Charged: A Stepbrother Romance Novel (With FREE Bonus Novel Heated!) Read online

  Under instruction by Detective Foster, who had found out about the bedlam that morning, the three Logan girls were brought directly to the police station.

  Alexander curled up at Leighton’s feet. Finally there was silence. Part one of his plan had already been actioned, part two was to get Gracey out of prison and bring her home.

  “Come on boy”, he said, ruffling the dog’s hair. “Let’s go and see what we can find.”

  Chapter 29

  While Gracey whiled away the hours in a police station holding cell, waiting for someone to tell her exactly what was going on, Leighton began organizing everything he could in her defence. Through his legal team, he was able to find out when Gracey’s case was to be heard (tomorrow morning), what they planned to do with her in the interim (nothing) and how much her bail would likely be set at, if granted at all (over a million dollars, and likely higher due to Leighton’s public profile). He organised a full forensic sweep of the house and grounds, while preparing a team of scientific and independent criminal experts to be kept on a retainer for when a trial was announced, and he paid a team of private investigators to look as closely as possible at all three Logan girls. Leighton assumed Pandora to be the guilty party, intentionally distracting the focus away from herself and onto himself and Gracey, and he was prepared to leave no stone unturned in proving it. He wouldn’t have been surprised if all three were guilty, however.

  He tried to make contact with Gracey again, but was only able to do so through Alex. Detective Foster had forbidden him access on grounds that he was still a suspect in collaboration, despite Esmeralda’s testimony that proved otherwise. There was little else he could do once all that was in place, other than wait, and hope for the best. Leighton knew bail was granted in only ten percent of murder cases, but he didn’t want to think of what might happen if it wasn’t. If he had more time, he might be able to present an adequate case of defence to the state prosecutor, but to get reports back on tests would take too much time. The state was keen to push the case through as quickly as possible, which was why it had been bumped up to be seen tomorrow morning. Murder cases never usually took more than seventy two hours to bring to court. It was standard procedure. Gracey would be put in front of the prosecutor in the morning and be charged with murder.

  It had been a crazy few weeks. Leighton never expected any of this at all. He had come to say goodbye to a man that never knew him. To look him in the face, once and for all. He hadn’t expected to be arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder his father, nor fall in love with someone who was about to be charged for the crime. Neither had he expected to be the sole recipient of everything that his father owned. That almost confused Leighton more than anything else at all. Why did his father, who had spent almost twenty years in the company of his wife, leave everything he owned to him? Sure he hated her, but did he hate her more than he hated Leighton, to deny her his money and give it all to him? There was something he was missing.

  When the doorbell went, he left it, expecting it to be another team of journalists intent on getting full access to the exclusive, messed-up story. Almost immediately afterwards his phone rang, and a quick glance at the display told him who it was.

  Esmeralda stood on the porch looking absolutely exquisite. In her hands she held the document, which had been resealed in the jiffy bag, so it looked like it hadn’t been opened at all. Leighton leaned casually against the door frame, his hands in his pockets. He hadn’t expected this impromptu visit, but despite the surprise, he was always pleased to see his undeniably beautiful personal assistant. He was impressed too that she had the balls to come here directly.

  “What are you doing here, Esmeralda?”

  “Well seeing as you’ve insisted on not coming home, what kind of PA would I be if I didn’t bring that home to you”, she said, pushing past him and into the house. “That, and I thought you might need the company. A big house all on your own. You’ll go mad.”

  “I wasn’t sure you still wanted to be my PA after what happened between us.”

  Esmeralda rolled her eyes. If she wasn’t still his PA, what chance did she have of winning him back? She knew she looked good too. The flight took less time than she did to get ready, and she knew the value of presenting Leighton with what he had already decided to pass on. She’d chased him, but now she was prepared to let him do the leg work. Esmeralda was just as proactive as her panty-melting boss.

  “And I’m not on my own, I have Alexander, he’s been very faithful. I expect that apart from the real murderer, he’s the only one who knew what happened.”

  Esmeralda handed him her coat and walked towards where she guessed the kitchen was.

  “Aren’t you going to offer me a drink?”

  “Aren’t you going to tell me why you are really here?”

  Esmeralda sighed and ignored him. The kitchen was the third room she came to. It was always her favorite in any house. Closest to the food, always warm, never far away from the wine. She ran her finger along the large dining table and slumped down into the huge wooden arm chair that took up space at the end of it. Leighton smiled at her. He knew there was a reason why he’d fallen for her. She was cocky and arrogant when she wanted to be. Pissy and moany too, but right now she was showing her better side. Esmeralda dumped the jiffy bag onto the table nonchalantly. “Red”, she said. “Something full bodied.”

  “Alright”, Leighton said. He disappeared for a moment to the cellar underneath the house, returning with a dust covered bottle that could have been fifty years old. Esmeralda watched him silently while he placed two glasses on the table, filled them both up and then put the bottle between them.

  “That’s better”, Esmeralda said sinking into the hug of the chair. They both drank in silence for a moment, a web of unspoken attraction knotting between them.

  “You know, two weeks ago, you would have already bent me over the table.”

  Leighton didn’t even waver. “Is that what you came here for?”

  “Just saying.”

  She watched him stand up to put distance between them. Even leaning casually against a wall he looked as hot as hell. Just stood there doing nothing but turning the glass in his hand he oozed charm and sophistication and fuckability in orders of magnitude normal people had the impossibility to comprehend, and Gods would discuss amongst themselves as exceptions to the rules of creation.

  Leighton took a sip of his wine, never once taking his eyes of his volatile, lust-filled PA.

  “How long are you here for?” he asked suspiciously.

  He was like a broken record, she could see it in him. What the hell did Gracey have that Esmeralda didn’t?

  “I came to give you this”, Esmeralda said, pushing the document across the table to him. It was couriered to me with an apology from your late father’s legal team. Apparently, according to the will, it was meant to be given to you at the reading, along with everything else.”

  Leighton moved forward to take the document, leaving his wine glass on the table and returning to where he had been standing. It was almost as if he was trying not to get too close to her.

  “What is it?” he asked, holding the package suspiciously.

  “As far as I know, it’s a letter from your father explaining why he wanted the inheritance to go to you. That’s all they told me.”

  Leighton threw it back to Esmeralda and she had to be quick to catch it before it knocked over her wine.

  “Fuck”, she shouted at him.

  “What does it say, Esmeralda? I know you too well to know you’ve already read it.”

  “Just read it”, Esmeralda said quickly, throwing the document back to him and neither confirming or denying his hypothesis. “You’re going to want to know what it says.”

  “You couldn’t have summarized it on the phone for me?”

  “You’re not pleased to see me?”

  Leighton avoided the question.

  “Who is looking after things in your absence?”

&
nbsp; “It’s under control”, Esmeralda said defensively. “I’d figured you’d need me here. I was being proactive. Who knows how long you plan to stay here after all?”

  “I guess we’ll figure that out in the morning.”

  Esmeralda reached for the wine bottle to fill her glass.

  “What is it you see in her?” she asked, unable to hold herself back now. The plan had been to show no signs of jealousy or bitterness, but it was proving impossible to be civil and understanding. She’d been so close, after waiting so long. Leighton should have been hers. He still should be hers.

  “Please don’t do this, Esmeralda. I’ve already had a dozen people evicted from this property today, I’d rather not evict another.”

  Esmeralda’s eyes went wide at that. She almost choked on her wine too. The bastard. Here she was doing him a favor and that was the way he treated her. She was by far the better candidate of the two of them, and it didn’t take a genius to see it.

  “Is she blackmailing you? Has she got something on you. Some kind of dirt that I don’t even know about?

  Leighton laughed at that, and it made Esmeralda laugh too. It was good to break the tension.

  “It’s an apology”, Esmeralda said, lifting her eyes to indicate the document. “An explanation. It’s about your mom too. Where she is now.”

  “I don’t want to know”, Leighton said flatly.

  “You might do after you read it.”

  Leighton ignored the comment, using the pause to move forwards and fill his wine glass.

  “I’m having the house examined professionally”, Leighton said. “It’s going to be off limits from the day after tomorrow. It was the earliest I could organize it.”

  “What if she did it, Leighton?”

  “She’s not capable.”

  Leighton rounded her to stand on the other side, and Isabella twisted in her chair to make sure she could still see him.

  “I’ve seen the stories they’ve been putting out on the news. Leighton Tempest in love with his stepsister, you know how bad that looks? Whatever happens, I think publically you should step back. She’s going to be charged with murder tomorrow. Do you really want to be linked to that?”

  Now it was Leighton’s turn to roll his eyes. “She didn’t do it.”

  “This is bad for business, however you look at it.”

  “You’ll organize a counter campaign. Get a statement released tomorrow. I expect that if you have my best interests at heart, you’ll already be doing it.”

  “They have fingerprints on the glass he was poisoned from.”

  “Gracey’s fingerprints are all over the house, that’s not too unusual. Plus she admits being with him that evening. She admits to helping him to a drink.”

  “It doesn’t look good, especially when they found traces of the poison in her bedroom.”

  “Whose side are you on here?” Leighton asked, tired of the accusations.

  “I just don’t want to see you fuck up”, Esmeralda admitted.

  “Get as much information as you can about the family. One of those girls is responsible for framing us both. That fucking Pandora, she’s a piece of work.”

  “I thought you liked that kind of thing.”

  “Some girls just can’t hide the fact that they want it.”

  Leighton moved closer to Esmeralda.

  “Is that right?” Esmeralda said, her face inches away from his now. If she didn’t know better, he was moving in to kiss her. Two weeks ago he might have been doing just that.

  “That’s right”, Leighton said and took the wine bottle from the table.

  Esmeralda felt shivers trickle down her spine.

  “You won’t be able to see her if they don’t grant bail”, Esmeralda said confidently. “It can take a long time to for a trial to get to court, and in this state they don’t offer conjugal visits. How on earth are you going to cope? That big dick of yours is going to need feeding at some point. Sooner rather than later I’d say.”

  Leighton laughed. It was a cheap shot, but Esmeralda felt like she was running out of options. If Gracey was denied bail tomorrow then Leighton had every chance of coming back to her. He could see that this girl was somehow special to him, but even the inimitable Leighton Tempest couldn’t go too long without fucking. Maybe that was it, maybe he hadn’t fucked her at all.

  “Wait”, Esmeralda said, the thought coming to her. “I mean, you guys have fucked right?”

  If it was anyone other than Esmeralda, Leighton would have given them a severe bollocking for talking to him like that. As it was, he knew her well enough to realize exactly what her plan was. It was confidence boosting to know that she still wanted him, even more so to know that he had the power to resist her.

  “Are you staying for dinner?” Leighton asked, changing the subject.

  “I’m staying until you kick me out”, Esmeralda said, a smile breaking out across her face.

  “Good, because I’m absolutely starving. Find a decent restaurant and book us a table. I’m going to go and shower.”

  Leighton put down his glass and made for the door before Esmeralda had a chance to respond.

  “Oh”, he said, turning to face her. “Make sure Alexander gets fed too, there is meat at the bottom of the fridge for him. I’ve missed you Esmeralda. I’m glad you decided to come here.”

  Esmeralda noticed with annoyance the document that she had brought him, he’d left on the end of the table.

  “Bastard”, she said, and drained her glass of wine.

  ***

  “Surely this is against the law”, Gracey complained, already bored to death of waiting. She’d skipped breakfast, picked at lunch and had low expectations for dinner. She’d also expected to have already been released hours ago, and couldn’t understand why Leighton hadn’t come to see her.

  “It’s just one more night”, Alex explained. “Your arraignment hearing has been booked for tomorrow, after that we’ll know a little bit more about how to proceed. They won’t release you before then.”

  “I’ve been here all day. I’ve counted all the bricks on the wall, I know the distance from the bed to the toilet, which by the way, everyone can hear you use, and I’m sick of it. I didn’t sleep at all last night, and the food they give you, my God, it’s not even food. How can this be legal?”

  “I’ll bring you something in, what do you want?”

  “Pizza, please bring me pizza.”

  “Are you ok apart from that?”

  Gracey thought the question a little redundant. “I bet Pandora and Isabella are enjoying this. They’ve always hated me, those two.”

  “Your sister’s were here earlier actually, giving statements. In fact your mother was here too. Leighton’s had them evicted.”

  Gracey sat up to face him. “Can he do that?”

  “It’s not their house anymore. As much as I understand it, it never was.”

  “Where are they?” Gracey was concerned for their well being, despite what had happened.

  “No idea. A hotel I’d guess. Must have made a bit of money from the story. I think one of the papers are looking after them. They are kind of courting the publicity. Well, Pandora is anyway. I’m not sure about the other one. She seems a little frightened by it all.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me”, Gracey said, laying back down. “Pandora’s always had a thing for being centre of attention. She’s the one that should be in here not me.”

  “Well she’s adamant that she saw you two together at the house last week. Signed a sworn statement to that effect, Isabella too, not that Detective Foster believes them enough to keep Leighton in.”

  “They said they found poison in my bedroom.”

  “That’s what they say, but, you know, tests can be inconclusive, misleading.”

  “Or just plain wrong”, Gracey said, even though she didn’t believe it.

  “That too.” Alex hugged his notebook against his chest. He was a wiry man of about forty five with pock marked ski
n that looked like a mud road in a drought.

  “I don’t want to go to prison”, Gracey said. She’d not cried up until now, but it was getting harder to hold back the tears. She was barely into her twenties. She’d done nothing wrong her whole life and now this. She was the one who sat by his bedside hoping he would wake up. She was the one that forgave him. To be accused of his murder was absolute nonsense.

  Alex could see her concern. He’d seen it a thousand other times in suspects throughout his career, both guilty and innocent.

  “We’re going to do everything to make sure that doesn’t happen. You’ve got the best people behind you, Leighton has made sure of that. You’d know he’d be here if the police’d let him. He’ll be there tomorrow you can count on that. Don’t you worry, Gracey, this’ll be over before you know it.”

  “Will I be able to see him?”

  “That depends on whether they offer you bail or not. You’ve got to be prepared that they won’t. I’m not going to lie to you. We’ve got a good chance and we are doing everything that we can to make sure they do. Don’t you worry about it.”

  But Gracey was worried, and she wasn’t sure at all about it going away. If only she hadn’t got him that drink. If only she’d just left him be, instead of trying to build up a relationship.

  “What do you want on it?” Alex asked, and for a moment Gracey didn’t know what he was talking about. When she twigged, it brought a smile to her face.

  “As much meat as will fit”, she said, and make it a large. If I don’t finish it tonight, I’ll have it for breakfast in the morning. Anything will be better than that slop they tried to give me today.”

  “Alright”, Alex said with a smile.

  “Is it legal?” Gracey asked, just before he left. “You know, to keep me in here.”

  “You’ll be surprised just what is. You’re lucky to get away with just one day.”