“Not sure. I haven’t opened all your drawers or cabinets yet, but at some point, I’m sure I’ll alphabetize your spices and rearrange your entire kitchen.”
Amusement fills his face. “Have at it. Are you going to cook, too?”
“Yep.”
He puts his arm in a victory pose. “Bonus.” He moves closer to me on the bed.
“Okay, so what are your bad habits?” I ask.
“You know all of them. If something else pops up, you’ll have to tell me.”
“Okay, that’s fair.”
“Oh, there’s one thing.”
“What is it?”
He hesitates but finally says, “I don’t like to waste money or food. It’s an issue I have from growing up poor. It drives me crazy.”
I put my hand on his thigh. “I can understand that. These last few years, not having money to waste like I used to made me make different decisions. The old me wouldn’t have gotten what you’re saying to the extent I get it now.”
“Don’t get me wrong. I’ll buy something if we need it. But I prefer to buy something of high quality and take care of it. And I don’t like going to the grocery store without a list. I look through the fridge and cabinet and try to use up what I have before buying more.”
“I’m capable of that. Lots of practice these past few years,” I chirp.
He puts his arm around me, and I snuggle into him. “I do need to ask you something.”
I tilt my head up. “What?”
He kisses my forehead. “Do you want to get a different place? We could move somewhere bigger if you wanted.”
“I love your place. It feels brand new and has great natural light. I don’t need a bigger space.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. It’s just the two of us. Besides, I don’t think either of us should be attempting to take on any more risk right now when neither of us is employed. Well, you still are, but who knows what your job search is going to look like. No need to add more stress.”
“I forgot to tell you about my meeting with the guys today.” A hint of excitement is in his voice.
I turn to him more. “What about it?”
“Ethan’s expanding his firm to Chicago. Noah, Jamison, and some other investors are buying several buildings, and Ethan asked if I was interested in heading up the new team.”
Excitement rushes through me. “Really? That’s awesome!”
Steven’s face fills with happiness. “Yeah. It sounds like a great opportunity, and I told him I wanted to bring Shira. I negotiated a higher salary for her, and Ethan offered me a percentage of the equity in the Chicago subsidiary. Over time, it could be worth a lot.”
“Wow. Are you going to take it?”
“I think so. Ethan said he’d send over a formalized offer letter for both me and Shira next week.”
I slide up on him and run my hands through his thick hair. “Congratulations. I told you that you were hot meat.”
His grin widens. “I’m hot meat?”
“Yeah. You’re like hot-and-spicy pork sausage with Carolina Reaper chillis.”
He snorts. “What is a Carolina Reaper chili?”
I dramatically gasp. “How can you not know what a Carolina Reaper chili is? It’s the hottest in the world. This is a sin, Steven.”
“A sin, huh?”
“Yes. We’re seriously going to have to get you acquainted with the different levels of heat.”
He raises his eyebrows, and his expression turns cocky. “I’m down to experiment with all kinds of heat levels with you.” He pushes my hair away and brushes his lips on my neck.
“Hmm. What—”
His phone rings.
“It’s Quinn. I better get it.” He reaches for his cell on the nightstand. “Hey.”
I stroke his cock over his jeans, but the color drains from his cheeks, and he sits up.
“When?”
A cold chill runs down my spine.
He closes his eyes, shaking his head. “We need to call Claire.”
I sit up.
“I’ll meet you there.” He hangs up.
“What’s going on?”
“The FBI just showed up at Quinn and Jamison’s. They arrested my mom for donation fraud and money laundering.”
“What?”
“Jamison called Claire, and she’s on her way to the station. I’m meeting them there.”
I rise. “I’ll go with you.”
“Okay.”
We get to where they are holding Beth, but only Claire is allowed to see her. For hours, we wait down the street at a restaurant for her to call us, but she never does. Claire walks into the restaurant alone.
“Where’s my mom?” Quinn cries out.
Claire calmly states, “It’s late on Saturday, and the next bail hearing isn’t until Monday morning.”
“She has to stay in jail over the weekend?”
“Unfortunately, yes. The good news is I had all my notes from earlier today about our meeting, and I recorded it with a date and time stamp. I don’t know these agents, but I’m waiting for a call back from the ones I’ve worked with in the past.”
“So my mom rots in jail, and Maximillion gets to run around free?” Steven seethes.
“No. We’ll get her out Monday,” Claire insists.
I put my hand around Steven’s clenched fist, which is against his thigh.
Hope wails, and Jamison says, “I think we need to take Hope home, Quinn.”
With glistening eyes, she hugs Steven, and they leave.
Steven turns to Claire. “How bad is this? Now that Quinn isn’t here, please don’t sugarcoat anything.”
“I’m going to do my best. You have my word.”
“How bad is it?” he repeats.
Claire swallows hard. “She’s looking at twenty to twenty-five years.”
25
Steven
My stomach twists so fast, I think I might get sick.
Twenty to twenty-five years.
“You have to help her!” I beg Claire.
“I will. I am. I promise. Try to stay calm.”
“Calm? My mother is going to rot in prison, and he’s going to get off without even a slap on the wrist.”
“Steven,” Harper gently says and holds my arm.
Claire continues to talk in a low voice. “You don’t know what is going to happen. We need to keep our heads in the game. Monday, she’ll be in court first thing.”
“I need some air.”
“That’s a good idea,” Claire agrees. “We shouldn’t talk in public about her case.”
We step outside. Day has turned into night. The fierce wind slaps me in the face, and it seems appropriate.
My entire life, Maximillion’s been playing my mom. Using her for whatever he needs and giving her nothing but empty promises and heartache. And now, he’s done this.
How could he?
She’s been nothing but loyal to him.
It’s a new low, even for Maximillion. I’ve always known he’s a selfish narcissist. I’ve always hated him and wanted my mother to end it with him. But I never imagined he would harm her in this capacity.