Page 214 of I Never Stopped Loving You

“So what happened next?”

“I made some calls. The cops are looking into it still, but are keeping it hushed. They believe it may have been a previous client who has a grudge. I may have also added a little incentive for them to keep it quieter because of our firm's status in the community. Don’t want any negative press. No news stations reported on it either.”

“Well, that’s good,” I groan as I rest my head back against the couch. “Wait…Does my dad know?”

The second the question leaves me, and I see the look on his face, I know I shouldn’t have bothered asking. Of course he knows, he just doesn’t care. As long as I’m still breathing and can fully take over the firm when he retires, he doesn’t give a fuck. He was probably more irritated at the fact that it could have been a previous client out for revenge, and that I’m going to miss a lot of work.

“Sorry. He’s a fucking ass anyway. You have us,” he says, wrapping an arm around Jenna.

I’m still pissed she was even involved in this in the first place. She shouldn’t have been burdened by this, but she doesn’t even seem phased. None of them do, and that’s what’s worrying me the most.

“Where’s James’s body?” I ask hesitantly.

Is his corpse still in the labyrinth? Did Jeremy’s connections take care of it? And what kind of connections are they? Will I always be looking over my shoulder, wondering who I’m indebted to for disposing of him?

“We took care of it,” Jenna says confidently.

“What? Jeremy, why the fuck did you get her involved?” I can’t help but snap.

This is Willow’s best friend, and he has potentially put her in danger by involving her.

“Hey. He didn’t have a choice. He was on the phone with me, heading back to his house, when he said you texted. He panicked saying he had to go and that’s when I knew something was wrong. He hung up with me, but I called him right back and demanded to know what was wrong since Willow was with you. You should be thanking him,” she snaps, shutting me up.

“Thanking him? You realize you’re now a part of this. A murder…a cover-up. If shit goes south, you could get jail time…”

“None of that is going to happen, Noah. I told you, we took care of it. His body is gone. The blood was cleaned up, and the evidence was burned and disposed of. Your surveillance system was even wiped, and we made it look like the guy who attacked you hacked your system. I’m not some helpless girl, Noah. I can handle this,” she says as she gestures around at our surroundings.

Jeremy is looking at me while holding back a grin. He loves that his woman is standing toe to toe against me on this. And the fact that she’s so cool about the fact that she not only helped cover up a murder but dispose of a fucking body is honestly terrifying to me. Who the fuck is she?

“Did your connections help with that, too? Is that another person I’m going to be indebted to?” I demand.

“No. They don’t have a clue what happened, and they never will. I only use them to get patched up and call in favors if needed, but I didn’t want to overstep. I know how you are about your privacy. Plus, Jenna had a plan.”

“Okay, fine. How did you get rid of the body?” I ask, finally letting myself sit back and relax on the couch.

There’s nothing I can do about it now. It’s over and done with. I just have to move forward and make sure that I protect all three of them from now on.

“Did you know my uncle owns a crematorium?” she says with a smile.

“Seriously?” I ask, now sick to my stomach. More loose ends that will need to be tied up.

“Yep. An old one downtown. Remember that night at the restaurant when I told you I know how to dispose of a body? I used to help out there during my summer vacations. He does both human and animal cremation. I learned how to do it just in case fashion didn’t pay the bills because he said I could always work there.”

“You cremated his body?”

“Burned it to a fucking crisp, then let the water take his ashes.”

“Isn’t she amazing?” Jeremy asks, practically fucking beaming at her.

“So what did you tell your uncle?” I ask with a bit of attitude in my tone.

“Nothing. He’s been busy, and I told him to take the night off. Said I needed to clear my head from school shit. I have a key to the place, so Jeremy and I went there at night, pulled the truck into the shop near the cremation chambers, unloaded him, and burned the body and the sheets.”

“What about his teeth? Bones? Anything like that?”

“Dust. Do you know what the process is for cremation?” she asks, tilting her head at me.

“No. Can’t say I do.”