Page 7 of Innocent and Sweet (Roosters #2)

Anissa tried to sleep but couldn’t. Her thoughts were too full of Kameron.

His texted replies to her made little sense.

She didn’t understand what she’d done to make him leave and hated the rule her father had instituted.

What she did with her life shouldn’t have to be approved by her father.

She wasn’t asking him for money. She had a plan in place.

What was the issue? She’d chosen the wrong man?

Good grief. She hadn’t tried to carry on with any other staff members.

Kam had been special. Still was. He made her happy.

She threw the blankets off and left the bed.

She hadn’t been given a real explanation from her father, either.

So she’d sort of dated Kam. What was wrong with him other than her father hated him?

Because Kam had taught Anissa a few lessons in the bedroom?

She wasn’t a child and hadn’t been deflowered.

Her friends -- the few she had -- weren’t virgins. So what?

She opened her laptop. There had to be something about Kam to make him seem horrible. Part of her wanted to find the reason he couldn’t be around her, but the rest of her feared what she’d find.

She searched Kameron Stone on the Internet. No arrests, no complaints… he’d graduated from college and worked as a teacher for five years. His employment had ended when the school district downsized. Gee. If that made Kam bad, she’d hate to see what made him awful.

She frowned. If she couldn’t find anything on the Internet, then maybe she’d see something in his personnel file.

She logged into the database and pulled up Kameron’s file.

According to the information, Kam had worked for the family for just over six years and had a spotless record.

He’d been commended by John for going above and beyond more than ten times.

He’d cashed some paychecks, but his last year’s worth of paychecks went uncashed.

She tapped her fingers on the edge of the keyboard.

How was the man living if he wasn’t getting paid?

She cracked her knuckles. There had to be something else.

Was he stealing money? She doubted it, but nothing made sense.

She noticed a line of red type on his file.

Here we go. She clicked on the line. Her father had no idea she knew how to hack into the files.

He hadn’t thought she could use a computer to do anything besides social media.

Under Investigation

Maybe he had stolen money. Kam? “What are you hiding?” she whispered.

She clicked the second tab. A document came up, listing Kameron’s home address.

She frowned again. So he had a little house.

Big deal. Owning a modest home wasn’t a crime.

She screened the document again, and her breath wrenched in her throat.

Dunn Holdings - deposit 3/18 - $15,000

Dunn Holdings - deposit 4/18 - $15,000

Same thing for the next six months. Why was her father paying him such a large amount of money? According to the notes, Kam wasn’t accepting the checks and the wire transfers had been refused.

What the hell? She logged out of the system and closed her laptop. If she wanted true answers, she had to go to the source.

Anissa dressed in an oversize sweater, jeans and ballet flats. She tapped the button for her guard. Knowing Kameron wouldn’t be on the other end of the line annoyed her.

“Ms. Dunn.” Julian appeared at her door. “What do you need?”

“A ride.” She tucked her phone into her back pocket. “Right now.”

“Where to?” He opened the door for her. “Late night taco run? Incognito shopping trip? I need an address.”

“Fine.” She stayed in her suite. “First, we need to get a few things straight. When I have a guard, I need to know he’s on my side.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Julian clasped his hands together.

“One: I’ve never gone for late-night taco runs or incognito shopping trips.

Have I grabbed tacos after a normal hour?

Yes, because I was with Kameron. Second: I heard you discussing me.

I know what’s been said. If you’re going to be my guard, don’t talk about me behind my back.

I’m not a spoiled rich girl. I’d rather have a modest life than be stuck in this cage. ”

Julian blushed. “Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry.”

“Accepted.” She laced her fingers together.

“Third: I’m not sleeping with the staff.

Kameron was different. We are friends, and he was my best friend.

We got close because we spent so much time together.

I’ve spent time with a lot of the security staff, you included, and I’m not going to sleep with you.

No way. Kameron, as I said, was different.

” She had to stand up for herself or no one else would.

“Because you spent so much time with him?” Julian snorted. “Right.”

She narrowed her eyes. She’d expected him to get irritated.

“Did it ever occur to you I might have engineered that?” She rested her hands on her hips.

“I found reasons to have him around. I didn’t turn down Evan and the others just because I’m picky.

I did it so I could take Kam with me. I knew what I was doing. I did all along.”

Julian paled. “Yes, Ms. Dunn.”

“Fourth: I’m giving you an address. You will take me there. No questions. No arguments.”

“If it’s a bad situation, I won’t do it,” Julian said. “I won’t put you in danger, no matter how much you want to go wherever it is.”

“It’s not dangerous.” She sighed. “I need to go. Either you’ll be my escort or I’m going on my own.” She paused. “Oh, and I do know how to drive that shiny Jeep in the garage. Daddy thinks I don’t, but I learned to drive.”

“Because of Kam?”

“He taught me.” She grinned. “I’m not going to be a prisoner any longer.”

“I’ll take you.”

“Fine.” She left the suite. The bastard. He wasn’t going to cooperate unless she played his game. Fuck it. She’d play, and he’d lose.

“Where are we going?” Julian hurried to keep up with her as she scrambled down the stairs to the ground floor, then into the garage. She made her way to the Jeep. If she was going to leave, she wanted to in her own style.

“I’ll tell you in the car.” She sank onto the driver’s seat. She hadn’t been behind the wheel in a while, but she loved the off-road-capable vehicle. “Get in. No one wants me dead.”

“You’ve been threatened.” Julian reached for the wheel. “Let me drive.”

“Nope.” She backed out of the garage. “I just want you here for backup. I know where Soloman Street is.”

He reached for the wheel again. “I don’t think I want you driving.”

“I don’t care.” She sped across town. If Kameron couldn’t be with her, she’d go to him. She needed answers.

“Ms. Dunn… Soloman Street is near the construction site.” Julian touched her arm. “You’re going to a dangerous area.”

“I don’t care.” She kept driving.

“You don’t want to poke this bear,” Julian growled. “It’s not smart.”

“According to you and the others, nothing I do is smart.” She drove down Soloman Street to Kameron’s house.

According to the map, the place wasn’t large.

No kidding. The quaintness appealed to her.

But why was one end of the street empty?

She parked and noticed the looming Dunn Holdings sign.

The construction site. She knew little about her father’s businesses, but enough to realize her father had more to do with Kam’s situation than she’d expected.

Julian left the Jeep first, then rounded to her side. “I don’t think it’s safe to be here. This house is abandoned.”

“No, it’s not.” She pushed past him and headed up to the front door. The light in the front room turned on, then off. She jiggled the door handle. “Kam? I know you’re in there. Talk to me. I’m not leaving until you do.”

The door opened. Kam glared at her. “Why are you here?”

“We need to talk. I’m tired of being left out.” She marched into his house. “I’m not going anywhere until I get answers.”

“Damn, you’re pushy,” Kameron said. He closed the door. “Julian will have a fucking fit.”

“I know.” She faced him. “I learned pushiness from you.” She squared her shoulders. “Now, tell me the truth. Why aren’t you cashing your paychecks?”

“That’s what you want to know?”

“Yes.” Among other things.

“I don’t need the money.”

“Because you’re getting money from my father? What for? I saw the transfers.” She notched her chin in the air. “Tell me.”

“I’m not taking anything from your father,” Kameron bit out. “Nothing.”

“Why are there transfers in your name?”

“Where did you see that?” Kameron sat on the arm of the chair. He continued glaring, but his tone softened.

Had she gotten through to him? “I hacked into the family banking and saw the records.” She rested her hands on her hips again. “Why is my father trying to pay you? To pay you off? To leave me alone?”

“No.” He winced.

“Then why?” She wanted to throw herself in his arms, but she held back.

“He’s trying to buy my house.” Kameron met her gaze. “He wants me to leave.”

“For the construction site?” His house was on the edge. “He can’t stop before he gets to your house? It’s just a house. Is it worth this abuse?”

“Anissa.” Kameron sighed. “This was my grandmother’s house.

When she died, she left me an inheritance and this house.

My sister didn’t want this place, so I paid her to keep it.

I live off the rest of that inheritance.

I refused to take any of your father’s money once I realized he just wanted to get me off this land and away from you. I can’t respect him.”

“I understand.” She bowed her head. Her father could be ruthless, but to push him out of his home… She closed her eyes. “What about the fifteen-thousand-dollar wire transfers? I saw the transfers didn’t go through. What’s that all about?”