ENTANGLED PURSUITS (MEN OF ACTION Book 1)

by Brenda Jackson

  After talking to him, she’d come to accept something else. Finally. He had loved her mother in his own way. In fact, he had told his wife that he wanted a divorce. He intended to marry her mother, and he was going to tell her mother on Christmas Day. But by then, it was too late. Toni’s grandfather had called to tell him what happened.

  He was a divorced man with a lot of regrets, who’d made a lot of bad choices in his life. However, he had wanted her to know that loving her mother had not been one of them. Nicole Bellamy would always be the one true love of his life. Toni’s visit with her father that day had cleared things up for her, and confirmed what Dr. Tolbert had told her. It was all about choices a person made in life.

  “You’ve gotten quiet on me, sweetheart. What are you thinking about?”

  She lifted her head to look up at him. She loved these moments, whether they were before they made love or after, when Drew held her in his arms, brushing kisses along her throat and the sides of her mouth while telling her how much she meant to him. How much he loved her.

  And that was what she appreciated the most, because she’d fought against it for so long. A man’s love. Now that she had it, she’d never let it go.

  “I was thinking about what you said about the difference in our fathers.”

  Toni then shared how her psychologist, Dr. Tolbert, had stressed that she could never fully move on if she didn’t find closure with her father. She told him that although she wasn’t sure what type of relationship they would have in the future, at least she knew that she no longer hated him.

  “I would like you to meet him, Drew.”

  “Your father?”

  “Yes. I would like you to meet my father, Antonio Oliver.”

  Andrew lifted a brow. “You were named after him?”

  She nodded. “When we go home to meet my grandparents, I can arrange for you to meet my father, also.”

  He smiled. “I would love to meet him. What have you decided about Gilmore?”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “I haven’t decided yet, but I don’t intend to let him get away with what he did. I left my home because of him. But then a part of me can’t help thinking that leaving Miami was a good thing. After all, it allowed me to reconnect with you.”

  A smile touched his lips. “Yes, it did, and for that I will be forever grateful.” Then he leaned down and kissed her.

  THE NEXT DAY, WITH signed warrants in hand, Andrew and Toni left the DA’s office that afternoon followed by four police cars. And just in case pandemonium broke out, they’d arranged for a police van to trail behind them. After all, they were on a mission of justice.

  Twenty minutes later, they’d reached their destination, and flanked by uniformed officers, Andrew and Toni entered the church…just when the minister said, “If anyone present can show just cause why these two individuals should not marry, let them speak now or forever hold your peace.”

  The timing could not have been better. Drew, in a clear, loud voice spoke up and said, “We do.”

  The bride, the groom, and everyone in the pews turned as Drew, Toni and several uniformed officers, walked down the aisle of the church that had been lavishly decorated and filled to capacity. When they reached the altar, the groom asked in an angry tone, “What is the meaning of this?”

  Ignoring the man, Toni faced Jennifer Evans and said, “Ms. Evans, you are under arrest for the murders of Byron Nettles, Maria Tindal, as well as Morey and Constance Evans.”

  Numerous gasps were heard throughout the church. As expected, Jennifer began laying on the dramatics. “What! Are you crazy! I did not kill anyone, and Morey Evans was my father! How dare you accuse me of killing my own father!”

  Ignoring her words, Toni began reciting Jennifer the Miranda Rights while snapping handcuffs on her. She then turned to two of the bridesmaids and said, “Amy Stamper and Monica Wright, the two of you are also under arrest for aiding and abetting in the death of Maria Tindal.” She recited Miranda Rights to them, as well. Their crime had been covering for Jennifer when they’d first verified her alibi, knowing what she had done.

  Jennifer and the two bridesmaids were in hysterics, screaming that it was all a lie. Everybody watched the drama unfold, but no one came forward to save her. Not even the groom.

  As the officers led the handcuffed women out, Toni felt immense satisfaction that these three rich bitches were finally getting what was owed to them.

  • • •

  Through a glass window, Andrew and Toni watched as Jennifer Evans paced the interrogation room in her wedding gown. It was such a beautiful gown, worn by such a vile woman. And as far as Toni was concerned, the woman was as evil as they came.

  “Remind me never to ignore one of your hunches,” Andrew told Toni. She’d explained to him that she’d noticed something had been off when she’d read Headley’s bio and saw that he and Jennifer had attended the same college, graduating the same year. On the off chance they knew each other, she had asked for information about Jennifer, going back ten years.

  Jennifer and Ervin Headley, along with the two other women arrested, had been pals since high school. They had all left to attend the same college in Boston.

  Andrew glanced over at her. “Ready?

  “Yes.”

  Jennifer Evans stopped her pacing the moment they walked into the interrogation room. As expected, she threw a fit. “How dare you do this to me! You ruined my wedding day! My attorney will make you pay for this! He will sue you and this police department for everything you own. He will—”

  “Please, have a seat, Ms. Evans, so we can go over the charges,” Drew said, interrupting her.

  “I will not sit down. You’ve ruined my wedding day.”

  “I heard you the first time. Now have a seat, Ms. Evans. We’re not going to ask you again.”

  Maybe it was the tone of Drew’s voice, or the look on his face that made the woman finally take a chair. “Why are you doing this?” she asked, wiping tears from her eyes. “How can you accuse me of killing my own father? My sister? And a man I don’t even know?”

  “Oh, now you want to claim Maria Tindal as your sister? Did you tell her that before you slit her wrists? What about your father? Did you make sure he knew how angry you were for threatening to write you out of his will before you pulled the trigger that killed him?” Toni asked.

  “How dare you accuse me of doing such a thing!”

  “We dare because we have Ervin Headley in custody, and he told us everything. He admitted to being your accomplice all three times.”

  A flash of surprise lit in Jennifer Evans’s eyes. “Lies! All lies! It’s my word against Ervin’s. You can’t prove a thing!” she screamed.

  “That’s where you’re wrong, Jennifer,” Toni said. “We know what your relationship with your adopted father was like. Yes, we know that Morey was not your biological father, and that he and his wife adopted you before your first birthday. We also know he was in the process of changing his will, cutting you out of it. That has been verified by the man who was your father’s attorney at the time.

  “We also know how you convinced Ervin Headley to drive you home from Boston after concocting a plan to kill your father and make it look like a home invasion. Only you didn’t expect Constance to be there, too. Then, after killing them both, you stole several items to make it look like a robbery. You and Headley then drove back to the university in Boston, so you could be in place to receive the call about your father’s death.”

  “And just so you know,” Andrew said, when Jennifer was about to open her mouth to deny what Toni had said, “We were able to obtain the rental car and gas receipts from six years ago. And the hotel still had records that prove you were in town the night your father and stepmother were killed.”

  Toni saw another flash of surprise in Jennifer’s eyes. Undoubtedly, she thought she had covered her tracks well six years ago. “You and Headley split the loot with an agreement not to pawn any of the items for at least ten years. But recen
tly, you needed money for your lavish wedding, and decided to take a chance.”

  Andrew then picked up the tale. “You had Constance Evans’s necklace appraised, and once you discovered how much it was worth, you decided to auction it off on Wizzin. Only you hadn’t counted on Maria seeing the necklace on Byron Nettles’s flash drive and recognizing it. Her only mistake was calling you. Unlike the lie you told us that she called to congratulate you on your engagement, the reason she called you was to tell you what she had discovered. She believed you would be just as outraged as she was. Too bad she hadn’t known about your involvement in your father and her mother’s deaths. Afraid she would take the flash drive to the police, you put another murder plan in place, because the last thing you wanted was the police to discover who had the necklace and how they’d gotten it.”

  Toni added, “You convinced her to give you the flash drive, so you could check it out and make sure it was really the same necklace. But instead of meeting with Maria yourself to get the flash drive, you had Headley meet up with her at the gun range. The night she was killed was the night you supposedly dropped by to return the flash drive to her. Instead, you went there to kill her. You also took her bracelet because you knew how much your father had paid for it. I assume your plans were to one day sell it on Wizzin, as well. Unfortunately for you, Byron Nettles figured things out when he later recalled Maria telling him she had given the flash drive to you. At the time, he had thought she was lying, but when he remembered, he called you. That made him a liability and an easy fall guy for you to set up as Maria’s killer.”

  Pausing a second to let her words sink in, Toni then continued, “But what you didn’t know was that we’d already searched Nettles’s home a couple of weeks before and the bracelet wasn’t there. We also know that, although you convinced Headley to rent both cars, you were the driver both times. Your fingerprints were on the steering wheel of the car that killed Nettles, as well as particles of your clothing and strands of your hair. Last night, while you were at a hotel on the eve of your wedding day, a warrant was issued to search your home.”

  “And,” Andrew added, “when Headley planted the bracelet, he was picked up on Nettles’ security camera. You didn’t just kill one person, you killed four.”

  “My father’s murder was already investigated. They said it was a home invasion. Why won’t you believe that?” Jennifer said, pleadingly.

  “The detectives investigating your father and stepmother’s deaths had no reason to suspect you, and you made sure of it by throwing suspicion on your stepmother,” Drew said.

  “By the way,” Toni spoke up to say, “While searching your home, we found the photo album that was taken from Maria’s home the night she was murdered, as well as a key to your safety deposit box. Guess what was in it? The necklace and other pieces of your stepmother’s jewelry that had been stolen during that home invasion six years ago.”

  “And just so you know, your bridesmaids have thrown you under the bus. They admitted to knowing about all three murders, as well as to lying and providing you with an alibi when they knew what you had done,” Drew informed her.

  Andrew and Toni stood, and Toni said, “When you take off that beautiful wedding gown, I want you to know that it’ll probably be the last one you’ll ever wear. There’s not a lot of need for wedding gowns in prison.”

  • • •

  On Monday morning, at ten o’ clock, Jennifer Evans stood before Judge Wilen Wells. She’d been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and denied bail. Her attorney entered a plea of not guilty. The arrests made national news. Her fiancé, who had been in the courtroom, gave a statement to reporters after the arraignment. He’d stated that she was not the woman he’d thought she was, and that he would not stand by her, or give her any support. On national television, he had ended their engagement.

  The other two women had lawyered up but were still denied bail. Since they had been fully aware of Jennifer’s role in all four murders, they too were facing charges. There was a good chance that like Headley, they would be serving some time. All three were working with the DA, spilling their guts in exchange for lesser charges.

  It was everything a detective could ask for. Justice had been served.

  “THIS IS SUTTON HILLS, Toni. Shep’s homestead.”

  Toni leaned forward to glance out the window as they drove on the long, winding road canopied by large oak trees. “This place is beautiful. I love the immaculate lawns and the beautiful mountains in the background. What’s that building over there?”

  Andrew glanced to where Toni was pointing. “That’s the equestrian center. Sutton Hills is considered a horse ranch because of the beautiful thoroughbreds they have here. A number of them are entered into the major races each year.”

  “What about that building over there?” she asked.

  “That’s the new boat house.”

  “It’s stunning. Did you say new boat house?”

  “Yes.”

  “What happened to the old one?”

  “Shep had it torn down since it contained bad memories. That’s where his first wife was killed.”

  “Oh.”

  He had told her a lot about Sheppard Granger before this trip, and she had been glad Sheppard’s story had a happy ending. “Whose house is that through those trees? It’s massive,” Toni asked, as they continued up the road.

  “That’s where Shep’s oldest son Jace and his wife Shana live. They had it built and moved in a little over a year ago. And that other house you see under construction through the trees belongs to Shep’s son Caden and his wife Shiloh.”

  “What about his third son? Does he live on Sutton Hills land, too?”

  “Yes. Dalton and his wife Jules decided to move into the house that had once belonged to his parents, the same one he’d grown up in. Everybody was surprised he would do that since no one had set foot in that house since his mother’s death,” Drew said, slowing down and waiting for the car in front of them to unload.

  “Dalton decided the house would work for him and his family. He had it renovated from top to bottom. Shep said it doesn’t even look the same. Dalton even went overboard by adding an indoor pool, a bowling alley, elevators, a theater room, and an extravagant indoor playhouse for the kids. It even has a custom-built carousel.”

  When Toni turned and gave him a questionable look, he laughed and said, “I’m not kidding.”

  Toni chuckled. “I’m sure it’s nice for Sheppard to have his sons close by after being separated from them for so many years.”

  “It is. Whenever I talk to him, I can tell. He’s also enjoying his daughter, daughters-in-law, and his grandkids.”

  “How many grands does he have?”

  “Four. Both Jace and Caden have sons, and Dalton has twins, a son and a daughter.” He brought the car to a stop. “Looks like they set up valet parking. How convenient.”

  Drew had pulled into the circular driveway, and when he glanced over at Toni, he saw her eyes widen. “This house is incredible, and the architectural structure is totally breathtaking,” she said.

  Drew smiled over at her. “Wait until you see inside. This was Sheppard’s parents’ home. He and Carson had a complete interior renovation, and Carson added her own special touch. This is the first time I’ve been here with someone. I’m so glad you’re here with me, sweetheart.”

  “I’m happy to be here with you, too, Drew.”

  • • •

  Toni was totally enjoying herself. From the time she walked into Sheppard and Carson’s house, she had been made to feel right at home. Drew had been right. The inside of the house was just as beautiful as the outside. Sheppard and Carson were the nicest people. Carson had given her a tour of their home and said she and Sheppard were happy to see that Andrew now had a special person in his life.

  She had met most of the people here at Stonewall and Joy’s wedding. Some were probably surprised to see her and Drew together since they had basically ignored each oth
er at the wedding. Then again, there were some who didn’t seem surprised at all.

  “You need more wine in your glass?”

  She glanced over at Drew and smiled. “No, I’m fine.” Except for the time Carson had given her a tour of the house, he had not left her side. Tomorrow, before leaving for the airport, they’d promised Striker and Margo that they’d stop by and see the baby. A short while ago, a happy Quasar and Randi Fuller Patterson announced they were expecting. Toni had been introduced to Randi’s parents, and had to admit to a feeling of awe at meeting Randi’s father - famed defense attorney Randolph Fuller. She recalled studying about some of his landmark cases while in college.

  “Daddy!”

  Everyone turned when a little girl who looked to be no older than two, with a mop of dark curly hair on her head, raced across the room in her pajamas and right into Sheppard Granger’s arms. Drew laughed and then leaned over to say, “The Princess is making an appearance.”

  “Ahh,” Toni said, when the princess proceeded to give her daddy a huge hug and a kiss.

  Everybody thought it was the sweetest thing. And then, as if not to be outdone, four other little ones raced down the stairs in their pajamas, running to their grandfather for hugs and kisses, too.

  An older woman came down the stairs and called for the kids. “That’s Hannah,” Drew told Toni. “Believe it or not, she was once Shep’s nanny, and then she looked after his sons. They all consider her a member of the family and now she helps to take care of the newest generation of Grangers.”

  “Hello, you two.”

  Toni glanced up at the three men she’d met at Stonewall and Joy’s wedding. They were close friends of Andrew’s—Locke Dangerfield, Shogun Duke, and Macayle Wasilla. She thought the three were handsome as sin, but of course none of them were as good looking as Drew.

  More people began arriving, some of whom she had not met before, like Mona and Ben Bradford. Ben was the father of Jace’s wife, Shana and Dalton’s wife, Jules. A short while later, Toni and Drew walked out to stand on the patio that overlooked a beautiful lake. Joy and Stonewall joined them.