Free Desire for Love (The Club #13) by S.E. Gilchrist

we get on with my problem?” Madeline didn’t
smile but inwardly the sight of those two bonding caused a positive whirlwind
of emotions seething in her breast. She swallowed over her suddenly constricted
throat and looked down at where she’d hidden her trembling hands in her lap.
“How sure is this friend of yours?”
    “He’s positive, actually.
Did I mention Aaron’s a lawyer?” Harrison quirked his eyebrows. “He’s also the
guy that got me an invite to the Club.”
    “That was your first time
there?”
    “Second.” With vivid
clarity, he recalled his first visit when he’d spent the majority of his time
there, gawping at the photos lining the Club’s walls; and in particular, the
ones that featured Madeline. Those images were seared into his brain and had
made for a hell of a lot of wet dreams. “My mate’s got one or two buddies in
the police department. His intel is gold. It was Roberta Sangrini who lodged
the complaint, admittedly by phone, and named me as the victim and you as the
culprit. She also implicated you stole a thousand dollars from the downstairs
bar.”
    “Roberta,” Madeline
whispered. “She was furious with me for the Club losing the bet.”
    Harrison walked around
the table and laid his hands on her shoulders. Through the thickness of her
pullover, he felt her skin ripple and tense under his touch and he gave her a
quick squeeze. “You’re not alone in this, babe.” After pulling out the chair
beside her, he sat down and scooped her hands into his. “Geez, your fingers are
like ice.”
    He rubbed her hands
gently. When she turned to look at him, her eyes glistened with tears. From
across the table, he could feel her brother watching them like a hawk. “I’ve
been thinking about her involvement since I received Aaron’s text. The odds
are, she was expecting a big payout herself which would explain why she’s so
vindictive.”
    Madeline nodded. “I never
believed that Jet Mak would have allowed the bet in the first place, no matter
how tempting the prize money. She could have organized this on the sly and with
Jet out of town, took advantage of his absence.” She drew a deep breath. “I
need to tell you something. If they check, the police will find my fingerprints
on the till.” She explained about paying for the glass of wine she’d poured.
    “Damn. The security
cameras would have caught you opening and closing the till.”
    Madeline nodded.
    “Someone else must have
taken that money. What about Roberta?”
    “I don’t know. It’s
possible, I guess.”
    ”Unless you’ve pissed off
someone else, she’s the logical choice. Right now we know who and what sounds
like to me, a plausible why, we have all the ammunition we need. And once the
cops find no trace of the missing money in your possession, I’m certain this
problem will disappear. I hope that Roberta chick gets charged with wasting
police time as well as theft. Maybe we can throw in defamation of character.”
Harrison glanced over to Matty then back to Madeline. “My mate reckons I did
the worst possible thing for you by insisting you take off yesterday. It’s made
you look guilty as hell which means I need to deal with this, today.”
    She looked at him mutely.
    He smiled. “I’m driving
you both home. Then I’m meeting Aaron at the cop shop where I’ve an appointment
with the bloke in charge of the case. Under legal representation, I’ll make a
statement refuting the complaint and make a counter-one of my own about false
accusations and using my name without my consent and knowledge. This should
clear you of any involvement with me. Afterwards, Aaron and I’ll escort you to
the station and you can make your statement about the till. The police will
have to investigate Roberta for the missing money.”
    Raising her hands to his
mouth, he brushed his lips over her knuckles, his heartbeat jumping about like
a jack-in-the-box as a flush spread rosily over her face. About to confess the
reasons for his