by Chloe Lang
“He should be offering you a promotion, sweetheart.”
“Actually, he sort of hinted at that, but I’m not certain.”
“Why wouldn’t he? You uncovered one of the biggest embezzling schemes in the world. I’m so proud of you.”
“This feels unreal,” Izzy said. “I shot a man today.”
“Yes, and you also saved our lives, sweetheart. Remember, Moody was the one who killed Mason, not you.”
“I know but it doesn’t make it any easier.” She leaned her head into his shoulder. “I’m just glad you and Clay are safe.”
“And we’re glad you’re safe.” He kissed her forehead.
She sighed and closed her eyes.
Three women rushed to them. He recognized one of them from the photo Izzy had shown him and Clay at her loft.
Gabby reminded him of Izzy in so many ways. She was frantic and knelt down in front of her. “Mom, are you okay?”
Izzy opened her eyes and wrapped her arms around her daughter. “Thank God you are here.”
“We’re all here,” the brunette standing to Gabby’s left said. “Izzy, my God. I can’t believe this happened.”
“Toni, I’m fine. Really.” Izzy grabbed the redhead’s hand. “I’m so glad you came, too, Cami.”
“You’ve been through hell, sweetie,” Cami said. “Of course we would be here with you.”
Izzy had called the three of them before leaving the crime scene.
Clay came out of the detective’s office. “This must be Gabby and your friends you told us about, sweetheart.”
“Yes.” She introduced them to each other and put her arm around Gabby. “This is the best daughter a mother could ever hope for.” Then she motioned to Toni and Cami. “And the best friends a woman could ever have.”
“How long have you been friends?” Clay asked.
“We met in first grade,” the three of them said in unison.
The room they were in was small, and with so many people, it was quite cramped with only four chairs.
He stood. “Clay, are we done here?”
His brother shook his head. “The detective asked us to stay put a little longer. He got a call from Scotland Yard about Gonzales. I don’t know what’s happening yet, but he promised to come in and give us an update once the call ends.”
The three women were so supportive of Izzy, which he and Clay were grateful for. The ordeal had shaken her, which was no surprise. He, too, had been impacted by what went down in the warehouse. Bill was dead. Any compassion he had felt for his uncle about the embezzlement had totally vanished when he had confessed murdering his parents and aunt. He would not grieve for the bastard.
“Ladies, please have a seat until then. Once we’re done here, I want to take everyone to dinner.”
Toni smiled. “That sounds wonderful, Jay.”
Gabby took the seat next to her mother, and Toni and Cami took the seats across from them. He and Clay remained standing.
“Mom, knowing how you react when you’re upset, I bet you haven’t eaten anything all day, have you?”
“No, but I’m really not hungry.”
Toni and Cami jumped to their feet.
“You need something on your stomach, Izzy,” Cami said flatly.
“We passed a vending machine on the way in here,” Toni said. “How about we get you something to tide you over until we leave?”
He liked Izzy’s friends. He could tell they were very close and wanted to take care of her.
“I’d rather wait for dinner but I will drink a soda.”
“Anyone else need anything?” Cami asked, looking at him, Clay, and Gabby.
“No thank you,” he answered first.
“I don’t need anything either,” Clay said. “But thank you.”
“I just want to stay with Mom.” Gabby held Izzy’s hand, the concern for her mother evident.
Toni and Cami left.
Gabby kissed Izzy’s cheek, and her eyes welled up. “Thank God you were with Clay and Jay.” She turned to them. “I will never forget what you did today. If that man had…I can’t think about that.”
Izzy hugged her. “Everything turned out okay, honey. I’m okay. Really I am. Just a little shook up.”
“And Gabby, your mom saved us, too,” Clay said.
“She did? How?”
The three of them told her more about what had happened at the warehouse.
Gabby smiled. “Mom let me know this morning that you two told her that you loved her.”
Izzy’s eyes widened. “Gabriella?”
“Well, considering all that has happened today, I think it’s fair to talk about this, don’t you?”
“I agree,” Jay said. “I do love your mom. I love her with all my heart.”
“And so do I, Gabby,” Clay added. “I love her and want to spend the rest of my life with her.”
“I believe you both.” She turned to Izzy. “And what about you, Mom? Did you think about what I told you?”
“I haven’t been able to quit thinking about it, honey.” Izzy looked her in the eyes. “You were right. You were right about everything. Wise beyond your years, honey.”
“I know.” Gabby grinned. “So have you told them how you feel yet?”
Izzy shook her head. “Wise and a wiseass at times. Not that it’s any of your business, but yes. I’ve told them how I feel. When I thought I was going to lose them I realized I could never be without them.” Tears welled in her eyes. “Clay and Jay are the loves of my life, Gabby. Is your mom crazy?”
“Not crazy, Mom. Lucky. Lucky in love.”
The door opened and instead of Toni and Cami coming back in, James Sullivan entered the room.
“Uncle James.” Clay hugged him.
Jay also greeted him with a hug. They’d called James on the way to the station, informing him of all that had happened.
“I’m so glad you are both safe.”
He and Clay introduced James to Izzy and Gabby.
“It’s so very nice to meet you both.” James turned back to him and Clay. “I have followed your instructions, and everything is under control at GWI. The team is putting together a press release about Bill.”
“Jay and I want to see it before it goes out,” Clay said. “No doubt we’ll take a hit on the stock market but we want to mitigate it as much as possible.”
“Of course. The board is shaken but I can handle them. Don’t worry about a thing.”
“Uncle James, Clay and I would like you to take the helm as interim CEO.”
“I’d be honored, but only until your birthday, fellas. Once you get full control of your trusts, you need to be the ones in charge. That should eliminate doubt in the minds of our stockholders.”
“I agree.” He shook James’s hand. “We appreciate you so much, Uncle James.”
“Your mom and dad and…Caroline…would be very proud of you.”
During their earlier call, they’d told James what they’d learned about the accident—that Bill was responsible for it. Time would be the only thing to heal the wound the three of them shared after learning the truth.
Toni and Cami returned with handfuls of snacks and drinks.
“Oh my gosh.” Izzy laughed. “Did you empty out the machine?”
“Almost,” Toni said, handing her a soda. “What we don’t eat we can leave for the officers at the station.”
The detective walked into the room. “I see you have quite the crowd of supporters. Sorry this took so long but I wanted to make sure I had all the facts. Alberto Gonzales is in custody.”
“Thank God,” Izzy said.
“Gonzales made a plea bargain and has told us everything. We now know who was involved in Moody’s embezzling operation. We also know where the stolen money for the past fifteen years is being held.”
“Where?” James asked.
“A Swiss bank account. There’s over nine hundred million on deposit. I’m sure it will be returned but it will likely take some time due
to international legalities.”
“Maybe not as long as you think.” James smiled. “GWI has some of the best lawyers around the globe on retainer.”
“The FBI and Interpol are rounding up the rest of the conspirators. Seven in all.”
“Just seven?” He couldn’t imagine a crime of that magnitude being pulled off by so few. “Surely Moody’s operation would need a much bigger group. How else was he able to keep the embezzling undetected for so many years?”
“Actually, Jay, it makes sense in a way,” James said. “Moody didn’t trust anyone. “But logistically, he still would need a huge team to move the funds.”
The detective nodded. “Moody did have more people engaged, but they were just GWI employees following orders from above, according to Gonzales. We’re going to check them all out just to be sure.”
“Is Paul Links one of the seven?” Clay asked him.
“No, but he was on the longer list of employees that were in the dark but part of the operation.”
After hearing what Janice said about Links, he had no trouble believing that. Moody had likely promoted the man to funnel all the money through his department without Link’s knowledge. “We need to look at the detective’s list of employees and make some decisions on whether they stay at GWI or not.”
“You are free to go,” the detective said. “I will stay in touch with you as this continues to come to light.”
He shook his hand. “Thank you, detective.”
Clay and Izzy did the same.
Jay put his arm around her. “Shall we all go, sweetheart? I promised everyone dinner.”
She smiled. “Dos Hermanos?”
Chapter Seventeen
“How about here, sweetheart?” Clay asked Izzy, holding the painting against the wall.
“A little higher. That’s it. Perfect.”
Jay brought in another box filled with items she’d purchased for the penthouse. “Where do you want this, angel?”
“In the kitchen, honey, please. They’re new canisters.” She and Gabby had redecorated the entire place and it looked beautiful, warm, and welcoming. Our home.
He hammered the nail into the wall.
“That’s perfect, sweetheart,” she said. “The light in this room is perfect for art.”
He pulled her into his arms. “You’re perfect for this room, angel.”
Jay came up behind her and kissed her on the back of the neck. “She’s the one who brings the light, bro.”
“So true.”
They spun her around the living room. She was an amazing dancer.
“What a whirlwind the past several weeks have been.” Izzy kissed them both. “I’m so glad we had movers for my things. Especially since I had to go back to work.”
Jay bowed in front of her. “Senior Vice President of Global Accounts at MJK.”
Clay grinned and joined in on the fun, bending at the waist. “You should be proud, my lady.”
“I am, good sirs, especially with my two kings slash CEOs of GWI.”
“You never told us if Tom and Lyle’s promotions went through,” Jay said.
“They did, I’m happy to say. They have completely turned around about me.”
“I should say so,” he said. “They were the biggest ducks in the puddle at Jay’s and my thirtieth birthday bash.”
“I was a little surprised you invited them,” Jay said. “Anyone up for wine?”
“I wouldn’t mind a glass,” he answered.
“Just sparkling water for me, honey.” Izzy looked out the window. “I can’t get over the sunsets from up here. They’re unbelievable.” She grabbed his hand. “How about we sit out on the balcony for a bit?”
“Sure, sweetheart.”
“It’s a little chilly. I’ll meet you two out there with our beverages and some blankets.” Jay walked to the wine room.
He and Izzy sat down next to each other on the large outdoor reclining sofa he had specially made for the three of them.
“I spoke with the photographer this morning, honey,” she said. “He is sending a disk of all the photos he took at your birthday bash tomorrow. I hope the three of us can go through them together.”
“Sure, sweetheart. That’s what weekends are for. Being together.”
She leaned into him. “Did you see how Toni was acting around the Kavanagh brothers at the party?”
“Her? What about them? They were clearly quite taken with her. And what about Miguel and Roberto, professional chefs, who were constantly needing Cami’s help in the kitchen? Something is definitely up with those three, too.”
“Do you think there might be something in the water?”
“Yes, I do. And it’s contagious, too, obviously.”
Jay came out with their drinks. “Wine for Clay. Water for the lady.”
Izzy and he laughed.
“What’s so funny?”
“The water,” she said, and clued him in. Then she patted the empty seat next to her. “Come sit by me, honey.”
“My pleasure, angel.”
They sat quietly looking out at the sun slipping down behind the horizon.
“So what’s the latest on James and Janice’s situation?” she asked.
“I forgot to tell you,” Jay said.
“Tell us what?” he asked.
“James popped the question last night.”
“She said ‘yes’ didn’t she?” Izzy asked, excitement in her tone.
“Yep. Those two are officially an item.”
“And we had a little part in that, bro.” The three of them clinked their glasses together.
James and Janice had reconnected during the final wrap-up of the police’s investigation. Being co-CEO with Jay had its advantages. They had promoted Janice to Chief Financial Officer and relocated her to GWI’s headquarters in Dallas—in part for her to put in better checks and balances for the company’s funds. They didn’t want a repeat of what had happened with Moody ever again. Not only was Janice the right choice for that position, but it also allowed her and James to be together.
All of the money had been returned, and the title to the island that Moody had purchased with stolen funds was now owned by GWI. He and Jay had plans to turn it into a corporate retreat as well as a getaway spot for the family. Our family.
“Sweetheart, when does Gabby’s semester end?” he asked Izzy.
“A month from now. Why?”
“We want to take you and her on a trip,” Jay said. “We all deserve some rest and relaxation after everything we’ve been through.”
“Sounds wonderful. I know Gabby will love it.”
“Speaking of love, angel.” He leaned over and kissed her.
Then Jay kissed her.
She giggled. “I know where this is going.”
“Oh you do, do you?” he teased.
“Yes, I do, but shouldn’t we go inside?”
“Why?” Jay asked. “Who will see us? We’re on the top floor.”
“Someone with binoculars looking up from one of those buildings…or a helicopter.”
He unbuttoned her shirt. “I think we should give them a show. They would want one, don’t you think, sweetheart? Since they have binoculars?”
“Okay. Okay. I’ll compromise…if we use the blankets Jay brought.”
“Tough negotiator, but you’ve got a deal.” He pressed his mouth to her soft lips while unfastening her bra.
Jay stood and removed his own clothes. Once he was completely naked, he covered Izzy and him with a blanket and crawled in next to her, holding her close to him.
Clay got on his feet and stripped, returning immediately back to the sofa. “I’m so cold, sweetheart. Can you warm me up?”
“For you, I’ll do anything.” She kissed his chest and cuddled up close to him.
“Wait a minute,” Jay teased. “I’m still here.”
She giggled and flipped around and faced him. “For you, I’ll do anything.” And like she’d done for him, Izzy kissed Jay�
��s chest and began cuddling him.
“Hold on,” he said, getting into the spirit of their game.
Turning around to him, she grabbed his wrists and guided his hands to her breasts. “Anything.”
He gently massaged her soft mounds, while Jay began stroking her back.
“This feels so good, guys. I really like our balcony.”
Clay nuzzled her neck, inhaling her sweet scent that reminded him of orange blossoms in spring. “So do I.”
“It’s about time we broke it in,” Jay said.
Izzy wrapped her fingers around his cock and he could see she’d done the same to Jay with her other hand. “I meant it when I said anything.” She shimmied down between him and Jay until her sweet lips were only inches from their cocks.
She kissed the tip of his dick. “Anything.” And then she tasted Jay’s. “Anything.”
Taking turns, she sucked on one of them and stroked the other. Back and forth. Her oral play was driving him crazy, making him burn from the inside out.
“God, your sweet mouth feels so good on me.” He ran his fingers through her silky hair.
She looked up at him and smiled, and then started sucking on his balls.
He growled, lost to her talented tongue and lips. She turned back to Jay and began fisting him again, every one of her strokes fueling his lust to be inside her.
“Enough,” he stated, pulling her up between him and Jay. “I’m going to come before I get to make love to you if we continue.”
She grinned sinfully, clearly pleased that they’d enjoyed her. “I need you both inside me. Wait.” She sat up. “What’s that noise?”
He listened and grinned. “It’s a helicopter.”
“Oh my God, I knew it. We need to go in.”
He and Jay laughed.
“Honey, it’s too far away for them to see us,” Jay said. “And even if they could, they would be jealous of Clay and me that we had a beautiful woman like you.”
“Well, I do like it out here. If you’re sure they can’t see, then let’s stay.”
“That’s my girl.” Clay devoured her lips and felt her tremble.
Jay kissed her down her back, and she started moaning.
He and Jay helped her lean back into the sofa.
Jay began sucking on her nipples, and he moved down between her thighs. She was wet, which pleased him. He lapped up her sweet cream, not wanting to waste a single drop. He parted her pussy lips with his fingers and sent his tongue into her. She began writhing, which spurred him on even more. Each lick seemed to bring out a fresh tremble from her. He swirled his tongue around her clit before finally capturing it between his lips.