An Act of Redemption: Order & Chaos Book 3

by Wolfe, Samantha

  I gave him a soft smile as tears pricked my eyes. I loved my big brother so much. I nodded. "It's a deal."

  He nodded, then that evil genius smile of his popped out again. "Alright. Suck it up, buttercup. It's show time."

  We continued down the sidewalk toward Tara Clayton's house. We were in a postwar neighborhood filled with cute little cottages and Cape Cod-style homes. For its age, the area was charming and well-maintained with manicured lawns and nice landscaping. It looked like a place I wouldn't mind living. Andy stopped in front of a tiny yet adorable red-brick Cape Cod that was flanked by tall gorgeous oak trees with a lush lawn and perfect landscaping.

  "This is it," he announced then strode resolutely up the narrow sidewalk that led to the front door. I followed slowly as I tamped down the little voice of reason in my head that warned me this might be a bad idea. This was for Ford, and that was all that mattered.

  We went up the five steps to the door and Andy rang the bell. The front door was wide open, and I peered through the screen door to see a small calico cat staring up at me with large curious green eyes.

  "I'm coming," a female voice called out from inside. A moment later, a gorgeous woman appeared. I don't know what I'd expected. It's not like I thought Ford would've been with someone ugly, but she was breathtaking, even in her T-shirt and yoga pants. She was tall and perfectly proportioned, with curvy hips and perfect breasts. Her hair was a rich milk chocolate, and her eyes a stunning dark espresso framed by flawlessly waxed eyebrows. I suddenly felt insecure with my lush curves and petite frame.

  She frowned as she took in my brother and me, her eyes flashing with equal parts anger and fear. "If you're from collections, you can go to hell. I was given an extension until the end of the month."

  My God, even her voice risen in anger was perfect, a heady blend of alto and husky sensuality. Fuck, no wonder Ford was with her. Jealousy started creeping up on me. It was ugly, and I didn't like it. I stood there in stunned insensibility. Oh yes, this was a really bad idea.

  "I'm working on getting another job," she continued in a more desperate tone. "And then I can get caught up on the house payments."

  Andy's sharp eyes narrowed in thought for a moment. "That's not why we're here," he replied with a smile. "My wife and I were driving through the area, and she really fell in love with the neighborhood and particularly your house." He put an arm around my shoulders and pulled me close. "We're looking for a place to start a family, and our apartment is much too small."

  "Yeah," I agreed as I plastered a smile on my face that I hoped looked genuine.

  "We were wondering if you'd ever consider selling it?" Andy asked curiously. "We'd be willing to pay top dollar, if you're under some sort of financial burden."

  Tara immediately puffed up indignantly. "This house was my great-grandfathers," she said angrily. "I will never sell it, and you'll have to drag my dead body out to take it away from me. You tell whoever put you up to this that they can go to hell with the bullshit balloon loan I was fucking talked into getting." She stepped back and slammed the thick wooden door in our faces so hard that it shook the door frame.

  Andy turned to give me a raised brow and triumphant expression. "Well, now," he said in a satisfied tone. "That was easier than I thought."

  "What are you talking about?" I asked in him as I shook my head in confusion. "She slammed the door in our faces. We didn't get to ask her a damn thing."

  "Aren't you curious who owns the company she has a loan through?" he asked meaningfully. "It sounds suspiciously like a predatory loan to me. It sounds like something that would be right up the alley of some English prick we know who likes to blackmail people. What better thing to hold over someone's head than the house they're emotionally invested in?" He tapped his head. "It makes me curious to find out if Bennett has his filthy hands into mortgage lending."

  "Holy fuck," I blurted out in realization. Dread suddenly hit me. "We need to tell Gareth, but...but he's going to be livid with me for doing this." I looked up at my brother with a grimace of fear.

  "Don't you mean us?" Andy said as he put a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Besides, he should be fucking grateful. We pulled off what his investigator didn't without even trying. He should be thanking us."

  I nodded, but I was still afraid. Andy hadn't really seen Gareth's angry side. He was intimidating as hell when he was pissed, and I suspected I'd only witnessed a small portion of it.

  "Hey," Andy said reassuringly. "We'll tell him together, and if he gets pissed, I'll tell him to fuck the hell off. I'm not afraid of him, and I've got your back. Remember?"

  I nodded vigorously, trying like hell to feel better about this situation since I wasn't in it alone.

  "Come on," he started leading back to the car with an arm around me. "We're not done yet. We've got more investigating to do, and a good man to save."

  "Okay," I agreed. That was what finally settled the maelstrom in my head. This was for Ford, a man I'd do anything for and risk anything for because I loved him. That alone was worth Gareth's ire, or anything else I had to face to see this through and save Ford from this nightmare.

  **********

  "I hope she's home," I told Andy as he pulled into the entrance of the townhouse apartments where Sarina Wilkinson lived.

  Andy glanced at the clock. It was just after three-thirty. "She's a teacher, right?"

  I nodded.

  "Well, school should be out by now, so she outta be." We started driving through the complex. "What was the apartment number again?"

  I glanced at the image on his phone. "Twelve."

  "There it is," he announced as he nodded to our left. The lot was fairly full, so he parked five or six spaced away from Sarina's door.

  I was eying the front of her colonial-style townhouse and reaching for the door handle, when her front door suddenly opened. A familiar man was exiting her apartment. "Holy fuck!" I blurted out and slid down my seat until I was out of sight.

  "What?" Andy asked in worried confusion.

  "That man," I whispered frantically. "That's Detective Warren."

  "The dirty cop?" Andy asked as he narrowed his eyes out the windshield.

  "Yeah," I whispered again.

  "If that's Sarina, she looks freaked the fuck out right now," he said as he continued watching them thoughtfully.

  "Do you think he's here to threaten her?" I asked as I popped my head up a little to peek out the window.

  Warren was standing on the sidewalk just outside townhouse number twelve. A petite blond woman was standing in the doorway speaking to him. He looked calm and collected, but even from this distance, there was no mistaking Sarina's tense demeanor. She stood stick straight and wringing her hands together in the open doorway.

  "If he is, it's working," Andy said quietly.

  Suddenly, Detective Warren glanced our way. I immediately ducked back down. "He didn't see me, did he?" I asked frantically.

  Andy shook his head. "He's taking off now." My brother picked up his phone and stared down at it intently. "He's coming this way. Stay down." He scrolled around on his screen for a moment looking completely natural. "He's walking past the car," he mumbled softly out of the corner of his mouth. A few tense moments passed as I stayed huddled down in fear. Eventually, Andy lowered his phone and glanced in the car's side mirror. "He's gone. It's all clear."

  I sighed in relief as I sat back up on the passenger seat. "Maybe we should follow him."

  "You want us to follow a dirty cop who's a detective?" Andy asked incredulously.

  "Why not?" I asked. "Maybe he'd lead us to Carter."

  "I don't think so," he answered with a frown. "I'm good, but not that good. He'd be on to us tailing him in a heartbeat. What if he realizes we're on to him? It's not worth risking your safety."

  "Oh," I replied. "I guess you have a point."

  "Come on," he tapped my shoulder. "Let's go see what we can learn from this little visit." He climbed out of the car, and I reluctantly followed
suit, glancing around in paranoia to make sure Warren was really gone as I walked down the sidewalk. Shit would hit the fan if the detective saw me here. Gareth was already going to be angry enough without that happening.

  "What's the story this time?" I asked him as we walked toward the door of townhouse number twelve.

  "You'll see," he answered vaguely as smirked at me. "Just play along."

  Andy walked confidently right up to the door and rang the bell. I stood next to him trying not to fidget nervously. Holy shit, I was glad my brother was here. A moment later, Sarina Wilkinson opened her door with curious yet fearful eyes. She was wholesomely beautiful with a slender petite frame, long dark blond hair, and vivid blue eyes. Ford's taste in women was impeccable. Once again, I felt inadequate, and I cursed myself for it. Ford had only ever loved me, and always told me that I was gorgeous. This insecurity was all my own personal hang-up, and it annoyed the shit out of me.

  "Hi," Andy announced with a warm genuine smile. "I was wondering if you had a moment to speak with us. We represent the Prevent Violence Against Woman Coalition."

  Sarina looked startled, and I swear I saw guilt and shame in her eyes. I had to refrain from staring over at my brother like an imbecile. Where did he come up with this shit? An evil genius indeed.

  "We've been going around the area asking women if they feel safe where they live. Do you feel the security measures here are adequate to ensure your safety?"

  "I...I...uh-" Sarina looked back and forth between Andy and me with a slightly panicked expression.

  Andy continued. "Statistics show that violence against women, and particularly rape, is on the rise. Many women know someone who's been raped or have been victims themselves. Probably more than you even realize since most women never talk about it and keep it to themselves. Of course, the actual numbers could be skewed by the many false accusations that occur. It's sad that some women use something so heinous for their own personal or financial gain."

  Terror lit up Sarina's eyes as she took a step back into her apartment. "I...I...I'm sorry, but I have an appointment, and...and I need you to leave." She started closing her door.

  I couldn't let this end now. I needed to get something out of this visit. "Sarina," I blurted out her name in desperation. Maybe the truth would get through to her since she seemed so freaked out by my brother's words.

  Her eyes widened and focused on me in panic. "How...how do you know my name?" she whispered as her eyes began darting around the area.

  "I'm Ford's girlfriend," I confessed. Her mouth dropped open in shock as she stilled. "Please, you're ruining a good man's life. You have to know that." Tears welled up in my desperation.

  Now the guilt and shame were loud and clear on her face. Wow, what was being held over her head to get her to do something that she clearly felt such extreme remorse over?

  "If you ever cared about him at all, you'll do what's right," I pleaded. "You can stop this before he loses everything."

  "I'm sorry. I...I don't have a choice," she whispered sadly as she stared at the ground. "Please. Just...just go." She shoved the door closed without another word, and I heard the lock click.

  I surged forward, intent on pounding on the door until she opened it again. Andy grabbed my arm to stop me.

  "Jenny, stop," he said firmly. I turned to glare at him, but he continued unperturbed. "It's not going to do any good. She's clearly terrified, and she's as much of a victim as you and Ford."

  I tried to jerk away from his grip as I began to sob. "But she has to stop this before it's too late."

  "Harassing her and beating on her door isn't going to help, and it'll freak her out even more." He pulled me into a hug. "We need to go about this the right way."

  "How?" I asked as tears flooded from my eyes.

  He stepped back and held out his hand. "Give me your phone."

  "Okay," I agreed. I dug in my bag for my phone and handed it to him. I was desperate and trusted Andy to know what to do since I was a mess.

  He took it, scrolled through my contacts, found Gareth's number, and called it without hesitation. He started walking back to the car, and I followed closely.

  "No, this is Andy Purcell," he said after Gareth answered. "Jenny and I need to speak to you right away." There was a pause. "It's very important, and it can't wait." He eyed me over the top of the old Corolla. "We'd prefer to discuss it in person," he said after another pause. "Text me the address, and we'll be there shortly." Andy ended the call, and frowned down at my phone. "Damn that man is intense." He was still frowning as we climbed into the car. "And he hung up on me."

  "Don't take in personally," I said. "I'm pretty sure he does that to everyone." I put on my seatbelt. "Where are we going?"

  "Gareth's penthouse," he replied as he backed out of our parking space.

  "Oh," I answered in trepidation, not sure if it was a good or a bad thing to tell him what we'd done on his home turf. I guess I'd find out soon enough.

  **********

  Twenty minutes later, Andy was parking along the street in front of a tall apartment building that I couldn't ever imagine being able to afford, let alone live in the penthouse. The outside of the obviously historic building was beautifully maintained with arching windows and elegant architecture. When we walked into the building through its massive revolving door, it was even more intimidating with its white marble floors and barrel ceiling featuring gorgeous mosaic tiles and eye catching chandeliers.

  We walked further into the lobby past a sitting area that was a perfect combination of modern and traditional with clean lines and comfortable looking sofas. We approached the security desk at the far end of the room. It was manned by an impeccably dressed man in a dark suit. He was tall and muscular with the air of someone who could handle himself in a fight. This place just kept getting more intimidating.

  "May I help you?" he asked in a low polite voice that echoed through the space.

  "Yeah," Andy said as both of us gawked around the room in awe. Neither of us had ever set foot in a place like this. "I'm Andy Purcell, and this is my sister, Jenny Purcell. We're here to see Gareth Caxton."

  "Of course, Mr. Caxton is expecting you," he answered immediately. "May I see some identification, please?"

  We both pulled out our IDs and handed them to the guy. He nodded in satisfaction then handed them back. "Mr. Caxton's private elevator is the last one on the right through there." He pointed to a nearby set of doors.

  "Thanks," my brother said with a smile, and we turned to head that way. We were buzzed through the doors, and Andy elbowed me as we walked over to the bank of elevators. "A private elevator?" He shook his head in amazement. "Where the hell are we?"

  "In another world," I replied as I hit the up button on the wall. I couldn't help wondering what it would be like if Ford had embraced his wealth this way. I didn't think that we would be together. It was his down to earth and easygoing demeanor that I'd been attracted to. His money wasn't important to me, and I'd never been that impressed by overt displays of wealth.

  The elevator opened a moment later, and we stepped inside. There were only three buttons to choose from, one labeled penthouse, one said lobby, and the last said garage on it. I pressed the penthouse button, and we zipped upwards. A moment later, the elevator doors slid open to reveal a small simply decorated foyer with a door directly ahead of us. We stepped out and approached it. I noticed a key pad on the wall by the door. The security here was insane. Andy rang the doorbell, and I jumped as it immediately triggered the barking of what sounded like a very large and very scary dog. Within seconds, the door opened to reveal a smiling dark-haired middle-aged woman. The barking continued, and annoyance crossed her kind features.

  "Be quiet," the woman said sternly as she glanced behind herself. The barking abruptly ceased. She turned back to us and smiled again. "Hi," she beamed, her dark eyes warm and friendly. "Come on in." She opened the door the rest of the way and waved us in.

  We entered a large open floor
plan room. There was a high end kitchen with gray granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances to our left. To our right was a sitting area with a warm beige leather sectional sofa and two club chairs, and to the far right, was a large dining table. The decor was traditional with a masculine flare that somehow managed to be warm and welcoming in shades beige, along with a few pops of gray and dark orange thrown here and there. The wood flooring was a beautiful pale oak, and that, along with the ivory walls, made the space seem airy and bright. I guess I expected Gareth to live in some cold modern place filled with dark burnished steel and hard clean lines. This was unexpected. A lot of things about Gareth Caxton were, and I guess I shouldn't have been surprised.

  "I'm Jane, Gareth's housekeeper." She moved toward the kitchen, but we didn't follow when we noticed a massive black German Shepherd standing next to the kitchen island. He was looking at us suspiciously with intense amber eyes, and had to weigh over a hundred pounds at least. A low terrifying growl bubbled up from the dog's chest, setting my heart racing. I stepped closer to my brother, who I could feel tensing up next to me.

  "Hey!" Gareth's deep masculine voice snapped out authoritatively as he strode purposefully across the large room toward us. The suit jacket that went with his gray slacks was absent, and the collar of his white shirt and his dark tie were both loosened around his neck. "That's enough, Reggie." He turned a hard look at his dog as he spoke.

  The dog instantly stopped growling and headed straight to Gareth. The animal's demeanor immediately transformed into a calm happy pet as he circled Gareth with his tail wagging softly back and forth. The dog nosed at his master's hand and whined for attention. Gareth shot a quick warm smile at the dog before focusing on us. He absently ran his fingers through the black fur on Reggie's big head as he approached us with the dog heeling at his side.

  He eyed us suspiciously with a frown. "From the looks on your faces, I think my blood pressure is about to go up again."