by Lacey Silks
“No one in this world could ever be compared to you, Magic Fingers.”
Hunter continued with more stories about his sisters, kayaking and white water rafting. Apparently Cindy had taken a liking to me and had been calling him more often to ask about me. That was the kind of relationship I used to have with my mom as well. Our conversation made me miss my own mom so much. It’d been too long since I’d seen her. I wished I had her in my life the way Hunter had his mom.
“Have you told your mom we’re living together?” I asked.
“Of course. I also told her you like sleeping naked and prancing around the apartment in nothing but underwear.”
“No you didn’t,” I laughed.
“I also told her how much you mean to me.” His face suddenly became serious. The same way it had up in the mountains.
“Sounds serious,” I said, feeling the same kind of anticipation I had earlier in the evening float back.
“That’s because it is, Grace. When this is all over, I’m gonna take you away for a week. We’ll go to Hawaii or Bahamas and drink coconut rum under palm trees.” His voice sounded distant, as if he was definitely planning such a getaway.
“What else did you tell her?” I felt my voice lower. My heart hammered in my chest, and I began praying that I wouldn’t need to reach for my pills right this moment. Hunter looked into my eyes, and the way he looked at me, saying so much in that moment without speaking a word, I thought I’d melt in my seat.
“How much I can’t imagine my life without you because I…”
“Would you like some dessert?” the waitress asked, startling us both.
“Actually, if you can give us a moment?” Hunter said, shaking off the sizzle that sparked between us and looking at something behind the waitress. I instead concentrated on Hunter’s beautifully bright eyes sparkling with a mysterious glow, waiting for him to continue as soon as the waitress left.
“Actually, Grace, I have another surprise for you tonight. Here she comes now.”
As I turned in my seat, a beautiful woman was walking toward us. She had perfect skin, hair styled up in a bun with stray strands whispering around her face, and freckles sprinkled over her nose and a bit over her cheeks. She carried herself with so much poise—I hadn’t seen a woman that confident in years. It wasn’t until she was closer that I realized it was my mother.
CHAPTER 18
How many years has it been since I’d seen her? My heart was trying to free itself from my rib cage. I breathed in through my nose and out of my mouth as the room quickly became smaller and I struggled to catch enough air. It began spinning and my sight blurred. I grasped Hunter’s hand, squeezing it tightly. “Purse,” I whispered.
Hunter had my pills all ready in his hand. I swallowed them just as my mother neared our table.
“Hello, Grace,” her voice sang. She sounded like one of those fairy godmothers: utterly unbelievable. Her eyes shone with well-controlled moisture, but I was sure they would soon spill.
“Mom?” I couldn’t get more past my vocal cords.
She sat down in the booth across from me, shifting in her seat, her gaze darting from me to Hunter to the front door.
“It’s all right, Beth. They don’t know where you are,” Hunter encouraged.
“I risked a lot coming here. And I never wanted to risk you, Grace. I’m not sure this was a good idea, Hunter.”
“Beth, I promise you’re safe. You did what I asked?”
“Yes, everything.”
“Good, then relax. Nothing is going to happen.”
“What do you mean ‘risked’?” I asked.
“I don’t want them to find you,” she whispered. “I don’t want them to suck you into their life. You’ve done so well on your own.”
Except for all the times I’d wished I weren’t alone. All the Christmases and Thanksgiving dinners I’d missed. Family laughs and banter. But my family wasn’t the kind I’d imagined in my life—far from it, in fact. So maybe it was better to be on my own?
“Why are you here? Why now? I thought you wanted to stay with him.”
“No, sweetheart.” I’d never seen such a loving look from a mother, and now I felt it too. “It was an ultimatum and a punishment. I wanted to leave with you, but Frank got mad. Very mad. He said he wouldn’t be the laughingstock. He threatened that if I left, he would make you pay.”
“Why would he want to do that to his own daughter? I don’t get it.”
“Did you want to be a lawyer?” she asked.
“No, of course not.”
“Would you shoot a duck the way the boys did when they went hunting?”
I shook my head.
“That’s because you were always more like me. Drawn to seeing the good in the world and living honestly.”
“Why did you marry him?”
“It’s not important now, sweetheart. But they won’t stop pressuring you. Your father placed the entire Wagner estate in your name. His operation is being exposed by some quite skilled men”—she locked her gaze with Hunter’s—“who have the evidence to put him away. He will lose everything. The house, the cars, the company. Everything he wasn’t able to hide through you.”
“Is that why he wanted me to change my name?”
“That’s part of the reason. Grace, he needed to hide the wealth. Millions of dollars stolen and laundered. Every single penny that he had—you own it.”
“How? I have only one bank account, and the balance sure doesn’t have six zeros at the end of it.”
“One account that you know of,” Hunter added.
I turned toward him asking, “Have you verified this?”
“Yes.”
Shit! This was bad. If I had the money, they wouldn’t stop until they got it back.
“Is that why you’re here? Why you came to see me?”
“I came to see you because I don’t know what will happen. I’ve been able to keep you out of this for this long, but I didn’t think Frank would stoop this low. I’m not sure whether he’ll drag me down with him or not. I just needed to know you were okay.”
“I’m fine, Mom. But I really missed you.” I reached over the table, taking her hand.
“I missed you too. But this man here tells me we can fix things.”
I looked at Hunter. Why didn’t he tell me all this?
“I wanted to be sure,” he said, answering my unspoken question. “And I didn’t want you worried.”
I shifted in my seat, wishing I hadn’t had so much water with dinner. “I need to go to the ladies’ room. Please excuse me.”
“Of course.” Hunter stood up as I got up. The wine I’d had still coursed through my veins, making my legs sway, but my mother’s visit, here, today, had sobered me—at least mentally.
“And don’t go anywhere. I have more questions,” I said to my mother.
“I won’t. I promise.” She smiled.
Before I went to do my business, I turned the water on and splashed my face, trying to catch a cleaner breath. A lady stepped out to wash her hands and asked, “Are you all right?”
“Yes, thank you. Just a little dizzy.” I swiveled on my foot and closed the door behind me. Hearing her exit the washroom, I exhaled. What the heck was I supposed to do? I didn’t want my mother risking her life to see me. I didn’t want any of my father’s and brothers’ corrupt wealth. I wanted everything to go back to normal, the way it was before Scar attacked my salon. Well, except for Hunter. I needed him to still be in my life. He was my anchor and, besides Emma, the only stable person I had. But if I didn’t get more answers soon, I wouldn’t be able to sleep at all.
I stepped out of the stall to be greeted by a smoky hand over my mouth. On instinct, I thrust my body around, trying both to get free and to make any kind of noise I could, but to my dismay the bathroom was empty and he was holding me right in the middle of it, away from the door, mirrors, and walls. I had nothing to kick or hit, and his professional grip surprised me. That’s when I remember
ed that my youngest brother had always liked kickboxing, and I wondered whether he’d pursued his passion. Maybe I should have joined a class or two as well.
“Please, Grace,” Scar whispered into my ear. “I’m not going to hurt you. I didn’t know you were my sister until it was too late. I was set up. I’m a victim, just like you. We have both been crossed.”
I mumbled from behind his palm, afraid that if the lack of air didn’t kill me, the horrid cigarette stench would. I needed him to let go of my mouth if any talking or hearing was going to happen. All those words he’d said sort of blended in my mind as lack of oxygen began to mess with my brain. It was as if I were trying to see and think through a morning fog. I stopped struggling and trying to whip out of his tight hold, because a few more seconds and I’d be down anyway. The only words that remained in my mind were I’m a victim, just like you.
I slowly nodded, thinking that maybe he’d let me go if I complied. That way I could run away, and do it fast. Yet now, part of me wanted to hear what he had to say, and I didn’t know why.
Before he completely let go of me he asked, “Please don’t run. I just need a few minutes.” His tone was gentler this time, and for the first time in over a decade, I stood a couple of feet away from my youngest brother, looking straight into his eyes. I barely recognized him. And I guess I’d changed during that time as well. Something tightened around my heart—a wish that I’d had a different life, maybe a happy family like Emma’s. But I knew that was impossible. My father, while a very successful lawyer, was a ruthless man—that much I knew. He and his shady businesses were the reasons why my mother kept me away from the family. Yet Scar was the only brother I remembered who didn’t remind me of my father as much as the others had.
“I’m sorry if I scared you.”
“No more than when you held a gun to my head, or showed up unannounced at my condo.”
“My ways to get to you have been cut off. I was forced to take larger risks, like I am now. The moment your boyfriend realizes you’ve been gone too long he’ll barge in here.”
“That’s what makes him a good boyfriend.”
“You’re wrong, but it does make him a good undercover agent.”
Scar spoke as if they had history together, which honestly wouldn’t have surprised me. A clatter of dishes in the nearby kitchen startled us both, making me jump.
“Grace, I don’t know how to explain it to you this fast, but you need to believe me when I say that I didn’t know it was you at the salon. I had no clue I was being set up to kidnap my own sister. It wasn’t until I saw you... and then I just had to go through with it. I’m sorry.”
“Kidnap? I thought it was about the money.”
“‘Give me the money’ sounds a lot less threatening than ‘Come with me,’ don’t you think?” he said, his gaze darting toward the door every few seconds.
I recalled Scar wanting me to come with him.
“Who set you up?” I asked.
“Who do you think? That scumbag Axel, under father’s direction.”
“Why would you do anything like that anyways? Don’t you guys have money flying out of your butts? Couldn’t they have hired someone?”
“Why hire someone when you can get the job done for free? They didn’t tell me whose salon it was. They just set it all up and told me to get you to the house. You can ask your mom. She overheard Cash and Axel talking as well.”
“What do you mean my mom? She’s also your mom.”
He shook his head. “You know that I’m not a pure Wagner, Grace. I’m the product of a love affair our father had. They’ve always treated me differently. They used me to get to you. And you—you’ve changed so much, Grace.”
For the first time since the attack at the salon, Scar looked at me like an honest brother. Was he? Or was this a game?
“I was used, and so were you,” he added.
“So what do you want from me?” I asked. “Why are you trying to get in touch?”
The bathroom door flew open and Hunter rushed at Scar with his arms stretched out.
“Stop!” I yelled out.
Both men froze and I realized the echo of my scream had carried into the kitchen and the dining area. My heart pounded. I could hear the three of us breathing in tandem, gazes flying from one to another, crossing some of the time.
“Is everything all right in here?” One of the waiters burst through the washroom door.
“Yes, just some family drama,” I tried to explain.
“Sir”—he turned to Hunter, then to Scar—“this is a ladies’ washroom. You cannot be here.”
“Hunter, let’s take this to the table, shall we?” I asked.
“What? Grace, this is…”
“I know who it is. I think we should all sit down and talk,” I explained.
If I had ever doubted Scar for not trusting me, this was the moment that would show just how much he had.
“Are you clean?” Hunter asked Scar, who nodded in reply. I didn’t think Hunter was referring to Scar’s hygiene habits.
“Only if you’re sure about this, Grace.”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
I was the first to leave the washroom. Hunter followed right behind me, and Scar was at the end. When we sat down in our booth my mother’s jaw dropped open. “I knew you were behind this,” she hissed at Scar.
“Relax, Beth. I know I’m not your favorite, but as Grace’s half brother I believe I can be a better brother to her than any of the three fools at Father’s house.” He then leaned in to whisper to me. I saw Hunter tense every time Scar spoke or got too close. “Beth is not a fan of mine. You know, son of another woman and all…”
“Scar, that’s not true. You know I’ve always treated you like my own.”
“That’s a lie, and you know it. Besides, I’m not here to talk about us. I’m here to help Grace out of the shit father got her into.”
“Scar, we’re in public, lower your voice,” my mother scolded.
“Beth, chill. No one cares about this family’s drama as much as you think.”
Hunter cleared his throat. “Actually there are plenty of people who care, especially when there’s a chance to put the Wagners behind bars.”
“The problem, Hunter, is that if you book the Wagners, you book them all. And legally, if Grace agrees to change her name like father wants, she won’t be Brooks anymore. She’ll be a Wagner.”
Scar leaned back against the plush seat, crossing his arms over his chest.
“I gave Grace my maiden name to keep her away from this family.”
“But father never discounted his daughter, Grace Wagner, and did business in her name. Illegal business, if you know what I mean. As far as everyone around him is concerned, you exist as his daughter, and you always have.”
My mom’s gaze darted to Hunter, who confirmed this. “It’s true. I’ve been trying to figure it out since the day I met Grace. She hasn’t had a clue about any of it and could lawyer up and fight it, but the Wagner company is big. Your father has some huge legal muscle behind him. Fighting him would be difficult, time-consuming, and costly. And God knows which judge he has paid off as well. He’ll do anything to get to the money.”
“He already has every copy of your birth certificate,” Scar added. “And forget about your license or passport. He’s got those too. You’re Grace Wagner whether you like it or not. Changing your name formally was just to cover his own ass.
“I don’t want to fight anyone,” I whispered. “What happens if I don’t sign at all? Just ignore him?”
“Didn’t you hear me, Grace? This man can change your identity with the snap of his fingers. Your agreeing to it would only make it easier. No matter what you do, father won’t stop, Grace. Not until he has all of his rightful children at his side. Look, they even lied to me about who it was that I was supposed to kidnap.”
“You’re not part of the deal, are you? Father kept you out of the estate.”
“Like I said, I’m not a
pure Wagner. Besides, it was Beth’s wish. I guess I got lucky.”
“Scar”—my mother lowered her hand to his—“I only wanted that for your own good. Deep down I knew it was another soul I could potentially save. Unfortunately, you chose not to trust me. You didn’t listen.”
The way they looked at each other warmed my heart. I was sure I was seeing the first sign of peace between my mother and my youngest brother. Whatever history those two had, it went deeper than the Grand Canyon.
“There’s only one way to do this, Grace,” Scar said.
Hunter leaned in closer until Scar looked directly at him.
“But you’d be giving up everything you have.”
CHAPTER 19
It had been five days since the four of us left the restaurant. Hunter and Scar exchanged phone numbers and shook hands (which was really an odd sight in itself). I hugged my mother and held her tightly as she kept promising that everything would be all right and that she would see me soon. Hunter hadn’t left me on my own since. He went to work with me and followed me like a puppy, even to the washroom. Today was the first day he’d eased up on the babysitting, and that was only because not only Emma but also Tristan and Julian were in the room. It seemed Lilly had made sure to invite all the hot men in town to her wedding.
The ceremony was one of the most beautiful ones I’d ever seen. The church bells rang, people threw rice and money, and Lilly and her now husband gushed over each other as if they’d just fallen in love. And now I sat at a table, waving to Hunter, who was speaking with someone at the bar. Wearing a silver suit, he looked absolutely mouthwatering. The slim cut accentuated every delicious curve on his body, making me desperate to leave earlier than we’d planned.
“I have a feeling you’re going to catch the bouquet tonight, Grace.” Emma leaned into my side.
“You’re just trying to suck up because in three hours, you’re going to lose a bet.”
“Come on, Grace. Who would have thought?” she begged. I could tell by her puppy eyes that she wanted out. Emma would try to pull everything she had not to perform at a strip club.
“I would have.” I smiled. Was that my own dreamy voice? “I knew it the moment he walked into my salon.”