Even after having two months to think about the consequences of my actions, I didn’t care about what I lost. Only that Adele could sleep at night again. “I understand, Your Honor.”

“Okay, then. Mr. Bateman, your plea deal with the District Attorney to serve two years is found to be an adequate punishment and is therefore accepted by this Court. While the Court sympathizes with what your family has gone through, our legal system must be trusted to serve its intended purposes. We cannot have vigilantes running all over the city avenging crimes as they see fit. Your request for time to get your affairs in order is granted with the condition that you turn in your passport and do not leave the state of California. You are hereby ordered to surrender to the Los Angeles County correctional facility in fourteen days.” The judge slammed his gavel and just like that, I was a convicted felon.

Chapter Fifteen

Even though my place was blocks from the beach, the smell of the ocean permeated the air. I took a deep breath and filled my lungs with freedom. Damn it smelled good.

The last thing I did before turning myself in for two years of hell, was check my sister into rehab. I knew she did well; I saw it on her face every other Saturday when she came to visit. Yet for some reason, I was suddenly nervous to show up unannounced and surprise her.

When I unlocked the heavy metal door to my place, pop music blasted through the open-air loft I called home. I smiled hearing it, even though her shit taste in music drove me up a wall growing up. “Adele?”

I lived in a renovated warehouse—sound was normally muted from the high ceilings, but it was completely lost to the howlish sound of Taylor Swift blaring through the indoor speakers. “Adele?” I called slightly louder. After everything she’d been through, I didn’t want to startle her. I had no idea if she was still skittish. After the attack, she jumped if anyone walked into a room, even when she knew they were there. I dropped my key in the bowl on the table near the door and headed to the kitchen.

A man wearing a dress shirt and boxers was ironing on my granite counter. We spotted each other at the same moment. He held up the iron like a weapon; I held up my hands in surrender. “Is Adele here?”

“Who are you?”

“Relax, Mate.” I spoke calmly, keeping my hands in the air where he could see them the entire time. If there was one good thing about spending two years in prison, I’d definitely learned how to defuse a violent situation. “I’m Adele’s brother—I live here.”

Boxer boy’s eyes flared. “Chance?”

Well one of us was filled in. “That’s me.”

“Shit. Sorry. I thought you were getting out next week.”

“Overcrowding.” I narrowed my eyes on the iron he was still holding. “You want to put that thing down now, yeah?”

“Yeah. Of course. Sorry.” He set the iron on the counter and took two steps toward me, extending his hand. “Harry. Harry Beecham. I’ve heard so much about you.”

You’ve got to be shitting me? Harry? “Wish I could say the same.”

“Do you think we could stop at the—” My sister’s voice abruptly halted as she turned the corner into the kitchen. “Oh my God!” She almost knocked me over when she flew into my arms. “You’re here! You’re home!”

“I am.” Adele held me in a death like grip. She was crying, but unlike the last time I hugged her, these were tears of happiness. I pulled back to take a good look at my little sister. I’d seen her every other week, but I’d only gotten glimpses of what she wanted me to see. She was twenty-eight now, dressed in a skirt and girly blouse with her hair fastened on top of her head. She looked a lot like Mum.

“You look…different. Grown up.”

She wiped her tears and smoothed her skirt. “This is how I dress for work. I told you. I’m a secretary now.”

Harry cleared his throat. The bloke was still standing in his boxers. “I’m late. I should get going. It was great to finally meet you, Chance.”

I eyed him. “I hope you put some pants on first.”

He gently placed his hand on Adele’s shoulder as he passed and spoke softly, “Take the morning off. I’ll see you this afternoon.”

Adele smiled at Boxer Boy, then looked at me while biting down on her bottom lip. “Sorry. I didn’t know…Harold is one of the partners at the accounting firm I work for.”

“An accountant?”

“Yeah.” My sister smiled. “Not the type I normally go for, huh?”