To Save Sir (Doms of Decadence Book 7)

by Laylah Roberts

  Daisy whined as she shut the door. She turned towards the house and took a deep breath.

  “Here goes nothing.”

  Walking up the wide stairs, her trepidation grew. She knocked on the door before she lost her nerve. Suddenly, she realized they hadn’t talked about what to tell her family about the two of them.

  Curt placed his hand on the small of her back. “Stop worrying.” Yeah, that really wasn’t going to happen.

  “Just remember, I’m here with you. You’re not on your own.”

  And that meant more to her than she was willing to admit.

  She took a deep, steadying breath. “Do you want them to know about us? I understand if you don’t.”

  He turned her to face him. Placing two fingers under her chin, he lifted her face up. “I want the world to know. And screw what they think.”

  He kissed her just as the door opened.

  “What the hell is going on here?” her uncle boomed.

  ***

  Jenna’s headache was getting worse.

  Her uncle paced up and down the living room as she perched nervously on the hard sofa. Curt stood behind her. When she snuck a look back at him, he looked almost bored, but she could see the close way he watched uncle.

  “Uncle Justin, Curt is here to support me. Not that it’s really any of your business what Curt and I do.”

  “What is going on in here, Justin?” Her aunt stepped through the door, looking tired and worried. She came to a stop as she saw Jenna.

  “Jenna, good you’re here. Your mother has been waiting to…” her aunt trailed off, her mouth dropping open as she saw Curt. “What is he doing here?” She pointed at Curt, as though there were any doubt who she was talking about.

  “That’s why I want to know,” her uncle growled, stilling to glare down at Jenna. “He came with Jenna.”

  “Jenna? What? How?”

  “He’s here to help me, Aunty,” Jenna said with as much patience as she could muster. “We’re seeing each other.” It seemed an inadequate description for what he meant to her.

  “This is unacceptable, Jenna,” her uncle yelled, his face flushed and sweaty. “You’re fucking the man who killed my daughter!”

  “That’s enough,” Curt said in a low voice, making her uncle pause. Her aunt looked up at him fearfully. Were they afraid of Curt? “You say what you like to me but you speak to Jenna with respect.”

  Uncle Justin glared at Curt. “She has betrayed her family.”

  Aunt Mary looked close to tears as she stared at Jenna with sorrow. Jenna felt terrible they were so hurt by her decision to be with Curt, but they were acting so strangely, so out of character it was shocking. She knew they blamed Curt for Amelia’s death, but she’d thought that was just a reaction to the pain of losing her. She’d hoped they’d come to see he had nothing to do with her death.

  “Oh, Justin. It’s not Jenna’s fault. She’s always had a crush on him, poor thing. Amelia used to laugh about it. She thought it was so cute.”

  Amelia thought it was cute? That was hard to believe.

  “Amelia’s death was an accident. She took a corner too fast and flipped her car. That wasn’t Curt’s fault,” she said firmly. Enough was enough. He might be fine with them spouting these lies about him, but she wouldn’t just sit there and take it.

  Her uncle turned to Curt, his gaze narrowed in fury. “Is that what he told you, Jenna?”

  “She was driving so fast because she was trying to get away from him,” Aunt Mary told her. “Because she thought he was going to hurt her.”

  “Curt wouldn’t hurt Amelia and he definitely wouldn’t do anything to harm his child.” Her gut clenched at the idea of Curt’s baby. Something she’d never have. She knew she needed to talk to him about that, although he had to know about her accident and the hysterectomy.

  “Lies,” her uncle snarled. “And I won’t have him in my house any longer.”

  She stood. “Then I guess we’ll be leaving. Do you know if Mother is up to going to the bail hearing tomorrow? We’d be happy to take her with us.”

  “Wait, no, they can’t leave without seeing Lorraine, Justin,” Aunt Mary said in alarm. “I’ll take you up. Then you have to leave.”

  With her uncle glaring at them, they left the room and followed her aunt upstairs. She knocked on her mother’s door then walked in. “She’s been sleeping a lot. Best thing for her, I suppose. You know she doesn’t do well with any sort of crisis.”

  And sleeping through everything was the best way she could cope? Jenna shared a look with Curt then shrugged. She didn’t know how to help her mother. When she walked into the large bedroom, she came to a stop, shocked by the sight of her usually made-up and composed mother. Lorraine Jasons didn’t leave the house without a full face of makeup and a designer outfit on. This wasn’t her mother. This woman looked sickly. She was washed out, her face naked, her hair spread about her in a tangled web. She blinked as she looked up at Jenna.

  “Jenna?”

  “Hello, Mother.” She gave Curt an alarmed look, noticing how he studied her mother closely.

  “Oh, Jenna, I’m so glad you’re here.” She clung to Jenna’s arm with a strength that surprised her. “The things they’ve accused your father of, they’re terrible. You know he’s innocent, but no one will believe that. We’ve been vilified. I’ve had to leave my home, it’s not safe there. Everyone has turned their backs on me, except for my sister. Even you didn’t come for me. This has been such a trying, awful time for me, and where have you been? In some little town, helping people who aren’t even related to you. Family comes first, Jenna.”

  And there was her mother. Obviously not as ill as she looked.

  Jenna sat on the side of the bed, knowing the routine.

  “I’m sorry, Mother.”

  “Why, I was truly terrified when those awful FBI agents came to the door. They just pushed their way through, messed up my house, and dragged your father away. Who knows what’s happening to him in jail. What if someone tries to kill him?”

  “I’m sure they’re watching him closely, Mrs. Jasons,” Curt said.

  Her mother looked over at Curt as thought seeing him for the first time. “Curt. What are you doing here?”

  “He’s with me, Mother.”

  “Oh, David hired you to look after us? Just as well, there have been some terrible threats made against me. Just ghastly. I can’t believe people would say such horrible things.”

  “There have been messages on her cell phone,” her aunt explained. “Justin gave it to the police.”

  “They don’t care. They think David’s guilty. Nobody believes he’s innocent,” her mother wailed. “It’s so dreadful. They spray painted our gates. Someone even tried to break in.”

  “What?” Jenna asked, alarmed.

  Her mother nodded, looking satisfied at her reaction. “Probably after my jewelry. I couldn’t pack it all, and Mary didn’t know the code to the safe. Would you go back and get the rest of it for me, darling?”

  Jenna looked up at Curt. He just shook his head.

  “I can’t, Mother.”

  “But it’s your inheritance. Some of those things came from your grandmother, they’re irreplaceable.”

  “It’s not safe,” Curt told her. “Jenna has had threats too.”

  “Maybe we need to hire someone to guard the house,” Jenna said, biting at her lip.

  “That will be a huge expense,” her aunt complained. “All of your father’s accounts are frozen. Your mother has nothing.”

  “I’m destitute.” Tears dripped down her mother’s cheeks.

  Jenna barely bit back a sigh. “Mother, you have your own accounts. Money from Grandma.”

  “But that won’t last forever, Jenna,” her aunt said. “You’re going to have to figure out some way of supporting your mother through this. What if David never gets that money back? What about his legal fees?”

  “I’ll take care of the lawyer’s bills,” Jenna said, thi
nking of her inheritance from her grandmother, which she’d invested.

  “But what about me?” her mother asked.

  “You could get a job,” Curt suggested.

  Her mother and aunt just gaped at him. Jenna had to turn away to hide a smile at their reaction.

  “It will work out, Mother. One step at a time. I’ll hire someone to guard the house, and once things become calmer, I’ll get your jewelry for you. Make a list.” Jenna didn’t like leaving her grandmother’s jewelry in the house any more than her mother did. It wasn’t the monetary value, though it wasn’t insignificant; it was what the pieces meant to her.

  “Hunter already hired a guard,” Curt said.

  “He did? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I didn’t want you to worry.”

  She gave him an exasperated look. They’d need to have a little chat about that later. He wanted her to share everything but he got to hold back if he thought it would worry her? Nope. Not the way things were going to happen.

  “Please, Jenna. Get your grandma’s jewelry. For me and your aunt.”

  Jenna sighed.

  ***

  Daisy gave a happy bark as they climbed back into the truck, and Jenna laughed as the dog licked her ear.

  “Sit down, dog,” Curt stated firmly, although she saw his quick smile.

  She turned to him. “So, that was fun.”

  He grunted.

  “Much like getting a tooth pulled. I’m sorry about the way they reacted. They had no right to speak to you like that or blame you for Amelia’s death.”

  “I knew they felt that way. They’re not entirely wrong, you know.”

  She stared at him in surprise. “You didn’t have anything to do with Amelia’s death. It was her fault.”

  He just looked over at her for a moment, his face impossible to read.

  She decided on a change of subject. “I need to go to the house.”

  “No.”

  “Curt—”

  “No.”

  “Will you just listen to me?” she asked with exasperation.

  “I’m not taking you there. End of story.”

  ***

  Curt had to work hard to suppress his fury at the look of sadness on her face as she took in the words spray-painted on the locked gates in front of her house.

  Murderer.

  Die.

  Traitor.

  He waited for her to say something. To get mad, scared, sad.

  Nothing.

  Amelia would never have remained silent. She’d have vented her every emotion and then she would have found some way to blame him for everything. Jenna was the opposite. Getting her to open up was difficult and he would have to watch that she didn’t try to take everything on herself.

  He spoke briefly to the guard that worked for the firm Hunter had hired. Curt intended to reimburse him for the cost. Over the years, he’d built up a nice portfolio. He wasn’t rich like Jenna’s father, but he certainly had enough to support her, and probably her mother as well.

  As he drove down the driveway, he couldn’t believe he’d agreed to bring her here. He’d had no intention of giving in until she’d begged him. And when those big, blue eyes looked at him with such pleading and sorrow, there wasn’t much he wouldn’t do. He’d seen the way her mother’s reaction had affected her. Damn the woman for not being able to see past her own pain. He’d known there had always been some strain between Jenna and her mother but hadn’t known the cause. But now he knew—her mother was a selfish bitch.

  Not that he could say that to Jenna. How someone as sweet-natured and caring as she was had come from that viper, he had no idea. But he knew Jenna wouldn’t appreciate him talking badly about her mother, so he kept his mouth shut.

  “We’re doing this quickly,” he told her, still feeling like it was a bad idea. “I don’t want anyone seeing you here.”

  She nodded tensely as she unlocked the house and turned off the alarm. She walked into the large house, which had always seemed so cold to him. Not that his place was much to speak of. But many hours of thought and money had gone into designing this house, and its interior, and it still felt lifeless.

  Growing up, he hadn’t had much. His dad had retired early from the navy due to a back injury and hadn’t been able to work much. His mom had died when he was young. Still, home had been warm, lived in, and happy.

  He followed Jenna into David’s office. This was the one place in the house, other than the backyard, where he felt comfortable. Done in rich tones with lots of wood, it felt real and welcoming. He could see Jenna felt the same as she stood for a moment and took a deep breath. She turned away from him, but not before he saw a glitter of tears in her eyes.

  Damn it. Enough was enough. He reached for her, but she was already moving forward. She pulled on a fake book and part of the book shelf opened up. He winced at how obvious that was for hiding a safe. This place needed a security upgrade. Not that it mattered much now.

  She opened the safe and quickly pulled out some jewelry boxes and put them in her bag before shutting the door and pushing the bookshelf back into place.

  She straightened her shoulders and gave him a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Right, let’s go. What do you want for dinner?”

  Oh, no. That wasn’t how things were going to go. But now wasn’t the time for a little talk about sharing with your Dom. He wrapped his arm around her waist as they left the house.

  “We’re having a chat when we get home,” he murmured.

  She stared up at him. “About Amelia?”

  That stab in the gut wasn’t as sharp as it used to be, the surge of betrayal not as deep. Talking about Amelia wasn’t his favorite thing to do. But she deserved to know the truth.

  “That too,” he told her, settling her into the truck.

  She looked at him with puzzlement, but he didn’t elaborate.

  “Put your belt on,” he ordered before he started the truck.

  She sighed but did as ordered, unusually quiet. He hated the stress she was under and that he couldn’t do much to relieve it. As they left, the gates shut automatically behind them. He frowned when he didn’t see the guard. As he braked to wait for an oncoming car, he spotted someone exit a vehicle parked further up and race towards them. Daisy growled then started to bark furiously, her paws scrambling against the window.

  “Get down,” he yelled at Jenna, pushing her head down as he swerved onto the road, right in front of the approaching car, which sounded its horn as something landed against the passenger window. Eggs. Fuck.

  He looked in the rearview mirror to see some crazy idiot standing in the middle of the road shaking his fist.

  “Where’s the God damn guard!” He thumped his fist against the steering wheel. “Daisy, quiet!”

  The dog quietened immediately.

  “Good girl.”

  “Curt?”

  He glanced down at Jenna who was still bent over, her eyes wide as she stared up at him. His gut clenched.

  “It’s okay, baby.” He made certain he softened his voice. “You can get up now.”

  She rose, staring at the egg splattered against the window. Curt grew even more grim. He grabbed his phone. “Call Hunter. Put it on speaker.”

  “Don’t you have Bluetooth?”

  He snorted. “No. Then I’d have no excuse for not answering calls.”

  She attempted a smile. She was trying so hard to be brave and he wished he could hug her and reassure her it was going to be all right. But he didn’t want to pull over until they were safely at his place.

  Damn it, what if whoever threw those eggs had had a gun or a grenade?

  “You could have been killed.”

  “It was some eggs, Curt. No big deal.”

  He turned to gape at her, but she was concentrating on his phone and not looking at him.

  No big deal?

  Oh, this was a very big deal.

  Jenna looked over at Daisy. “You okay, girl?”

/>   The dog panted, her tail wagging so Jenna figured she was all right.”

  “Hunter,” the man answered his phone abruptly.

  “What kind of fucking idiot security company did you hire,” Curt spat out.

  “Curt!” Jenna scolded.

  But he was too far gone for niceties right now.

  “What happened?” Hunter’s voice was surprisingly calm.

  “As we were pulling out of the Jasons’ driveway, some maniac egged the car on Jenna’s side.”

  There was a pause. Hunter would know what Curt was thinking. That it could have been so much worse than a bit of egg on his truck.

  “I’ll find someone new. What were you doing there anyway?”

  “We went there to get some jewelry for Jenna’s mother. I knew we shouldn’t have gone. I won’t make a mistake like that again.”

  “It’s just some eggs, guys.”

  “Not the point,” Hunter replied. “They got close enough to throw something at you.” He didn’t elaborate, and Curt was thankful. He didn’t want to upset Jenna more than necessary.

  “You headed to your place?”

  “Yeah. Almost there. We’re going to court tomorrow for the bail hearing.”

  “Want some extra bodies?”

  “Travis is coming.”

  Hunter snorted. “Still hanging around like a bad smell, huh? We need to arrange a meet for Tuesday. How about eleven?”

  “We’ll be there.”

  Curt nodded at Jenna to end the call as they entered his parking garage. He got out then went around to grab Daisy before opening Jenna’s door. He quickly handed her Daisy’s lead. He kept a watch on their surroundings while they made their way to his apartment.

  He shut and locked the door then set the alarm. “Come on, Daisy, let’s do a little check.” Having the dog around had its advantages. He took her leash from Jenna and walked with her through the apartment.

  “All clear,” he told her when he returned.

  Jenna reached out a hand, placing it on his arm. “Curt, are you okay? You’re kind of acting . . . crazy.”

  Crazy? Really? “You could have been hurt.”

  She placed her hands on her hips. “It was eggs.”

  He cupped her face. “It could have been a weapon, bullets.”