Madison Westin 02-Deception in Paradise by Deborah Brown

didn’t know me very well if he thought I’d sit around and be scared, waiting for the next shoe to drop. “I’ll talk to you later.” I hung up the phone.
    I wanted to pull the covers over my head and stay in bed all day. Pavel murdered! Was there a chance Jax was somehow involved? Zero chance, I answered myself.
    I went upstairs and quietly opened the door to the guest bedroom. Jax was nowhere in sight, and the bed hadn’t been slept in. I didn’t want to deal with him anyway. I wanted more coffee.
    Jazz lay on the couch, fast asleep. I noticed his food bowl was full and he had fresh water. No wonder he wasn’t weaving between my legs, howling. Jax loved Jazz, and the feeling was mutual. He had a way with animals and small children. I’d wanted a child with him, but it never happened. Later, I realized that was for the better.
    I took my phone out and called Spoon.
    “Madison Westin, what can I do for you?”
    “Would you pick up my boat at the Coast Guard and tow it to Moron’s? I’ve already signed the release.”
    “I’ll give the Coast Guard a call and take care of it,” Spoon said. “Anything else?”
    “I really appreciate this. Send the bill to my house.” There was no need to give Spoon details. He knew the second anything happened in the Cove.
    “You remember when I told you I could fix anything? Well, I can,” Spoon reminded me. “Keep that in mind.” When I first met him, he called himself “The Fixer.” That, coupled with the look on his face, had made my hair stand on end.
    I called Moron and left a message to expect the boat. No explanation was necessary with him, either. He knew when a tourist stubbed their toe, which always surprised me since he was so unsociable.
    Jax walked in the through the French doors.
    “You look like crap. Did you sleep on the beach?” I asked.
    “I couldn’t sleep. The damn sand gets everywhere.” He brushed some off on my floor. His eyes were bloodshot, and he reeked of liquor.
    “You need to pull yourself together.”
    “I want to go pick up the boat and drive it back. I’ll work on cleaning it up,” Jax said.
    “I’ve already had it towed, and hopefully the repairs will be complete before Brad’s boat gets in.” It wasn’t true, but I didn’t want to fight with Jax. He’d never again get near the boat, no matter what I had to do.
    “Have you heard anything?” Jax asked.
    “I got a call this morning. Pavel’s body was fished out of the water.”
    “What the fuck?” He covered his face with his hands. “I knew the guy for one hour, and he’s dead.” He looked up at me. “What? What else?”
    “The police will be here today or tomorrow with more questions.”
    “You and I could make all of this go away,” Jax said.
    This ought to be good. “How’s that?”
    “You tell the cops you were driving. Everyone knows you don’t drink and drive. By eliminating the alcohol factor, they’ll write it off as an accident.”
    “The gaping hole in your fat idea is that I wasn’t on the boat that night,” I pointed out. “The four other people on the boat know that, and let’s not forget the Coast Guard knows it, too.”
    “Oh, calm down. I’ll talk to all of them and tell them what to say,” Jax said with confidence.
    “So everyone’s going to lie for you and face criminal charges and jail time? And what about me? I can think of several felonies I might be charged with.”
    “You’re exaggerating. A slap on the wrist,” he said.
    “You’re awfully cavalier with my life.”
    “Just think about it.”
    “I have thought about it, and the answer is no,” I shot back. “In fact, a big no. Do you remember the last time I tried to take the blame for something you did?”
    “What are talking about?”
    “The drag racing incident? You spinning out of control and smashing into the living room of some old man’s house. Ring any bells?”
    He shrugged. “All you had to do was say you were driving.”
    “I did, you bastard. You