by Levine, Nina
I sit again, and my eyes bore into hers. Ignoring her, I say, “He needs to know where you were the Monday before your mother died. Can you remember?”
She watches me with the newfound angry stare she seems to have mastered over the last month. I’m not sure she’s going to answer me, and when she does finally open her mouth to speak, I wonder what will come out. “Why does he need to know that?”
Fuck.
I shrug as easily as I can manage. “I have no idea,” I snap. “Does it matter? He obviously thinks this information will help him, so can you just think back to that day please?” I’m going to need a strong drink after this visit.
Her gaze darts away from mine, and she looks beyond me. A long few moments stretch between us before she finds my gaze again. “I’ll have to think about it.”
The tightening in my chest intensifies and as much as I want to slam my hand down on the table and scream at her to try harder to recall, I maintain my calm. Nodding, I say, “Okay. He also needs to know if you ever took the car to that car wash place down near the river?”
Her patience shatters and she stands. Looking down at me with more anger than she’s ever directed my way, she snarls, “I don’t understand the need for this information. And I don’t like the feeling I’m getting that you aren’t on my side. I’m your wife, Luke. The mother of your child! You promised to love me forever the day you married me. For better or worse, remember?” She bends her face closer to mine. “Well, this is the worse part of our forever, and you need to do better. I don’t want to see you again until you’re ready to do that.”
With that, she turns and stalks away from me.
Fuck.
Fuck.
* * *
“She’s not going to give me the information you want.” I pace next to my car in the prison car park as I hold the phone to my ear and wait for his response.
“Luke, you know the score here. Either you get that information or we’ll be looking more closely at charging you for your involvement in that armed robbery.”
I grip the phone tighter. “You know I had nothing to do with that robbery.”
“What I know is that you were seen talking to the driver of the getaway car on the day of the robbery. Regardless of whether I can prove any involvement, I can sure as hell screw around with your life while I try. Do you really want that for your son?” His smug voice makes me want to reach through the phone and rip his throat out.
“No, Detective, the question you should be asking yourself is whether you want to put my son through that after every-fucking-thing he’s already been through. I’ve given you all the evidence that proves without a doubt that Jolene committed this murder. I have no responsibility in helping you prove she committed the other one you think she did. And my family has the money to take this further. I’ve played along with this for long enough; now it’s time for me to get my life back. I’ll see you in court if I have to, and don’t think for one second that I haven’t been keeping records of all this because I have.”
I don’t wait for his response before ending the call.
Taking a deep breath, I run through what I need to do.
First things, first—my mother.
Fuck, can this day get any worse?
* * *
“Luke!” My mother throws her arms around me when I arrive at the swanky hotel she’s having lunch in. She’s clearly been drinking, but that doesn’t surprise me. It’s what Estelle Ashcroft does well in life. That, and men.
I pull out of her embrace. Eyeing the guy sitting across from her at the table, I say, “Matt. I didn’t realise you two were seeing each other again.” Matt Breen and my mother have a friendship that has spanned roughly thirty years. He also happens to be the father of my half-brother, Tyler, after they had a brief fling. He’s been a constant in our lives and they often socialise. Yet, this lunch looks cosier than usual.
Matt’s mouth flattens. He and I don’t see eye-to-eye on many things—my mother being one of them. He likes to encourage her party lifestyle while I would prefer to see her settle down and get her shit together. Unfortunately, in her forty-nine years, Estelle Ashcroft has carried on her family’s tradition of drinking which her grandfather and father started. The fact she has old money behind her that won’t run out in her lifetime only assists her chosen style of living.
Before Matt can reply, Mum jumps in. “We’re not seeing each other, Luke. This is simply a lunch to discuss Tyler’s new job at Matt’s firm.”
“Because that requires a liquid lunch to discuss,” I mutter. Their body language screams sex, and I’ve spent my entire life watching my mother chase men—I know when she’s sleeping with one.
“Did you just come here to insult your mother?” Matt’s nostrils flare, but I couldn’t give a shit if I’m pissing him off. Nothing much changes in life.
“No, I came to talk with her about a private matter. Are you two nearly finished your lunch?”
Matt stands and drops his napkin on the table. “I have to get back to work. I’ll call you, Estelle.”
He levels one last glare on me before leaving us.
I take the seat he vacated. “Why are you going down that path again?” I ask.
She finishes the Cosmopolitan sitting in front of her—her preferred cocktail. Eyeing me over the rim of the glass, she says, “I’ve known Matt since I was nineteen, Luke. He’s one of my oldest friends. Just because we have lunch together does not mean we are sleeping together.” God, she’s smashed already.
I ignore the slurring of her words because if there’s anyone who can still function when she’s drunk, it’s my mother. “I need to talk to you about Jolene.”
Her face crinkles. “God, what is it now? What has that bitch done?”
“The police came to me about a month ago with evidence they have of another murder they think she committed. They asked me to get close to Jolene again in an effort to get information from her to help them prove her guilt. I told them no, but they threatened to haul me in for further questioning over that armed robbery from last year if I didn’t help them. So, I went back to Jolene and gave her a bullshit story to make her think I wanted us to be together agai—”
Mum cuts me off. “You’ve been seeing her for the last month?” Her words are riddled with disgust. It’s nothing I haven’t felt the entire time I’ve been part of this charade.
I nod. “Yeah, but only because I don’t need this shit with the robbery to come back and bite me in the ass. Sean needs me at home rather than in prison.”
“But you had nothing to do with that robbery.”
I sigh. “Right. But I did speak to Dermot when he was sitting in the fucking getaway car that day. That’s enough to register on their radar.” I will always regret approaching my old friend when I saw him sitting in that car. No good deed goes unpunished.
“Oh, this is complete and utter rubbish, Luke! They can’t hold that over your head.” My mother always did live in fantasyland. It goes hand-in-hand with never having to get a job in order to afford to live and being able to spend your days flouncing around with your socialite friends.
I rub the back of my neck and force a few frustrated breaths out. It will do me no good to lose my patience with her today. “They have and they are. But I told them today that I won’t do it anymore. I’ve come to ask you if you’ll help me with a lawyer if I need one.” I hate having to ask my mother for financial help, but I spent every last cent of my savings trying to prove Jolene’s innocence back when I thought she wasn’t a woman who could commit murder.
“Of course. You never need to ask me for help. Do you want me to call Barry?” Our current family lawyer.
“No, I want to talk to him myself and explain the details.”
She signals to the waiter to bring her another cocktail. “Do you need me to do anything else?”
I stand to leave. “No, there’s nothing else we can do except wait and see what this detective decides to do now that I’m not helpin
g him.” My chest tightens with apprehension. I hate living my life this way, and it’s become all too familiar over the last two years. First, with waiting for the verdict on Jolene’s case, and now, with this. Always waiting for the police to make their next move.
Mum stands and wraps her arms around me. “You’re going to get through this, Luke. I know it must feel like a never-ending struggle to end this horrid marriage and get your life back on track, but soon you’ll be free.”
If only life was as simple as my mother thought.
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About the Author
Dreamer.
Coffee Lover.
Gypsy at heart.
USA Today Bestselling author who writes about alpha men & the women they love.
When I’m not creating with words you will find me planning my next getaway, visiting somewhere new in the world, having a long conversation over coffee and cake with a friend, creating with paper or curled up with a good book and chocolate.
I’ve been writing since I was twelve. Weaving words together has always been a form of therapy for me especially during my harder times. These days I’m proud that my words help others just as much as they help me.
www.ninalevinebooks.com
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Also by Nina Levine
Storm MC Series
Storm (Storm MC #1)
Fierce (Storm MC #2)
Blaze (Storm MC #3)
Revive (Storm MC #4)
Slay (Storm MC #5)
Sassy Christmas (Storm MC #5.5)
Illusive (Storm MC #6)
Command (Storm MC #7)
Havoc (Storm MC #8)
Sydney Storm MC Series
Relent (#1)
Nitro’s Torment (#2)
Devil’s Vengeance (#3)
Hyde’s Absolution (#4)
King’s Wrath (#5)
King’s Reign (#6)
The Hardy Family Series
Steal My Breath (single dad romance)
Crave Series
Be The One (rockstar romance)
Billionaire Romance
Ashton Scott
Risk
Keep up to date with my books at my website.
Acknowledgments
Ashton Scott has been a labour of love for over two years. What started as a fun project for me to work on in an effort to find my writing mojo again turned into a serial that many of you guys followed along with and supported me in. Thank you for that support and encouragement. It truly did inspire me to finish this book, especially after Mum passed away and I wasn’t writing very much. I knew you were hanging for more Ashton, so I continued writing him.
For my Levine’s Ladies, there were quite a few of you girls who really made a point to check in each Monday with me and let me know you loved that week’s episode. That meant the world to me. I’d love to thank each one of you here, but I’m afraid I might miss someone and I would hate to do that. But you girls know who you are - thank you!
Jodie, I know I say this all the time, but really, for this book, it is truer than ever - I could not have made Ashton and all these characters who they are without you. Remember those Monday nights two years ago when E had ice-skating and Mondays were a mad blur of getting the episode finished, beta read, formatted, emailed out etc etc. They were hectic days for me, but you made them fun and achievable. And remember that Monday at like 10pm when you rang me and said “Umm, no you can’t send this one out, it isn’t good” and then I had a mental breakdown (okay, well maybe I’m exaggerating a little ;) )… I love you more for being honest with me each time rather than letting me think something is up to my standard when it isn’t. Yes, even that Nash chapter you made me rewrite when I didn’t want to do any more rewrites. Even that time! But I digress… thank you for all your hard work on Ashton. You truly are a goddess <3
Becky, you know I love you. Like, a freaking lot! You come through for me every single time. And your edits have taught me how to be a better writer. But let’s not get too excited, I still suck at commas and ellipses and compound whattayacallthem… ;) #DontEverLeaveMe Thank you <3
Dana, I didn’t write that scene you wanted, but I did name one of Ashton’s girls after you. Thank you for your support, babe <3
To all my readers, thank you for reading my books. Some of you have followed me from bikers to rockstars to bartenders to tattoo artists and now to billionaires. I love that you get my humour and my Aussie ways! I never planned to write all Aussie characters because I didn’t think readers worldwide would embrace them, but I am so glad I did, because I found you guys to love them <3
To my bloggers, reviewers, Levine’s Ladies & Team Levine - thank you for all of your support. For reading and reviewing. For sharing my books with your friends. For mentioning my books in your book clubs. For forcing my books on your mum and sisters… lol, just kidding ;) (but secretly, many of you have told me that you do, so thank you!). Just, thank you. I so appreciate every share and every word of encouragement <3
To my family & friends, thank you for giving me the space to stare at my computer for many hours on end. Also, for giving me a few hours at each deadline to cram the words in. ;) I love all of you.
Copyright © 2018 by Nina Levine
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Editing by Becky Johnson at Hot Tree Editing
Cover Design by Letitia at Romantic Book Affair Designs
Cover Image by Wander Pedro Aguiar