by L. Wilder
The wounds were still too fresh, making it impossible for me to respond as I hugged him back. They walked out into the hall, and I could feel the tears burning my eyes as they stepped into the elevator. When the doors closed behind them, I went back into my apartment and looked out the window, watching as they got in their car and drove off. I was still standing by the window when I said, “I talked to my dad.”
“How did that go?”
“About as well as could be expected.” I turned towards him as I said, “He tried to deny it, but I wouldn’t listen to his excuses. I told him he had three days to talk to Mom, or I was going to tell her everything.”
“You think he’ll tell her?”
“I hope so. It would be much better for her to hear it from him, but either way, she’s going to have her heart broken.”
“Maybe, but she’ll get through it.” He came over and wrapped his arms around me. “She’s strong, just like her daughter.”
As usual, he said exactly what I needed to hear. I looked up at him and my heart swelled in my chest. I loved him more than I ever dreamed possible. He made me feel complete, like I’d found a piece of myself that I didn’t even know was missing. He was the only man I had ever met who could touch my heart and ignite every nerve in my body with desire at the same time. “I love you, Jasper.”
“I love you, too, Madison Brooks,” he murmured against my ear, making me melt into him as he held me in his strong arms.
He slid his hand up my back to the nape of my neck, twisting his fingers in my hair and giving it a firm tug. I gasped as my head tilted back, exposing my neck to his greedy mouth. He pressed his lips against my throat, sending a jolt of need soaring through me. As his soft lips grazed over my collarbone, I felt a wet heat between my legs. His other hand moved down to cup my ass as he pulled me closer, grinding his growing erection against my body. It was all I could do to break contact and take a step back.
Over the past week, we’d started making plans for the future, and while nothing had been set in stone, we both knew we wanted to be together. We had some hurdles to overcome, but I’d never been more certain that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Jasper. I gave him my most enticing grin, biting my lip in mock innocence as I asked, “Are you sure you can put up with me for the next forty to fifty years?”
“No doubt in my mind,” he answered with his gaze traveling hungrily up and down my body.
Taking another step back, I teased him with a sexy smirk, then said, “Why don’t you show me how sure you are?”
Without missing a beat, he swept me up into his arms and carried me over to the sofa away from the window. I had been worried sick over his bullet wound, especially since he refused to see a doctor, but thankfully, his father was able to stitch him up and had a friend call in a round of meds to prevent infection. It had done the trick, and Jasper was clearly doing fine, easing any concerns I might’ve had. He brought his warm, rough hands up to my face and dipped his head down to press his lips to mine. His touch was tender yet demanding as he swept his tongue across my bottom lip, teasing, urging me to open for him. Happily, I obliged, letting him probe deeper and longer, making me ache with anticipation of his every move. As he seduced me with his passionate kisses, his hands slid to the hem of my t-shirt. He quickly pulled it over my head before removing my lace bra and tossing them both to the floor. As he looked down appraisingly at my naked torso, an admiring grin spread across his face, making any and all of my uncertainties vanish away. I lifted up onto my tiptoes to meet his lips with my own and wrapped my arms around his neck to pull him closer.
“Fuck, baby, you don’t know what you do to me,” he breathed as he pulled back momentarily for air. I glanced down at the undeniable bulge struggling against his jeans.
“Oh, I think I’ve got a pretty good idea,” I whispered as my eager hands worked their way under his shirt to caress his firm muscles. His skin was so incredibly soft, yet it radiated with heat—heat that I needed against me ... inside me. He leaned down so I could I lift his shirt over his head, and I tossed it to the side. My breath caught in my chest as I took in the view. My God, he’s sexy. And he’s all mine.
Suddenly, he grabbed my hips and pulled me hard against him. His eyes burned into mine with an intensity that made me weak in the knees. Without breaking eye contact, his thumbs hooked into the waistband of my white lace panties and sweatpants, and he began to inch them down my thighs. I struggled with all of my willpower to stay still and let him have his way with me. My heart pounded in my chest as he lowered to his knees before me. Stepping out of my clothes, I looked down at him, silently pleading with my eyes for him to keep going. His eyes darkened as his fingertips began to trail up my thighs and his gaze turned toward his prey. I watched with fascination as his head bent forward, taking my clit in his mouth as his fingertips explored further between my thighs.
“Oh, God …” I moaned in ecstasy as he started to build an intoxicating rhythm, sucking and swirling his tongue against me until my knees began to buckle. My fingers dove into his hair, clinging to him, pulling him closer. His hands slipped around to grab my ass as he buried his head between my thighs, continuing his tortuous rhythm, while he slid two thick fingers inside of me. I was slick and ready for his touch, my back arching with pleasure. He crooked his fingers slightly inside me, rubbing my g-spot firmly. My eyes squeezed shut as he pressed and kneaded it over and over, driving me closer to my release. I grasped at the arm of the sofa, searching futilely for anything to hold on to, to steady myself. The combination of his tongue rolling against my clit and his fingertips stroking me deep inside sent waves of pleasure crashing through me. I panted, unable to catch my breath, as he took me higher and higher. The intensity of my orgasm brought tears to my eyes, and I screamed out in bliss.
“Jasper! Yes! God, yes!” My words tumbled out in a haze of euphoria as the jolts of my climax wracked my body. I lay there, breathless, my heart feeling like it would beat out of my chest. After several moments, the fog in my head lifted. I swallowed, my throat dry from my screams, as my eyes came to focus on Jasper. His heated gaze was fixed on me, a satisfied smirk planted on his beautiful lips, but I could see in his eyes that he was nowhere near done with me. As he began to unbuckle his belt, I lay there with rapt attention, my body springing back to life. For the next three hours, he shattered me again and again until we both were completely spent, and he had shown me just exactly how sure he was about spending his life with me.
19
Jasper
Devin had tried calling me more times than I could count, but I’d kept putting him off. After learning that the code had nothing to do with the contract on Madison, I didn’t see the point in pursuing it, but after listening to the excitement in his voice from his last message, I was intrigued and decided it was time to call him back. When he answered, I had a hard time understanding as he started rambling, “I’ve been trying to reach you for days, man. You’re not gonna believe what I found out. We’ve gotta move on this now.”
“Slow down, Devin. I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about.”
“The code! I figured it out.”
“Okay. Why don’t we start there?” I told him calmly. “What did you find out?”
“That guy, Bill Clement … the one who owned that painting?”
“Yeah?”
“Well, he was loaded. He made a fortune producing cassette players in the ’70s, but the guy was kind of a quack. He had a thing about banks … never even had a fucking checking account.”
“What does that have to do with the code?”
“I’m getting to that,” he fussed. “Okay … so like I was telling you, this guy was a quack. Everyone knew he had money coming out of his fucking ears, but he rarely ever spent a dime. When he died, no one could find where he’d stashed his dough. I’m thinking this code might be the location of his fortune and possibly the combination to his safe or something.”
“What makes you think that?”
“It’s just a gut feeling, man.” At first, I wasn’t buying his theory, but the more he talked, the more I started to think he was right. “The first section of the code ended up being latitude-longitude coordinates, and when I plugged them into the map, it was somewhere on his property.”
“That’s all well and good, but it’s not like we can just show up on this guy’s land and start poking around, Devin.”
“No, but we can go see Blake Harrison. He’s the lawyer who was handling Clement’s estate. Maybe he can help us figure this shit out.”
“You seriously think this lawyer guy is gonna tell us anything?”
“Maybe. Maybe not. But come on! It’s gotta be worth a shot.”
Driven by pure curiosity, I answered, “Okay. Where is this lawyer, and how soon can you get here?”
“Liberty, New York. I’ll check the flights now, and text you with the information.”
“Sounds good. I’ll see you soon.”
The next morning, I found myself sitting in Harrison’s office with Devin and Madison. To our surprise, he pushed back all of his other appointments when he heard that we were there to discuss Bill Clement. He sat back at his desk and listened as we told him the code we’d found in one of Clement’s paintings, along with Devin’s theory of it being the location of the family’s fortune. After we’d told him everything we knew, Harrison leaned back in his chair and shook his head. “That crazy SOB. I should’ve known he’d pull something incredible like this.”
“Do you think Devin is right about this code?” Madison asked.
“I can’t say for sure, but there’s a strong possibility.” He reached into his file and pulled out a handwritten card. “Bill had me draw up a will for him years ago, but he kept it, along with my copy. He wrote this letter, and on the day he died, it was the only thing I had to give to his family.”
He slid it over to me, and I was surprised to see that it was a riddle.
I’m normally rooted in the deep south, shading the porches where mint juleps are served. My large, showy petals rest proudly at the end of my long, cascading branches. Beneath me, you will find great wealth and opportunities for a prosperous future.
“Bill always had a thing for games. We all knew he was talking about a Magnolia tree … It was his favorite tree. He always used it for his company’s trademark. Jameson, Clement’s oldest son, spent an entire year digging up every Magnolia in his father’s backyard, but never found anything. None of us ever thought to look inside his artwork.”
Madison leaned forward as she turned to Hamilton and said, “The painting was purchased by the Endless Arts gallery several years ago.”
“I remember that. Jameson sold several of his father’s pieces of art and furniture before taking ownership of the home. I assure you, he would’ve never sold it if he had known that the answer to his father’s riddle was hidden inside that frame.”
“I’m sure he wouldn’t,” I scoffed. “Hell, there’s no telling what they’ll find in that safe.”
“There’s only one way to find out,” Devin replied sounding hopeful.
“You’re right. I’ll put a call into the family and see how they want to proceed.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
When we stood to leave, Harrison looked over to me and said, “The family has been hoping for answers for years, and now they have them. For that, I’m sure that they will be very grateful.”
“I’m glad we were able to help.”
“Can I get your number in case they want to reach out to you?”
“Sure.” Madison took a piece of paper and quickly wrote down her cellphone number. “You can call any time.”
“I will. And thank you for coming to me with this.”
After saying our goodbyes, we left his office and headed across town to grab some lunch. Once we’d gotten seated at a local café, Devin looked over to Madison and asked, “How does it feel knowing you found some old guy’s lost treasure?”
“We don’t even know what it is for sure, but regardless, you’re the one who found it. I just got lucky when I stumbled across that paper.”
“So, you work at the Endless Arts gallery?”
“I did,” she sighed. “But I’m pretty sure I’m done working for them. I learned a lot and made some good friends there, but I think it’s time for me to move on.”
“Any idea what you’re going to do now?”
“Not yet.” She glanced over to me as she said, “I have some options though. Before I do anything, I need to get in touch with Jessie.”
Having no idea who she was talking about, I asked, “Jessie?”
“She’s a good friend of mine. We worked together at the gallery. She’s going to be furious with me for not calling to let her know I’m okay.”
Sounding hopeful, Devin leaned over to Madison and asked, “Is she single?”
“I don’t think she’s your type.” Madison giggled.
“If she’s breathing, then she’s my type. Trust me. I’m not picky.”
Seeing that Madison didn’t realize she was headed down the rabbit hole, I looked over to Devin and said, “I’ve got something you could do for me.”
“Anything you need. You know that.”
Over the past few weeks, I’d been trying to decide what line of work I might like to get into. The minute I met Madison, I knew I could no longer be a hitman. That part of my life was over, and it was time to move on. While I had plenty of money saved up, I had to find a new occupation, one that I could be proud of and didn’t involve killing off people. There had to be another way I could use the skills I’d learned, but before I could do anything, I had to make sure that my past had been wiped clear—especially my ties with Charlie. “I need you to do that thing you do to erase any and all connections I might have to a man named Charlie Williams.”
“What’s the big deal with this Charlie guy?”
“That’s not important,” I cut him off. “Can you do the job or not?”
“Absolutely. I just need all of the contact information you have on this guy, and you can consider him erased.”
“Great. That’s what I wanted to hear.”
After we finished eating, the three of us hopped in the rental car we had picked up from the airport in Liberty and drove to Manhattan. Two hours later, we were relaxing back at Madison’s place, and she went into her bedroom to call Jessie while I grabbed a beer for Devin and myself. We sat down at the kitchen counter and discussed the possibility of opening up a security firm together. It was something I’d been interested in doing for years, but never had the motivation to get it started. “I guess it’ll all depend on where Madison and I end up. I’m not sure she’d be up for moving to Memphis, and with the history I have there, I’m not sure it’s the best option. It isn’t exactly the safest place.”
“No, but if you’re wanting to start up a security firm, why not open up one where it’s really needed?”
Before I could respond, Madison came into the kitchen with a surprised look on her face. “Mr. Harrison just called.”
“And?”
“You’re not going to believe this!”
“Believe what?” Devin pushed. “Come on, woman. Tell us what the man said!”
“It turns out that you were right about everything. The location led them to an old underground tornado shelter that Clement had converted into an enormous safe. He put every dime he owned in there … Bars of gold. Diamonds. Famous pieces of art. You name it. From what they can tell, there’s over twenty million locked away in that vault.”
“Holy shit!”
“And get this … they are giving us a ten percent finder’s fee.” With an excited smile, she announced, “Boys … we’re officially loaded!”
Epilogue
Jasper
Six months later
For years I was told I needed to let go of my past, that I needed to forgive myself. To me, those were easy words to say but damn near impossible to do. The hurt and ang
er I felt was all-consuming. I thought if I let it go, there wouldn’t be anything left of me, so I held on to it, let it overshadow everything else. But then Madison came into my life, and for the first time I had a reason to let go. I might’ve saved her life when I brought her to my cabin, but she’d done the very same for me. I had my second chance, and I was going to take it.
When we received our payout from Clement’s lawyer, Madison and I decided to use it to buy us a place in Memphis close to Midtown— a safer area that was just a few blocks away from her new gallery and my new office. Everything was falling into place. There was just one hiccup—moving sucked. We’d hired a moving crew to haul Madison’s things from her apartment in New York, but we decided to pack up the cabin on our own. I never knew how much shit I had until we started boxing it up. Hell, I’d already packed up half a truck load, and I’d barely put a dent in it. It didn’t help matters that Nanook was constantly running underfoot and Madison was wearing a pair of short shorts with a low-cut tank top, making it damn near impossible to keep my mind focused on the task at hand.
I was boxing up the last of my dishes when she came sashaying across the kitchen. “You’re gonna need to stop that.”
“Stop what?”
“Looking so damn good.”
“Umm… have you been sniffing the bleach or something,” she scoffed. “’Cause I look like a hot mess.”
“No, you look incredible as always, and seeing you in those damn shorts is giving me a hard-on.”
“Is that right?” A sexy smirk crossed her face as she sauntered over to me. “You know … I could help you out with that.”
Before I could respond, Levi came barreling through the front door with another load of boxes. “Where do you want me to put these?”
“Just put them on the coffee table.”
“Sure thing, chicken wing.” After he dropped them on the table, he turned to me and asked, “I made some more room in the truck. Do you want us to start loading some of this furniture?”
