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“Don’t be a fool, Jonny. I’ve read up on that prosecutor. She was given the case for a reason. Likely because she never loses. She’s tenacious as fuck and has a reputation of being a venomous snake. You may have finally met your match, but I don’t think you want to spend time in prison this far away from home and from Christian.”
I took another sip of my drink, anger surfacing, although Baron wasn’t trying to rile me. He knew how I felt. “I assure you it won’t come to that. However, I need to know everything you can learn about Sedona Beckett.” I would task my second in command to do the same upon his arrival. Somehow, I knew they’d gather entirely different sets of information.
“Stay away from her.”
“I have no intentions of doing so, Baron.”
“You’re insane but I’ll get you everything I can.” He shook his head, his look incredulous.
“You do that.” I walked toward the window, staring out at the busy street below. And my mouth watered thinking about the next time I’d meet with Sedona. “Soon, sweetcherie. Soon.”
CHAPTER 9
Sedona
“I can read your thoughts, can smell your longing for what only I can give you.”
The bastard’s words had lingered in my mind the entire day. Even worse, he’d been right. Jonny James had ceremoniously attempted to terrify and entice me at the same time, his possessiveness evident in everything about him.
His attire.
His demeanor.
His gestures.
The way he’d looked at me, as if I’d fall to my knees should he point to the floor, should be disturbing as hell. Maybe it was the fact he was years older than me that kept me in limbo. Or simply his ridiculously sexy body.
“Girl. You need to get a grip.”
I could swear his scent lingered on my skin when he hadn’t touched me inside that interrogation room. But dear God, I’d wanted him to. What did that make me? Sick. Twisted. There were other more caustic phrases I could use to describe my actions, my thoughts, and my desires.
Shaking, I couldn’t seem to get warm, even though I’d turned up the heat to full blast inside my car. I was losing my mind or had fallen into some crazy kind of dark spell. Whatever the case, the fact my pussy continued to throb was just as troubling as the situation.
Innocent until proven guilty.
You must do the right thing.
They were phrases that had entered my mind more than once during the day. I’d even stood outside Christine’s office twice, prepared to tell her I was involved with the man, except I wasn’t. Even if the bastard had made it perfectly clear I belonged to him. He was the lunatic, not me.
I tried to shove Jonny out of my mind, homing into the breaking news broadcast about the man’s release. He was walking free, which meant his attorney had some kind of clout even though he was from another country. I had to wonder who he’d hired to be the lead defense attorney. I took a deep breath, almost calling Jenny to see if she could find out, but in doing so I’d need to confess my sins. That was something I wasn’t ready to do. Why did I feel like the clock was ticking and the explosion if I didn’t end this quickly would be as horrific as the crime?
“How the fuck did that happen?” I muttered to the empty car as I headed toward the medical examiner’s office. I often talkedto myself when I was angry or concerned. And right now, I was enraged and sick to my stomach with worry.
I couldn’t believe a judge had let a man like Jonny James out on bail so quickly, but it was apparent the man had no issue paying the two million dollars needed to do so. I’d spent my entire afternoon researching the man’s corporation in Montreal, including his significant holdings and every scrap of information I could find on both him and his family. Much of his world was kept private, which was one reason I’d never seen his face before. Granted, in my spare time I didn’t research crime syndicates either. I rolled my eyes at the thought. To the outside world, he and his family were upstanding citizens. Even if it was apparent they controlled much of the area surrounding Montreal.
Had I known who and what he was, I never would have even considered being in the same room with the bastard, let alone… I swallowed hard, hating him for what he’d done to me, the awkward position he’d placed me in. No, the truth was I hated myself for allowing him to break down my barriers.
Don’t kid yourself. You did it. He only provided the ammunition to do so.
Dear God, I hated my inner voice, especially when she was right. Maybe that’s why rage had remained with me the entire day, my teeth aching from how hard my jaw had clenched. I’d barked at everyone in my office, including the poor kid who’d almost dropped my beloved coffee at my favorite shop around the corner from the office. I thought the kid was going to burst into tears from how harsh I was.
I had to get control of myself. From how it appeared, I was Jonny’s only possible alibi, which was something he couldhave easily explained in front of his attorney. Sure, he’d been seen at the hotel, including by Matt the bartender. If the guy was questioned, it wouldn’t take long to point the lead in my direction, especially if the young man watched television. Why Jonny had chosen to allow me to take the reins I wasn’t certain, but men like Mr. James never did anything without a reason. I shuddered at the thought. I was also no fool, reading people pretty damn well. He’d use our intimate relationship against me somehow.
Why?
Was it possible he’d killed then then returned to my bed? Oh, hell, no. I couldn’t think that way or I’d become sick to my stomach.
The exact timing of the murders was something I needed to know as soon as possible. I hadn’t announced my trip to the morgue, but I wasn’t leaving without Victoria providing the time of death. Victoria Wiseberg was a damn good ME, far better than her predecessor. Like both myself and Christine, she was a take no shit kind of woman, but hated interference when she was savoring her craft, as she liked to call dissecting people during an autopsy.
