Page 19 of Release You

“After you left, I started working with my dad. The next year, he transferred the construction business to my name. It freaked him out what happened to James, you know. Dad toldme your dad never got around to doing a new will after you were born. At least that’s what your uncle said. When your dad…you know…when it happened, the only will the lawyer had was the one that left everything to your uncle. Of course, your uncle swore he’d take care of you and your mom. Don’t be so angry. He did pay for that fancy school of yours.”

“He didn’t pay for a fucking thing.” I stood still as my heart spewed acid through my veins with every pump. I wanted to kill him. I wanted to squeeze his neck and watch as he puffed the last bit of air from his lungs.

All these years I’d been away, licking my wounds and feeling sorry for myself. Angry for the life my uncle stole from me. Meanwhile, Mom had the worst of it, trapped here at the mercy of Jonathan Cavalier. I wasn’t buying that bullshit that she didn’t want to see me anymore. There’d been real glee in her eyes when she saw me, glee that turned into terror in almost the same breath. Mom was a prisoner here, a prisoner in her own goddamn home.

After I found out my uncle had stolen my inheritance with some bullshit will, I’d been full of rage. Dad trusted Jonathan, his own brother, with Mom and me, and Jonathan betrayed him. He sent me away, put Mom in a garden prison, and then took the family fortune for himself. The asshole had even taken Dad’s position as mayor of Paradise Creek.

How had he managed to get control of everything Dad ever had, including Mom? Dad hadn’t been the type to forget to do things, especially when it came to his family. If what Russ said was true, I’d be willing to bet Jonathan destroyed the will where Dad named me the sole beneficiary of his estate.

The law was on his side, even the town. They believed every lie he fed them, just as I had when I was a kid. My heart shrank and squeezed painfully at the thought of Mom spendingall these years half-alive. The fortune didn’t matter. All I cared about was setting things right for her.

Killing Jonathan would be doing him a kindness. He deserved much worse. I wanted to see him grovel at Mom’s feet and beg for forgiveness. There was only one way to fix all this goddamn mess, all this injustice. I had to steal everything back from Jonathan Cavalier.

Starting with Mom.

I exhaled and wiped my eyes. What I needed was a thief. Nikki’s voice echoed in my mind.

“Now that we’ve established I have certain skills you could use, tell me about you. What do you want?”

CHAPTER 7

A Truce and a Deal

Nikki

I glared at the scrape on James Cavalier’s elbow. No matter how hard I tried, the memories of that day remained locked away. Henry’s eleven-year-old face was all I saw whenever I closed my eyes and thought of the night his dad was killed. Dom had called it gruesome. Gruesome didn’t begin to cover the hatred on these images. I picked up a marker, circled James’s arm, and pinned the picture to the wall.

Stepping back, I focused on the scene—Lisa’s entire case file was laid out on my wall, like an official murder board. It was hard to look at, but I needed the reminder of what everyone involved had gone through, what Lisa was still going through, rotting in a cell for almost half her life for a crime she didn’t commit. I stifled a cry, and then, wiped my cheeks. I promised Lisa no more tears.

A knock on the door broke the silence in the room. Henry. Who else could it be? I backed away from the door. I didn’t want to deal with him. Every time I saw him, my mind rushed back to that summer. It hurt too much.

Another knock. “I know you’re in there, Nikki. You haven’t left your room in four days.” His voice rumbled in the hallway.

A raw energy rushed through me at the sound of his voice. I ambled to the door, opened it just enough for me to squeeze through, and closed it behind me. “What do you want? I don’t have time for you right now. I’m with a client.”

Henry glanced upward then met my gaze. “For four days?”

Who was full of tells now? I shrugged. “What can I say? He has stamina.”

He pinned me with one of his dark stares. I swallowed and leaned against the door. He smelled of soap and aftershave mixed in with his own personal brand of manly scent. My hand itched to touch his clean-shaven cheek, maybe run my finger along his perfect jawline.

He braced a large hand next to my head. His lips parted, and I closed my eyes. How many nights had I dreamed of this moment? How many nights had I waited for Henry to come through the door, kiss me, and tell me he was sorry for letting me go? His warm breath brushed my ear, and my legs wobbled a little. Dammit. Why couldn’t Henry Cavalier have grown up to be…less hot? A lot less hot.

“Maybe he can share?” His words touched my ears and pulled at something deep in my chest.

“What?” My eyes snapped open.

By the time I realized what he meant to do, he’d already reached behind me and let the door swing open. I stumbled backward, and he barged into the room. My gaze followed his line of sight to the empty bed. A box of pizza on the desk under the window completed the pathetic scene. Henry scanned the room quickly. He was actually looking for a man. I placed myself between him and the closet to keep his attention on me, but he sidestepped me and pushed the door open.

When he found the closet and bathroom empty, he turnedto me, suppressing a smile. “Did he fly out the window, or were you just lying as usual?”

“What do you want? I don’t have time to play with you today.” I crossed my arms, suddenly feeling naked in my thin cotton tank top and pajama pants.

“I need your help.” His gaze fell on the rumpled bedspread.

“No.” I pushed him toward the door, but it was like trying to move a tree. “You need to leave now.”

“Could you just hear me out?” He held me at arm’s length. “Yesterday…” He froze.

---