“What? Wait for this bastard to make his move. I’ve got a wife and kid on the way. I can’t wait to be arrested and trying to fight a crime I didn’t f**king commit.”
Lucas waited for Cadeon to finish. “Whoever this guy is, he hasn’t made his move. We can be implicated and put out of the picture, so why hasn’t he done it?”
All of them looked at one another.
“He wants something.”
“You don’t know that, Lucas. He’s playing with us.”
“With all due respect, Cadeon, you’ve never dealt with a man like this. I have. I’ve been in the force, and I was tracking Green for years. I know these men. This guy is smart. He wants something from us. It will probably be the one thing that will break the whole case, and we just haven’t found it.”
Cadeon burst out laughing. “Great, our whole life is based on us finding some piece of evidence that doesn’t implicate us but keeps the bad guy locked up.”
“I know it is not the best news, but at the moment it is all we’ve got.”
James stared at the laptop. The coil of fear built in his gut. He didn’t like this at all. They were all in danger. He needed to get Prudence.
“If we’re done here then I think it is time for you to leave.”
“We need to discuss what we’re going to do,” Stephen said.
“No. I need to get my woman from her sister’s. What we need to do is talk to that f**king bastard who used us. I want this shit out of our life, Stephen. I didn’t sign up for being a saviour. I’m happy being the guy who runs my club and is in the background of business. This is not my business. It does not concern me.”
James walked over and slammed the laptop down.
“You can’t turn your back on us like this.”
“I’m not. I’m turning my back on the stuff that gets people killed. This is not some action movie where everyone goes home the victor, Stephen. People end up dead and not always the bad guy. If you want to exhume our parents then do it. I want no part of it.”
James walked out of the sitting room and went into his office to collapse on the chair. When he heard all of them leave, he got up and made the call to Arthur to pick him up.
Chapter Twenty
Over the next few days James wouldn’t let Prudence out of his sight. He spent every waking moment with her. When he had to go to the club, he took her with him. She stayed in his office reading a book or listening to music as he worked. He knew she wanted to help Jermaine, but he refused. The only way he could guarantee her safety was if she were by his side. None of the guys talked to him, and he was more than happy with the arrangement.
They were his friends, and he cared about them. Still, Prudence was his whole world, and he knew what Cadeon meant. If a choice came, he’d take Prudence and run like hell.
“You look tired,” she said, wrapping her arms around him. He sat in his office chair. It was late in the afternoon, only a couple of hours before Ravage would open. Jermaine was filling the bar while Leo manned the door.
“I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
“I’m here for you, Sir. You know that.” He kissed her hands loving the way they felt wrapped around him.
“I love you, too.”
She chuckled. “I’m never going to get tired of hearing that.”
“You better not.”
“I never thought we’d be like this.”
He turned and pulled her into his lap. “Like what?”
“Together. Loving each other. I used to dream about us at night. What it would be like. I wondered how it would feel if you ever told me you loved me.”
“Does it live up to your expectations?” he asked, nibbling her neck.
“It’s so much better than what I imagined. You’ve made me the happiest woman in the world.”
James smiled. When Prudence was in his arms, he was the happiest man in the world. She completed him unlike anything he’d ever known. He was about to pull the ring out of his pocket when his cell phoned buzzed. James glared at the device and wondered if he should just turn it off and go back to proposing to his woman.
“You better get that. It could be important,” she said, easing off his lap. Prudence went back to lying across the sofa. He kept his gaze on her as he answered his phone.
“This had better be good.”
“You’re needed here, James. It is necessary that you come. Come alone,” Cadeon said.
James rolled his eyes staring at the clock. “Fine, I’ll be there.”
He closed his phone.
“Trouble in paradise?” she asked, looking over her shoulder at him.
“Yes. Do you want me to drop you off at the house?” he asked.
“Are you coming back here?”
He nodded his head. “I have stuff to do.”
“Then I’ll wait here until you get back. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”
James leaned down to kiss her. “I love you. I’ve got something important to ask you when I get back.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
He kissed her again, grabbed his coat, and made his way out of the office. “Enjoy your book,” he said.
“I’d rather be enjoying you.”
He laughed and moved out of the office. “I’m going to be gone for a little while, Leo. Can you hold everything down? Prudence is in my office. Please, keep an eye on her. I’d take her with me, but I think it is best she stay here.”
His gut was screaming for him to take her with him. Leo nodded his head. “Sure thing, Boss.”
James nodded his head then moved towards the car where Arthur was waiting. “Take me to Possession, please.”
“Certainly, Sir.”
He tapped his knee on the drive over. His thoughts constantly turned to Prudence. He shouldn’t have left her. Whatever they had to say here should be heard by her. She was part of him now. The moment the gates came into view, he got Arthur to drive close for him to type in the security code.
He was getting agitated with each minute that passed. Before Arthur parked the car, he was out and heading inside the club. The place looked abandoned.
James made his way down to the main bar. Possession was completely empty, and it was the first time he’d seen it like that. He fingered the box he had in his pocket wondering what Prue would say when he asked her to marry him. He’d been about to ask her when that blasted call interrupted him.
The sound of shouting came from Stephen’s office. He turned and headed back in that direction. He walked into the office and saw Rebecca, Isabella, and Dane shouting. His friends had surrounded the trio. James put both hands in his pocket and felt the envelope he’d put in there several days ago.