: Chapter 27

It would probably be completely unnecessary for me to say my weekend at Ezra’s was amazing, but it was. It totally was.

We spent most of it inside, trying to christen as many rooms as we could—double-christening a few. And when we weren’t sexing it up, we’d sit out on the back terrace, wrapped in a blanket together, enjoying the sunset. Or we watched movies, argued politics, heck, we even played a couple games of chess together. And I took a spin in his mammoth kitchen once or twice, whipping up a batch of chocolate chip cookies.

Nothing else in the world existed but us.

By the time Monday came around, we were both loath to return to reality, where we had to hide our relationship at work and pretend we barely knew each other.

When we returned to his light-blue Bentley in the garage—my purse and overnight bag with me—we were both unusually quiet and subdued. Ezra held my hand while he walked around to the passenger side with me, as if he didn’t want to let go of the moment until the last possible second. Then again, that was probably just me projecting my own feelings off onto him again, because I certainly didn’t want such a wonderful weekend to end yet.

He opened the back door for me, only to shut it before I could toss my bag inside. Then completely leaning against the car to block me from it, he turned to face me with a thoughtful expression.

“I’ve been thinking… Is hiding this from Lana a ridiculous idea? It’s starting to sound like a ridiculous idea. We’re two single, consenting adults. Why are we letting some third party influence how public we make it? I mean, if she has a problem with us, then that’s her own issue to work through.”

I nodded, listening to his perfectly logical explanation. “Plus, we really suck at hiding it, anyway,” I added.

He pointed. “And that,” he agreed before shrugging. “Mostly that. Because… After this weekend, there’s no fucking way I’m going to be able to hide it.”

Totally agreeing, but realizing a headache the size of Lana Judge would follow, I sighed heavily before saying, “Well, in that case, would you mind giving me a ride to work?”

A grin spread across his face. “I would be honored,” he murmured, finally opening the back door, so I could slide my overnight bag inside.

Twenty minutes later, we pulled into the parking lot of Judge Fashions Industry. My stomach instantly began to knot with tension, especially when he pulled into the VIP CEO parking spot next to Lana’s cherry-red Ferrari.

Oh, God. This was really happening. Not just Lana, but everyone in the office was going to see us together. They were going to see me getting out of Ezra’s car and walking side by side with him inside. How many people were going to gossip that I was sleeping with the boss to get an advance? Oh geesh, how many people wouldn’t?

Then, I blew out a breath and looked at the man beside me as he glanced in the rearview mirror to adjust his tie and wipe down the shoulders of his suit jacket, and I decided it was worth it. Whatever happened from here on out was totally worth it, because I had him now.

He blew out his own bolstering breath, as if he had his own nerves to work through, then he glanced my way. “Ready?”

I nodded. “Let’s do this.”

We opened our doors simultaneously like a pair of badasses and met at the hood of his car to link hands.

Then, together, we started around to the front of the building, only to round the corner and see three police cars with red and blue lights flashing above them, parked at the curb by the front entrance.

“Wha…?” Ezra and I jerked to a halt, gawking at the sight.

“Shit,” he muttered, letting go of my hand so he could hurry forward. I raced after him.

The first two police officers we saw stood at the front glass doors, as if barring the exit.

“What the hell is going on?” Ezra demanded, heading straight to them. A crowd of other employees had gathered to the side, watching and gossiping, looking as curious, concerned, and confused as I felt.

“Sir.” One of the officers stepped forward, lifting a hand. “If you’ll just step back, this is a police matter.”

“No, I will not,” Ezra told him as if he were crazy. “This is my building. I’m the CEO here. I need to know—”

“They’re coming,” the other officer cut in, suddenly pulling the door open. The second officer abandoned us and turned to assist the first.

I crowded close to Ezra and gripped his arm. He took my hand, waiting next to me to see who was coming.

We heard her first, that unmistakable highbrow voice dripping with condescension and fury.

“You did this to me?” Lana raged just as she appeared from the gloom from within the building flanked between two more officers as they escorted her outside.

I gasped and looked up at Ezra, but he appeared to be just as startled as I felt, shaking his head as he watched her.

Then I realized who she was talking to. Hayden strode just in front of them, marching outside, only to pause so he could watch his mother pass by in… Holy hell, her hands were cuffed behind her back.

Her eldest son seemed completely unaffected as he slid his hands into his pockets, rocked back onto the heels of his shoes, and watched without emotion.

Lana hissed at him. “I asked you a question, you bastard. How could you?”

He glanced away as if bored. “Maybe I wouldn’t have… If you hadn’t killed my father.”

I slapped my hands over my mouth, trying to hold in the shock but failing. It spilled out of me in waves.

At my gasp, Lana zipped her attention my way, and wow, she looked bad. Black trails of mascara seeped from each eye and down her cheeks. Her usually perfect hair was tousled as if she’d put up a struggle, and the wrinkles around her puckered mouth made her look older than she’d ever looked before.

“You,” she sneered, jerking against the hold the officers had on her, as if she wanted to charge at me. Then she focused on Ezra next to me and hissed. “I knew it. I knew you two were sneaking around behind my back. I knew it!”

Ezra stepped partially in front of me, but I was still able to keep eye contact with my stepmother as she sneered, “This is all your fault, you ungrateful little brat. You ruined everything. If you’d just died when you were supposed to, none of this ever would’ve happened.”

Say what now?

“Hey, hey, hey,” the officer holding her boomed, jerking her back under his control. “I think you need to watch what you say, lady, before you get another charge of attempted murder tacked onto your crimes.”

Another charge of attempted murder? Ezra and I exchanged mystified glances.

Meanwhile, Lana didn’t heed the warning in the least. She glared at me, seething, spittle flying from her lips. “You were supposed to die, you little tramp. That bastard never would’ve questioned anything if you hadn’t been around to protect. Damn you. How could you do this to me? You bitch, cunt, whore piece of trash! You’ll pay for this. You’ll die just the way your worthless—”

“Enough!” Ezra roared before turning to one of the police officers. “What the hell is going on?”

But they only shook their heads, not answering.

So Ezra turned to Hayden as Lana was dragged off, still screaming obscenities at me every step of the way. “Carmichael?”

Finally showing some emotion, Hayden dragged a weary hand through his hair and blew out a breath. “I think you need to call your lawyers here, Nash. Just… Whoever you need, and meet us in the conference room as soon as possible.”

Ezra and I gaped incredulously at each other before we turned back to Hayden. “Why?”

My stepbrother reached out and clasped my arm, tugging me to his side, away from Ezra. “And you should come with me.”

But Ezra stepped forward, grasping my other arm, trying to keep me with him. “Seriously, what the fuck is happening right now?”

“I’m telling you,” Hayden bit back, narrowing his eyes and he tugged me away from Ezra again. “Go get your people, whoever you need, and meet us in the small conference room. You’ll learn everything there, because I only feel like explaining this shit once.”

Seemingly unconvinced, Ezra glanced my way. With our shared confusion and mounting worry mirrored in each other’s eyes, he slid his attention back to Hayden. “But, Kaitlynn’s—”

“She’ll be there too,” Hayden explained, making me whip my gaze to him and blink, because, honestly, I had no idea what he was talking about, no idea what was happening.

This time, he more-gently tugged me to him as he started inside, leading me along. I followed because I trusted him, but I couldn’t help but glance back at Ezra, wondering…

Ezra took a step after us, only to stop and shake his head, silently letting me know he’d follow Hayden’s suggestions and meet me in the conference room. I waved at him, a small wave that felt doomed, like maybe it was the last time I’d ever see him. But that was crazy, so I shook off the dread cloaking me and finally faced forward to watch where Hayden was leading us, which seemed to be directly to the small conference room.

“Just so you know,” I murmured without looking at him. “You have me really freaked out right now.” But I bravely lifted my chin to emphasize the point I was ready to face whatever he had going on, regardless.

From the corner of my eye, I saw him glance my way. “You don’t need to worry,” he murmured.

I gulped, unable to believe him.

Once we reached the conference room, the door sat ajar and the lights were on inside. When Hayden paused for me to enter first, I stepped forward, feeling totally different than I had on Friday, when we’d been here for the big portfolio presentation. That had been nail-biting and exciting. This was just… Frightening and confusing.

Inside, I found two men on the right side of the long conference table, wearing suits, one standing, one sitting as they studied something together on the screen of a tablet on the table in front of them.

The one standing, glanced up, only to straighten, smooth his hand down his chest, and step toward us. “You must be Kaitlynn. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Richard Sawyer.” He approached, holding out a hand for me to shake.

Following the formalities, I took his hand and told him it was nice to meet him too, though I had no idea yet if it was nice or not. That remained to be seen.

He smiled politely before nodding his head toward the seated man who was still reading something on his tablet. “And this is my associate, Mike. We’re the top legal team with Sawyer, Moore, and Associates.”

“So you’re…” I turned my questioning gaze to Hayden, “lawyers?”

“They’re your lawyers,” Hayden explained.

My… Huh?

I blinked at my stepbrother before turning back to Richard. With a nervous laugh, I tried to explain, “But no. No, I don’t have a lawyer.”

“You do now,” Hayden answered.

Except I didn’t need a lawyer.

Did I?

Trying to swallow past the dread in my throat, I hissed to Hayden, “Why do I need a lawyer? Hell, why do I need two lawyers?”

“You’ll find out soon enough.” Hayden put a hand on my back, right between my shoulder blades, and nudged me forward. “Why don’t you take a seat?”

I didn’t want to take a seat. I wanted to know what was going on, why Hayden was being so cryptic, why Ezra needed lawyers as well, and why Lana had just been arrested. My heart felt like a trapped hummingbird; I swear, it was about to flutter itself to death against my ribcage.

But it seemed the quickest way to get any answers was to comply for the time being, so I nodded and took a seat next to Mike when Richard graciously pulled the chair out for me.

Hayden remained standing, murmuring something to Richard, and I glanced toward Mike’s tablet, but the screen was filled with words of legal jargon, nothing to give me any clue what was about to happen.

Then Brick flew into the room. He wore tattered jeans, a wrinkled T-shirt, and sneakers without the laces tied. His hair was a mess as if he’d just rolled out of bed, dragged on the first thing he saw, and raced straight here.

Already motioning a thumb over his shoulder and out the doorway, he immediately demanded of Hayden, “Am I seeing things, or did I just spot our mother being hauled away in the back of a fucking police car?”

Hayden merely glanced at him before nodding his head my way. “Why don’t you sit by Kaitlynn?”

Brick’s eyebrows furrowed with more confusion. “Kait—” He swiveled his attention my way, only to whirl back to Hayden. “What the fuck, bro? You left me like fifty messages this morning, telling me to get my ass to the office as soon as possible, and now all this? I want answers.”

Hayden clenched his teeth. “Like I told everyone else, I’m only explaining it once. Now take a seat until everyone’s here.”

Brick scowled, called his brother a name under his breath, but then prowled toward me, slumping into the chair next to mine before leaning my way and murmuring, “Any ideas on what’s going on?”

I shook my head. “None.”

He waved a finger between Mike and Richard. “Who’re these yahoos? They look like lawyers who get off serial killers or something.”

Mike glanced over, scowling.

I discreetly cleared my throat. “They’re my lawyers, apparently.” When Brick sent me a startled glance, I shrugged. “At least that’s what Hayden says.”

When Hayden took a seat next to Brick, and Richard sat beside him, leaving the entire left side of the conference table free, Brick motioned toward all the free seats. “So who else are we expecting?”

“Nash.”

Brick frowned at me. I shrugged. Brick turned his frown to his brother.

“I’m confused. Having the three of us here suggests some kind of family situation. But bringing Nash into the fray sounds more like it involves the company. So what’s all this about: personal or business?”

“Both,” was Hayden’s monotone answer.

I shook my head, growing even more confused.

“Well, joy,” Brick muttered grumpily, sitting back in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest. “Can’t wait to learn what happened, you asshole. Thanks so much for keeping us all in the dark.”

I studied the tattoos on Brick’s arms. For some reason, that helped center and calm me. My gaze traced the most prominent feature on his forearm: a wolf face peering out from an ink splatter. The only colored part of the image were the wolf’s yellow-brown eyes that seemed to glow and stare right into me. I shuddered and turned my attention down to his wrist, where a silhouetted forest scene at night coated his skin with a full moon and a hooded figure walking among the trees. I could relate to that figure; it seemed totally lost and not sure where to go.

“So, how long are we supposed to wait?” Brick demanded, unfolding his arms so he could drum his fingers impatiently against the tabletop.

“As long as it takes for him to gather his own lawyers.”

Brick’s fingers stopped tapping. “So… Nash needs lawyers for whatever this is. Kaity needs lawyers. But we don’t need lawyers?” His gaze sought mine.

My lips parted, wondering what that meant, even as Hayden answered, “That’s right.”

Brick whirled to stare at me. “Then why—”

The appearance of Ezra in the doorway cut him off.

His gaze immediately found me, and his shoulders sank slightly as if he were relieved, only for his eyes to narrow when they landed on the four men seated around me.

He stepped into the room, where three men followed him. “These are my lawyers, Jack and Clifford.” He motioned a hand over them before pointing out the last man. “And this is my father, Henry.”

I straightened, taking in Ezra’s dad. Henry Nash was a head shorter than his son, probably not much taller than me, and maybe fifty pounds heavier with thinning salt-and-pepper hair. But he had Ezra’s angular jaw and blue-blue eyes.

“Dad, this is Hayden and Broderick Carmichael and Kaitlynn Judge.”

Henry had been nodding a greeting to my stepbrothers, only to pull back and send a sharp, untrusting glance to me when my name was mentioned, or rather, my surname was mentioned.

His eyes narrowed as if I were already his enemy number one.

It hurt on multiple levels, first because Ezra obviously hadn’t mentioned to his dad that he was seeing me, and second, because I hated how Lana had tainted the Judge name, making people automatically leery of it. And finally… Hell, I didn’t look that evil and untrusting, did I?

I glanced Ezra’s way, but he was busy taking in Mike and Richard with a frown. “And I don’t know these gentlemen.”

Richard introduced them before saying, “We’re here to represent Miss Judge.”

“Miss…?” And finally, finally, Ezra shot me a startled glance. He seemed so betrayed I felt the need to shrug and shake my head, letting him know I was still just as clueless about everything that was going on as he was.

He blew out a breath, shook his head, and reached for the chair directly across from me. “Let’s get started then. I’m eager to learn what’s going on.”

Once he was seated, with his dad beside him and the two lawyers flanking them, he interlaced his finger together on the conference table and turned his attention to Hayden. “I’m guessing this has everything to do with Lana being arrested just now. So, what’d she do to the company?” Cutting straight to the heart of the matter, he immediately started guessing. “Embezzlement? Bribery? Misappropriation?”

Hayden shook his head. “Murder.”

While everyone else in the room froze at that word, Brick exploded to life, turning on his brother and blurting, “What the fuck, Hayden? Our mother? Who the hell did she supposedly kill?”

“For starters: Dad,” Hayden murmured, his gaze haunted as he focused on Brick. Brick visibly jolted, only to start shaking his head, while Hayden continued talking. “Bridget and Jackson Myrtle.” Then his attention shifted to me, and it begged for forgiveness as he added, “And Arthur Judge.”