“What’s wrong, is you trotting that horse assed witch of a woman around like she’s better than me.” Sophia belted in a brash voice moving closer to me.
I ignored her and stepped toward my father, a boiling need to confront him rising.
“So if I fucked a rabbit would you stick your dick in that too?” The words rushed out in snarl.
My father grimaced.
“Careful.” my father responded coldly. “You may need a step stool to slide off of that high horse that you propped yourself up on.”
The laugh was unexpected for us both. I couldn’t help it. There was nothing about my father that frightened me any longer. Nothing at all. It was sardonically sad that he was trying so hard to be young again, to be me, to beat me.
“Every woman that I drop myself into, you seem to pick up. Why is that? Not confident enough to find a woman your own age, a woman wise enough to call you on your shit.”
“You think I chase after these skanks.” he said expressively with knitted eyebrows. “They come to me. They seek out the original. You’re just a raggedy reprint, not worth a shit sandwich in the sun.”
“I’m nothing like you.” I snarled.
He could fuck Sophia. He could screw any woman from my past up the wall and down his desk if he wanted, but the thought that I was in any way the predator that my father had become spiked my anger more than anything. As much as he had tried, I was not him.
“Don’t put your persistent perverted actions on me. You’ve been playing women since I was still playing in your balls, but this new competition craziness is bullshit. I quit. Be the best lawyer. Be the best lover. I don’t care. You win.”
I turned to exit. Somewhere during the intense conversation with my father, Sophia had left.
I had been ready to make myself scarce as well, when my father said the words that made my fist clench and my knuckles itch to connect with his face.
“Even Yvette.” I heard the evil grin spread across his face before I could see it. “Do I win Yvette too?”
“Touch her and you fucking die.” I didn’t yell the words or bark them either. They crashed out of my throat with fierce protectiveness. “Yvette is mine, and you had better stay the hell away from her.”
“So you aren’t that sure of yourself.” he laughed. “Is there a chink in that armor, Lancelot?”
“Not at all.” I told him coolly. “I take care of my valuables. I’ll leave the trash for you to pick up.”
“Get out.” he bellowed. “Right now. Get out.”
“Truth hurts, doesn’t it?” I countered. “Seems like everything you have or want really belongs to me.”
I left his office with sure straight steps but with a wavering mind.
Sophia getting it on with my father was wrong. I wasn’t sure if she needed the money like the other whores that my father scooped up from the gutter and collected or if it was about who my father was. If Sophia had needed status, my “bull put out to pasture” of a father would do nothing for her social standing. It didn’t make sense for her to be in that situation.
Chapter 19
Yvette
The transcript of the postmortem discussion for Brandon Hunter that the hospital provided was extensively full of expanded words and intricate jargon. Rainbow colored highlighters and small neon sticky notes became my saving grace during the reading process.
Had it not been for the lovely, colorful utensils my eyelids would have folded in on top of themselves before falling off of my face. The amount of paperwork that was finally available for examination could have covered me three times over. I highlighted every name in pink for fun and cross-referenced it against the patient profile and treatment records.
I looked between the information from the postmortem discussion report and Brandon Hunter’s patient profile information. The information in the profile listed all of the names, addresses, and phone numbers provided to the hospital for Brandon Hunter during every one of his visits. A name listed as an emergency contact during his first visit caught my eye. Salveriacia.
It is not a common name. I had only seen it in one other place, next to Sophia’s name. Sophia Salveriacia. Before she was Sherry Hunter, wife of Byron Hunter, she was Sherry Salveriacia, girlfriend. Two women in the same general age range, in the same city, with same uncommon name had to have some commonality. There had to be some connection to Sophia.
It was finally a possible break in the case. It was finally a reason to get up from the table, stretch my legs, and really use my brain. I hoped with everything in me that the dots would finally connect. With all of the hope that I had inside of me I wanted the picture to be complete so that the case could finally be laid to rest with the victims. Dylan needed that, and because of him, so did I.
My guy had been in a rush when he returned from his conversation with Jimmy the Janitor. I had wanted to speak with Dylan and catch him up on my progress, but he zoomed through the hall with no regard for anyone else.
James was my top pick for discussion after Dylan. I had considered speaking with Pete for less than a millisecond. Everything about him set my nerve endings alight. His toxic looks made me feel grimy, as though only a shower with medical grade anti-bacterial soap could decontaminate me. Being in the same room with the great Pete Hanson made me want lock myself in a dark closet and say prayers. After actually getting to Dylan, I wasn’t sure how he was able to accomplish the task of being a decent person after having been reared in the image of Pete.
I rapped lightly on the door to James’ office.
His gracious smile greeted me.
“Hey stranger.” James teased. “Hanson finally let you out to play?”
It amazed me when I considered the journey that James and my relationship had taken. He had been such an apathetic asshole in the beginning. A robotic unsympathetic jerk. By the time we had started working on the case together, I’d considered him a friend.
“I found some news.” I rushed, moving directly in front of him to plop down my new discovery.
“Straight to business.” he mused, picking up the information.
His smirk faded and his eyes darted to mine with haste.
“You’ve got to be making this up.” he nearly whispered with disbelief.
“Sherry Salaveriacia is Sherry Hunter.”
James typed rapidly on his computer. His fingers tapping the keys like a hammer to nails. Then he stopped.
“Oh my word.” he said, his hand moving to cover his mouth.
“What?” I was anxious to know.
He pivoted his monitor for me to see what he’d found in the background check.
“Sophia and Sherry are sisters?” I almost had to question.
“Based on this information, Sophia and Sherry are half-sisters. The same father.”
“What the hell?”
I stormed out of the office with haste and bumped right into the woman that had made my blood boil.
Our shoulders crashed before I pointed a finger into her shoulder.
“You.” I poked. “You did this.”
“Back off, troll.” she replied haughtily.
Sophia attempted to walk away, but I stepped in front of her.
“No. You don’t get the privilege of being that goddamned evil to Sherry Salaveriacia and walking away without a blemish or scratch.” I told her sternly.
Sophia turned swiftly and nearly galloped to the bank of elevators.
I was hot on her trail. After all of the hours of work I had poured into this crazy case, there was no way that I was just going to let her slip away without some explanation, without some semblance of the truth.
She moved to the stairwell entrance, once she could see the uselessness of mashing every elevator button.
I followed her through the door into the massive concrete area and cornered her before she could hit the steps.
“Why did you frame Sherry Salaveriacia?” I questioned with force. I needed to know. We had spent so long looking at all of t
he facts, and the entire time the woman with the entire story was right under our noses, right within our grasp.
Sophia stood still. Her widened eyes let me know that she knew that I knew.
“How do you know that name?” Sophia’s gaze was stern behind narrowed eyes.
“You wanted Sherry to go down for this. You wanted her to be considered a murderer.” I accuse, bypassing Sophia’s question all together.
Sophia’s nose flared. She didn’t have to say a word and I knew that I was on the right track. So I continued.
“You bribed those bitter, tired nurses to lie.” I surmised. “You went through hell and high water to frame your own sister.”
“You don’t know the whole story.” she shot back. “You have no right to judge me.”
I shook my head. “You’re the lowest kind of bitch.”
“I didn’t do it alone.” she spat. “You think you have it all figured out? You don’t know shit.”
“Please. At least be bold enough to own your shit. Don’t try to throw the blame.”
She sighed and her eyes fell to the floor.
“It wasn’t just me.” Sophia whined. “I couldn’t have bought off judges and lawyers.”
“So what happened? Who would want to hurt the firm so much that they would sabotage this case?”
“Pete.” Sophia said the name like it would burn her tongue if she let it sit there too long.
“My father?” the voice intercepted mine before I could reveal my shock.
“Dylan.” Sophia stated. “I’m so sorry for all of this.”
His tone turned vicious and he took measured steps toward Sophia with a dangerous gait.
“Keep your apologies to yourself.” he barked. “Tell me what happened.”
Dylan looked formidable in front of Sophia. Had I not known him well, I would have feared for her safety.
“He was my father first.” Her voice wavered as she spoke slowly. “His only little girl until she came along out of the blue. When he married her mom, she got everything: my dad, my money, his time, his love, my life.”
“Her husband was sick.” I interjected.
“She didn’t deserve him either.” she spat out the bitter words.
“How was my father involved?” Dylan bit out.
“He made a deal with Menory. He set up a side situation that would allow him to receive half of whatever settlement they were able to save. He set up the lawyer and judge and paid them off based on what he stood to gain.”
“That ass.” Dylan pivoted quickly and stalked through the door.
Sophia’s issues were a distant memory when I saw the murderous look on Dylan’s face.
I didn’t like Pete, but I couldn’t let Dylan go to jail for killing him.
“Wait. Dylan. Listen.” I tried to grab onto a piece of him, any piece, but he was moving entirely too fast.
He didn’t respond, didn’t acknowledge my presence, but actually quickened his pace. He was nearly jogging.
Dylan didn’t have to search for his father. Pete was standing right near the front desk area when we stepped in.
“You just couldn’t stand it that she left it to me?” Dylan yelled before he charged toward his father.
The older man’s eyes bulged as his body thudded against the wall from the entire weight of Dylan’s.
“Stop!” I yelped, afraid that Dylan could be disowned by his family at any moment.
“You’re damn right.” Pete screamed, raising up as much as he could. “You’re a spoiled …”
Pete wasn’t able to finish his sentence, Dylan decked him.
“You’re fired.” Dylan told his crumpled father.
“Can you do that?” I questioned before I stepped closer to Dylan and took hold of his arm.
“He can’t.”
“Mother left this company to me. I just allowed your sorry ass to stay here.” Dylan exclaimed. “So get the fuck out of here while you can still walk.”
Dylan quickly made a phone call to security.
I had been in shock to find out that the company was really Dylan’s.
“I need to get my things.” he explained while moving his face in awkward positions to stretch his jaw.
“I’ll have them shipped.” Dylan ordered.
He hooked his father by the arm and pulled him out of the suite door.
“This is my firm.” Pete yelled seeming as though he was trying to convince himself. “I generate revenue.”
The few people milling in the hall turned to pay attention.
Dylan still had a grip on his arm and wasn’t letting go. He marched Pete through the halls with frustration.
“Most of the clients that you had, left when my grandfather passed away. You’ve been nothing but a burden for the last few years.”
Security arrived and took hold of Pete.
I looked up at Dylan, looking for emotion. Anger was all that I found.
“Come with me.” Dylan requested stone faced.
I followed him to his office, where he promptly pulled out his liquor.
“What a fucking day.” he murmured.
Dylan downed the liquid in his glass before he slammed it against the table.
He took a deep breath.
“Come here.” he requested.
I walked over to him.
“Come to me.” Dylan repeated.
I slid into his arms. He pulled me close to him and I rested my head against his chest.
“It was a really rough day.” I admit.
“Now that I’m holding you, it’s starting to get better. We’ll fight this together.”
I smiled and inhaled his scent. The strength of his solid arms held me in place.
“I need you.” he rasped and then took my lips with such force that I nearly fell over.
Epilogue
Dylan - 2 Years later
My private plane began its descent at the same time that Yvette’s head ascended from my lap. After 2 years, I still couldn’t get enough of her and those platinum worthy lips. Her mouth should be bronzed as a statue and handed out as an annual award for the best sucking skills.
She licked her lips as she sat back.
“Tasty.” she winked.
I pulled her mouth to mine and kissed the taste of me on her tongue. She was just so damn sexy. I couldn’t resist her even if I had wanted to. When I thought back to the day we met and remembered that I had almost fired her, it nagged at my heart that I’d almost lost the opportunity to love her.
“You are mine.” I whispered into her mouth.
“Yes.” she whispered back and stroked my hair in that way that makes my pants stretch.
Everything about her turned me on.
The stewardess, who had been in the front with the pilot while Yvette pleasured me, opened the door to the cabin. Yvette and I descended the steps into the Aruban sun hand in hand.
“So where are we? Will you tell me now?” Yvette bounced against me.
I had wanted it to be a surprise. We had been through hell in the beginning of our relationship. I wanted every second, every minute of every hour of the rest of our lives to be beautiful. She deserved this vacation and much more.
“Aruba.” I told her once we entered the chauffeured town car waiting for us.
Her face lit up. Everything that I had planned for her was well worth it for that smile, for the look of pure joy that covered her face.
“Wow!” she exclaimed. “I have never been to an island before.”
This may be her first time, but it wouldn’t be the last. It had been so busy after the Menory case at the firm that I hadn’t had the time to take her on a proper vacation.
“From here on out, I’ll make sure that we get to see every island documented on the map at least twice.”
She tore her eyes away from the window to see me.
“Dylan that could take years and a lot of money.” she said disapprovingly.
I kissed her cheek.
“I’m not la
cking any funds, and the years only matter if I’m spending them with you.”
She laughed and it slightly hurt my feelings.
“Who are you with these sweet words today?” she questioned.
“Your man.” I kissed her hand. “Always the man in your corner, who would do anything for you.”
A blush spread and rose over her perfect face.
“I’m just not used to—” she began.
“Well you should be and will be.” I countered before I kissed her mouth.
“I know we’ve been busy with all of the firm stuff—” I start. I had to let her know that from here on out, now that everything was settled, she would be my number one priority.
Yvette placed a hand on my arm.
“I know.” she said sweetly. “I know that you care about me.”
There was a hint of sadness in her eyes as she looked out of the window. The word “care” stuck out sorely. It didn’t sum up my feelings at all.
The driver turned into the private drive of the secluded villa.
“This is beautiful.” she mused as her head darted in every direction.
Suddenly, she faced me with serious concern.
“Why did you bring me here?” Yvette asked.
I swallowed hard. Usually not at a loss for words, but I couldn’t tell her the truth of my plans.
“Alone time. To have fun.” I answered.
The driver opened the door for us, and Yvette seemed satisfied with that answer for the moment.
“To have fun, huh?” she repeated with a devious grin.
Yvette jumped out of the seat and took off running onto the adjoining beach.
“Bet you can’t catch me!” she yelled.
I stood and laughed at the beautiful woman.
“I don’t run.” I called after her. I had never really played games as a child. Everything was about preparing for my future.
Yvette seemed so carefree in that moment. Her happiness lifted me.
“Come on.” she teased back, slowing her pace.
I took a few quick steps toward her, before I noticed that with each step another article of clothing was removed. She had started with her shoes, then the slip on dress.
Object Me: A Bad Boy Lawyer Romance Page 12