Page 36 of Unraveled Love

Without waking her, I uncurled my arms from Addi and slid out of bed.

In the hall, I grabbed my jeans and my shirt, digging into my pockets, and pulled out my phone. “Hello?”

“I found something,” Charlie said over the quick tapping of her fingers flying over a keyboard.

“Why are you at work?”

She wasn’t supposed to return yet. The doctor had told her at least a few more days at home.

“I’m fine. Couldn’t rest knowing those assholes got the jump on me and are still out there. How’s Addi?”

“Good. Sleeping, but that’s not why you called.”

“Nope. I found something. Not sure how it all ties in exactly, but figured you should know.”

“Hit me.” I headed toward the kitchen and grabbed a bottled water from the fridge.

“All right. So I’ve been following the financial trail for Matthew’s lawyer. I took a chance because the attorney he hired doesn’t work at the firm in Charleston he has on retainer.”

“Okay.” I rested against the kitchen counter. “That’s not surprising. I doubt he’d have a criminal defense attorney on speed dial.”

“Right, but right after Matthew paid him and put him on retainer, his shiny new lawyer, Ronald Bancroft, received another two-million-dollar deposit.”

“Two million?” Shit. I swiped a hand down my face. “I’m assuming it’s not his standard fee?”

“No.” She chuckled, but it was cold. Icy pricks slid down my spine, making my skin hot and cold at the same time. “But what is interesting about it is that those millions came from none other than Benjamin Banks.”

She practically sang the name. Too bad it meant nothing to. me. “You’re going to have to explain that connection, Charlie.”

“Right, right. You’re a country boy.”

“I prefer Midwestern, but you’ve made your point. Who’s Benjamin Banks?”

Her voice turned excited again, still singing his name, and I was pretty sure if I had been in front of her, she’d have been bouncing in her chair doing a little happy dance. “Benjamin Banks, Mr. Blakely, is none other than a North Carolina state senator. He’s charismatic. Handsome. Young and single.

She let that linger as if I cared about his relationship status, and my patience in her drawing this out was dwindling.

I wasn’t the kind of guy who got excited over a dangling carrot.

“Charlie—”

“Benjamin Banks also has a long, sordid past, with rumors that have circulated foryearsabout his appreciation for the female form…theyoungfemale form.”

Oh, she had to be kidding. This was too damn twisted. “What? Are you implying…”

“I’m connecting dots. Matthew Johannsen, one of the most powerful men in Charleston with a reach far beyond his southern port city, is married to a family with connections to sex trafficking, and shortly after Johannsen is arrested for said activities, Mr. Banks steps up to pay his lawyer two million in addition to the fee Matthew already paid to represent him. At least, I’m assuming that isn’t coincidence.”

“And you’re assuming, as well, that the lawyer…”

“Ronald Bancroft.”

“Right. That Bancroft would take that payoff. Why?”

“Because who better to represent Mr. Johannsen than a man who’s also involved, who most definitely does not want to have his client go on the stand and potentially be questioned about who his clients are.”

“Fuck, Charlie.” I dropped my head and swore again. “If you’re right, that’s a lot of fucking powerful people involved in this.”

“And that means Addi is most definitely still not safe.”

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