Conviction (A Stand-alone Novel): A Bad Boy Romance (10 page)

"Like this," Ayden whispered. He took my hand and threaded it through his and linked us together tightly.

The tears blurred my vision, and I was grateful to have Ayden to lean on as we made our way through the gravestones. Jace's plot was high on a hill with a stunning sunset view. By the time we took our seats, the sky was streaked with reds and oranges.

"Excuse me, are you Ayden King?" The question sounded ridiculous coming from the international rock star, but he was quite serious.

"Yes, sir. And a big fan of yours," Ayden said. He shook the legend's hand.

"Jace talked about you. Loyalty, man, and what friends do for each other. He loved you, and I remembered I always loved hearing about you two."

"Yeah, Jace was sentimental that way. Bet he didn't tell you he had a poster of yours up in his closet. The one with you leaping off the stage," Ayden said.

The rock star laughed loudly enough to turn a lot of heads. "I signed that for him a long time ago. Loyalty. That's what Jace was all about."

Ayden let go of my arm so the two men could embrace. I almost laughed myself when I saw an Oscar-winning actor sneaking a photograph of them with his phone.

The funeral was an A-List of the famous and infamous and by the time we reached the graveside, nearly every one of them had stopped to talk to Ayden. It seemed that Jace had always spoken of his absent friend in terms that made people remember.

"He said he owed you his good life. You gave up everything to make sure he got his shot. Wish my friends had been the same," a notorious chart-topping defector from a boy band said.

Ayden cracked a pained smile. "It was nothing because I literally had nothing. No big deal."

The solo artist cocked his head to the side. "No big deal? Jace made it sound like the only deal, though he never gave the details."

"No one would ever call Jace quiet, but he was certainly discreet," Ayden said. The two men shook hands and the chart-topper gave him a solid chuck on the shoulder.

"Disgusting," David hissed in my ear. "He's been worming his way into any spotlight all day. Aren't you disgusted?"

I dug my fingernails into my palm. "I don't see it. They're all talking about Jace. That's what people do at funerals."

David ignored me. "And as if all the sucking up to celebrities wasn't enough, do you have any idea what his online business degree is costing us?"

"You got your MBA online," I said.

"He closed the clubs. Can you believe that? Do you have any idea what that is costing us? This has to be the most expensive funeral in the history of Las Vegas." David crossed his arms and tipped his nose in the air.

"Ayden decided to close the clubs so that Jace's employees could mourn him. You know as well as I do how much Jace loved his clubs, and how he made it a priority to know every person that worked for him. They wanted to pay their respects." I tried to escape David's toxic presence, but he clung to me through the crowd.

"Well, it’s no decision any businessman would make."

"A business
man
did not make the final decision. I did," I snapped. "It was what Jace would have wanted and, in case you don't remember, that is what all of this is about."

I spun around to get away from David and ran right into Ayden's rock hard chest. He gave my arm a comforting rub before he lightly pushed me behind him and towered over David.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but Autumn seems upset. Maybe you can continue your conversation some other time?" Ayden's words were polite, but his body language was feral. He wanted to shred David's jugular but would not out of respect for Jace.

David took advantage of that fact. "We were just discussing your, ah, interesting choice on closing the clubs. Maybe they watered it down for you in prison but, in the real world, sympathy and business don't mix."

"Like business and respect don't mix in yours?" Ayden took a threatening step forward.

"This is not a discussion for right now," I hissed at them both.

"What exactly was the discussion? What problem do you have with closing the clubs today?" Ayden asked David.

David sneered. "Well, let's check your math skills. What are you at, a fourth grade level? Do you know exactly how much money your little idea is costing Knight Holdings?"

I stepped between them and raised my voice to a loud whisper. "I was the one that made the final decision, and I stand by it. Jace was beloved by his employees, and they deserve a chance to say goodbye."

"Seriously? That's what this is about? That little shit is more worried about business than mourning. If you're so concerned then why are you here? Shouldn't you scurry off to some office and recline in front of a computer?" Ayden took another step forward and bumped David back.

He was about to grab the smaller man by the arms and escort him back to the cars when I grabbed his arm. "Ayden, let it go."

"Exactly," David sniped from behind my back. "Let it go. As in your scam-artist business degree and all of Knight Holdings. You should be back on a plane to Texas within a week. If you really want to show your friend some respect, you won't stay here and tank his life's work."

Ayden's eyes blazed and I held up both hands. "This is a ridiculous conversation for today. There will be a formal decision as to the running of Knight Holdings, and I suggest you wait until then. As of now, this conversation is over."

David gave Ayden a mock salute and found his seat near the front of the mourners. Everyone else had filed into place. An empty chair waited for Ayden in the front row, but he refused to move. We stood together just outside of the crowd for the entire service.

Despite our position, we were still the last ones to reach our car. Thousands of condolences, too many handshakes to count, and the fact that Ayden did not move until the last shovel of dirt was in place, had us walking to the limousine in the dark.

The funeral planner had a flashlight to guide us, and the last gentle words of sympathy. "I'm truly sorry for your loss."

Ayden shrugged. "Thanks for waiting. This was the one time Jace left the party early, and I had to make it past last call for him."

He opened the door for me and then climbed in behind me as I slid over. Halfway across the seat, I stumbled on something and landed in a heap on the leather interior.

"You packed a bag?" I asked.

Ayden stared out the window even though there was nothing but darkness along the cemetery road. "All of his life, people took advantage of Jace. He was too kind, too generous, and he never minded it. I did, on his behalf. I can't stay a minute longer at his place. It wouldn't be right."

"It’s not last call yet," I snapped.

His laser blue eyes met mine under the limousine's glittering interior lights. "I know Jace invited me to this party, but I'm not exactly welcome. I don't fit in."

"And don't you think that is exactly why Jace needed you? He didn't fit in either and that was the secret to his success. Jace was not about to see everything he built go to some businessman that fits in." My cheeks were hot, and I hoped it was just the stress of the last few days. It had nothing to do with his eyes locked on mine.

"Good thing he's not here to see it." Ayden flexed his jaw and looked away.

"But I am," I cried. "I'm here without Jace and, without Jace, I need someone with humanity and generosity and a big mouth to run whenever things get out of hand."

"I forget how well you knew him," Ayden grimaced. "You know no other human being can talk as much as he did, right?"

"And I know you barely put four words together at a time, but all I care about is one word. Please, Ayden, say yes. I need you to stay and help me keep Knight Holdings together." I hoped he did not hear the hitch in my voice, but when his hand found mine and squeezed, I knew he had.

"I'm not making any promises, but yes. For now," Ayden whispered. He continued to hold my hand as the limousine left the cemetery, and we headed back to an empty house full of funeral flowers.

Chapter Seven

Ayden

In the back of my mind, I knew it was insane but that voice of reason was way too quiet. I was standing in the hallway outside of Jace's master suite where I had caught sight of his portrait. Jace had millions of fans and he loved fan art. It was a perfect likeness of him, smiling a huge smile and holding his arms out in his signature gesture that was both a welcoming hug and a mischievous shrug.

"And that's why I can't yell at your face, you asshole! You were always a push over. I should have gone to that meeting for you. I should have shoved that little shit David out of the way and handled it. Then you'd be here."

I figured if he were here, that would mean I was dead, but I was okay with that. Jace made something of his life. He meant something to a lot of people. He was the one they wanted, and I did not want to make them try to settle for me.

"I know you were just shielding me from some Ivy League snobs talking down to me at the meeting, but that is bullshit. I would have handled it, and you would still be here." I ran out of steam and whispered, "Dammit."

The voice of reason was finally loud enough for me to realize what a scene I was making. My only consolation was no one was around until I heard the clattering crash.

"Autumn?" I marched into Jace's master suite.

"Yeah, sorry, just trying to find a few missing pieces of paperwork." Her cheeks had a rosy glow.

"And I was just telling Jace what an asshole he was," I said.

Autumn cracked a smile. "I wasn't trying to listen in, but I think I might have caught that bit. Are you okay?"

She stood behind a large mahogany desk, the old fashioned kind as big as a ship and full of drawers. Just the sight of it was enough to launch another explosion of swearing.

Then I took a breath, "I should have known he had another office in the house. It was all just a trick to get me to accept his charity. Well, this is what I think of your bullshit charity, Jace!"

I charged back into the hallway with my fist raised. Autumn dodged in front of me right before I could punch Jace's smiling brushstroked jaw. She had to stop doing that before she got hurt.

"It wasn't charity and you know it. Just like you know that was the only way he could ask you for help." Autumn reached a hand out to my shoulder.

I collapsed into her embrace; it was impossible to pull away. I needed her arms around me, the soothing shush she whispered, and her hand smoothing my hair. It felt like a door opened inside and all the things I promised myself I did not really need came flooding out. The comfort of a woman's touch, not just any woman's, but hers. The thought made me dizzy and she held me tighter.

My mind tracked back to the last time I had felt such tenderness, and even though I tried to bury the thought, it broke to the surface. My mother. She had passed away when I was younger, right around the time Jace truly became my family, and I had tried hard not to think about her for years.

Inside it had been too much. The longing for a light, soft touch full of understanding. So I had put aside the feeling for fifteen long years.

Autumn's touch was different. An electric current hummed underneath her soft hand, and her heart clamored against mine even as her voice was low and calm. Just acknowledging her pulse was enough to spark heat all over my body.

It took everything I had to push away from her. "Speaking of charity, that's what I want to do. I'll use all the resources I can to double Jace's charity work, make him a legendary philanthropist, if only. . ."

My throat went too dry to continue. There was no end to that grief-stricken thought. No bargaining would ever bring back my best friend, the only family I really ever had.

"We'll do all those things and more," Autumn declared.

"What? Double his charities? Yeah, David will love that. Just throwing away all of Jace's money in the exact way Jace would have wanted it spent. Hell, David would probably try to call me a thief and send me back to prison if I tried."

"He might not get a say in the matter. We don't know yet. In the meantime, we can set up charitable funds in memoriam and let everyone donate. We'll talk it up everywhere, and David won't be able to shout it down. It will be like Jace is here. Everywhere. Loud as ever."

The thought made me smile, but it still hurt, so I changed the subject. "Need help looking for something?"

"No thanks, but you should see his desk." Autumn lead the way into Jace's rooms.

The master suite was a series of four interconnected rooms. The first was a wide sitting room that featured a sleek, modern gas fireplace. It was easy to imagine Jace lounging in front of it on the dark red couch. He probably had a remote tucked between the cushions that controlled the lights, the music, and the temperature.

The second room was part trophy room, part office. It was definitely inner sanctuary. All the framed articles were from his early days when he played hard and fought even harder to boost his staying power. Jace took his position as NFL running back like an honor he would soon have to pass to another. That's why he worked so hard to build up his fortunes and invest. And that is why everywhere I turned, I could see his young, fresh face. Jace must have gotten up everyday, seen his past glory, and walked right by it.

Only Jace could do that with a smile and find his way to bigger and better things.

I marveled at a few of his stats, laughed at some of the candid poses he struck with famous people, and then my heart fell to my shoes. The photographs surrounding his desk and in frames on his desk were all from Texas. And my face smiled out of almost every one.

I did not know Autumn had disappeared until she returned. An hour had passed with me just staring at Jace and I as young, smiling kids. Autumn tried to peek in the door, but her long blonde hair betrayed her.

She tucked it neatly behind her ear and cleared her throat. "Sorry, but I thought you might want a ride to the lawyer's office."