“No, but—”
“Then I’d reconsider. A messy court case might be grounds for breach of contract.”
Holy shit. We were asked to disclose any personal issues that could affect the filming of the show, but my pending case against Carter never entered my mind.
His words are kinder, but his eyes are harsh when he adds, “Cases without eyewitnesses are hard to prove and usually harder on the victim. I’m only here out of your best interest.”
He walks to the door and without another glance in my direction, he leaves me in a puddle of self-doubt.
I sat by the window with the blinds cracked just enough to watch Kase head up the sidewalk and into his side of the apartment. Unlike what I was imagining, the walls are incredibly thick. More often than not, I have no idea when he’s home.
Home… His home is only a sliding wall away from mine.
After learning Kase was lying to me from the moment I met him, I doubted everything except for the fact that our relationship was over. Now, I’m just confused. He has a beautiful house with a view to die for, yet he’s living in a small apartment that leaves a lot to be desired for the sole purpose of being close to me.
With my nerves on fire, I find myself knocking on his door.
He opens the door with his phone in his hand and a look of shock on his face. “Delanie? Is everything okay?”
His chin is covered in stubble and his eyes look tired. I wish I had a better idea of what’s going on in his life but the truth is, I haven’t bothered to ask.
“Yeah, everything’s fine. I just…wanted to ask you something.”
He motions for me to come in, where my eyes momentarily widen in shock. Unlike my apartment, he’s made himself at home.
He has a large watercolor painting of the ocean hanging on the wall above his chocolate-brown couch, which is covered in throw pillows. In addition to several lamps, his TV is mounted on the wall above a small bookshelf lined with books.
“Wow, you’ve really made yourself at home.”
He offers me a sympathetic smile. “My mom always said you should feel comfortable where you’re living. The idea of staring at bare walls was less than appealing.”
An awkward silence fills the room as I walk to the couch. Maybe I shouldn’t have come?
Like he knows what’s going through my head, he says, “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me too.”
His eyes sparkle like he wants to say something but he seems hesitant. He might be the reason we’re in this boat, but I’ve been steering it for weeks. I need to either forgive him or walk away, anything in between is unfair.
Instead of leaving, I find myself saying, “A new officer was assigned to my case against Carter.”
“Good. He needs to pay for what he did to you and Brenna.”
“Well,” I pause, bracing for his reaction. “The officer actually suggested I drop the case.”
His eyes flash with anger. “They told you to drop the case?”
“My only eyewitness is a friend who’s also pressing charges. He told me due to my past with Carter, it will look like I’m trying to get back at him.”
He chews on his bottom lip, lost in thought when I add, “Plus, I just started a new job, and fighting with Carter could pose for a problem.”
“Explain to your boss what’s going on. They won’t have a problem letting you off work.”
“That’s not the problem. I kind of agreed to be on a reality TV show and I was asked if there was any reason I would have to miss more than a week in the next six months.”
He blinks several times like he’s having a hard time processing my comment which I know is true when he asks “What reality TV?”
“The Beverly Bakery. They just signed a contract to turn their business into a TV series. Every employee had to sign an agreement to work there.”
“What…I…this…” He rubs his hands over his face. “What TV network?”
“I don’t know.”
“Right,” he replies shortly.
“Does the network matter?”
He drops into the chair next to me on a groan. “No, it doesn’t.”
I didn’t expect him to be thrilled but his reaction seems a little dramatic. “The TV show isn’t a big deal, but if I have to miss several days because of a pending trial, that could be.”
He stares at me like I’m crazy before shaking his head. “Being rich and famous are two different things. Being rich, famous, and in the public’s eye is a recipe for disaster.”
“Um, hello? You know how big my apartment is. I’m not rich.”
He pinches the bridge of his nose, groaning some form of my name. “Your dad has more money than he knows what to do with, and your mother’s bank account isn’t much better. Once the media learns who you are, any privacy you had is out the window.”
“You’re making this sound worse than it is. I’m the accountant. I won’t be in the kitchen, which is the main area they plan on filming.”
He cranes his neck my direction. “You can’t be serious?”
I shrug, acting like I have no idea what he’s talking about. Until recently, watching TV was never high on my priorities; however, I’ve watched enough reality TV to know the camera goes where the action is, and if that happens to be my office, then so be it.
He jumps to his feet, walks to the fridge, and grabs out a beer. Without a word, he downs almost half before looking back at me. “For months after my parents died, I had a camera shoved in my face anytime I stepped foot outside. People were waiting for me to go crazy and shoot someone or to fuck up in any way possible. Regardless, they made an already horrible time in my life even worse.”
He takes a deep breath then sits back down in the chair. “The media are like vultures. They’ll suck you dry. I didn’t leave the house for almost six months, which was part of the reason I decided to legally change my name.”
I open my mouth, ready to ask him if he’d like me to leave when I spot a framed picture of me sitting on the end of the bookshelf. Ignoring the look he’s giving me, I walk over and pick it up. I had no idea he took this because I’m asleep. My hair is sprawled across one of the pillows in his house in Santa Monica.
“There were a lot of nights when I would wake up and just watch you sleep.”
I stare at the picture, soaking in the fact that he took it and then framed it. He’s been telling me for weeks now that he loves me but right now, actions speak louder than words.
“I wasn’t expecting you to stop by or I would have put it up, prevent you probably thinking I’m a freak for taking pictures of you sleeping.”
“I don’t think you’re a freak.”
He barks out a laugh. “That’s good to know, especially if you plan on using my phone any time soon.”
Forcing myself to get back to the reason I came over in the first place, I ask, “Do you think I should drop the charges against Carter?”
His reply comes seconds later. “Fuck, no. I’ll call my lawyer tomorrow and see if he can dig around and find out why the D.A.’s office sent someone over to your place. It’s your God-given right to press charges if you want, and the police shouldn’t try to tell you otherwise.”
“Do you think I should mention something to Lynn, my boss?”
He tilts his head in question. “No, but get me a copy of whatever contract you signed. I’ll have Joe look it over too and make sure there aren’t not any loopholes they failed to mention to you.”
“Thanks.” I take a few steps toward the door. “I should probably go.”
“What, why?” He reaches for my hand. “Stay. I can order dinner. We can talk or just watch a movie?”
My head and heart never seem to be on the same page because while it’s probably for the best I go, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.
Kase
“You are the most exhausting client I have.”
“Quit complaining. You could purchase a small village with the amount of money I�
�ve paid you.”
“And I’ve worked my ass off for every cent.”
I shrug half-heartedly, taking a seat across from my lawyer, Joe Davenport, who used to work for my father. He’s the only adult in my life who was around when my parents were alive. When I was younger, I wasn’t sure if I could trust him, but when it came time to plan a double funeral, he stepped up and navigated me through the haze that surrounded my life.
“I won’t point out that you’re now attempting to protect the same woman you carelessly tossed to the wolves after I clearly advised you otherwise.”
My lip curls in disgust at myself. “By not bringing it up, you just did.”
He sits back crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m aware. Sometimes I just like to remind you that I’m older and wiser, and it wouldn’t hurt to listen to me now and then.”
Glancing at my watch, I know I need to speed things along. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. What do you have for me?”
“For starters, a new officer wasn’t assigned to Ms. Charles’ case.”
“What?”
He leans forward, his face suddenly serious. “Oh, wait, it gets better. Jess Ortiz is actually Jessica Ortiz.”
“Delanie said it was a man who stopped by her apartment.”
“Whoever stopped by, it wasn’t a detective named Jess Ortiz.”
The hairs on my arms stand to attention. I moved in next to her with the sole purpose of protecting her, and she allowed a stranger—someone with ill intentions—into her apartment. Apparently, I’m doing a bang-up job of taking care of her.
“Her case is rocky, at best. No eyewitnesses added to the fact that she has a motive for revenge means Bosa will likely get off or get nothing more than a slap on his hand.”
“That’s bullshit.”
“I happen to agree. Bosa, however, has a squeaky clean record, but…” With a frown lingering on his face, he watches me for a second.
“But what?”
He inhales a deep breath. “Promise me you won’t lose your cool.”
My fist clench. “I’m not promising anything, but if you want me to keep calm, you better tell me what you know.”
“Bosa applied for a gun permit.”
My entire body goes rock solid. “He what?”
“The state of New York turned him down because he’s not an official resident, but a couple of days ago, he applied for a permit with the state of Colorado.”
Fuck. “Did they approve him?”
“Not as of this morning, but he hasn’t been denied either.”
“Can we go to the state and tell them he’s a threat?”
He shakes his head. “A pending case in another state isn’t going to get him denied, and truthfully, it doesn’t matter. If he wants a gun bad enough, he’ll find a way to get one.”
My breath quickens. Bosa’s life is spinning out of control. He’s desperate and desperate people are capable of anything.
“I’ll let you know if he’s approved but in the meantime, I would consider keeping a guy on him.”
“Consider it done.”
His expression gentles. “The contract with her new employer doesn’t appear to be anything to concern yourself over. There’s no requirement that states she must be filmed, she’s just not allowed to refuse to be on camera. In addition to cameras in their kitchen, the crew will follow the owner around but that’s it.”
“Good,” I add with a nod. “She does not need the media up in her face.”
“I’ll have someone dig a little deeper and see if we can find out who dropped by her place.”
With my nerves on fire, I stand up, ready to leave. “Thanks, Joe.”
“No need to thank me, just pay the bill when it comes.”
“Whatever, old man.”
Once I’m on the interstate driving home, my mind starts to run wild. I can’t let myself think about what will happen if that bastard gets his hand on gun, otherwise, I’ll be paying him a unexpected visit.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Delanie
Seventeen days ago, I unblocked my mother’s number, but it wasn’t until today when I was pulling into the apartment parking lot that she finally called.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Hello. I…” She clears her throat. “I hope I’m catching you at a good time.”
“Yeah, now’s fine. I just got home from work.”
“Good.”
My mother always comes off as confident and overbearing, so to hear the hesitation in her voice has me waiting on her to tell me why she called.
“Judith has been worried about Carter.”
“Mom—”
“No, that’s not what I mean.” She pauses, her voice lowering when she says, “She’s worried he’s going to hurt himself or possibly someone else.”
My stomach turns. I hate the way things turned out between us. I despise the way he treated me, especially the last few years of our relationship, but none of that changes the fact that I’ve known Carter since we were kids. I planned to loathe him from afar for the rest of my life, but processing the idea that he might take his own life… It doesn’t settle well.
“He’s always put a lot of pressure on himself and the perfect life he envisioned. Hopefully, someone can talk to him before he does anything foolish.”
“Yes, hopefully,” she says laced with disappointment.
“Please don’t tell me you were hoping I would talk to him?”
After several long moments pass, she sighs. “No. I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want.”
I bite my lip to keep myself from smiling, not that she can see me. But this moment feels like a milestone, years in the making.
“But if Carter calls you or visits, please let me or Judith know. Especially if he does or says anything concerning.”
“Of course, but the last time he came out here, things didn’t go so well.”
“He came to visit you?”
Knowing what I say next could forever change our relationship, I forge forward. “Yes, and he ended up breaking my hand and putting Brenna in the hospital.”
“He did what?” she shrieks.
“I don’t think he set out to hurt either of us, but when things didn’t go his way, he flipped out and turned into a person I don’t know.”
“The situation is worse than I imagined.”
“No, it’s not. You’re just finally looking at it without blinders on. Carter hasn’t had my best interest at heart for years.”
Silence settles between us before she finally says, “You’re probably right. I…can’t change the past but… I promise to try and be better.”
Where my mother is concerned, that’s as close as I’ll ever get to an actual apology, and it’s more than I expected. “That’s all I can ask.”
Still sitting in my car, I watch as Kase pulls in and parks next to me. “Look, I need to go, but it was good to hear from you.”
“Oh, okay. I’ll…talk to you soon?”
“Yeah, Mom, I’d like that.”
“Good. Have a nice evening.”
Pocketing my phone, I get out of the car at the same time as Kase. Wearing a pair of khaki shorts and a Dodgers T-shirt, he looks more than ready for the weekend.
With a smile that makes me weak in the knees he says, “I’ll admit, when I used to imagine coming home to you, this is not what I pictured, but I’m grateful nonetheless.”
I’m fighting the urge to run over and wrap my arms around his neck, but hidden below the surface is a fear of getting hurt again. I can’t seem to let him go but I haven’t completely given myself to him.
“Do you want to grab some dinner? Or we could order something in and watch a movie?”
“Are the Dodgers playing tonight?”
“Yeah, but they’re not in town, and it’s an early game. They’re actually playing now.”
“How about we order a pizza and finish watching the game together?”
His face lights up. “I’d like that.”
I want to melt into his arms and drown in the comfort they provide but for now, I’ll settle for spending the evening with him.
Kase
It’s been weeks since I’ve had her in my arms. At night when my eyes close, I replay every moment, every touch we’ve shared. To say it’s been hard to be around her is an understatement. But I’ll take anything I can get. She might not be ready to admit it but she’s coming around a little more each time I see her. The Dodgers are playing the Pirates. With the time change, they started before I even left the office. I’m down with watching the game but I’m more interested in spending time with Delanie.
She arrived before the pizza and during the sixth inning, wearing a little blue sundress, and for the first time since I watched a game with her around, she asked me questions. Not overly flirty questions like women do when they’re pretending to like something you do. Instead, it felt like she was truly trying to understand something I enjoy.
“I’m confused. I thought you couldn’t foul out?”
“You can on a bunt, which he shouldn’t have been attempting with two strikes.”
Her lower lip turns up with a cute pout when she says, “Oh.”
Sitting on the couch, I wrap my arms around her shoulders, pulling her into my side. With her head resting on my chest, my world feels complete. Surviving my parent’s deaths was by far one of the hardest things I’ve been handed, but enduring a life without Delanie Charles could trump that pain tenfold.
I want a new beginning. One that starts and ends with her.
Stroking my hand up and down her back, my body heats with desire. Her flowery perfume intoxicates me in my lust driven fog.
“Wait, what happened? That player just stole second base, and no one tried to stop him.”
With an erection hard enough to shoot nails, I shift uncomfortably, hoping she doesn’t notice. “It was a balk pitch, so everyone advances a base.”
“A what?” She lifts her head, gifting a view of her gorgeous blue eyes.
“A balk. The pitcher didn’t have his foot on the rubber when he wound up for the pitch.”
Kase Of Deception Page 22