Tantalizing Maria (Temptation Saga Book 7) by Helen Hardt

Author:Helen Hardt [Hardt, Helen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Waterhouse Press
Published: 2016-10-24T18:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Once Angie was settled in her room in the hospital and her little boy had been taken to be weighed and measured, Jeff breathed a sigh of relief. Rafe was less than an hour away now. He would take good care of Angie.

Jeff walked down the hall and through the lobby to the small coffee shop near the hospital entrance. He ordered a black coffee, then stood and sipped it, staring at nothing in particular. A jolt of contentment speared through him. A grandson. Jeff Bay had a grandson.

“Hello, Jeff.”

Jeff’s eyebrows shot up at the familiar voice. He turned to regard a man he hadn’t laid eyes on in three decades. He’d put on some weight, and his hair was mostly gray now, but the hazel eyes were the same.

“Max?”

The man didn’t smile. “The one and only.”

“How are you, man?”

“Been better.”

Jeff’s heartbeat thumped. He remembered that look in Max’s eyes. This wasn’t going to lead to anything good.

“So they let you out,” Max said.

“Yup. They did. I was innocent, after all.”

“Word is that DNA evidence exonerated you.”

“Yeah. There was blood on the gun. Turns out it wasn’t mine.”

“Why would they let out a guy who pleaded guilty?”

“Because I was innocent, that’s why. I copped a plea. It happens all the time. It was a stupid decision, but I felt I had no choice at the time. Plus, I got out for good behavior and time served. I was there over thirty years, for God’s sake. I did my time. Especially considering I was innocent.”

“I think you and I both know whose blood was on that gun.”

Yes, Jeff knew. Neither sample had belonged to him. However, one sample was very similar to his—the one that had given him the chance to go to prison after he thought Mia had betrayed him, the one that he’d petitioned the court to have re-examined when DNA tests later became more accurate. The one that, even though he’d confessed at the time, had given him the ability to recant his confession and get released on parole for good behavior.

The other belonged to Max.

“What are we gonna do about this, Jeff?”

“We? You must mean the royal we. I did over thirty years’ time for a crime I didn’t fucking commit. I’m done doing anything about this.”

Max grabbed his collar. “Look, shithead, that was thirty years ago, and I’m not going down for something stupid I did then. I got out twenty-five years ago, and I’ve made a life for myself. I’ve got a family now. So you keep your fuckin’ mouth shut, got it?”

Jeff broke Max’s hold easily. Yeah, he’d learned a lot in prison, and the first lesson had been how to break a hold. He clenched his teeth, his anger turning to red rage. “Don’t you dare threaten me. You have a family. I never had the chance for one. I did time for your crime, asshole. You should be down on your knees, thanking me.”

“Yeah, I never quite understood why you did that, until I heard that your brother had knocked up your little slut girlfriend.

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