A Matter of Trust Read online

  No one argued as Max wheeled Simon through the foyer. Louise and Osgood stood watching silently. Max stopped beside them and Simon reached out to grasp her hand for a moment. “Please see that we are not disturbed, my dear.”

  “Of course,” she promised.

  Max wheeled Simon to the pool terrace and parked him in front of a seating group to one side of the pool.

  “Please, be seated,” he said as everyone filed in behind him.

  “I will not sit and I will not be ordered around by—”

  “Sit down!” Max’s voice held enough command to have everyone hurrying to find a seat. He pulled a chair over beside Simon for Nikki, then moved to the opposite side of Simon’s wheelchair, remaining standing, looking down at his mother and Mark while Simon took the lead.

  “You have twenty-four hours to vacate this estate, Helen,” Simon said. “You and Mark will leave this city, and this state, and never return. You’ll be provided with annual funding in the amount of two hundred thousand dollars for living expenses and are allowed to take any jewelry you own with you. But you will sign over all rights to Richard’s estate to Maxwell before you leave. And Mr. Robinson, you—”

  “I will do no such thing!” Helen cut in. “I’m entitled to Richard’s estate and not you or you…” she looked at Max, “will deny me what is rightfully mine.”

  “Oh but you will,” Max said. “You see, Mother…” He put enough scorn in the word to cause her face to flush. “Not only do I remember what you did, I have proof. And unless you agree to the terms we offer, that proof will find its way, along with a videotaped confession of your guilt, to the state prosecutor by day’s end.”

  Helen’s eyes rounded with surprise, but then narrowed maliciously. “I don’t believe you. There’s no way you can prove me guilty of wrongdoing and—”

  “Shut up,” Max ordered. “I saw you kill Lucien that night. And throw the artifact you used to bash his head in at Father. And you know I saw it because after I took the artifact you followed me to my suite and tried to kill me.”

  “That’s a lie!”

  “No, that’s the truth. I was lying across the bed, trying to decide what to do about what I’d seen when you entered. You sat down beside me and stuck a needle in my neck, intending to kill me. I remember your exact words. “You’ll not ruin my life, you miserable bastard. You’ll never say one word about this to anyone. Not one single word.” And the next thing I knew I was waking and couldn’t speak or remember what had happened. But I remember now.”

  “Lies!” she hissed and turned to Mark. “Tell them, it’s all lies!”

  Mark turned narrowed eyes on Max. “Nice story but there’s no proof.”

  “Oh yes there is.” Nikki saw an opportunity to help and chimed in. She pulled the device from her purse. It was still enclosed inside a plastic bag. She removed it from the bag. “We had it tested for blood and the blood contained on it matched to Lucien’s blood found at the scene of the murder. And there were prints on it matching Lucien’s, Max’s and Helen’s.”

  “Proving only that those three people had touched it. Not that she had used it to murder the man,” Mark retorted smugly.

  “But your confession takes care of that,” Simon said.

  Mark regarded him for a moment. “Another bit of manufactured evidence, Simon?”

  “Hardly,” Simon replied. “We installed equipment here for surveillance purposes and during a visit with Helen you and she discussed not only the murder, but plans to kill Richard and Max. If,” he added, “you could manage to find him. I see that you succeeded in killing my son, but that will soon come to light as well. As we speak, Richard’s body is being autopsied. Whatever you used to cause the heart attack will be uncovered.”

  “Not to mention the horrific video footage we have of Abernathy’s death,” Max added.

  “That’s bullshit,” Mark argued.

  “Hardly,” Simon retorted. “We know you killed them. Just as we know that the maid, Deborah, did not commit suicide. We’re aware you murdered her as well, in order to protect yourself.”

  “A string of murder charges to face,” Max said. “There’s no way you’ll walk. You’ll get the death penalty, or life without parole if you’re lucky. Be smart. Take the deal.”

  “I have a better idea,” Mark said at the same moment he pulled a handgun from inside his jacket and pointed it in Max and Simon’s direction. He stood, keeping his eyes on them. “Being the unbalanced individual you are, you attacked your mother. When I tried to stop you, you grabbed my weapon. We struggled and in the struggle the weapon discharged, killing Simon and Miss Morgan. Sadly, in the end, you were killed as well.”

  “You’ll never make that lame duck fly,” Max replied without fear.

  “Oh, but I will,” Mark said with a smile and his finger tightened on the trigger.

  Nikki had a flash in her mind. Max lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Simon slumped over in his chair, his chest blood-soaked. Suddenly time seemed to slow to a crawl. She knew what she had to do.

  She lunged from her chair a split second before Mark fired, diving over Simon and into Max. She felt a searing pain in her back. “Max,” she managed to gasp just before the world went black.

  Max saw her move and reached for her, trying to pull her out of harm’s way, but was a moment too late. He felt her jerk as she slammed into him. Her eyes went wide and she gasped his name then her eyes rolled back and she collapsed against him.

  Grief and rage filled his mind so complete that he had no thought for his own safety. He lowered her to the floor and before anyone could react, launched himself at Mark.

  The gun went off and he felt the air beside his head heat with the passage of the bullet. A moment later he slammed into Mark, taking him backward over the chair. Mark tried to get the gun pointed at Max as they hit the floor. Max had the advantage and grabbed Mark’s wrist to slam it on the floor. The gun discharged again and Helen screamed.

  Max slammed Mark’s wrist down again and Mark released the weapon. It skidded off a few feet to one side. Helen continued to scream hysterically, trying to make her way to the weapon on the floor.

  Max made a dive for it and grabbed it a second before Helen could. He threw it across the room and grunted as Mark pounced on top of him, grabbing him by the hair to pound his head into the tiled floor.

  Max spat blood, roared and bucked, dislodging Mark. He dove on top of Mark and rained blows on him. It was not until Simon’s voice filtered in through the red haze that clouded Max’s mind that he realized Mark was lying limp and bloody beneath him and Osgood was trying to pull him off Mark. He shook Osgood off and bolted to his feet at the same moment Helen reached the weapon. He grabbed her wrist and slung her as hard as he could. She hit the bar and crumpled to the floor.

  Max raced to Nikki. Simon had managed to slide out of his chair and was cradling her limp body in his arms. Louise knelt beside him, her arm draped protectively over his shoulders. “The device,” Simon said frantically. “Where’s the device?”

  Max looked around and spotted it on the floor. He snatched it up and gave it to Simon. “What good will this do?”

  “We’re about to find out.” Simon laid the device on her chest, grabbed Max’s hand and clamped it beneath his on top of the device. “If there are indeed gods, Max, pray to them now.”

  Max had no clue if it would work, but what other chance was there. She wasn’t breathing. Save her. Don’t let her die. Please, please, save her.

  There was a brilliant flare of light that blinded him. When it faded he found himself looking at Simon, sitting on the floor with Louise kneeling beside him. Nikki lay still in death.

  “It didn’t work.” Max felt a weigh pressing down on him, cutting off his breath. He’d lost her. All this. All she’d done to save him and he’d let her down.

  Nikki gasped and her eyes flew open. “Nikki!” Max grabbed her by the shoulders. “You’re alive.”

  “That’s kind of stating th
e obvious,” she said and looked around. “What about your mother and—”

  “Both unconscious.” Max hugged her to him. “I thought I’d lost you.”

  “Not today,” she replied, clinging to him for a moment then pulling back.

  Nikki let Max pull her to her feet. “I thought I’d lost you.”

  “I’m not going to be that easy to get rid of, Mr. Weston,” She teased, then grew serious. Something niggled at the edge of consciousness, something she needed to do. “The device!” He looked around. “Where is it?”

  “Don’t you know?”

  “No.”

  “Simon? Oh, god Simon!” She turned and hurried to Simon. “Let me help you.”

  “I fear it will take more than your strength to lift me, my dear.”

  “Let me,” Max offered.

  “No,” Nikki couldn’t explain it, but she knew throughout her being that something important was to happen. "Please, I have to do this. Please, Simon. Take my hand.”

  “Do as she asks,” Louise encouraged and stood.

  Simon looked at Louise then took Nikki’s hand. His eyes grew round and he gasped, then smiled, then broke out into a laugh. She laughed along with him and pulled.

  Simon stood. She released his hand and for a moment he stood frozen in place, a look of uncertainty coming over his face. Then he moved one foot. His face split into a huge grin and he took another step, then another and suddenly pivoted, grabbed Louise around the waist and spun her around, laughing like crazy.

  “I don’t believe it!” Max exclaimed. “How…”

  “I don’t know,” Nikki, said with a smile, hooking her arm around his waist and watching Simon dance Louise around the floor. “But isn’t it marvelous?”

  Max shook his head but smiled. “Looks like we won more than we anticipated.”

  “You don’t know the half of it.”

  It was almost dawn. Nikki stood on the balcony watching the sky lighten. After Helen and Mark had been carried away by the police, statements given and evidence turned over, she told about the feeling she’d had when she regained consciousness.

  The devise was gone and none of them had a clue where it’d disappeared to. Nor how it had saved her and healed Simon. It was too fantastic to be real, and yet it had happened. She wondered if anyone would believe it.

  Certainly not if she tried and used it in her doctoral thesis. Probably not even in a scholarly publication. No, it was a story that would never be accepted as anything more than fiction.

  And maybe that’s how it should be. The Society was probably right. There were things that mankind didn’t need to know, things that despite possessing the potential for great good, could be perverted and used for harm.

  Still, it would make for an interesting tale, she thought. Maybe she’d suggest that to Simon. They were all intrigued with what had happened, and agreed they should try to investigate . But for now, Simon had spirited Louise away to the third floor for what Nikki suspected was a lot of talk and some long overdue moments of intimacy.

  She and Max had celebrated in bed. But not even the release sexual contentedness provided would bring sleep. She returned inside and slipped into bed beside Max, lying on her side and watching him sleep. He opened his eyes and looked at her. “Everything okay?”

  “Couldn’t be better.”

  “Then why aren’t you asleep?” he asked, rolling onto his back and pulling her close to his side.

  “Just thinking,” she said as she cradled her head on his chest.

  “About?”

  “That maybe you should write a book.”

  “A book? About what?”

  “About your life. All that’s happened and all you overcame.”

  “Or a book about a man with no hope who was saved by a beautiful woman who appeared out of the blue,” he teased. “And how she earned his trust even though he’d lost the ability to trust, and together they slay all the dragons and quell all the demons with their…magic hammer.”

  “Magic hammer?” she asked with a laugh.

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought the device kind of looked like. A strange silver hammer.”

  “Well, not exactly the direction I had in mind for the book, but interesting. So what will the title of this epic be?”

  He was quiet for a moment before answering. “A Matter of Trust.”

  Nikki smiled. “Okay. And just how does this book end? Once they slay and quell and all that?”

  “Why the hero makes passionate love to the heroine, she falls completely under his spell and can’t get enough of him and they live happily ever after.”

  “Hmmmm,” she said and ran her hand down his body. “Not bad. But how about we skip ahead to the passionate love for the moment? The rest of the story can wait.”

  Max laughed and rolled over, pinning her beneath him. “My thoughts exactly.”

  From Ciana

  I've been a reader my entire life, finding solace, excitement, happiness, fear and love in the pages of books. If anything has been a constant in my life, it's reading.

  I also remember all of the times in my life when being able to buy a book was a luxury, a treat that I didn't get every week. I've never forgotten those times or how much those books meant to me.

  That's why I am so grateful to you, the readers. Regardless of your level of income or profession, I understand how precious your reading dollars are and I feel humbled that you've used some of those dollars to purchase my books.

  I hope my stories prove worthy of your investment and thank you from the bottom of my heart.

  Many blessings.

  Ciana

  About the Author

  You can find all of Ciana’s books on Amazon. Visit her author page:

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  Books by Ciana Stone in reading order:

  (Connected Books)

  Honky Tonk Angels Series

  Southern Comfort – Honky Tonk Angels, Book 1

  Finding Justice – Honky Tonk Angels, Book 2

  Baby I’m In. Honky Tonk Angels, Book 3

  Ask me to Stay – Honky Tonk Angels, Book 4

  Playing for Keeps – Honky Tonk Angels, Book 5

  Lookin’ for Trouble – Honky Tonk Angels Book 6

  Honky Tonk Angels Box Set

  Legacy Series

  Longing

  Craving

  Yearning

  Untamed Series

  Feels Like the First Time

  When You Least Expect It

  Colton’s Memory

  Untamed: A Three Book Box Set

  Rangers or The Whisperers

  (Can be read in either order)

  Rangers

  The Whisperers

  The Seven Box Set

  Heartbreakers & Heroes

  Grady Judd

  Mason James

  Jasper Jacks

  Deacon Johns

  —————————————————————————————-

  Hot in the Saddle Box Set

  Chase’n’ Ana

  Stand Alone Titles

  Renegades

  Let the Game Begin

  Wrath: Voodoo's Angel

  Wolfe Tale

  That Which Survives

  A Matter of Trust