by Coralee June
I turned to my stepfather. “Wow. He really didn’t have to do that,” I said.
Joseph walked over to my mother and bent down to kiss her on the cheek. “We just assumed that you wouldn’t want to live with a couple of newlyweds. You’re eighteen now. You can get a head start on the college experience. My father even mentioned an internship at his office if you’re interested.”
I wasn’t going to school for politics, but the way Joseph suggested this new opportunity, I got the feeling it wasn’t optional. I guess in some ways, politics and social work went hand in hand. The Beauregards were all about their image.
“I’ll think about talking to him about it,” I replied noncommittally. “Thank you, Joseph. I really appreciate it. But are you sure you don’t want me to stay at home, Mom? With a new baby and all, I really don’t mind helping.” What I meant to say was that I didn’t want to miss out, but the words wouldn’t form. Maybe most people would be happy to leave their parents and start their journey of independence, but she was all I’d ever known. I wasn’t ready.
“She will have more than enough help with me and the nannies I’ve hired,” Joseph replied, ending the conversation.
“I lost my virginity to our nanny,” said a smooth voice. I hadn’t even noticed Hamilton walking back up the steps toward us. My spine straightened as I glanced his way. Hamilton stalked up the steps with a grimace. Shit. His entire demeanor had changed. He was calm with me, but now I sensed a hardened edge to his presence that bled through his expression.
“Hamilton,” Joseph said. “You’re such a crude fucker. Be polite while meeting my new family.”
Hamilton arched a brow and walked over to shake his brother’s hand. “Congrats on the wedding,” he said, though it didn’t sound at all congratulatory. Hamilton had seemed sweet when it was just us. Something changed, and I wanted to know what.
I eyed both Beauregard brothers, trying to find traces of similarities in their expressions. Hamilton was all shadows and mystery. Cocky mischievousness wrapped up in a sinfully sexy package. Joseph was like polished fine china or bars of gold.
Hamilton sauntered over to us, and I crossed my arms over my chest. “This is my new stepdaughter, Vera,” Joseph said while nodding in my direction. Hamilton grinned like a Cheshire cat. I was about to admit that we’d already met, but Hamilton cut me off.
“You look so familiar. Have we met before?” he asked while holding out his hand to shake mine, as if we hadn’t just had a conversation on this very porch. As if I hadn’t walked in on him last night. As if I didn’t know how hard he liked to fuck strangers.
So, this was how he wanted to play it? Great.
“I don’t think so. If we had, it must not have been memorable,” I replied. I wasn’t necessarily mad about our little secret, just amused.
“And this is my new bride, Lilah,” Joseph then said with warm affection before placing a possessive hand on my mother’s shoulder. Loving the attention, Mom stood up and patted her hair before reaching out to shake Hamilton’s outstretched palm.
“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Mom greeted.
“The pleasure is all mine,” Hamilton purred playfully before bringing my mother’s hand up to his lips to place a lingering kiss on her skin. “You’re much prettier than my brother. How’d he snag you?”
She blushed. “I had no idea your brother was so charming, Joseph,” she said to her husband. I fought the urge to roll my eyes at her comment. I had the feeling Hamilton was the sort of man to make women fall to their knees in front of him.
“I was going to head back to my house, but I left my wallet inside. Since everyone is up, should I go get some champagne for mimosas?” He then snapped his fingers. “Ah. I forgot. You’re expecting, yes?”
Did everyone know but me? Or was Hamilton making an educated guess?
“Yes. I’m twelve weeks as of yesterday,” Mom rushed out proudly.
Twelve weeks? Twelve fucking weeks? How did she keep this a secret from me for so long? I looked over her body once more. She was so thin.
“Congratulations,” Hamilton said with a smile before turning his attention back to me.
“Will you be staying here while the happy couple are honeymooning in Paris?” he asked me while running a hand over his thin white Hanes undershirt. His dark hair was a mess on top of his head, the glossy strands curled in waves. I guess that’s what happens when you spend all night fucking anything that moves.
“She’s staying here for a week, then she’s moving into her new apartment. It’s completely furnished. You’ll just need your personal effects. I’m so sorry we won’t be there to move you in, dear,” Joseph answered.
That intense warning in my gut returned. I’d worked hard to go to college. I graduated at the top of my class and signed up for every free extracurricular activity possible that would offer me a scholarship. Hell, I was president of the chess club. This whole ordeal felt cheapened by Joseph’s overbearing influence on my college experience.
Now it was ruined. Rushed. A narrative I hadn’t planned for.
“I don’t mind helping,” Hamilton offered.
“Don’t you have an oil rig to be on?” Joseph asked.
“I’m off for twenty-one days,” Hamilton replied. “I can stop by and get her moved in safe and sound.”
“I’d rather hire a moving company,” Joseph replied with a frown.
“You’d rather send your new stepdaughter off to her first apartment all alone while you’re parading across Paris? How very Jack Beauregard of you,” Hamilton said with a grin.
Mom looked completely crestfallen, as if it had just occurred to her that I would be taking on this new adventure alone.
“Maybe we should wait until we get back? Or cut our trip short. I don’t like the idea of her moving all alone. This feels a little sudden, yes?” she said, her head turned in Joseph’s direction and her index fingernail in her mouth. It was a nervous tic of hers.
“I’m sure Vera will be fine,” Joseph replied. “Won’t you, sweetheart?”
I didn’t want them to end their trip early, and I certainly didn’t want Mom to feel badly. “I’ll be fine,” I replied with a tight smile. “I’m happy for you.” The practiced words I’d been using on the journalists and anyone else that asked how I felt about this strange new marriage just fell from my lips. I hadn’t even realized I was saying them.
“Are you sure?”
“Yep. I want you to have fun. Don’t worry. We can meet up when you get back.”
Conquer. Adapt.
Hamilton tipped his head back and laughed before placing an arm around my shoulders. He smelled like scotch and sex. “Look at her! Already fitting in.”
Hamilton squeezed me in an awkward side hug. Joseph looked like he wanted to strangle his little brother.
“I’d say it was good to see you, but that would be a lie,” my stepfather snapped. It was the first time I’d heard him be so outwardly hostile. I didn’t get it.
“Sure thing, daddio.” Hamilton let go of me and made his way to the back door. It wasn’t until he disappeared inside that I let out the breath I was holding.
What did he mean? And why did I get the feeling that Joseph wanted me out of the picture?
3
My mother and Joseph had been in Paris one long week. I spent the majority of my time at the Beauregard home where Mom and Joseph were married, aside from a few trips to the local bookstore. It was a quiet, luxurious reprieve from the chaos of planning their wedding. I felt uncomfortable at first, staying alone in such a large home. Jack had been in DC for the last six days, lobbying for some bill that was intended to make rich men richer. Despite the distance, Jack dutifully checked in regularly, making sure I had enough food and knew where the car keys to his Aston Martin were, not that I’d ever drive it.
Jack would be home tomorrow, and he agreed to help me move into my new apartment since Mom and Joseph decided not to come home early to see me off. Mom was loving her luxuriou
s tour of Paris. I couldn’t even blame her.
“Baby!” she exclaimed over FaceTime, her smile broad. Her calls felt like bittersweet fragments, hollow little reminders that everything had changed. I was sitting on the deck, soaking up some sun in my black bikini and drinking an iced lemonade. “Look! It’s the Eiffel Tower!” She turned the camera so I could see the iconic view. The tower was lit up with lights, looking majestic against the dark night sky. Mom was sitting on a balcony in a red dress, about to leave for dinner with Joseph. She looked elegant and polished up, like a pretty china doll.
Mom and I always spoke about traveling together and seeing the world. I was happy she was getting to do this with Joseph, but I selfishly envied him for getting this experience with her.
“It’s gorgeous, Mom. I’m glad you’re having fun.”
“Are you doing okay? How is everything there? You need anything?” she asked just as Joseph called her name. She twisted her head and held up a finger, wordlessly asking him to wait a moment. I didn’t mind ending the call early.
Conquer. Adapt.
“I’m fine, Mom. Go enjoy your dinner. I’m going to spend the rest of my day reading raunchy romances. Everything is perfect. It’s like I’m on vacation—promise. Once class starts, I won’t have time to read; I’ll be too busy studying all the time.”
“Okay, baby. I miss you!”
“I miss you too,” I replied. I really did miss her. There was still so much left unsaid. I felt unsure about moving into an apartment I hadn’t even seen before, and I wanted to know more about the baby. Did she know the gender yet? When was she due? Should I be planning a shower? Each question piled up like the contents of a forgotten junk drawer.
We waved goodbye, and the call ended. I leaned back in my lawn chair, soaking up the midday sun while pushing thoughts of change to the back of my mind. I’d endured upheaval these last few weeks. I just wanted a few moments of solitude and peace. It was nice to sit in the stillness. A slight breeze kissed my cheek as the warm sun danced across my flushed skin. I allowed myself to relax and quiet my mind.
“Enjoying yourself?” a nasally voice asked. I shot up and opened my eyes, twisting in my seat to see who was there. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” My eyes landed on a tall man with blond hair. He wore slacks with suspenders and had a leather messenger bag slung over his shoulder. “Are you Vera Garner?” he asked while taking a step closer. His lanky build somehow made him look more intimidating, like a scrappy street fighter. “Of course you’re Vera Garner. You look just like your mother. Beautiful. Delicate.”
“Who are you? Why are you on private property?” I asked, my voice a stammer.
“I just had a few questions. Nothing major,” he said before reaching into his pocket. I stood up. What the fuck was this guy doing? I managed a step back. “Whoa! No need to be scared.” When he smiled, it revealed bright yellow teeth. “I’m perfectly harmless. I just wanted to ask you a few things and get to know you for my exposé.”
I eyed the door, but he was blocking my path. “Are you paparazzi? How’d you get past the guard at the gate?”
He wrinkled his freckled nose. “I hate the term paparazzi. I prefer the term investigative journalist.” He revealed his phone and snapped a photo of me. What the fuck? I wrapped my arms around my body to block his view. I felt vulnerable and exposed under his harsh gaze. This was so fucking intrusive. Deciding it wasn’t safe to pass him and go to the door, I grabbed my phone.
“I’ll call the cops!” I shouted.
He waved his hand. “I’ll be gone before they get here. The name is Saint, by the way. Momma was hopeful when she named me. She had the right idea but the wrong bitch, you know?” He cackled. I dialed 911 with his inquisitive eyes on me. Unbothered, he continued speaking. “Did you know that Jack’s wife died in this house? They say she passed peacefully in her sleep—some genetic heart defect no one knew about. But I don’t believe that. The woman was depressed as hell. I have a source that says she spent a lot of time in lockdown at the local mental hospital.”
I gulped and held the phone up to my ear.
“Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?”
“There is a man that snuck onto the property at Jack Beauregard’s residence,” I said as Saint adjusted his jacket, revealing a gun holstered to his hip. I swallowed my words and dropped the phone. The loud sound of it thudding on the deck made me wince.
He looked down at his gun and grinned. “Oh, this old thing? No need to fret, pet. I won’t shoot you. I use it more for my protection. People don’t like good journalism these days.”
He stepped toward me. “Election season starts soon. Jack Beauregard pays a lot of money to look good in the papers. Hell, no offense, but your mother’s rushed wedding is newsworthy. Beautiful woman traps a wealthy man? It’s a tale as old as time. Everyone knows she’s a gold digger, but the papers haven’t breathed a bad word about her. Do you wonder why that is?”
I swallowed. “You have no right to talk about my mother that way,” I choked out.
“Hey,” Saint said while holding his hands up. “I respect her hustle. She’s married to one of the richest men in the world now. I’m happy for her, truly.” Saint patted his chest. “I’m not really here about her. I mean, Lilah isn’t really all that interesting. The real story is with Joseph. You see, things just never add up with him. He just gives me bad vibes. When his own mother died, he didn’t cry at the funeral. Just stood there silently staring at the casket. In fact, the autopsy reports looked doctored. I think Joseph had something to do with it, and everyone knows Jack has enough money to pay people off. ” He thumbed his nose, then looked around at the mansion and manicured lawns surrounding it. “Case in point.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said while praying the cops would show up soon.
“Of course you don’t. Listen, I’m pretty sure there is a story here. And from what I can tell, you don’t want your mom dragged into something sinister, right? I mean, she has a baby to think about now, after all.” He stared at me, waiting to see if something in my facial expression would reveal the truth about my mother’s pregnancy. They hadn’t announced it yet, and something told me Saint would run a confirmation in the papers by tomorrow. When I didn’t respond, he continued. “Joseph has always had anger problems. And Hamilton is like this mysterious playboy. We never hear about him, aside from when he has an orgy. Then there was the thing about his birth mother. Nothing ever really came of that, though.”
Saint took another photo of the house before pocketing his phone and pulling out a business card. Finally, I could hear sirens in the distance. “Here’s my email. Let me know if you hear anything. I only have your best interests at heart.” He patted his chest again. “And I’ll pay handsomely for any information you send my way that’s worthwhile.”
I gaped at him like a goldfish, too frozen in fear to move. “You’re insane,” I finally managed to say.
“Nah. Just hungry for knowledge. Toodles!”
And with that, Saint sprinted off the deck, his long legs carrying him down the path and through the woods surrounding the Beauregard home. I collapsed to the ground just as the police swarmed the place, guns drawn. “That way,” I said while weakly pointing at the woods. “He went that way.” My voice was weak.
What the fuck had just happened?
“I’m sure you’re shaken up, but this isn’t the first time we’ve been called here for overeager paparazzi,” Officer Anders said. I was sitting on the couch, leaning over my legs while biting my nails. I’d found a summer dress to put on over my bathing suit, but I wanted to change into cozy pajamas and cry. “When Mrs. Beauregard died, they were relentless. Remember that, Josie?”
Officer Anders turned to look over his shoulder at his partner. “That was insane,” she agreed while staring at a vase on the mantel. “I wasn’t an officer yet, but I remember watching it on the news.” Officer Anders and Detective Josie had stayed here for a couple of ho
urs to take my statement and make sure that I was okay. Anders was an older man with thinning, gray hair, and he looked like he was nearing retirement. Josie was a petite woman with a snaggle tooth smile and plum lipstick.
“He was crazy. He had a gun,” I replied, still pretty shaken up. I tried calling my mother and Joseph, but it was the middle of the night where they were, and no one answered. Jack’s assistant assured me that she would have my busy grandfather call me as soon as possible.
I felt forgotten and alone.
“Saint has been harassing the Beauregard family for years. Jack has a protective order against him. We’ll find him and arrest him for breaking it.”
I nodded. “Will you leave someone here in case he comes back?” I asked while rubbing my arms.
“This neighborhood has guards patrolling the area around the clock. We’ve made them aware of the situation, and they’ll be parking outside of the house. He won’t come back, and if he does, you have our number,” Detective Josie said while handing me her card. Yeah, this was not instilling a lot of confidence in me.
“Maybe I should get a hotel for the night?” I asked. Joseph and Mom left behind some emergency cash I hadn’t touched. Maybe I just needed to… The sound of the front door opening stopped my train of thought.
“Are you expecting anyone?” Officer Anders whispered while blocking me with his body. Detective Josie drew her weapon. Who the hell was here?
“No!” I frantically whispered back. My heart was pumping chilled blood through my veins so hard that I felt like I was going to pass out. Was Saint back? I wasn’t used to being so wrapped up in the public eye—or with the dangers associated with it.
“Hello?” a familiar voice called. “Is anyone home? Why are there cops out front?”