AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That was for an average person.” Dexter deadpanned, ignoring him. “But you fucked up, because you didn’t assault an average person, you decided to physically assault the fiancé of Maverick Jones. Six days before their wedding.” He shook his head, kicking his toe across the ground and tsking his teeth. “Maybe you’ve heard of him, maybe you haven’t.” He shrugged. “Regardless though, you’ll be lucky to be alive after Maverick finds out the love of his life was not only wrongly accused of stealing something he could afford to buy a thousand of every single minute of every single day, but that she was also illegally detained, her belongings were destroyed, and she was physically assaulted…” He chuckled humorlessly, “No, you sir are a dead man walking. Mr. Jones will own this company and your entire life before the day is through, I promise you that.”
Dexter’s voice was cold and calculated in a way that made my spine shiver as I clung to Reid.
“Maverick Jon –.” The manager stuttered as he looked to my brother’s wife and then to the police and back. “I didn’t… No, no, no.” He shook his head back and forth. “This was all just a misunderstanding.” He looked around wildly as he saw the danger he was in. “Tell them what you told me.” He turned to my sister-in-law and demanded she tell her part in everything to save his own ass.
“Ah yes,” Reid started, “Let’s hear what the lovely Mrs. Valentine has to say about the future wife of the man who just bankrupted her already desolate husband not even thirty minutes ago. That’s a credible source.” Jake’s wife paled at the news. He turned to the police. “We’re leaving now. You can come to Hawthorn Tower to get her statement with her fiancé present. Because she will be pressing charges on both the shop and Mrs. Valentine.” Then he turned to the shocked stupid employees. “Put all of her things back in her purse, immediately.”
The two women jumped at his order and started putting all of my belongings back in my purse before tentatively handing it to him as he led me past them all towards the door.
“You’ll be hearing from me and my client.” Dexter left in warning as we walked straight out of the front door and into the waiting SUV at the curb as Franklin closed the door behind us as we settled in the back seat, with me sandwiched between the two men.
When he pulled away from the curb I sank into the seat and held my head in my hands as complete shock vibrated through my system. “Thank you.” I whispered before clearing my throat and saying it louder to both of them. “Thank you for coming to help me.” I looked at Dexter and then to Reid. “I didn’t know what else to do in the moment.”
“Why didn’t you call Mav?” Reid asked, looking at me curiously. “Why call Dexter?”
I scoffed and shuddered as I thought about how different the outcome would have been if I’d called my future husband in that moment. “He would have burned the world down if I’d called him like that.”
Dexter chuckled lightly and shook his head. “He’s going to do so much worse regardless, when he finds out you didn’t call him. But I understand your point.”
I groaned and rubbed my temple and then looked down at my shirt. “I can’t go into Hawthorn tower looking like this."
“Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.” Reid said but didn’t elaborate as Franklin pulled the car around the back of the building to a service entrance. When we stopped Nat stood on the loading dock, pacing back and forth with a sweater in her hands.
“Oh my fucking God.” She gasped when I got out of the car, pulling me into a hug before turning her attention to Reid, “Tell me you beat the piece of shit that did this.”
“Worse, I’m telling Maverick on them.” He joked and headed towards the door. “Hurry along now, I’m going to go give him a heads up, but he won’t wait long before he chases you down.”
“Thank you, again.” I said and smiled at him.
“Anytime darling.”
I took the sweater from Nat and buttoned it up over my ripped and stained shirt and she pulled a makeup wipe from her pocket and ripped the packet open before cleaning up my neck and ear, which had stopped bleeding so we could check it out. It hadn’t ripped the earring out completely, just snagged it and tore it a bit. But I wouldn’t lose the piercing completely, which was good considering I was supposed to be getting married in six days and had planned on wearing some sort of earring to the ceremony.
“That’s much better.” Nat said with a sad look on her face. “Cora… I’m –”
“Stop.” I held up my hand silencing her. “This isn’t your fault.”
“I dragged you there, knowing what kind of people work and shop there.”
“Stop, they don’t get off the hook because of their finances. They’re shit people, period. Believe me, I know.” I said.
Dexter nodded and smiled at me kindly, “Let’s get you up to Mav before he comes looking for you. Because no one will be safe if he gets past Reid before he sees that you’re alright.”
I followed Dexter into the building and up the elevator to the top floor, feeling suspiciously like I was riding up to my own execution.
Chapter 17 – Maverick
“Sir, your jet is all set for takeoff at two.” Veronica said, standing in front of my desk with a pile of files in her arms. “Everything is set for our arrival in Atlanta so it should all run smoothly.”
“Thanks.” I said, taking the file she held out for me, trying to ignore the way acid burned the back of my throat thinking about being stuck with her alone on a jet for three hours this afternoon.
And stuck with her in numerous meetings over the next twenty-four.
Fuck.
“Let me know if there’s anything else you need Sir.” She said and then walked out to her own desk.
I had told Cora about my trip Friday night after picking out her ring, and I had told her that Veronica was accompanying me to Atlanta. And I had to give her credit, because she responded better than I thought she would to that news, but it still churned my stomach knowing that she was going to worry about me cheating on her again regardless.
