Chapter 15

Leo

I’d thought about Kya all morning, and it didn’t help that she’d looked so hot the night before. After she stormed out, I wished I’d gone after her and made her listen. She had to understand my side of it, even though it was the wrong side. It was all I could do. My hands were tied.

As I walked back into the office after lunch, I knew I had to go down and talk to my father about the new evidence in the case. This was not only going to make us look like assholes, but we’d never win.

“Hi, Edith,” I said, greeting my father’s secretary.

She glanced up from her computer screen. “If you’re looking for your father, he’s in his office. I don’t even think he’s busy.” She returned to her work as I walked inside.

I found my father behind his desk, his head down focused on his phone in front of him. “How do you get this damned thing to turn back on?”

“Hey, Dad. What’s the trouble?”

“This piece of shit, for one. I tried to turn up the volume so I could hear my conversations, and for some reason, the damned sound is gone. Even my games, my ringtones. Piece of shit. I remember the good old days when we thought a cordless was the key to all our problems.”

“Here, let me look at it. I need to talk to you anyway.” I took the phone, and in two seconds or less, I had his phone fixed. “That should do it.”

He looked at the screen as I sat down across from him and hoped my fixing it had put him in a better mood. “I know you probably don’t want to hear it, but there’s bad news with the White case.”

“What kind of bad news?” His voice was rough and suspicious.

“Well, for one, the evidence shows he is, in fact, guilty. The numbers, the withdrawals made by him. He didn’t even bother covering it up most of the time. Then there’s the whole Kya thing. I know it doesn’t matter to you, but it sure does to me, and it could to anyone else who wants to point it out, like the plaintiffs.” I didn’t think telling him about my dinner date would do anything to help my case, so I kept my mouth shut about that. I’d made sure I’d gone to the one restaurant in town where I could depend on discretion.

The old man sat quietly a minute, almost as if he hadn’t heard me. “Is there any way you can spin it. Make it look like he had the right?”

“No. Not unless I could prove he spent it on the band, but he didn’t. He took countless vacations, spent money on toys and parties, none of which the band was even invited to, much less for their benefit.”

“See if you can find anything else in the contract between them, a way to make it seem as if they’re mistreating him, something that might deflect a little.”

I couldn’t believe what I’d heard. “I don’t see why you’re so hell-bent on defending a man like this. He’s a piece of shit. He’s disrespectful, has no care of his reputation, or much less how he makes us look.”

“It’s the name of the game, son. Try to find a spin. It’s there. There’s always one in every case.”

“If not, then what? I can’t believe you’re making me do this. I wish for once you’d just be my father and understand where I’m coming from. This man stole millions from Kya, and you’re okay with that? Doesn’t it affect you at all?”

“And we could lose millions if this case goes wrong. Get yourself together and see if you can’t spin it. They are bound to have done something. There are always two sides, son. Find out what they’ve done on theirs, and let’s get this case resolved.”

I had to go. I had to get away from the man. I walked out of the office and didn’t even look at Edith as she said a farewell. I stormed my way back to my office, past Tabby, and slammed the door.

I went to my desk and took my phone out of my pocket and dialed Kya’s number. I needed to talk to her, not just because I hated being on the case, but because I didn’t think I’d stand another minute without hearing her voice.

She answered with a pissy tone, “I don’t want to talk to you.”

“Please. Let me see you.”

“See me? Leonard, you’re the one who said we couldn’t meet up.”

“I could come to your place. I mean, if you’ll have me? I’d like to talk. I have some information I think you need to know about.”

“Fine, but I’m not talking to you about the case from our end. If you want to show all of your cards, I’ll let you.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you. What time?”

“I could see you around seven thirty. Don’t be late.” The forceful tone really turned me on, and I was glad I’d convinced her to see me.

She hung up the phone without a goodbye, and I realized I was going to have to try my damnedest to make it up to her. She was right to be angry about the situation, but I wanted her to put that angry energy to better use.

I spent the rest of my afternoon counting down the minutes until time to get off work. Then, I spent the rest of my evening getting ready to see her, hoping I could bring her out of her mood. I stopped off at the store for a bottle of wine, and when I got to her house, I still had ten minutes to spare.

I knocked and waited, hearing footsteps on the other side, and then she opened the door looking like a million bucks. I could see why so many adored her, knowing only her songs and the beauty that was only a small part of who she really was.

“Come in.”

“Thanks for seeing me.” I held out the bottle of wine. “You look beautiful.” She wore a blush-colored cotton dress and flats that were just a shade darker. Her hair was swept back from her face, and a couple of tattoos peeked out from her sleeves.

She looked at the bottle like I was offering her a bug and then shrugged, taking it from my hand. “Yeah, I’m still not sure it’s the best idea for me.”

“Come on, Kya, don’t be pissed off at me. It doesn’t suit you.” I stepped past her as she held the door and looked around her home as she shut the door.

Her place was small and pretty, not too flashy or strange or even what you might expect a rock diva’s house to look like. But it was clean, and there weren’t signs of a wild party or even another man in her life, which was good. “Nice place you’ve got here.”

“Thank you. I’ve spent the last hour cleaning it, so if smell like lemons, it’s the furniture polish.” She walked to the couch, offered me a seat, and then placed the wine on the kitchen counter.

I lowered myself to the cushion, never taking my eyes off her. “You didn’t have to clean up on my account. I used to see your bedroom, remember?” Of course, that was at a time before the two of us had any interest in sex. And once we got old enough to, her father had stopped letting me come over and hang out in her room. We had to go the garage or the backyard.

She seemed like she wanted to smile, but she didn’t. She took a seat on the far end away from me but angled her body toward me. “I remember that, but I’m sure you didn’t come here hoping to tell me about old times. You said there was some information about the case, something you needed to show me.” Nope, just as cold as she could be.

I tried to think of something to tell her because, in truth, there really wasn’t any newfound evidence. I’d just wanted to see her again, but there was no way I’d tell her that. “I found the proof, so I know you’ve got a case.”

She rolled her eyes, and the smile on her face wasn’t her usual pleasant one. “That’s it? Tell me something I don’t know. But I have a feeling I know way more than you. Like the fact that he tried to pay salaries to people who didn’t even work for us? Have you found that little piece of evidence yet?”

My mouth hung open like a fool. “I haven’t. I thought you weren’t going to show your hand.”

“You look like you need a little help.” She got up and went to the kitchen.

I looked over, my eyes following her to the other room. She took the bottle of wine and put it in the fridge, and then she pulled out another that had been chilled and found two glasses. “I need a drink, and since I never drink alone, I’ll pour you one too.”

“Thanks.” I got up and walked to the counter. She handed me the glass, and I took it, hoping a drink would ease us both. “Look, Kya. I lied.” That brought her head around, and she narrowed her eyes. I held my hand up to let me finish. “I just really wanted to see you.”

“But you’re still helping that man?”

“Kya, there’s no letting up for my father. I know I was a real dick last time, and what happened between us at Seth’s party wasn’t an excuse for it. I just wanted to say I’m sorry, and I hope we can start on a better foot.”

She stared at me, her eyes wide and clear. “Thank you for saying that. And for my part, I’m sorry too. You know, for a moment, you were still that sweet boy I loved.”

I searched her eyes and hoped to make myself clear enough. “I’m still in here, Kya.”

She moved closer and reached out to put her arm around my neck. “Let me see if I can find you.” Her lips found mine, and I kissed her deeper, bringing my hands up, stroking her shoulder with my fingertips. I reached up, my hand moving into her hair, and I brought it out only to release the clip she’d had it pulled back in and then tossed it to the table in front of us.

She pulled back and looked into my eyes. Then she trailed her gaze down across my body, pausing a moment on the bulge that filled out the front of my jeans. Then her hand moved down and landed on the throbbing length, stroking it up and down. “You’re still there,” she whispered close to my cheek before she kissed me, and I moved my hand down to cup her breast, the other playing with the zipper on her dress.

I wanted to slip it down, to peel the soft cotton from her shoulders, to run my mouth along her bare flesh and taste her.

She brought her hand up into my hair and took a handful in her grip, her hand pulling my head back as she looked directly into my eyes.

“I want you, Kya.” Without a word, she kissed me once again, hard and deep, and then she moved forward into my lap.

“I’m right here, Leonard.” She undid the button on my pants, and her hand slipped into the folds of fabric where she gripped me, her hand closing around my hard cock, stroking it up and down. “I want you too.”