Gemma was pacing the length of the front porch when she saw the line of cars pull up to the curb. Apparently poker night had moved to the bed-and-breakfast.
“Oh my. I better put more cookies in the oven and get more snacks ready.”
Gemma whipped around and saw a tuft of white hair hurrying inside. She hadn’t realized Miss Lily had been standing there.
Cy’s truck was the first to park and she had to stop herself from running down the path in her excitement. She had worked all afternoon and evening on the first notebook, just finished it, and found a lead.
Miles walked up the yard with his brothers, Mo, Ahmed, and Cole. “I hope you don’t mind that we all came. We were eager to hear what you had found.”
“No, not at all. Let’s go into the sitting room. There’s enough room for everyone there,' Gemma replied.
Cy opened the door and Gemma gave him a smile. She had finally done something to help her sister and she could barely stop herself from jumping around.
“Did you find Mr. X?” Cy asked, standing next to her while everyone else sat down.
“No. But I did find something big. You know how I told you Paul Russell was going to pursue a seat in Congress to further Mr. X’s purposes?” She waited until everyone nodded. “Well, Gia found out who had been in that position before. And it’s huge. He totally got busted for a huge corruption/prostitution/murder thing a couple of years ago. Not only did I discover who it was, I found out he’s still alive and which prison he’s in.”
Cy had a sinking feeling he knew who it was. “Holy shit,” he cursed under his breath. Everyone stopped and looked at him pointedly. They had all been thinking it, too. “Senator Bruce.”
“How did you know?” Gemma asked, upset that they knew her big discovery.
“Kenna, Dani, and Paige were the key witnesses in the trial of the men found guilty of those crimes. I was there as Paige’s bodyguard. Senator Bruce’s daughter is Will Ashton’s ex-wife and Kenna was the eyewitness to the crime that brought them all down. Bruce took a plea to avoid the death penalty and has never said a word about his involvement. We know nothing more than that,” Cy told her.
“Yes, very uncharacteristically he hasn’t said a word about the crimes. Most people in his position write a tell-all book or sit down with a prime-time reporter to cry about a bad childhood or something that makes them appear the victim. But now it makes sense.” Cole was now sharing the same excitement she felt.
“How so?” Pierce asked as he picked up a cookie Miss Lily offered.
“If he was in the pocket of Mr. X, then he knows a single word would wind up getting him killed. He’s hoping Mr. X uses his influence to get him out of jail. But now we have leverage.” Gemma had never seen the cool lawman so animated in her short time in Keeneston, and his excitement was contagious.
“How so?” Gemma asked.
“Bruce was indicted on twenty-three counts of murder. He agreed to a deal: life in prison. As you read, the case involved prostitutes the men murdered and then Bruce’s bodyguards dumped. How much do you want to bet he got those prostitutes from Mr. X? I’m willing to bet it all,” Cole grinned and Gemma thought that Paige was a very lucky lady.
“Ah. I know where you’re going with this.” Cy smiled and this time Gemma saw the real Cy. She was so wrapped up in the way his eyes shone with excitement and his lips quirked a little higher on one side that she almost missed his explanation. “We pay Bruce a visit and ask him about Mr. X. If he resists, then we’ll have a way to make him talk.”
“What’s that?” Gemma asked. She wasn’t following, but it appeared all the men understood.
“Death,” Cy answered cryptically. “Mo, can we borrow your plane. We have an inmate to visit.”
“It’ll be at the airport in an hour. I let my eldest brother and his wife borrow it. They are flying in from
“And you’re okay with that?” Cade asked.
“Most definitely. It may be selfish, but I wish for them to have an heir so my children can be raised here in Keeneston and have the childhood I never had—a real one.”
Gemma felt for him. While Mo stood regally, the hope and desire rang in his voice.
“Well then, I wish them luck. Thank you for the use of your plane.” Cy shook his hand and Mo smiled at him.
“You are very welcome. Call me if you need anything else. I always love talking to bureaucrats.” Mo turned from Cy to Gemma. “Good luck, my dear. I hope you find the justice you seek.”
Gemma thanked him and watched Mo, Miles, Marshall, Cade, and Pierce head home while Ahmed and Cy stood quietly to the side as Cole placed a phone call to the penitentiary in Jonesville, Virginia. She thought about what Mo said. Justice. It consumed her. No matter what she had to do, she would find justice for her sister.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Gemma looked up at the penitentiary and shuddered. The depressing cement prison towered over her. She felt Cy slip his arm around her as if sensing her distress. It was the middle of the night as they were led through the front entrance and buzzed in past the visitors’ waiting room. A tired-looking older man, salt-and-pepper hair still mussed from his pillow, stood waiting for them.
“Agent Parker?” the man asked as he eyed Gemma, Ahmed, and Cy suspiciously.
“I’m Parker. You must be Warden Cummings. Thank you for seeing us so late at night.” Cole strode forward as Gemma and the rest of the group stopped.
“I wasn’t expecting anyone else . . .” the warden started before a cold look from Ahmed stopped him. Gemma looked at the easy smile Cole flashed the warden and wondered how he was going to explain a reporter, a spy, and a whatever-Ahmed-was to him.
“Is Senator Bruce ready for us?” Cole asked, not bothering to answer the question.
“One of my guards has gone to get him out of solitary. Let me take you to the interview room. The guard will bring the senator to you there.” The warden gave one last look to Ahmed and Cy where they stood on each side of Gemma before leading them down a long network of halls.
Gemma’s sandals tapped the floor along with Cole’s cowboy boots, but Cy and Ahmed’s thick boots traveled silently as they navigated the halls. Gemma stuck close to Cy in the darkened hallway but he had changed. In fact, all of them had. They all appeared relaxed, but their bodies radiated tension as their eyes took in every detail.
Finally the warden led them into a small room with a thick metal door and bars on the one small window against the far wall. A metal table with three chairs sat in the middle of the room. The table had a metal ring on it and there was one on the floor below the chair for chaining prisoners if necessary.
Cy and Cole took a seat on one side of the metal table while Ahmed led Gemma to the far side of the room. He crossed his arms over his expansive chest and didn’t take his eyes off the door. Gemma hadn’t learned all about Ahmed yet, but she knew enough to know she was safe with him and Senator Bruce definitely wasn’t.
The door opened and a white-haired man in an orange jumpsuit was pushed through. “Here he is, Warden,” the guard said as he looked curiously around the room.
“Parker? What are you doing here?” the senator spat.
“Thank you, gentlemen. We’ll tap on the door when we’re done here.” Cole ignored Senator Bruce and didn’t say a word until the warden and guard had left.
Gemma’s heart was pounding as she watched the scene unfold from the corner. Cole and Cy looked calm. Ahmed was so still. How could they stand it? She wanted to fire off question after question as she paced the room.
“How are you doing in here, Mr. Bruce?” Cole asked as he leaned back in his seat.
“It’s
“Not anymore. Now it’s
“Who the hell are you?”
