Calder’s car idles beside me. “Get in the car, Cass,” he says tightly through the open window.
I fold my arms around myself to stay warm and keep walking. “Can we not fight right now? I don’t have the brain capacity for it. I need to take a nap or I won’t be able to function this evening.”
He rolls the car along and sighs. “Get in the car. I want to fill you in on what Bash told me.”
The case will only get solved if we work it, so I open the door and get in.
Calder pushes on the gas. “Elijah was able to hack into the GPS on Phillip’s car. He was on the same stretch of highway as Celeste that night.”
“That’s good, right? It’s tangible evidence that proves he went looking for Celeste and probably found her.”
Calder shakes his head. “It places him in the vicinity but not with her. He could claim an entirely different reason for being on that road at that time and say he had no knowledge of Celeste being there. I agree with you that proving he is the father would go a long way in giving the police more ways to connect him to Celeste, especially as far as motive goes.”
I rub my temples, trying to ward off an impending headache. I can feel it just behind my eyes. “But will that be enough if we can’t prove he’s the Deceiver? The threat in his text was pretty damning.”
Calder nods. “It should give the police another person of interest.”
We’re quiet once we reach the house. When Calder cuts the engine, I share what happened before I left the house. “Jake knows I’m not Celeste.”
He cuts his gaze my way, on full alert. “What did he say?”
I can’t lie to Calder, not about something this important, but I stick to the present issues. “He wasn’t happy that I’m pretending to be Celeste. He thinks his father and Phillip are crazy to ask me to stand in for her.”
“Did he threaten you?” he asks, his eyes narrowing.
I’m unsure how to answer. Jake grabbed me, but he didn’t threaten me with violence. His way is more psychologically twisted, so I decide to hedge my response. “Beth saw him getting agitated and straightened him out.”
He scans my face. “What aren’t you telling me?”
I shrug and shake my head. “I thought it was strange that he didn’t tell Beth he knew I wasn’t Celeste after she yelled at him for giving her sister a hard time over the engagement decision. Then again, the Carver/Hemming family dynamic isn’t the most normal one. I still can’t figure out why Phillip would tell Jake about me, but not Ben.”
Calder’s jaw muscle tightens. “Are you sure Ben doesn’t already know?”
I shake my head. “Why would Ben keep up the pretense with me today? No, he doesn’t know. But what I do find weird is…that for someone who seems obsessed with Celeste, Jake acted oddly calm and accepting of her disappearance.”
Calder clenches his hand around his keys. “Do you think Jake is the one who hurt Celeste? All because he didn’t win her in their families’ antiquated engagement agreement?”
The fury simmering in his gaze reminds me that when it comes to Celeste being wronged in any way, Calder is definitely affected. “I have no idea, but I think it’s a good idea to try to get Jake’s DNA tonight too. Once we have both men’s DNA, then Sebastian’s lab person can run the paternity tests.”
Calder rubs his fingers along his nose and shakes his head. “That’s not going to work. According to the lab guy, he did determine that Celeste’s DNA matches the blood the police retrieved, but he’ll need a pure sample of her blood for the paternity test. It rained some that night, and since the car door was left open, the blood isn’t the best sample to work with for determining paternity. Apparently the baby’s DNA in the mother’s blood is much harder to determine with a degraded sample.”
“I guess that means I’ll need to convince Beth to release a portion of the blood Celeste left behind at that clinic,” I say, sighing at the thought.
“If it’s for Celeste, she’ll help.”
I grimace. “Beth’s pretty much in the ‘don’t trust Cass’ camp right now, but I’ll try.”
When I start to get out of the car, Calder’s warm hand covers mine on the seat. “Alana was only here because she was doing me a favor, Cass.”
I raise my eyebrow. “She wants more, Calder. And if you can’t see that, then you’re blind.”
When I try to slide my hand free, he applies pressure. “It only matters if it’s reciprocated.”
Just the feel of his hand on mine makes my pulse race. “I basically said the same thing about Ben. You didn’t seem to care.”
He starts to slide his thumb over my hand, but stops to turn the diamond on my finger completely around and out of sight. Intense green eyes flick back to mine. “I don’t want him kissing you, let alone thinking for one fucking second that anything else is going to happen.”
“He took me by surprise, Calder. I didn’t encourage it.”
“I laid awake last night with an erection from hell, because I couldn’t stop thinking about how fucking good you taste.” His hand closes fully around mine. “I want this bullshit done and over. No more guys thinking you’re theirs, no more lies and subterfuge. No more pretending. Just me branding myself on every inch of you.”
I’m so turned on by his seductive promise, my lips instinctively part and my breath stalls. It’s not fair that he has such a strong affect over me when I don’t know where we’re going. Maybe one day he’ll share the things he’s holding back. Until then, I can deal with him keeping a few secrets, since I have some of my own, but that doesn’t change the fact he obviously has commitment issues. Not that I’m ready to walk down the aisle, but knowing upfront that that particular path is one he never plans to take is a double-edged sword jammed between us. No matter which direction I turn, I’m going to get cut.
As I stare at the sinfully primal look on his face, with any other guy I would be all about a down-and-dirty fling, but with Calder I want more. Owning my body isn’t the same as owning my soul. I want him to covet both. No…I want him to demand it.
“After this branding, then what?” I say, raising my eyebrows.
Calder starts to lift his hand to my face, but remembers where we are and lowers it back to the seat. “My life won’t truly be my own until the EUC is taken down. After that, you’ll have my undivided attention.”
I respect his sense of duty to complete what he started, but it worries me that he’ll be putting himself in harm’s way. Right now, I have no place in his life that would give me the right to ask him not to continue with the EUC, and it appears he intends to keep things that way. I know he’s just being honest, but it’s frustrating knowing he plans to keep his distance. That’s not how being in someone’s life works. You don’t get to opt out just because the relationship is distracting or taking up too much time. I refuse to put my feelings on hiatus for an unspecified amount of time. With Calder I want to try the all-in thing, but if he’s going to compartmentalize us to that extreme, then I don’t think he’s ready for a relationship, let alone anything permanent.
Wrapping self-preservation around me like a thick winter coat, I open the car door. “Thanks for being honest. It’s almost over, Calder, and then you can get back to training and the EUC. We just need to get through tonight. Now I must go take a nap before my head explodes.”
“Wait—”
I shut the door and walk inside, then head straight for Celeste’s bedroom.
What the hell just happened? I stare after Cass, watching her walk to the front door, my jaw tight. I’m pretty sure I just got the brush off, but for the life of me, I don’t know what I said that made her fold those damn walls back around herself. Wrapping my hands around the steering wheel to keep from punching something, I mentally go over our conversation.
Does she think that training for the EUC is all I care about? Fucking hell, that couldn’t be farther from the truth, but I need to get this done so I can move on.
I start to open the car door and
go after her when my phone rings.
Shutting the door, I quickly answer. “How the hell do you deal with a woman’s brain? I swear it’s like walking in a minefield with skis on.”
Bash snorts. “I take it you and Cass are having issues?”
I shake my head and stare at the front door she just closed behind her. “Maybe it’s the pressure she’s under pretending to be Celeste that’s getting to her, but honestly, Bash, I don’t have a fucking clue. All I said was that my life won’t be my own until the EUC thing is done and over.”
When Bash barks out a laugh, I scowl. “What’s wrong with that? I’m trying to protect her. I don’t want her anywhere near the gym or the EUC event. These guys are dangerous. Right now the EUC doesn’t know that Cass is in my life, and I want to keep it that way. I don’t want to give them any leverage over me, and I would never forgive myself if anyone hurt Cass because of this MMA stuff.”
“Your intentions might be honorable, but that’s not how she sees it.”
I scrub my hand over my jawline. “Oh yeah? Then enlighten me, oh pussy-whipped one.”
“Bite me. I’m not the one asking you for relationship advice.”
“Why did you call?” I snap, annoyed that he’s right.
“To let you know that Mina’s coming tonight.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. The Blakes have never been close with the Carvers. Too many of you suddenly showing up might look suspicious, especially with another Blake they definitely don’t trust staying in their house right now.”
“Mina is needed.”
“And why is that?”
“Because drinking glasses are an excellent DNA source.”
“Not quite seeing the connection. And napkins are just as good a source.”
“I agree that napkins would be easier to swipe and conceal, except not every person uses them. But almost everyone holds a drink at some point while standing around chatting. A glass will easily fit into a woman’s purse. Cass sent Talia a note that she’s planning to collect two samples, hence Mina’s presence.”
I dig my fingers through my hair, tension riding my shoulders. “Fine, but make sure to drill everyone so they don’t give Cass away, especially Damien.”
“We’re prepared. You don’t have to worry about Damien. He has no clue she’s not Celeste or what we’re doing tonight. He just thinks I’m suddenly interested in politics.”
I exhale my annoyance that he hasn’t told his brother. I know it’s because they aren’t very close, but that just means Damien will be insufferably irritating. He’s never forgotten that I stole “Celeste” from him at that party. “I guess we’re good to go.”
“Not quite. Do you want my advice or are you going to continue being an ass?”
“You’re going to tell me anyway.”
“Damn straight I am. Cass means the world to Talia, so listen. When you said that your life isn’t your own until the EUC is taken down, you were telling Cass that she’s not a priority to you.”
I grip the phone tight. “That’s bullshit. I never said that.”
Bash chuckles. “When it comes to women, it’s not always what you say, but what you don’t say that matters. Trust me on this, Cald. We’re both men of few words, so the ones we do say count for a fucking lot. Got it?”
Well shit. I thought she knew why I needed to keep my distance while I’m still part of the EUC, but maybe Bash’s right. “I hear you,” I grumble. “See you tonight.”
Hanging up with Bash, I send Cass a text.
Calder: Call me when you wake up.
I wake with a start, wondering why Beth is leaning over me, her hand pressed to my forehead.
“Are you okay?” Her brow furrows as she pulls her hand back. “You’ve been asleep for hours.”
“I have?” I groggily blink at the clock on the nightstand, then turn wide eyes her way. “Is it really almost five?”
Beth nods. “Calder sent me in here when you didn’t respond to texts or knocking.”
I quickly glance at the door. “He knocked? Man, I was out.”
Holding out a small plate with a sandwich cut in fourths, she says, “I brought you something to eat since you skipped lunch. The event starts in a little over an hour. I thought I’d fill you in on the meeting this morning while I help you get dressed.”
I push back the covers and take the plate. “Thank you for the food, but I think I can put on the dress you picked out by myself.”
Beth purses her lips and walks over to where I’ve hung the mid-thigh length black dress with a scooped neckline on the top of the wardrobe door. Lifting the long sleeve up, she raises an eyebrow. “These won’t hide your tattoos.”
I set the plate on the desk and walk over to lift the other sleeve up. She’s right. My tattoos will show through the thin material. I’m surprised she noticed my tattoos. She must’ve seen them while I was trying on dresses. I release the sleeve to look at her. “Why did you pick this out if you knew that I had tattoos?”
“Because it’s one of Celeste’s favorites and…” She shrugs and lifts a cosmetic tin out of a small wicker basket she’d set on the desk. “Because I have this.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s a waterproof concealer. This stuff won’t come off without using baby oil and soap in the shower, so once I put it on it’s not coming off no matter how much you rub it.” Beth sets the tin down and pulls out the chair. “Have a seat and roll your sleeves up.”
I do as she asks, my heart suddenly heavy. Beth is in a friendly, upbeat mood. Either she is in complete denial or Phillip didn’t share that his lab person determined the DNA in Celeste’s hair did match the blood found in that abandoned car.
While Beth taps the triangular sponge into the concealer, I take a bite of my sandwich and casually say, “So fill me in on breakfast.”
She glances up, her eyebrows pulling together. “Why did you tell Jake who you really are? I thought he was angry at Celeste about the engagement, but once we sat down for breakfast it became clear he was furious at my father and Phillip for having you fill in as Celeste. No matter how angry he was, I still can’t believe he attacked a total stranger.”
I swallow the bite of food and clear my throat, hoping she doesn’t focus too closely on that part. “I didn’t tell him. I thought Phillip did, though I couldn’t figure out why he would.”
“No, it wasn’t his dad. I wonder who told him?” Beth snorts and shakes her head.
Marco. He had to be the one who told Jake. I scarf down the rest of the quarter piece of bread, chewing hard. That asshole knew Jake would more than likely take it out on me.
“Phillip was highly annoyed that Jake had discovered the truth.” Beth’s comment pulls me out of my own head and back into our conversation. “He insisted that Jake not tell Ben, saying that he’d recently discovered another place to look for Celeste buried in an old email on her computer. He’s hoping one of these will lead him to her.” While dabbing the makeup along the swirls on the outer edges of my Never tattoo, Beth rambles on. “Father said he was done waiting for answers. He’s going to accompany Phillip tomorrow to a resort in the Catskills—that was the place Phillip hadn’t checked out yet. Jake jumped up all angry, telling our fathers that they wouldn’t find her, that she was gone for good. I wanted to choke him for making me think of Celeste pregnant and out there on her own, possibly hurt or worse. It took me all day to force that image out of my head. I have to believe she’s all right.”
“Hopefully she is. You didn’t say anything about her pregnancy, did you?” I ask, worry gripping me. Phillip cannot learn that a vial of Celeste’s blood exists.
Beth shakes her head as she finishes covering the Never tattoo. “No, my father and Phillip went into plan mode. They’re leaving first thing tomorrow morning.”
When she lifts the sponge and then adds some kind of special powder to my forearm to set the makeup, I eat another quarter of the sandwich and stare at my bare skin. It looks so wei
rd without the Never there. If only it were that easy to erase my past.
“I’m done waiting too. If my father and Phillip strike out in the Catskills tomorrow, the moment they get back I’m telling them about her pregnancy and insisting that we call the police.”
Beth’s adamant comment snags my full attention. I have to convince her to help us get a sample of Celeste’s blood from the clinic before Phillip learns of its existence. I could pretend to be Celeste and call the clinic myself, but I think Beth should ask. At least then, someone from Celeste’s family will be giving legal permission.
“That’s probably for the best.” I nod my agreement. “Did Phillip say if he heard back from his lab person yet?”
“Yeah.” She moves the sponge back to the tin and dabs more on the applicator. “He said that the guy ran into issues with the sample and is rerunning the test.”
God, the manipulative man is flat out lying to all of them. I want so badly to tell Beth to stop believing anything Phillip says, but my warning will just freak her out. While there’s still hope that Celeste could possibly be found and with no proof to say otherwise, I keep my thoughts to myself. Phillip’s subterfuge makes me more determined than ever to get his DNA, but I still need Beth’s help to get a sample of Celeste’s blood.
If I tell Beth the real reason I need a sample, she probably won’t be able to keep her cool in front of Phillip until the results come back. As much as I think he’s a self-serving asshole, I don’t want to accuse him of something that I can’t prove. So what seemingly valid reason can I give her for requesting a sample of Celeste’s blood?
A valid reason…ah, that’s it. “Beth—” I instinctively pull back when she runs the sponge across my wrist.
Sincere regret shines in her green eyes as she reaches for my wrist once more. “I’m sorry. Did that hurt? Are those scars I felt under your tattoo painful?”
I stare at the makeup half-smeared over the raven and branch on my wrist and my heart twists. It’s like my sister is being erased too. It’s just temporary, I tell myself. If this helps us help Celeste, then I can handle one evening without you, Sophie.
Steel Rush (In the Shadows#5) Page 15