Radiant Surrender (CSA Case Files Book 6) (18 page)

“Is the meeting already over? Did I miss them?”

Sarah’s breathless voice coming from the hallway alerted Jessie to the fact that something had held up her sister’s arrival. She looked a little disorganized as she kept trying to secure her purse strap to her shoulder, but the thing kept falling. Her long bangs kept falling into her face instead of how they were styled to frame the right side of her cheek and there looked to be a small stain of coffee on the front of her blouse. It was amazing, but somehow Sarah pulled it off and looked like the composed thirty-year-old woman she was…with a purpose to her green eyes. Jessie felt guilty for not having had the ability to be here for her sister, but it was apparent she was on a warpath.

“Yes, but that’s okay. They said to tell you they love you,” Jessie replied, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around Sarah. The affection wasn’t wanted and her sister pushed her away, her gaze anxiously went back and forth between Lou and Jessie. “We’ll see them both before the initial plea hearing is conducted.”

“That’s just it.” Sarah brushed her hair away from her face and straightened her shoulders, trying to take control of the situation. “They didn’t do this. They were coerced into making that statement and now they are being railroaded. Are they protecting you, Jessie? Is that it? If they are, then you need to come clean with the authorities to make this right. Celeste is too young to comprehend why her grandparents are in jail and I refuse to believe that she’ll grow up only knowing them through steel bars.”

Jessie was momentarily speechless at the hurtful accusation. Lou started to speak in her defense, but she didn’t hear a word he said over the blood rushing through her ears. She tried to put herself into Sarah’s shoes for being the one to get the call, the daughter who could only offer moral support, and the sister that was being kept in the dark. Through it all Jessie still had trouble accepting the vicious undertone of Sarah’s voice.

“Unfortunately, ma’am, your parents
are
guilty of the charges they face.” Gavin’s rich tenor broke through the sound barrier that Jessie was experiencing. “I’m Gavin Crest, Jessie’s former employer. I’m sorry that we have to meet under such unfortunate circumstances, but we’re doing everything we can to make this easier on your mother and father.”

“Jessie, you know they didn’t do this bullshit espionage thing.” The conviction in Sarah’s face was all Jessie needed to see to know that she wasn’t going to let this go. “We can’t let Mom and Dad go to prison for something you’ve gotten our family tied up in. And just where have you been?”

“It’s a long story.” Jessie really wanted to leave here and gather the information she needed, but that wasn’t going to happen until she spent time with Sarah. “Let’s go find a coffee shop so that we can talk this over.”

“I don’t have time. Celeste is sick and running a fever and Richard couldn’t get out of his business meetings, which means that she’s with a babysitter.” Sarah looked around and then waved a hand toward a bench across the hallway in an almost defeatist way. “This is going to have to do.”

Jessie looked over her shoulder at Gavin and gave him a half smile in what she hoped he would take that she understood what could and couldn’t be said. The next few moments weren’t going to be pleasant and honestly, she wasn’t quite sure what she was going to say. She slowly walked behind Sarah and then sat beside her as they each set their purses between them.

“I’m sorry that I wasn’t here, but I had some legal problems of my own that had nothing to do with Mom and Dad.” Jessie flinched inwardly at the white lie, but there really was no other way to explain her absence. “Lou Moser is the best criminal defense attorney in the Midwest. He has a successful history with CSA and has Gavin’s every confidence. It won’t lessen Mom and Dad’s sentence, but at least we know there might be some concessions if there are any available.”

Jessie wasn’t going to tell Sarah about her suspicions that Uncle John had been their parents’ handler. The less her sister was involved in this, the better. She had a husband and a daughter to worry about. She shouldn’t be drawn into a position that could potentially land her in jail.

“They wouldn’t have done something like this,” Sarah whispered, shaking her head in denial while the tone of her voice suggested she was finally realizing the extent of her parents’ past misdeeds. “How could we not have noticed something like that? It just doesn’t make any sense.”

“It all began before we were born, Sarah.” Jessie watched as her sister placed her palms on her cheeks, seeing a bit of herself in Sarah. Jessie did the same thing when her cheeks became flushed. It was a habit they must have picked up from their mother. “I’d like to think they changed over the course of time. They ended up raising us here because they realized any chance we had of living a worthwhile life was here in America. That’s got to count for something. They became Americans and abandoned their mission.”

“That’s what I don’t get,” Sarah whispered, shaking her head in disappointment. “You think we would have noticed something in their behavior, some indication that they had a secret past.”

“Like not having any grandparents?” Jessie offered up the warnings that they’d ignored from the lies that they’d been told. It was obvious now and that made it even more frustrating. “What about not having any aunts or uncles? Uncle John was a family friend, nothing more. What about cousins? We took them at their word because no child wants to believe that their parents lied to him or her their entire life.”

“Is it wrong to be mad at them for doing what they thought was best for us?” Sarah leaned back against the wall and put her head back in defeat. She tucked her hair behind her ear and then rolled her head slightly so that she could look at Jessie. “I just want to go in there and yell at them for what they’ve done to our family.”

Jessie sat back against the wall as well, reaching for her sister and resting their hands on their purses that were in between them. She noticed that even though Gavin was talking to Lou he never took his eyes off of her. It was nice, knowing that he was watching over her. It was even better to know that he was hers…for now. She pushed aside thoughts of the future as she confronted the present mission she had taken on herself.

“There are some things that I need to take care of,” Jessie warned, turning her head so that she could meet her sister’s gaze. “I can’t promise anything, but I’m going to do my best to see if there’s any way possible to help Mom and Dad. I’m just asking that you don’t draw attention to my absence in case I can’t be here for an appearance.”

“For being the baby of the family, you always were the protector.” Sarah squeezed her fingers. “I’m sorry I yelled at you. It’s been that kind of week and feeling powerless doesn’t help.”

“I love you.”

The two of them sat still like that for a while, knowing that no matter the outcome…their family would never be the same. Jessie would really like to have Ryland in front of her, with Gavin’s weapon in hand, so that she could do what everyone else had failed to do. The worst of it was that she understood murdering Ryland wasn’t the answer, but it would have definitely made her feel better.

“Jessie, we need to get going.” Gavin had crossed the hallway to the bench after having said goodbye to Lou. As she glanced to the door where he was exiting she spotted Townes near the outdoor steps. If Gavin thought he was going to pawn her off once more she’d apparently not gotten her point across. “Sarah, there’s a gentleman outside those doors that will see you home safely.”

“Oh…okay.” Sarah’s eyes widened as she took in the sight of Townes and his black leather, chains, and tattoos. Jessie felt too relieved at the fact that she would be riding with Gavin to find any humor in the situation. “I’m fine. Really. There’s no need for your friend to follow me home.”

“It’s for my peace of mind,” Gavin replied, flashing a smile that Jessie hadn’t seen in a very long time. He could be quite charming when he wasn’t all business or their lives were at risk. “I’ve heard that your parents’ case might hit the media and I don’t want you caught unaware if there are reporters outside your home. Townes will provide you with his number and he will be nearby should you or your family need him.”

Jessie hadn’t thought of what would happen if this were made public. The question surfaced as to whom would have leaked it? Was the CIA still after Gavin or was it simply public information that was about to be blown into a media circus? Giving Sarah’s hand once last squeeze, Jessie grabbed her clutch and stood by Gavin’s side.

“Might?” Jessie asked, as Sarah collected her own purse and went about searching for her keys. “What’s the percentage of likelihood it’s going to hit the papers?”

“One hundred percent,” Gavin replied as he reached into his jacket. She could faintly hear the vibrations. “I need to take this call.”

Jessie nodded her understanding and used the extra time to say goodbye to Sarah. They exchanged hugs, holding on tightly for an extra moment. When they parted Sarah was already wiping away some tears.

“Call me if anything happens or if you just want to talk.” Jessie held up her clutch and let it sway. “I now have my phone and I promise to answer when you call.”

There had been numerous calls and voicemails that Sarah had left over the last couple of days that had gone unheard and unreturned. It wasn’t only her sister who’d left messages, but friends and some co-workers. Jessie needed to ask Gavin if it was all right to contact the FBI field office where she worked. Hell, she might not even have a job, so she’d wait to return any calls until she knew more.

Sarah gave a sad smile as she turned and then headed out the door. She glanced back once and shrugged her shoulders while making a face, causing Jessie to realize that it was to a question that Townes had asked. The two of them, as opposite as night and day, walked down the steps. Sarah’s uppity neighborhood was going to get quite the shock when he pulled in behind her. If the news vans had already shown up they might not even notice though.

“Are you ready?” Gavin’s call must have been cut down to the basics because he was already sliding it back into the inside pocket of his jacket. He wasn’t showing any type of reaction to the conversation, so she’d go on the assumption that everything was fine. “My car is parked in the lot. Would you rather wait here while I bring it around?”

“That’s okay. I’ll walk with you.” Gavin once again placed his hand on her lower back, her black blazer doing nothing to prevent his heat from seeping through. “We need to—”

“We can discuss where we’re going to eat once we’re outside.” Gavin nodded to the guard stationed at the window where check-ins occurred, using his right hand to push open the door for her. “It’s a long drive home.”

Jessie took his cue and remained silent on their walk to his car. She was taken aback when he stopped at his black Koenigsegg CCX sports car. He never used it when working and she was surprised he’d drive it into another state. After having pressed a button on his fob, he lifted the handle to allow her access to one of his finer possessions.

“What happened to your company Suburban?” Jessie asked once Gavin was positioned comfortably in the driver’s side. She had to admit the leather was smoother than butter as her body was practically swathed by the seat. She suddenly had a thought, which would also give credence to where he was last night. “Oh my God, did the CIA do something with it? Do we need to get Lou back out here?”

“No.” Gavin’s rich laughter enveloped her more than any fabric could and she tried not to take offense at the subtle message that her question was rather senseless. Jessie pursed her lips together to prevent herself from saying anything else or jumping to any more conclusions. “I thought that after we get somethings taken care of in regards to your parents’ case we could use a couple days away alone together.”

Jessie sat back and contemplated his words as she looked out the windshield. She felt like at the same time she was losing a part of herself she was gaining something altogether different. It was very hard to categorize her feelings but she couldn’t prevent her heart rate from accelerating and wondering what came next for the two of them. She was startled when he leaned over her and took a hold of the seat belt, bringing it gently across the front of her body until he was able to snap it into place. She watched as he lifted his hand slowly until she couldn’t see it anymore, but instead felt the brush of his fingers against her chin. She finally met his gaze.

“We both need to get to know each other…and not on a professional level.”

Chapter Seventeen

C
rest looked at the well-maintained front lawn of the three-bedroom home that was currently sitting empty and would eventually have to be placed on the market. Her father must have taken pains to ensure the landscaping was tended to just right for years, always on the job to cut the grass and weed the flowerbeds to create the perfect suburban wonderland. Now the grass was getting a bit long and the flowerbeds needed some attention.

Crest had removed his jacket and hung it up on the courtesy hook over the back driver’s seat of his vehicle before they made they way up the walk. Jessie had used her own key to enter the house, this time easily gaining access without the threat of the FBI rappelling from a clandestine helicopter and arresting her with weapons drawn. He could easily have pictured her as a young girl coming home from school and running into the entryway, dropping her backpack before entering the kitchen at the end of the small hall for an after school snack. It appeared as if a formal living room was to the right while French doors closed off another room to the left that was most assuredly a den or a sitting room.