by LK Shaw
“Unfortunately, there is no statute of limitation on murder. Although, based on what you’ve told me, there may or may not be proof that it actually happened. It’s probable that he has the murder weapon stashed somewhere with your prints on it. He can lead investigators to wherever he took the body and once DNA results are confirmed, you’ll be arrested for, if nothing else, manslaughter. Here’s a question though: have you ever thought that maybe your father is bluffing and doesn’t actually have the proof you killed his associate in attempts to keep you from turning in your evidence against him?”
For a short time I’d wondered if he was bluffing, but knowing my father, he wasn’t. He needed a way to keep me under his control. Little did he know.
“He’s not bluffing. He wouldn’t chance me not caring if it was found out what I did. It’s leverage he can use against me. No, he has the information.”
“Okay, so how about confronting your father? Lead him to believe that, in exchange for the evidence against you, you’ll turn over everything you’ve discovered about his illegal activities. Neither of you will have something to hold over the other’s head. If he chooses not to hand it over, then tell him you’ll turn yourself into local law enforcement and that you’re passing on all the information you have on him. Be sure to make him aware the FBI will become a part of this investigation so he knows it won’t actually be swept under a rug. Make him sweat a little.”
I thought that over for a few minutes. I hated my father and wanted him to pay for everything he’d done to hurt people. It would provide me with a sense of satisfaction seeing the look on his face when he realized he wasn’t going to get away with his crimes. Miles tensed even further when Webber mentioned a confrontation. If his muscles tightened any more, I was afraid his whole body would splinter. Regardless, we’d already discussed it, and he knew this was the only way to protect me.
“Yes. I think confronting him is the best way to go. What do you need from me?”
“Do you have copies of everything you have?”
“Of course.” Did he think I was an amateur?
“I’ll need one of them. I’ll need the contact information for the agents Connor knows as well. Also, I don’t think what happened ten years ago is necessarily relative to any information the FBI needs. It was a local crime. One that doesn’t necessitate Federal involvement.”
It took me several minutes to process exactly what it was that Webber was saying. Because it sure sounded like he had no plans to do anything about Mr. Childress. I didn’t want to rock the boat, but, for my own peace of mind, I needed clarification. Because the hope that just exploded inside me didn’t want to be tempered.
“So, when my father hands over the evidence against me that he has, what happens to it?”
Webber sat back in his chair and, with an air of nonchalance, said something that rocked me. “If your father has the murder weapon and it’s found, who’s to say it wouldn’t get lost again? I mean, stranger things have happened. Let’s just say that I have a little sister too. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to head back to the station and make a couple of phone calls. I’ll be in touch soon.”
Webber stood and made his exit. I couldn’t move. I was numb with shock. No wonder Connor trusted him. Soon after Webber left, Connor sent Miles and me home for the day, which I was thankful for. I was exhausted after this grueling day.
Please enjoy the gift I left you upstairs.
You have one hour to use your gift as you see fit,
like the last time. If, in the future,
you’d like access to your gift again,
don’t hesitate to call on me.
Bile churned in my stomach when I spotted my father’s initials at the bottom of the page. I dropped the paper and raced to the bathroom, where I emptied my stomach of its meager contents. Oh, God, Casey.
Webber stopped writing when I disclosed the contents of the note. He raised his head and stared at me with horror in his eyes.
“Jesus. Your dad allowed this man to rape his thirteen-year-old daughter more than once? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
Sadly, I wished I were. “My father had been ‘gifting’ Casey to Mr. Childress, and others I believe, but could never confirm, for over a year. I confronted him about it, and he slapped me across the face. He told me I’d just cost him millions of dollars. He then went on to explain that I was now indebted to him since he had to clean up my mess. He told me to keep that in mind the next time I decided to stick my nose in someone else’s business. That with a single phone call and the murder weapon, I’d go to prison. Then, he dismissed me. It was at that moment I started hacking into every one of my father’s business accounts, computers, security systems, everything I could possibly think of. There was no way I was ever going to be indebted to that son of a bitch. Especially not after what he’d done to Casey.”
A new expression crossed Webber’s face. One I could only define as determination. As though my mission to bring down my father had now become his.
“You’ve said that there are city officials who work for your father. Do you have evidence on who these officials are? Payoffs, bribes, blackmail information? Anything?”
Webber went back to looking at his notepad with his questions.
“Of course. Mayor Owens and your boss, Chief Stockton, are the two major players. There are also a few beat cops, but I’d have to look up their names. Those are the only ones I have solid proof of a connection to my father.”
At my pronouncement of two of the most prominent civil servants in all of Pinegrove, Webber stopped scratching on his pad as his head shot up to look at me.
“You’re telling me that the mayor and the chief of police are involved in all of this?” His voice reeked of disbelief. I didn’t give a shit what he thought. I had sound bytes of phone calls, emails, and video feed of personal meetings between them. I’d seen money exchange hands. I had all of their bank records and records of offshore accounts. A person didn’t make seven figures as a civil servant unless they were dirty. Instead of answering, I only continued to stare at him.
Webber rubbed his hands over his head, clutching his hair in a fist in evident frustration.
“Jesus Christ. This is a fucking nightmare you’ve just dragged me into Black.”
“Connor says you can be trusted. I’m hesitant to believe that, but I’m going along with this because I trust Connor’s judgment. So, now that you have all this information, what do you plan on doing with it?”
I intentionally wanted him on the spot. If I was going down for my shit, I wanted to make sure I took my father down with me.
“If your father’s crimes are as international as you say they are, then the FBI is going to need to be involved. It’s possible that the criminals your father is associated with are already on the Fed’s radar. It would be like killing two birds with one stone. The only problem is, I don’t have any Federal connections.”
“I do,” Connor spoke up. “I have several contacts within the FBI that I’ve worked with on a few cases. Guys I trust. Let me make some phone calls, and we’ll work out a plan of action. As far as the information you have on Josie, what are your plans regarding her?”
My stomach clenched at Connor’s question, but there was nothing to be done about it now. I’d confessed, and my crime was now out in the open. The only place to go was forward. I turned to look at Webber while I waited with baited breath for his response.
“Unfortunately, there is no statute of limitation on murder. Although, based on what you’ve told me, there may or may not be proof that it actually happened. It’s probable that he has the murder weapon stashed somewhere with your prints on it. He can lead investigators to wherever he took the body and once DNA results are confirmed, you’ll be arrested for, if nothing else, manslaughter. Here’s a question though: have you ever thought that maybe your father is bluffing and doesn’t actually have the proof you killed his associate in attempts to keep you from turning in your evidence
against him?”
For a short time I’d wondered if he was bluffing, but knowing my father, he wasn’t. He needed a way to keep me under his control. Little did he know.
“He’s not bluffing. He wouldn’t chance me not caring if it was found out what I did. It’s leverage he can use against me. No, he has the information.”
“Okay, so how about confronting your father? Lead him to believe that, in exchange for the evidence against you, you’ll turn over everything you’ve discovered about his illegal activities. Neither of you will have something to hold over the other’s head. If he chooses not to hand it over, then tell him you’ll turn yourself into local law enforcement and that you’re passing on all the information you have on him. Be sure to make him aware the FBI will become a part of this investigation so he knows it won’t actually be swept under a rug. Make him sweat a little.”
I thought that over for a few minutes. I hated my father and wanted him to pay for everything he’d done to hurt people. It would provide me with a sense of satisfaction seeing the look on his face when he realized he wasn’t going to get away with his crimes. Miles tensed even further when Webber mentioned a confrontation. If his muscles tightened any more, I was afraid his whole body would splinter. Regardless, we’d already discussed it, and he knew this was the only way to protect me.
“Yes. I think confronting him is the best way to go. What do you need from me?”
“Do you have copies of everything you have?”
“Of course.” Did he think I was an amateur?
“I’ll need one of them. I’ll need the contact information for the agents Connor knows as well. Also, I don’t think what happened ten years ago is necessarily relative to any information the FBI needs. It was a local crime. One that doesn’t necessitate Federal involvement.”
It took me several minutes to process exactly what it was that Webber was saying. Because it sure sounded like he had no plans to do anything about Mr. Childress. I didn’t want to rock the boat, but, for my own peace of mind, I needed clarification. Because the hope that just exploded inside me didn’t want to be tempered.
“So, when my father hands over the evidence against me that he has, what happens to it?”
Webber sat back in his chair and, with an air of nonchalance, said something that rocked me. “If your father has the murder weapon and it’s found, who’s to say it wouldn’t get lost again? I mean, stranger things have happened. Let’s just say that I have a little sister too. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to head back to the station and make a couple of phone calls. I’ll be in touch soon.”
Webber stood and made his exit. I couldn’t move. I was numb with shock. No wonder Connor trusted him. Soon after Webber left, Connor sent Miles and me home for the day, which I was thankful for. I was exhausted after this grueling day.
Chapter 34
Miles
My first instinct when Josie began her confession was to grab her and run. Find us a place to hide and forget about her father and the rest of the world. When she’d first touched me, I thought it was to gain strength. But once she dropped her bomb, I knew it was her subtle way of showing her dominance. Confessing her crime was the part of the plan I wasn’t happy with. But, in deference to her unspoken commands, I remained seated, tension in every muscle of my body. My head pounded from my jaw grinding together. My eyes remained so fixated on Webber, trying to anticipate what his next move would be, I barely heard the words Josie spoke. Not that it mattered; I knew her story by heart. None of my muscles relaxed even after she completed her tale.
Now that plans had been put into motion to set up an exchange of information, Josie and I left the office and headed to her house. Strained silence followed us the whole way there. I tried my breathing exercises that Dr. Parrish had given me, but that shit wasn’t helping me. Panic, fear, and a whole range of emotions had taken residence up inside me, and no matter how much I tried to purge them, they remained festering deep in my gut, like smoldering coals that burned hotter than any fire.
Once we reached the house, I opened Josephine’s door and held my hand out to help her out of the car, but the minute she was on her feet, I released her. A flash of hurt crossed her face, but I didn’t react. I was too busy keeping my emotions in check until we got inside. The hurt only lasted for a second before her shoulders stiffened, and she stood a little taller. We made it inside before she turned to me.
“Are you okay?”
My laugh was hollow and even a little desperate sounding. “Not even in the slightest. You confessed to murder, Josie. We’ve just started our lives together, and it’s killing me knowing that this happiness I’m finally discovering again could be taken away in a heartbeat. I know Webber said that the FBI doesn’t have to know, but if your father really does have this evidence against you and this exchange takes place, how do you plan on keeping it from them? Do you really think it’s not going to come out?”
“I don’t know. I can only have faith. Even if it comes out, there’s no guarantee that it would go to trial or if I’d even be convicted. No one knows these kinds of things. What I do know is that there are women out there who have been stolen from their families. Probably raped. Possibly tortured. I can’t just sit back and let that continue to happen. We have to trust Connor and Webber. My father won’t stop until I’m dead. He has too much to lose. I’m just as scared as you are, so please don’t shut me out. If you care about me at all, I need you to be there for me.”
The words burst out of me in a staccato of uncontrolled emotion. “Care about you? Is that what this all-consuming emotion that I feel for you is? This emotion that’s dug its talons deep in my heart and refuses to let go? My heart fucking bleeds for you, Josephine Bishop.”
I fell to my knees at her feet and crushed her to me.
“You’re my entire existence, Josephine Louise Bishop. The air I breathe. I fucking love you, Josephine.”
Her breathing stuttered beneath my cheek and the hands caressing my head stopped moving. I tilted my head back to look at her. Tears and a soft smile graced Josie’s face.
“You love me?” It was barely a whisper.
I could only stare at her in disbelief, not comprehending how she could possibly question me.
“Of course, I love you, Josie. I’ve always loved you, even if I didn't want to admit it. You crawled under my skin when you were just twenty-one and you’ve never left. I’m not saying this thing between us is going to be easy, we’re both stubborn people, but I’ll do everything in my power to love you the best way I know how. I love your control and your Dominance. It pleases me to please you. I never knew how cleansing submission could be. And it’s all because of you.”
Her fingers traced across my cheeks and nose down to my lips. She lightly ran her fingers around my mouth.
“Oh, Miles. I love you too.”
Josie cradled my face in her hands and bent down to touch her lips to mine. It wasn’t a kiss full of passion, but rather of one filled with love, hope, and promise. Without breaking the kiss, I rose to my feet, and with hands under her hips I picked her up. Automatically, she wrapped her legs around my waist and threw her arms around my neck. We remained locked together with me peeking occasionally so I didn’t crash into anything as I carried her into the bedroom.
As though she were made of the most fragile glass, I laid her on the bed and gently began removing her clothes. Once she was completely naked beneath me, I hurriedly disrobed and immediately covered her body with mine. I trailed kisses down her neck and chest, stopping briefly to suckle and nip her breasts. My path continued downward as I licked a trail to her very essence. Her musky aroma mixed with her usual citrus scent filled my nose, and her inner thighs glistened with her juices. I couldn’t wait to lap them up. Josie must have had other plans, because a sharp tug to my hair had my head jerking up to look at her.
“My way. On your back, sub.” Her command was softened by her affectionate tone.
For the briefest of momen
ts, I hesitated, but another tug on my hair had me wincing and rubbing the spot she pulled. Instead, I repositioned myself until I was at the head of the bed and then I rolled onto my back.
Immediately, Josie crawled on top, reached out to grasp my straining cock, and with agonizing slowness, lowered herself down onto me. A groan of pleasure vibrated in my throat as her hot cavern engulfed me, squeezing me tight. My cock throbbed as she settled herself. Seeing her above me, sitting proudly on top of me with her back slightly arched to push her breasts forward, had my cock aching for her to move. She leaned down, and our mouths collided in desperate need for each other.
As our tongues spoke to each other in their own language of love, Josie’s hips gently began to undulate as she rocked herself against me. She slowly raised and lowered herself, controlling her movements and driving me wild. I wanted desperately to thrust upward, and when I tried, she stopped her own movements. She was the maestro, and I was merely the orchestra she directed. Our bodies danced a waltz, and the only thing I could do was follow her lead.
She maintained her speed as I savored the flavor of her. A sheen of sweat was layered on our bodies, and my cock ached for release. Finally, Josie began rocking a little faster, her clit grazing my pelvis as she pushed her climax closer to the surface. Her pussy squeezed my cock like a vise, and I strained to hold back my thrusts. Suddenly, Josie cried out, and I swallowed the sound as shudders rocked her body with her release. The contractions of her pussy triggered my release, and my seed burst from me coating her inside. I’d never experienced this connection with another human being. It was visceral and sweet and explosive all at the same time.
Josie’s soft body relaxed across my chest, and my arms encircled her, keeping her close to me. I had no idea what the next few days would hold, but I knew I needed to be stronger than ever before if we were going to get through this. I needed to keep a tight hold on my emotions, because they would be tested like never before. Josie’s father had to pay for his crimes. I just prayed she wasn’t caught in the crossfire.