I typed as I listened to Kelton’s deep voice in my headphones, transcribing his notes and filing them into the clients’ respective folders. I’d been hard at work for the last hour when someone touched my shoulder.
I jumped about a mile in the air before removing my earbuds. I usually didn’t have both in my ears since I had to answer the phone, but Mallory had shown me how to set up the system so the phone would ring in my earbuds.
Kelton leaned against my desk, his bright white teeth flashing as he smiled. “Sorry to scare you. Meet me in my office in five minutes.” Then he waltzed toward the restroom, or at least in that direction.
Ladies at their desks took notice. They always did when Kelton was around. It was hard not to notice my handsome boss. His stark blue eyes popped against his black hair. The expensive tailored suits he wore only enhanced his GQ look, making every woman in the office drool. I’d learned he had a girlfriend, so he was off-limits, not that I was interested.
Mallory peeked around her cubicle. “I think he wants you to accompany him to his meeting with Denim. He’s preparing Denim on what to expect at his parole hearing.”
The blood drained from me.
When Dillon had told Mallory and me that Kelton would be taking on Denim’s case, I’d been surprised that Mallory hadn’t known since she’d been filling in as Kelton’s assistant.
“I didn’t know,” she’d said as she walked me out of the building after my interview that day. “Kelton doesn’t tell me everything. Sometimes my own boss doesn’t tell me much about a client until he firmly decides to represent him. Besides, Dillon and Kelton are good friends. So I had no reason to question why Dillon had shown up.”
Mallory snapped her fingers, zapping the haze clouding my eyes. “You’ll be fine.”
My hands trembled. “I can’t see Denim for the first time with my boss next to me.” I kept my voice to a whisper as I rolled my chair closer to her. “I love this job. Kelton will fire me.”
Mallory had informed me that Kelton’s pet peeve was unprofessionalism. His last assistant had flirted with one of his clients. Granted, I knew one of my duties as Kelton’s assistant would be to attend meetings and hearings with him outside the firm, however I wasn’t ready for anything but work at my desk.
She giggled. The woman actually giggled. “He won’t.”
I sagged in my chair, pinning her with wide eyes. “I might not be in control of my actions with Denim.” I hadn’t seen him since high school. Since he’d broken up with me. Since he’d broken my heart.
I shivered as dread and excitement comingled in my stomach. I often wondered what he looked like, if his blond hair was still long and curled at the edges. Did he still have a baby face, or had he aged fast with the hard life he’d lived in the eight years since I’d seen him?
My BFF batted her blue eyes. “This is your chance to show Kelton how good you are. Plus, it will be a good learning experience.”
A wild laugh broke out in my head. “What do you mean how good I am?” Mallory had never seen me in action at any of my jobs. Sure, I carried myself in a professional manner and greeted clients with a smile and polite conversation. But we were talking about Denim Hart. He wasn’t a client to me. He was a man who could probably rattle me without even opening his mouth.
“You don’t give yourself enough credit,” Mallory said. “I see how you are with clients that come in. You’re a natural. And I know you. You can tuck those feelings away for an hour. Remember when I was dating Noah? You wanted to punch him because he ditched me for a sporting event. Instead, you were sweet and kind to him when he showed up the next day.”
“Because you asked me to be nice.”
“This is no different,” she returned. “This is your job, Jade. You’re the face of Kelton and this law firm, and that means you leave your feelings at the door.”
I sat up straighter. She was right.
“Look at it this way,” she added. “He’ll probably be in shackles and cuffs. It’s not like he can throw himself at you.”
But I could throw myself at him.
Kelton returned, tipping his head toward his office. “Jade.”
“Good luck,” Mallory whispered before rolling her chair around to her cubicle.
The sun glinted off the John Hancock Tower in the distance as I followed Kelton into his office with a pen and notepad.
He waved his hand to one of two chairs in front of his mahogany desk as he circled around it. “Please, have a seat.” He shrugged out of his suit jacket then draped it over the back of his leather chair. “I understand from Dillon that you know the Hart family. Dillon tells me you and Denim dated in high school. I normally don’t get involved in others’ personal lives, but considering your past involvement with Denim and the fact that he’s a client, should I be worried?”
Absolutely. “No, sir.” My tone was small.
Girl, you better talk with more vigor. Make your boss believe you.
He sat down and picked up his pen. “Good. You’ll be attending my meeting with Denim at the prison tomorrow. I’ll be prepping him for his parole hearing. Your role is to take notes, listen, and learn. Understood?”
I hoped my features weren’t displaying anything but confidence because my insides churned like a washing machine on the spin cycle. “Yes, sir.” The words came out strong and firm. I gave myself a mental high five, despite the red flags waving around in my skull. Every fiber in me was screaming not to go. But if I wanted to keep my job, I had to dig deep to shield myself from whatever Denim would throw my way. I had to put on my big-girl panties.
Suddenly, a ton of questions flickered like neon signs in my head.
How would I react when I saw him? Would I slap him? Would I scream at him? Would I even be able to speak? Does he still have his heart-stopping smile?
I repeated the word “professionalism” several times and made a mental note to use that as my safe word when I saw Denim.
“Good,” Kelton said. “If you’ll be working for me, I want you to be top notch in your role as you work into the paralegal position. I want you to know the law backwards and forwards as much as I do. And what better way than to see how things are done in the field. We’ll leave from here at nine a.m. sharp.”
I rose on weak legs and smoothed a hand down my gray pants. “Sir, why is Denim up for parole? I didn’t think he would be eligible for another year.”
One side of Kelton’s mouth curled. “You’ve been following his case.”
Busted. I lifted a shoulder but didn’t say a word.
“Massachusetts has an early release program, and Denim’s been the model inmate. He shaved off a year of his sentence.”
Another round of shock and awe plagued me. The Denim I knew had always been reckless, rebellious, and carefree. Maybe prison had been good for him.
I rolled back my shoulders. “I’ll be ready for tomorrow.”
When I reached the door, Kelton’s next question stopped me. “Jade, do you think Denim is a murderer?”
I often thought about that very question. Part of me thought justice had been served. The other part of me who knew the real Denim Hart didn’t agree. Denim had several faults, but murder wasn’t one of them. Sure, he was in a gang, he sold drugs, and if push came to shove, he would do what he had to do to defend himself and those he loved.
The only evidence brought up at trial had been the gun used to kill the victim. The facts had shown the gun was found in Denim’s backpack, but no prints were on it. Still, the prosecution had done a great job of convincing the jury that in Denim’s haste to flee the scene, he’d forgotten his backpack. That could have been true, but Denim knew how to cover his tracks like a corrupt cop.
I pivoted on my heel. “The Denim I knew in high school, no. After high school, I couldn’t say. I didn’t see him after that.” I’d heard through my sister that Denim had done well for himself as a drug dealer for the Southside Creepers.
All Kelton said was, “Mmm.”
&nbs
p; I’d often come close to hunting Denim down and giving him a piece of my mind. But my heart was always one beat away from shattering into pieces when I thought of him, so I couldn’t risk it. Besides, Savannah was a great example of how dating a criminal could mess up a person. I would like to consider myself a strong person, but I wasn’t, not when it came to Denim Hart.
“It’s not that I don’t love you,” he’d said as we stood on the steps of our high school. “My life is not the place for a beautiful, smart, and caring girl. And my enemies would use you to get to me.”
At the impressionable age of eighteen, I’d felt I couldn’t live without the blond-haired, blue-eyed boy who always made me melt into a puddle of water. Hell, I would’ve followed him to the ends of the earth if he’d asked me.
Kelton tapped the pen against his lips. “He swears he’s innocent, and he wants help in finding the real murderer.”
“During his trial, I read that one witness or the neighbor in the building disappeared.”
Kelton appeared pensive. “Dillon hired a PI to find the neighbor. But no such luck.”
“Do you think he’s guilty?” I asked.
Kelton lowered his pen. “My gut tells me he’s not, and my gut is usually right. Well, tomorrow is nothing more than preparing him for his hearing.”
In my mind, tomorrow was everything—nerves, nerves, and more nerves. I probably wouldn’t eat that night, and I definitely wouldn’t sleep.
6
Denim
A guard escorted me to my meeting with Kelton Maxwell. It had been two weeks since Costa had done a number on me, and my cuts and bruises were healing. The good news was the warden hadn’t thrown me into the hole because Stew had gone to bat for me. I’d thanked him profusely.
“Don’t thank me,” Stew had said. “Witnesses said you didn’t fight back.”
While that was true, the warden was hardly ever lenient when someone broke his rules. Part of me believed the Feds had gotten wind of my brawl and talked to the warden. But Travers or Brock would probably never admit it. Or maybe they would and hold it over my head. Speaking of the Feds, I hadn’t gotten another visit from them.
I hadn’t seen Costa again either, which was fine by me. I was hoping I didn’t have to deal with the fucker when he was released from solitary in another two weeks, although rumor was Costa wouldn’t return to my cellblock. I wasn’t surprised. The warden didn’t like deaths on his résumé.
In the meantime, I tried to call Duke again using Rudy’s phone, but no one answered, not even the chick with the siren’s voice. Luck wasn’t on my side. I’d been informed a day after my brawl with Costa that the parole board postponed my parole hearing because of a mix-up in scheduling or some fucking excuse.
Fucking government.
Farley nudged me. “Inside.”
I snarled at the guard before I waltzed into the ten-by-ten room with a table, three chairs, and the same gray cement walls I’d come to hate over the years.
Kelton Maxwell’s jaw dropped to the table when he saw me. But mine hit the fucking floor when my gaze rounded to the woman sitting next to him. Her silky black hair hung wild and free, and her shiny emerald-green eyes stared back at me. Her round tits appeared bigger than I remembered, and those lips were made to tempt any man, gay or straight.
Her red lips curled slightly, making my knees buckle.
What is Jade Kelly doing here?
My high school days came roaring back with a vengeance. The blood rushed south like a river swollen after a violent storm, causing my dick to throb.
Farley practically pushed me toward the table. “Sit your ass down.”
That was probably a good idea since my dick was growing. I stumbled to the lone chair, not taking my eyes off Jade. My heart punched my ribs as hard as Costa had rammed his fists into my face and gut.
“What happened to you?” Kelton’s voice was deep and commanding, but not enough to make me take my eyes off Jade, who looked everywhere but at me.
A halo shined around her, or maybe it was the light spilling in from the window. Either way, she was an angel. My angel. I’d often lain in my bunk at night, thinking of her, wondering if she was married, had kids, and if she still hated me.
I would give anything to know what was going through her head. The last time I’d seen her was a year before I’d gotten arrested. She’d been walking into a restaurant with her friend Mallory in Roxbury. I’d been in the area, making a drop to a client. I’d almost stopped to say hi, but she had seemed happy, and I couldn’t shit on her happiness.
Kelton snapped his fingers. “Did you hear me? When did you get into a fight? And why didn’t you tell me?”
Jade stared at her blank notepad as her mouthwatering chest rose and fell, drawing my attention to her voluptuous breasts.
I dropped into the chair while my brain wandered down memory lane, flashing through times when she and I had been naked.
Motherfucker.
Getting laid would be icing on a bare cake. I had a strong urge to kick Kelton out of the room until I could fuck Jade senseless.
“You’re not listening.” Kelton tried to get my attention for the third time.
Jade lifted her head and peeked at me through her long lashes. Desire flashed in her bright emerald orbs.
My dick jerked as I swallowed the sand coating the back of my throat.
“Farley, we’re good,” Kelton said.
No, we weren’t. I wasn’t. With Jade in the room, I wouldn’t be able to concentrate.
There goes my parole hearing.
I mentally shook off images of my girl naked. If I couldn’t get those thoughts out of my head, I would jack off and not care that Kelton and Jade were watching me.
Kelton cleared his throat. “Let’s start again. What happened to you? This will not look good at your parole hearing on Friday.”
The connection between Jade and me snapped. “Why did the parole board postpone?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Kelton said. “It’s in three days, and I’m worried about your appearance.”
“I’ll borrow some makeup from one of the gumps.”
A crease formed in between Jade’s eyebrows. The woman was in for a treat if she wanted to hear about the gay men in prison. But she didn’t need to hear about any of that. She was too pure and innocent.
“Denim.” Kelton’s voice hardened. “How do you expect to display good behavior when your face looks like you ran into an eighteen-wheeler? Is any of this going on your record? Again, why didn’t you inform me?”
I interlocked my fingers in front of me. “No. The warden gave me a pass. And what could you have done if you knew? Besides, I’m healing. You should’ve seen me two weeks ago.”
Jade fidgeted with her pen.
The butterflies inside my stomach were having a fucking party.
“So she works for you?” I asked Kelton.
Jade narrowed her eyes in my direction. Her ball-squeezing emerald eyes penetrated me as if she were trying to take a peek into my black soul. “I have a name.” Her knuckles were white as her delicate fingers clenched her pen.
I’d always loved when she got feisty. Her cute nose twitched, and for some reason, that drove me insane with wanting to rip off her clothes.
“Since when do you like the law?” I asked Jade. “I thought you wanted to be a teacher?” She’d talked nonstop about teaching elementary school one day.
Kelton opened his leather binder. “We don’t have time for reminiscing. Save that for if you get parole.”
Jade swallowed, her throat working as she poised her pen over paper.
Please write me a love note like you used to do in high school. I’d always gotten off when she slipped me a note in class, particularly when she’d scribbled the words “I want to fuck you.”
Grateful for the barrier of the table, I lowered my cuffed hands to my lap and adjusted my rock-hard cock.
“Dillon will be at your hearing,” Kelton started. “You’re allowe
d a family member to speak on your behalf. The board will ask you questions like why you think you should be paroled. Do you have living arrangements? How will you manage challenges? What does your future look like? Are you ready to answer those questions?”
After seeing Jade for the first time in years, I was ready to blow this pop stand because, suddenly, I had a newfound goal in mind. Get out. Track down Jade. Rekindle our relationship.
I spoke to my lawyer but still couldn’t take my eyes off the beautiful woman in front of me. “You know, Kelton, Jade and I dated in high school.”
“I’m well aware of that,” he said in a pragmatic tone. “I want to do a dry run with you to see how prepared you are.”
I was sure Dillon had told him about my relationship with Jade since he and Kelton were buds. Or maybe Jade had told him. It didn’t matter. I didn’t want to do a dry run either. I wanted to talk to Jade. I was dying to know if she believed I was guilty of murder. But Kelton was a persistent fuck, and I had to commend him for that. If I didn’t get parole, then I wouldn’t be able to see or talk to Jade.
With my new excitement to get the fuck out of there, I turned my attention to my lawyer.
“Why should you be paroled, Mr. Hart?” Kelton asked.
I cleared my mind as I thought about what I’d finally written down. “Aside from the fact that I’m innocent?”
Kelton pursed his lips. “If you start with that, it will diminish your chances. The parole hearing isn’t a place to retry your case, Denim.”
I pushed my tongue against my bottom teeth. “My first year in prison was challenging. Trying to understand the hierarchy of prison life put me into situations I’m not proud of. I was angry, frustrated, and feeling sorry for myself. I didn’t want to live the rest of my life in prison. In my second year, I picked apart my life prior to prison. I wasn’t a good person. I had no direction. I had no discipline at home. But being inside has taught me I can do better. I want to do better.” The words spilled out freely. The more I fixated on Jade, the more hope I had that I would get out.
Hart of Vengeance: The Hart Series Page 4