Page 149 of Mr. Charming

THIRTY-THREE

Jade

Logan left before we reached my apartment building. I went inside alone, sending Laura a text message on my way up to the eleventh floor.

“Come over. Need to talk.”

The feds were likely listening, but I didn’t care. I had been using the neighbor’s WiFi, so hopefully they didn’t know about my research.

As I found out more about the players involved in the smuggling operation, everything made more sense. Following the money trail had paid off. That is, if they let me get the story out.

A story this big wouldn’t be accepted by many traditional news outlets and most of the bloggers like Huffington Post.

By the time Laura arrived, I had myself worked up, ready to take on the world. She walked in my apartment, glanced at the printed sheets of paper strewn everywhere and

whistled.

“You got some serious Erin Brockovich activity going on in here.”

“Close the door. You haven’t been with Max, have you?”

“No…Why?

“You can’t see him again.”

“I wasn’t planning on it,” she said, stopping by me as I stared down at the stacks of paper neatly arranged on my glass coffee table.

“Good. He’s a bad man.”

“He’s bad in bed too.”

She laughed, still clueless.

“You don’t understand. He’s a criminal, and there’s no telling what he’s capable of doing.”

“This is Max, the guy you set me up with, right?”

I furrowed my brow, frowning.

“I’m so sorry. If I had known, I would never have recommended it. Do you forgive me?”

“I guess. Honestly, I’m still confused.”

“It’s easy. Max, and maybe Cooper, were involved in a smuggling operation out of Afghanistan.”

“Cooper was involved too?”

“I’m pretty sure. From what the FBI said, they’re ready to pardon him.”

“The FBI?” She tilted her head back and stared at me. “You’re putting me on, right?”

“No, Jen. I’m serious. I’ve been freaking out. They told me not to get in contact with Cooper, but…”

“Let me guess,” she interrupted. “You talked to him anyway.”

“He came to me, to check on me. He loves me.”

Her eyes widened.