Innocent (Inequitable Trilogy Book 2) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Description

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Also by the Author

  Author's Note

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Chapter Fifty

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  Chapter Fifty-Eight

  Chapter Fifty-Nine

  Chapter Sixty

  About the Author

  Innocent…

  Fear shouldn’t feel this good.

  Jordan Walsh never imagined he’d find himself in a strange, secret, sexy tug-of-war between Vice President Elliot Woodley and Leo Cruz, President Samuels’ body man. Every ounce of common sense in Jordan’s head tells him to run—not walk—fast and far from both men. The problem is, they’ve tangled Jordan so deeply in their web he’s not sure he wants to leave.

  Unfortunately, there are those who’d stoop to anything to twist Elliot to their will.

  And the last thing standing between Elliot and complete destruction…is Jordan.

  Innocent

  Inequitable Trilogy

  Book 2

  Lesli Richardson

  http://www.LesliRichardson.com

  Innocent

  Inequitable Trilogy Book 2

  Copyright © 2020 by Lesli Richardson

  First E-book Publication: January, 2020

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This work may not be reproduced, transmitted, or distributed in any form or by any means currently available or available in the future, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, for free or for sale, without express written permission from the publisher and author.

  Distributing copies of this e-book to others is a violation of international copyright law and infringes the rights of the legal copyright holder. This e-book may not be shared, copied, sold, given away, offered as a contest prize, or otherwise distributed to anyone other than the original purchaser. Distributing this e-book as part of any collection, or with any type of resale permission, is also strictly forbidden and a violation of copyright law.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real people, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  This is my livelihood. PLEASE do NOT share, upload, or otherwise distribute this book. When people buy my books, it pays my bills. Please don’t steal from me. If you want me to keep bringing you more stories, I need to be able to pay my bills, so I ask that you please legally purchase my books. If you want to give this file to someone else, please purchase them a copy from a legal retailer. The links are on my website. Thank you.

  www.LesliRichardson.com

  Also by the Author

  Please sign up for my author newsletter, where I post info about both my Lesli Richardson and Tymber Dalton pen names, and never miss a new release or update:

  https://tymberdalton.com/newsletter/

  Writing as Lesli Richardson:

  The Bleacke Shifter Series:

  1) Bleacke’s Geek

  2) Geek Chic

  3) A Bleacke Wind

  4) Bleacke Spirit

  5) A Bleacke Christmas

  6) Geek-Speak

  7) Bleacke Expectations

  The Great Turning Series:

  1) The Great Turning

  2) The Great Turning: Into the Turn

  3) The Great Turning: Future Ages

  Governor Trilogy:

  1) Governor

  2) Lieutenant

  3) Chief

  4) Yes, Governor

  5) Pet: A Governor Trilogy Novel (Coming November 2020)

  Determination Trilogy:

  (A standalone trilogy set in the same world as the Governor Trilogy.)

  1) Dignity

  2) Diligence

  3) Desire

  Devastation Trilogy:

  (A standalone trilogy set in the same world as the Governor Trilogy.)

  1) Dirge

  2) Solace

  3) Release

  Maxim Colonies:

  Jailmates (Maxim Colonies 1)

  Farborn (Maxim Colonies 2)

  Saudade (Maxim Colonies 3) (Coming Soon)

  Of Boardwalks and Bison

  Cross Country Chaos

  Poly

  Coming Soon

  Deviant Trilogy

  Devout Trilogy

  Lesli Richardson is better known by her more prolific Tymber Dalton pen name. Please check out her website for more info on all her titles under both her pen names, including full book and series listings, trivia, character information, and more.

  http://www.tymberdalton.com

  Honest reviews are greatly appreciated and can help boost a book’s rankings on retail sites. Thank you!

  Author's Note

  Politics are messy, nasty, sexy, brutal, funny, impossibly complex, and a lot of fun to write about. (Mostly because they’re messy, nasty, sexy, brutal, funny, and impossibly complex.) That’s why I love using politics as a backdrop.

  Since the focus of this trilogy isn’t the politics so much as it is the people, I’ve taken certain liberties and simplified a few things here and there.

  But the kinky shit is absolutely realistic.

  The Inequitable Trilogy is a spin-off featuring characters first introduced in the Determination Trilogy and the Devastation Trilogy, and set in the same world as the books in the Governor Trilogy and others. It is a stand-alone trilogy that can be read separately from those books.

  It’s suggested that you read the books in the Inequitable Trilogy in order:

  Indiscretion

  Innocent

  Incisive

  The suggested reading order for the trilogies is as follows:

  Governor Trilogy

  Determination Trilogy

  Devastation Trilogy

  Inequitable Trilogy

  Deviant Trilogy

  Devout Trilogy

  There will be more books set in the
world of the Governor Trilogy. You can check out the latest additions via my website at:

  https://www.tymberdalton.com

  Dedication

  To all my patient readers—thank you! This is literally the longest book I’ve written to date, and I apologize for the delays. (Blame it on the chatty characters. LOL)

  Also, to my cuddly pet Viking, for bringing some desperately needed and long overdue peace and quiet to my turbulent, chaotic brain. Your timing was perfect.

  Chapter One

  Now — Early September

  I was not supposed to live.

  Upon my birth, the doctor told my parents it was likely that I’d die, and to prepare for the worst.

  Instead, I lived, much to the later consternation of my parents.

  But I digress.

  Throughout my life, I’ve known Heaven and Hell.

  Second only to Mimi’s death, Hell, to me, is carrying a stack of collapsed moving boxes up several flights of stairs. Then, over the next couple of weeks, hauling the packed boxes one at a time to the storage unit, all while trying not to trip because I’m crying.

  Hell is also staring into the depths of the storage unit before separating and organizing six years of Heaven into neatly stacked piles of boxes and furniture so I can quickly point out everything to the movers when they arrive to load my stuff into my pod. That way, I can get them out of here as fast as possible, meaning it’s less time for them to see me crying.

  Hell is hating myself for not being strong enough to have it out with a guy who’s stupidly praying for something that will never happen.

  For loving the big dope beyond reason.

  It’s hating myself for being a guy who’s stupidly praying for something that will never happen.

  It’s being firmly wedged between the deeply closeted vice president of the United States, and the man who loves him literally beyond all reason or sense.

  Leo and I really are flip sides of the same coin. The only difference is that I sort of knew what I was getting into from the start with him, and I made the difficult choice to walk away from him when I finally realized nothing would change. Leo had no clue what he was getting into when he first met and fell in love with Elliot. Now, Leo is stuck in neutral, hoping Elliot will change when, honestly?

  I don’t think Elliot’s capable of it. Leo’s lying to himself if he thinks Elliot is.

  I know Leo didn’t mean to lie to me. He honestly thought Elliot would grow to love me.

  Hell is knowing I’m walking away from the perfect guy for me. Because, in the long run, I’m doing what’s best for the damned country.

  Because Elliot needs Leo.

  I guess, in many ways, Leo also needs Elliot.

  The saddest thing about all this mess?

  After six years with Leo, my life can still be compressed into…this.

  Not much more in the way of tangible property than I first brought into this relationship.

  Other than the boxes I packed with my books and a few miscellaneous items, I can use several large suitcases, and have nearly all of my belongings moved out of the apartment. I packed most of my suits in a couple of boxes, because not like I’ll need those in Tallahassee. It’s cheaper to ship them in the small pod with everything else, rather than paying to buy yet another suitcase and being charged an extra baggage fee by the airline.

  In retrospect, I’m glad I didn’t move what little furniture I have upstairs to Leo’s third-floor apartment. It would have meant needing Leo’s help to move out, or asking someone else to help, and I didn’t want any of that.

  I wanted to wallow and do this alone.

  Standing on my own two feet is kind of my schtick, I guess. I had to learn how to do that from an early age. Survival tactic.

  It’s what chameleons do to survive. They blend in and observe.

  Six years ago, when we made this “official,” Leo asked me about moving my furniture in, but we were incredibly busy then. I didn’t feel like hauling some of his stuff down from the apartment just to make room to haul my stuff up to the apartment. It felt like an exercise in futility, since what little time we were home and not working was usually spent eating, cleaning, fucking, or sleeping.

  Not worrying about whether or not my Mimi’s secretary desk was sitting in the corner of the living room, instead of a cheap, albeit funky and custom-painted thrift-store bookshelf he’d picked up in Arlington.

  Besides, we’d talked about moving into a larger place, at some point.

  That…never happened.

  Cue my heart literally breaking right now.

  I know in Leo’s heart he hoped for a miracle. That Elliot would abandon his fear and come out so he could be open with Leo. Then I’d live with them as either a friend or “assistant,” and we’d secretly be a happy poly triad, biding our time until Elliot’s term in office ended and he returned to private life.

  The prime time for that to occur would have been after President Samuels was re-elected nearly two years ago. The good will and bounce in the polls from Lauren’s death would have meant Elliot coming out barely blipped the radar.

  Or it could have happened after Kev was shot last year, and public opinion once again spiked in a favorable bounce for the Samuels’ administration. With the news about Kev’s father being behind not only the shooting, but also responsible for Lauren’s death, and the death of the president’s brother- and sister-in-law, among others, Elliot coming out would have been seen as happy fun-time good news. At the very least, Elliot could have quietly moved Leo into the vice president’s official residence, unofficially, even without coming out, and I could’ve maintained Leo’s apartment as my residence.

  I wouldn’t have minded that option. Seriously. I wouldn’t have been with Leo at the vice president’s residence every night, I’m sure, but I can live on my own. I wasn’t even jealous of Elliot.

  Hard to be jealous of a guy who’s so miserable in his own fricking skin that he’s practically terrified of his shadow.

  Honestly?

  I feel sorry for Elliot.

  Hating his guts and feeling sorry for him aren’t mutually exclusive, you know.

  Okay, saying I hate his guts is a little extreme. I’m even planning on voting for him, when he runs. Elliot at his best, in private, is fantastic. There were times Leo and I went over to his place and hung out for a couple of hours. Or relaxed upstairs in the White House residence with the president and her family, just being normal people for a while.

  During those interludes, I absolutely could see why Leo fell in love with Elliot. He’s smart, funny, and not an asshole.

  In the rare moments the three of us spent time together in Elliot’s bedroom, I could see even more why Leo loves him. Elliot’s sexy as hell. I’m not a Top but watching the two of them play together revved my motor.

  Over the years, it grew impossible for me to ignore how Elliot watched me when he thought Leo and I weren’t looking at him. How he so obviously envied Leo being able to freely fraternize with me in a way that he and Leo couldn’t with each other.

  How the hell is Elliot supposed to win an election and run the country if he’s focused on me? On hating me?

  Maybe not hating me, but let’s be honest that I’m not his favorite person. The only reason he offered to let Leo date others in the first place was because of his own fear of coming out.

  That’s damn sure not healthy.

  Which brings me to why I’m standing here, crying my eyes out as I realize I’m basically where I started six years ago.

  Other than the shit-ton of experience I got from working in the White House, and the shattered heart I’ll bear for the rest of my life.

  Leo Cruz will always own a part of my soul, even though I uncollared myself and returned my day collar. My heart will forever ache for him and miss the things we did together.

  Staying will only prolong the inevitable and could possibly negatively impact the freaking presidential election. That’s guilt I don’t want hangi
ng over my head.

  Six years ago, I never saw myself in the middle of an explosively secret situation that could have shoved me onto the front pages for weeks if anyone ever discovered our secret.

  Guess my parents wouldn’t have been able to deny my existence then, would they?

  As satisfying as that thought is, it’s not realistic. No way in hell am I subjecting myself to that kind of firestorm merely to spite my homophobic ’rents.

  Life’s too short.

  It’s too short for bad books, for bad food…

  And it’s too short to keep beating my head against a stupid wall with nothing to show for my efforts except perpetual uncertainty and barely constrained envy.

  Because Vice President Elliot Woodley’s first and only love is Leo Cruz.

  And Elliot’s Hell is watching Leo being able to live with and freely love me. All while he probably fears Leo will walk away into the sunset with me, when I know there is no way in Hell Leo will ever leave Elliot.

  It’s just my bad luck that, unlike Leo, Elliot doesn’t have enough room in his heart for me.

  * * * *

  Once the movers finish loading everything into the pod and I put my padlock on it, they haul it away. The small pod will be delivered to my new apartment building once I confirm my address. It’ll be dropped into a parking spot I’ll never use—because I don’t own a car—where I, and another hired team of movers, can unpack it immediately upon my arrival.

  Then they’ll move it to the storage unit complex for me, where I can unpack what’s left into my new storage unit.

  Bingo, bongo, my life will start over.

  Again.

  I haven’t signed the lease for the new apartment yet. I’ll stay in a hotel temporarily, until after I look at the apartment in person, sign the lease, and then arrange the pod delivery with my things. One of the professors in the department wanted to move, because their parents had a rental house come available and let them have it for the same rent every month that they were paying for the apartment.