Between the Lies (Between the Raindrops #2)

by Susan Schussler

  “Yes, they took really good care of me.” She smiled up at him. “Leslie booked a private flight tomorrow. She figured we had enough of the paparazzi. It’s at six thirty in the morning. It’ll be just the five of us on the plane.”

  She finally understood. Security was essential.

  Her expression turned even more serious. “I talked to your mom. She said there were at least thirty reporters outside the gate an hour ago. Vans with telescoping satellite dishes were lined up all the way down the street.”

  “This isn’t really fair to her either,” he asserted.

  “We probably can’t stay at my parents’ house or the rental,” Sarah declared. “I suppose we could find a hotel like this and do the vampire thing again.”

  “Slipping in and out only at night,” Jon finished her thought and she nodded. “I’ve got it covered. We’ll have a place to stay.” He wanted to bring her comfort without giving away the surprise. He looked her up and down, realizing the shirt she wore came from his bag. He had pictures of the house in his carry-on. “You didn’t go snooping through my carry-on, did you?”

  “No…Craig got it out for me. You don’t mind, do you? The one I was wearing just felt gross after what happened today,” she declared.

  “I don’t mind.” Pushing his good hand through her hair, he stared into her eyes. “We better grab some food before it gets cold.”

  Remi arrived as they were finishing up their burgers. She looked around the room with raised eyebrows. Jon knew what she was thinking and moved quickly to cut her off. “We’re in hiding. We’re comfortable enough.”

  Remi turned to Sarah. “Are you all right?” She placed her hand on Sarah’s shoulder.

  Sarah’s lips tightened into a straight line and she admitted, “I’ll be all right. Thanks for asking.”

  Jon noted the difference between what Remi asked and Sarah’s answer and frowned. He never wanted her to have to deal with this crap. Protecting her from his life seemed impossible.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Sarah

  THE NEXT EVENING in Minnesota, Sarah stared at Jon in disbelief. His smile reached his gorgeous blue eyes, his expression indicating the complete honesty of what he’d just told her.

  “It can’t be. Who does that?”

  “I did.” He licked his perfect lips, and she wanted to kiss him. She pushed up onto her tiptoes, and he bent to meet her mouth.

  “I can’t believe it. It’s beautiful.”

  “Well, let’s take a look before you get too excited.” He opened the door, and she followed him inside.

  “When did you do this?”

  “I signed the papers a month ago. It came partially furnished, but everything is new.”

  Jon led her up the grand staircase near the entryway straight to the master bedroom. She could hear his sigh of relief as if it was the most important room in the house. He wrapped his arms around her, and she smiled. Her hands pushed under his shirt, and she ran her fingers slowly across his hard abdomen.

  Sarah couldn’t fathom how he had kept it from her. Who gives someone a house for graduation? The idea of it was overwhelming. Jon didn’t spend money needlessly, but this was the most lavish gift ever. And the way he tricked her into believing they were trespassing on a complete stranger’s property was just mean. He deserved reciprocation. She tackled him to the floor, overpowering him with her tickling fingers. He was so easy to take down when he wasn’t expecting her attack.

  “Stop, Sarah. Stop. Please, stop,” Jon pleaded as he writhed on the floor beneath her. She knew he could easily buck her off, but he never would for fear of hurting her. She paused and let him suck in a breath. She didn’t want to be cruel.

  “How did you pull this off?” Damn. She shouldn’t have given him a chance to regroup. Now both her hands were locked in Jon’s good hand. His other hand, the one with the brace, caressed her cheek. They had stopped by the vet clinic and x-rayed Jonathan’s punching hand on the way to her parent’s house. The digital film showed a small fracture in a bone just above Jon’s smallest knuckle. Sarah’s dad had wrapped it at the clinic and before dinner an orthopedist friend of David’s fitted the hand with a plastic air brace. He didn’t even charge for the house call or the brace.

  “You’re ruthless,” Jon panted. “Your parents and Leslie helped. Why don’t you attack them?”

  That explained it. Her parents were in on the surprise. She couldn’t understand why they suggested she and Jon go for a drive after dinner. Now it all made sense.

  “You like it, right?”

  “I love it. Thank you.”

  He smiled but looked at her warily, as if he was unsure if he could let her hands go or not.

  “I won’t tickle you anymore,” she promised. “Now, anyway.”

  He sat up, using only his core muscles, no hands, and Sarah ended up on his lap straddling him. When he finally let go of her hands, he kissed her forehead and said, “You worked hard to get your degree. Congratulations, beautiful.”

  She just couldn’t believe he could be so underhanded. How could he have kept all this from her? She kissed him on the lips and clambered back onto her feet. “I want to see the rest.” She smiled, straightening her skirt.

  The house was gorgeous. With the wood floors throughout the main level, a huge chef’s kitchen, and a ginormous outdoor kitchen on the patio, how could Sarah not love it? The wooded property gave them more privacy than Sarah thought possible. The long drive curved around for a half mile from the security gate to the point where the house came into view. It was flawless. The house was really similar to the one in Calabasas that she fell in love with. The only problem with that house was the property. The land was broken up in a strange way and seemed too small for the house and multiple guesthouses. It was also ridiculously expensive.

  This house was perfect. Maybe a bit big for the two of them, but there was room for visitors and security. Besides the five bedrooms on the main side of the house, there was a whole separate wing for the security team with bedrooms and living quarters. The idea that this was her graduation present stunned her.

  “This is unbelievable,” she said as she stared at the fifteen-foot-tall screen in the movie-viewing room. “It’s ours, right?”

  “Every inch.” He kissed her hair and then finished showing her the rest of the house, even though he admitted it was the first time he had seen it.

  “I have to show you this.” He grabbed her hand and led her to a small basketball court in the basement. “It’s for the winter, when it’s too cold for the kids to play outside.” He smiled at her, raising one eyebrow.

  “You just wanted somewhere to shoot hoops.” She completely shrugged off the kids comment.

  “It can be used for other activities.” He took out his phone, turned on an Adele song, and set the phone on the floor before pulling her into his arms. He smiled as his casted hand fell to the small of her back. He placed one of her hands on his shoulder and clasped the other with his. “See? It doubles as a dance floor.”

  Wow, he was a good dancer. He led her around the floor with confident ease, and Sarah felt like a princess in his arms. When the song ended, he spun her around and dipped her almost to the floor before bringing her in for a kiss. He righted her and grasped her hips, pulling her in. His dimple crooned on his face as her hands cupped his strong jaw and pulled him down for another taste.

  “We could always put a lock on the door and turn it into a sex dungeon.” He looked at her questioningly, but she knew he was joking.

  “Sure. Whatever you want.”

  “OK. I’ll order what we need.” And they both laughed.

  ***

  Jon and Sarah slept in the next morning and then lounged around their new house until almost noon. Kate had scheduled the appointment for Sarah at Dr. Johanna’s office at 2:00 p.m., and Sarah mulled over the questions she wanted to cover in the appointment. Raul would go with her, while Jon stayed back at the house. He needed to connect with both his lawyer an
d Remi to deal with the fallout from his arrest.

  Sarah stared at the phone vibrating on the bed. It was the third time Mia had called since Jon got in the shower. She knew she needed to just walk away. It was almost time for her to leave anyway. She kept telling herself that, but for some reason she couldn’t walk away. She sat on the bed next to Jon’s phone watching Mia’s face stare up at her. Why was she torturing herself? She flipped it over so at least she wouldn’t have to look at her. A deep breath pushed from her lungs when it finally stopped moving, and she collapsed on the bed wondering about the reason for the call. When the phone went off a fourth time, Sarah reached her limit. She swiped her finger across the screen and said, “Hello.”

  “Where’s Jonathan.”

  “He’s in the shower trying to catch his breath. We just spent the last three hours making love. And oh, it was so good. The best he’s ever had, he said. But I thought I should give him a chance to recuperate before we start it all again.” Oh my god! Sarah couldn’t believe how long and sharp her talons could grow when Mia was involved.

  “Whatever. You know Jonathan and I have a special bond. You will never know him as well as I do. You may think he shares everything with you, but he doesn’t. There is no way you can understand the complexity of his life. I bet you don’t even know why he won’t let you leave the house without a security detail.”

  “He loves me, that’s why.”

  “So he still hasn’t told you about the stalker and the threatening letters, huh? Makes me wonder what else he’s not telling you.”

  “What do you want, Mia?” Sarah was pissed. It made sense. There was a stalker. That’s why Jon wouldn’t let her be alone. Why would Jon keep that from her? And why would he tell Mia?

  “Just tell Jonathan I need to talk to him. And I want to talk in person.”

  “About what?”

  “He’ll know. I wouldn’t want to share something with you that he doesn’t want you to know. Just give him the message.”

  The line disconnected before Sarah could suck in a breath. How could Jon have dated that woman? Sarah sank into her pillow wondering what Mia would be telling Jon and why he had confided in Mia about a stalker and not her. What else hadn’t Jon told her? Sarah wondered if the connection Mia was talking about was the baby. If he hadn’t fathered her baby, then what could she possibly have over him.

  She shook her head trying to clear the thought of Jon sleeping with Mia. Was she just trying to shove a wedge between her and Jon? Jon wouldn’t. That woman was evil. She would just have to figure out how to deal with her, ignore Mia’s words, and focus on her own life. She peeked her head into the bathroom where Jon was showering.

  “I’ve got to get to my appointment. I’m taking Raul and the rental car. I shouldn’t be too long.”

  “Stay safe. I love you, beautiful.”

  “Back at ya,” she said, closing the door. He loved her. Would that be enough?

  ***

  Later that afternoon after her appointment, Sarah, Jon, and Sam held a lengthy discussion about what kind of information should be shared with Sarah’s friends and family. There had been another leak—a rumor that Jon had purchased a property in Minnesota where they would be holding the wedding. It was misinformation because the wedding wasn’t going to be in Minnesota. The article didn’t mention any specifics on the house’s location and the sale of a house was public record, but Sarah felt as if Jon and Sam were blaming her friends for the leak.

  “I think Mia is the one selling our information to the paparazzi.”

  Jon laughed loud and hardy. Then his eyes met Sarah’s and the smile almost wiped from his face. “You’re serious?”

  “You said it yourself. She’s the master of press manipulation.”

  “Sarah.” He said it like he was talking to a small child. “Mia is not the one feeding the press. What would her motivation be?”

  “To drive me crazy.” Her tone said “duh,” and she brushed off the scowl he sent her. “She obviously wants you back and thinks the press will push me away.”

  “Will it?” His expression changed and he studied her face.

  “No. Of course not,” she said, meeting his gaze. Way to kick him when he’s down. He already hated what the paparazzi did to her. She could feel Jon’s regret in every touch since the airport incident.

  He looked over to Sam and then back to Sarah. “Mia didn’t even know we were flying out that day. It wasn’t her.”

  “She seems to know more than me. She told me about the stalker and the threatening letters. Why didn’t you?” She didn’t mean to bring that up right now, but it just came out. She planned to bring it up on the flight home or after graduation. It was too soon after the airport attack to be arguing. It didn’t feel right. She didn’t want to talk about Mia. She didn’t want to think about what Jon was keeping from her.

  “Sarah, just tell me what is going on in that head of yours. When did you talk to Mia?”

  “She called when you were in the shower this morning. She wants you to talk to her in person.”

  Jon rolled his eyes and Sarah didn’t know if it was in reaction to Mia wanting to see him or her bringing up the stalker. He gently grasped her cheeks in both hands and looked her square in the eye, the glacial color revealing the sincerity.

  “Sarah, I didn’t want you to have to worry about it.”

  “Why did you tell her? You told her. And you kept it from me.”

  His hands slid from her face to her shoulders and hung there as he searched for his words. “Sam and the guys have it under control. You have so much you are dealing with already—the wedding, graduation, Cannes, the paparazzi. Knowing someone is watching you, following you, it can mess you up, make you paranoid.”

  “Why her, Jon?” Sarah’s voice sounded small, like she felt. His eyes were no longer meeting hers, strained with emotion.

  “I told her because I knew she would understand. She’s been in the same situation before. Maybe not with threatening notes, but she’s had several stalkers and I wanted her advice.”

  The gap between them seemed to grow, though neither of them moved. “Tell me about the notes. I want to know everything.”

  Jon looked around the room and then tugged her toward the couch. He pulled her onto his lap, making her straddle his legs. He touched his forehead to hers and took a deep breath.

  “I was going to tell you about them after Cannes. I just didn’t want you worrying. I wanted us to be able to enjoy our trip.” He looked at her with sad eyes as he pulled back to see her face. “We’ve gotten three notes. Each arrived via courier. A different one each time, without a traceable return address. Couriers come in and out of Isaac’s office all the time, so the receptionist didn’t noticed until it was too late to question the person. But Isaac changed the procedure so the receptionist opens packages as soon as they are delivered now so it won’t happen again.”

  “How do you know that they’re from the same person?” Sarah sat back and pulled her hair out of her face so she could see him better. His eyes burned with concern, but his face showed no visible emotion.

  “They are worded similarly with pictures off the Internet embedded in a typed page—not quite as creepy as words being cut out and pasted, but still pretty menacing.”

  “I want to see them.”

  Jon glanced at Sam and shifted his body just a little, visibly uncomfortable with her request. “We don’t have them here.”

  “Can I see them when we get home?”

  “We gave them to the FBI.”

  She scrambled to her feet and stood in front of him with her arms crossed. “You contacted the FBI and you didn’t think that I needed to know?”

  “There is nothing we can do about it, so why put it in the front row?”

  She didn’t know what to say. She shook her head thinking about all the times he had insisted she bring a bodyguard and she thought he was being overzealous. “It would have been easier if you had just told me. It makes me wonder
what else you’re keeping from me.”

  Jon glanced in her direction, looking past her into the room beyond, shaking his head. “I’m not…” His injured fist hit the top of his thigh, hard, and he grimaced. “The first one came right after you moved in, before we even announced the engagement. There have been two since then. Each played on my fears and guilt. The first one talked about how I should have died instead of Jack. It went into great detail about his death and how it was my fault. The last one was about you and said that soon I would know the pain of loss, as if I didn’t live with it every day.”

  “What did the one about me say?” She needed to know everything.

  “It basically said I was a giant piece of shit and I would ruin your life, like I’d ruined everyone else’s around me or something worse would happen.”

  “Like what?”

  “It didn’t say.” He held out his injured hand and flexed his fingers in and out several times as if feeling pain could change what the note said.

  “Does it hurt?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “Just a little stiff.”

  “Don’t let this crazy get to you. There are always going to be haters. It is impossible to please everyone. What did the FBI say?” She sat on the couch next to him, watching his face.

  “They are going to work up a profile with what they have. We’re supposed to meet with them when we get back from Cannes.”

  “I’m going to be included in that meeting,” Sarah demanded.

  “OK,” he agreed.

  She grasped his hand, bringing it to her lips as gently as she could. “We can’t let this stalker rule our life. So we live with security 24/7. I wouldn’t have minded so much if you had just told me.” She kissed his hand again, running her finger slowly over his fingertips. “You need to be honest with me. That’s all I ask.” She paused. “And tell me before you tell Mia…anything and everything.” She wasn’t asking that he not talk to Mia again or that he give up his friendship with her. She just wanted to know more than her. That wasn’t too much to ask.