by Morgan James
“For protection.” I nodded. I opened my mouth to say more but was cut off when the server arrived at our table to take our drink orders. “Cosmopolitan, please.”
Rose ordered a strawberry daiquiri, then turned back to me. “Okay, spill. Why do you have a bodyguard? I heard your mom is running for governor—is that why he’s here? God, I've been dying to know what you've been up to.”
I laughed at her enthusiasm. “Nothing that dramatic, I promise. And, yes, Mom is running for governor.” Last I’d heard, anyway, considering I hadn’t spoken with her in months. The reminder sent a little pang through my heart, but I shoved it down and focused on the happier, more recent events.
“But that’s not why I have protection now.” I folded my hands on the table, and the motion drew Rose’s attention.
“Oh, my God! Are you engaged?”
I smiled. “Married, actually.”
Her mouth formed an ‘O’ of surprise, then her eyes leveled on me. “Start from the beginning and don't leave anything out,” she ordered.
I let out a little laugh. “Remember when we talked a couple months ago, right after I took a break from school?”
“Well, I did some soul-searching.” I couldn't hold back the smile at my words. The only searching I had planned to do was to raid Fox's house in order to blackmail him. Instead, I’d ended up with the man himself. “I met this guy—”
“Where?” she cut in.
“He’s actually acquaintances with my father, but I had never met him before then. We kind of started... dating.” I wasn't nearly ready to describe the dynamics of my relationship with anyone, not even my best friend. “Unfortunately, my mind was still kind of a mess after, you know... everything. Anyway, I broke things off and traveled for a bit.”
That was an understatement if there ever was one. Fortunately, Rose didn't question it, only nodded for me to go on. “So, I headed out west for a couple months, worked in a bar out there for a little while. It was nice, but it wasn't home. I missed everyone like crazy, and I thought all the time about coming back. All of a sudden, Fox showed up out of the blue one day to surprise me. He convinced me to go on vacation with him to his home down in the Caribbean. He proposed while we were down there, and...” I lifted my hands in a little shrug. “I accepted.”
Her head tipped slightly to one side as she inspected me. “Do you love him?”
I was fully aware of Rodrigo’s attention on me from several feet away, and I shifted uncomfortably. “More than anything,” I admitted quietly.
“That's so sweet.” A huge smile lit her face, and Rose let out a little squeal. “Just like a fairytale!”
I managed to hold back my laughter. On the surface, it probably looked that way. Fox was kind of like my dark prince; he achieved goodness through questionable motives, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
“So,” I said, turning the focus back to Rose, “tell me how you’ve been.”
She and I sat and chatted for another two hours until I finally smothered a yawn. She had to be up early for work the next morning, and I was eager to get home to Fox. Back in the car, I turned to Rodrigo. “Did that sound okay?”
He hesitated so long I wasn't sure he heard me. “Sounded real enough to me.”
I wasn't sure if he meant the story I'd conjured for Rose or the fact that I said I loved him. My cheeks flared and I settled into silence. As soon as we arrived home, I immediately headed to Fox's office. Rodrigo followed just behind, and the others offered small smiles as I entered.
I headed directly to Fox as he stood and moved around the desk to intercept me. I tilted my head up for a kiss as his men made themselves scarce. I gestured to the papers scattered across the desk. “How’s it coming?”
Something flickered in his eyes. “I’m not sure yet. I think I have a new lead, but... only time will tell.”
I wanted more than anything to take that look from his face—the one that spoke of a tiredness both deep. He’d been fighting these demons for decades. I wanted him to forget them, if only for a few minutes.
I slid my arms around his shoulders. “Come to bed.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Fox
I should have known that everything was too good to be true. For the past six days, my men and I had been busy trying to dig up every scrap of information we could find on Helping Hand. Xavier had pulled the history of transactions dating back a full year and found that payments had been made to a shelf corporation under the name of Mercer and Melvin. The name was similar to Moreau and Masterson, and Xavier was currently working on obtaining information on the company and any transfer of funds to the persons we expected were involved. I assumed the shelf corporation would lead directly to Sebastian and Spencer.
We’d also found a number of high-profile benefactors who’d made several large donations around the same time as the shipments, and Rodrigo and Callum were pulling background on them. One such donor was Marcus Townsend, a childhood friend of Moreau’s. He came from a wealthy family who, among dozens of other holdings, owned a bank in Sweden. Townsend had taken over operations a few years ago after his father retired. We suspected that, once the money left the foundation and went to Mercer and Melvin that it would then be rerouted out of country and into Townsend’s bank. It would be easily enough to manage, and I was certain that Townsend would be getting a nice little slice of the profits for easing the way.
Xavier strode into the room, an unreadable expression on his face as he stepped in front of my desk. “Mercer and Melvin is very well constructed, and it appears legitimate to the average consumer. Their website is updated regularly, and they even have a phone service.”
I lifted my brows in silent question, and he continued. “I verified the transactions that went through and we were correct—several payments have been made to both Masterson and Moreau.”
He hesitated, and I studied him. “And?”
“On a whim, I checked another name. I...” He paused, then extended a folder across the desk to me. “This may be the man you’ve been looking for.”
My hand shook as I reached for the file, and I forced myself to steady. God. I’d been waiting for this moment for decades. We were so close... Would the information inside truly end this? A combination of relief and disappointment welled up inside me. I steeled my spine and flipped open the financial reports, then skimmed the first few pages outlining Masterson and Moreau’s accounts.
I wasn’t at all prepared for the next name on the list. My entire body stilled, and I read it again—twice—just to make sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me.
I lifted a brow at Xavier. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.” He looked regretful, but not nearly as much as I felt. My stomach twisted as the full implication sank in at the sight of William Jennings’s names and the corresponding account information. The numbers on the page floored me. The man was stockpiling money in a European bank. But why pretend that he couldn’t afford to pay back the loan? “Are we sure this is the same man?”
William Jennings was a multi-millionaire—and completely full of shit. I’d written the fucker off because of his financial situation. Hell, he’d convinced me that he was so deep in the hole he had to pawn off his daughter in exchange for wiping out his debts. Christ. Looking back, it was all so clear. He’d readily given her up so I wouldn’t look too closely. And Elle—he’d practically given her to Spencer, his little lap dog, in exchange for a job well done.
William was the right age. He had all the right connections. Jesus. How in the hell was I going to explain this to my wife? I closed the folder and set it on my desk.
Silence fell heavily over the room, and after a full minute I lifted my gaze to my men. “Thank you. Take the evening off. I need to speak with my wife.”
Xavier sent a sympathetic look my way, then exited the office, followed closely by Callum. Rodrigo watched me intently as I slowly pushed out of my chair. “Sir?”
“Yes?”
His dar
k gaze seared into mine, and he tipped his head toward the folder on my desk. “I’d like to request your permission to check into Jennings.”
I knew he didn’t doubt Xavier’s work, but in a situation like this, we needed to be absolutely certain the man was responsible before making our next move. “I appreciate that, but tomorrow will be soon enough.”
He looked like he wanted to say something else, but dipped his head and left the office. I followed suit, locking up behind me before heading up the back staircase to the second floor. My feet felt heavy as I trudged down the hall toward our bedroom. I hesitated just outside, wondering how in the hell I was going to tell Eva.
I stepped inside then closed the door behind me, my ears perking up at the sound of the shower running in the adjoining bathroom. I closed the door and leaned against it for a minute, staring at the ceiling. Despite everything, William was still her father. This would break her heart.
Pushing off the door, I stripped out of my jacket, then tossed it aside before sinking into a chair in front of the fireplace. I tipped my head back and closed my eyes, bracing myself for the conversation ahead. I tensed as the water cut off, and the familiar sounds of Eva rummaging around met my ears. I could practically see her brushing out her long golden locks, applying various creams to that beautiful fair skin of hers.
Just the thought brought a smile to my lips. There wasn't a single thing in this world that meant more to me than that woman. I would literally do anything in my power to protect her. Just as quickly, the smile slipped away. In the other room she went about with her life, completely unaware that her entire world was about to change.
Less than two minutes later, she left the bathroom. Though my eyes were still closed, I heard her pause in the doorway as she became aware of my presence. “Hey.”
Her voice was soft and tentative, and I forced a smile to my lips as I rolled my head toward her. “Hi, angel.”
“You look exhausted.” An expression of concern settled over her pretty features as she circled to stand behind the chair and rested her hands on my shoulders, gently kneading my muscles. “Is everything okay?”
I could lie to her. I could brush it off as if everything was perfectly fine; but it wasn't. Things would never be okay again. I settled one hand over hers where it rested on my shoulder. “Come here.”
Not relinquishing my hold on her, I guided her until she was in front of me, then pulled her onto my lap.
She gnawed on her lower lip as she studied me. “You're worrying me.”
“I know, angel. I'm sorry.”
From her position perched on my knee, she stared at me, those pretty green eyes searching mine. “Tell me.”
There was no use trying to hide it from her. I let out a little sigh. “I need to ask you a question.”
Immediately, the look in her eyes turned guarded. “Okay?”
“Your mother runs a foundation, is that correct?”
“Yes...” She drew out the word. “To enrich the lives of the less fortunate or something to that effect,” she replied.
“How much do you know about the inner workings?”
“I attend the annual dinner, but other than that...” She lifted her hands. “I don't have anything to do with it. Mother wanted me to get involved, but it's really not my thing.”
A smile lifted my lips as I sifted a lock of her long pale hair in my fingers. “I'm glad.” Her brow furrowed. “Why?”
I let out the breath I'd been holding. “Because I believe they're involved in illegal activity.”
Her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped into a little ‘O’ of surprise. “Are you sure? But—”
I shook my head, cutting her off. “Do you remember I told you how the shipments that came in across the border?” She nodded, and I continued. “We found evidence of payments to men who work at an airfield where we suspect they were flown in, as well as to a man who works for border patrol.”
Dread filled her eyes. “Are you sure it wasn't for something else?”
“Unfortunately, no.” I sighed. “The foundation has also made payments to Sebastian Moreau and Spencer.”
Her head shook slightly, but she couldn't seem to form words. “There's more. Substantial sums of money have been transferred to an offshore account, and I believe from the amount stashed away, that the man in charge is Araña, the man I've been tracking for decades.”
“Who?” Her voice was little more than a whisper.
“Your father.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Eva
No, it couldn't be true. There was no way my father could be involved in such an elaborate and nefarious scheme. But the look on Fox's face told me everything I needed to know.
“H-how?” I couldn’t think straight, let alone form words. “Why?”
He shrugged helplessly. “Money? I'm not sure. I'm so sorry, Angel.”
“Oh, God. You don’t think...?” Was he using the foundation to select his victims? It made me sick to my stomach. He was heartless enough; the things he’d done to Elle and me proved that. I just... God, I didn’t want to believe it.
“We’re going to find out for sure.”
“What then?”
He leveled a stare at me. “We take care of him.”
He enfolded me in his arms and tucked my head into the crook of his neck. I was stunned by the information Fox had just imparted, but surprisingly, the tears I expected never came. In a way, it made sense. Daddy knew everyone on the board without being directly involved. Even after Elle’s supposed death, he and Spencer had remained extremely close. Now it seemed they were working together while pulling the wool over everyone's eyes.
I clenched my teeth together as anger simmered in my blood. He’d fooled everyone, but especially me. I had defended him, and all the while he was responsible for the deaths of hundreds, if not thousands, of women and children. In a way, he was even responsible for the things Fox had endured as a child. It made me hate him all the more.
Again, the idea of contacting him flitted through my mind. No. I gave myself a mental shake. If he truly was responsible for this, he needed to pay for his crimes. I couldn’t begin to imagine what Fox had in store for him, and my heart clenched at the thought. Still, I knew he couldn’t be allowed to escape unscathed.
“I need you to be sure,” I said softly.
Fox tipped my chin up so he could look me squarely in the eyes. “We’re double checking everything to make sure. If he’s Araña...”
Fox didn’t need to continue. “I know.”
Fox squeezed me more tightly to him and we sat there for what felt like forever, holding on to each other, lost in the memories of our past.
FOX FOUND ME IN THE kitchen cutting up an apple for an afternoon snack. An indulgent smile curled his mouth. “Carmen would have a fit if she could see you right now,” he said in reference to the cook he employed. “I pay her a salary more than most people make in a year for the sole purpose of creating elaborate dishes, yet my wife grazes on snacks intended for toddlers.”
I shrugged, still crunching on one of my apple slices. “I told you before—I don't need all that fancy food. Sometimes the basics are best.”
“That, angel, is just one more thing that amazes me about you.” He picked up the knife I'd been using and twirled it thoughtfully between his fingers before stepping up behind me, pinning me between his huge body and the unforgiving granite counter that cut into my waist. I tensed when he settled the flat edge of the blade against the curve of my shoulder, and a shiver rolled down my spine as he drew it down my bicep, the stainless steel scraping lightly over my skin.
In Fox’s hands, the blade could either be incredibly deadly or incredibly arousing. I knew he would never hurt me, and his gesture was intended more to tease than intimidate. Still, the idea of knife play was faintly unsettling, and I couldn’t help the rapid tempo of my pulse as it kicked up, bringing my breath faster and faster.
Fox must've seen my reaction, because he retu
rned the knife to the cutting board before pulling me into his arms. “Most women would have thrown themselves into spending money—redecorating, buying purses and shoes and clothes. But not you, angel. Is there nothing you need? Nothing your heart desires?”
I turned to look at him over my shoulder. “Only you.”
He spun me in his arms, then grasped my hips and plunked me down on the counter. His hands slid up my thighs and under the hem of my dress before reversing and coasting back down to my knees. As he spoke, he caressed my thighs in long, firm strokes, his thumbs brushing closer and closer to my core with each pass. “There's a game tonight that I have to attend.”
“Somebody important?”
“Several somebodies,” he confirmed. His huge hands held my hips in place and his thumbs moved inward.
“Mmm...” I closed my eyes as he drew slow circles over my clit through the thin fabric of my panties.
His lips landed on my collarbone, kissing lower until he reached the bodice of my dress. I fell back to my elbows and dropped my head back, lost in the hazy pleasure that had descended over me.
“They expect me there, and I can't afford to disappoint them,” he continued between kisses. He used his mouth and teeth to work the fabric of my top down, and I arched into him as his fingers sank deep inside me at the same time his hot mouth closed over my nipple.
“Can’t have that.”
My words were low and breathy, and Fox chuckled, sending a faint tingle of vibration through my body. “So needy, angel. I have to go... but I think you need to come.”
I let out a little whimper as he bit down lightly on my nipple before flicking his tongue over the sensitive flesh. My stomach muscles ached from the strain of holding myself up, and I collapsed to my back. I moved my hands to Fox’s head, sinking my fingers into the short strands of hair there.
His fingers teased my slit, slowly dipping in and out, and I writhed beneath him. I swore the man could turn me on with a single touch. He grasped the fabric of my panties, then slid them down my legs, baring me completely. He released my nipple and moved downward, dipping his tongue through my drenched folds. He attacked me until I slapped one hand over my mouth to stifle my scream as I came, my chest heaving with ragged pants.