The Angels' Share (The Bourbon Kings #2) - J. R. Ward Page 0,118

thought with pride.

Her future husband was … becoming a leader. A family head. A man, instead of a playboy.

A moment later, Tiphanii came out, but she didn’t get far as Jeff stepped in her path. Lizzie thought she might better give them privacy, but as Bicks the bulldog and Jolene stared at the drama, she figured what the heck, so would she.

“Ah …” The maid was as red as a tomato. “Jeff. So, um, this is not what it looks like—”

“Oh, come on.” The guy shook his head. “Stop. I’ll have more respect for you if you don’t try to pretend.”

“And I’m sorry, Tiphanii,” Lizzie said, “but your services are no longer required at Easterly. I’m terminating you effective immediately, and if you’re smart, you’ll just walk away.”

The woman’s face changed, growing ugly. “I know things. And not just about the finances. I know a lot of things about what goes on in that house. I’m not the kind of enemy that family needs right now.”

“There’s a nondisclosure clause in your contract,” Lizzie snapped. “I’m aware of this because there’s one in mine, too.”

“You think I care about that.” Tiphanii moved a very expensive bag up onto her shoulder. “You haven’t heard the last from me.”

As she strode off into traffic, Lizzie shook her head. “That went well.”

“Maybe she’ll get run over as she crosses—nope, made it. Pity.” When Lizzie shot him a look, the guy put up a palm. “I’m from New York. What do you want from me.”

FORTY

Half an hour later, Lane was feeling pretty damn good about things as he and Lizzie and Jeff headed back to Easterly in her truck. LaKeesha was dying to meet the new CEO, and the fact that Lizzie had handled Tiphanii? Fantastic.

The bliss didn’t last, though. As they crested the rise to the mansion’s front door, there was an unmarked police car and a CMP SUV parked in the courtyard.

Merrimack got out of the former before Lizzie even stopped her truck.

“Shit,” Lane muttered. “I’ve got to deal with this.”

“I love you,” Lizzie said as Jeff got out so Lane could do the same.

“I love you, too.” He leaned back in. “I was hoping we could go to Indiana tonight.”

“I’m happy to be here or there. Whatever works.”

For a moment, he stared into her eyes, drawing strength from her support. And then he kissed her, closed the door and jacked his slacks up.

When he turned around, he had his poker face on. “I am so happy to see you again, Detective.”

Merrimack smiled in that way he did and offered his palm as he approached. “Are you?”

“You here for dinner? And who’s your friend?”

A plainclothes guy who had pencil neck written all over him shuffled up. “Pete Childe. I’m an investigator.”

“And I’ve got some paperwork for you, Mr. Baldwine,” Merrimack said.

“You know Jeff Stern.” Lane stepped back for the introduction. “Now, let’s check out your grocery list. You remember the eggs and butter?”

As Jeff walked back into the house, Lane passed his eyes over the warrant, even though he didn’t know what one was supposed to look like. But come on, it was essentially a coupon for legally trespassing, and there were seals and signatures.

And the thing stated expressly that it was limited to security footage for a period covering the day before through the day after his father’s death.

“So I’m not sure you’re aware of this,” Merrimack said as Lane got to the last page. “But your front door was wide open. I knocked and knocked. Eventually, a maid came down. I also called you a number of times.”

“Phone’s in the car.” Lane walked over to the Porsche and got the thing out of the console. “So, let’s get this done, shall we?”

“Lead on.”

Lane took the detective and Pete around the side of the mansion and out to the back—and it was the longest walk of his life. Under his poker face, beneath his composure, he was screaming like he was standing at the side of the road as two cars came tearing toward each other on black ice—and yet no matter how loud he yelled, the drivers couldn’t, or wouldn’t, heed his warning.

But in the back of his mind, since the moment he’d sent Merrimack away, he’d known this reckoning had been coming.

At the business center’s rear door, he entered the code and escorted them inside.

“The security for the whole estate is run out of the computers here.” He went left down the corridor to where the utilities rooms were. “This