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“Well, answer him,” I encouraged, nudging him on.
He did. And while he was on the phone with the police detective, I gingery reached in and eased Lana’s box from the drawer. Setting it on the floor between us, I lifted the lid and began to shuffle through the paperwork.
“You did?” Hayden was saying into the phone. “It was?” He blew out a breath and sent me a shattered kind of look. Then he nodded. “Okay, okay.”
He listened to whatever the detective had to say. After a whispered, “Holy shit,” under his breath, he ran his fingers through his hair. I paused my search to shoot him a worried glance, but he rolled his hand, encouraging me to continue what I was doing.
So I did until I found the last will and testament of one Arthur K. Judge.
Lifting it up in excitement, I turned to show it off to Hayden. His eyes flared before he snagged it from my hand.
“Yes,” he was saying into the phone as he flipped through the pages of the will until he found what he was looking for. I glanced over his shoulder as his finger moved over the words until he found the part that concerned Kaitlynn.
Hayden had been right all along. Arthur had left the entire company as well as his homes and most of his money to Kaitlynn. And Lana had been left absolutely nothing.
“And I have Judge’s original will here in her office too,” he said into the phone. “It’s definitely been altered. Okay, all right. Sounds like a plan. I’ll see you then.”
When he hung up, he didn’t say anything, just stared at the will in his hand.
“Well,” I encouraged, squeezing his arm. “What did he say? What’s happening?”
He glanced toward me slowly as if words escaped him. Finally, he shook his head before croaking, “You should go.”
“What?!” Had the damn man lost his mind? I wasn’t leaving him now.
He gently cupped my face in his hands. “Gabriella,” he started. “We were right. About everything. That bank transaction was from Lana’s account to Mad Manny’s. She had my father killed. She had that couple killed. She had Arthur killed. She—”
His voice broke, so I gripped his wrist and squeezed. He shuddered and leaned forward to rest his forehead against mine. “They were able to trap Manuel Bruzón and arrest him by using the phone number we supplied. Once they had him in an interrogation room, he eventually confessed to all the murders.”
“Holy shit,” I breathed.
Hayden nodded. “And they found Finley too. He rolled over on Lana immediately about the will.” Glancing down at the box, he shook his head. “Finding this a second time was practically unnecessary. They already had all the evidence they needed to arrest her. This will just cement it all into place. So they’re coming here now since the box is here, plus they know she’ll show up to work soon. In which case, I need you to be long gone when they arrest her.”
“But—”
He shook his head and pressed a finger against my mouth. “Listen. Shh. I don’t want her to see you here. I’m begging you, Gabriella. She cannot know you had any involvement in helping to bring her down.”
“Hayden, no.”
Cupping my face in his hands, he pressed his mouth to my forehead desperately. “I know capitulation isn’t your thing, but if you could just listen and comply this one time, I know I’ll be able to make it through the arrest. Otherwise, dammit, I just need to know you’re safe or I won’t make it. Please?”
“Then come with me,” I tried.
But he shook his head. “No. Kaitlynn and Brick and Nash are going to show up too. They’ll need answers. I have to be here to help straighten everything out afterward.”
I sighed, realizing I was probably going to give in and do as he asked. I mean, the stubborn ass had said please; the least I could do in return was compromise. One time.
But still. It went against everything I was. “So, you just want me to abandon you and let her think all this was only yo
u all along?” I argued petulantly. “Because I gotta tell you; that just doesn’t fly with me.”
He kissed me on the lips. Softly. Then he smiled. “You will be here with me.” Pressing his palm flat against his chest, he added, “In here. But physically, I need you safe and as far away from this building as possible.”
I might’ve agreed to leave the building, but I didn’t leave the area.
Hey, the jerk I loved was inside. Leaving him to deal with this all by himself just felt wrong. So I lingered out of sight across the street and waited.
The police arrived before Lana did, thank God. First one cruiser and then three more pulled up to surround the front of the building.
