The Law of Motion (Law Series) (78 page)

Hunter grinned like it was his lucky day, taking out a pair of handcuffs, “Well we might not have enough to put away Royce King, but we damn sure have enough to convict you.”

Cam sighed taking off his glasses and cleaning them, once he put them back on he pulled papers from the inside of his jacket. “Ivan Wendell, I have a warrant for your arrest, I’m going to need you to turn around and—”

“No wait! I’ll take her deal” He pleaded as Hunter put his hands behind his back, naming his charges.

I shook my head, “Enjoy prison Mr. Wendell.”

“I can’t go to prison,” He pleaded again a little more desperate now that Hunter was leading him towards the door. He resisted against him and barely moved, but Macon and Dario couldn’t resist
helping
anyway. They took him on both sides picking him up.

“Let’s get this bitch out of here,” Macon grunted turning him towards the door.

“No please, I’ll take the deal!” He begged attempting to turn back to me.

I sighed, “Cam.”

“Yes,” He turned back looking at me.

I knew that he needed that testimony, because the FBI had been trying to put Royce Crenshaw away long before we ever met. After a silent conversation between us, I nodded. “I suggest you take your offers a bit more seriously when they’re given to you, Mr. Wendell.”

Danny and Jeff groaned as Macon and Dario reluctantly let his feet touch the ground again. Ivan however, nodded frantically. "Yes, Miss Marshall. So I'll be expecting a call?"

"Yes," I sighed, waving him away, "and you'd better answer, Mr. Wendell, or I will find you."

"Yes, ma'am." He hesitated for a moment and then looked at Cam. “Aren’t you going to free me?”

I shook my head. “They’ll let you go once you are out of my damn building.”

              “Let’s go.” Macon chuckled moving Ivan out of the door with more force than necessary.

             
“Good riddance if you ask me.” Kristen muttered.

             
I shook my head handing the file off to Hunter. “Here, make sure that Cam keeps that with him.”

             
“Sure thing Babes,” he guaranteed strumming through it again shaking his head. “Only you can attempt to solve a case and run into a completely different case.”

             
I muttered, “Just my luck.”

             
“You had the option of letting it go, Honeyface,” Adrian’s velvet chuckle reminded me kissing my temple. “We could have let the police handle it.”

             
I nodded, “I know, but I don’t like him.”

             
“I don’t think he has many admirers Alyssa,” Liam laughed put a hand on his son’s shoulder. “We’re needed downstairs son, we need to explain how Cam ‘stumbled’ upon the evidence Tink found.”

             
“Yeah she didn’t exactly acquire it legally,” Danny agreed.

             
There were a few seconds of silence and then the crew burst into laughter. “What, what did I miss?”

             
“Tink being Tink,” Jackson laughed pointing at his earpiece. “Let’s go get our story straight.”

             
Adrian ran his finger down the bridge of my nose, “You’re always sexy when you pout.”

             
“I’m not pouting.” I corrected watching the entire room file out. “I just don’t like being left out.”

             
Jeff was the last one out, halting in the doorway, “Come on bro, let’s get this done.”

             
Adrian hesitated. “What if this guy comes while were downstairs? I don’t want to leave her alone until we have the guy we want.”

             
“She’s not alone.” Kristen noted sounding offended. “I’m right here.”

             
“Not to mention Doc and Tink on the other side.” I noted jerking my head at the bookcase.”

             
Adrian sighed giving me his gun. I put it in the small of my back leaving it in plain view, forcing an over sweet smile up at him. He relented kissing the tip of my nose and turning towards the door. “Be right back.” On his way out he stopped in front of Kristen. “If he shows up here….”

             
“I’ll call you guys right away.” She laughed shaking her head as he walked out of my office.

             
I shook my head. “Two years of being with him and I will never get use to how overprotective he is.”

             
Kristen laughed listening intently to her ear piece. “I know right. But I won’t be the one to tell her.”

             
“Tell me what?” I asked feeling left out that I didn’t have an earpiece of my own.

             
Kristen put her finger up halting me as she listened to what Doc or Tink was saying. I tapped my foot in expectation. “Alright, alright. Tink says the over protectiveness gets stricter once you’re married. This is true.”

             
“And why were you going to wait to tell me?”  I asked skeptically.

             
Kristen hesitated, but truthfulness was her specialty. “Well, no one wants you to change your mind.”

             
“I wouldn’t change my mind.” I scoffed. “I love him; he’s seen me at my worst guys.”

             
Kristen smiled. “Tink says ‘good, good, good’. Now I am going back to my fake work in my fake office. I’ll be back later.”

             
She wasn’t gone a full ten minutes before her voice sounded through my phone again. “Roman Maxwell is here to see you.”

             
I sighed, pulling the gun from the small of my back and storing it in the desk drawer. “Send him in please Kristen.”

             
Kristen let him in with three delivery men in tow bringing in three sets of large vases, all holding a massive amount of long stem roses. Kristen pointed the men to the table where the rest of my flowers were while I greeted Roman.

             
“There was quite a disturbance on the way up here.” Mr. Maxwell stated with curiosity handing me the card personally instead of putting them with the flowers. “Was that Wendell?”

             
I nodded after thanking him for the flowers. “Yes it was, he’s been stealing from the company, and he’s just been terminated.”

             
“I never did like him.” He admitted taking a seat as Kristen dismissed herself and headed back to her office. “He was always attached to Paul at the hip. Sneaky little devil.” He went on.

             
I didn’t sit at my desk, instead opting to read the card that went with the massive arraignment. “Funeral effect.” I muttered to myself disappointed. “Yes he was a piece of work.” I agreed turning to the man with the salt and pepper hair. “I never quiet understood it though. Paul would have given him more money.”

             
“I assure you Miss Marshall, he was paid quite handsomely. Some people just can’t be helped, no use stressing your mind over it.”

             
I nodded turning to face him. “I agree, but Paul isn’t always as tolerable as people think. There aren’t many things that I can handle with him either.”

             
“Well none of us are perfect.” He pardoned kindly.

             
I bit my bottom lip, “I hated Paul.” I admitted waiting for a response.

             
Roman processed it for a moment before meeting me with kind eyes. “Because of your mother correct?”

             
“Yes,” I nodded, surprised at how much he understood.

             
“Then why did you take reign as CEO here, if I may ask?”

             
I sighed, “Truth?”

             
He waited expectant.

             
“My life, my family, and my friends were threatened because of Neil Industries, and I had to assure our safety.”

             
“I’m sorry?” He questioned.

             
“I was kidnapped a few months ago, as well as my nephew, not to mention ransomed because Paul named me as his successor.”

             
His eyes widened as he took in my story, seeing that I wasn’t joking. “Goodness…”

             
“Yeah.” I agreed.

             
“Poor dear, did they catch the people responsible?”

             
“Yes, a few of them are dead in fact, while another two remain in Quantico awaiting trial.”

             
This caused a mild look of outrage. “Why isn’t he
on
trial? What are they waiting for? A man like that should be put to death if you ask me.”

             
“It’s a bit more complicated than that. You see, they were ‘hired’ by someone, and we didn’t know whom.”

             
I was in the rhythm of telling him my story while I looked through other cards as a distraction. “That’s why I took the job here. I was hoping that I could draw him or her out with being accessible.”

             
“That’s why you came with increased security?” I watched him nod out the corner of my eye as he put two and two together.

             
“Yeah, they’re really good.” I boasted. “They handled the incident at the benefit with perfect finesse.”

             
“The teens setting off fireworks?” He recalled a bit confused.

             
I shook my head. “No, a woman by the name of Zoe Nowak tried to kill me.”

             
I actually turned to look at his paled expression. “Oh my.”

             
“Yeah.” I nodded in agreement continuing on. “A delusional woman, she blamed me for all of her problems. She blamed me for their plans being thwarted, their boss pulling the plug when they failed, and her lover becoming obsessed with me. It pains me that all of this started over a pay date that would never come.”

             
He listened in awe, “Well it seems you’re lucky to be alive, Alyssa.”

             
I sat in the conference chair next to him, placing a hand on his. “You’re very kind Mr. Maxwell.” I smiled, “But luck had nothing to do with it. You see, Terry Windsor, David Grubbs, and Zoe Nowak were idiots. They didn’t know everything about me. And when they ‘knew’—the ones that made it out at least—came at me again.”

             
He thought about it for a moment before he responded. “Well I’m sure they felt that it was you or them at that point. The need to survive makes people act strange. Maybe they thought the police wouldn’t let them be, nor should they.”

             
“No, they were marked the minute they did what they did. If someone from my team didn’t get them, I would myself.” I admitted darkly.

             
“Get them yourself?” He repeated. I looked away from the large glass window that I was facing, giving him one glace at my face to show that I wasn’t joking, before turning back to my view of down town D.C. “Alyssa please don’t tell me that you think you are capable of harming another human being? I mean sure you’re deadly in negotiations, but I don’t think—”

             
“I am Roman. I’ve killed people before.” I admitted, cutting him off.

             
This got me a longer pause. “Ok, let’s say that I believe you, Alyssa. Why are you telling me all of this? You capable of hurting people, the reason you became CEO, the abductions?”

             
I didn’t turn back to face him this time. I had to think about my answer. “I’ve grown very fond of you Mr. Maxwell.”

             
“Well I’m glad to hear that Alyssa.” He coughed uncomfortably. “Now, you killing others, how did that come about?”

             
I sighed. “I was in the military.” I answered briefly.

             
There was another long silence; he was waiting on me to elaborate. I continued in another direction, “You know what I can’t get my mind around Mr. Maxwell?” I asked turning for a brief moment to Paul Neil’s COO.  “Why me?”

             
“Well I think—”

             
I know that it was rude of me, but I cut him off again returning to the window. “Why would they continue to come after me? When they could have easily just turned on you?”

             
Silence.

             
“Once they realized that they couldn’t get the money from me, and that you lead them astray, why would they not turn on you? They would have gotten their money, and could have disappeared.” I continued, staring down at the traffic jam of a five p.m. Wednesday.