Mr. Perfect (Sinister in Savannah #2) - Aimee Nicole Walker Page 0,75

Jack after my father’s death, but he was always in the periphery. Far enough that I wasn’t privy to who he really was, but close enough so my mom would know Jack was watching.”

“Why?” Felix asked. “I assume he killed your dad to silence him.”

Jude looked up and met Felix’s stare, then nodded.

“You said your father’s firm was connected to Mercy. Was he a lawyer?”

Jude smirked. “Accountant. Remember, Al Capone was sent to prison for tax evasion and not because of the deaths he was responsible for. There’s always a trail when it comes to money. Yes, you can launder it and slow the feds down, but they’ll eventually find the right path and follow it to both ends.”

Felix rubbed a hand over his face. “So, your father either stumbled across something he shouldn’t have, or he knew Mercy was bad all along and had a change of conscience.”

Jude winced. “It was the latter.”

“How and when did you find all this out?” Felix asked. Then he remembered the interview Jude did with The Auto King last year. “Spencer.”

“In a roundabout way, yes. The interview started off innocently enough, but I noticed Spencer’s hesitation when I started digging deeper for information on the parolees taking part in his program. At the time, it was in its infancy, and he didn’t have a board running the show as he does now. I offered to set up an interview so the enrollees could talk about what their second chance meant to them. He declined.”

“And miss out on the good publicity? That’s odd,” Felix said.

“I told him the same thing, but Spencer just reiterated how the program isn’t about him. He was adamant that profiting off the program was unethical. When I suggested he could pump the extra revenue back into the program, Spencer got defensive. I backed off. I quickly realized the avenue was closed to me, so I shifted my attention to the eligibility guidelines established for the program. The only thing Spencer could tell me was the parolees selected weren’t convicted of violent offenses.”

Felix rubbed his chin. “That’s all I got out of Spencer when I interviewed him about the program.”

“When?” Jude asked sharply.

“Yesterday.”

“Damn it, Felix. Why didn’t you stay away from Spencer like I asked you to? What did you say to tip him off?”

“Nothing,” Felix said defensively. “I didn’t push for information. I…” Felix slapped his forehead when he recalled how he’d triggered Spencer’s red flag. “I made a remark that we’re only as good as the company we keep.”

“Felix.” Jude’s tone was a mixture of admiration and admonishment.

“We were talking about the Sinister in Savannah podcast, and I told him I couldn’t take all the credit for its success. So, yeah, I used the opportunity to get a dig in, but the remark hadn’t come out of left field.”

“The interviews were the incendiary devices for both explosions that followed them,” Jude said.

Felix’s explosion was literal and obvious, considering the situation they’d found themselves in. He had a feeling Jude’s bomb was more personal. “What blew up in your face?”

Jude took another long drink. This time Felix did get out of his chair and moved closer, taking the seat to Jude’s right instead of sitting across the table. Felix didn’t reach for him, but he was within touching distance.

“My whole world exploded because, of course, I didn’t let it go. That’s not what good reporters do.”

Felix nodded. “We follow the lead until there’s nowhere left to go.” He snorted. “And to think I thought your interview was lazy.”

Jude winced. “You watched it?”

“On Tuesday before you showed up.”

“Wow. And you still sucked my dick?”

Felix smirked. “I followed my instincts.”

“The abbreviated version they aired was lazy as fuck. A fluff piece that didn’t come close to telling the whole story.”

“They never do,” Felix said. He reached over and covered Jude’s hands. “I’m listening.”

“Because you want to out-scoop me.” Jude’s sapphire gaze glittered with mirth. It was brief, but Felix was so relieved to see life sparking in Jude’s eyes again.

“I’d planned to fuck it out of you anyway,” Felix said with a casual shrug. He’d planned no such thing, but he loved the wry smile tugging at Jude’s lips.

“Well, in that case, why should I divulge my secrets now? Bring on your wicked ways.”

“I’ve had second thoughts. A near-death experience can have strange effects on a man.”

Felix nearly swore when he saw Jude flinch. He released Jude’s hand and cupped the back of Jude’s neck, pulling him closer. Felix rested his