14

Her words almost made me laugh. I eased back, breaking the tense but delicious moment.

“Ms. Barrios, I’ve never been charged with a single crime for a very specific reason. I’m a businessman, my corporation worth billions of dollars. But I’m certain you already know that. However, I wouldn’t have amassed such wealth if I hadn’t gathered enemies along the way.”

“Is that what Mr. Voltair and his wife were, enemies?”

“Hardly. I didn’t know them.”

“Then why were your fingerprints found inside their home?” She gave me a wry look, as if she’d discovered a dark secret.

“I had a meeting with Ronald, a business meeting. My fingerprints were obviously found because the man was generous enough to offer me a drink, show me through his fabulous estate. I’m certain Mr. Voltair had a calendar of appointments, which will allow you to check for accuracy. I arrived at five in the afternoon and left somewhere in the vicinity of six-thirty on Saturday evening. From there, I traveled to my hotel where I planned on indulging in a late dinner and relaxing for the evening. Then I enjoyed an evening with a beautiful woman.” I couldn’t help myself by dropping the obvious. Whilebeing questioned, the cops had concentrated on asking me where I was on Saturday night, obviously the time of the murder.

The warm flush on her cheeks was simply another delightful reward. She took another few seconds to collect herself.

I was purposely allowing my whereabouts during the remainder of the evening to remain up in the air to see how she’d react. That’s the moment I noticed a slight tic in the corner of her voluptuous mouth before she did what she could to act as if nothing ever bothered her. “Did you kill them, Mr. James?”

“No, Ms. Barrios, I did not.”

“I guess that’s for the jury to decide.”

“Would you like the name of the individual I spent several hours with?” Once again, I kept my voice low.

She closed her eyes for a few seconds. “All in good time, Mr. James.”

The quiet drifting between us was palpable. I studied her intently, offEricag a dark smile. “Is that how you anticipate getting me out of your life, denying what we shared?”

Finally, she seemed exasperated. “I’m not in your life, Joshua.” The fact she’d used my first name irritated the hell out of her as evidenced by the way she fisted her hands, hissing and pressing one against her forehead. “Mr. James.”

“Please do call me Joshua. We are certainly at that point in our rather intimate relationship.” I could see her flash of anger almost instantly.

“No!” She raised her voice then immediately lowered it, glancing at the two-way mirror. As she leaned over again, the fire in hereyes became more potent than it had before. “Cut the crap, Mr. James. There is nothing between us. Do. You. Understand?”

I said nothing at first, which prompted her to jerk back, turning away in disgust.

“Yes,cherie. I hear you.”

“Then honor it. I certainly plan on doing so.”

“That will be impossible, it seems.”

“And why is that?”

After lifting my eyebrows, I smiled for a few seconds. “Make no mistake, Selena. You already belong to me.”

She threw her head around, ready to spew her hatred, her jaw so clenched I was worried.

We locked eyes again seconds before the door was suddenly flung open, the man I’d used as an attorney in Montreal rushing in, his face beet red. He looked back and forth between us before closing the door behind him. “I will assume that you have not been discussing the case with my client without his attorney present.”

“And you are?” Selena threw out without looking in the man’s direction. There was a slight hint of amusement in her eyes. I purposely lowered my heated gaze to her breasts, my nostrils flaring from the sight of her hard nipples poking through the thin material of her blouse. My God, the woman was absolutely delicious.

“I assure you, Baron, Ms. Barrios and I were just getting to know each other. Besides, I agreed to speak with her without you being present.” I remained amused, unable to take my eyes off her.

“Goddamn Americans. I’m Baron Von Houston, Mr. James’ attorney.” I’d never seen Baron so exasperated.

“Unfortunately, Mr. Von Houston, it would appear your client will need an attorney who is licensed to practice law in the state of Kentucky.” She slowly turned her head, the flash in her eyes something I would covet for some time to come. “If you can’t afford one, one will be appointed. After all, every man, whether guilty or innocent, has a right to decent legal representation.”

She had no idea that the line we’d both crossed could never be undone. She also had no understanding that while I’d initially seen our coupling as nothing but a delicious descent into lust, things had changed.

She now belonged to me.

“And I assure you, Ms. Barrios, that obtaining a first class, reputable criminal defense attorney is already in the works. As well as his release on bail. However, I will be present during every interrogation and if this trumped-up case goes to trial. Now, if you don’t have any immediate questions, then I need to spend time with my client.”

I had to give Baron some credit in that he’d learned never to back down when it came to those threatening my family.

And the lovely Selena was doing just that, intent on keeping our filthy moment a dirty little secret. While exposing her could possibly be detrimental, I would be forced to do so if I was unable to determine another way. Perhaps karma had driven us together for a special reason.

“No, Mr. Von Houston, Mr. James is all yours.”

Baron looked at me, daring me to say anything else.

Selena took a few seconds to gather her things, shifting her attention from one of us to the other before doing exactly what she’d done before, planting her hands on the table and leaning over. With her hair hanging down in front of her face, it was impossible for Baron to see the way she pursed her lips at me. “If your client is guilty, Mr. Von Houston, I assure you that I will discover it. And if so, I will prosecute him to the letter of the law. Is that understood?”

She obviously had no intention of backing down or giving into the fact we spent quality time together. For all the wrong reasons, that intrigued me even more.

“Understood, Ms. Barrios,” Baron huffed. I could tell by the way he’d issued the resigned statement that he had a feeling we knew each other.

The fire in her eyes was almost as attractive as everything else about her.

“Good. We will talk again, Mr. James. And very soon.” She headed for the door.

“I’m curious, Selena. How’s that blouse now?”

She stopped short with her hand on the doorknob, glancing over her shoulder. This time, as we locked eyes, I sensed her increasing hunger.

Yes, we would be meeting again very soon. When we did, she’d quickly learn that her initial assessment of me had been right.

I would take what already belonged to me.

“Stop worrying, Pops. Everything will be just fine. Baron had me out on bail within two hours of his arrival.” I was pacing back and forth in my hotel room, a drink in my hand. Being arrested certainly hadn’t been on my agenda. The fact Ronald and his wife had been killed only hours after I’d left meant someone had paid attention to my arrival in town, finding the perfect opportunity to frame me.

‘Why’ was the question that required answEricag. Baron was none too happy when I’d provided only a few of the details regarding my meeting with them. He’d flip if he knew about my interaction with Selena.

“That may be the case, Joshua, but you’re far enough away from home that it will be difficult to provide but so much assistance. You shouldn’t have gone to the States in the first place. I understand about your irritation with Shawn Clinton, but we don’t need that business. You know that.” Bradford James was a brutal man by anyone’s standards, including his two sons. However, he’d parlayed what our grandfather had built from blood and sweat into a powerful empire, which was something both Greg and I had to give him credit for.

I’d learned well from my father and his activities, becoming a man mostly inside Canada as well as other countries considered the most brutal in the world. I didn’t take the moniker lightly, nor did I take advantage of it. I had other interests than simply building additional wealth that could never be used in my lifetime. Or even in eliminating potential enemies.

I had hoped that my discussion with Ronald would result in a positive outcome. Never in a million years would I have believed it would end in murder.

At least not unless it had been by my hands.