Paper Marriage Proposition(34)
For a long, wretched minute, he didn’t speak or breathe or move. Then her heart wept when he grabbed the book from the nightstand, carried it outside and shut the door behind him.
Nine
He’d gone through the headache thing with his first wife. Landon knew a willing woman when he saw one, and unfortunately, Bethany wasn’t it.
Grim-faced behind his massive office desk, he waved the black book he was showing to his brothers. “The key to my success.”
He handed it over, every single word he’d read in it seared into his mind.
Leaning back in his chair, he watched them sift through the pages, first Garrett with a thoughtful frown, then Julian John with raised eyebrows.
“One would think your disposition would change after last night,” Garrett mulled out loud.
“I spent my wedding night reading that little gem there, not with my wife.”
There was a bleak silence as Garrett digested this.
“Now why on earth would you do something so stupid?”
“She doesn’t want me, Garrett.”
“You’re joking, right?”
“This is not something to joke about.”
“She doesn’t…desire you?” The words hung in the air, and they were so painful to hear, Landon found himself gritting his teeth. “I don’t believe it.”
“Believe it.”
Julian glanced up from the book, raising both eyebrows. “Every woman wants you. You had girlfriends before you even had your first bike.”
“Why wouldn’t Beth want you?” Garrett demanded.
That was the worst question of them all. Landon remembered last night. How her nipples had pricked under his fingers. How her body had molded against his. He’d planned to give her no choice, make her beg for it.
He couldn’t.
He didn’t want her like this.
He wanted Beth willing—he wanted her to give him everything.
“Two names.” He stuck out two fingers, pushing Beth from his thoughts. “Macy Jennings and Joseph Kennar. They’re bought.”
“No way.”
“Yes way.” He glared. “Apparently, Halifax sends them ten thousand dollar deposits every couple of months to ensure good press coverage on his ‘miracle’ treatments. We need to find a way to monitor their calls and hopefully get some solid evidence of their involvement. Plus it will help us determine what Hector is up to.”
Garrett rolled up his shirt and made a note on the inside of his arm. “All right. Done. Can’t wait to can those suckers when we’re done with them.”
“Right. And there’s another interesting name near the last pages. You see it?” Landon pointed to the book Julian kept sifting through.
Julian’s brown brow raised. “Miguel Gomez?”
Landon nodded affirmatively. “That same one. Miguel Gomez a.k.a. el Milagro. He’s known for smuggling pharmaceuticals out of Mexico and to the States.”
“Ahh, so the plot thickens…” Garrett said juicily, steepling his fingers. “The black book hath spoken.”
“It has, indeed.” Landon pulled out a sheaf of papers from the top folder of his stack and passed them to Garrett. “The insurance company’s already halted some of Halifax’s payments. There have been allegations of him duplicating claims, and they’re thinking of suing.”
Garrett skimmed. “Health care fraud. How fun. That shouldn’t be too hard to prove.”
“It shouldn’t be.” Landon’s gaze shifted from one brother to the other while they both surveyed the info. “Now, if one of you gentlemen could arrange an interview with one of his assistants? The head nurse, maybe? We need her to talk, and we need her to talk dirty.”
“I’m sure Jules will have them crying mercy in a minute.”
With a cocksure smile, Julian dropped the book back on the desktop and folded his arms. “Of course.”
Landon nodded. “Tomorrow would be good. Hell, today would be even better.” He remembered his wife’s frustration over not seeing her son, and fresh determination surged through him. “I’m meeting with our lawyer at two, I need to fill him in on this development. Halifax’s been keeping the child away from her, and Beth’s anxious to see him. We need to move fast. I want to prove the good doctor isn’t fit company for an ape, much less a little boy. It would be easy to accomplish if we get the nurse to testify against him—as a character witness.”
“Consider it done,” Julian said with the assurance all Gages were known for.
“Halifax wants Beth back, Landon, you know he does.”
The quiet words struck a chord, and for a moment, Landon felt them reverberate in his body.