Ruin Me (Savage Bosses)

Chapter 32

CHAPTER 32

M adison

Everything in me screamed to tell Kent what I found, but I couldn’t. Anything coming from me or Kent would cause the prosecution and cops to consider us with suspicion. With the way the prosecutor went after Kent in the courtroom during his arraignment, I wouldn’t put it past the DA to claim we’d planted evidence.

Not telling Kent was one secret on top of another. I also couldn’t confess to the bargain I’d made with Ife. Knowing the bombshell I had in my lap would free Kent in a matter of days dampened my happiness. From the concern turning down Kent’s eyes, he probably suspected I was hiding things, but right now I had no choice.

“Little bunny?”

I ran into his arms before the police put handcuffs on him again and led him back to jail. “Kent, I’m so sorry the hearing didn’t go as planned.”

He squeezed me and kissed my forehead. “Me, too. I wanted to make up for not being by your side every night.”

“Oh.” I stepped out of his embrace. “I have the proxy documents you asked for.” I pulled an envelope from my purse and handed it to him.

“Good. I’ll make you my proxy?—”

“No, I don’t want that.”

He wrinkled his brow in confusion. “By giving you my proxy, I’m protecting you.”

I cradled his face in my hands. “I understand the thought behind the gesture, but you need to give them to Ife. Think about the optics. If I show up with your votes, I’ll only fan the flames of your opposition rather than oust them. Ife has history voting, and more of a stake in keeping you in charge.”

“My daughter is in a lot of pain right now and lashing out. She didn’t even show up in court today.”

“True, but deep down, she’s not vindictive. She knows cutting you out of your company is a step too far.”

Kent breathed in and looked to the ceiling before meeting my gaze. “Do you trust she’s on my side?”

I nodded, keeping the fact I’d removed the biggest obstacle to getting her agreement a secret.

“Alright. Ife will be my proxy.” Kent signed the documents and handed them to me.

I drew his face to mine for a much-needed kiss. A clock ticked in my head, counting down every moment we had that I needed to log into memory for when I wouldn’t see Kent’s face or hear his voice again. I intended to stockpile every second so when the pain became unbearable and the loneliness drove me to despair, I’d have a part of Kent to keep me sane.

“Hey Quarren, I can’t delay any longer. The transport’s about to leave and I need your client on the bus.”

I pulled away to find an officer talking with Kent’s lawyer. The man turned to us, his handcuffs ready to click around Kent’s wrist.

“Get some sleep little bunny. Quarren will surely win his motion tomorrow. And give the kids an extra treat for me,” Kent said, talking about our pets.

We didn’t linger over goodbyes. A good thing because I was close to breaking down. He chucked me under the chin and allowed the officer to cuff him. He soon disappeared from view.

My throat ached with the need to cry, but I had many days ahead of me to weep. For now, I needed to fight for my man’s freedom.

After leaving the courthouse, I called Ife. “Meet me at my mom’s.” I hung up without extending the conversation. Not that Ife would want to chitchat given the current state or lack of one regarding our friendship.

When I arrived at the Montgomery house, my dad greeted me. “Things didn’t go as planned?”

“Not even close. But Kent’s lawyer is doing his best.”

Dad squeezed my arm and pulled me into his arms. I breathed in his familiar scent, taking comfort in the strength, warmth, and acceptance I’d always found with him.

“Alright, baby girl, Ife’s waiting for you in the living room. While you two are busy, I’m going to take my granimals for a walk. I doubt they got a proper exercise following you around all day.”

“You’re right. The guards try to keep them distracted but they’ve grown attached to me and want to be around me all the time.”

“Like that cat. He struts around here like he owns the place until you get home. He turns into molasses so fast, I get whiplash.” Dad kissed my nose, leaving me with the task Kent gave me.

I straightened my shoulders and entered the living room.

“I’ve been looking over these pictures your investigator took and I think he found something,” Ife said as soon as I crossed the threshold.

She sat on the ground with printouts surrounding her in various piles.

“Here. These are for you.” I handed her the envelope with the proxy.

She opened it with a frown. However, as she read, her eyebrows raised. “Isn’t this a bit drastic? After all, he’s getting out today.”

“Actually, he’s not. I just came from the hearing.”

Ife checked her watch. “Shit! I can’t believe I missed it. I was deep into these documents.” She rocked back on her heels. “He must have thought the worst of me for not being there to support him.”

“Your father is more understanding than you give him credit.” I cleared my throat, reminding myself now’s not the time to fall apart. “We’re expecting an announcement for an emergency meeting to come out soon, so look out for an email.”

Ife studied my face. “There’s something else on your mind, isn’t there?”

I kneeled beside her and booted my laptop, where I’d transferred the photos I’d taken. “Sam’s not the only one who found something.”

“Oh my God, Mads!” Ife blanched, her warm brown complexion took on an ashen undertone. “You got these from Hal’s house?”

“Yeah, which means he’s the one who’s been killing all these women.”

“But there are more here than are connected to my dad. We have to get these to the police.”

“We can’t.” I stalled her from leaping off the ground and explained why they would doubt any evidence we brought to them they didn’t find on their own. “I can’t even call in a tip without worrying they’ll trace the call back to me.”

Ife slumped down but perked up a second later. “You have staff with random connections. Can’t they call in a tip?”

“I thought about that but haven’t figured out how to point the police to the exact location without sparking an investigation that will uncover my employee. On top of that, there were other files I found worrying. And I’m sure you’ll share my concerns when you see why.” I located the image of the three empty files I found and showed it to her.

She crinkled her brow and switched from studying the photo to me. “Am I understanding what I’m seeing?” She pushed my laptop away to pace. “Hal labeled the folders with the other women by their surnames. Two of those folders have our surnames on them.”

“I think you need to hire some bodyguards,” I said as she paced, her energy more manic as she dwelled on the threat.

“I had dinner with Hal. He could have?—”

“But he didn’t, and I think it’s because he still needs you.”

“If that’s the case, why is your file empty? He seems to have it out for you, yet he hasn’t made a move since Carol.”

I shrugged, although I had a theory. “I think Hal deeply hates your father. He’ll either wait for him to be released, which is tenuous right now, or he’ll engineer the perfect moment to inflict the most emotional damage.”

“Does my father know about this?” Ife plopped beside me, and her openness and proximity were painful reminders of other times we worked toward a common goal.

“Not yet. I don’t like the idea of him knowing and not being able to act on the information while he’s behind bars. Honestly, I just want him out.”

“Alright, if Dad’s out, and your people are out, we might need bigger guns.”

“Bigger guns, huh? You know, the way your father’s arrest went down never sat right with me.” It was my turn to pace the room. I cupped my chin as I thought about the timeline of events. “They arrested him on a day and at a time when any city official worth their weight was off the clock to make Kent stew in jail. What if their purpose was to prevent him from contacting someone with enough pull to get him out?”

“Someone like…”

“Valentino,” we said in the same breath.

“Why didn’t I think of him before? I was quick to drop his name to see Kent. I should have gone to his house?—”

“I thought you were bluffing when you talked to the officer.”

I sent her a sheepish grin. “I was. Kent knows him like that, I don’t.”

“Well, I guess the two of us are going to get better acquainted with him because neither of us wants my dad to spend another night in jail.”