Page 50 of Embracing the Consequences

“Jackpot, baby girl,” Derrick shouted again, running into the living room.

She grinned and jumped up from the couch. “For real this time?”

“Oh yeah,” Kevin said enthusiastically as he walked in carrying a stack of papers. “Location of the law firm in the Caymans. His condo. A house. Some other businesses there,” Kevin said. “His banking info.”

“Fuck yes.” Kara cheered as she looked over the stack of documents Kevin handed her. “Jack,” Kara said, as she stared down at everything.

“Yes, ma’am,” Jack answered, the smile evident in his voice as he walked over to her.

“Can you freeze his accounts?” She kept her voice low and looked up at him, hopeful.

Jack paused midstep, the smile sliding off his face. “Theoretically? Maybe. It’s highly illegal. I’d have to hack into his bank.”

Kara frowned. “Can you at least track his most recent movements? We need to make sure he’s there, and I’ll call Winters about the accounts.”

“I can do that,” Jack agreed as Noah stepped into the living room behind him.

Kara turned to Johnny and reached out for him. He stepped toward her and grasped her hands with his. “You have to promise me,” she said slowly, keeping her voice down as she glanced at Kevin and Derrick also. “Promise me,” she stressed, “that you’ll bring him homealive.”

Johnny squeezed her fingers. “I can’t promise you that,” he answered, his voice low so they wouldn’t be overheard by the officers in the other room.

“Johnny,” she stressed quietly, squeezing his fingers tighter. “You don’t understand. Theonlyway I get control of Carmichael and Associates is if he goes down for murder. I can’t claim the firm, his assets, any of it, without him being alive and sentenced to prison.”

Johnny scowled, looking down at her.

“Please Johnny,” she begged. She stepped toward him and let go of his fingers, pushing his hands away so she could step into his body. She cupped the back of his neck and pulled his face down to meet hers. “Ineedhim alive.”

Johnny’s hands gripped her hips. He rested his forehead against hers. “He tried to kill you,” Johnny said softly.

Kara nodded slowly, rubbing her hand over his cheek. “I know,” she murmured. “I also know that the best way to actuallyhurtmy father is to take everything he spent his life building and make itmine, to give it legally to the child he never truly wanted.”

Johnny let out a low growl, his voice gravelly when he finally spoke. “OK, Princess. I promise I won’t kill him.” He pulled away and pressed a kiss to her forehead before he stepped back.

Kara turned to Kevin and Derrick. Both of them were staring at her with similar expressions of annoyance and disappointment. “Please,” she asked, her eyes darting between the two of them.

Kevin’s shoulders were tense beneath his leather cut. His dark chocolate eyes narrowed on her. “Do you even want what he built?” Kevin asked.

Kara nodded. “I might not give a shit about the money or the properties, but I love what I do. I love being managing partner of Carmichael and Associates. I love the people I work with daily. I want that.”

Kevin smiled softly and moved toward her. He wrapped her in his arms and lowered his forehead to hers. “I know you do. I love seeing you so happy when you walk the halls of that building. Everyone loves and respects you. I want you to have that. If putting him behind bars is the only way, then I promise I won’t kill your father.”

She smiled and pressed a kiss to his lips.

They pulled apart a moment later, and Kara turned to Derrick. He was standing a few feet away, with his arms crossed over his chest. His disappointment had morphed into anger, and she didn’t know how to proceed. Derrick was the jokester and laid back—he wasn’t the hothead, but Devil could be—and she didn’t usually deal with Devil.

She walked over to him and waited. “You going to make me beg?” she asked him.

“Is that an option?” he asked.

“I won’t get on my knees for this, Derrick.” She shook her head. This was not the time, and she wasn’t in the mood for power plays. This was life and death, and her fucking livelihood was at stake. She needed this to all be aboveboard, as much as it could be.

“I didn’t think you would.” Derrick dropped his arms and shook his head. “I love you, baby girl. I love you and our unborn child,” he said, placing a hand on her flat belly.

There was a soft gasp from behind them. She assumed it was Jack, because Kevin quickly moved away—they hadn’t told family yet, besides Marcos and the clubs.

“I just want you safe. Your father already tried to kill you once. He almost succeeded too.” Derrick sighed and slid his hand from her belly to her waist. He pulled her against him as his other hand came up and cradled her face.

Kara wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into him. She didn’t even mind how dusty and sweaty he was. “I know, and I was able to protect myself,” she said softly. “Please Derrick. I need him sentenced for murder for the board to officially make me CEO.”

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