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“And nothing,” said Rhett, leaning back in his chair and stretching his arms. “He appears to work alone. We found some connections between him and some pretty heavy hitters in underground crime in Portland, but from what I got from the local PD there, nothing about that case seems related to what’s going on here with Remy.”
Asher felt tension he hadn’t known was there leave him with a long exhale. “Good, then nothing more will come back on Remy?”
“Doesn’t look like it,” Boone said.
Voices coming from the cubicles filtered into the room as Asher flipped through the file, spotting a photograph of Fanning. His fingers twitched to crumple that bastard’s face. “It’s too bad we don’t have him on anything more than fraud.”
Rhett coughed a little on his coffee and then laughed. “Looking for more time to add to his sentence?”
“He deserves that and worse,” Asher said, hearing the venom in his own voice. “Remy shouldn’t have to worry about this prick walking the streets ever again.”
Boone’s eyebrows shot up, then he exchanged a long look with Rhett, and Asher immediately regretted his words.
Rhett slammed a hand down on the table. “Remy? Are you out of your fucking mind?”
Most days Asher thought so. He nodded. “Quite possibly.”
Both his friends stared at him for what felt like a lifetime with shock on their faces. Of course, Asher understood. A year ago, Remy barely talked to him. A week ago, she tolerated him. This was a big jump in a direction no one expected, most of all him.
Boone finally broke the silence. He slowly whistled and laced his hands behind his head. “That is a dangerous line you’re walking there.”
“Don’t I know it,” Asher said. Most times, he liked danger. With Remy, he knew the risks there.
“Was this her decision or yours?” Rhett asked.
Asher flipped another page, seeing the police report on Fanning’s first marriage. “Remy owns this show, I’m just along for the ride.” When heavy silence greeted him, Asher glanced up, finding frowns. “Got something to add?”
“You’re being far too blasé about this,” Boone said firmly. “I’m sure I don’t need to remind you that when you left her, Remy was destroyed. She’s an emotional mess right now and not thinking straight.”
Asher didn’t need the reminder. He had only ever seen Boone furious once. And that was when Boone showed up in Washington the day after Asher left, and he’d returned to Stoney Creek leaving Asher with a shiner. Boone loved Remy like a sister. “I’ve never forgotten what I’ve done to her,” Asher said firmly. “She wanted me last night, and I let her take what she wanted. I’m treading carefully.” Boone had only forgiven Asher when he explained why he left. To protect Remy from the dark shit swirling inside him. She would have been worse off had he stayed, and Asher refused to destroy a woman like his father destroyed his mother. Love was just all types of fucked up.
Rhett slowly shook his head. “This sounds like an explosion waiting to happen.”
Asher scoffed, “Only if I let it fall apart, and I won’t.”
Heavy silence filled the room again. Rhett and Boone both stared at Asher in a way he knew he deserved. They doubted him where it came to Remy. She wasn’t the only person Asher needed to prove himself to.
Boone finally said, “You’ve got your head on straight here?”
“I do.” Asher nodded firmly. No missteps. Not this time.
“Good, keep it that way,” he told Asher.
Asher slid his glance to Rhett. “Anything left to add?”
“Nope,” Rhett said with a quick smile. “This shit sounds complicated, and you both know that’s not my style.” No, Rhett liked his ladies to be of the one-night variety. When things got serious, Rhett ended it.
Not at all bothered that two men who cared very deeply for Remy called him out on his shit, Asher jabbed his finger on the file on the desk, curious about something he’d been wondering. “Do we know how Fanning found Remy in the first place?”
“Her grandmother,” Boone said.
Asher felt the cold shock roll over him. He leaned forward. “Explain.”
Boone grabbed the corner of the file, turning it back to him, and flipped through a dozen papers before finally handing Asher one. “Edward Matthews used to be Remy’s grandmother’s lawyer. Remember him? He had his practice in the main floor of his old house near the cliffs.”
“Yeah, I remember him,” Asher said, glancing over names that included Remy’s on the list. “Go on.”
“Those names there are Fanning’s victims,” Boone reported, flicking the page with his fingers. “The connection between the women was that all their grandparents’ last will and testaments were handled by this lawyer, who eventually moved to Portland about ten years back now. Fanning likely got his hands on this lawyer’s files.”
