Neil, Louisa - One Queen with Two Kings (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) (11 page)

Morning wasn’t welcome
d
by either of them. They’d finally fallen asleep on the carpet in front of the living room fireplace sometime in the early morning hours. Their afternoon nap had been short but effective in recharging both their batteries. Thea was thrilled with the stamina Dex regained. He made love to her until they were both exhausted again. She tried to forget there were men wandering outside the home, yet the idea of them there made her wet and horny. She accepted Dex’s touch and pushed for more. Deep inside she wasn’t ready to face the real world. When they had just an hour before the car was due to pick them up, she finally resigned herself to the fact that they didn’t have a choice. Someday soon they would, but for right now they had to take care of business. The first course of action was to make sure Lloyd was confined until damage assessment was finished.

Dex wasn’t looking forward to the press coverage either. Thea wanted it even less but saw it as a means to an end. Somehow, once your face is splashed across a supermarket tabloid cover it all becomes real, even if the facts do happen to be wrong. For now, she just wanted privacy with her husband. Not being able to arrange it was frustrating, and she renewed her vow to him about their time in the snow as soon as possible.

They finally made it through the gauntlet of mass media that awaited them when they arrived at the company headquarters. Even the small walk from the private car into the building had taken almost ten minutes.
Dex
offered no comment other than, “It
is
good to be home with
my
wife and family.”

Anything else he said would be misquoted or rearranged to suit someone else’s purpose. The
reporters’
questions bombarded them.

“Is Lloyd Jenkins under arrest
,
and if so
,
for what?
”

“
Is the report of his tampering with your plane true
,
and what was done?”

Dex was surprised to see so many cameras. He’d expected some coverage, but this was overkill.

“Is Thea addicted to prescription painkillers?”

At that one, both Thea and Dex paused, glanced at each other and started to laugh. “Let them believe what they will, Dex. We know the truth,” she whispered.

Inside, the quiet around them was deafening as the lobby doors were closed. Michelle was there to meet them, a warm hug for Dex and Thea. “Welcome home, Dexter. I’m so happy for you both.” He watched as she pulled back and rose to her full height. He decided she was holding on
to the fragile composure she’d managed to find for their return. Only when Alex joined them did she finally start to move away.

“Everyone is here and waiting in the conference room. Good luck
.
C
all me if you need anything.” She turned to leave them and was surprised when Alex took her arm.

“I’d like you to come with us, Michelle. You’re as much a part of this as the rest of the family.” Dex noted the stunned look on her face at the inclusion in the family gathering. Alex didn’t let go even when they entered the room. Dex went to Grace and hugged her openly while Thea met Russ with open arms. Dex didn’t know what they whispered to each other but saw them both smiling and crying. For the first time he noted how much blonder Russ’s hair was against his tanned skin. His short beard seemed to highlight the green in his eyes. These reunions were interrupted by Alistair’s comment.

“Lloyd
’
s claiming we’re holding him prisoner in his own home. He and his lawyer have conveniently forgotten to add they asked for this arrangement.” Alistair added with disgust in his voice
,
“He should be glad we didn’t throw him in jail.” His hand reached to Michelle’s, bringing her into the familiar group. Dex noted she blushed but didn’t pull away.

“That changes effective now, Dad.” Thea moved toward her father after listening to the information that had been gathered. The district attorney was due momentarily to confirm the new information they’d managed to gather in the short time that had transpired. With a little luck, they would have
Lloyd
arrested for his attack on Thea. The rest of the charges could come later. “His days of living in his plush apartment are about to end. Now that Dex and Russ are home he doesn’t have any bargaining power left.”

Dex cleared his throat to get their attention. “The only thing we have to worry about
is
his taking flight after his arraignment.” Dexter tried not to let his anxiety show.

Russ interceded. “We all knew we’d have to let the legal system take charge a
t
some point. The time has come. Believe me
,
I’m not happy about the decisions. But this is the only way to make sure he doesn’t come after Thea.” Everyone in the room stopped talking. “Surely you must have figured he’d retaliate against us all.” Russ walked to Thea’s side. “I’m sorry, but it’s the truth. We have to trust the system will work.”

“Russ is right
,
” Alistair said, moving to a large leather chair at the head of the conference table. “I guess we just have to hold fast and hope the judge understands more charges are forthcoming. And if
Lloyd
wants to counter and have me arrested for false imprisonment in his own home, let him.” Alistair hit the intercom button when it interrupted them. They all heard the message, the district attorney had arrived.

The news conference was kept to a minimum, with Dex and Russ thanking everyone who helped find them and for their prayers for their safe return. They both reinforced that because of pending legal situations
,
they couldn’t say any more about the plane crash until a later date.

They were all rushed into waiting cars and taken to the courthouse where Lloyd was waiting to be arraigned after formal charges had been pressed. Thea commented that she wished it had taken a few days for the hearing
,
leaving Lloyd locked up
,
but with the media coverage, things were moving too quickly. Dex sat beside her and squeezed her hand. “It will all work out, I promise.”

“Wainwright Industrial is too large
a
corporation with too many employees and shareholders to push this off any longer.” Russ was sitting on Thea’s other side.
“
From what Alex has told me, everything is being done to make as little disruption to the company as possible.”

Thea joked, “At least we can all get away for our mountain vacation once this is taken care of.” Dex was thankful she ignored the look that crossed between him and Russ.

Lloyd Jenkins was arraigned that afternoon with much fanfare and press coverage. Thea had sat beside Dex, their fingers intertwined as they listened to both sides present their cases. She had almost risen from her seat when his lawyer had told the judge of her drug use Lloyd had witnessed. To hear his side of it, he was the innocent lamb being offered for slaughter to appease the company. There was an inside
coup
to make him take the fall for the executives who had really hidden facts about the plane crash. He claimed he’d gone to make sure Thea was all right in the dressing room and she had attac
k
ed him.

Then their lawyer spoke, refuting Lloyd’s claims in detail. He went on to advise the court of the company’s finding in regard to the financial accounts. They now had proof of his thievery. Then the
d
istrict
a
ttorney stated their side of the case relating to the plane crash and the outright treachery of his hiding the real coordinates to find the crash site. He also laid out the proof Dex and Russ had brought back. He felt with all the circumstances that Lloyd would be a flight risk if granted bail.

Thea felt Dex’s warmth against her and knew they’d be all right, eventually. In the meantime, it was established that beyond Lloyd’s lying about her father’s health and her drug use, his admitting to tampering with the search coordinates was trouble for him. Of course
,
the accounts
’
proof boded against him
,
too. There were enough people in the courtroom who heard his conversation with Thea that day to convince the judge he acted with malice and forethought.

There was also the country club incident and his assault on Thea. Several people had witnessed Alex rushing to help her and had heard snippets of his words in the hall. Thea was relieved to learn that an employee of the club had already called for help for her when he heard Lloyd threatening her.

Lawyers did their thing
,
and ultimately it wasn’t good. Lloyd had been granted bail in an amount he’d be able to arrange. His passport was to be confiscated
,
and he was warned not to leave the city. In a few hours, he’d be walking the streets, telling anyone who would listen his side of the sordid story.

Everyone was thankful when the judge issued a gag order on everyone. They only hoped it could be enforced. They were relieved that the judge issued a restraining order for Lloyd to stay away from all the concerned parties, if it was upheld. It was the look in Lloyd Jenkin
s’s
eyes as he was led from the courtroom that gave Thea a cold chill.

“I’ll talk to Alex about security for all of us for a while. In the meantime, I think the quicker we leave for our vacation in the snowy mountains
,
the better.”

They used a rear exit leaving the courthouse and managed to get away easily as their counsel went out the front door for a press conference.

Dex had wondered if Thea had moved. He was somehow relieved she hadn’t. Hell, he was downright thrilled when he realized she’d changed little in the apartment. His clothes still hung in the closet and his drawers still held his things. Only the bath had been cleared of his toiletries. He found them neatly packed in a box under the sink. That was how Thea found him, standing with the box in his hands
,
staring at his razor and shave cream.

“I didn’t have the heart to throw them out. It just seemed wrong,” she told him, leaning in the doorway, her arms crossed over her torso.

“I don’t know what to say
. It’s
like I never really left. Thank you, Queenie. You really didn’t give up on me, did you?”

“Hope springs eternal,” she told him.

“I figured you’d at least take over my side of the closet. Hell, you did that when I was still here.” He meant to tease her
,
but it fell flat when she burst into tears. Turning on his he
e
l, he caught up with her in the master
bedroom
. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound flippant,” he told her, turning her by the shoulders to face him.

“I know. I’m sorry
,
too. I can’t seem to stop these crying attacks.”

“I think you’ve earned them,” he whispered, holding her close. “You can cry on my shoulder anytime.”

“You may regret those words,” she managed as she reached for a tissue on the nightstand.

Dex and Russ had spoken several times on the telephone and made arrangements to talk with the mechanics and the designers of the plane the next day. After that, they would all take the company plane to Colorado.