We drive in an uncomfortable silence until Mr. Jardim pulls up the driveway of the first house.
Seems I had high hopes Alec would silently follow me around. I let out a sigh and shoot a glare his way when he begins opening every single closet and switching on the lights. He also asks about a hundred questions to the point that Mr. Jardim is a frazzled mess, stuttering his way through every answer. Giving up on the first house we make our way to the second viewing, and I’m thoroughly annoyed when Alec just starts doing the same thing he did during the first viewing.
Scolding Alec doesn’t work at all, so I resort to walking around with a constant frown on my face.
On the way to the third house, I consider calling it a day, but as we stop outside it, the modern structure draws my attention, and I’m hoping to call it quits after viewing it.
Walking inside a huge smile spreads over my face when I see how open and spacious it looks. To my left are glass windows looking over an indoor garden.
“Oh wow,” I breathe. “Mom will love it.”
Feeling excited, I smile back at Alec, and for the second time in less than a minute, I lose my breath when I see him smiling at me.
Holy crap, he can smile and damn it changes his whole look from intimidating to looking attractive as hell.
I dart to my left and push the large glass door open in an attempt to get away from him, and quickly I’m absorbed in the beauty around me. Glancing up, I notice all the bedrooms have windows looking down onto the garden.
This house just needs a couple of adjustments, then it will be perfect for Mom.
Without having to think it over, I turn to Mr. Jardim. “I’ll take it. Please get the paperwork ready. My attorney will be in touch with you.”
“Oh good.” Mr. Jardim smiles, then gestures toward the stairs. “Would you like to see the rest of the house?”
Shaking my head, I answer, “Not right now. Once the paperwork has been signed, when will I be able to get the keys?”
“The owners have already moved so you can move in as soon as we’ve signed the offer to purchase. Of course, you’ll have to pay occupational rent.”
“Not a problem. Thank you for your time.” I shake hands with the man then glance at the indoor garden once more before leaving.
“Are you movin’?” Alec asks the moment we’re both in the car.
“It’s an investment,” I reply, smirking because the lie will throw Clay off.
Now to see whether Alec will take the bait and run to Clay to tell him.
CHAPTER 7
“It doesn’t matter what she thinks of me.”
ALEC
The moment Reece goes to her Mom’s room, Roberts calls for me.
“What has Reece been up to?” Roberts asks the moment I walk into his office.
I stare at him, knowing if I tell him the truth it will side me with him, which will be perfect for the case. I can’t bring myself to throw Reece in the deep end for the sake of the operation, and answer, “She was dealin’ with some investments.”
“She didn’t meet with anyone I should know about?” he asks, already looking down to whatever he’s busy working on.
“No, Sir.”
“Good. Don’t let her out of your sight,” Roberts says, dismissing me.
Walking out of the office, I bite my bottom lip and shake my head. I screwed up a good opportunity to get Roberts to trust me. I almost turn back to tell him the truth, but end up standing in the hallway, unable to do that to Reece. I’ll have to gain Reece’s trust instead. I’m sure she has something on Roberts we’ll be able to use.
Going to the security room, I take a seat in front of the monitors to keep an eye on Reece.
“Seein’ as you’re here, I’m gonna have a smoke break,” Paul, the current guard on duty, advises me.
“Take your time,” I say, hoping to have some alone time to talk to Wyatt.
I wait until a couple of minutes have passed before I say, “Wyatt, you there?”
“I’m here.” He lets out a heavy breath. “Dude, you’ve had one hell of a day. Reece sure laid into you this mornin’ at the gym. At this rate, she might try to kill you before we manage to get any evidence on Clay.”
“What’s the story with them? I thought they were happily in love and traffickin’ drugs together.”
After spending the day with Reece, I’m sure Reece is getting ready to make a break from Roberts. Hell, not that I blame her. Just spending two days in this house has shown me their relationship is all an act.
I watch the monitor of Mrs. Nicolson’s room. Reece is busy setting something up. I can’t help but respect her for all the effort she puts into making her mom comfortable.
My mind goes back to when we were viewing houses. When we got to the third house, and I saw the awe on her face, it made me smile. It’s like she was another person for a moment.
“When we were all in school, Reece, Birdie, and Clay were best friends. Birdie, who’s engaged to my cousin, had some shit to deal with and withdrew from everyone around her and her friendship with Reece took some strain. I think Clay always had the hots for Reece, so it didn’t surprise me when I heard they were engaged.”
I lean back in the chair, listening to Wyatt while never taking my eyes off the screen. Reece says something to her mom, but I can’t hear it and lean forward to turn the sound up a bit.
“Reece was the kind of girl who would be the center of attention at any party. She always smiled. I think at some point most of the guys in Lyman were in love with her. She was just easy to get along with.”
“From what I’ve seen that’s no longer the case,” I mumble, making Wyatt laugh.
“You have a special gift to flip her bitch switch my friend,” Wyatt says, before laughing harder.
“So far, all Roberts and Reece have been doing is fightin’. From watchin’ the monitors, I also picked up they don’t even sleep in the same bedroom. What do you think about the things Reece said in the gym earlier? Do you think their engagement is a business deal?”
“I’ve known Reece since kindergarten. She had big dreams. I can’t see her settlin’ for a business deal kinda marriage,” Wyatt gives his opinion. “What happened to her parents is a real shame. Part of me wants to believe that Reece isn’t involved in the drug business with Clay.”
“The money to fund the start-up came from Reece,” I remind Wyatt. “Don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment.”
“We’ll talk again once you get to know Reece,” Wyatt says, sounding a little defensive.
“I don’t plan on stickin’ around that long.”
Reece places her hand over Mrs. Nicolson’s forehead, and shock tightens her features. I lean forward when Reece quickly digs for something in the drawer next to the bed and taking out a thermometer she seems to be checking Mrs. Nicolson’s temperature. I slowly stand up and placing my hands on the desk, my eyes are glued to the monitor.
Suddenly Reece swings around and looks directly at me with fear on her face. “Alec!”
“Got to go, Wyatt,” I say as I start to run toward the door, not waiting to see why Reece is calling for me. I’m out of the security room and racing down the hallway as fast as I can.
Less than a minute later, I slam the door to Mrs. Nicolson’s room open.
“What’s wrong?” I ask Reece where she’s leaning over her mom.
“Her temperature is too high. I need to get her to the hospital.” Reece looks at me and seeing the panic on her face, I rush over to the bed.
Keeping the blanket over Mrs. Nicolson, I pick her up and then wait for Reece to position the catheter under the blanket, so it’s not visible before I rush out of the room. Passing by Roberts’ office, the door is closed, and it doesn’t escape my attention when Reece doesn’t tell him we’re heading to the hospital
Reece keeps up with me, and when we reach her car, she quickly opens the back door. I climb in while holding Mrs. Nicolson, making sure the blanket’s still covering her.
<
br /> Reece gets in and starts the car. Glancing over her shoulder, our eyes meet for a second then she puts the car in gear and drives toward the hospital.
Mrs. Nicolson opens her eyes, and not wanting to scare her, I smile gently and say, “Reece is drivin’. We’ll have you at the hospital soon.” I don’t know if she hears my words because her eyes drift shut.
When we reach the hospital, everything happens fast. Reece must’ve been through this before because she handles the situation calmly. It’s only when I go to stand next to her after placing Mrs. Nicolson on a bed, and Reece gives me a trembling smile, that I realize she’s just good at pretending.
Reece fills out some paperwork to have Mrs. Nicolson admitted and meets with a doctor. While she’s busy, I go get us some coffee, figuring she might need the caffeine because I sure do.
When I get back to her side, I hold a cup out to her. “Sit down and have some coffee.” Reece takes the cup from me with shaking hands then sits in the nearest chair. I take the seat next to her and ask, “Will your mom be okay?”
Reece nods while she stares at the coffee. “Because of the catheter she sometimes gets an infection. They’ll put her on some antibiotics.”
“Is there anyone I can call for you?” I ask out of habit.
Reece shakes her head then takes a sip of the warm liquid.
“You haven’t eaten since breakfast. Can I go get you somethin’?”
Slowly Reece lifts her head until our eyes meet. She stares at me for a long moment before asking, “Who are you, Alec?”
Keeping my face void of emotion, “What do you mean?”
Reece shakes her head and gets up. Before she walks toward her mother’s room, she says, “Don’t be nice to me. It’s confusin’. Let me keep believin’ you’re someone whose loyalty can be bought. At least then I know you won’t betray me because I can pay you more than Clay.”
For some unknown reason, Reece’s words make me feel sad for her. What kind of life does she live when she has to buy loyalty?
CHAPTER 8
“I can’t trust Alec.”
REECE
Mom’s been moved to a VIP room, and they’ve started her on a course of antibiotics.
I gently brush her hair, knowing she’ll want to look her best even though she’s in the hospital. When I look up, I catch Alec watching me. I get an overwhelming feeling to beg him to help me get out of this mess my life has become, but I push it back down.
I can’t trust Alec.
I’ll never again make the mistake of trusting someone. Clay was my best friend, and I thought he’d be the one person who would always stand by my side and never hurt me. Look where trusting him got me. Smack dab in the middle of hell.
I bring my gaze back to Mom, and even though I hate seeing her in the hospital, it’s for the best. It will give me the perfect opportunity to get away from Clay without having to worry about her safety.
When Mom’s eyes flutter open, I smile and taking hold of her hand, I say softly, “Hey, Mom, you have an infection, but Dr. Evens said you’ll be fine. You’re going to stay a little while, but I’ll make up for it as soon as you’re better.”
Mom nods, and it makes my heart squeeze painfully that she just accepts everything happening to her. There’s nothing more unfair and cruel than life itself.
Mom turns her head and looks at Alec. I haven’t introduced him to her yet. I would’ve preferred she never met him.
“Alec is a friend,” I lie to Mom. Damn, it’s all I’ve been doing. I’m scared the day will come when I start believing the lies myself.
Alec gets up from where he was sitting quietly and walks closer to the bed. He smiles down at Mom, and I suddenly have the urge to cry because there’s warmth in his eyes. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen someone smile with their eyes.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Nicolson,” he says.
Feeling overwhelmed, I get up and place a kiss on Mom’s cheek. “Try to sleep so you can get better faster. I’ll be back first thing in the mornin’ to check on you.”
Mom’s mouth pulls to the side, and to others it might look like a sneer, but to me, it’s beautiful because it’s her smile.
I brush my fingers lightly over her hair, and say, “You’re still the most beautiful in the world to me.”
Mom makes a humming sound which has become her laughter.
“See you tomorrow, Mom. Love you.”
“Lo-w-v,” she replies, and I let the word settle in my heart before I leave the room with Alec right behind me.
We get into an elevator, and Alec presses the button for the ground floor. I watch the numbers tick down, and when we reach the third floor, Alec says, “You’re a good daughter, Miss Nicolson.”
Being a good daughter is the only thing I’ve done right in my life.
I watch the elevator countdown, and as we reach the ground floor and the doors open, I say, “Just call me Reece.”
We walk to where Alec parked the car after I left it right in front of the emergency room. I’m so tired after all that’s happened today.
Reaching the car, Alec opens the passenger door for me, and I step forward to climb in. “Thank you.” The words are said out of habit, but then I pause and look up at Alec, and this time I mean it when I say, “Thank you.”
The corner of his mouth pulls into a smile. “You’re welcome, Reece.”
I had Alec drive to my attorney’s office before going home. I gave Mrs. Makin the contact details for Mr. Jardim and asked her to take care of a couple of things for me.
It’s time to break away from Clay. I know it’s not going to be easy, but I can’t let this opportunity pass. When Mom’s released from the hospital, I want to take her to our new home where she will be safe and happy.
It’s funny. I used to have so many big dreams, but they all pale in comparison to just wanting to live a quiet life with Mom.
It’s not too much to ask for, is it?
I’m surprised when Alec doesn’t drive straight home but stops at a diner. I suppose he needs to eat and I’ll need all the strength I can get to face Clay.
“You’ll need your strength,” he says as if he can read my mind.
We walk into the diner, and the smell of greasy food along with the down-to-earth vibe is actually refreshing. I can’t remember when last I came to a diner.
We sit down in a booth, and only after we’ve placed our orders, does Alec say, “You’re plannin’ on moving out of the house, aren’t you?”
“I’m buyin’ the property for investment purposes,” I answer, then smile gratefully at the waitress, bringing us water, for the interruption.
Alec waits for her to leave, and I can feel his eyes on me, but I’m too stubborn to look up. Taking my phone from my bag, I look through my emails. When Alec takes my phone from my hands, I look up in shock.
He places it on the table and pins me with one hell of an intense stare. “I already told Mr. Roberts you met with someone about investments so you can cut the act and tell me the truth.”
A skeptical smile forms on my face, and I lean back in the chair. “Let’s say you’re tellin’ me the truth and you gave Clay that information, it still doesn’t mean I’m going to let you in on my plans. I don’t know you. I have no idea where you come from, or who you really are.”
Alec copies my movement and leans back in the chair, never breaking eye contact with me.
“I grew up in Spartanburg.”
The slither of information about him startles me, and weirdly it leaves me wanting to know more about the man sitting across from me.
“Do your parents still live there?”
“My mom does. My dad passed away when I was four.”
The skeptical smile starts to fade from my face when I ask, “Do you have any siblings?”
“I’m an only child.” He keeps the answers short and to the point, which is forcing me to ask more questions if I want to know more about him.
“Why did you accept Cl
ay’s offer?”
I don’t miss the slight tilt of Alec’s head, and I wonder what it means. Is he trying to think of a lie to feed me?
“I needed the job,” he says as he reaches for the glass of water.
“What kind of jobs have you done before?”
He swallows the water and sets the glass back on the table, before answering, “Different things. I used to help out at a martial arts center.” His mouth twitches into a smile, and for the first time, I believe he’s telling me the truth. “I also worked as a guard at a mall.”
Is that all he’s done so far?
“How old are you?”
The waitress brings our food, stopping Alec from answering me.
Alec picks up his burger, but before biting into it, he says, “I’m thirty-two.”
While cutting a piece of my steak, I comment, “You haven’t done much work for your age.”
He washes the bite he took down, then says, “Is there a rule saying we have to work ourselves to death? I prefer not to be stuck in an office all day.”
“So, you have no ambition?” I’m baiting him now wondering how much patience he has.
Alec lets out a burst of laughter, then surprises me, even more, when he smiles.
“You should smile more,” I blurt out, and immediately I wish I could take back the words.
I hide my discomfort behind a bite of steak and almost choke when Alec says, “You, too. Livin’ behind a fake smile isn’t livin’ at all.”
Luckily my phone starts to ring, saving me from having to reply. I grab it and seeing it’s Birdie, I swipe on the screen to answer it.
“Hi, Birdie,” I say, quickly glancing at Alec. Seeing that he’s focusing on his plate of food makes me relax a little.
“Hi, Reece, I wanted to check in with you. I’ve been worried since your last visit. How are you?”
“I’m fine,” I answer. I bring my eyes down to my own plate of food and focus on a fry. “How have you been copin’ after everythin’ that’s happened?”
The Lies We Tell Ourselves (A Southern Heroes Novel Book 3) Page 4