Rich and Seductive - The Fraternity Brothers Series Book Three

by Emerson Rose

  “Okay, I’ll be next door taking a nap for a while. I’ll pop in before I leave and check on you. Cool?”

  “It seems I don’t have much of a say in the matter.”

  “True. Sorry, dude, you gotta fix that shit with the succubus and her imaginary baby, and maybe your angel nurse will come back fulltime. Until then, we gotta fly by the seat of our pants.”

  “So, you’re not lining up a replacement for me, then?”

  “I will if you’re going to be an idiot and stay with the drama queen. If you still want to get with the holy Trinity, you gotta make a plan. I know you got knocked in the head, but you have to make some big decisions and quick or you’re gonna lose the love of your life, man.”

  “But, the video…”

  “Screw that video. You ever hear of Photoshop and film manipulation? That video’s probably not even real.”

  “You think she would go to those lengths to make me believe we’re engaged?”

  “Dude, have you looked around this place?” She raises her arm and sweeps the room like Vanna White. “She’s a girl with no career from a middle-class family who likes to spend money and party. I’d say she’d go to some serious lengths to snag a guy like you.”

  “How can I find out if the video is real?”

  She thinks for a minute and holds up her finger. “Jace. He’s a total computer whiz. I’ll forward it to him and see what he says. Maybe you need a private investigator for the baby thing, I dunno. Hey, do you remember Max from the fraternity?”

  “Max. I’m not sure.”

  “He was in the frat house with you guys. He wanted to be a cop, but he can’t see out of one eye very well, so he got turned down and got his BA in criminal justice so he could be a PI. I think I know someone who can get in touch with him.”

  “Okay, if you trust him.”

  “I’ll do you one better. You trust him with your life, I’m pretty sure. He saved your ass when that psycho bitch at Alpha Chi Omega tried to say you raped her, and you weren’t even in town.”

  “Max. He sounds more familiar, the more you tell me. Do I have his number?”

  “Not sure, I’ll get it for you, though. I gotta sleep. I’m dead on my feet.”

  “Go, get some rest, and Fiona…”

  She is already on her way out the door when I call her name. “Yeah?”

  “I know I’ve said it before, but thank you for everything.”

  “Eh, no biggie. See ya,” she says with a casual hand flip before she leaves my room.

  I finish my breakfast trying to pull memories of college and Max from the dark recesses of my mind. I do begin to remember a vague image of him—tall, blond hair, athletic, one cloudy eye. I wish I’d asked her his last name so I could try to look him up myself. I’m getting tired of relying on my friends to do every little thing for me.

  I have Jace’s phone number in my phone, though, and I can contact him myself about the video. My phone is on the nightstand where I tossed it last night not wanting ever to see the footage of me asking Kelly to marry me again. I look through my contacts and call Jace when I find his number.

  He answers on the second ring. “Lennon? Is that you?” he asks, surprised to hear from me.

  “Yes, I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

  “No, no, is everything okay?”

  “Well, if you consider being engaged to a stranger who says she’s having your baby, okay then, yes.”

  He chuckles. “Sorry, yeah last night was rough.”

  “It was. I was wondering if you could do me a favor.”

  “Sure, anything, big man. Shoot.”

  “I received a video from Kelly last night of me proposing to her, or at least that’s how it appears. There’s no sound. Do you think you could figure out if it’s authentic?”

  “No sound, huh?”

  “No, I find that odd. If I were going to film myself asking for a woman’s hand in marriage, I think I would want to be able to hear the words spoken.”

  “Exactly. Can you forward it to me? I know a guy who does a lot of work with real-time face-to-face capture. I’ll have him check it out.”

  “Thank you. Do you know how long that will take?”

  “Not sure, it’s not my thing, but he’s a workaholic. I’m sure it wouldn’t take him long.”

  “I appreciate it. I want to get this thing straightened out once and for all.”

  “I don’t blame you. Do you need me to do anything else?”

  “No, I’m going to have Max look into the pregnancy part of this.”

  “Max, yes, he’d be perfect for the job. It’s been a while, tell him I said hey.”

  “I will. I’ll let you get back to work. Thank you again.”

  “No problem. I’m glad to see you doing better. You had us worried.”

  “Me, too.”

  “See ya.”

  “Goodbye.” I hang up feeling accomplished and strangely exhausted. I recently remembered that I used to work long hours, and now one phone call has me craving a nap.

  I scoot back down in the bed and let my eyes peruse the room. I haven’t had much time alone since I’ve been home. The more I look around, the more familiar things are. I even recall a few of the cases I was working on before the accident, and that alarms me. Who is handling my clients? What is going on with my cases?

  I call Callahan. “Callahan, do you know if anyone has been handling my cases?”

  “Yes sir, Mr. Black took over as you had arranged.”

  “Arranged?”

  “Yes, in the event you weren’t able to work for any reason, you made plans to have Mr. Black step in.”

  “Who’s Mr. Black?”

  Callahan pauses and clears his throat. “He’s your colleague, sir.”

  “My colleague? Why haven’t I heard from him?”

  “He lives on the East Coast, sir. He knows you’re still recovering and asked to have you call him when you were feeling better.”

  “I need his number.”

  “Are you sure, sir? You haven’t been home long. You might want to…”

  “Give me his number.”

  “Yes, sir. It’s in your contacts under the law offices of Black and Bell.”

  “Thank you, Callahan.” I hang up before he has a chance to say goodbye. He will be up here soon enough to take my breakfast tray away.

  I look up Mr. Black’s number in my phone and press dial. “Lennon, you finally get your head screwed on straight?” says a low, gravelly voice.

  “Enough to call and ask you about a case.”

  Black chuckles. “So, you got your memory back?”

  “It’s coming back in pieces.”

  “I’m glad. It’s been miserable handling both workloads.”

  “I’m afraid I can’t go back to work yet, but one case is bothering me, and I wanted to make sure you were handling it.”

  “Of course, which one?”

  “The Sarina Carpenter murder case.”

  “Ah yes, well not much has changed. She’s still in jail, and they have the bail set so high no one can help her.”

  “Remind me what the bail was.”

  “Five hundred thousand.”

  “Shit. Where are her kids?”

  “Foster care. Her family turned their back on her. Reggie Miller is her father. He could have posted her bail so she could take care of the kids. He could have taken the kids, but he says he is teaching her a lesson for marrying a jackass. He thinks she deserves to sit in jail because he told her not to marry him, and I quote, “That pompous ass Nazi.”

  I sigh deeply remembering the situation. Serina shot and killed her husband, who had been physically and emotionally abusing her for years. She shot him when he turned to pick up a golf club that she believed he was going to strike her with. The bullet hole in the back of her husband’s head indicated she had not been under attack at the time of the shooting even though she was covered with bruises and had a long history of emergency room visits for broken
bones and supposed falls down stairs.

  “All right. I’m going to take over. Will you send me anything pertinent that’s happened since I had the accident?”

  “Sure, but it won’t be much. Are you sure you’re okay to start working? It’s been a bitch, but I can keep handling your load until you’re one hundred percent.”

  One hundred percent. When he says that, I suddenly have a clear vision in my mind of what Kyle Black looks like, what his office looks like, what my office looks like, the other partner Sinbad Bell, and about a million other aspects of my career.

  “Lennon? Lennon, are you still there?” Kyle says, sounding worried.

  “Yes, sorry, I just… I feel like I just remembered everything about my career in one giant leap.”

  “That’s great, man. Maybe you’ll be back to work sooner than you think.”

  “Yes, I think you’re right. I have to go, Kyle. Please don’t forget to send me that information. Also, if you could go ahead and send me the O’Malley Dixon files, too.”

  “Absolutely, I’d be thrilled to get those cases off my plate as long as you think you’re okay.”

  “I am, thanks. Send them right away.”

  I lower myself down onto my pillows as Callahan enters the room. “Sir, are you all right?” he asks.

  “Fine, never been better, actually. Will you please bring me any photo albums that you know of? I’m going to nap, and when I wake up, I want to start remembering my life.”

  “Certainly, sir. Rest well.”

  16

  Trinity

  I’ve hardly slept. Fiona doesn’t need me until noon, but I can’t wait that long. I start toward his house at ten o’clock with the ammunition that will destroy Kelly’s fictional engagement and imaginary child. I wanted to send it to him last night the moment I finished videoing, but that would have made me no better than Kelly.

  This kind of proof needs a proper set-up. I want to ease Lennon into the truth to protect his mind from shock. Lord knows he’s had enough of that recently.

  I pull up and exit my car. At the front door, I’m not sure if I should knock or let myself in. I was given a code yesterday, but that was before I ran out thinking he was a taken man.

  Oh, what the hell? I press the numbers into the keypad, and the door unlocks. Inside, I make my way to the kitchen to let Callahan know I’m back.

  “Hello, Callahan. I hope it’s okay I let myself in.”

  He turns from the sink where he is washing dishes, and his face lights up. “Miss Trinity, I’m so glad you’re back. Come in, come in, would you like some coffee? I’d offer you tea, but you are the first Brit I’ve ever met who prefers coffee.”

  I smile and place my purse on the island. “I would love a cup of coffee, thank you. Is Lennon awake yet?”

  “He was up earlier, but he’s asleep now. He says he made a breakthrough today.” Callahan dries his hands on a tea towel and begins to make coffee in the French press.

  “He did? That’s wonderful. What did he remember?”

  “His career. He said a case came to him, and when he called his partner, everything came flooding back. He wants to look at photo albums when he wakes up to see if it will happen again, only this time with his personal past instead of his professional one.”

  “I’ll bet he’s so relieved. Does he seem more like himself to you? I mean, after that realization?”

  Callahan thinks for a moment. “He never seemed different to me in the first place. He just couldn’t remember things. His personality has always remained consistent. Is that unusual?”

  “No head injury is the same. Some people revert to childlike ways. Others become oversexualized, some are loud or inappropriate, others turn inward from fear of the unknown.”

  “I had no idea. Mr. Lennon seems like himself minus a few memories, that’s all.”

  I am relieved more than Callahan could ever know. I have always hoped that the man I met after his accident was the same one he was before because that is the man I have secretly fallen in love with.

  “That’s good to know. Do you know what time he went to sleep? I was wondering if I could take the photo albums up to him when he’s up.”

  “Of course, dear, but I’m afraid you’ll have to bring him down here. There are too many to take upstairs. I’ve laid them all out on the dining room table in chronological order. I also left a few of the little memory things from a computer, what are they called?”

  “SD cards?”

  He points his finger at me. “Yes, that’s them. He stores more current photos on those tiny cards. It’s a good thing he loves to take pictures. We would have to build a library just for photo albums if he had them all printed out.”

  “Really? That’s interesting. I’ve never seen a camera around. Does he only use his phone to take pictures?”

  “No, he has a very nice professional camera. It should be in his closet in a black leather case. I’ll find it for you if you’d like.”

  “No, that’s not necessary, thank you. Listen, Callahan, I want you to know something.”

  “What’s that, my dear?”

  “I went to a beach party last night when I left here. My neighbor invited me before I agreed to be Lennon’s private nurse. As it turns out, my neighbor is friends with Fiona.”

  “Ah, well I can’t say that surprises me. She’s always been a sociable girl.”

  “That’s one way to describe her.” I smile, raising my eyebrows, and he chuckles. “Anyway, while I was there, I saw something very interesting.” I take my phone from my handbag and cue up the video. I slide it across the island for him to watch.

  His eyes go wide, and he covers his mouth. When he looks up, a sly grin is on his face, and he nods his head. “Oh yes, Miss Trinity, this is very interesting indeed. I never believed he actually asked her to marry him, and if she is pregnant, I feel sorry for the baby swimming around in all of that alcohol.”

  “I don’t think she is, at least not with Lennon’s baby. It looks like the brute with her last night is more likely to be the father.”

  He nods and hands the phone back to me. “Are you going to show this to him today?”

  “I’m not sure how to go about it.”

  “Maybe you should start by telling him what you saw. If he’s skeptical, you can tell him you took a video for proof and offer to let him see it if he wants.”

  “Why didn’t I think of that? You’re a genius, Callahan.” I round the island and surprise him with a hug. He blushes and looks uncomfortable when I release him.

  “Oh my, that’s more action than I’ve had in years, Miss Trinity.”

  My jaw drops. “Why Callahan, did you just flirt with me?” I smile so wide, it hurts when he turns crimson red.

  He finishes my coffee and hands me the cup without making eye contact. I’ve embarrassed him. “I’m sorry, I knew you were playing.”

  “Thank you. I need to see about the laundry. Miss Fiona asked me to watch over Mr. Lennon.”

  I interrupt him, “Don’t worry, I’ve got him now. You do what you need to do. And thank you for the coffee. It’s better than any coffee house around. You should charge for it.”

  He lifts one corner of his mouth in a small smile. “You’re most welcome.”

  When he is gone, I wander into the dining room to have a look at the photo albums before Lennon wakes up. I’m shocked to see that he wasn’t exaggerating one bit. On the table, there are stacks and stacks of albums that go clear back to his parents’ childhood days.

  He was right, there’s no way I could have taken all of these upstairs. I scan the table for the more recent looking covers. One specifically marked college days catches my eye. I open it, and on the first page is a photo of Lennon’s group of friends from the fraternity house plus a few more. They are all sitting outside a large stone house on lawn chairs drinking beer and soaking up the sunshine. It hasn’t been that long, but they all look quite a bit younger.

  The next page is a football game wh
ere everyone is lined up on two bleachers cheering their team on. In each photo, I search for Kelly, and finally, I begin to see her in most of them. She’s in so many of them they must have met during his freshman year.

  He always has his arm around either her shoulders or her waist, but she never looks like a real part of the group. I sense a sort of sadness when I look into her eyes. They’re longing, hopeful, waiting for something.

  Maybe she was waiting to feel sparks that weren’t there between her and Lennon? She could have been waiting for acceptance or inclusion from the group. Whatever it was, she never got it, and they broke up after graduation.

  A white album holds photos of Lennon as a baby. He was adorable with soft brown curls, ocean-blue eyes and chubby, cherub cheeks. Another album is dedicated to his brother, but the pictures stop halfway through. One is full of his parents’ wedding photos, several more are of vacations over the years.

  I lose track of time walking through Lennon’s life until Fiona enters the room. “Hey, girl, thought you weren’t coming back here.” She’s spooning yogurt into her mouth at warp speed while she wiggles her feet into her nursing shoes.

  “I saw Kelly at Bodhi’s beach bonfire last night. She was with a guy named BJ who apparently is quite a scammer.”

  “No shit? Holy crap, that’s amazing. Did you tell Lennon?”

  “He was asleep when I got here. I didn’t want to wake him.”

  “Well, he’s awake now. Get your ass up there and give him the good news. I gotta skate, I’m gonna be late.”

  “Thank you for looking after him last night. I know you’re busy.”

  “No biggie. You’re here now, though, right? Like, for good?”

  “Unless he tosses me out on my ass, yes.”

  “Never happening. I’ll call you later and see how it went. How was the party? Other than seeing the skank with the amazon man?”

  “You know him?”

  “Yep, creepy as hell. She picked a winner for sure.”

  “It was nice. Bodhi’s a great neighbor.”

  “Glad you had fun, catch you later.” And she’s gone as fast as she appeared. I wish I had half that woman’s energy.