Her head moves from side-to-side. “You were right. It’s really none of my business.” Her lips pull into a flat, rueful line.
“No, it is your business,” I tell her. “I want to share everything with you. Everything, Firefly.” I need her to understand that I mean it. “Can I sit?”
I wait until she nods to lower myself next to her. To be honest, there’s really nowhere else to even stand.
I set down the flowers and my file folder on the bed. I dare to take both of her hands in mine. When she doesn’t pull away, I meet her eyes. “You were right. I’m not sure how you figured it all out but you were right about my criminal case.”
Her big brown eyes widen at me. “So, you didn’t do any of it?” she breathes out. I hear the hopefulness in her voice.
I shake my head. “It really was Gabby.” I scrub a palm over my chin as I struggle to find the right words. “She’d…changed. She wasn’t herself anymore. I thought she was having an affair, but even though she denied it, I knew something was up with her. So I started to dig deeper. She was telling the truth about that one thing; there was no affair. She was too busy committing fraud and using my name and log-ins to carry out her dirty work. I realized that when I found the duffel bag of cash and paperwork hidden in the back of our bedroom closet.”
Jessa’s eyes widen. “Oh my god. Why did she do that?”
I shrug. “I guess she didn't want the quiet, small town life anymore. She wanted something bigger.”
“That’s awful,” Jessa whispers. “I’m so sorry.”
I nod, lost in thought, staring at our joined hands. “I remember that day so clearly. The day she confessed everything to me. I was getting ready for my parents’ wedding anniversary party. I went into the closet looking for a tie. I found the money and I confronted her. She dropped onto the rug on the living floor and broke down in crocodile tears. Words were spilling out of her deceitful mouth. Before I could even wrap my head around what she was saying, there were police cruisers surrounding my house. I didn’t think. I acted on instinct. I did what came naturally, what Dad would do, what Gramps would do in my position—I protected my wife, my family. I turned myself over to the police so Gabby could go free. I pled guilty to her crimes before anyone could take a close enough look at the evidence and find all the holes.”
Jessa shakes her head. “I have so many questions. I don’t even know where to start.”
“Take your time,” I tell her, pressing my lips to her knuckles. “I’ll answer anything you ask.” At this point, I’m willing to lay myself bare to her. All I want is for her to trust me fully.
“How did you figure out that she’d tricked you?” Jessa asks.
“The truth didn’t occur to me until I’d already pled guilty to Gabby’s crimes. When I really thought about it, I realized that she’d set me up. I’d started asking questions about her weird behavior and she knew that I’d eventually get to the bottom of things, so she planted the bag of money where I’d find it. Then she must have tipped off the police somehow.” Vitriol rises in my chest. “She knew I’d go into that closet. She knew I’d find the money. And she knew that even if she confessed everything to me, my gut instinct would be to protect her…especially after she told me she was carrying my child.”
“W-what?” Jessa barely mumbles.
“Gabby told me she was pregnant. It was bad enough that Callie would lose her mother, but I couldn’t stand the idea of the baby my wife was carrying being born behind bars. I wouldn’t let that happen.”
“Oh my god, Eli—where is the child now? Is your child out there somewhere?”
I laugh bitterly. “There was no child. She wasn’t pregnant. When I was locked up, my private investigator cellmate had some of his contacts on the outside look into it. The pregnancy was a lie.” I shake my head. “She was so convincing. She had a pregnancy test and everything. But that deceitful bitch could have marked it up with a Sharpie pen for all I know.”
Jessa is sobbing now, her face wet from her tears. We talk for an eternity, going through the file folder I brought along with me. We pore over my case documentation and I explain it all in painstaking detail. I don’t want secrets between us anymore.
“I know that what I did was dumb. You think I’m not embarrassed for being so damn gullible? But I didn’t want Callie to lose her mother. I figured a little girl needed her mother more than she needed her dad.”
“That’s not true,” Jessa argues through her tears with a surprising amount of tenacity. “You are so important to that little girl. And you are so noble, so loyal. Your bitch of a wife didn’t deserve you.”
“I know that now. I never realized Gabby would run off, abandoning our daughter and never looking back. The minute I got locked up, that woman bolted.”
“Why didn’t you try to tell the truth then? Try to clear your name after she betrayed you like that?”
I let out a heavy breath and meet her sad gaze. “It was too late. I tried discussing it with my lawyer, but even that bastard didn’t believe me. I figured that if I talked to anyone else, I’d just seem like any other asshole trying to dodge responsibility for his crimes. I didn’t see a way out. So I swallowed the pill, I accepted my fate and I kept my mouth shut.”
Jessa wraps her arms around me and I drop my head to her chest. She just holds me and it feels so fucking good. She’s the first person who believed me. The only person.
“I tried to do the right thing, Jessa. And then my whole life blew up in my face. So, I gave up,” I mutter. “I gave up on everything. I was just so bitter and resentful and hopeless.”
“Yeah, well, you don’t have to feel that way anymore,” she says with determination. “I will clear your name, Eli. If it’s the last fucking thing I do.”
I pull back to look at her. “I don’t need you fighting my battles, Firefly.”
Her inner pitbull is out and ready to scrap. “Are you serious? It’s our fight now.”
“Hmmm…What are you saying?” I feel a smile on my lips. “Are you saying that if I throw myself at your mercy, apologize for being a dickwad and beg for your forgiveness, I might actually still have a chance with you? You might actually take me back?” I stretch the limp bouquet out to her. I picked it up at some street side vendor on my way out of Sin Valley.
She lifts a shoulder, all aloof. “Maybe…” She takes the flowers and gives them a casual sniff. She’s so adorable.
I cup her chin, forcing her to meet my eyes. “I’m so very sorry, Jessa. I’m sorry that I didn’t listen to you, that I didn’t believe in your goodness.” I take a breath. “I love you. For so many reasons it’s terrifying. You’re kind. You’re fun. You’re loyal and so damn patient. You have the biggest heart. And you’ve given me my whole, entire life back, baby. Now, I want to share that life with you. All of it. No more secrets, Firefly. Ever.”
“No more secrets,” she promises without reservation. “Ever. I love you so much.” My chest swells up with bliss when she says those words.
I’m going to kiss her. I have to.
As I’m leaning close to claim her mouth, a loud thump sounds against the other side of the wall. Jessa’s eyes widen to saucers at the sound of glass shattering from outside her room.
I growl in frustration. I picture her ex still out there being his asshole self.
Turning my gaze back on the beautiful pixie next to me, I tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. “You want to pack your stuff and get out of here?”
“God, yes,” she breathes out with a giggle.
She hastily stuffs her suitcases and I grab them from her hands. When I swing open the door, Michael appears at the threshold. “What’s he doing here?” the loser spits. “You want me to kick him out on his ass for you, Jessie Babe?”
Behind me, I hear Jessa forcing a pleasant voice. “No, that…that won’t be necessary.”
Michael stands on his tiptoes to peer around me. He wipes his nose on his sleeve. “Come on. Don’t let this guy weasel his way in here
and—”
Before Michael can keep running his mouth, I drop the suitcases at my feet. “Look, dude. It’s time you learn to take a hint. You don’t have a shot here. The woman is spoken for.”
“You can’t just come in here and…and…” Michael rubs his nose and fumbles for what to say. This guy is clearly high out of his mind.
I pluck a sheet of paper from the file folder tucked under my arm. I slam the document against his bony chest. “My mug shot. In case you’re ever tempted to come near Jessa again.”
On that, I lead my girl out the door and down the rickety staircase. My car is parked at the curb. I open the trunk and fling her baggage inside.
“I should tell you…” I clear my throat right before I open her passenger door. “I quit my job at Kingston Realties. I don’t know if I’ll be able to afford your late-night sugar habit.”
She cradles her flowers to her chest. “No biggie,” she assures me. “I can just talk to Michael, and he can help you find—”
“Don’t you fucking dare.” I laugh. “After threatening him tonight, I think it’s best to keep my distance. Besides, I’m not exactly hurting for money.” I cringe in the face of her confused frown. “There’s one last thing you need to know. The money Gabby stole…I managed to hide it in Callie’s bedroom vent before the cops took me away. I still have it.”
Her jaw drops loose but within seconds, her face relaxes. “Y’know what? After everything you’ve been through, you deserve to keep it.”
I rotate my palm, lifting hers for a kiss. I can’t help but grin. Christ, this woman never fails to surprise me. “I thought that tidbit would send you running for the hills.”
She shrugs, a smirk playing on her lips. It takes considerable effort on my part not to lean over and nibble on them. “I told you, Eli. I know you’re a good man. Nothing could convince me otherwise. I just knew you were innocent.” She throws her arms around me again. She’s hugging me and it feels amazing.
Hell, how is this woman not kicking my ass right now? After the way I treated her, after the bullshit I put her through? She’s more than a Disney Princess. She’s a queen. My queen.
I hold her tight, breathing in her sweet, sweet scent. “I don’t know how you figured it out and you’ll have to fill me in on all of that sometime. You’d make a hell of a private investigator.” Her eyes twinkle back at me. Seriously though, if this teacher thing doesn’t work out for her, I’ll call up Rivers for a job recommendation.
“In any case, I don’t mind being the breadwinner for a while. I am now gainfully employed as an early childhood educator, after all.” She quirks her shoulder.
I cup her cheek, basking in the way she leans into my touch. “I’m so fucking proud of you for making your dream come true.” I whisper against her lips.
“You understand that means I won’t be Callie’s nanny anymore?” Her forehead is creased with concern.
“Good,” I say. “That means you can be so much more to her. To me…if that’s what you want.”
“Of course that’s what I want.” Her misty eyes smile. “I want us to be a family.”
When she says that, I grin hard enough to rip my mouth at the seams. “Let’s make a deal then,” I suggest.
“What kind of deal?”
I fist her skirt at the waist and pull her to me. “You can keep your job, teaching all those miserable, snotty little human beings every day…as long as you come home to me and Callie every night.”
She grins, then she rises onto her tiptoes. “Deal.”
“I’m probably going to have to get you a new car, though.” I stink-eye her junk wagon parked on the curb ahead of mine.
She glances at the car and from her expression, I can tell that there’s no love lost between her and the vehicle. “I won’t even fight you on that.”
I hold her tight and devour her damn mouth like the savage I am.
When we pull apart, I think I’m the one with rainbows and stardust in my eyes because Jessa is watching me curiously.
“What?” she asks.
“This is gonna sound crazy as fuck when I say it…”
“Say it…” she challenges me.
“It's crazy. The moment I saw you, I just knew my life would be different with you in it. Better with you in it.” I brush her long tresses away from her face. “I feel like I've traveled through time and space, stumbled through multiple lifetimes to find you. And there's no way I'm letting you go now.”
She holds me tight. “Then, don’t let me go…”
60
Take it off!” Alexia swings an arm in the air and hollers. “Take it off, Duke of Hastings.”
We talked Penny into a bachelorette party. Sort of.
It’s the night before the wedding and we’re gathered in the backroom of Iris’s flower shop, eating leftovers from last night’s rehearsal dinner and binge-watching Bridgerton on Netflix as Iris arranges the bouquets for tomorrow. Pretty low-key and sedate for a bachelorette party but it’s better than nothing.
Now that Eli and I are together for real, it was painful leaving his side tonight. I could tell that he didn’t want to be apart from me and neither did Callie.
The little girl has been clinging to me for dear life ever since I moved back in with them. I’ve been giving her all the hugs and kisses and reassurance she needs until she fully believes that I won’t ever disappear on her again.
Anyway, Eli and I put her to bed together this evening. Then, he walked me to the door, covered my face with kisses and made me promise not to do anything too wild and crazy at this ladies-only soiree. I’m counting the minutes until I can creep into our bed and get myself all tied up in my man’s arms again.
We’ve been texting back and forth as I distractedly watch the TV show with my friends. He says he’s getting a bit of work done while he waits for me to get home. Yes—he and Cannon have decided to take another shot at working together at Kingston Realties. Seeing the brothers trying to repair their relationship makes me unreasonably happy.
The duke is prancing his sexy ass around on the television screen when my phone lights up with a new notification. Not another text message from Eli, though. It’s an alert from my Prasanna Yoga Studio app.
I sit ramrod straight on the hard, low couch when my eyes flicker over the message. “Gabby’s teaching a yoga class tonight,” I spit out.
Iris and Penny share a glance before swinging their eyes to me.
Lexi’s head snaps in my direction, her eyes narrowed. “Is she, now?” I know that look in my sister’s gaze. It spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E.
The angel on my shoulder tells me to let it go. But the devil tells me to bring down fire and brimstone on that bitch. She tried to ruin Eli’s life and I promised myself I wouldn’t let her get away with it.
A determined breath surges out of my lungs as I spring up to my feet. “Let’s go, girls!”
I’m riding shotgun in Penny’s SUV while Lexi and Iris stew in the back. I’m not usually an aggressive person but I can feel myself getting more and more amped up with each passing mile.
Alexia’s head pops up between the front console. “So what’s the plan here? Are we going to kick some ass tonight or what?”
Penny gives me a skeptical look from the driver’s seat. “Please don’t do anything crazy,” she implores. “My wedding is tomorrow and I don’t plan on getting married with a black eye. Plus, I’m breastfeeding. My boobs will explode if I have to spend the night in jail.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I promise. “We’re only going to…talk.” I crack my knuckles. Admittedly, that does not add to my credibility.
To be honest, I don’t really trust myself. I’m not sure how far I’ll take things once I’m actually face-to-face with that she-snake, so I send Eli a text message from the parking lot.
Jessa: Walking into yoga class rite now. Gonna have a chit chat with Gabby
He responds immediately.
Eli: For heaven’s sake, Jessa. Frank will deal with G
abby. Tell me you won’t do anything stupid!!!!
Jessa: I can’t make any promises
Yes, Frank will put Gabby behind bars. I have no doubt about that. He’s the best lawyer in the country and he’s confident that he has found enough evidence to clear Eli’s name once and for all.
But independently of the workings of the judicial system, there’s some beef that Eli’s ex and I need to settle. Woman to woman. If my sexy boyfriend thought I was joking when I said I’d bring Gabby to justice, he’s about to see that I play no games when it comes to protecting the people I love. The traitor is going to get what’s coming to her.
The class is already in progress when my friends and I duck past the live-stream cameras and tiptoe into the room with our rented yoga mats. We post ourselves at the very back of the studio and twist into position.
“Ouch!” Penny squeaks when her boob somehow rolls forward and smacks her in the nose.
My friends and I are clumsily reinventing the very definition of the triangle pose when Gabby begins her self-aggrandizing rambling. “I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again—you are not allowed to complain that you don’t have the life you want if you aren’t willing to make sacrifices…” She meanders around the room, checking on her students. “You have to be willing to shake free of the things that are holding you back…You have to choose yourself above all else, at all costs…”
I can’t hold my tongue. “What about your husband?”
Gabby’s footsteps stutter as she searches the room to find me. “You have to be willing to release him, too…If he doesn’t share your goals, your ambitions, your vision for your life, you have to be willing to cut him loose. It’s a matter of self-love.”
“And what about your child?” I continue.
She huff-laughs. “If you don’t mind spending your days cleaning up after some snotty-nosed kid and trying to convince your husband to give you the life you deserve, then by all means, be my guest. But me? I was born for a bigger life. A fulfilled life.”
Mister Bossy (Bad Boys in Love Book 4) Page 29
