is pounding through me, but I resist. An idea is forming as I walk back toward the kitchen to clean up our breakfast dishes. I have a few hours left to shower and call Debra to catch up before I head downtown to deliver a surprise lunch to Lucian: me.
Lucian
I’m frustrated as I finish my call with Peter Jacks. Peter told me Lee is out of town on business and should be back by the end of the week. I had asked the other man point-blank if his brother had security on Lia. The extra security I have in place at the apartment has noticed a couple of guys who appeared to be doing some type of surveillance. Peter hadn’t wanted to admit anything at first, but when I threatened to have the men arrested the next time, he admitted they were employed by his brother. Truthfully, I’m relieved. Even though I don’t think Jim Dawson could get past my security, I’m still glad to have a few extra sets of eyes on the building.
If not for Lia’s stepfather still being somewhere out there, I’d be happy not to hear from Lee Jacks for a while. He is a ticking time bomb, which I don’t have the time or the energy to deal with right now. Lia and I are in a good place despite the drama of last night. I think we are both at peace with our decision to leave any consequences that arise from our unprotected sex to fate. We will of course use condoms until we know for sure one way or the other, but there is nothing to do now but wait.
I had actually been shocked to discover that Lia felt as I did about not taking the morning-after pill. Even though it would have been hard, I would have supported any decision she made.
When Cassie had found out she was pregnant, she had been determined to have an abortion. I had been in no way ready to be a father, but after losing my parents in an accident, which I had had no control over, I just couldn’t stand the thought of voluntarily ending a life. I had promised Cassie the world if she would go through with the pregnancy.
Even with medication, her mental and emotional health had always been shaky at best. She would be on top of the world one minute and staring at the walls without speaking the next. As close as Aidan and I were to her, she had gone weeks at a time without speaking to us. Then suddenly, out of the blue, she would be back to normal as if nothing had happened. There was never any rhyme or reason to these drastic mood swings, at least that we were aware of. I suspected that much of her troubles centered on her home life, but she never actually came out and admitted that. For all of the years I was friends and then more with her, I find when I think back that I never really knew her.
Cassie was a girl and then a woman of secrets. I met her father on a few occasions through the years and he seemed perfectly normal, although Cassie always seemed almost afraid of him. Her mother had passed away when she was a baby, or at least that was Cassie’s version of the story. Her father was the manager at a local lumber mill and worked long hours. Cassie seemed to have the freedom to come and go as she pleased, which I used to envy when Aunt Fae was keeping tighter reins on me. I’ve often wondered in the last eight years if my feelings of unease about her father were totally off. Could it have been Cassie who was the problem all along, and her father just another victim of her sickness? Maybe he was as powerless as I was to help someone who continued to spiral out of control. He took off shortly after Cassie and I were engaged. I have no idea where he is now. I do know he was contacted when she was hospitalized, but he never showed up. Regardless of what she had done, the burden of caring for her ultimately fell on my shoulders, especially since I refused to press charges against her. What was the fucking point? She was completely out of it and would have been institutionalized anyway, and again, the guilt I felt for my part in her ultimate undoing was also a big factor.
I jerk in surprise as my cell phone rings. I see Max’s name on the ID and brace myself to hear him raging over Lia’s friend, Rose. I have no idea what is going on there, and I don’t really want to know. I suspect from Max’s reaction to her that he has either fucked her or is damn close. “Quinn,” I answer, resigned to hearing the tirade I know is coming.
“Luc…I need to see you today.” Just wonderful. Apparently, it’s bad enough that he wants some face time to rant. Maybe fucking Rose is exactly what he needs; they both appear to be wound entirely too tight. Of course, she’s likely to sew his balls to his leg when it’s over, but everyone has problems.
“Max,” I sigh, as I twirl my pen between my fingers. “She’s Lia’s friend. I know she’s crazy, but just do this…”
“It’s not that,” he says in a tone, which sounds dead serious. “I’m probably going to be a couple more hours between getting Rose released and dropping off some papers at the courthouse. Are you going to be in the office all afternoon?”
He has my attention now. Max isn’t one to cry wolf without a reason. “Yeah, I’ll be in. Stop by when you arrive.” I’m uneasy when the call ends, wondering what’s going on. I ponder calling him back and demanding an explanation, but if he wants to meet in person, then there’s a reason. Instead of dwelling on it, I grab some workout clothes and decide to burn off some adrenaline before I have Cindy pick up my lunch.
I’ve just rounded the five-mile mark on the treadmill as sweat trickles down my chest when I hear a noise behind me. I glance over, expecting to see Cindy, but instead the sight that greets me damn near causes me to break my fucking neck. Lia is standing there with a hungry expression as her eyes devour me, and she’s completely…naked. Not a stitch of clothing in sight. I stumble, precariously close to going down as she runs over and unplugs the treadmill. I manage to hold it together until the belt stops.
“OH, MY GOD! I’m so sorry.” She puts a hand over her chest as if trying to calm herself. “I wanted to surprise you, but I never thought about it making you fall.” She looks at me in alarm as I exit the machine, my legs jelly-like and wobbly. She takes my arm as if bracing me. “Are you okay?” Actually, now that the shock has worn off and I’ve made it to steady ground without crashing, I’m just horny…completely turned-on by the woman clutching me.
I use the arm she’s not holding to grab my water bottle and swallow half of it. I wipe the excess off with the back of my hand before answering. “No, I seem to have a problem…a big one.” At my words, her eyes run up and down my body, scanning for injuries and finding none. She looks adorably confused and concerned. I decide to take mercy on her and help her out. Taking her hand from my arm, I lower it until she is holding my hard cock in her palm. “That’s what I need help with, baby.” I thrust against her hold and chuckle as her eyes go big as saucers. She seems so surprised that it makes me wonder what she’d been expecting when she walked in here naked. She has to know by now that I only have to see her to get hard. I am a fucking walking erection since I met her. The fact that she doesn’t seem to know it makes me want her more.
She licks her lips, and I almost lose it. “You’re not wearing a shirt,” she says on something similar to a moan. I grin wolfishly as my hands slide over her silky flesh. Her eyes are glazed, and I know without touching her that she’s wet for me. I begin pulling her closer when she suddenly drops through my hands and onto her knees. Okay, I’ll admit, I didn’t see that coming, but I’m more than ready to see where she’s going with this. My cock is hoping it’ll involve those plump, pink lips. When she looks up at me and starts tugging my shorts down, I fight the urge to fist pump. Her nails drag across my thighs as she lowers my shorts, causing shivers to race through my body. My dick literally leaps free from the waistband and I hiss as the cool air hits the hot flesh. She is sitting back on her heels now, staring at it, as if mesmerized.
“Suck it, baby,” I urge as I take the length in my hand and shake it lightly in her face. When her tongue reaches out and delicately licks the bead of moisture off the tip, I almost blow my load all over her. I plant my legs firmly and brace myself as she begins licking me as if I’m the best ice cream she’s ever had. Her hand nudges mine away from the base of my cock as she encircles my girth and starts pumping upwards to meet her lips. Watching her mouth take me is one of the hottest things I’ve ever seen in my life. Fuck, who am I kidding? It’s the hottest hands-down. I’m too big for her to take all the way, but she gives it her best shot. I feel myself sliding halfway down her throat as she struggles to control her gag reflex. When I start to pull back, she holds on, refusing to let me stop. “Ah, fuck, that feels so good,” I moan as I run my hand through her hair, guiding her mouth.
I try to draw back when I feel my balls tighten, and I know I’m seconds from blowing. “Baby, I’m coming,” I warn, trying to give her a chance to release me. Instead, she sucks harder, her mouth forming a vacuum that I’m helpless to resist. I feel my spine tingle as the first spurt shoots from my cock and into her hot mouth. It seems to go on forever, and I wonder how she’s keeping up without choking. She swallows everything I give her and licks my cock as if asking for more.
I slump back against the wall behind me, feeling faint as she finally releases me. When she raises her hand to wipe a trickle of cum from the corner of her mouth and then licks her finger, I almost declare my love on the spot. However, having me profess my undying devotion seconds after she sucked my cock might not exactly be the romantic gesture she’s been dreaming of, so I wisely keep my mouth shut. “Was it…good?” she asks shyly. I wonder how she could possibly doubt that it was mind-blowing; everyone on this floor probably heard me yelling out my pleasure.
“It was phenomenal,” I assure her as I finally find the strength to move. I pick her up before lowering her to the treadmill. I flip her onto her stomach then fall to my knees behind her. She moves her legs apart instinctively and I groan when I see the moisture glistening between her thighs. Even in this position, it’s impossible to miss how wet and swollen she is. She is past ready to be fucked.
“I…I brought some condoms,” she manages to say, as I trail a finger over her slit. I see her pointing to a box on the floor beside her purse. It’s not the brand I’ve always purchased so I know she bought these herself. As I study the box, she stutters, “I…um…had Sam stop on the way. I…didn’t know if you had any.” I smile in reply, not wanting to burst her bubble by telling her that every man over the age of fifteen has a condom on hand. I didn’t want her to think for even a moment that I kept them for anyone else.
“And did you tell Sam what you were buying?” I pick up the box and feel like a stud when I see she’s bought the large size. It just so happens that she knows that part of my body well, and the rubber is a perfect fit. After I sheath myself, I return my attention to her sopping pussy.
“I…er…no,” she moans as I push one finger inside her snug passage.
“What reason did you give him then?” I bite off a chuckle as she gives me a snort of impatience. Her hips push back against my hand, trying to force me deeper. She is clearly tired of my idle conversation and my teasing finger, which hasn’t fully penetrated her yet. “Answer the question,” I say, smacking her ass to get her attention.
“Ouch!” she yells, but I hear her breathing catch as fresh moisture flows onto my hand. “I didn’t tell him what I needed!” she snaps. “I know he could tell I was embarrassed, so he probably assumed it was for…personal products.”
“Good girl.” I praise her patience as I remove my finger. She is in the middle of protesting when I line my cock up with her opening and bury myself to the hilt inside her, my balls slapping against her ass. I work my body over hers, holding my full weight from her on my arms. My chest rests against her back and my groin is on top of her ass. The position is gritty, erotic, and dominant—all of the things I love.
“Luc!” she shudders, as her body struggles to accommodate me. I still for a moment, buried deep inside her as she adjusts. When her hips start to circle, I pull out almost completely before surging back in. She’s so tight and wet her body makes a sucking noise as if trying to hold me inside as I thrust repeatedly. “Luc…Oh, God, yes!” she moans. It sends me over the edge when she says my name in that high, breathy way. I’ve joked before that she only calls me Luc when she’s coming, and that’s exactly what she’s doing now. Her body is beginning to spasm, and I’m lost. She wrings my cock dry as I explode inside her. In that moment, I hate the fucking condom that keeps me from bathing her pussy in my cum. It’s the basest of needs to stake my claim, even though no one but me would know.
I wrap one arm around her waist and roll us both off the treadmill and to the side. I sit her aside for a moment to dispose of the condom in my bathroom trashcan before returning to the floor. I put my back against the wall and she sits in my lap, my cock now at half-mast against her hip. She feels boneless against me as our hearts race in tandem before slowing. “You okay?” I ask as I slowly stroke my hand up and down her arm. I smile against the top of her head as goose bumps cover the skin I touch. No matter how many times we’re together, our reaction to each other never lessens. After coming twice, I could be ready to go again with just a look or touch from her.
“I’m great,” she answers, snuggling further into my chest. I’ve never been much of a cuddler, but I love holding her. In moments such as this, I can almost believe that nothing will ever come between us. While she’s relaxed and content, I decide to dig deeper. I’m worried about how she’s dealing with everything that’s happened to her. She seems to have turned a corner almost overnight, and truthfully, even though I’m happy, it also unsettles me to think that maybe she’s trying to bury what happened to her instead of confronting it. I know that it’s completely fucked-up on my part to try to push her to deal with her trauma when I’ve done nothing for eight years but run from mine. I just can’t stand for her to let it all fester, though, and end up eating away at her day-by-day as mine has. “Are you really okay?” She freezes against me and know she understands my question has nothing to do with where she is in this moment.
“I…I’m fine, Lucian,” she laughs, but it’s devoid of humor. “How could I not be after that?” she asks, trying to deflect the question.
“I’m just worried about you. You were so depressed after we came home from the hospital, but the last few days you’ve been almost your usual self again. I don’t want you to feel as if you have to pretend with me. I’m here for you. Anything you need, baby, I’ve got you.”
She pulls away both physically and emotionally, and I let her. What right do I have to force her to open herself up to me when I haven’t done the same with her? She is almost out of my lap when suddenly she stops. I sit quietly, waiting to see what she’s going to do. I continue to stay quiet when she drops back into my lap. My arms automatically come back around her. “You know when I told you how I hated hearing people at the hospital tell me I was so lucky I survived and wasn’t raped?”
My gut clenches, but I keep my voice level as I say, “I remember.”
“The thing is, this last attack was more unexpected and violent, which was harder for me to get over, but…this is my normal, Lucian. It wasn’t the first time he put his hands on me. That he touched me that way. As sick as it is, I’m not as messed-up as I should be because I long ago learned that it was something I had to lock away in order to live my life. If I didn’t, the shame and humiliation would kill me. I’d crawl into myself and never come back out. Therefore, as much as I never wanted to tell you this or admit it to you, I’m okay because I long ago accepted that I had to be. Otherwise, he wins every time, and that is something I cannot live with, even now. I hate him. I fucking hate that he gets to breathe the same air I do. But even though he’s brought me down time and again, he hasn’t kept me down. I’ll never let him have the satisfaction of doing that to me. Maybe that makes me a coward for accepting what I’ve never been able to change, but it’s how I’m still here.”
“Oh, baby.” I pull her closer, once again feeling awed at her strength and destroyed at what she’s gone through. “Don’t ever think of yourself as a coward. There isn’t a weak bone in your body. You are an amazing woman, and I…”
“Luc, are you in there?” We both gasp when a voice rings out in the next room. “Max is here to see you. Should I send him in?” Lia squeals in horror, jumping to her feet and grabbing frantically for her clothes.
I can’t help it; the whole thing is comical to me. Lia is shooting daggers at me as she hops around with one foot in her pants, trying to balance while she finds the other opening. “Lucian! What are you laughing at? For God’s sake, put some clothes on and tell Cindy to wait! She wasn’t at her desk when I came in. Sam brought me up and then left for lunch. He was supposed to pick me up in an hour.”
I finally pull myself to my feet and stroll naked out of the room and into my office. I’m far from a prude, but the last thing Max probably wants to see today is my cock. I push the button to answer Cindy’s page. “Give me just a minute; I’m…finishing up something here.” I see Lia in the doorway of the workout room with her pants now on. She is attempting to snap her front closure bra and fumbling because of the cast on one hand. My dick is watching her tits bounce in rapt attention.
She sees my hardening length and holds up a hand as if to ward me off. “No, oh, no! Put that thing away now.” I know it’s evil, but I can’t help but tease her first. I palm my cock, stroking it as I stare at her. Her hands stop as she watches me mesmerized. I walk slowly, continuing my movements until I’m directly in front of her. “I…I…”
I chuckle as she continues to stammer out words that make no sense. I know with certainty that if I touched her now, she’d let me go balls-deep again without protesting. We are both slaves to our desire for each other. I point to her tits, tossing her earlier words back at her. “Put those away before someone comes in.” I help her with the snap before I move to find my own clothes. Having a little fun at her expense probably wasn’t the best idea. I wince as I stuff my hard cock back into my boxers and then my slacks. I gingerly pull the zipper up and shift my dick to a more comfortable location. After running and having sex, I could desperately use a shower, but there is no time now.
By the time I finish dressing, Lia is fully clothed and waiting in my office. I put my arm around her, pulling her into me for a brief kiss. I have my hand on the doorknob, turning it to see her out, when she looks back over her shoulder and says, “I love you,” before pulling the door open. I melt inside, now starting to crave those words from her instead of dreading them. I wonder if she has any idea that those same words had been on the tip of my tongue when Cindy interrupted us.
There is no more time to think as Max walks toward us, looking nervous while Cindy and Sam are smiling as if Christmas has just come early. What in the hell is wrong with everyone today? “I’ll call you later, baby,” I say to Lia as Max walks into my office. “Sam, make sure Lia gets into the apartment before you leave.” As I shut the doors to my office, I see Cindy beaming at Lia. Yeah, she’s the golden child here now, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I’m in a mellow, relaxed mood after my lunch encounter when I settle behind my desk and wait for Max to begin his rant on Lia’s friend. Maybe she mauled him in his car again. I am in no way expecting the words that finally come from his lips. “Jim Dawson is dead. Carly called me a few hours ago and told me his body had been pulled from the French Broad River last night.”
“Son of a bitch,” I hiss. That’s the last thing I was expecting to hear. “He drowned?”
Max shakes his head, looking somber. “No, cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head. They estimate he’d been in the water about eight hours before he was caught on a tree branch and someone walking by saw him.” My mind goes to Lee Jacks’ absence, and I can’t help but wonder. The man in me who’s Hell-bent on retribution for Lia wants to fucking shout for joy. Regardless of Lee’s need to make Jim Dawson suffer for his crimes against Lia, we both knew she would never really be free while he was still alive.
I give my lawyer and friend a blank look, saying, “If you’re looking for some sign that I give a damn the bastard is dead, then you’ll be sorely disappointed. Good fucking riddance to another piece of trash the world doesn’t want nor need.” I think it’s the kindest statement I can make about someone I loathe so much.
Max exhales and leans back in his chair. “Personally, Luc, I agree with every word you just said. Professionally, I’d advise you to keep those sentiments to yourself. I don’t expect it to be anything other than a formality, but the police want to question both you and Lia.”
“You’re kidding!” I look at Max incredulously. “Why in the world would we be questioned because that bastard is dead? No one’s heard from him since he attacked Lia.”
“I know, Luc, but you’re both the most likely people to have had a grudge against him. I can tell you now, though, that the police are just going through the motions with this one. There’s not going to be anyone on the sidelines jumping up and down, demanding justice. It’ll be a quick few questions about your whereabouts and whether you’ve had any contact with him.”
My anger spikes as I imagine Lia having to go through something else involving her stepfather. She is doing so much better that I hate to bring the memories crashing down on her. “Listen, I’ll talk to them. They can ask me whatever the hell they want, but I don’t want them talking to Lia.”
Max runs a hand through his hair, looking tired but resigned. “I’m sorry, but neither of you have a choice. Carly will be dropping by your apartment this evening to talk to both of you. You need to go ahead and tell Lia what’s happened so she’ll be prepared. I’ll be there, too, if you need me.”
“Fuck!” I snarl, slamming my hand on my desk. Even dead, this bastard just won’t go away.
“Luc, in the scope of things, this is good news for Lia, I would think. She can live her life now without looking over her shoulder and other than being questioned tonight, this ends the police investigation. When her mother turned herself in, she confessed and pleaded guilty, so the judge will decide her fate. You just have to get through this and it’s over.”
“You’re right,” I say, finally relaxing somewhat. This is more closure than Lia could have probably ever hoped for. “Do you think you need to be there tonight when we’re questioned?”
“No.” He shakes his head. “As I said, Carly pretty much let me know that this is strictly for paperwork. If she thought it necessary, she would have made that clear. Have you…thought anymore about telling Lia about her real father?”
I know full well what he’s really doing. Both he and I know it’s a little coincidental that Jim Dawson has suddenly turned up dead a short time after Lee Jacks found out he had a daughter. The lawyer in him doesn’t want to ask me such a pointed question. “As soon as she’s fully recovered, I’ll try to find a way to approach it. I believe he’s out of town right now, though.”
“In Chicago visiting a new company he just acquired,” Max surprises me by volunteering. “I saw it in the business section of the paper yesterday. Pretty high-profile photo-op with the mayor.”
“Hmmm,” I say in the way of a reply. Maybe Lee Jacks is building an alibi should he ever need one. He would have to realize that when his connection to Lia becomes known, he might be a suspect in her stepfather’s death, especially with his sketchy background. I’d find it hard to believe the police would be interested in going after someone of Lee’s influence, though. I imagine he’s banking on that fact but is laying a safety net just in case.
“Listen, I also checked into that other matter which recently reawakened, so to speak.”
My thoughts are immediately pulled from Lee and focused back on Max. “What matter would that be?” I say, curious. The last thing I need right now is another fucking problem on my plate.
“So, you didn’t officially tell me to check into it, but I spoke with Cassie’s care coordinator to get an update as to what’s happening with her…”
“I believe I told you not to do anything right now.” It’s not that I’m pissed that he ignored what I said; hell, I pay him a small fortune to overthink things for me. I just don’t want to be forced to think of Cassie today…or any other day, for that matter. Maybe I’m a heartless bastard, but how much can I be expected to forgive? She already owns my dreams; do I have to give her my waking hours, as well? Even after what he witnessed eight years ago, I know Aidan still wants me to forgive her, if for nothing else than old times’ sake. It’s never gonna fucking happen. As close as we are, there are things he doesn’t know. He wants to blame what she did to me on mental illness. What he doesn’t know is that she was doing her best to end me before she ever took a knife to my throat.
“It’s my job to keep you advised on any changes with her. That’s why you added me as a guardian along with Aidan. I was curious after our last conversation and felt I needed to know what was going on…for your sake.”
“And?” I ask, not wanting to hear him confirm Aidan’s assessment that Cassie is getting better.
“Her coordinator believes she is showing marked improvement for the first time.” My stomach rolls and see by the look in his eyes that he understands the effect his words are having on me.
“Just how much improvement are we talking here?”
“It’s hard to say without seeing her in person, but they seem quite surprised by her rapid turnaround. I believe they called it, ‘communicating effectively,’ whatever the hell that means.” Looking as grave as I feel, he says, “Maybe you should visit her and see for yourself.”
“That’s never going to happen,” I reply, leaving no room for argument in my voice. I don’t want to see her again…ever.
“I understand,” he answers, and I know he does. “I instructed her coordinator to send me weekly progress reports for now. It may not turn out to be anything, but I believe we should closely monitor the situation until we know more.” If it were anyone but Cassie, it might almost seem sad to hear someone reduced to being called a ‘situation.’ In her case, however, it’s a kindness compared to the alternatives. “One thing, though, surprised me from her report this month. I had them email it to me following our conversation.” I wave my hand impatiently, wanting to be finished with this. “There has been one other visitor twice this month, besides Aidan.”
He has my full attention now as I look at him in shock. I never had restrictions placed on her visitors because there was no need. To my knowledge, she had no one in her life other than her father, Aidan, and myself. “What? Who?”
When he says the name, I can only gape at him. “Why in the hell would Monique Chandler be visiting Cassie?” I know Aidan has been casually dating…fucking her, but I can’t believe he would have her accompany him on his visit to the woman he’s in love with. “Aidan has lost his mind.” Actually, that much was apparent when he continued to see the bitch after their initial date. Once had been more than enough for me. Monique was the kind of woman who made a man want to put a hand over his cock and run in the other direction.
“That’s just it.” Max shakes his head in apparent confusion. “She wasn’t there on the same day either time that Aidan was. She appears to have visited her on her own.”
“That makes no sense whatsoever.” I’m truly puzzled by this information and more than a little troubled. If Aidan has gone as far as to tell Monique about Cassie, I wouldn’t be surprised that she would try to check her competition out. She’s a nosy bitch, and it’s something I wouldn’t put past her. Maybe she was double-checking Aidan’s story if he gave her one. But why the second visit?
“I can have them block her from seeing Cassie again if you would like. I have no idea what’s going on, but I don’t like it.”
I thumb my hand on the desk for a moment before saying, “no, let’s not take that step yet. I want to know if she continues to go. If the first time was out of sheer nosiness and she didn’t manage to satisfy her curiosity for some reason, she might have gone back. If it happens again, then something’s going on. Don’t mention it to Aidan yet. I don’t want him putting a stop to it or tipping Monique off that we know. Tell them that you want to be notified immediately if and when she visits again.”
“Consider it done,” he replies as he rises from his chair. “Lia looks good.” He gives a genuine smile for the first time since entering my office.
“She is amazing.” I decide not to tell him about the pregnancy scare until when and if it becomes an actual reality. Right now, it’s just a lot of speculation of what could happen. We are still weeks away from knowing whether our rounds of unprotected sex have consequences. He is almost at the door when I ask, “By the way, how did things work out with Rose this morning?” If not for watching him closely, I would have missed the tightening of his shoulders and the stiffening of his spine. It appears I’ve hit on a sore subject.
He spins back around, looking flushed. I study him in amazement. My normally cool chief counsel only seems to lose it when Rose is involved. Interesting. We all have an Achilles’ heel, and it would appear that she is his. “That woman is fucking insane! If not for Lia, I would have instructed the police to leave her there. I swear, she was completely unconcerned with her arrest. When I got there, she had two female deputies taking notes on how to make their own scented candles with common household items. I mean, in the last few weeks alone, she has taken a shovel to her ex-boyfriend’s car and then done a whole laundry list of evil shit to his apartment.”
I burst out laughing, unable to stop myself. The look of sheer incredulity on his face is priceless. “I believe she answers to Martha Harry,” I say, remembering her and Lia laughing over it on her recent visit to the apartment. It sounds accurate. I go on to explain the reasoning behind the name to Max who nods in complete agreement.
“That sounds about right. I’m telling you, Luc, she scares the ever-living hell out of me. The shit she does, and then afterwards, instead of regretting her actions, she’s on some kind of a high…a humping-my-leg one.”
By the look on his face, I don’t think he meant to verbalize that last part of his statement. He is shifting around uncomfortably now, looking like he’s ready to bolt. No doubt, Lia will have the full story soon. I’m not sure I even want to know. I decide to take pity on him and not question him about the humping part. “Er…so, I take it you got her off?” Oh, fucking hell, I inwardly groan at my poor choice of words. Max turns his face into the door and collapses against it. “I meant the charges, dammit!” I say laughingly. “I don’t want to know what you two did afterwards. I mean, crime doesn’t pay, right?” It’s evil, but I can’t resist adding, “But it sure as hell makes you horny.”
He wrenches the door open, not bothering to look back. “Fuck you, Quinn,” he throws over his shoulder. I lose it again when I hear Cindy scolding him for his language from the reception area. “Sorry, Cindy,” he grovels as he slinks off. God, that woman is amazing. She doesn’t take any shit off any of us, especially if it’s directed at me. I work hard to stay on her good side. I make a mental note to give her another pay raise; she deserves it for adding insult to Max’s injury.
Glancing at my watch, I see I have about fifteen minutes before my next meeting. Just enough time to finish some emails so I can head home immediately after the meeting. I need to talk to Lia before she hears about Jim Dawson from someone else. If not for Lee Jacks lurking on the horizon, I would believe that this is the final key to setting her free from her past.