Atonement (Master's Protege 2)

For fuck’s sake, I forgot the PD puts calls from the jail through their secure line, no doubt so they can tap them.

“Have you?” I don’t miss the way Violet’s eyes narrow as she snaps her seat belt shut and mouths who’s that? I shake my head and head to the driver’s seat.

“I told you I couldn’t help you immediately and would need some time.” I hear something in the background, and a series of clicks.

“I paid you all my inheritance for your help!”

I blow out a breath and try to speak patiently, though I want to hang the fucking phone up. “And I’ll help you as best I can, but allow me to remind you, you’ve been taken into custody, have you not?”

“I have! And I need you to get me out of here. You’re the only one with enough clout that you could do it.”

“I’m sorry. That’s way beyond my pay grade. My team will be in touch.”

“Mr.—”

I hang up the phone.

Violet stares out the window for a moment in silence while I type in the minister’s number on my phone.

“Desperate much?”

“Tell me about it. Jesus.”

“Something’s off about her, Cain.”

I roll my eyes. “You’re just jealous.”

“I am not just jealous. And holy shit. What is that?”

I look in my rearview mirror and groan. Doesn’t anyone listen to me?

“You… weren’t supposed to see that yet,” I say, shaking my head. “Jesus.”

Her jaw drops. “You are holding out on me! Oh my God. You bought another truck and didn’t tell me?”

She doesn’t know because the goddamn truck’s for her.

“They weren’t supposed to bring it yet,” I say, backing up so we can leave.

“Oh my God, I want to touch it. Plllleeeease. Pretty, pretty please, can I touch it?” She runs her hand along the dashboard of my truck, as if to appease herself.

“When we get back,” I promise, then add in a teasing voice, “if you behave yourself. Now tell me where to go.”

“I’ll tell you where to go,” she pouts. I pinch her thigh, and she squeals. “Okay, alright. So we’re heading south of the historical district.”

“Perfect.”

“So back to what I was saying earlier. Where on earth is that money?”

“That’s a very good question, and I think it would be worth our while asking Gray Descamps that very question.”

“Agreed. If I’m no one, and my parents made all that money… their income has to be hidden somewhere. It can’t just be like… under the mattress.”

“It’s pretty hard to hide millions under a mattress.”

“But it could be done.”

I snort. “Have you actually seen what a hundred million dollars looks like in cash?”

She raises a brow to me. “So we’ve gone up to a hundred million. I have not. Have you?”

“I have. I was once contracted to assist with a drug bust that ended up revealing the largest amount of cash ever confiscated in the history of the East Coast. We apprehended the drug dealers who’d kept two hundred and fifty million in cash in a bedroom.”

“So that’s why your bed’s the size of a small island?”

I laugh out loud. “I knew you’d find out eventually.”

“Two hundred and fifty million is a lot of fucking money. And if your father was as successful as you thought he was… well, that money’s definitely somewhere, isn’t it?”

She looks out the window. I wonder if she’s imagining herself wealthy, what she could do with that money. What she doesn’t know is that everything I have is hers for the taking, and there’s a reason she couldn’t afford my services.

Violet’s mine. I won’t ever let her go. And everything I own is hers.

“I know what you’re thinking,” she says.

“You’re a mind reader now?”

“You could say it’s one of my talents.”

“And?”

“You don’t like the thought of me being wealthy.” There’s a pained sound to her voice I don’t miss.

She couldn’t be further from the truth.

“Why wouldn’t I want you to be wealthy? Of course I do. Things are easier when you have money. I don’t like the thought of you going without at all.”

“No, Cain,” she says in a softer voice. “You don’t like the idea of me not needing you.”

I scoff. “I’m not that insecure, babe.”

She doesn’t reply. We’ll battle her goddamn insecurities until she knows exactly who she is and how much she’s worth.

“We’re only five minutes out now. What’s our plan?”

“He might suspect who you are as soon as he sees your eyes. Maybe we should’ve put your contacts in.”

She has color-changing contacts for times like these, when I don’t want anyone to remember her or identify her in a line-up.

“Nope. I want him to know exactly who I am when I interrogate him.”

“Wait, just last night you were saying that you didn’t want to hurt an elderly man.”

“Perhaps I’ve changed my mind,” she says decidedly.

“Oh? And what did that for you?”

“I want answers, Cain. I didn’t come to you for the good food and better sex.”