I spent the next few minutes showing her everything I had on the squeaky clean insurance executive. I’d paid big money for the set up and the girls. I didn’t have the connections back east to pull it off myself. That’s where I had to rely on Ronan. I guessed after everything that went down with Malcolm, we’d be square now.
Tempest flipped through the photos. With this evidence, taking down a guy like this would be a lay down deal. I studied her face while she scanned the pictures, studying them with her eyes.
“There’s no way the contents of the envelope can be traced back to me, or you.” I said.
She didn’t look up right away, continuing to thumb through the last couple of images.
I continued… “Beyond that, a guy like this… He’s got far too much at risk to try and make an example out of your father. I guess what I’m saying is that he’ll do whatever I ask, even if that means getting your dad out of prison.”
When I finished talking, Tempest dropped her hands into her lap, crinkling the edges of one of the photos.
“Are you… blackmailing this man?”
I scoffed at her. “Babe, after what that company did to your dad for committing petty insurance fraud… it’s unforgivable. He’s lucky that’s all I’m going to do to him! I can guarantee you this -- your dad will be home in Vegas within days once I get this in the hands of the right people.”
She averted her eyes, looking down at the images again. Honestly, I figured this could go either way.
“I know my dad was doing what he had to do to try and save my mom’s life. In the end, it didn’t even matter. She died anyway, and now he’s dying his own slow death, rotting up there in that fucking hellhole.”
Tempest gathered up the pictures and holding them in her hand extended them in my direction. “I’m grateful for you wanting to help. Really, I am. But knowing my dad like I do, I know he won’t go for it. He knew what he did was wrong, even while he was doing it.”
I took the pictures from her, nodding. “I respect that, but you know, jail can change a man. It might still be worth a shot. After all, you just have to have a conversation with him about it. It could mean the difference between him being home this week or five years from now, or never.”
Tempest chewed on her lower lip, sucking it in.
“Okay,” she began, looking into my eyes. “I’ll talk to him about it.”
I smiled at her. I won’t lie, I was happy she agreed to at least give it a shot.
“I’m coming with you this time.” I said, sliding the pictures inside of the envelope again.
Surprise came to her face. “You are? Are you well enough to travel?”
I winked at her. “As long as you don’t tell the doctor…”
25
Reunited (Tempest)
I wasn’t sure what to make of Dorian’s gesture. I mean, I really appreciated it. I did. I knew he was downplaying the amount of risk he took. If anything, it just proved to me how much he really cared, how much he loved me.
God, that still sounded crazy.
A few days later, he and I stood together while I waited for my visit with my dad. Dorian passed me the envelope. “You’re doing the right thing. It’s important for you to believe that.”
I took the envelope from him. Confusion split me in two. I wanted to keep my promise to Dorian that I’d at least talk to my dad about it. At the same time, I worried how my father would react and what he might think.
Ugh, I didn’t feel so good all of a sudden.
“There he is,” Dorian said, pointing.
I swiveled my head and looked, watching my dad walk into the visitor’s area. All the conflicting emotions I’d been experiencing lightened. I smiled, remembering how lucky I was just to be able to see his face again. I’d missed him so much.
I turned and looked up at Dorian. “You’ll wait here?”
“Right here, babe. Take all the time you need.”
I reached up and hugged him, kissing him on the cheek. “I love you. Thank you.”
“I love you, too. You’re welcome.”
I turned away from him and clutching the envelope in my hand, only managed a few steps before it dawned on me.
Shit! The ring! I forgot the ring!
The last time I remembered having it was at my apartment. Jesus… after everything that happened, I had no clue where it could be. It was probably lost, or even worse, one of those thugs picked it up.
“Fuck!” I exclaimed, balling my free hand into a fist.
“What’s wrong?” Dorian asked from behind.
I turned around and told him the whole story about how my father had asked for me to bring a memento of my mom, her wedding ring. He’d wanted to keep it with him.
I’d blown it! I felt like a complete idiot!
“He only asked me for one thing! I couldn’t even do that right!”
Dorian stepped close to me. “Okay, first of all, just calm down. Freaking out is not going to get anything accomplished.”
I exhaled, still unable to shake the feeling of disappointment in myself. Second of all, in the history of freak outs, telling someone to ‘calm down’ helped exactly zero times.
“It’s got to be somewhere,” Dorian continued. “Where is the last time you saw it?”
This conversation felt stupid. What difference did it make? It was gone.
“Tempest. Answer me.”
Exasperated, I shrugged and slapped the outsides of my thighs with my palms.
“The, um, the last time I saw it was at my apartment. It was right before those two fuckers carried Ainsley and me off to the warehouse. I don’t know what I did with it. I had the box. Ainsley looked at the ring. She gave it back to me. Didn’t she? Uh!”
“Well, I could have one of my men go by and look for it. It’s got to be around there somewhere. If it is, we’d have it up here later tonight.”
Beyond frustrated, I groaned. “Don’t bother.”
Completely disgusted with myself, I turned my back on Dorian and started to walk away, resigned to the fact I’d have to explain to my dad that not only did I not have the ring but, oh by the way, would you be interested in blackmailing the man who sent you to prison?
This is gonna be one great visit!
“Tempest,” Dorian said, firmness in his tone. “Tempest!”
I stopped but didn’t turn around. “What?”
“Making the call will only take two seconds. I just need to know what the ring looks like.”
I could’ve picked that ring out in a second, even amongst thousands.
“Oh you know, it’s just a simple wedding ring. It’s really beautiful though.”
Dorian cleared his throat. “Well I’m glad you like it so much, but that’s not a very helpful description.”
He was getting annoyed with me. I can’t say I could blame him for it. He continued.
“Now, turn around and describe this thing to me.” I heard him take a couple of steps closer to me. “Quit wasting time.”
I knew he was just trying to help. What was the worst that could come of it? One of his guys would go by the apartment and find nothing. At the very least, I’d know for sure it wasn’t there. With reluctance, I turned to face him. There, not more than a couple of feet from my face, stood Dorian, holding the wedding ring up in front of him.