by Brynne Asher
He's right. I don’t answer to Bree fucking Newman and I never will. I also don’t give him the satisfaction of reacting to him by blowing up. I cross my arms, hold my ground, and don’t move despite him being in my face and my not wanting to be anywhere close to him.
I knew he wasn’t done. He proves me right and lowers his voice, leveling his eyes on me while he thinks he’s laying down the law. “This is not New York and you are not undercover. I heard they let you get away with all kinds of shit you shouldn’t have. You crossed lines that should’ve gotten you pulled from the MacLachlan case so fast, it would’ve given you whiplash. But since you’re someone’s golden boy up at headquarters, they let you do what you want.”
I finally break into his rant. “I’m no one’s golden boy. You ask anyone in New York, the only people I consulted with while I was under were in the Attorney General’s office. I’d appreciate it if you get your facts right before you start spewing shit.”
He works his jaw so tight, it’s sure to give him TMJ. “That doesn’t negate the fact you’ve had contact with one of our federal targets. Just you wait, Pettit. First thing tomorrow morning, I’m filing a report with OPR. You’d better get ready to either answer some questions or hang up your fucking badge.”
I’ve had enough and drop my arms, taking a step, making him take two back. His shoulders tense and his eyes flare. He thinks I’m going to come after him and he’s right. “You’d be doing me a favor by filing that report. While you’re on the phone with the Office of Professional Responsibility, tell them I want to talk to them, too. I can’t wait to tell them all about Bree Newman—how she finds creative ways to find evidence when she can’t make a damn case go her way and how she planted bogus reports in trash bins.”
The man must’ve never worked undercover, or played poker for that matter, because he’s shit at hiding his emotions. His face reddens and now I’m really worried about that vein.
I take another step and he shifts back accordingly. I lean in and lower my voice. “Yeah. It’s been a while since I went through professional responsibility classes at the academy, but I’m pretty sure they frown upon special agents giving their group supervisors blow jobs. Especially in public places.” All that color that made him flush like a schoolgirl in sex-ed class drains from his face. He goes from looking like a tomato to a snowman. I smile and shake my head. “Do me a favor and have them give me a shout—I’ve got a lot to say.”
I sidestep him and reach for the door.
“Pettit—” he calls.
I stop and turn but not to let him finish. I need to check on Jen and talk to a few of the detectives about the PI’s murder, so I interrupt. “And if I were you, I’d talk to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and explain to them that your agent got some things wrong and that your case on Montgomery is weak. If you have to go so far to say fraudulent, do it. If you don’t do it soon, I will.” I shake my head and reach for the door one more time. “Talk to Bree. You seem to have a lot of influence with her.”
I slam the door, leaving him in the room alone. Maybe he’ll use the time to mull over his options.
Choices. Some are hard, some are easy, and some are just flat-out wrong. If he makes the wrong decision again, I’ve got him by the balls. Unfortunately for him, I’ve seen it with my own two eyes and have the photographic evidence, too.
Some things you just can’t unsee. And, for Jen, today, nothing is truer.
*****
Jen
“Have you eaten at all today? There’s a ton of food left from the wedding and breakfast this morning. Let me make you a plate.”
I look out the window at the jumbled mess from the wedding last night. “I’m not hungry.”
When the police were done questioning me, Ellie was there with Donny. The second I laid eyes on my sister and she wrapped me in her arms, I broke down again. Donny ushered us out and explained that my parents were with Patrick’s family, but my dad wanted me at the ranch. I didn’t have the energy to argue.
I also didn’t see Eli anywhere.
Until I was pulled into an interrogation room with my attorneys from Lehmans, he never left my side. Even when that bitch of an agent who has it out for me showed up. He told her to back off and took me to the police station right after EMS checked the bump on my head, dressed the scrape on my face, and cleaned me up as best they could.
But I couldn’t really ask where my now not-so-secret special agent was even though I wanted nothing but him. I left the prepaid cell he gave me in his truck. I threw all caution to the wind and typed in his cell number that I memorized from what seems like forever ago and told him I’d be at the ranch.
I haven’t heard back from him.
I did fess up to my attorneys about Eli. I told them everything—or everything besides the personal stuff and left it vague as to how we met. Besides that, I told them everything. They weren’t happy with me, but right now, I couldn’t care less.
I’ve been here for hours and Ellie hasn’t left my side. She took me straight to my old room and made me take a shower.
Now, the sun is setting and all I’ve done is stare out the back windows of my parents’ home where workers are breaking down everything from last night. But I don’t see any of it. Instead, the only thing swirling in my brain is Patrick lying in a pool of his own blood and think about how his sweet wife, Millie, and his daughter, my childhood friend, Kate, are left without him. I need to go see them, but Ellie insisted I stay here with her.
She keeps talking like she’s done nonstop since we got here just to fill the dead air. “I know what you’re thinking.”
I turn to her and frown.
“It’s what you’re always thinking and you’re wrong,” she goes on from where she’s sitting across the room from me. She left Griffin at home with Robert for once. “You’re carrying this on your shoulders like you do everything. It’s not your fault.”
I look away. She has no clue.
“You’ve done nothing to bring this on other than do everything Dad asked of you. You stepped up and did what no one else wanted to do. Someone is targeting you because of your position. Hey,” she calls for me, demanding I look at her. The tides have shifted for once and she’s the one keeping me afloat. That’s normally my job in our relationship. She lowers her voice. “Do not take this on.”
I look away. My tears are gone and my emotions have drained me. I’m numb and don’t know what happens next—what I’m supposed to do. What happened to Patrick wasn’t some freak incident. Not when I found out what happened to the PI only an hour before.
As if Patrick’s murder wasn’t enough. Another life is gone, crushing my conscience with something that feels like the weight of the universe.
Someone is targeting me.
And it seems whatever we do, they’re one step ahead of us.
Ellie gets up from her place on the sofa. “I’m making you dinner. You need to eat something.”
But before she makes it halfway to the kitchen, we both tense when we hear the door leading from the garage slam. Ellie doesn’t move but turns to look at me before our father stalks into the room, followed by our mom wearing puffy eyes. She’s cried off all her makeup. I stand and start toward her, but am stopped when I see the expression on my father’s face.
The force that is my father comes to a stop in the middle of the room and he takes a breath. Stress has a way of aging one instantly and my father, who is usually spry and looks younger than his years since he’s still fit and active, is now wearing every year and then some like an ugly mask.
When he speaks, his voice is low and rough. “The service will most likely be Thursday. I’m going to reach out to the PI’s family tomorrow. I don’t know what, but we’ll do something for them.”
That weight on my chest presses in. I only nod.
“Millie and Kate are in shock. They had family arriving and we need to get Jordy and Cara from Hattie’s friend who’s been watching them since we had to leave.”
&nb
sp; After everything that’s happened, I forgot Cam’s kids are staying here while he and Paige are on their honeymoon.
My mother moves through the room and sniffles when she says, “I’ve got to clean myself up. I don’t want those babies to see me like this. I’m a mess and would scare the dickens outta them.”
My dad ignores her and his voice turns hard. “I had a conference call with Lehmans on the way home.”
“Kipp.” My mother stops and turns back. “You agreed—not now.”
My dad doesn’t take his eyes off me and shakes his head. “What on God’s earth were you thinkin’? Sneaking around with an FBI agent on the sly?”
Ellie frowns and looks to me. “What’s he talking about?”
“Kipp!” my mother yells.
My father turns his angry eyes on my mother. “It can’t wait, Hattie. Two men are dead—one of them my lifelong friend. Two men who were trying to help clear our daughter’s name and clean up whatever shit’s going on in the company.” He turns back to me and his roar rumbles through the large room. “What were you thinking?”
“Dad, stop!” Ellie yells. “Do you know what she’s been through today?”
“Dad,” I whisper, barely finding my voice and it comes out as a plea. This cannot be happening.
He doesn’t take his eyes off me. “I learned a lot today, Jensen, and I don’t appreciate being lied to. The FBI is trying to take you down for insider trading, which could drag the company down with it. Then I find out you’ve been communicating with an FBI agent behind everyone’s back.”
“Kipp!” my mother butts in as tears fill her eyes. “This doesn’t need to be done today.”
He turns to my mother and thunders, “It damn well does! When my CFO happens to be my daughter, I need to make sure she’s loyal, because, after what I’ve learned today, I’m not so sure that’s the case.”
I’m not numb anymore. My heart is jackhammering in my chest, about to shatter from the hurt—from everything. Just when I thought today was black enough, my own father—the man whom I’ve done everything for, every fucking thing he’s ever asked—questions my loyalty.
“You don’t know what you’re—” I don’t have a chance to say anything more because the house phone rings.
No one moves and my dad doesn’t look away from me.
The phone rings three more times and finally, Ellie runs to answer it.
“Hang on.” She pulls the phone away from her face and announces, “Someone named Eli Pettit wants in.” She looks at me and raises her brows. “He’s here to see you.”
My father’s face hardens further. “Is that him?”
My heart calms a bit and I look to Ellie. “Let him in.”
“No,” my father demands. “I don’t want him on my property.”
Ellie glances to my father and then back to me.
“Let him in, Ellie,” I plead.
He narrows his eyes on me and warns my sister. “Do not give that man access.”
I look to my sister and try not to choke on my words. “If you love me, Ells, you’ll let him through.”
Ellie doesn’t even take a second to think and speaks into the phone. “She’s at the main house. Come to the front door.”
“Dammit!” my father yells. “What the hell is going on with you?”
I know it’ll take Eli roughly ninety seconds to get here—I never thought I’d need to escape my childhood home so badly. All of a sudden, I feel a newfound appreciation for the pressures put on Cam and the hurt put on Ellie that made her run to New York City when she was eighteen.
I shake my head and do everything I can to remain standing. “I don’t know. But a man whom I loved died today. I sat next to him, covered in his blood, and watched the life seep out of him. Then I found out someone else, whom I’ve never even met, lost his life too, only because he took on my case. This is all because I stepped up to work for you and pissed someone off because of it. And you know what, Dad? The man coming up to your door right now took care of me and he damn sure didn’t make me feel like it was my fault.”
“Jenny,” my mom calls and her tears are flowing again.
I put my hand up to stop her and don’t take my eyes off my dad. “So, yeah. Eli Pettit is an FBI agent who I met before I was served. But he’s been doing everything he can to clear my name and I trust him—I trust him with my life. Today when bullets started flying, he kept me safe … in case you were wondering.”
“That came out all wrong, sweetness,” my mother tries. “That’s not what your daddy meant.”
I turn to her. “I love you, Mom, but that’s exactly what he meant.”
The doorbell rings and my dad starts for the door but I stop him. “Don’t you dare. Don’t even think about it.”
Ellie jogs around him and widens her eyes at me on the way. She’ll do anything for me—I know she will, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t pissed I’ve kept things from her. When she swings the heavy front door open, he’s here.
For me.
Finally.
I don’t know where he’s been all day and, right now, I don’t care. I haven’t needed anyone in a long time. Hell, I’m not sure if I’ve ever needed anyone like I do right now.
Seeing him standing there on my parents’ front porch makes everything that happened today fresh again, yet, at the same time, a weird sort of calm washes over me. He doesn’t acknowledge Ellie or my parents. He only has eyes for me. And those dark eyes bore into mine. The cocktail of emotions is too much and tears form.
He doesn’t wait to be invited in. He crosses the threshold and stops—his body is tense and his expression hard as his gaze pores over me like a caress. When he settles on my eyes, he says, “I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you were done. I had stuff to take care of on my end.”
I nod and try to choke back a sob but it doesn’t work.
His expression tightens further into a deep frown and he finally looks to Ellie and my parents before his eyes cut back to me. “You okay here?”
I quickly shake my head and my feet move. Like a magnetic force, I go directly to him.
“Jensen,” my father bites.
I don’t spare him a glance.
Eli holds out a hand for me, but I ignore it. When I press my body into his, he wraps me up in his arms and I feel his lips press to the top of my head where he utters, “You want me to take you home?”
I nod into his chest as my mom pleads, “Honey, don’t leave. Stay so we can talk this through.”
I shake my head and turn to look at her. “I’m done, Mom. I’m done doing what everyone demands. Give Jordy and Cara a hug and tell them I’ll try to get out to see them this week.”
“Jenny,” my dad calls and this time his voice isn’t angry. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard my father desperate for anything. When I turn to look at him, I find I’m right when his demand turns to a plea. “Stay.”
I don’t answer. I look up at the man who’s not a secret any longer and make it clear to everyone where I stand. “Take me home.”
“Here,” Ellie butts in and shoves my bag toward me. “I’ll call you later and you’d better answer your damn phone.”
I take my bag and don’t look back as I leave my childhood home tucked tight to my federal agent.
Chapter 18
Simple
Jen
I open my eyes and glance at the clock. It’s seven-o-six. I can’t remember the last time I slept this late on a Monday.
Last night on the drive home from the ranch, I told Eli everything and not just about my dad’s anger. I basically had a verbal hemorrhage and unloaded. I explained how growing up as a Montgomery might have been a cushy gig in some ways—showered with everything under the sun and wanting for nothing, but it also came with expectations that were nothing short of perfection. I cried when I explained how jealous I was of Cam and his independence. How Ellie, even in her shitty marriage, is able to keep our parents at an arm’s length. And finally, how, as much as I love my
parents and despite how they raised us, there are days I secretly can’t wait for my father to step down.
For the first time in my life, I uttered the words out loud for someone else to hear. Either he needs to allow me to take over like he’s planned all these years or I’m gone. As much as I don’t want to, I’ll take my knowledge somewhere else. Or, better yet, start my own company.
That made me think of Patrick and I cried all over again.
Eli took it all and never judged me once. He held my hand, kissed my fingers, and, when I finally gave him an opening to say anything, he’d mutter how everything is going to be okay.
When we got back to my condo, he made me scrambled eggs after I mentioned I hadn’t eaten all day.
Through all this, he only complained once when he realized I didn’t have any cheese and informed me he was going to buy me, in his words, some fucking groceries because no one should be expected to live on hummus alone.
Darkness had fallen and the only light outside my floor-to-ceiling windows was that of downtown Dallas looking in on us like an audience to my freak show. Eli put me to bed, stripped down to his boxers, and climbed in after me.
That’s where I fell asleep in his arms for the second night in a row, wearing nothing but a pair of panties, a tank top, and carrying all my grief that has settled into my gut so deep, I don’t know how I’ll ever go back to normal.
As I lay here in bed alone missing the only person who’s been a balm to my pain, I hear the water to my shower turn off.
My phone vibrates on my nightstand. Instead of doing what I normally do when I’m anxious for information and answers to shit that I usually make a priority, I ignore it.
