Lawfully Devoted

by Jenna Brandt

  The woman took the tickets and glanced at them. She typed something into her computer, then her eyes rounded as she looked up at Erica. “Good morning, Miss Cruz. We’re so glad to have you join us this morning on Sundance Airlines. We’re running a bit behind on boarding, but we would love to offer you access to our VIP lounge area while you wait. We have you checked-in and you can leave your carry-ons here. In the meantime, I can have one of the other flight attendants escort you to the lounge if you’re interested.”

  Zach didn’t travel much, but he did know one thing; this wasn’t normal treatment for ordinary passengers. He also was pretty certain they didn’t offer their VIP lounge to coach passengers, which meant Erica must have upgraded them to first class.

  “Thank you,” Erica said with a smile. “We appreciate the offer.”

  Another brunette woman, shorter than the first, came from the side and offered, “Why don’t I take you and your guest over to the lounge.”

  As they made their way from the boarding area, Zach asked, “Did you arrange all this?”

  Erica’s face scrunched up as she answered, “Not all of it. I mean when I called, the ticket agent said the flight was almost full. I knew I had to get to Amsterdam as soon as possible, so I asked if there were two spots together left anywhere on the plane. She told me only in first class, so I booked them.”

  “Considering the length of the flight, I can’t say I’ll complain about wider seats and more leg room,” Zach said with a grin.

  “And don’t forget upgraded food and free movies,” Erica added.

  “Here we are,” the flight attendant said, opening a tinted glass door marked VIP lounge. “Make sure to try the crab cakes and the mint julips. They’re terrific. If you would like, the lounge also offers fifteen-minute spa treatments as well as top-notch Wi-Fi and plenty of privacy from prying eyes.” Glancing at Erica, she added, “I’m sure with all the media attention you’ve been getting lately, that will come in real handy, Miss Cruz.”

  The flight attendant’s statement confirmed what Zach suspected. They knew who Erica was and were going out of their way to make her happy. He glanced over at Erica and noticed she was blushing from the attention. He found it adorable she got embarrassed from something so minor.

  “Thank you,” Zach said, “but we can take it from here.”

  “Anything you need, just ask any of the attendants inside. You both have a great time, and we’ll see you back at the boarding area when it’s time for first class to board.”

  Zach and Erica entered the lounge and were stunned by the opulence of the place. High ceilings with more marble than either had seen before adorned the area. It was obvious no expense was spared when outfitting the lounge.

  They took a seat at a two-topper table in the corner. One of the waiters came over and asked them if they would like anything.

  “What may I get you both?” the server inquired.

  “We were told the crab cakes and mint julips are excellent. We would like to try both,” Zach stated.

  “Is there anything else you would suggest?” Erica asked, looking through the menu.

  “I recommend the salt and pepper squid,” the server said with a smile. “It’s amazing. Chef Trimine is known for it.”

  “Then we will take an order of that as well,” Erica stated, closing her menu.

  As they waited for their food, Zach inquired, “How are you handling what’s happened?”

  Erica pressed her lips together, pausing for a moment before answering, “Honestly, this whole thing doesn’t feel real. Everyone keeps telling me I need to start accepting I have money and adjust, but I don’t know how. Add in this situation with the letter and the man who attacked me, and I don’t even know if I want to keep the money.”

  “Yes, but giving it away won’t change anything. It doesn’t sound like it’s money they want, but something else.”

  “I know. It’s just hard to not put the two together. I feel like if I can just get rid of the inheritance, everything would go back to the way it used to be.”

  “You know, Erica, money doesn’t have to change everything. It doesn’t have to change you. You can still stay the fun, outgoing, down-to-earth woman that captured my attention from the first moment I met you.”

  A deep red crept across her face as she averted her eyes. “You’re kind for saying that. I hope you’re right. I’ve always liked who I am, and I don’t want this money to change that.”

  The food arrived and they spent the last bit of their time in the lounge enjoying it before having a quick massage. The announcement that they were boarding their flight came over the intercom. Zach and Erica gathered their belongings, but before they even made it past the front desk of the spa, one of the attendants showed up, offering to take them in through a special boarding area for first class.

  They were guided onto the front of the plane where they were given a large suite. It had two reclining seats, a private television, a workstation, and a privacy divider.

  Zach leaned over and whispered, “Wow, I knew this would be impressive, but I had no idea.”

  “I agree. I can’t believe people fly like this all the time,” Erica whispered back.

  “Is there anything I can do for you before the flight takes off?” the flight attendant inquired.

  Erica glanced at Zach, and when he shook his head, she said, “No, we’re fine.”

  Once situated in their suite, Zach inquired, “What do you want to do first? We could watch a movie, play a game, or spend a little time reading.”

  Erica laughed. “I can’t see you doing a lot of reading. Wouldn’t you be bored out of your mind?”

  He shrugged. “I suppose it depended on what type of reading it is. I can get into a good thriller or a mystery, but I usually don’t have the time to devote to a book.”

  “I understand. I often don’t even have time to finish a movie. I find myself falling asleep watching a movie. Then the next time I start it, it happens again. I find myself starting the same movie over and over only to fall asleep in the same spot.”

  Zach chuckled. “I can just see you fast asleep, then waking up when the credit music starts and having no idea how it happened.”

  “That about sums it up. So, if books and movies are out for the time being, how about a game of cards? I love playing Gin Rummy. You up for a game?”

  “Sure, let’s do it,” Zach said, as he watched Erica pull out a deck of cards from her purse.

  As Zach and Erica played cards, he couldn’t keep his eyes from drifting to her lips. Every time she was about to make a good move, she would bite her lip. He debated about telling her about the tic, but decided it was far too cute to ruin it by doing so. Each time she did it, her lips became a little more tantalizing, and he wondered what it would feel like to kiss them. Under the circumstances, he knew it wasn’t the place or time to make that kind of move, but it didn’t keep him from wanting to do so. He knew he should wait until all of this was settled to make his intentions known, but he wondered if he would be able to wait that long.

  Fourteen

  Even though both Erica and Zach were tired from a full day of travel, including a six-hour layover in New York, they arrived just as the day was getting started in Amsterdam.

  “I’m exhausted, as I’m sure you are, but if we go to the hotel and fall asleep, we’re going to have our nights and days mixed up,” Erica stated. “We’d be better to get right into the business of things.”

  “What should we do first? I’m assuming you have an idea of where you want to start.”

  Erica nodded, as she raised her hand and signaled for a taxicab to stop. “I want to visit the lawyer’s office in person and see if I can get anyone to talk about what happened to him. They didn’t want to say much over the phone, but I’m hoping I might get a different result in person.”

  As they both climbed in the white and green taxi Zach said, “Sounds like a good place to start.”

  Thirty minutes later, they arr
ived in the business district of Amsterdam. Erica pulled out her phone and confirmed they were at the right address. “Stop here,” she ordered the taxi driver.

  She paid him the fee before Erica and Zach climbed out of the car. They made their way up the three flights of stairs and walked down to the end of the hallway. They hadn’t changed the name on the door. It still read, Braxton and Associates, which meant the office hadn’t been closed down yet. She hoped there were employees inside that would be willing to talk to her.

  Erica opened the door and entered with Zach behind her. A set of brown eyes belonging to a woman with grey hair darted towards her. She had dark shadows under her eyes, and her face was pale like she hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep lately. Not surprising, since her boss died.

  “Good morning,” Erica said as she approached the receptionist desk. “My name is Erica Cruz. I was one of Theodore Braxton’s clients.”

  The woman’s face grew paler, if that was at all possible. “I know who you are, Miss Cruz. How can I help you?”

  “I was wondering if I could talk with you about Mr. Braxton and what happened to him.”

  The woman crossed her arms and averted her eyes. “I don’t know what more I can tell you since last time we talked on the phone. The police still haven’t caught who hit him, and I doubt they ever will.”

  “Why is that? How can you be so certain?” Zach asked, as if he thought it were an odd statement.

  “I really need to get back to packing up all these files.”

  Erica could tell the other woman was trying to politely dismiss her. With her life and the life of the people she loved on the line, however, there was no way Erica was going to go away that easily.

  “I have a few questions about my inheritance. I noticed the sign outside said Braxton and Associates. Is there any way I can talk with one of the firms associates?”

  “Hold on; let me check,” the woman said as she picked up the phone and hit a button. “Hi, Mr. Reynolds, I have Erica Cruz out here. She has questions about her inheritance. Do you have time to talk with her about it?” The woman hung up the phone and turned her attention back to Erica. “Mr. Reynolds said he can see you and answer any questions you have.”

  A tall man with red hair and green eyes came into the waiting area from the back hall. He gestured for them to follow him into a conference room towards the back of the office.

  “Why don’t you take a seat,” he offered. Then asked as they all took seats around the table, “How can I help you, Miss Cruz?”

  “I have a list of the assets my father left me. One of the places mentioned was a vineyard just outside Amsterdam. Do you know if there is still staff there? Can I go visit it?”

  “Yes, as far as I know.”

  “Was that his primary residence?” Erica asked, wondering if her father would have stored any sensitive documents there.

  “Indeed it was. He traveled abroad often, and he had properties in other parts of the world, but that was where he spent the most time.”

  “Before I go, I wanted to tell you how sorry I am to hear about Mr. Braxton’s accident. Can you tell me if they have any leads concerning who hit him?”

  The other man squirmed in his seat, then glanced away. “No, they don’t have a clue.” Mr. Reynolds turned his attention back to them. “If you don’t have any other questions, I need to be getting back to some other cases.”

  “Certainly,” Erica said, knowing that he was putting her off and not telling her everything just like the woman at the reception desk had done.

  The trio got up from the table and made their way out of the room. They started to head down the hallway when Erica asked, “Do you happen to have a restroom I can use?”

  “We do,” the lawyer said. “If you turn left at the end of the hall, it’s on the right side.”

  “I’ll be in the waiting room,” Zach said, watching as Erica took off for the restroom.

  Before she got there though, she saw a young woman with blonde hair going through some files in a cabinet. Erica entered the room and said, “Hello, ma’am, may I speak with you a moment.”

  The woman glanced up from her work and over at Erica. She stopped for a moment, then her eyes grew round with recognition. “I know who you are. You’re Erica Cruz. Your paperwork came across my desk. I’m the notary for the office.”

  “Yes, it’s nice to meet you…” Erica waited for the other woman to fill in her name.

  “Agnes, my name’s Agnes.”

  “Do you mind answering a couple of questions for me, Agnes?”

  She seemed to think about it for a moment, then finally said, “Sure, I guess I can do that.”

  “I was wondering if you can tell me if they have any leads about what happened to Mr. Braxton?”

  The women pressed her lips together as the color drained from her face. “Look, I thought you were going to ask me a question about your inheritance. I really don’t feel comfortable discussing Mr. Braxton’s death.”

  “I understand it must be difficult, but I’m worried it has something to do with my father. It just came to my attention that my father didn’t die from natural causes. I’m worried whoever killed him, killed Mr. Braxton too.” She reached out and placed her hand on the side of the other woman’s arm. “I’m scared, Agnes, so anything you can tell me could help.”

  “I really shouldn’t even be talking about this, but if it were me, I would want to know. The cops don’t think it was a random accident. They think Mr. Braxton was targeted.”

  “Why? Who would do that?” Erica asked with shock.

  “They think it’s linked to organized crime. Something to do with an eye witness who saw a tattoo on the driver which links back to a crime syndicate.”

  “I can’t believe it,” Erica whispered. “Do you think that means my father was targeted by the same group?”

  “I think that’s safe to assume. I’m not sure how your father was involved with them, or how he dragged Mr. Braxton into it, but I think it got them both killed.”

  “Thank you for telling me, Agnes.”

  “You’re welcome, but I would really appreciate it if you leave me out of it. I’m already scared enough. I don’t want to end up like Mr. Braxton.”

  Erica nodded. “You have my word.”

  As she made her way into the restroom, she wondered what she was going to do. This was the worst possible news she could get. Did that mean the money her father left her was from working for organized crime? If that was the case, she absolutely didn’t want anything he left her.

  Erica felt sick to her stomach. She had to brace herself against the sink to keep from wobbling. Silently, she sent up a prayer to God, asking for His help.

  Once she gathered her wits, she made her way back to the waiting area. Zach came over to her and asked, “Are you all right? You don’t look so good.”

  “I’ll tell you on the way to the hotel,” she whispered. “Just get me out of here.”

  Fifteen

  Zach was shocked to hear what Erica found out at the lawyer’s office. He had wondered how her father had gotten all his money, but he never thought it could be linked to organized crime. He was worried what that would mean for Erica, but he didn’t want to make things worse for her so he kept that fact to himself.

  After checking into the hotel and settling into the Presidential suite, they made their way downstairs for a late dinner. Neither of them had eaten since the flight over, and both were famished.

  They were seated in the posh restaurant filled with rich, gold decorations, fragrant flowers at each table, and sconce lighting mixed with flickering candles.

  Before sitting down, Zach came around and pulled out Erica’s chair for her.

  “Thank you,” she said with an enchanting smile.

  Zach’s heart quickened from the warmth it brought him to have it directed at him. She was so beautiful when she smiled. It made her whole face light up and caused a twinkle to enter her eyes.

  The server arrived
a few moments later and asked them what they would like to drink. Zach ordered an iced tea while Erica got a coffee.

  “You sure drink a lot of coffee. That’s like the tenth cup I’ve seen you drink since we left from Denver,” Zach observed.

  “Don’t judge. It makes me feel better,” Erica confessed. “I love coffee.”

  “I can see that. You’re one of the only people I know who drinks it all day long.”

  She let out a laugh and said, “Yep, I’m a real addict, what can I say. Hope it doesn’t make you think less of me,” she teased.

  “Actually, I find it kind of endearing. It’s great to see you’re not perfect.”

  “You think I try to be perfect? I’m anything but, Zach. I make mistakes all the time.”

  “I guess we have that in common,” he said with regret. “I wish I had been different when we first met. I shouldn’t have antagonized you so.”

  “It’s water under the bridge. I can see the real Zach now, and I have to say I like him.”

  “I’m glad to hear it,” he said with a grin. “I want us to be friends.”

  “Is that all?” she asked, then averting her eyes, she quickly changed the subject before he could answer. “What did you think of the room? I hope you’re happy with it.”

  “Are you kidding? It’s larger than my apartment back in Colorado. Plus, sharing the suite makes being your bodyguard much easier with the connected door between the separate rooms.”

  “Agreed. It’s why I booked it yesterday. I thought it would work well, though I highly doubt whoever attacked me in Clear Mountain followed me here.”

  “It doesn’t mean they don’t have someone here who could,” Zach countered. “You were smart to bring me along.”

  “And a chance to travel to Amsterdam had nothing to do with why you’re glad I brought you?” she teased.

  “Well, I’m glad I kept my passport active even though I haven’t gotten to travel much over the past couple of years. I tend to focus on work more than anything else. But I’m trying to change that. I want to have more than just a job and casual dating in my life.”