Page 62 of Playing For Keeps
I still myself. “Why? What’s going on?”
“Your mother’s trying to cut a deal and has implicated me in some shady business practices. The department is investigating her claims.”
“Fuck! She’s still running loops around me.” I’m losing control of everything.
This cannot be happening. What do I need to do to get back in front of her?
Aiden’s quiet for a moment. “Sorry, Hunter. I can’t be of any more help to you.”
“Do you have an attorney?”
“What for?”
“If she’s telling them you’ve been working for your dad and uncle, and hiding their connections to those trafficking rings, they’re investigating you and building a case. If they file charges against you, you’ll need one.”
He releases a defeated sigh. “I’m aware, but I’ll take my punishment. After thinking about everything that’s gone on, I deserve it. Besides, I don’t have the money to hire anyone.”
I pause. Dorothy wouldn’t want Aiden to go to prison. She would want him to take responsibility and have consequences, but not be locked up for the rest of his life.
I make a quick decision. “You’ll be hearing from an attorney sometime later today. I need to arrange some things first, but you will have representation. That means don’t speak to anyone about what you did.”
“Why would you do that for me? I put the person you love in their hands. You should want me to go down.”
“No matter how you and Dorothy feel about each otherright now, she’ll be devastated if you get locked up. She’s gone through enough. I’m not going to put her through any more hell, and you going to prison would kill her.”
“Um…okay.” He moves, and something brushes across the speaker, causing interference. “Thanks, Hunter.”
“You’re welcome. But if you think of anything that can help put my mother away, you need to get a hold of me immediately.”
“Done.” He pauses. “Have you heard from Dori today?”
A pang of hurt zaps my heart. “No. You?”
“No, but I’m sure Jami is part of the reason.”
I rub the side of my stiff neck. “Your sister does what she wants. If she’s not calling, it has nothing to do with Jamison.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure.”
“Then you don’t know her well enough. She’s known for locking people out of her life while she takes time to get her thoughts together.”
“I know, but she’s never done that with me.”
I huff. “You’ve never given her a reason before now.”
His voice rises. “She’s my sister and shouldn’t shut me out. I did this to keep her safe.”
“Think about it, Aiden. She speaks to your parents maybe four times a year because of how much they’ve hurt her. What we did to her is a million times worse.”
“But Jami was a part of that, and she didn’t turn her back to him.”
I roll my eyes. He’s as stubborn and childish as Dorothy is when he’s trying to prove a meaningless point.
“Aiden, I’ve tried to explain this to you, and you’re not hearing me. Your sister loves him. She’s tried to be away from him, and it never works. There’s something about him that draws her to him, and I don’t see her walking away. Especially after being abducted.”
He growls. “She needs to hear our side of the story before she cuts us off.”
“She will. Just give her time to wrap her head around what happened.”
