The Gamble

by Alice Ward

  Mark glanced up and smiled at me. “Aren’t you two sweet.”

  “Watch it,” Zek called from behind me, and we all chuckled.

  I grabbed a spatula and moved to the stove, needing something to do to keep from going nuts around Zek. Everyone was a bundle of nerves, though we all worked to keep our true feelings hidden. After finishing up the eggs, I joined everyone at the table and sat closest to Zek.

  I couldn’t help but study him as he talked to Mark, the little boy in him coming out when he was messing with his older brother. His dark brown hair was a little disheveled, most likely from running his fingers through it too many times. His smile stole my heart as it always had, and I wasn’t sure how I could get through anything but a positive verdict later that day.

  “Alright. Stop messing around.” Lizzy took my attention as she poked at Mark and Zek at the same time. “Let’s go over the questioning and our stories one more time. We have three agents from the SEC coming to the trial, and our judge is Mildred Carling. She’s known for being a little bit softer on white-collar criminals, especially if it’s a first offense.”

  I nodded. “We need to bring in the fact that Zek was bullied into being a part of the scheme. His record shows that he’s been a great pillar of the community and has recently been under attack. The Mills case should be something we can use in our favor. We should try.”

  “Agreed. If we need that ammo, we’ll use it.” Lizzy nodded and turned her attention to Zek. “We need you to make sure you’re ready to turn Dane over. You’re good with that, right?”

  “Yes. Whatever you guys need me to do.” He pulled his napkin into his lap and took a quick sip of his juice. “What is the likelihood that we’ll get a favorable outcome today?”

  “Less than ten percent.” I leaned back in my chair as my chest tightened. “We’re honestly looking at pushing the plea bargain if they’re willing to talk. There’s too much evidence that shows you were involved in trading fraudulently. The reason behind you doing something like this is the only thing we can rest our case in. Dane pushed you into it. That’s the story we’re sticking to. We won’t get off scott-free, but we might be able to get you put under house arrest.”

  “And what is house arrest exactly? What are the rules?” His face paled visibly, and I reached for his hand, not caring what anyone thought. I needed to protect him almost as much as I needed my next breath. It was probably more the drive to protect myself by protecting him, but either way, I couldn’t let him hang alone.

  “It’s another form of imprisonment where you’re confined to your house twenty-four hours a day for the length of the agreement. You can visit the police station, meet with your probation officer, go to church and visit the doctor if necessary, but all of those things have to be done under the supervision of a court appointed official, usually a cop.” Lizzy shook her head. “It’s better than sharing a jail cell, but it’s still prison.”

  “What about him needing to go to the grocery store, or out to dinner or...” Mark pressed his fingers to his lips as he leaned back.

  The conversation was leaving all of us tense. I jumped in, trying to make things sound a little better.

  “He can do those things, but with an escort. He’ll have an alarm attached to his ankle in the form of a bracelet, but they’re so small and thin now, you’ll barely notice it.” I squeezed Zek’s hand. “You can have visitation as well. Certain hours during the day people can visit you over at the house. If we can get house arrest, then you can still see us each for several hours a day.”

  “What about at night?” Zek pulled his hand from mine under the guise of needing to scratch his cheek. “Can you spend the night?”

  “No.” Lizzy moved back up to the table. “Come on. Let’s eat and get up there. We’ll figure all of this out. It will be okay. I promise.”

  “Don’t promise something you’re not sure of, Lizzy.” Mark’s tone was sharp and stabbing.

  Lizzy’s eyes filled with tears, and I was surprised how badly it hurt me to see her upset. She’d been a rock of sorts throughout everything we’ve worked with Zek on. To see her softening caused tears to well up in my eyes too.

  “Well, what the fuck do you want me to do?” She turned her anger on Mark. “We’re going to try our best and I’m praying that it’s—” She got up from the table as a soft sob left her.

  Mark followed her, his apologies rolling off his tongue as I glanced over toward Zek.

  “Hey. It’s going to work out. We’ll fight like our lives depended on it today. You know that.” I took his hand again, only to have him lift my hand to his mouth and kiss my fingers softly.

  “I know, baby, but I need you to promise me something.” He kissed my hand once more and released me.

  “What? Anything.” I moved closer, needing to be near him.

  “That if I have to end up in jail, you’ll move on with your life. I’m not asking you to wait for me, Alisa. I can’t. Please don’t do that to me. It would kill me.” His brow pulled in tightly, and the hard emotions sitting on his handsome face left me aching inside.

  “Don’t ask that of me. Please. Anything but that.” I brushed my hand by the side of his face and leaned in for a long kiss. “You know that I love you. Don’t ask me not to. It’s not possible.”

  He nodded, kissed me again and got up. “Come on. Let’s get this over with.”

  I’d never been more nervous than I was when we walked into the courtroom for Zek’s private hearing. The judge had agreed to allow Mark to sit in the audience, but it had taken a bit of pulling and pushing to get her to. It was important to Lizzy that he was there, and I had no doubt that Zek felt more comforted having his big brother in the room.

  Lizzy took the seat farthest away from the prosecution, and I took the lead attorney spot, pulling out my folders and organizing myself as Zek sat in stony silence next to me. My mind went blank for a minute, and I internally berated myself. Zek’s case was no different than the hundred’s I’d been involved in prior to that day. I had to keep my wits about me and walk through the information as it was requested.

  The judge stood and walked us through the various phases of the trial, which were simple and straight forward. Zek would be questioned first, the prosecution would present evidence and their findings, and then we would be able to call Zek back up to the stand.

  I leaned back in my chair and watched him as he moved up to the front of the room and took the hot seat. The prosecution was rather respectful, which was surprising. They walked Zek through their questioning, which was nothing more than his involvement in the case and his reasoning behind all of it.

  He never once denied that he had in fact bought the securities after learning about the IPO. We weren’t there to argue guilt, but intent. It was an odd situation, but Zek refused to lie on the stand, which was a comfort to me as his woman and an aggravation as his attorney.

  The prosecution presented their findings and the judge nodded and stood.

  “There is no reason to continue this trial as I see it. The defendant has made it quite clear that he did in fact break insider trading rules as the lead investor for Kellington Investments. His guilt doesn’t need to be determined. That being said, tell me why we are here today, Counselor?”

  Her question was directed at me. I stood and moved to the center of the room, turning toward the prosecution and locking eyes with the agent who’d questioned Zek earlier. “We’re looking for a plea bargain. There was far more to the story than anyone has been given access to. One of the employees of Jessup visited a large group of investors and worked to pressure each of them into purchasing stock. He received a percentage of the earnings from each of these investors.”

  “If you’re referring to Dane Warren, we’ve already spoken to him. He’s clean. There are no records of him ever receiving anything in terms of monetary compensation. The fact that these men all knew Mr. Warren from college means nothing.” The agent responded, his tone not nearly as friendly as it had be
en with Zek.

  “There is evidence of Dane getting that cash. He’s the signer on the private account I set up my funds to be wired to. I know that he is.” Zek’s voice caused me to turn around. “I’d be happy to provide everything you need to prove that he’s received gain from this transaction. He was the driving force behind it. Check the cameras in my office. You’ll see that he visited me without an appointment. It was to offer me a deal.”

  “And you would be willing to help us work through all of that?” The agent stood.

  “Yes.” Zek nodded and moved down from the stand as the judge took her seat again.

  “In return for what?” The agent asked as he glanced toward the judge.

  “No jail time,” I spoke up, wanting to make sure that we asked for as much as we could possibly get from the deal.

  “That’s not possible. Mr. Kellington broke the law and has admitted to doing so. Too many people were affected by his lack of integrity. He will serve his time for what he’s done.” The judge’s voice was clear and demanding attention.

  “What if we agree to house arrest and a large fine?” The agent moved out to stand in front of the judge, and I moved up beside him.

  “No more than two years of house arrest, and no more than half his net worth. He was badgered into making this deal by an old friend who’s known to be a swindler of people. We’re willing to do anything necessary to help you get to the source of the problem. Mr. Kellington would not have been able to participate in such a scandal had Mr. Warren not presented the opportunity. He brought confidential documents to Mr. Kellington, as well as the other investors. He has to be prosecuted for his part in this.”

  “Two years sounds fair, but I’m unwilling to allow it to all be in the comfort of his big white mansion. The fine is reasonable.” The judge glanced over at him.

  “Then one year in each place.” I hated myself for saying it, but I needed to offer something in hopes of getting something back in response.

  “Fine. I agree.” She turned to the SEC agent. “You?”

  “Agreed. We will file the appropriate documents. You provide an escort for Mr. Kellington.” He continued his conversation with the judge, and I turned to find Lizzy smiling.

  “You did it. This isn’t nearly as bad as it could have been,” she whispered as I walked toward her.

  Zek moved up beside me and wrapped his arm around me.

  “Great job. Thank you.” He moved away from me and my heart shattered in my chest.

  I’d gotten him an incredibly fair deal, but I’d lost him in the process. The one year in jail was more than enough for him to push me away.

  “Are you ready, Mr. Kellington?” A guard moved up beside us and reached for him.

  “Yes.” He smiled at me and winked at Lizzy. “See you soon.”

  “No. Wait.” I glanced back to the judge. “Please. I just need five minutes alone with my client. I’ll be the one closing up his estate. Please.”

  “Five minutes, but you should have discussed this before now.” The older woman gave me a stern look.

  “Thank you.” I moved into the tiny conference room and turned around as Zek closed the door behind him. My eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry.”

  “No. Don’t you do this.” He moved toward me and slid his strong hands down my arms. “It’s incredible what you did out there. I can’t thank you enough.”

  “No. It wasn’t enough. I wanted to get you a sentence that didn’t have any jail time.” I reached up and touched his face. “I’ll come every day, and when you get to house arrest, I’ll sneak in your window at night like we used to do when we were ki—”

  “Alisa. Move on with your life. Two years is a really long time. I asked you to be willing to let me go. I’m not sitting in a jail cell thinking about you waiting on me. I made this decision, and now I get to pay for it. You’re not paying for my sins too. I couldn’t live with that.” He moved back, but I tightened my grip as a frantic feeling fluttered through me.

  “Don’t do this. Please. I’ll go back out there and fight harder. I’ll... I’ll...”

  “Stop, baby. I’m done with us. I love you, and we’ll be great friends when I get my freedom back. I’m not interested in anything we could pretend to make work. I need this time to myself.” He leaned down and kissed me softly and turned, walking toward the door.

  I couldn’t form words, but whispered the only thing I could think of as the door closed.

  “But I love you.”

  Too bad it wasn’t enough. It never had been.

  Continue on to read Part 4…

  THE BILLIONAIRE PRISONER

  Part Four

  CHAPTER ONE

  Zek

  One Year Later…

  “Kellington, you have an hour left. Feeling sentimental yet, boy?” The guard who watched my row in the penitentiary each day stopped outside of my cell and smirked at me.

  “Yeah, Grif. I’m going to cry all fucking night tonight in the comfort of my bed.” I stood up and stretched, ignoring the excitement bubbling up inside of me.

  The last twelve months in prison had been hell in some ways and freedom in others. Not having to live up to anyone’s standards or do anything to impress anyone was a break I hadn’t expected to find. Not seeing Alisa or my brother on the other hand was complete hell.

  Mark was involved in a car accident about three months back and not being able to get to his side in the hospital was by far the hardest few days of my life. He was doing much better, but I couldn’t forgive myself for not being there for him.

  Alisa was a different story altogether.

  “I bet you are, you pussified white-collar fool.” Grif chuckled and smacked the bars with his baton before moving down the aisle. “Well, we won’t miss you here. We got enough bitches to keep us busy, don’t we guys? Each and every one of you. Come on now, don’t be sour. Say goodbye to our favorite stock broker.”

  I rolled my eyes and moved back to the bed, dropping down and running my hands over my head. They kept our hair short thanks to the continuous outbreak of lice and other less than pleasant parasites. I didn’t mind the haircut much though. Life was simple, and I was left with nothing more than my thoughts.

  To say that most of them were centered on Alisa would be a mild understatement. They all were. Every time I would start to think through rebuilding my company or working to prove myself again to the investment world, she would appear in my mind’s eye. The final conclusion I rested on was that if she were willing to see me as the man I really was, then everyone else could go to hell.

  I’d pushed her away for the last time six months ago, and now that the day had come to find some portion of my freedom, I wanted her there. She wouldn’t be, but that didn’t stop me from hoping she would show up just to spite me.

  “Let’s go, buddy.” Another guard stopped in front of my cell and worked to get it open. “Blow a kiss to all your boyfriends and this plush studio apartment.”

  “Shit.” I shook my head and walked out onto the main hallway. A tendril of fear shot through me and I realized I hadn’t been outside the prison in twelve months. Had the world changed? Had my family changed? What about Alisa?

  Was she with someone else? What did she think of me?

  “You nervous, sweetheart?” The guard glanced back and smirked at me, teasing me, though I didn’t mind so much. I’d never been one to take much to heart, and these guys were classical shit-talkers, seemingly trained with the best.

  “Nope. You?” I lifted an eyebrow as he scoffed at me.

  “You’re the one going back into society. You had to realize at some point that this day would come.” He shrugged his shoulders, but didn’t turn around. “I think sometimes it’s easier for you guys who steal money from people to stay hidden here — protected.”

  “You think wrong.” I wrapped my arms around my chest and followed him, diving into the silence of my thoughts. He wasn’t wrong at all, but actually spot on in his assessment. I had tor
n down my clients trust through my indiscretions. Stealing or mismanaging their money wasn’t my crime, but getting rich on confidential matters was. Either way, I’d lost their confidence and trust. The media would be the ones to crucify me, not my clients.

  “Zek.” Mark’s voice caught my attention, and I glanced up to see my brother standing beside Lizzy with a cane in his hand. I knew his leg was still giving him problems from the accident, but I didn’t realize he wasn’t able to walk unassisted.

  “Hey, bro. Lizzy.” I smiled at them both and took the stack of clothes the guard in the window to my left offered.

  “These were what you came in with, but with all that muscle you earned, I’m not sure your big ass will fit in them anymore.” The woman smiled and winked at me. “Good luck, Zek. Keep your nose clean and go live the life you should be living, hm?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” I took the clothes and walked out of the gate to hug my brother and then Lizzy. A sigh of relief left me as the gate slammed closed. “Done.”

  “Yeah, you are. Fuck, we’ve missed you so much.” My brother patted my back before pulling me into another hug. “You’re alright, right? They didn’t mentally fuck you up in there or anything?”

  “Mark. Jeez. Your language.” Lizzy shook her head and moved to open the door for us.

  I chuckled. “He always throws out f-bombs when he’s excited or at a loss for words.”

  “Don’t I know it.” Lizzy turned back and rolled her eyes dramatically.

  “I’m good though. Honestly. It was a shitty twelve months, but having time to really think through everything gave me a sense of peace I might not have gotten otherwise.” I shrugged and moved to get in the back of the car.

  Mark reached for me again. “Hey. You can sit up front. I’m good riding in the back.”

  “No way. Get in and stop being nice. I’m liable to kick you in your gimp knee if you keep it up.” I pushed his hand away playfully and got into the car. I wanted to ask where Alisa was, but it wasn’t the time. Besides, I knew good and damn well where she was. Anywhere but with me.