Page 104 of Perfect Sin
I don’t like his answer, but I understand it. “Do what you have to do. If Damien is on to us, we need Jesse more than ever. Jones has dirt on Damien, and we are going to get it.”
Gerrick exhales. “There’s a safe at the club. Inside you’ll find a key for a safe deposit box at Play Pacifica Federal Savings Bank. All of Natalie’s evidence is there. I hope you find what you need.”
He ends the call, and we sit staring at each other. “Well, we’re on our own now,” Lucien says, breaking the silence.
“We’ve always been on our own,” I remind him.
Ford stands up. “I’ve got a trap to put the finishing touches on. Tomorrow everything changes.”
* * *
We really needto stop making prophetic statements. They always come back to bite us in the ass. Prime example, after tossing and turning all night, I wake to pounding on the front door. Looking out the front window I see a sleek black town car parked in the driveway.
Raven walks up behind me, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Oh shit. Please tell me that isn’t Damien.”
The driver gets out and rounds the car, opening the rear door, giving me a look at the passenger. “No, but it’s just as bad. It’s Arthur.”
“What’s he doing here?” she asks.
Taking a deep breath I move to the door. “Looks like we’re about to find out.”
“Not like this!” she screeches and runs from the room.
I don’t have time to figure out what she means, because the pounding intensifies. I open the door and see my father standing near one of his bodyguards.
“You couldn’t knock yourself?” I demand.
“Nice to see you too, Jackson. Aren’t you going to let me in?”
I step back and make a sweeping gesture, but as soon as he’s in I shut the door in his bodyguard’s face.
“Jackson! Where are your manners?” Arthur sputters.
“You’re lucky I let you in. What brings you here at seven in the morning, Arthur?”
He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Would it kill you to call me Dad?”
I shrug. “It just might.”
Raven comes rushing down the hallway, dressed in a pastel sweater set and skirt. I fight the urge to smirk at her. It’s so damn adorable she thinks she needs to dress nice for this asshole. I don’t resist moving to her and kissing her on the forehead. She looks up at me beaming. I know then she isn’t doing this for him, but because she doesn’t want to stand in the way of me having a family.
As soon as the thought crosses my mind I think about the blood test she took yesterday and find myself hoping we’ll have our own family soon. Incredibly bad timing, yes, but I know I’m ready. I’m pretty sure she’s not, though.
“Do you want coffee?” she whispers in that husky voice of hers.
“Sounds great, princess.”
I turn my attention back to Arthur. “Have a seat. You obviously have something to say.”
He looks to the kitchen where Raven is pouring water into the coffee maker. “I was hoping we could speak alone.”
I shake my head. “This is as alone as I get. Best speak before Lucien gets up.”
“He lives here too?”
“Yeah, so unless you want to have this conversation with the three of us, you should start talking.”
“Your mother told me you called asking questions about Jesse,” he begins, but I raise my hand, stopping him.