Bad Boy Secrets (9 page)

             
“Half of Gresham County will be talking about us over breakfast,” she said. 

             
“Only half?”

             
“The other half are talking about us right now.”

             
Pulling her to him, he pressed her down into the mattress, a feral look on his face, “Then let’s give them something to talk about.”

             
Reed walked into his office, noting that the place even smelled different since Cass had been around.  She was out that morning, dress shopping with Evie.  Still she’d come in early and organized everything he would need for the day.  His files were out and stacked on his desk in order of their appointment time.  She’d even set the timer on the coffee pot, so it was brewing as he walked in.  It wasn’t because of their personal relationship either.  Cass had a work ethic, she always had.  It was one of the things that he respected and admired about her the most.  Shaking his head, more than a little embarrassed that he coudn’t stop thinking about her even when she wasn’t around, and even when he’d just pulled himself out of her bed only a couple of hours earlier, he sorted through the mail that had come in on Saturday.  With the mail was another package, a large manilla envelope with no postage and no return address on it.  On the outside, Cass had attached a pink Hello Kitty sticky note, a leftover from Crystal’s brief stint in the office.  The note was simple.  No return address, thought it might be personal.  That was all it said.  Crumpling the note, he tossed it in the trash, more than a little confused by why it bothered him. 

             
Opening the envelope, the pictures tumbled out onto the desk, sprawling across the surface.  Shock was his first reaction, followed by rage.  There were pictures of him and Cass together, in his office, in his house, and hers, of him spanking her while she was tied to his bed, of her mouth closing over his cock while she wore a blindfold.  Each one was more scandalous than the last and highlighted the kinkier aspects of their sex life. 

             
With a muttered curse, he stacked the photos and returned them to the envelope before shoving them in the drawer.  There had been no note with them, but there was only one person he could think of who would go to such lengths.  It was Rowena.  He should have known that her demand for money outside the courthouse would not be the last from her.  She’d hung around town for a reason and apparently blackmail was it.  It wouldn’t matter to her that she was destroying any lingering feeling that Cass might have for her or that she was destroying her daughter’s reputation in a town where things like that still mattered.  The bottom line for Rowena was that she had to get what she wanted, and he had to find out what that was. 

             
Looking at his schedule he noted that the first client of the day was Jackson.  They’d talked about Jackson updating his will and adding Evie to all of his accounts.  He called the rest of his clients and rescheduled everyone due to come in that day, anticipating difficulties. 

             
“Damn!  You look like Evie does when I leave the toilet seat up.”

             
Reed looked up as Jackson walked in looking almost respectable in a pair of khaki pants and a white dress shirt.  “Dressed like that, I pegged you for someone who pissed sitting down.”

             
Jackson settled into the chair facing him and said, with a grin, “Asshole.”

             
“Enough with the banter... I have a problem.”

             
“Cass decide she’s too good for you?”

             
Reed thought about how much to tell him and decided to simply go for it.  “Let’s just say that Cass and I have a somewhat unconventional relationship... And someone has felt the need to gather evidence to that effect.”

             
“You’re being blackmailed.... No offense, I know you make okay money in this town, but there are a hell of a lot more people with much darker secrets than that and they have a shit ton more money than you.”

             
“It’s more of a crime of opportunity than anything else.  Since Cass decided to let the entire world in on the fact that we’re seeing each other, other than the embarrassment of having the whole town see you in the act, these don’t have a lot of value.”

             
“So who had the opportunity?” Jackson asked. 

             
Reed knew that Jackson was brilliant, that he’d always been far smarter and cagier than most people would give him credit for.  “It’s Rowena.  She was at Cass’ place the first night I went over there and it got ugly.  I threw her out.  So she knew we were seeing each other and she also has a habit of holding a grudge.”

             
“So, I’ll go talk to her.”

             
“There’s more.”

             
Jackson paused, and then leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.  “Go on.  I have a feeling we’re getting to the good stuff.”

             
“Rowena made a statement to me that Parker Remington was Cass’ father.”

             
A low whistle was the only response for a long moment, then Jackson said, “Rowena’s been claiming a dozen different men were Cass’ father over the years.  She’d thrown so many names around, even she doesn’t know anymore for certain.”

             
“She does actually.  I’m breaking confidentiality by telling you this, but there is documentation in Mrs. Remington’s file here that it’s true.  She’d made Cass her sole beneficiary and heir.  There are also letters from Parker to her, stating that he knew Rowena was carrying his child.”

             
“So you’re having an affair with the daughter of the man who killed your father...  apparently a pretty steamy one.  And if you don’t pony up, then Rowena goes public with all of it... not just the sex, but the fucked up geneaology as well.”

             
“Correct.”

             
“And Cass knows nothing about this because she, Evie and Margaret are out looking at wedding dresses right now instead of beating the crap out of you for keeping secrets.”

             
“Exactly.”

             
Jackson sat back in his chair and looked pensive for a moment.  “The relationship is public.  I can’t imagine you all are freaky enough for it to be truly shocking.  So that just leaves the identity of Cass’ father to deal with.”

             
“The pictures might be a little more shocking than you realize.”

             
“I really want to see them, but I know better than to ask... Is this something that could effect your career?”

             
“Definitely... but I don’t care about that.  Things with Cass are--complicated, I guess.  If this does damage my career, she’ll blame herself for it and then there won’t be a chance in hell of making it work.”

             
It wasn’t until he’d said it out loud that Reed realized he’d been thinking of thinks with Cass as permanent, or at least heading in that direction.  He didn’t want a fling with her or even some long term relationship.  With Cass, he wanted forever. 

             
Jackson began to laugh.  “Yeah, I can see the wheels turning.  Finally figuring it out, aren’t you?”

             
“I have to go see Rowena, Jackson.  I need someone there I can trust, because that bitch will spin this thing however she can.”

             
“I owe you my life, man,” Jackson said. 

             
It made Reed uncomfortable.  Gratitude always had.  “Well, in this instance payback really is a bitch.”

             
They left the office and headed for the Gresham Motor Lodge where Rowena had apparently holed up since coming to town.  To say that it was shady was an understatement.  It didn’t even rank no-tell motel anymore.  It was like a three dimensional advertisement for things antibiotics couldn’t kill.  Peeling paint, a parking lot that was more pot hole than pavement, and a sign that advertised both hourly and weekly rates made it glaringly apparent just what sort of establishment it was. 

             
Jackson went inside to speak to the manager, and more than likely bribe him for Rowena’s room number and a key.  It was only minutes later that he came back, key in hand.  Reed shook his head.  “I don’t want to know how much that cost you.”

             
“I played professional football, Reed, and that asshole inside won a lot of money betting on my arm... He just needed a gentle reminder of that.”

             
Reed rolled his eyes.  “Hmm.  All I did was two tours in the middle east and keep his shithead cousin out of prison.”

             
“Jimbo doesn’t much like his cousin,” Jackson responded with a shrug.  “Her room is around back.”

             
The cut through the darkened hallway filled with a busted ice machine and a soda machine that had seen better days.  Coming out the other side, they both stopped, staring ahead at the tangled limbs at the bottom of the stairs.  Rowena wouldn’t be blackmailing anyone for a while. 

             
“Fuck,” they said in unison. 

ACROSS town, Cass sat in the small parlor outside the dressing rooms.  Margaret Harper was seated across from her, hair perfect, clothes not daring to wrinkle and a perfect amount of makeup on her still unlined but lightly tanned face.  Cass felt overdone next to her.  The kelly green sundress she wore was well fitted and showed her figure well.  On her feet, she wore a simple pair of nude pumps, Jessica Simpson.  Even though, she’d gotten them on sale dirt cheap, they were high end enough that even Margaret couldn’t find fault with them.  Her hair was pulled back and she’d used makeup to camouflage the beard burn that Reed had left on her neck.  It was a classic ensemble, and she looked good, but she still felt out of place. 

             
“I understand, Cass, that you are now working for Reed Harrison.  That’s a very respectable position.”

             
A dozen dirty rejoinders about her position popped into Cass’ mind, but she wisely kept them all to herself.  “Yes, Mrs. Harper.  I’m very much enjoying working for Reed.”

             
Evie came strolling out of the dressing room then, wearing a simple white gown that clung everywhere, even to the not so tiny bulge of her belly.  She was seven months along, but it seemed she was destined to have a very large baby.  “She’s not just working for Reed, Mother.  They’re dating.”

             
Margaret raised her eyebrows.  “Well, Cass, I am quite impressed.  An attorney is quite a catch... and Reed is very handsome.”

             
He wasn’t an animal in a trap, she thought.  She didn’t say it, though.  “We’ve only been dating a short time.  I don’t want to get ahead of myself.... That dress is beautiful on you, Evie, it’s just stunning.”

             
“I agree, darling.  I understand that women today are more proud of showing off their stomachs during pregnancy, but for your wedding, perhaps we could camouflage it just a bit?”

             
Evie rolled her eyes.  “My wedding is the first week of November.  It’s now the last week of September.  By the time I get married, mother, it will require Southern Tent and Awning to camouflage my belly.”

             
“We could always move the wedding up.”

             
“No.  I plan to waddle proudly down the aisle... In fact, if my belly enters the church a full five minutes before I do, I am completely fine with it.”

             
Cass laughed.  She simply couldn’t help it.  “You say that now, but when you can’t get up off the couch without help, it’ll be a different story.”

             
Margaret smoothed her skirt.  “Well, to give credit where it’s due, Jackson is very attentive and very helpful to you... and I am grateful that you will at least be married before my grandchild is born.” 

             
Those words had a dampening effect on the good spirits of the group.  Margaret instantly realized her mistake, but before she could even offer up an apology, a commotion at the front doors of the shop interrupted to them.  Over the canned music and the protests of the sales clerk, Cass recognized Reed’s voice.  She rose and walked down the short hall to main showroom.  He was there, standing inside the doors, with the sheriff. 

             
“Reed, what’s going on?”

             
“Cass, you need to come with us now,” the sheriff said simply. 

             
“What’s going on here?” Margaret demanded. 

             
“Mrs. Harper--” the sheriff began, but at Margaret’s cold glare he stopped. 

             
“Sheriff,” Margaret said, in a voice that had withered many a stronger man,  “You cannot simply walk in here and make demands without any sort of explanation.  You will tell Miss Blakely why you are here and why you require her presence.”