Spooning Leads to Forking (Hot in the Kitchen #2) - Kilby Blades Page 0,97

you know about who I am.”

“I’ll drop the charges as soon as you come home.”

“’Scuse me…” Shea had been so deep inside of sparring with Keenan, she didn’t hear Janice’s approach. Keenan looked up in confusion. She wore a summer blouse, had on a creamy plumb lipstick and looked absolutely nothing like a waitress. She pointed to Shea but kept her eyes on Keenan. “You blackmailing this girl?”

“This is a private conversation.” Keenan glared and waved his hand as if to shoo Janice away. Shea bristled at the disgusting gesture.

“That sound like blackmail to anyone?” Janice turned around, addressing her question to other people in the area.

Delilah stood up and turned around and looked right down at Keenan. “Sure sounded like blackmail to me.”

Cornered from the outside, Keenan pressed himself back into his chair, as if doing so would give him distance from the madding crowd.

“Did I hear something about him coming here to find her, even though they’re s’posed to be talking through their attorneys?”

Shea turned around to hear Trudy’s voice. Pushing gently past Trudy, Buffalo Bill sauntered right up to Keenan.

“A woman tells you to keep your distance, you leave her alone.”

“What is this?” Keenan looked at Shea, his face a strange mixture of anger and pleading for help.

Bev Alexander pushed through. “It’s what happens when you come in here and mess with one of ours. She wants a divorce, you give her one.”

Keenan took out his phone. “I’m calling the police.”

“Be sure to identify yourself,” Laura chimed in. “Let them know you’re friends with Don Packard Jr.. It sounds like you might know the asset retention specialists he worked with, which could really help Sheriff Duffy with the case. He’s currently under arrest for several crimes.”

“Doesn’t arson carry one of the heaviest sentences?” Janice Brewster asked.

Keenan didn’t dial.

“Up to thirty-two years,” Dev finally chimed in, displacing Delilah until he was right behind Keenan. “And Colorado’s not kind to accomplices. You’ll do hard time for aiding and abetting.”

By then, every single person who’d been sitting on the patio was gathered around the table. Kendrick had even arrived back from what turned out to be a short walk.

“Elle.” Keenan turned back to her with genuine fear in his eyes. “These people are obviously crazy. Just…come home with me now.”

Dev stepped even closer, his hulking form tall over a cowering Keenan.

“She is home.”

37

The Finger

Dev

Dev had left Duff to the business of making sure Keenan left town—not a real police escort but a follow up the mountain in a marked car. She’d done Dev the courtesy of confirming to him when Keenan was blades up. On any other day, Dev might have liked to escort Keenan himself. But today didn’t feel like Dev’s lucky day. It felt like a day when he was trying to keep everything else together even though he was falling apart.

He needed to tell Delilah and Evie. He needed to talk to Shea. He needed to sleep for a week. He didn’t know in what order any of those should happen. In his fantasies, the latter two would somehow combine. There hadn’t been a day in his life he’d loved waking up better than the morning he’d woken up to Shea.

“Gentlemen…” Dev’s voice dripped with irritation as he glared down at the three men sitting at the conference table in Cliff’s office. After The Spoon, he and the EDC had driven to a meeting at number one. “It is my pleasure to inform you that there’s been a break in the investigation. Donald Packard Jr. has been charged with a litany of offenses in relation to these crimes. Deputy Brody can tell you more.”

Dev looked up at the deputy, who stood menacing and on guard behind all three of the other Packard executives, as if he would pounce on any of them who moved.

“Can you recite the list of charges for these gentlemen, please?” Dev asked.

“Which list are you referring to?” Brody asked for the benefit of the men. “We brought up charges based on multiple firsthand reports. Seems like your boy’s been stirring up trouble all over town.”

Dev could see it in his eyes—Brody had been waiting for this moment. He could see it in Cliff’s eyes, too. This was the moment they’d take things back—the moment when the whole house would come down.

“Why don’t you start with the ones that don’t involve the mills?” Laura chimed in from where she stood on the circle of people who surrounded them. Cliff’s office was massive, but the