Page 190 of Shared By the Highest Bidder

“Now that asshole is going to walk.” Ash waves his hand at the courtroom. “Bernadette will be devastated to find out—”

“I know where her designs are.”

“He told you?” Ash cries out.

“He told me they were in a safe deposit box. He planned to blackmail her before he got arrested to get a cut of her deal.”

“Shit. That scumbag.” Ash’s hands ball into tight fists.

“We’ve looked every place else. That key has to be at Rikers.”

“I have a contact there.” His eyes widen. “A nurse.”

“We have to get there before Bernie’s ex does.”

ON OUR WAY TO RIKERSin Ash’s Defender, he calls the nurse he knows.

She just happens to be sleeping with one of the guards. Awomanwho can give me access to Kinsey’s belongings.

It’s all illegal as shit, but I don’t play by the rules.

We get ‘on island’ as we call it, and I get a pass for Ash and me to visit the infirmary.

“We should call Bernadette and tell her what happened,” Ash says, his fingers skimming over his phone.

“Let’s wait,” I say, pacing in the lobby. “I don’t want to give her false hope.”

“Do you think she needs protection?”

“His plea deal will be revoked, and he’ll be right back here.” I’ll send Nick to that apartment to make sure the message is clear.

Bernadette is mine. She’soursand to stay the fuck away.

I just hope Kinsey sees her when she’s famous and walking the runway with that blue finale dress. Even better if he has to watch it from here at Rikers.

“Hey, Ash,” Shelby, the nurse, greets him.

“Thanks for doing this, Shel.”

“Mandy here will escort you through,” Shel says.

The female guard strutting up to us looks like one tough bitch.

“Wish me luck.” I kiss Ash on the mouth, not giving a fuck who sees us.

I never did.

Mandy brings me to Perry Building where I tell the desk sergeant I have a warrant to look at MichaelKinsey’s locker. This retrieval facility opened as one of the measures to improve Rikers Island. The same underpaid people work here, too.

With Mandy, the sergeant lets me through.

Wandering through the maze of rows, we find the box for Kinsey. I take it down and rifle through disgusting, soiled clothes until I find his wallet.

I lick my lips going through it. No key, and I want to throw up. I shove it to the dirty floor when something shiny glints from inside an expensive sneaker.

Heart pounding, I turn it over and my heart explodes.

A key.

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