I followed behind Dash, feeling uneasy for the first time when entering the overstated extravagance of his childhood home.
Cale Chambers was a ruthless man.
It was fitting that he had one of the most cutthroat legal team known in the free world. It was also known that he was hell-bent on extricating me from Dash’s life. I had become a liability issue to his family’s name. His legal team had kept me from answering for many violent and damaging offenses. There had only been one slip-thru with my stint in juvie seven years ago, but I would have been slapped with a much larger sentence if it weren’t for Cale’s lawyers—and he never let me forget it.
I had believed then that Lake set me up, only to find out it had been a jealous team member and an ex-jumpoff. I felt the muscle in my jaw twitch at the reminder of all I had done to her because—simply put—I was a tool. If they had succeeded, not only would Lake not have been mine, but also I would have hurt her.
“Dash, what a pleasant surprise,” the haughty voice of his mother greeted him followed by the click of her heels. She appeared looking very much like the well-kept trophy wife she was. Her gaze passed over me briefly and just as quickly, dismissed me as insignificant. She may not have despised me as much as her husband, but she never did little more than tolerate me.
Dash brushed his lips against her cheek and took a step back, too distracted to show proper affection. “Where’s my dad?”
“He’s in his study, as usual.” Her back stiffened as her now cold gaze flickered back to me. “What’s this about?” she asked with unmistakable exasperation in her tone.
“Lake’s in trouble.” He missed her surprised reaction because he had already taken off for the back of the house.
“I knew you’d corrupt that girl,” she hissed when he was gone.
“Yeah?” I kept my emotions in check. Dash would never tolerate me tossing his mother over my shoulder and then on her ass. “You should have stopped me then.”
It was a reminder that I didn’t like to be challenged. She huffed and stomped off, no doubt after Dash.
I ran through the mental checklist Lake taught me after one too many jealous rages over the course of our relationship.
1. Take a deep breath.
2. Think about the person in front of you. Are they worth it?
3. Think about yourself. Is it worth your freedom?
4. Think about what you have. Is it worth losing those important to you?
5. If any of the answers are no then release and move on.
I still didn’t get it, but at least it was better than counting to one hundred as some dipshit counselor advised when the university ordered me to take anger management classes.
I followed behind and found them all tense in Cale’s study. Dash must have already relayed why we were here. Cale took one look at me and instantly froze over the Arctic.
“No.”
Dash shook his head and calmer than I knew he was feeling inside, he stated, “That’s not an option.”
“It’s the only option. I’m not cleaning up his mess anymore,” he shouted while pointing a finger at me in the doorway. I was having a harder time remembering Lake’s checklist more by the minute.
“An innocent girl will go to jail, pops.”
“She probably isn’t innocent. Have you thought about that?”
“What the fuck? Lake’s not a murderer. You don’t even know her.”
“But I do know they couldn’t make a legal arrest without some kind of evidence connecting her. Guilty by a little or guilty by a lot, you’re still guilty.”
“Fine. I’ll hire him myself.”
“I’ve been his client—his biggest client—for over twenty years. He won’t take you on without my say so. Now get the fuck out of my house.” I stood up straighter at the hateful glare he imperiled on his son.
“I’ll liquidate.”
“Excuse me?”
“Get your man on board, or I’ll liquidate the entire goddamn company.”
“Bullshit. You have a board to answer to, son. They’ll never agree.”
“Money talks, right? Especially when you’re losing it.” Cale narrowed his eyes, but Dash pretended not to notice. “What if the company makes some bad decisions? A tanked investment here and there. What if I sold off its assets one by one until there was nothing left to keep them interested. The board will do my dirty work for me, won’t they, pops?”
Cale lunged across the table in an attempt to grab Dash’s neck. I got to him in time to pull him out of reach. Dash didn’t even flinch.
I fought back my surprise at Dash’s threat. What he was talking was anarchy against his father.
“Cale, do something,” his mother shrieked.
The lengths he was willing to go humbled me. He’d be a pariah to his parents if he weren’t already.