Jonny's Redemption (Gemini Group Book 7) by Riley Edwards (audio ebook reader TXT) 📕

“I know you didn’t.” Then he stepped forward, cupped my jaw, tilted my head back, and with a hoarse voice he rasped, “You amaze me.”

His forehead dropped to mine and his fingertips grazed my chin, cheeks, then stopped when he curled his hands around the back of my neck. The closeness eased some of my tension and it seemed to do the same for him. Slowly his breath evened until we were in sync, exchanging air, connected in a new intimate way.

“I’m sorry I was such an asshole. I wanted you here, I didn’t know how to ask. I don’t want to face this alone but I feel like a selfish ass dragging you along. I have no idea what I’m going to find when I go in there. I don’t know how to help her. She’s getting worse and I’m scared I’m going to lose her. Either she’s going to sink further into the bottle or my resentment is going to grow until any love I feel for her is gone and I end up hating my mother.”

As it were Jonny and I didn’t just have a lot in common, we were the same damn person. I knew from experience that if he didn’t stop the resentment it would grow into hatred. There was of course a slight difference between his mother and mine, Anita Spencer hadn’t bailed. She’d stayed and I wondered which was actually worse. Me growing up with the knowledge I wasn’t enough to make the woman who birthed me stay and give me what little she could. Or Jonny having to witness his mother’s spiral into the abyss of hopelessness. Seeing Jonny’s misery I was beginning to think my mother’s abandonment was actually an act of kindness. I didn’t have to see Kathy’s demise. She was a ghost, a distant memory I could barely recall. But Anita, she was a constant in Jonny’s life, a daily reminder of his father’s cheating. I would bet every time he saw his mom drunk it felt like a slap in the face, a fresh wound that couldn’t heal.

God, Jonny.

Hiding in plain sight.

“We got this. Together we’re going to go in, do what we need to do to get your mom home, then we’ll go from there. Together, Jonny. You and me. We’ll do it together.”

I felt his sigh of relief slide over my skin and it washed away the rest of my irritation. I could do this. I could endure Jonny’s snappy attitude and harsh words. All I needed was patience. And if I ran out, I could draw up the memory of this moment—his vulnerability, his honesty, his trust.

All three were precious.

A gift to cherish for a man who pretended to be strong.

11

Jonny walked hand-in-hand with Bobby into the station. The familiarity of it hit him square in the chest. All the anger Bobby had untwisted came rushing back and knotted painfully. He’d spent years of his life in this very building. His job. His passion. His refuge from shit his family had piled on him. His place of business.

Now his mother had sullied his sanctuary.

A cruel twist of fate.

The detective who’d spent years chasing down leads, interrogating bad guys, putting criminals behind bars, was there to pick up his mother after she’d been arrested.

Thank fuck he’d already quit.

“Spencer,” Vaughn Holbrook greeted.

Jonny gritted his teeth then forced himself to relax. At least his friend had stopped with his name and hadn’t tacked on an obligatory “good to see you” that might’ve pushed Jonny off the ledge he was precariously skirting.

“Vaughn.” The two men shook hands and under extreme duress, Jonny finished with, “Appreciate the call. I’m sorry—”

“Don’t, brother.” Fuck, he hated the pity in the other man’s tone, hated Vaughn saw his weakness. “Bobby Layne. Good to see this idiot here finally pulled his head out.”

It was hard to miss Vaughn’s flirtatious draw. Jonny certainly didn’t miss it; he also didn’t like it.

“How ’bout—” Bobby clenched his hand, halting Jonny’s outburst.

“I haven’t seen you in a minute. How’ve you been?”

Bobby smiled at his former colleague. Vaughn didn’t miss a beat when he returned, “You know me, I get by.”

That meant Vaughn locked himself behind a five-foot thick reinforced steel door and allowed no one access. Vaughn Holbrook made Jameson Grant—pre-Kennedy—look well-adjusted. Vaughn had followed Nixon Swagger back to Kent County, however, he didn’t want to work for Gemini Group. He didn’t want the responsibility of commitment. Nor did he want Nix, Jameson, Weston, Chasin, Alec, or Holden in his business so he slid under the radar. He was close to Nixon in proximity only. He checked in with the guys, mostly Nix, when he needed to. And that was only to appease Nix. If Vaughn had it his way, he would’ve gone off the grid and lived out the rest of his life in complete solitude. The only reason the man joined the sheriff’s department was because he wanted the appearance of normalcy. Again, that was to keep Nix off his back. Vaughn was good at his job. Too good—the former black-ops soldier had no business being a cop; his skills were wasted in a small town. But after what he’d seen and done, Jonny reckoned the man just wanted quiet.

“Did Chasin tell you about the concert?” Bobby asked. “You’re gonna come, right?”

Jonny wondered how Vaughn would wiggle his way out of the invitation when Bobby was staring at him with hopeful eyes.

“’Fraid not, sugar. We’re down a detective and the bad guys didn’t get the memo.”

So that was how he was going to play it—throw Jonny under the bus then roll the guilt on thick.

Bobby’s hand spasmed and Jonny looked down at her face carefully blank and looking beyond Vaughn. He allowed his eyes to follow her gaze and immediately saw what had caught her attention.

Anita Spencer. Dressed all in black like a grieving widow. Jonny wasn’t sure if he wanted to roar in extreme agitation or laugh at the