Convincing Caterina (eBook)

Jennifer Becker (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2025 | 1. Auflage
195 Seiten
Publishdrive (Verlag)
978-0-00-085149-9 (ISBN)

Infos

Caterina was no stranger to her father's dangerous world. He had little regard for human life outside his own, but she never thought he would stoop to killing his own son, whose only crime was wanting to prove himself to their father and had ended up in jail as a result. She couldn't let Simon pay with his life for that mistake. Simon was kind and sweet to their father's utter annoyance. Caterina takes a risk and trusts Detective Jameson to arrest her father and protect Simon, but could her new bodyguard keep her alive until the trial?

Donovan lived for his job; he didn't care who his clients were-good or bad, easy or hard. But there was something he didn't like about Caterina from the moment he met her. She was haughty and walked around with a chip on her shoulder, but he respected her for turning in her father, one of the most dangerous drug lords around. He had never faced a challenge like this before. This might be his toughest job yet.

Caterina knows her father will stop at nothing to silence her and would send armies to get to her. Was Donovan up for the job or had she just sentenced them both to death?

Textauszug

Chapter 2

 

 

 

Jameson could be called many things. Attentive, thorough, loyal to justice, and the list went on, but stupid wasn’t amongst it. This woman was willing to give him everything he needed to put Gregory Valentine and his associates behind bars, and all he had to do was release Simon Valentine whose only real crime was being related to a criminal. It would be a small inconvenience of paperwork for a greater reward. Yet still, there was an old saying: ‘Never look a gift horse in the mouth.’

Again, he wasn’t known for being stupid. So what did this woman get for turning in Gregory and his people? What did she gain by freeing Simon? Who was he to her? Jameson knew about Gregory. The man had connections, and this woman was about to throw them all into the fire. Or was she baiting him? What if the information was old or forged just to get what she wanted and leave him out to dry? Gregory could have put her up this for all he knew.

“Well, Detective?” the women prompted, looking far too smug as if she had the upper hand. If the information she had was real, then she did, but he wasn’t so sure yet.

“I’m undecided.”

The woman blinked at him, appearing startled by his apprehension to simply make a deal. “About what? I’m giving you inaccessible information and asking little in return.”

“Exactly.”

The woman shook her head in disbelief. “You’re not making any sense.”

“You just walk in without telling me who you are or how you came by this information, and all you ask for in return is the release of a nobody. I find that a little fishy.”

The woman’s eyes flashed in anger and her nostrils flared when he’d called Simon a nobody. She knew him well. A boyfriend perhaps? “And what will convince you?” she inquired between clenched teeth.

“I need proof that what you say is true. Not all of it, but something. If it checks out, we have a deal. Sound fair?” It felt shady to do business with a woman he didn’t know, but if the information checked out, he would make the deal and not ask a lot of questions.

The woman’s lips pursed, not looking happy about his counter-offer, but he wasn’t willing to make this deal unless he knew the information was real.

“You can’t expect me to take you at your word that all of this information is legit.”

Jameson could practically hear the wheels in her head turning. She was probably calculating what to release without it being too much but just enough to prove she was telling the truth. “Fine, I’ll give you one of his off-shore account numbers with his alias. When it checks out, do we have a deal?”

“Agreed.” Jameson slid the paper and pen across the table. The woman jotted down a long number that he found impressive she’d memorized and a name. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

Jameson opened the door and called out to a colleague walking by. “Bruce.” The man in question stopped mid-step. “Will you stay in here a few minutes while I look into something?”

“Sure.” Bruce shrugged as if he didn’t care.

“This is unnecessary,” the woman protested.

“And how can I be sure you aren’t a spy and will try to get on our computers while I leave you alone or plant a bomb?” It was a bit far-fetched, but he wasn’t leaving anything to chance. There was something off about this woman, and he didn’t trust leaving her alone.

The woman arched an eyebrow at his accusations. “You have a very active imagination, Detective.”

“I like to be cautious. I’ll return shortly.”

The woman didn’t reply. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared off at the blank wall as if she were looking at something interesting.

Jameson didn’t really think she was going to plant a bomb, but he still wanted a pair of eyes on her while he looked into her information.

Jameson headed downstairs to the research team. “Hey, Billy,” he greeted one of the team members.

Billy looked up from his computer when Jameson spoke. He was in his mid-thirties and had been with the precinct for a number of years. Jameson came to him when he needed help on research and the occasional money trail. “Jameson, hey, what can I do for you?”

“I have an off-shore account number I was hoping you could look into.”

“Of course,” Billy replied eagerly. He was always happy and chipper. Jameson didn’t know why. The man worked in a small desk space and never left. Jameson hated being stuck in the office all day. He liked being out in the field, but to each their own.

Billy typed on the computer for a few minutes, and then his eyes widened. “What did you find?” Jameson asked, coming around the desk to look at the screen. It was a bunch of numbers to him, but when he saw the total amount in the bottom, his own eyes widened. There were hundreds of millions of dollars.

“Is there any way to track where the transfers are coming from?”

“Let me see.” Billy started typing again. “There are a few, but the biggest contributor is from California to a Demarco Corp.”

“Who are they?”

“It’s a company that sells appliances.”

“That’s a lot of money for an appliance factory. Does it say who owns it?”

“James Luca.” The alias the woman had given him.

“Any idea who he is?”

“No, there’s nothing on him.” It was enough information to pique his interest and confirm it wasn’t fake information. Or this woman had gone through great lengths to create false trails. He doubted that, which meant it was real.

“Thanks, Billy.”

“Anytime.”

Jameson marched back to the interrogation room, making a quick phone call on his way. The woman was still sitting where he’d left her. Bruce stood in the corner near the door, looking bored. “Thanks, Bruce.”

“You’re welcome.” He nodded and left them.

“Satisfied now?” the woman asked, finally looking at him with a smug expression on her face, knowing what he’d found was real.

“How did you get this?” Jameson asked instead of answering her question. His was more important.

“I told—”

“Don’t bullshit me,” Jameson snapped, storming toward her but keeping the table in between them. He had no intention of harming her, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t attempt to harm him. “How do you have all of this personal information on Gregory Valentine?” He waved the notepad in the air for emphasis. Only an insider would get bank account info, but this woman seemed to have more than that. Things no one should have. How did she know so much about Gregory Valentine? She seemed a bit young to be his lover, which meant there was a different connection to him.

“He’s my father.”

Jameson dropped his notepad on the table with an audible thunk. The sound bounced off the sparse walls.

“Just so I’m clear, your father is Gregory Valentine,” Jameson said slowly as if he needed to be one hundred percent sure what he’d heard was right.

“There’s nothing wrong with your hearing, Detective,” the woman responded calmly, sounding almost bored.

Jameson’s eyes narrowed in anger. The woman didn’t seem to care. It was as if she didn’t fear anything, or she was just really good at acting tough. “There’s no reason to be snarky, Miss Valentine.” He couldn’t believe he hadn’t realized who she was until now. Now that she said it, he could see the family resemblance. The whole family was like a poison, and he was making a deal with one of the world’s worst criminal’s daughter. He thought he might be sick.

“Jennings. I go by Caterina Jennings.”

“An alias?”

Cat didn’t answer. She was good at that. Being silent when she didn’t want to reveal too much. If she had told him her name from the beginning, he would have moved things along faster. Or more likely, he would have been more wary of making a deal with her.

“You’re not giving me a lot here, Miss Jennings.”

“On the contrary, I’m giving you the keys to the kingdom, Detective.” She smiled sweetly as she leaned across the table with her hands folded in front her. “And all I’m asking in return is for a pittance. You should just accept such a deal because I’m sure none like this will come around again.”

“Why are you betraying your father?” he asked instead of answering her statement. She wasn’t wrong. A break in a case like this would make his career. Not that he was in it to make a name for himself. He would just sleep better at night knowing he’d put a criminal like Gregory Valentine behind bars for the rest of his life.

Cat reared back as if he had struck her before schooling her features again. He was sure that was something she’d practiced. Keeping a neutral face. “My reasons are my own. Now do we have a deal or not, Jameson?”

It was the first time she had called him by his name and dropped ‘detective.’ A testament of how desperate she was to make this deal. If all she wanted was the release of Simon, he was guessing was her brother; it was a small price to pay for putting Gregory behind bars. “We do.”

Jameson watched Cat visibly slacken as if she had been keeping herself upright this whole time and could only now relax. “Good, I’ll email the rest of the information for you and be on my way.” She pulled her phone out of her back pocket. “How soon can you release Simon?”

“Not so fast, Miss Jennings.”

“What now?” Cat blurted, sounding exasperated.

“You aren’t leaving yet.”

Cat’s eyes...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 30.9.2025
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Romane / Erzählungen
• ISBN-10: 0-00-085149-3 / 0000851493
• ISBN-13: 978-0-00-085149-9 / 9780000851499