He wouldn’t have known it was Lecie if not for the accent. “Oh my God, Nick!” The girl was frantic. “You’re never going to believe it. Tasha’s been arrested.”
“What?” Nick struggled to restrain the surprise in his voice.
“She caught some photographer taking pictures of the kids at the beach. She literally punched him in the face. Camille says he’s going to have a black eye.” He could hear her trying to catch her breath. “The police just showed up here and arrested Tasha. What do I do?”
Nick could hear Camille in the background, saying, “I’m going to call Julian.”
Must be Lecie’s brother.
“Do we have to?” Lecie asked, and Nick knew she wasn’t talking to him.
He looked at Jerry Parker. Nick didn’t need to be a math whiz to add this up. “Tell her not to call anyone,” he said to Lecie. “I’ll take care of this.” He ended the call and stalked back over to Jerry. Leaning down, he said calmly, “That broad from the beach is my sister-in-law.” He straightened up, eyes still glued to Jerry. “What do you say you and I talk in my office.”
Jerry stood, looking a little nervous. Good, Nick thought as he led him into his office.
“Look…” Jerry said the minute the door closed. “I didn’t know she was your sister-in-law.” A fearful look crossed his face. That meant he knew exactly who he was photographing.
“You had her arrested?” Nick tossed some extra anger at him, just to let him know he was serious.
“Hey, man, I’m sorry.” He threw his hands up in surrender. “I’m just trying to make a living.”
“Okay…what’ll the papers give you? Five, six hundred?” Nick asked with a shrug. “I’ll give you a thousand.” He tallied the numbers in his head quickly. He’d been saving that money for Molina’s Bakery on Friday. But considering that he and Lecie were getting married tomorrow, by Friday he’d have plenty of money for Tony. “And I want the memory card, too.”
“For only a grand?” Parker objected.
“Let me put it this way…” Nick said with a bite. “You wouldn’t want your wife to find out about your weekly visits up this way, would you?”
“That’s not even cool.”
“Neither is what you’re doing to my sister-in-law.”
“All right. A grand and we have a deal.”
“I want the memory card now.” Nick dangled his hand between them. “And if I find out you’ve kept a single copy of those pictures, I’m gonna call your wife.”
Lecie paced the length of the couch in the living room. Tasha was home now, but mad as hell, and threatening to call Andre.
“Nick said he’d take care of it,” Lecie tried to reason with her. “You were released…and all charges were dropped.”
“I want those damn pictures.” She was adamant, but cordial enough, Lecie knew, because Tasha was talking to her. If it’d been anybody else, except maybe Camille, Tasha would’ve let them have it by now.
Camille laid a hand on Tasha’s arm. “Let’s just wait and see what Nick says when he gets home.” She looked at Lecie. “He did say he’d take care of it. Let’s give him a chance.” She nodded and then looked back to Tasha. “You never know.”
“All right.” Tasha dropped onto the couch and let her fingertips tap out her anxiety on her lap.
Camille shook her head at Lecie. “Tasha’s simply forgotten how resourceful working class Americans can be,” she said proudly.
“That’s true.” Tasha looked at Lecie. “We really know how to get things done.” She shook her fist and laughed.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
AT A QUARTER AFTER SIX, the doorbell rang. Lecie headed for the door only to be cut off by Gerard. She threw her hands in the air, growled and headed back into the living room. Having him around, when she’d just gotten used to doing things for herself, was at times a bit annoying.
“Ah, Mr. Matthews.” Gerard’s greeting flowed into the living room.
Lecie spun around and headed back toward the entryway to meet Nick. She reached for his hands, ignoring how good they felt, and asked, “Are you responsible for Tasha’s release?”
“She’s here then…?” He entwined their fingers, absentmindedly caressing hers.
She nodded, feeling the heat creeping up her neck. “I’m sorry.” She pulled her hands from his and looked away. “I’m just so grateful,” she said, fumbling around the words. “You didn’t have to get involved in my family troubles.”
She went back to the living room and he followed.
“Nick!” Camille and Tasha were instantly on their feet, rushing across the room to greet him.
“Sorry I’m late, ladies.” He could’ve been speaking to any or all of them, for all Lecie knew. “I had a bit of a crisis at the restaurant that needed my attention before I could leave for the evening.”
“My, aren’t we modest…?” Camille said, completely enamored.
“You’re not going to get arrested next, are you?” Tasha asked playfully.
Nick chuckled and shook his head. He reached into his pocket and came out with a regular size envelope. “You’ll find the memory cards that were in photographer’s camera and camera case in this envelope.”
Tasha’s mouth dropped open as she slipped the envelope from Nick’s hand. She looked inside and then back up at him. “Thank you,” she said softly.
“You’re welcome.”
She glanced back up at Nick with a hint of anxiety shading her blue eyes darker. “You don’t suppose he has copies, do you?”
“I couldn’t say,” Nick said. “But Parker knows me well enough to know what I’ll do to him if those photographs show up in any newspapers, magazines or anywhere online.” Nick gave Tasha a nod and a soothing glance. “And he wouldn’t dare have me arrested.”
“Well…” Tasha’s voice exuded confidence and relief. “Whatever you’ve got on Mr. Parker, you have my undying gratitude.” She flicked the envelope against the fingertips of her other hand as she waltzed back to the couch and plopped down.
Nick looked at Lecie. “Can I talk to you?” he asked in a lowered voice.
“Sure,” she said, and waited for him to say something. When he didn’t, she added, “you want to talk out on the terrace?”