Rebecca Joyce (9 page)

Braxton had never met a more infuriating woman in his life. She didn’t like cooking, she didn’t like cleaning, she didn’t like loud music, loud noises, any form of sports, and she preferred a quiet room with a good book. But the weird thing was if he took the time to explain and show her how do something, she did it exactly as she was shown. It was almost like she was learning it for the first time. The problem was that he just didn’t have the time to teach her what she should already know how to do.

The one thing she excelled at was in the bed.

His little baby doll was a tiger in the sheets, sucked a mean cock, and fucked like it was the end of the world, but without a computer in her hands, she was just plain useless. She followed directions beautifully in the bedroom. He had to find her something to do besides sitting at his house, destroying it with her so-called help.

Jordan did his best picking up the slack. Braxton gave the man props. He could cook, clean, do laundry, and still find the time to run interference between him and Charlotte. But Braxton couldn’t let go of the fact that Charlotte was still playing some sort of game, because someone as smart as her could not be that inept in everything else.

So when Matthew Jenkins walked by the front of the sheriff’s office, Braxton jumped to his feet, quickly formulating a plan.

* * * *

Charlotte walked into the law office of Matthew Jenkins, and instantly her nerves assailed her. She didn’t know why the Treasure Cove attorney wanted to see her, but when Braxton told her to meet the man at two o’clock today, she was literally given no choice. So, dressed and ready for whatever awaited her, she went in search of the man.

She hated attorneys just as much as she hated law enforcement. The two were one in the same for her, and she never met one she liked, and that included Braxton. It was his fault she didn’t have anything to do. She tried her best to help at the house, but no, all she got for her troubles were his loud shouts and plenty of bitching.

All she wanted was her things. She felt lost without her belongings.

Charlotte was still angry with Braxton, but Jordan kept assuring her that it was his way of teaching her. Well, Braxton’s way sucked big balls! The only thing saving the overgrown dominant was that he was a great lay, that and Jordan was smitten with the brute.

She loved Jordan and deep down. If she really wanted to admit to herself, she was falling for Braxton, too, but she would see herself burning in hell before she told him that. Love only caused trouble, and trouble never had a problem finding her. She loved where she was now, and she saw no sense making waves.

Her whole adult life had been running from one or the other. Always one step ahead, she always seemed to move on just before trouble came searching for her. Never had she thought she would go looking for trouble.

Fuck, I must be losing my mind.

The small waiting room was nicely decorated. Wood-paneled walls gave a soft, warm feeling, and the soft-beige furniture seemed to go with the décor. The sporadic plants were a nice touch, and with the degrees on the walls, it looked like any other law office.

The office was the perfect illusion. As soon as you got comfortable, the wheels of justice turned on you and sentenced your ass to twenty-five to life for crimes you never committed. She learned that firsthand. Lady Justice didn’t care if you were innocent or not. Someone always had to pay.

“May I help you?” the young redhead sitting at the desk asked, putting on a fake smile.

Charlotte knew her attire wasn’t what one would wear to a law office, but damn it, Braxton was refusing to allow her to go with him and Jordan to get their belongings. She was told a flat “hell no”’ and then ordered to this office. She hated the idea of them going in her room and touching her things. Her pulse raced and her mind whirled when she thought of them touching her computers. Trying hard to stem the chaos in her mind, she focused on the problem at hand, her clothes.

Dressed in her baggy jeans, black biker boots, and a red tank saying
“Wanna Lick”
embossed across her chest, she looked like a ruffian, or worse, a thug about to rob the place.

“I’m Charlotte Brooks. I have an appointment with Mr. Jenkins.”

“He is still with a client. If you have a seat, I will let him know you’re here.”

“Thank you,” Charlotte replied and quickly found a seat. Grabbing one of the magazines on the little table before her, she began randomly flipping through it, not reading but just passing the time as she waited. After going through the fourth magazine, she was alerted when a door opened and out walked a pretty brunette with a satisfied smile on her face quickly followed by a tall man grinning and adjusting his tie.

Jumping to her feet, she watched as the pretty brunette turned and slapped the man as he grabbed her ass. “Stop it, Matthew. I mean it,” she chastised the handsome older man.

“Come on, Macie, you know you’re gonna give in. Why keep up the pretense?”

“It’s a matter of self-preservation. I don’t want what you’re offering,” she replied, and with her head held high, she walked graciously out of the office, only to have the man yelled after her, “Well you should have thought about that last night before I had your ass chained to my sawhorse!”

Laughing as he ducked when a rock flew by his head, he shut the office door and looked directly at her. “Forgive my outburst, my dear. She can be a handful sometimes.”

“I can see that.” Charlotte smiled.

“You must be Charlotte Ann Brooks. I am Matthew Jenkins. Please follow me,” he said, motioning for her to go first.

Walking into his private office, she was shocked to find a more sunny, peaceful feeling. The room was washed in a soft pale-green color. A wall water fountain gave a serene feeling as the sounds of running water filled the room. She liked the sounds of running water. The Japanese plants and soft bamboo furniture were not what she expected, nor was the large surfboard hanging on the wall behind his desk.

Great, he’s a surfer lawyer!

“Please have a seat while I grab the folders. Would you like anything?” Mr. Jenkins asked.

“A fifth of scotch,” she whispered, getting comfortable in the overstuffed chair.

A loud booming laugh filled the small quarters. “It’s a little early for hard liquor, Charlotte. How about a soda?”

“That will be fine.” She sulked.

Damn, I hate this place, I hate this office, and I hate Braxton! Why the fuck am I here?

She was alone with her thoughts for only a second or two when he returned, handing her a Pepsi.

“So, Braxton tells me you’re good with computers. I may have a job for you, that is, if you want to help an elderly attorney.”

“You’re not old. You can’t be more than forty,” she whispered, trying to concentrate on the conversation. She really hated this office. It was making her uncomfortable.

“Thank you for that, my dear, but as the father of a twenty-nine-year-old daughter and the grandfather of a precocious eight-year-old granddaughter, I am indeed knocking on fifty.” Matthew smiled.

“Could have fooled me. So what can I do for Treasure Cove’s attorney?” Charlotte asked, cutting to the chase. She didn’t mind small talk, only if it was pertinent to something interesting. This was not. Sitting in this office having small talk with the enemy, she didn’t want to know too much about him, nor did she want to get chummy.

“Straight and to the point, I like you, Charlotte. I don’t know what Braxton has told you, but I am in a conundrum. I have my own cases that need my attention, and now with this Charter business, I seem to have overextended myself. This town has hired me to investigate a little matter that has now grown to a gargantuan degree.

“I am looking for a computer researcher who can navigate and assimilate information without warning certain individuals that we, meaning the town, are looking for them.”

Holding up her hand, Charlotte stopped him. “Are asking me to hack some database, to get information for you?”

Charlotte knew she wasn’t as computer savvy as most thought. Hell, she did good to make it to the next level of
Call of Duty
, which was currently kicking her ass, but to do what Mr. Jenkins was asking was not only wrong but illegal. She should know. She spent eighteen months in jail for that very thing.

“Well, not hack per se. I need help, Charlotte. This Charter affects the whole town, and if I can’t find this person and bring them to justice, then this town will soon be bankrupt.”

“What is this Charter you keep talking about?” she asked, not believing what she was hearing, but working with computers all day long seemed too easy even for her.
Wonder how much it pays?

Charlotte sat there for the next half hour and listened to Matthew explain the foundation of the town and the workings of the Charter. She had to admit that whoever created that Charter was a freaking genius! Wow, to systematically control and distribute the money, land, oil, and water rights was methodical and creepy. Not to mention, just plain greedy.

“So, let me get this straight. Some asshole that is probably dead, but because of his egocentric mind, created a Charter that for the last century has been making him millions, and you guys, just found out about this? But you want me to find this asshole, hack into his systems, get the information, give it to you, so you can take this asshole to court, oh, and hope Lady Justice sides in your favor?”

“Well, yes.”

“Are you fucking crazy! Why not hire the FBI to find this bastard, bleed him dry, and hang his balls in front of the town courthouse for all to see. I mean seriously, dude. You guys have this all backward. This fucked up asshole stole from you. Steal it back. Fuck bringing him to justice. Justice is better served with a vengeance,” she ranted, confused and a little pissed that for such a smart man, he was just plain stupid.

* * * *

Braxton had warned him that Charlotte was a hard pistol to swallow, but having her sitting in his office ranting passionately about a Charter that did not affect her was something to see. She was beautiful and a little rough around the edges, but smart and cunning, and just what he was looking for.

Matthew had always considered himself a good judge of character, and when he spied her in his waiting room, he honestly didn’t know what to expect. Other than her foul mouth, she was polite and respectful. She was kind of shy at first, but warmed up quickly once she became comfortable. But most of all, he realized that Ms. Charlotte Brooks was scared and trying desperately to find her place in this world.

Matthew had read up on her background, even investigating her himself. The adoptive daughter of a wealthy socialite and business owner, Charlotte never wanted for anything. She received good grades in school and participated in sports and even ballet. She was a typical spoiled girl. That was until she went to college and made one mistake. Of course, that mistake landed her in jail, but according to Matthew she had done her time and was punished accordingly.

From what he read from her court transcripts, Ms. Charlotte Brooks had a smart mind, fast fingers, and the uncanny ability to slide in between the cracks of the Internet world and never get caught. He knew she would not be sitting here in front of him today if it wasn’t for her college roommate who had turned her in. That alone told him plenty. She was good at what she did, and he wanted her on this matter.

His only concern was if she was willing to do this and what her demands were going to be. Now, he knew he was going to pay her, and hopefully someday offer her a permanent job as a legal researcher in his office, but something in the way she looked cautioned him that just maybe Charlotte Brooks was more devious and cunning than she let on.

“Will you help us?” he asked, looking the fuming woman.

“What’s in it for me?” she asked plainly without inflection.

“Oh, my dear, I was hoping you weren’t going to say that,” Matthew sighed, grinning.

“Why not? This girl has gotta eat. If you want me to find this asshole, it’s gonna cost ya.”

“Well, let’s start with this. You will be at this office every day, Monday thru Friday, from nine to three. You will work on finding information on the town Charter, along with what other research I might need for you to find. You do this happily, and I will call your court-appointed probation officer, who, by the way, is looking for you, and have your case referred into my hands, and I will volunteer my services to see to it that you stay out of trouble.”

Matthew smiled when the short blonde ball of fury jumped to her feet, spouting expletives of the worst kind. Her foul mouth was something Braxton was going to have to work on.

“That’s fucking blackmail! Fuck you, asshole. I am not working for some old, crusty limp dick who can’t find some bastard who is stealing from him and this goddamn town. Fuck that! You can kiss my lily-white ass. Call my fucking probation officer. I don’t give a damn. Send my ass back to jail,” she shouted, spewing filth.

Matthew slowly stood, leaning his fists on his desk. With his calm, authoritative voice, he spoke clearly, “Sit down, Charlotte. A lady does not curse, nor does she threaten a Master in her presence.”

* * * *