by J W Becton
“It means,” Vincent said, “that I’ve done the right thing my whole life, and it’s time to reap my rewards. I could call in a few favors.”
I raised an eyebrow, waiting for more explanation.
“Say the word, and I can get your license. Heck, I could have Ted sent on a mission to Mars.” He grinned and under his breath, he added, “Might do that just to amuse myself.”
I stared at Vincent, my lips parted as if to speak, but no words would form.
Would he call in his markers for me?
And did I want him to?
Did I want to be a PI?
A tide of feeling washed over me. Unable to pin down one emotion before another overtook me, I experienced everything: sorrow, gratitude, relief, rage, joy, and guilt.
But underneath it all, I felt hope for the future. I was not alone. My friends and family had shown their support in the best ways they could. Helena had found me a lawyer who managed to get through to Tricia. Tripp had helped find another way to bring Slidell to justice, and Tricia had saved me from possible criminal charges, at least for the moment. Vincent had tracked down the leak, and now he offered a way to make my PI idea come to fruition and ensure that I could continue the work I recently realized I loved.
Maybe I had screwed up everything I tried, but my mistakes showed me how much Tricia, Tripp, Helena, and Vincent cared. Each was willing to take a huge risk to save me, and that realization made me feel as if I’d gained something priceless.
“There are still a lot of unknowns out there,” I said. “Kay Lanyon and the GBI will continue their pointless investigation, and as long as they’re still digging around, every criminal in town is going to try to have their conviction overturned.”
“We also don’t know who hired Dawe to kill you,” Vincent added.
“You’re not sold on the Slidell possibility, either?” I asked.
He shook his head. “You could still be in danger.”
“That means you’ll be on protection detail,” I said, feeling cheeky.
Vincent briefly looked as if he might jump me right there in the courthouse, but he straightened and said, “Damn right.”
Together, we began walking through the slanting light of the hallway, both of us eager to be out of the crowded corridor.
“But first,” I said, studying his strong profile as I walked, “I might just take you up on your offer.”
He smirked. “To send Ted on a mission to Mars?”
I laughed with my whole heart, my joy spilling out, and Vincent grinned. I didn’t know what exactly would happen next, but it didn’t seem to matter. For the first time in a long while, I knew without a doubt that I was not alone, that I didn’t have to do everything on my own, that my friends and family had my back. No matter what.
Maybe tomorrow, every criminal I’d encountered would get out of jail, Kay Lanyon would try to toss my butt behind bars, and another psycho would try to murder me. But even if the worst happened, I would not be alone.
I smiled as Vincent took my hand in his, and together we walked outside and into a brand new day.
Acknowledgements
I am grateful to everyone who helped with the creation of Moral Hazard by providing information on legal, police, and insurance matters, including Walter Heinsohn, Matt Mathis, Michael Sheehan, and David Stone. Also thank you to my editorial team—Beverle Graves Myers, Kelley Fuller Land, Octavia Becton, Marilyn Whiteley, and Bert Becton. The fact that an engineer is listed among my editorial team should be cause for alarm. As always, all mistakes in this text belong to me, but I will try to foist them off on someone else.
About the Author
J. W. Becton (a pseudo-pseudonym for historical fiction author Jennifer Becton) worked for more than twelve years in the traditional publishing industry as a freelance writer, editor, and proofreader. Upon discovering the possibilities of the expanding ebook market, she created Whiteley Press, LLC, an independent publishing house. Absolute Liability, the first in the six-book Southern Fraud Thriller series, became an Amazon Kindle Best Seller and made the Indie Reader Best Seller list for three nonconsecutive weeks.
Connect with Jennifer Online
Blog: http://www.bectonliterary.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferBectonWriter
Twitter: http://twitter.com/JenniferBecton
Southern Fraud Thriller Series: http://www.jwbecton.com
To be notified when the next book in the Southern Fraud Series is published, join the Southern Fraud Launch List: http://eepurl.com/o-leX
