“We can make it gender neutral. Daisy is leaving, too. You know she doesn’t want to miss it, either.”
She was right. I’d hate to not have my best friends there. I knew they’d both come for the actual occasion, if they could, but I wanted them to be there for the entire process.
I blew out a breath, trying to fight my smile. “Fine, that shouldn’t be a problem.” She jumped up from the couch and threw her hands up. “But I need to check with my mom first. I know she wants to be involved in the planning.”
She waved her hand through the air. “Oh, don’t worry about that. I’ve already talked to her. She’s game. How’s the end of this month sound?”
That was only a little over a week away. I rubbed my forehead and nodded as nervousness trickled down my spine. Everything seemed to be moving in a whirlwind. All of my friends were going to be heading off to college. They were going to be focusing on finals, football games, and parties while I was going to be changing diapers and making a feeding schedule.
A part of me felt left behind, like I was losing that component of growing up and finding myself.
“That sounds perfect.” My answer came out in hitches.
This baby shower was going to be my introduction into a new world and my sayonara to my old one.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
DALTON
“This should be fun,” Murphy said, when I parked across the street from the infamous Chancellor Hotel. “A high-end hooker Club. I’ve never been a fan of hookers, but maybe these ones will have diamond chokers or some shit.”
“Maybe you’ll find your next girlfriend here,” I replied. “And relax. It’s not a goddamn harem. You probably won’t even see anyone. They’re discreet about shit like that here. Why do you think it costs so much?”
“Eh, I guess you’re right. Oh well, they’re out of my pay grade anyway. My girls get paid with pizza and sex.”
“No wonder you’re single,” I muttered.
“Dude, you were basically single a few months ago and now you’re acting all high and mighty because you have a girlfriend. What are we in middle school?”
“Because I am high and mighty now. When you find the right girl, Murphy, you’ll feel all high and mighty, too. You’ll feel pretty damn special that this woman who’s so amazing and could have anyone she wanted, yet she choose you. You get that, and I promise you you’ll stay on top of the world for as long as she’s yours.”
Murphy rolled his eyes, obviously not in the mood for my romantic bullshit, and looked over at me in waiting.
I rubbed my hands together before getting out and slamming my door shut. “Let’s get this over with.”
Murphy stayed on my heels as we headed towards the hotel. He didn’t ask any questions when I skipped the front door and walked to the back of the building, straight to the employee entrance.
“You got this?” I asked, looking at him.
He nodded, an arrogant grin coming my way. “Sure do, boss.” He punched in the passcode, like it was an everyday occurrence. Every muscle in my body tightened, waiting to see if we’d get in.
“You got your part?” he asked, holding the door open.
I patted my pocket. “You know it.” Only this time I had to be more careful. I couldn’t let a camera catch me paying anyone off.
***
I was five hundred dollars poorer with nothing to show for it. Every employee there had been on high alert. Their eyes roamed from one side of the room to the other, barely looking at me, or the cash in my hand, and most likely on the hunt for hidden cameras. They’d been trained well, which didn’t surprise me. The number one reason people came to the Chancellor was for the discretion.
It was like Vegas – whatever happened there, stayed there.
And none of the employees were interested in losing their job for a couple hundred dollars. The guests used pseudonyms. They paid in cash. The records were locked tighter than a virgin’s pussy.
I got one woman to talk.
One.
A maid.
I followed her into a room, and she gave me what little information she had. She’d seen Ivy there before with a man. He was tall and slim, light blonde hair, and wore an expensive suit. Pretty much the majority of the men on our list fit that same description. That’s all she had for us.
And all that told me was that I still didn’t have shit.
I needed to find out who this mystery prick was.
“I need you to find a sketch artist – the best one you can. Give them the details that the maid described, so at least we have something to go off of. Maybe if we show it to John, he’ll know who it is.”
“Gotcha,” Murphy answered.
***
I rolled my eyes and hung up the phone. My dad demanded I go to his office. No surprise there. I’d hoped I wouldn’t have to talk to him until I figured out who the Chancellor guy was.
I didn’t bother knocking before barging in. He wanted to be rude. Two could play that game.
“What’s up?” I asked, throwing my arms out. “Why couldn’t you talk to me over the phone?”
“Shut the door first, please,” he said. I was surprised at his politeness. I closed it and turned around to see him leaning back comfortably in his chair. Wrinkles shadowed his receding hairline. “Harold and his little Rent-A-Cop kid stopped by to talk to me earlier.” He shook his head in disgust. “Fucking prick.”
“That’s surprising,” I muttered. Harold had no problem fucking with me. I was young and easy bait. My dad, however, was a different story. He was more of a force to be reckoned with. Messing with him had severe consequences, and for years, it had seemed like Harold knew that. He always appeared to be afraid of poking the bear too much. “What did he have to say?”
He snorted before letting out a thick laugh. “He threatened me and told me to watch my back.” His cufflinks shined as he flung his hand through the air. “Whatever the hell that means. I could smell the motherfucker’s bullshit stench from across the room.”
“Did you bring up that we think someone at the station might be involved?”
He scoffed. “Do you think I’m an idiot?”
Thank God. No one needed to know that but us. “I have other news.”
“Yes?” He raised a brow and leaned forward in his chair.
“Murphy and I made a visit to the Chancellor earlier.”
“And why did you do that?”
“We found a robe from there when we were going through Ivy’s room.”
“She was a mistress. That’s typical.”
“That’s what I thought. Then we talked to her old roommate. She mentioned Ivy met a guy there sometimes.”
“Was that guy John?”
I shook my head. “No. She said it definitely wasn’t John. She told us Ivy had started working as an escort until John insisted she quit. Her friend said she only met with one other guy that wasn’t John, and this mystery man was worried more about her giving him information on our dear Governor than screwing her.”
“Interesting. Very interesting.” He rubbed his jaw, and I could tell his brain was working. He was thinking of a twist – something to feed to the media. Now all we needed was a name or a face, and the chances of the blame game on John would hopefully change. “So what did you find there?”
“Not shit.”
“Typical.”
“I’m looking more into it. I’ll let you know if I get anything.”
“Be careful, son.” His sincerity honestly scared the living shit out of me. “Harold is aiming for us, and you’re going to be the guy on his hit list. He thinks you’re vulnerable. Show him Douglas men aren’t vulnerable. We’re tigers who will rip him apart.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
DALTON
“Your mother is having dinner at the house on Saturday,” my dad said, walking into my office. “I know she’d love it if you came. You haven’t been coming around, and it’s making her sad.”
“I have plans.” He
raised a brow, a silent cancel them. “It’s Gabby’s baby shower.”
“I don’t recall your mother mentioning an invitation.”
“That’s because there wasn’t one sent.”
He snorted and shook his head, looking at me like I’d just killed his first-born. “Well, that’s rude.”
“And so is my mother. I’m not going to give her the chance to ruin Gabby’s big day.” I stood up and saluted him before walking out the door.
***
“Are you coming to Gabby’s baby shower this weekend?” I asked. Leo scrunched up his eyebrows at my question. “It’s coed.”
I stopped by his house before heading home. I’d been so wrapped up in Ivy’s case and Gabby, so it had been awhile since we talked. I felt like I was getting somewhere with Ivy’s murder, but still stuck. I had to find out who guy was that Ivy was meeting. That guy was my missing piece. Murphy was on the hunt to find out everyone Harold had been in contact with.
He shrugged his shoulders. “Sure, I’m in. I haven’t really had a chance to get to know Gabby, so it’ll be fun.”
“Maybe she’ll have some single friends that you can hook up with.” I elbowed him in the side, resulting in a dirty look.
“I’m still married, dumbass. Not happening.”
“You’re separated and in the proceedings of a divorce.” He obviously wasn’t game for my idea, which didn’t surprise me. I was only fucking with him. I knew my brother well enough to know he didn’t do random hookups.
“Your girlfriend is only eighteen.”
“What the hell does that have to do with anything?”
“That means her friends are most likely eighteen. Eighteen is entirely too young for me.”
“Eh, not necessarily,” I fired back. “And just because you meet a woman doesn’t mean you have to screw her. You could hang out and get to know each other.”
“I have children. There aren’t many women who are ready to take that on. Your girlfriend’s friends are ready for college, parties, all that shit we did when we were their age.”
I went quiet and looked down at my shoes when it dawned on me. Guilt swelled up in my belly. Gabby was going to miss all of that. Would she regret not being able to go out and live before having a family? I ran a hand over my face and blew out a long breath.
“Do you think Gabby will feel like that?” I asked him. “Do you think she’ll resent me for not being able to have all of that fun before being tied down?”
He shrugged his shoulders and then patted me on the back. “It took two of you to get pregnant, so I don’t think she can place all of the blame on you. Should you have been smart enough to wrap it up? Of course. But what’s done is done. As for the resentment, I’m not sure. I think you still need to make sure you guys go out and do fun shit. You have enough money to pay for a babysitter. You both can still have a life and romance outside of your child.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
GABBY
Baby showers weren’t meant to be hell, right? They were supposed to be all warm and fuzzy, filled with smiles, balloons, and obnoxious games where you had to be the first one to eat a container of baby food.
Yet, somehow, mine turned out to be.
There were no initial hazardous signs. The sun was out. It wasn’t too hot. Comfortable. No chance of rain.
Cora was hosting it at her house with my mom and Daisy. She had the perfect outdoor entertainment area. I was meeting them there before the guests arrived, in case they needed help with anything.
Dalton texted me before I got out of the car, telling me he was on his way. I found the girls working on the finishing touches when I made it to the backyard. I was greeted with squeals, smiles, and hugs.
“So what do you think?” Cora asked, excitement pouring through her. My mom and Daisy stood to each side of her with the same looks on their faces.
I took a look around, my mouth hanging open. “Wow,” I stuttered out. Her backyard looked like something out of a movie. It was gender neutral, like she’d promised, and Dr. Seuss themed. There was food everywhere, some even along the theme of his books – green eggs and ham, clear bowls filled with fish gummies. I even noticed a cotton candy machine. They’d gone all out. I wrapped them all up in a group hug. “Thank you! I appreciate this so much.” They were too good to me. I had the best mother and friends in the world.
“You deserve it, honey,” my mom said, after we all pulled away. “You, my darling daughter, deserve this and so much more.” She went in for another hug. “You’re going to be a terrific mother.”
We’d kept the guest list small. I had a lot going on with the surprise pregnancy, having an early baby shower, Ivy’s case, and working out things with Dalton.
“Keegan and Lane made the diaper cake,” Daisy explained. “It was definitely interesting watching them try to put it together.” She laughed. “Keegan swears he’s never baby shower decorating again.”
“Unless you ask him to. The man will do anything you tell him to,” I replied.
It was still crazy to me that she’d convinced Keegan, the man-whore who had made it his mission to be an asshole to everyone, to make a diaper cake. Times had really changed, and it only proved that love could really evolve someone into something they never thought they’d be. It was all about finding the right person.
I jumped when a pair of arms wrapped around my waist and moist lips hit my neck.
“Hey baby,” Dalton said, in my ear. My heart fluttered when his hands moved up to my belly, rubbing tiny circles on it. He’d developed an obsession with constantly wanting to touch it. “This place looks amazing. Remind me to send kickass thank you gifts to all the ladies who did this.”
He kissed my cheek before turning me around. My eyes widened when I saw Leo standing a few feet away from us, a smile on his face. A little girl was at his side with her hand tucked into his.
They took a step forward. “It’s my fault we’re running late,” Leo told me. He brought the girl into his arms. “This little one had to change her clothes three times because she couldn’t decide what princess she wanted to be today.”
“It’s no problem. Thank you for coming, ” I answered. I looked over at the little girl. “Belle. Good choice. She’s my favorite, too.”
She grinned in response, her smile missing a front tooth. “I’m Claire,” she said. “Are you my Uncle Dalton’s girlfriend?”
My cheeks warmed. Dalton grabbed my shoulder and brought me into his side. “She sure is,” he answered.
“Can you take me to get a cupcake, Uncle Dalton?” Claire asked.
Dalton kissed my cheek and then grabbed his niece’s hand to escort her to the snack bar.
Leo held up two gift bags. “I didn’t want to blind side you in front of everyone,” he said. “But my mom and Piper wanted me to give you these. I’ll set them to the side somewhere, just in case you don’t want to open them in front of everyone.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
What the hell would they send me?
Road kill?
A warning letter?
A check in exchange to leave Dalton?
***
“Gabby, we have a problem,” Cora said, running into the backyard. The baby shower was in full swing. All of the women were hanging out and talking to each other. The men were on the other side, playing horseshoes. The kids were running around, playing in the pool. “A big one.”
“Already?” I groaned out. “The baby shower just started thirty minutes ago.”
“I have a feeling it’s about to end.” She looked around the yard and screamed Dalton’s name. He came running towards us. “You’re wanted,” she whispered, pointing towards the door leading into the house.
Dalton looked back at Leo and pointed to Claire. “Keep her outside,” he said, like he already knew something was wrong. Leo nodded in response, and I followed Dalton inside, not sure how bad the situation would be.
It was worse than I thought.
CHAPT
ER TWENTY
DALTON
Two policemen stood in the doorway.
They took a step forward when they saw me come into view. “Dalton Douglas, you’re under arrest,” one said, snagging the handcuffs from his belt.
I heard the gasps around the room. Hands went to the crowd’s mouths, their eyes moving straight to Gabby. Fuck, I felt so bad. I was humiliating her on one of the most important events of her life. She’d always remember this day – for all the wrong reasons.
Gabby let out a cry, her face going ashen, and I reached out just in time to stop her from falling. My lower lip trembled. “Everything is going to be okay,” I whispered, tightening my hold on her. “I promise you. I love you, and I’ll be home soon.” I kissed her cheek and made sure she was balanced back on her feet before approaching the officers. “Under arrest? Under arrest for what exactly?”
Don’t say murder. Please don’t say murder.
“For the murder of Ivy Hart,” the other answered, disgust on his face.
Fuck!
He said murder.
He really said that word.
I was close to passing out. I looked back at Gabby to find her mom at her side. Daisy and Cora were at the other.
I slowly mouthed, “I love you.”
She nodded with tears in her eyes.
I gave my attention back to the cops. “You’ve got to be kidding me? You guys are crazy if you think I killed that woman.”
Cop One snorted. “That’s what they all say.”
Cop Two shook his head. “We’ll talk about this at the station. Now, let’s go.”
I had two choices: cooperate or tell them to fuck off. I turned around, deciding on the first. It would’ve worked much better in my favor to work with them.
My hands were pulled behind my back roughly, and I was read my Miranda Rights. The handcuffs felt tight around my wrists, which I was sure was intentional.
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