Empire Part 2: A New Adult and College Billionaire Romance Series (Empire Billionaire Romance) (2 page)

Jonathan

I get through my afternoon briefings and meetings, and when I come up for air it’s after seven at night. My dad has to be back at his condo by now. This is not something I want to talk to him on the phone about, so I head over there.

I practically storm the place. Only Rocko and Danny are there. I ask them where he is, and they say he’ll be back in less than an hour. This shit is big, so I wait. I ask them if anyone’s been up here, or sniffing around lately. They know what went down on the weekend. They shake their heads. The three of us sit back and watch some crap on pay TV, and I wait.

Less than an hour later, dear old Dad shows up. He has some random woman on his arm. It’s not Mandy. The woman is way too young, and the shit he just did is way too fresh for him to be running around town like nothing happened. I almost blow up at him, but to give them the benefit of the doubt, I pull him aside.

“Dad. Who the fuck is this? You can’t even let things die down before you start this again?”

“Boy, you better watch your mouth and step off.”

“Like hell I will. If you don’t get her out of here right now, I will.”

“Calm down, Johnny,” he said, still cool as a cucumber. “What is this about?”

“Dad. We need to get her away. We need to talk. And this cannot wait.”

“Alright then. I’ll get one of the guys to drive her home.”

After she leaves, Dad casually walks to his workout room. It’s like he forgot I’m here. This is exactly how he deals with shit he’s not comfortable with. He either ignores it, or passes it on to me and then acts like it never happened. I get right back into it. I’m not letting this go.

“Dad. You need to stop what you’re doing right now, and just listen to me.”

“What the hell’s gotten into you, Johnny?” He answers, turning to face me. “Tell me what’s going on.”

Finally, the man is paying attention. Like killing four girls in one night this past weekend wasn’t enough for him to be a little bit nervous today. I’m so mad, I’m ready to explode at him. “Some cop was already at my door asking about this woman who got away last weekend. How the fuck would they have anything at all to connect that woman to me? I’ve never seen her. Never touched her. So how, Dad?”

He passes right by me and walks directly to his bar. He pours himself a drink. Hell, I need a drink right now. I tell him to pour me one. When he hands it to me, I put it to my lips and down it in one gulp. He walks over to his favorite leather ottoman, sits down, and puts his feet up. He still hasn’t answered me, but I figure he’s preparing himself.

“Son. What I’ll tell you is you have nothing to worry about.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Why can’t you answer the question?”

“Because I already told you this is the big one. And as long as you shut it, and don’t panic and turn tail for any old asshole detective that shows up, like what you’re doing right now, then you’ll be fine.”

“Don’t you think I deserve a little bit more than that, Dad?”

“Like what?”

“Like some answers. And a little respect. I’m not stupid, you know.”

“Okay. What you want to know?”

The man is clearly skirting the issue, leading me around in circles like a dog chasing its tail. I walk up beside him and stand directly over him. No one can intimidate my dad, but I need this proximity so he understands I’m not joking around.

“I want to know why he already figured to come to my door. There is nothing connecting me to that girl. So why was he lounging around at my condo this morning? You and I don’t even live in the same building, Dad. Did you plant something of mine on the girl? Did you talk to anyone other than the lawyer about this? If this is part of your plan, don’t you think it’s smarter for me to know?”

“How do you expect me to answer anything if you keep adding more questions, Johnny?”

He reaches over to his end table and picks up the TV remote. I’m itching to snatch it out of his hand and throw it right through the glass window, then the fucking TV right after it. Instead, I stand directly in his path to the TV.

“Turn that off, dad. This is serious. We need to stay on top of it. I need to be in the loop. And if you give a shit about me, you will stop and give me some answers right now.”

He stands up and faces me. Were the same height and almost the same size, yet the look he gives me, even I’m feeling intimidated. I stand my ground and hold his gaze. It’s the only way to deal with him and maintain some level of mutual respect. Just like any caged animal, backing down, dropping eye contact, or any sign of weakness is all it takes for them to pounce on you and pummel the life out of you.

After about a minute of his silent stare down, he relaxes. He knows I mean business.

“Sit down son.”

I sit. I get the feeling this is going to be good.

“Johnny, the answer to your question is exactly what I told you earlier. If I tell you anymore, you can hang yourself with the information. Sometimes, ignorance is the best defense. Do you understand what I’m saying, Johnny?”

When I walked in tonight, I thought I had a big problem. Now, I know it’s colossal. I get up and I leave. In not so many words, my dad’s told me that he intentionally connected me to the dead girl that got away; probably with circumstantial evidence or something just as incriminating. My gut tells me this is a time to leave—to pack it all in, throw my shit and some cash in the back of a car, and drive my ass to Mexico.

The only thing stopping me is I gave my word. I could fucking kick myself for doing that. But I’ve done it, and now I gotta stand by my father’s side, and not just cover for him, but take the heat too. It’s one of those moments of clarity; where you can look back as far as where you remember, and just as far into the future, and know your path. What I’m seeing his jail time. Nothing less than twenty-five to life; or death row.

I get home finally and slump down in my living room sofa. I look around my modern, sophisticated condo unit. Every detail is exactly the way I want. I soak it all in. I memorize the place. Because as far as I’m concerned, I’m not going to be here for much longer, and where I’m going, it won’t look anything at all like this.

After about twenty minutes, I curse under my breath. I get up and take a shower. I figure with a short time I have left as a free man, I had better take advantage of it. I get out of the shower, dress in a cotton shirt and slacks, and I leave.

I don’t even know where I’m going when I jump into one of my cars. I drive around for a while. I consider stopping at the bar one of my friends own. No one can blame me for getting wasted tonight. But I don’t. I end up parked outside Rebecca’s place. I’m not sure if she’s home. I have a phone number. I don’t use it. I buzz her unit number.

Rebecca

I know I’ll get more from Robert—or Rob, as I call him—if I meet him outside of the precinct. I send him a text and tell him to meet me for a walk at our spot if he is free in half an hour. He replies right away and says he is, so I grab my bag and I leave for the Bow Bridge in Central Park.

I get there and I’m five minutes early, but I know Rob. He’s already there. I walk up and stand beside him. We may have a past, but this is serious. This is business, and from where I’m sitting, my job is on the line.

“What do you have on Jonathan Sloan?” There’s no time for pleasantries.

“I guess I don’t need to say good morning to you. Since we’ve already seen each other, right?”

“Cut the crap, Rob. I didn’t come here to talk about us.”

“What were you doing with that guy?”

“Fine. If you want me to ask someone else in the precinct, I’ll do that. Bye Rob.”

I turn and start walking away, and he holds my arm to stop me.

“Okay. I get it. Alright. What do you need to know?”

“Everything you know about this case. Off the record.”

“Becky. Come on. You know I can’t do that.”

“You just asked me to stay, didn’t you? Now tell me what I need to know, or I’ll get it from someone else.”

I’m no time to play nice anymore. If this case is moving at the pace it already is, and with the media acting up, I suspect they’ll be charges before this week is out. I need to know everything. And yes, I may be bluffing about being able to find the information from another source, but so far, Rob is buying it. This is the only way to level the playing field with police, and possibly the District Attorney’s Office.

He takes a breath. “Okay this is everything I know. This girl, Doreen Rushton. She dies in the garage of one of those prestigious buildings in Manhattan. That was early Sunday morning. At the time we investigated, we had no idea who she belonged to, pardon my choice of words. It’s a large building, and she didn’t live there. So we had no idea why she was in that building.

“We cordon off the place, and we have a slew of officers gathering evidence and talking to the residents, the concierge and even the valet to find out if anyone knows anything. We get nothing. No witnesses, no camera footage, no leads. There’s nothing, except for footage of the woman stepping on the elevator, and her bloody print on the button to the parking level. And of course, her body, which was found on that same elevator.

“By the end of day Sunday, all we know is, we have to rely on whatever evidence is on her person. That’s the trail we have to follow to get back to whoever worked her over so badly for she got away. Whatever they did to her, that’s what killed her. Were sure of it.

“We put a rush on the evidence analysis. That was two nights ago. Monday rolls around and an anonymous call comes in on the tip line. The person says, and I quote you verbatim, ‘Doreen Rushton was murdered by that Sloan kid. Jonathan Sloan.’ That’s all we had. And that’s still all we have.”

“You’re kidding me, right?” I can’t believe what he’s telling me. The NYPD does not follow every anonymous tip—no matter who it is that was killed, or who the caller mentions did the killing. It still stinks.

“I swear that’s all I know. My instructions were to follow every lead no matter how ludicrous or unsubstantiated.”

“How many of you are on this case, if you don’t mind me asking? Because, if you’re following every lead they’ll need twenty of you to weed through the minutia and find the real killer.”

“You’re right. On both counts. Believe it or not, this is the highest priority case in my precinct.”

“Well surprise, surprise.”

“And off the record again, there are more officers on this case than I’ve ever seen committed to a single murder investigation.”

“Is it because of Senator Rushton?”

“That’s my guess. But I’ll tell you, Becky, I haven’t passed it on to my superiors yet, but finding you with Jonathan Sloan was probably more damning for him than that anonymous tip.”

“And why is that?”

“You know why. You know where you work. Your firm’s reputation precedes you. And the only thing that would’ve been worse than finding you and Jonathan Sloan is finding Kara herself with Jonathan Sloan.”

I looked at the time on my phone. I refuse to acknowledge that remark. “Is there anything else?”

“That is it.”

“Will you give me a heads up on what the evidence turns up?”

“You know I can’t do that. Not if he’s your client. If he’s charged, you’ll get your hot little hands on all the evidence during discovery. And by then you can deal with whoever will be prosecuting from the DA’s office.”

“Well I guess that’s it then. Thanks for the help, I think. See you around, Rob.”

“Hold on, Becky.” He reaches for my hand again. “Can we at least talk about it? I never wanted things to end that w—”

I cut him off before he can continue. There’s no way I’m willing to talk about the distant past. Even if it only was eighteen months ago. “Rob, whatever happened, I’ve let it go. You need to let it go too.”

“We could’ve had something special, you know?”

“I left that in the past. I’ve forgiven you. Take care.”

He released my arm, but gently rested a hand on my shoulder. “Promise me you’ll be careful. I don’t want to see anything happen to you around those people. I don’t have anything tangible, but you hear things. Watch yourself.”

“I will. Thanks.”

I have what I need to know when I leave him standing on the bridge, positive that his sad, loving, regretful eyes follow me all the way until I’m out of his sight. It takes a lot of strength for me to keep walking.

I spend the rest of the day digging up everything we have in our files on the Sloans. After that, I research what’s up on the Internet and in our legal databases and public records. I pack it in after five. I head home, and go for another run with Sarah. I remember to eat after my shower. Yesterday was enough of a lesson. And now, I have a good idea why Jonathan just buzzed me from the front door of my building, and is waiting downstairs.

Jonathan

“Hello,” she answers after I wait about a minute.

“Rebecca. It’s me, Jonathan. Can you let me up?”

I hear her let out a breath and then she buzzes me in. I take the stairs up to her place. She gives me a stern look when she opens the door, but she stands aside and lets me through without a word. She instructs me to sit down and I do. She knows exactly why am here. I don’t say a word. I wait to let her talk. I need to find out exactly what she knows.

“So what did you find out?” I get right to the point when I sit to talk to Rebecca. I’m not in the mood for small talk or gossip. I just want the facts. To be honest, that’s why I think I came here. But when I see her, I’m not so sure anymore that it’s the only reason.

Looking over at her, she looks healthier than she did yesterday after her little slip and fall in the bathtub. There’s color in her cheeks, and she looks strong; healthy. My head is telling me stick to business with this girl. If she is the one Kara put on this case, I need her focused. She can’t afford to be distracted with any personal shit; not even with me. Scratch that, especially not with me.

My dick however, is handing out a completely different set of instructions. It has more to do with wrapping my arms around her, spreading those sexy, long legs, getting inside her, and fucking her until she screams. I need to put that thing in check. I give it a silent but stern lecture to shut it down. I hope to God it listens while I’m here sitting opposite her fine sexy ass.

She relates everything she’s found out so far. I can’t believe the police would come to my door on a fishing expedition. But if that’s all it is, I’m not as worried anymore. Yes, I’m a little concerned about who that anonymous caller is, but honestly, it could be anyone. Anyone with a grudge for the Sloans. And that list is pretty darn long.

She tells me she has questions for me. Questions about the last time I was in trouble like this. Questions about that dropped second degree murder charge. I asked her what that has to do with anything. The charges were dropped. What else does she need to know? She tells me it has everything to do with the direction this case may take if charges are filed. I’m pissed. I’m not in the mood to rehash the details, or prove my innocence over and over again.

“Surely you’ve read the case file, Rebecca. Kara’s got a thick one in that office. I suggest you get familiar with it. I’ve been through enough.”

“There’s no need for you to get defensive,” she replies.

“I’m not.”

“You sure look like you are.”

If she’s trying to piss me off even more, it’s working. I get up and I start walking towards the front door. I didn’t sign up for the shit.

“Jonathan, wait.” She follows me and reaches her hand to my forearm.

I turned to look at her. All that chemistry is sparking around the room and through her fingers, back into me. She pulls her hand away and takes a step back. I’m certain she’s feeling it too, but she probably knows better than to mess with a man who’s not only under suspicion of a brand spanking new murder, but he’s also had prior charges. I don’t make a move. I wait for her to speak.

“Please,” she says. “I apologize. I’ll go over the case file again.”

“Thanks. If there isn’t anything else, I’d best be going. Let me know if anything comes up, will you?”

“Yes. I will,” she answers.

“And I’ll call you if the police or anyone else reaches out to me to inquire about this. Thanks for seeing me on your personal time.”

I turn and leave. It is a smart move; probably the best thing I’ve done in the last seven days. She has her work cut out for her if there’s anything on the Rushton girl that ends up linking back to me. That anonymous call wasn’t even circumstantial evidence. If there’s anything of mine placed on that body—and by now, I wouldn’t put it past my dad or anyone in his camp to do exactly that, as I’ve agreed to be the sacrificial lamb—then I’m surely fucked.

I get outside to my car and I’m about to unlock it, when Rebecca charges out the front door of her building. She doesn’t even have shoes on. I’m wondering what she has to say to me out here on the street, that she hasn’t already told me inside.

“Um, Jonathan,” she starts. “I just want to tell you, thanks for last night. I appreciate how you handled my little accident. And that he stayed back to make sure I was okay. And more importantly, I trust that we can keep what happened just between us?”

“It’s not a problem,” I answer. “If you’re asking me to forget it ever happened, you have my word. I won’t tell a soul.”

“Thank you.”

I open the driver side door and look to jump in, and she calls out to me again. I look up.

“I was going to ask if I can take you to dinner,” she says. “As a gesture of thanks. For helping me yesterday.”

I’m itching to accept, but I manage to keep my dick at bay. She’s potentially my legal lifeline to a life without a prison term; I can’t take the chance. “I’m not sure if that’s such a good idea anymore, Rebecca.”

“Oh,” she says, looking away, seeming dejected. “You know what? You’re probably right. Have a good night, Jonathan. I’ll be in touch.”

She turns around and gets back to her front door. I watch as she unlocks it. It occurs to me I have spent my entire life following my head, and look where it’s gotten me. I was the rational one when my dad committed his first act. I took care of the mess, and all of the others ever since, right up till before Doreen Rushton. I was using my head when I pulled Stephen Harrigan off that transvestite that night that Stephen ended up dead. And I was thinking straight when I told my dad I take the fall for him. So maybe it’s time to give my dick a break. 

“Hey,” I call out to her. She looks back at me and I walk up to her. “Sure. Dinner. Let’s do it. This way I know you’re getting enough strength to handle my case if it gets serious. Want to catch some now?”

The tension in her face seems to ease and she nods. “I’ll need to change. You want to wait upstairs or down here?”

“Upstairs.”

I follow her up those flights of stairs and I don’t regret a moment of it. I get the best view of her ass and legs in those yoga pants, and if my dick had hands it would be high-fiving me all the way up to her apartment. It’s throbbing with joy in my pants. I sit in her living room, waiting for her to get dressed. I think back about last night. She made the first move when I came out of the bathroom, coming to think about it. And she just asked me out to dinner. Maybe she has a thing for bad boys. I figure I’ll take a chance.

I get up and I stroll past her bathroom and walked right up to her bedroom door. The door is ajar. It’s wide enough for me to look inside. She’s standing in her bra and panties, looking sexy as sin. I let out a low groan. I don’t know where it came from, but she hears it and turns to look at me. She does not cover herself or ask me to get out. She stands there. She doesn’t move. Before I know it, I’m right in front of her, with my hands sliding around her waist.

She has an intense look in her eyes as she stares up at me. I’m sure mine look the same to her. I’m all in. I lean in, and electricity sparks through my body when I kiss her gently.

Her body relaxes into me, and a soft moan betrays her when it escapes her throat. I take my time. It’s early, and I doubt we’ll end up doing dinner after this. Takeout—that’s probably what we’ll have. In the meantime, I enjoy the moment. I taste her lips, and part them with my tongue to get closer. She’s sweet. I pull her into me, and can’t help the groan that echoes in my throat.

God. This woman has me feeling things. It’s more than what I care to admit. She’s beautiful; so willing; just so—amazing. I deepen into our kiss. She sways into me. Her body is rubbing mine, and the heat in my chest and stomach ramps up. I feel our escape from this world to the next. We’re lost together; bodies pressing closer, tongues exploring.

Her hands reach up around my neck. I pull her in closer from the waist. I feel her hardened nipples rubbing on me. My cock is so hard against her stomach. It’s dying to spread her legs open and take her right this second. She’s getting playful now. Her hips are rocking into mine, and she’s pulled from the kiss to nip at my bottom lip. I wonder if she knows she’s playing with fire when she does that. I’m about to lose my mind any minute now.