Rough Ride (Riding with Honor)

by Rebecca Avery

  Pushing open the door she shoved Lilly back into the hallway. “I’ll have this dry cleaned today and see about getting it back to you… again I am so sorry.”

  “It’s ok, I shouldn’t have been walking so fast,” she said, giving Kyle a disgusted look.

  A shocked expression passed across his face and after several moments he said, “I’m sorry…”

  “I should hope so… you were practically dragging me,” she complained.

  Again he looked shocked but after a moment he said, “Come on we’re going to be late now.”

  She followed him down the hall until they were ushered into the judge’s chambers where the judge and Simon sat. Upon seeing her enter they looked at each other. After Kyle offered her one of the chairs facing the judge’s desk she sat down. She needed to sit near the couch so she could get the necklace.

  Picking up a packet of papers the judge handed it to her. It was a new account statement showing her real balance. In an attempt to buy her some time to think, she thumbed through the documents and was startled to find a line showing a withdrawal of thirty million dollars. Continuing to thumb through she found several deposits over the past two years of several million dollars at a time.

  “I don’t understand…” she began.

  “What did you do with the money?” Judge Henry asked angrily.

  “What? I didn’t do anything with the money!” she said looking towards Kyle.

  Kyle gave a confused shrug to the judge. The look of shock she knew was on her face wasn’t forced as she was completely baffled how Detective Sanders had managed to get her account statement doctored to look as though the money had in fact been in the account at one time. The group continued to sit and stare at each other in silence. Knowing she had to do something to get over to the couch to retrieve the necklace, she sat forward and propped her elbows on her knees then leaned forward placing her head in her hands.

  “They are setting me up…they can’t get to Darren obviously, so I’m the next best thing,” she said with just enough volume to ensure they all heard. “Oh God! I feel sick.”

  “Here now…” Kyle said, crouching down next to her and placing his hand on her back.

  “I need to lie down,” she said breathlessly. “Whether the money rightfully belonged to me or not… now that it’s gone I look even guiltier.”

  “Put her on the couch,” Judge Henry said.

  Kyle helped her stand and guided her over to the couch. Before he had a chance to sit next to her she flopped down and then lay down stretching her legs out along the length of the couch taking up as much room as possible. Perfect!

  “Just give me a moment,” she said, putting her hand over her eyes.

  After a few minutes Kyle made his way back to the desk and sat in the chair she’d vacated. “She’s been with me constantly since her arrest…she couldn’t have done it…moved the money,” he said.

  “I will see if the prosecutor can meet first thing next week for an evidence hearing. Perhaps law enforcement has moved the funds elsewhere until the trial,” Judge Henry said glancing between Simon and Kyle.

  As they continued to talk amongst themselves, completely forgetting about her and her drama, she pushed her hand into the couch cushion and felt around until she located the chain of the necklace. Pulling it out she pushed it down into the pocket of her skirt while she continued to lie there listening to them talk. Now if she could just get away from Kyle and safely to Detective Sanders, she’d be on a plane headed home.

  Chapter Twelve

  He needed to get her out…now. Sitting in a van down the street from the courthouse listening to the live audio feed from the necklace, Detective Sanders could tell from the rustling noises and the sudden change in the clarity of the audio that Lilly had the necklace back in her possession. She was blissfully unaware of the plans the judge and Simon had for her. Leaving the necklace behind in the judge’s chambers had been ingenious on her part.

  Though it had started with him wanting to nail Kyle for his part in the scheme, it seemed of those people involved, Kyle was low man on the totem pole. He nearly had a heart attack when the judge had subpoenaed Lilly’s account information. He had to call in another favor from his sister who was a criminal defense lawyer. She represented the president of the financial institution Lilly’s account was through when the scheme had originally came to the attention of the FBI.

  Other than his firm not notifying authorities about the large amounts of money being filtered through the account, the man wasn’t in on the scheme. The only thing he was guilty of was not paying attention and staying on top of his business. He had been too distracted by his twenty year old intern. The man cut a deal to clear himself and his company of any wrong doing in exchange for assisting the bureau in their investigation. His sister had simply reminded him of his obligation to assist with the ongoing investigation and he’d been happy to oblige them.

  With the help of the firm’s president, they’d made it appear as though the funds were actually in the account. Only he and the lead FBI agent on the case knew no such money existed. Surprisingly the judge had pulled some strings to have the ‘money’ moved into another account. Upon over hearing the recorded conversations between Simon and the judge thanks to the necklace, he now had enough evidence and enough names to bring down the remaining players in this game of greed.

  He just needed Lilly out of harm’s way so he could execute the arrest warrants and search warrants that were piling up quickly. Once she testified at trial, he would be glad to hand over whatever money in the fund she was entitled too…she had earned it. Now that Judge Henry had access to the ‘funds,’ he and Attorney Barhorst were looking for a way to either eliminate Lilly or at least make it look like she’d somehow taken the money out of the account. Kyle had been in on past deals but not on this one...he was apparently too close to Lilly to be of any use.

  After that conversation he acquired a warrant to allow him to put a better audio device in the judge’s chambers. Now he needed the original device back since he didn’t have a warrant for it. The device was intended to track Lilly and ensure her safety. He claimed the audio recording of the judge conspiring with Simon on how to best deal with Lilly had been accidentally recorded when she’d left the device in her purse and then went to the restroom.

  After hearing that conversation he’d wanted to yank her out right then but Kyle had stuck with her like an irritating fly. His sister Becca had helped him once again by spilling a drink down the front of Lilly to give him the few minutes he needed to at least speak to her. However, Kyle had remained in the hallway waiting for her and he couldn’t risk pulling her out just yet. Now he had to try again to get her on a plane back to Florida before the warrants were executed. Damn Kyle… the lovesick fool!

  After Lilly and Kyle left the judge’s office he switched off the feed from the necklace and turned up the volume on the bug he did have a warrant for and listened.

  “You invite Kyle out for a meeting around nine this evening and make sure he leaves her at his place. Then send your man in… you notify me first thing in the morning that she’s disappeared and I’ll take care of the rest. It will look as though she took the money and ran,” Judge Henry said.

  Something nagged at the back of his mind about the night they’d been set to take down Lilly’s husband Darren. It was going so smoothly only to have him die in a traffic accident just an hour before the arrest warrant was to be served. Looking back it had felt like too much of a coincidence at the time but he’d had nothing to go on. This time he’d be watching the object of his case with his own two eyes…until she was safely on that plane and out of the state.

  Looking at Agent Brower, who’d practically lived in this van for the past couple of weeks, he said, “You see to it that someone is there a little before nine tonight and as soon as he’s gone… get her out of there.”

  “I’ll take care of it,” the agent said.

  He made his way out of the van and ca
lled the lead FBI agent to fill him in on what was going on. Then he headed to the unmarked car he would be using to track Lilly’s every move for the rest of this day until she was safely in custody. He expected her plane to be leaving the state just as they were rounding up Kyle, Simon and the judge.

  Several hours later he found himself hiding in the foliage that surrounded Kyle’s estate. He watched as the garage door opened and Kyle pulled out in his sports car and headed down the street. He was alone but it was too early, it was only seven thirty.

  He debated calling the lead agent on the case and telling him that he would go ahead and get her out when he saw Agent Brower approaching the house from a car parked along the street. The agent was in plain clothes and approached cautiously. Apparently the bureau had put a tail on Lilly as well. This time there would be no ‘accidents.’

  He observed Agent Brower approach the front door and knock. Out of the corner of his eye he watched in surprise as Lilly bolted from the back of the house into the woods. Instinct had him chasing Lilly through the woods before realizing what was happening and without having requested help from Agent Brower. They ran until looking back in fear she noticed him and stopped running. At least they were closer to his car which he’d parked a couple of streets away from Kyle’s house. After starting it up and heading downtown he called the lead FBI agent.

  “It’s Detective Sanders… I got our witness and I’m headed to the safe house with her now. You need to let Agent Brower know so he can clear out before Kyle returns,” he said.

  The lead agent seemed a little confused but finally agreed to call his guys in now that Lilly was safely in custody and on her way to the safe house. Greg breathed a sigh of relief for the first time since this whole thing started. He would stay at the safe house with her tonight and would deliver her safely to the airport in the morning while the FBI was moving in on Kyle, Simon and the judge.

  As much as he wanted in on the bust, he owed it to Lilly to ensure that she was safe. She was one smart woman and no longer as naïve as she’d been when he’d delivered the news that her husband was dead and all their assets had been frozen. Most women would have wanted to claw his eyes out for ending their high class lifestyle and marking them as a social pariah. Instead she’d not only done what he asked but had gone above and beyond. He had brought her lifestyle…her whole world…down around her while she’d very likely helped him get the raise and promotion he was being considered for.

  Glancing over at her he noticed she seemed a million miles away. “You ok?” he asked.

  “Yea, just glad to be done with this…and ready to go home,” she sighed.

  The following morning Detective Sanders entered the only bedroom in the small house. She could hear some of the other agents talking in another part of the house as she prepared herself for her flight. One of the female agents had offered her a pair of her jeans for the flight citing it would be more comfortable than the skirt she wore, but somehow she couldn’t do it. Not because she’d be frowned at for her choice of attire but rather because it brought back memories of his heated stare when he’d taken her shopping. God she missed him!

  “I bet you’re glad to be blowing this Popsicle stand huh?” he asked.

  She smiled at him. As good as it felt to be one step closer in putting this whole chapter in her life behind her…she had another chapter she had to deal with when she got back to Florida. She would eventually run into him…it was only a matter of time. She could only hope it wouldn’t be with his muscular arms wrapped around another woman. How would she handle that? Could she handle that?

  “Well we should go so we can get you on that flight before all hell breaks loose,” he said.

  As they drove to the airport she couldn’t contain her nerves and, God help her, the excitement in the pit of her stomach at the thought of possibly seeing Bobby again. She should be preparing herself for the inevitable heartache she would experience when she found out he was with someone new. Somehow she couldn’t seem to shake the exhilaration and heat that the mere thought of him seemed to invoke in her.

  After getting her through security and to the boarding gate she turned to say goodbye to Detective Sanders and her past.

  “Will you let me know when you think the trial will be?” she asked.

  “Of course…you’re my star witness,” he grinned.

  Upon hearing the call for boarding she said, “I should go…”

  “Lilly, I can’t begin to thank you enough for what you did. Not many people would put their ass on the line to right a wrong they hadn’t even committed,” he said.

  “It’s no problem…I’ll send you the bill,” she said with a laugh. Then remembering the items in her storage unit she said, “I do have a favor to ask though.”

  “If it’s within my abilities…it’s yours,” he replied.

  “I moved all my things from the old house into a storage unit,” she began, digging in her purse for a pen and paper to write down the information including the lock combination. “After this thing is over, I’d like you to auction all the items in that storage unit and give the proceeds to the victims or charity…whichever.”

  He stared at her for several minutes before accepting the paper she held out to him. Turning away from him, she walked to the boarding gate and looked back at him one last time.

  “Bye Lilly and thanks again,” he said with a wave.

  Bobby was in a shit mood and he knew why. He couldn’t stand to be at the shop because every time he entered the office he would picture Lilly behind the desk…or on the desk. He hated being on the bike because it only reinforced that she would never again press herself up against his back and squeal when he went fast.

  Gran had made the mistake of buying strawberries at the store and upon opening the refrigerator door and seeing them he had cursed and stormed out of the house.

  He couldn’t stand this another minute and though he’d swore he wouldn’t ask Sherri about her yet again, he found himself parking his bike in Sherri’s driveway and heading to her front door.

  Sherri had already told him that she asked Lilly to call him a couple of times. Even though he’d told himself he would wait until she did call and not pressure her, it was surely going to kill him.

  More than two weeks had passed since he’d watched her press her face into another man’s chest and the jealousy and pain of that image was eating him alive. Nighttime was even worse. His dreams were filled with her laugh, her smell, the way she blushed when he told her how much he wanted her. He could control the erotic images of her his mind produced during the day, but at night they seemed to control him.

  Everything seemed to be a reminder of her and he wanted to scream out his frustration over the situation. He wanted to go back to New York and apologize to her heart, body, and soul and beg her to give him another chance. He couldn’t give her the lifestyle that Kyle could, but she’d never given him the impression that money or material things meant that much to her. Was she only with Kyle because he’d hurt her? If she was hurting, why wouldn’t she call him… let him explain?

  “Hey Bobby,” Sherri said as he entered the kitchen.

  It was late and a few people were sitting around the table playing cards and having a few drinks. Sherri passed the cards she’d been dealt to a guy who was leaned back in his chair and grabbing Bobby’s arm she led him into the living room.

  “You look like shit Bobby,” she said.

  “Have you heard from her?” he asked.

  Sighing loudly, Sherri pulled him down to sit on the couch next to her.

  “When she and Darren married, he made no beans about the fact that he didn’t like me much and didn’t approve of how I choose to live my life. A few short years into their marriage I began to only hear from Lilly on holidays or special occasions, like birthdays and what not,” Sherri said. “I thought after he died and she agreed to come down here and stay with me for a while that I had the old Lilly back. I’ve heard from her twice in the past two we
eks and each time it was a very short conversation, like she had too much going on… or like Kyle didn’t approve. It’s like deja' vu, you know?”

  “So you think she’s not coming back? Is that what you’re saying?” he said as his heart seemed to die a little more.

  “I don’t know but I hate to see you like this. I’ll admit that at one point in time I had wished someone would come along and give you a dose of your own medicine, but somehow I’m just not enjoying it like I thought I would,” Sherri said. “Why don’t you hang out for a bit, try to have a little fun?”

  “Thanks, but I’m not really in the mood to socialize,” He said. Remembering that Sherri had been by the shop to see about getting her car repaired he asked, “Is your car in the garage?”

  “Yea…why?” she asked.

  “I might go take a look at it while I’m here… just not ready to go home yet,” he answered.

  “Sure, there are some tools out there that TJ left when he took off. Help yourself. You want a beer or a Beam and Coke to take with you?” she asked.

  The thought of Lilly’s tolerance for the strong liquor and what that had led to nearly brought tears to his eyes. Unable to respond to Sherri for fear of breaking he stood up and headed out to her garage without saying a word. He turned on the light and opened the garage door to let in the evening breeze…it was going to rain. He opened the hood of Sherri’s car trying desperately to ignore the little sports car sitting next to it.

  Damn it! He was sick of this… when would the hurting stop and the anger kick in? He could deal with anger. This was torture…torture he probably deserved but still. He needed to see her just once so he could tell her that he finally understood what it meant to have loved and lost. The pain in his chest was unbearable.

  He’d only slept with her once but it had been different with her than with any other woman. The way she had felt…her whimpers as he’d loved her body. She had brought out a side of him he was unable to control and he had unleashed it on her that night and she had accepted it…and been pleasured by it. To think that for once in his life it hadn’t been just another piece of ass to him…it had been unbelievably passionate.