Leading the Witness

by Chantal Fernando

  “I didn’t, I was about to make something for us,” I tell her, wrapping the towel around my waist and approaching her. I give her a kiss, then take the bag with a grin. “Thank you. What did you bring?”

  “Burger and fries,” she says, sitting down on the bed. “The only thing that survives takeout.”

  “Thank you,” I tell her again, putting the bag down on the bed and sitting next to her.

  She looks down at the floor and then back up at me. “Jeremy came into work today.”

  I freeze, gritting my teeth together. “For what? What did he say?”

  “He just wanted to tell me he was suing you, and to see if I knew about it. I think he just came in to try to ruin my day, to be honest,” she says, jaw clenching.

  He actually had the nerve to come into her work? If I was there, I’d probably be in jail right now.

  “Can you write down everything he said for me?” I ask, taking her hand, and running my thumb along her knuckles. “I might need that information. If he comes near you again, maybe we should file a restraining order. Jeremy has no proof, he’s just sour that you got everything you wanted in the divorce and now wants to claim back his loss, which is the money he had to pay you.”

  “So he’s trying to sue you for the money he had to pay me?” she asks, shaking her head. “The money I didn’t even ask for? Fucking hell.”

  “He’s bitter and has to blame someone,” I tell her, thumb making circles on her knuckles. “We’re going to handle it. This isn’t your fault, Riley, this is him being a sore loser and an idiot. He’s just going to lose more money in the long run. I didn’t do what he’s accusing me of—there was no information I passed on, and he didn’t even tell me anything that no one else knew. There’s nothing you need to worry about.”

  “I’m annoyed that you have to even deal with this shit in the first place,” she says, watching our joined hands. “I’m sorry, Hunter. I hate the fact you have to defend your professionalism, all because I came along and fucked things up by not telling you I needed a lawyer in the first place. If I had let go of my stubbornness and pride, we wouldn’t be here right now.”

  “Nothing is ever smooth sailing, babe. I can handle whatever he throws at me. I don’t lose, and he’s about to learn that the hard way.”

  Her ex has no idea what he’s dealing with. Jaxon knows people. I know people. And his accusations are laughable. I feel sorry for whoever his lawyer is this time around. Yeah, it’s an inconvenience, but that’s about it. I’m not scared, nor am I worried. Yes, I hate that my morals and dedication to my position as a man of the law will be questioned before a courtroom, but I can’t control that. All I can do is prove the truth.

  And that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

  She buries her face in my neck and brings her arms around my waist. “Why is he such a c-word?”

  I grin into her hair. “Did you just call him a c-word?”

  She nods. “I feel like we keep getting obstacles thrown at us.”

  “It’s just going to make our relationship stronger.”

  “Is that what this is? A relationship?” she teases, lips pressing into my neck. “Should I change my social media status?”

  “You haven’t already?” I joke. “What, no cute pictures or captions—nothing? Are we even together then?”

  “Well, we never had the discussion,” she says, moving to straddle me. “And you never asked me to be exclusive, remember?”

  “Didn’t have to, babe,” I tell her against her lips. “You were mine the second you kissed me.”

  I kiss her lips to make a point, showing her what’s here between us. There’s no denying this shit. She can argue all she wants, but she’s mine.

  “And are you mine, Hunter?” she asks, eyes hooded.

  “Yes,” I breathe. “I am.”

  “Good,” she whispers, our lips back on each other, deep, hungry, greedy kisses, her tongue tasting mine, and mine sucking on hers. Kisses that wouldn’t be appropriate in public.

  She pushes me back on the bed, her body following me down, and everything else is forgotten.

  “KAT, WHY ARE YOU sitting on the floor?” I ask as I step into her office. She’s sitting cross-legged and reading over some documents.

  She looks up at me and shrugs. “Because someone stole my office chair, and I don’t have the time to find it.”

  I scrub my hand down my face. “It’s way too early for this shit, I haven’t even had my morning coffee.”

  “Hey, no one made you walk in here, buddy,” she replies, seemingly not fazed by the loss of her chair.

  “What are you going to do when clients come in?” I decide to ask.

  “No clients today,” she replies, dusting something off her black pants. “I’ve got court today. I’ll probably leave in about an hour.”

  I watch her, sitting on the floor like she does it every day, and call out Yvonne’s name.

  She appears in the doorway, dressed in pink stripper heels and a white pantsuit, delicious coffee in her hand. “What?”

  “Can you find her chair? And can I have some coffee? I’m dying and won’t be able to function without any.”

  She sighs and hands me hers. “Here. I haven’t had a chance to have any yet. And as for the chair . . . where the hell did yours go, Kat?”

  I take the coffee and drink it like my life depends on it. My sanity does anyway. Tristan walks past, and I stop him, pointing at his woman. “I feel like this is your situation to deal with.”

  He sticks his head in, frowning when he sees her on the floor. “Kat, why are you on the floor?”

  “Is she having a nervous breakdown?” I whisper to him, glancing over his shoulder. “Well, she hasn’t shaved her head yet, at least.”

  She glances up at Tristan, something vulnerable in her expression, and I feel like maybe Yvonne and I shouldn’t be here to witness whatever she needs to say. I’m about to walk away, when she murmurs, “I’m pregnant.”

  Tristan stills next to me. “What?”

  “I’m pregnant,” she says, sniffling. “And I broke my chair. Probably because I’m pregnant and fat, and my chair knew I was about to get fatter, so it committed suicide because it didn’t want to have to support my fat ass any longer.”

  Yvonne and I share a look and then slowly back away. I practically lock myself in my office. Am I meant to congratulate Kat on her pregnancy? Or apologize? I don’t know what to do, so I hide. I send Yvonne a message asking her to send Kat some flowers, or something, I don’t know. Kat is pregnant. That means she should step away from the firm for some time. Maybe she’s overwhelmed, because her career is just starting to take off, but at the same time, she’s carrying a baby with the man she loves.

  That’s a different kind of beautiful.

  chapter 35

  RILEY

  I REACH FOR MY PHONE, the loud ringing waking me from a deep sleep.

  “Hello,” I rumble down the line, my voice thick with sleep. I sit up quickly when I hear the officer say his name. “Yes, this is Riley McMahon. Is everything okay?”

  “We need you to come in to your establishment, ma’am,” he says into the line. “There’s been an incident here, and the police would like to speak with you.”

  “I’m on my way,” I tell him, hanging up and throwing the phone onto my bed. I quickly get dressed, then I’m out the door, a feeling of dread filling me. I send Hunter a message while I’m stuck at a traffic light, telling him the cops called me and told me to come into work. He replies instantly, saying he’s on his way. When I pull up in front of Riley’s, my heart stops.

  No.

  I open the door and stand in front of the building that contains everything I’ve worked for.

  The building that’s now half-damaged, the fire department still putting out some of the blaze.

  No.

  This can’t be happening; the place had only just started to do well, and now a fire has broken out?

  No.

 
I wrap my arms around myself, trying not to cry. Tears won’t help.

  Tears won’t put out the fire.

  It seems my good luck has run out.

  Arms wrap around me, and I’m pulled back against a strong chest. I’m now safe, but Riley’s isn’t.

  And Riley’s is me.

  I put everything into this place, and now . . . Now I’m going to have to start all over again.

  A police officer comes over to speak to us, but I don’t even hear what he says, only my own thoughts. I think I’m going into shock.

  Suddenly everything turns black.

  I WAKE UP IN Hunter’s bed, and for a second I think it’s all been a dream, but then I see his face. He looks wretched, and no, everything that happened was very real.

  “What happened?” I ask, my voice coming out scratchy and broken.

  “You passed out,” he tells me, handing me a bottle of water. “You went into shock, I think, and there was a lot of smoke from the fire. I told the police that they can interview you another time, and I brought you back here. Jaxon and Tristan are at Riley’s, handling everything. You have insurance, right?”

  I nod. “Yeah.”

  “Good,” he exhales, shaking his head. “I’m so sorry, babe, I know how shitty you must be feeling right now. But we’re going to rebuild it, and the place is going to be better than ever. This is not the end for Riley’s.”

  I smile sadly. I know that we can rebuild, it’s just such a sad and draining feeling to have everything taken away within a moment. It’s hard to handle. “Do they know what happened? Was there an electrical fault or something?”

  “They think it was deliberate,” Hunter says, wincing. “I know one of the cops who showed up, and he told me. Nothing is for sure yet, but that’s their suspicion right now.”

  “So they think someone deliberately set Riley’s on fire? Who the hell would do that?” I ask, but inside I know who would fucking do it. “Surely, he wouldn’t? This is low, even for him, and he could go to jail. Does he hate me that much to risk jail time?”

  “I don’t know, but if it was him, we’re going to prove it,” Hunter says with conviction. “He’s stupider than even I thought if this is his doing, Riley. He’s no mastermind—he would’ve left some sort of evidence behind.”

  I roll onto my stomach and bury my face in my pillow, and Hunter lies next to me and holds me. I’m going to give myself one day to lick my wounds.

  To feel sorry for myself, to be upset and feel the loss of my hard work and time.

  One day.

  But tomorrow?

  Tomorrow I’m going to take the world back. Tomorrow I’m going to fight. I’m going to talk to the cops, I’m going to fill out reports, and I’m going to sort out my insurance.

  I’m going to find out who the fuck did this.

  And I’m going to make them pay.

  I’M SITTING WITH CALLIE, Preston, Izaac, and Cheffy in the pub, which wasn’t affected by the fire. The kitchen, however, was another story. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do here, because I don’t want to lose any of my staff, but it’s going to take months before the place is up and running again.

  “I can’t believe this happened,” Callie says, shoulders hunched. “This is fucked.”

  “I know,” I whisper, expelling a deep sigh. “I’m so sorry, guys, I don’t know what we can all do for now until the place is up and running. I can afford to give you all two months’ wages, so you at least have time to find another job. I’d hate to lose you guys, but I know you all need to work. Hell, so do I. I think you should do what you need to do, and when it’s time to reopen, we can see where we all are, and if you want your jobs back, they are always here for you. If you don’t, I completely understand too. I love you guys. You have been the best staff I could have ever imagined, and I’m thankful for each and every one of you.”

  “You’ve been the best boss I’ve ever had,” Preston tells me, hugging me from the side. “Who else is going to let me hit on all the women? And make up my own drinks, like mother puncher? Who is going to yell at me whenever I’m late but then not yell at Izaac just because he’s new?”

  I roll my eyes. “Let it go, Preston. That happened once.”

  “And I’ll never forget it,” he adds, lifting his chin.

  There’s a knock at the door, and in walks Kat, Hunter, Tristan, and Jaxon.

  “Is everything okay?” I ask them all, wondering what they are doing here.

  “Yes and no,” Kat says, crossing her arms over her chest and shifting on her feet. “I’m here to offer Callie a job.”

  “What job?” Callie asks, perking up.

  “My job,” Kat says, placing her hands on her stomach. “I’m pregnant, and I need someone to cover my spot for at least a year.” She glances up at Tristan. “He’s been a Neanderthal and doesn’t want me working. He wants me to sit on my ass, get fat, break more chairs, and be a domestic goddess.”

  She smiles though, and I know how much she loves that man, and his fussing over her, and how she will love their baby just as much as she loves Tristan’s other two kids from his first wife.

  Jaxon speaks next. “And as for the rest of you, I found you all a temporary job until Riley’s opens back up. I called in a favor and Knox’s Tavern will be happy to have some extra help for a few months.”

  I step to Jaxon and hug the shit out of him, squeezing him. “Thank you, Jaxon.”

  I then turn to Kat, place my hands on her belly, and kiss her on the cheek. “Congratulations. This baby is going to be lucky.”

  Callie runs up to her next and pulls her into a warm hug. “My bestie is knocked up and I find out the same time as everyone else.”

  “I just handed you my dream job.”

  “Great tradeoff, I say. They’re going to love me so much they aren’t going to want you back,” Callie teases her, while I smile and shake my head at Hunter.

  Hunter, Hunter, Hunter.

  How does he manage to solve all my problems and then doesn’t even try to take any credit for any of it?

  Did a more selfless man ever exist?

  “Thank you,” I say to him, resting the side of my face against him. “You know you’re my hero, right?”

  “You don’t need a hero, babe, you’ve got this,” he tells me, kissing the top of my head.

  And he’s right.

  I do have this.

  But sometimes being strong gets tiring, and it’s nice to have someone who you can rely on.

  It doesn’t make me weak, it makes me human.

  And Hunter, Hunter just makes me better.

  chapter 36

  HUNTER

  “WE’VE FOUND A FOOTPRINT at the scene,” Officer Bates says on the phone. “So we’re going to go from there. If we had a DNA match that would be ideal.”

  “Thanks for keeping me updated,” I tell him, saying ’bye and hanging up. At least they found something. I’m hoping they can link the blaze to Jeremy.

  Kat steps into my office and sits down. “Do you have any snacks? I’m hungry.”

  “What do you feel like?” I ask.

  “Sweet and savory,” is her unhelpful reply.

  I open my drawer and pull out some jalapeño-flavored chips and some taffy. “This will hopefully hold you down until someone does a store run.”

  “Thanks,” she says, opening the packet of chips. “I’ve been throwing up all morning. It’s awful, Hunter. I can’t keep anything down. I don’t want to live on a diet of water sips and crackers.”

  “How do you feel about the whole thing?” I ask her. “It wasn’t planned, I’m assuming?”

  “No, it wasn’t. I was upset at the start. I’m right where I want to be, you know? I’m working my way up and becoming an asset to this firm. It’s my dream come true. I cried when I found out, Hunter. Cried. I don’t think that’s normal. But then I went to get my scan, and I saw him. Or her. And . . . well, I think I fell in love. There’s never a right time for these things. I’m blessed.
I’m financially secure, and we already have two beautiful children, and . . .” She takes a deep breath. “And I think . . . I think I’m happy. It’s all going to work out, and my kid is going to be beautiful, just like his or her momma.”

  “Good,” I say, smiling at her. “Now, if you need to throw those up, please exit my office.”

  “Jerk,” she mutters, shoving another chip in her mouth. “You’re going to miss me when Callie gets here. She would never share her snacks with you. She’ll probably lick them so you won’t touch them. And the bitch is chatty.”

  She grins, licks her fingers, and heads back to her own office.

  Fuck.

  Callie can’t be that bad, right?

  “I COULD GET USED to this,” I murmur, as I step into my bedroom after work to see Riley laying there, naked.

  “Well, now that I’m unemployed, here is where you’ll find me. I can be your sex slave,” she says, biting her lower lip, and pushing up on all fours. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

  “Oh, have you, and why is that exactly?” I ask, taking off my jacket and tie. “What have you been doing in my bed while I’ve been at work?”

  “Not eating chips and leaving crumbs everywhere,” she snickers, sliding off the bed and coming over to help me undo the buttons on my white shirt. “I cooked us dinner.”

  I definitely could get used to this.

  “What did you make? You’re spoiling me, babe,” I say, as she removes my shirt, leaving me in black slacks.

  “Steak,” she replies. “With all the sides. I’m . . . hungry.”

  I know the look she’s giving me. She’s not hungry for food. I slowly remove my belt, her eyes widening as I hold it in my hands, arching a brow at her. “Have you been a good girl today?”

  “No,” she replies instantly, shaking her head. “What are you going to do about it?”

  I drop the belt to the floor, spin her around and push her onto the bed on her stomach. I bring my hand down on her ass, one sharp slap, one that makes her jump.