by Ivy Nelson
He tried not to smile as she rubbed her nose on his. “And you’re already tipsy. Don’t make me go full on Dom on you tonight. You’re still required to take care of yourself or I’ll spank you. Only I’ll wait until you’re sober and hungover to do it.”
She huffed. “I thought you were going to take care of me.”
He grinned. “Yep, and that just might have to include a trip over my knee if you’re not careful. I’m not saying don’t drink. I’m not even saying don’t get drunk. I’m saying don’t be stupid.”
“Good, because I’m definitely getting drunk. It’s the one party of the event that I can let myself relax at.”
He pulled her in for a tequila laced kiss. “I’m all for you relaxing. It looks like dinner is ready. Let’s feed you and then you can party all you want.”
She clapped her hands together and stood. Garrett noticed her cousins were watching them, but he knew he’d been speaking too quietly for them to hear him.
They went to the buffet line and waited their turn to pile their plates high with a variety of protein and high carb food. The run this morning had been a good idea.
Back at their table, they dug into their plates and made small talk with the others. There were a lot of questions for Garrett about how he met Isabelle, but he deflected them. By the time they finished dinner, the DJ was playing dance tunes, and they enjoyed watching elderly couples get out on the dancefloor together. He was a skilled ballroom dancer and intended to pull Isabelle onto the dancefloor later.
“Want to dance?” she asked when a song she liked came on. He grinned.
“I was planning to wait until later to ask, but yes let’s go.”
He led them to the dance floor and rested a hand on her hip. The song was perfect for a waltz, so he started the patterned footwork, leading them around the dancefloor.
“Holy fuck,” she breathed. “You can dance. I have no idea what I’m doing.”
He chuckled. “Just be a good girl and let me lead and you’ll be just fine.”
Two more trips around and she’d mostly picked up the footwork.
“When did you have time to learn to dance?” she asked on their third rotation.
“One of the many skills picked up in boarding school. They deemed it an essential skill for young men. It’s come in handy at an inaugural ball or two, but that’s about it.”
“Well, it’s so getting you laid later,” she giggled.
“Doll, I’m pretty sure I was getting laid whether or not we danced.”
“True story,” she said.
When the song was over, he said, “Now I think you’ve earned another drink.”
They walked to the bar and ordered two more margaritas since he was not at all buzzed anymore. She took a small sip and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek.
“Thank you for coming with me.”
He wasn’t ready to admit that he was glad to be here just yet, so he grinned and said, “I’m sure you’ll find a way to show your appreciation later.”
The early evening flew by with Garrett assisting her in a game of poker where she walked away with fifty dollars. She was slower with her drinks but was delightfully tipsy by the time ten o’clock rolled around.
The music and lights changed, and the DJ announced that children were no longer allowed on the dance floor.
The DJ leaned into the mic and said, “I’m excited about this next announcement. I’ve been DJ-ing for years at these things without getting to party myself. We’ve brought in an up-and-coming DJ for the rest of the night to play some more modern tunes for all you young folks. I may not know the dances, but I’ll be out there trying anyway. Help me welcome DJ Xion.” The crowd seemed confused at first, but when the new DJ stepped up to the mic and kicked up the volume on the latest dance mix, a sizeable group of younger people cheered and flooded the dancefloor.
“More of your meddling?” Isabelle asked pointedly. “You’re lucky you helped me win at poker or I might be mad at you. But also, I like this song. Can we dance?”
• • •
She couldn’t believe the nerve. He’d hired one of the hottest new DJs in the country. How he’d worked that magic she had no idea, but the poor guy had to be hating playing a family reunion when he could have been in a hot club somewhere.
If he was disappointed, he wasn’t showing it, though, which spoke to the amount of money Garrett must have been paying him. He had the crowd hyped and grooving just a half a song in. Now she was dragging Garrett onto the dancefloor to dance while she was buzzed enough to not be embarrassed. The dancefloor soon became a mob of arms, legs, and butts bumping against each other as cousins, siblings, aunts, and uncles at various stages of inebriation joined in the party.
“You’re not mad at me, are you?” Garrett asked as he held her with her back against him and moved their bodies in time with the music. He was certainly a better dancer than she was.
“Maybe not mad. Just irritated. I specifically asked you not to meddle and you did it anyway.”
“I believe you demanded that I not meddle with no room for me to negotiate or give you my opinion.”
“I really don’t think you always have to be right,” she muttered. But he didn’t seem to hear her over the beat of the music. As the song faded into another, she turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I want another drink.”
“Good news, I happen to know a guy,” he teased.
She rolled her eyes but let him lead her off the dance floor to the bar where he ordered two more margaritas.
“Can we get two shots with that?” she asked the bartender who looked at Garrett. He sighed and nodded. “Fine.”
He quickly set up two shot glasses with salt and lime and filled them with expensive tequila.
When they’d done their first shot, she’d been pleasantly surprised to discover that her tequila shooting skills had diminished none. Part of that could have been the expensive brand she was drinking. In college it had been whatever was cheap.
Garrett on the other hand seemed to struggle to get it down, but he toughed it out for her and she was grateful.
Picking up their drinks, Garrett led them back to their table where she picked up her phone. There was a missed call she didn’t recognize.
“I’ll be right back,” she shouted in Garrett’s general direction. She picked up her drink and headed for the quieter lobby of the country club and pressed play on her voicemail. She tipped the margarita back and chugged while she waited for the message to begin.
“This is Naomi Hines, a nurse at Methodist calling for an Isabelle Alvarado. You’re listed as next of kin for a Carmen Alvarado. If you could please call us back right away.”
Isabelle felt her head begin to spin and her heart pounded harder as she tried to dial the number the nurse had left.
“Hi. Yes. Hi. Sorry, I’m scared. I got a phone call about my sister. I’m confused because she’s supposed to be in jail.”
“What’s your sister’s name honey?”
“Shit, sorry. Yeah, Um. It’s Carmen. Carmen Alvarado.”
“OK honey. I need to transfer you to a doctor.”
The hold music played, and Isabelle felt like her stomach might dispel all the alcohol and food she’d consumed over the evening. What the fuck was going on?
“Miss Alvarado? I’m Dr. Levi. Are you with anyone right now?”
“Can you please just tell me what’s going on?” she pleaded.
“Your sister was brought in with symptoms consistent with a heroin overdose. She’s currently in a coma. If you can, it would be wise for you to get here as soon as possible.”
“Fuck,” she blurted. “I’m in California at a family reunion. I have her daughters with me.”
“I’m afraid it’s urgent, Miss Alvarado.”
“Can you tell me how this happened? She was supposed to be serving a four-year sentence in prison.”
“Let me see what her chart says.” She heard rustling around as he looked for the info
rmation she needed.
“According to the notes the intake nurse took, her parole officer found her at a halfway house where she’d recently been released.”
Isabelle was so confused. “I’m sorry. I just don’t understand. I was supposed to be notified of her release. I have temporary custody of her children. Why wasn’t I notified?” Her voice cracked as she spoke, and she couldn’t keep the panic from clawing at her throat.
“I’m afraid that’s not my area of expertise ma’am. I’m doing everything I can to save your sister’s life, but I really think you should get here right away.”
She choked back a sob. “OK. I’ll be on a plane as soon as I can arrange it.”
“Isabelle?” Garrett’s voice startled her, and she turned to face him as she lowered the phone. His face was swimming in front of her and there seemed to be two of him. She shouldn’t have drunk that last margarita so fast.
“Did you do this?” she asked, suddenly feeling suspicious.
“Did I do what? Why do you need to be on a plane?”
“My sister. She got released from prison early and nobody fucking told me, and now she’s in the hospital dying from a heroin overdose, and I need to know if you had anything to do with her release.”
Garrett just stared at her bewildered. “No. I gave you my word, Isabelle. I wouldn’t do that.”
She wanted to believe him, but her gut twisted with doubt. “I need to get the girls and get on a plane. I guess I should tell dad and Uncle Henry too. Can you help me wrangle them and then arrange tickets to get us back to Colorado?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Isabelle. I’ll call up my jet and we’ll be on our way back in a few hours.”
“I don’t want your God damn plane. I just want help arranging plane tickets because I’m too drunk to do it myself.”
Garrett pulled out his phone.
“Regina, can you get a pilot ready to be in the air in two hours, please? We have an emergency and need to get Isabelle and her family back to Colorado right away.”
He never took his eyes off her while he made the call and it enraged her.
“God damn it,” she yelled. “Can’t you ever just be a normal fucking human for once?”
“That’s enough, Isabelle. Sit your ass in that chair and don’t fucking move. I’m going to have your family rounded up and we’ll be out of here within the hour.”
“Fuck you,” she blurted as she looked around for an exit. She needed fresh air, or she was going to be sick. Spotting the front doors, she stalked toward them, but a firm hand gripped her arm.
“I. Said. Sit.” His voice was hard and his gaze steely as he stared down at her.
A small crowd had gathered, and her cousin Sabrina approached. “What’s wrong, Izzy?”
Garrett stepped between her and her cousin. “There’s been an emergency and we need to get Isabelle and her family back home right away. Can you please sit here with her? I need to go round up her nieces, dad, and uncle.”
“I’ll get Cat and Sarah,” a young teenager said.
“Thank you,” Garrett said as he stalked off in another direction.
Isabelle’s stomach lurched and she searched for a trashcan.
“I’m gonna be sick,” she murmured as she tried to keep the tears at bay.
“Come on, honey. Bathroom is this way.”
After emptying her stomach and drinking a bottle of water, her head felt a little clearer, but none of it felt real. What the fuck had happened? How had her sister been released without her knowledge?
By the time she was cleaned up and out of the bathroom, Garrett was waiting for her by the exit. He had her purse and reached for her hand, but she refused. Her gut told her he was involved and that wasn’t OK.
“Isabelle please,” he murmured. “I swear I had nothing to do with this. I’m calling my attorney as soon as we have ourselves on the plane. We’re going to get to the bottom of it.”
“Please, Garrett. I just need to not talk to you,” she pleaded. “Thank you for getting me home but I need to focus on my family right now.”
She felt like a bitch, but if he was going to constantly meddle in her life by flashing his money and power around, then their relationship would never work.
The car ride to the private airport was somber. Garrett had sent someone to the beach house to collect their things and they would meet them at the plane.
The plane ride was even more somber and once they were in the air, Isabelle excused herself to the bedroom to sleep off as much of the alcohol as she could.
She would need to be there for her nieces like never before to get them through this. They were more confused than she was.
By the time she got to the hospital, she was sober and well hydrated at Garrett’s insistence.
“Can you take the girls and Uncle Henry home, please,” she said. “They’ll only allow two visitors over eighteen at this hour, so Daddy and I are going to stay.”
“OK. I’ll be back for you whenever you’re ready.”
She shook her head. “I’ll find my own way home. Please. I just need space away from you to take care of my family. I’ve not been doing a good enough job of that lately.”
“Don’t do this, Isabelle. Don’t blame yourself, or the time you’ve spent with me, for any of this.”
“Spending time with you is exactly why this fucking happened. Now please, take my family home and that’s the last favor I’ll be needing from you.”
Her heart broke as she unclasped the silver bracelet from her wrist and handed it to him. Without another word, she turned and joined her father in the hospital where he was already talking to a nurse about her sister’s condition.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
It had been three days since he dropped Isabelle off at the hospital. His vast connections had helped him keep tabs on her sister’s condition, which remained stable but critical. Now he sat in his office with Jax and his attorney trying to figure out what the fuck had happened.
“I want to know why my name is being connected with Carmen’s release. I’m paying both of you a lot of God damn money and I seem to have zero answers to show for it.”
Both men remained calm under his tirade. They’d been listening to it for three days.
“Look, Garrett, I’m digging as fast as I can, but from what I can tell, the judge signed off on her release based on your recommendation and that judge's signature went to the governor who commuted her sentence.”
“Who was the judge?”
“Felix Jenson,” his attorney answered. “It seems your signature was on a letter sent along with the deal that was filed on her behalf with the state’s attorney.”
Garrett dragged a hand through his hair. It made sense that a judge would accept a signed and notarized letter of reference as part of his consideration for whether or not to accept a new deal. What didn’t make sense was why the deal was offered to begin with. His attorney intended to ask for a few months to be shaved off, not immediate release, and those few months were contingent on her calling them back with more detailed information. As of his last update, Carmen Alvarado was still mulling over their offer.
“Is the FBI investigating this? My signature was obviously forged,” Garrett said. “I want to talk to Judge Jenson on the phone.”
“I’ve got a call set up for this afternoon,” his attorney said.
“I’m looking to get my hands on prison visitor logs for Carmen,” Jax said as he scrolled through his phone. “Since we know she’s somehow connected to Darren, and Darren is likely connected to Maddox, I’m expecting an odd visitor or two on the books.”
“Speaking of Darren, is he still in jail or did he make bail?”
“Made bail a few days ago. Same day they released Carmen, in fact.”
“Now, isn’t that convenient? Dig into that. And somebody, please get me an update on Isabelle. She’s refusing my calls.”
Jax held up a hand. “That’s above my pay grade, my friend. Your security team i
s still watching her though.”
Garrett growled. “I want some fucking answers. Have you found Maddox yet?”
Jax shook his head again. “Sorry man. He seems to have vanished. Talk to me about your smuggling theory.”
Garrett scraped his fingers through his hair. “It was something Isabelle turned my attention to. You know from your research that my brother used to run stolen diamonds and was using our company to launder them. Susan Arno and Helen Peter’s were both facing charges related to smuggling. Susan went to prison, Helen died.” He stopped to make sure they were still following.
“We know all of that. But then one of my department heads told Isabelle that inventory had dropped while the number of trucks moving in and out of here hadn’t changed. It happened maybe a year and a half ago, not long after I bought the Colorado facility. It seemed familiar, and then I realized why. That’s fucking how Maddox got so many stolen diamonds in and out of our facilities in Philadelphia. He fudged inventory here and there so each category of inventory only dropped a negligible amount which could be accounted for by fluctuation in supply and demand. As a result, he had room to store and ship more stolen goods and was able to pocket more money.”
Jax and his attorney seemed to be contemplating his story and there was silence as they took it all in.
“So… you think Darren was doing the same thing here?”
Garrett picked up a pen and tossed it across his desk. “I think my brother has been doing it through Darren. I just have no fucking proof.”
“Why now?” Jax asked.
Garrett shook his head. “I honestly don’t know. I bought the Colorado facility when David bought the Solitaire property. Darren was already working for the company and I left most of the staff here in place. I only made a few minor changes to align the company with my personal philosophies.”
Jax pulled out a small notebook and began writing.
“What are you thinking?” Garrett asked, impatient with the process.
“I have a theory,” the cowboy said. “But I need to run something down first. I’ll fill you in if it pans out.”
Garrett stood and paced. “I’m going to tear this God damned place apart if we can’t figure out what’s going on. I flushed my brother out the last time by shutting down an entire arm of my company. I don’t want to have to do the same thing here.”
