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Chapter 19
“I found two hundred thousand dollars in my house. I thought the money belonged to Damon, so I used it to buy my shop. Apparently, the money belongs to Joaquin King, and he wants it back.”
Asher stared at Remy. She was sitting across from him on his couch while his ass was parked on his coffee table. He’d repeated what she told them a dozen times, and yet, the words and danger they presented couldn’t sink in. She sat cross-legged with her gaze glued on Salem purring in her lap. Asher slowly turned his head, taking in Boone’s frown and Rhett’s wide eyes, telling him that his hope that he’d heard things wrong was just that…a hope. And that Remy had indeed landed herself directly in trouble she shouldn’t be anywhere near.
“Damn.” Rhett finally broke the silence, standing near the window, arms folded over his chest. “Didn’t your cards or whatever smelly shit you burn tell you this was a horrible idea?”
She shrugged. “Spiritually, I actually got the go-ahead.”
Thick tension filled the room as Boone took the seat on the couch next to Remy. “I’m trying to understand how this all came about,” he said softly. “Doing something like this…it’s very unlike you, Remy. What were you thinking?”
She kissed Salem, who purred and rubbed his head into her chin. “I was only thinking that I was angry at Damon. I found the money and thought I deserved something for all the shit he’d put me through. His money gave me the shop and made my dreams come true. I thought he owed me that.” Her voice trembled as she petted Salem, her full attention on the cat.
Asher stared blankly, still trying to accept that she’d used dirty money to buy herself a shop. She’d never taken a step out of place. What in the fuck had Asher done to her?
Boone gave Asher’s foot a kick. He blinked into focus as Boone asked her, “You weren’t afraid Damon would come back for the money?”
She gave a little shrug. “I told Damon that I’d found the money and turned it in to the police.”
Asher’s teeth ground together. He and Boone had driven Remy and Kinsley to see Damon once more in Whitby Falls. They’d told Asher that Remy wanted closure, considering how she’d left Damon bef
ore. “You lied to me?” Asher asked, hearing the controlled rage in his voice.
Still not looking up, she nodded. Salem purred louder.
From his spot near the window, Rhett said, “I take it that Damon believed you?”
She glanced up then, and nodded at Rhett. “Yeah, I was convincing.”
Asher inhaled deeply and worked at the tension along his neck. Boone’s gaze lifted to Asher’s, and Boone didn’t say a word. Neither did the frowning Rhett. They’d been wrong all along. Fanning wasn’t murdered because he’d scammed Violi’s sister. He’d been murdered because he owed King money. Money that he’d obviously withdrew to pay back the debt to save his life, but didn’t have the chance to repay because Asher had arrested him.
Now that debt fell onto Remy’s shoulders.
Adrenaline rushed through Asher’s body, tightening his quivering muscles. He couldn’t stand her avoidance any longer and tucked a finger under her chin, demanding her gaze. “Do you have any idea—”
The door slammed open. Asher, along with Boone and Rhett, lurched to his feet, with his weapon aimed at the front door.
Kinsley froze, eyes wide and glossy. She raised her hands in surrender. “Holy shit,” she breathed.
“Goddamn it, Kinsley,” Boone chastised, putting away his weapon. “Do you want to die?”
“Not particularly.” She blinked, the color slowing returning to her face. “But when Peyton told me that you guys knew everything, I knew you were probably interrogating Remy, and this is not her fault.”
Peyton entered the house and sighed. “Sorry, there was no stopping her.” She shut the door and glanced at Remy sitting on the couch. The way she avoided Boone’s gaze told Asher that they were all in on this.
Something Boone obviously caught too. “Please tell me you both did not know about this.”
“We knew,” Peyton said to the floor.
Boone ran off a string of curses that would make a sailor proud. “What in the hell were you all thinking?”
“My thoughts exactly,” Asher growled. Unable to sit down any longer, he moved away from the coffee table and began pacing in front of his television. “This was bad enough when only Remy was involved.” He set his hard gaze on each one of the women. “But all of you were in on this insane plan?”
“I wouldn’t say it was a plan,” Kinsley said, moving to Remy and taking a seat next to her. “I’d say it was more of a situation that fell into Remy’s lap and we kind of rolled with it.”
“Not the time to be a smart-ass, Kinsley,” Boone bit off.
“I’m not being a smart-ass,” Kinsley said with a glare. “It’s the truth. We didn’t plan for all this, but fate led us here.”
