Deadly Influence

by Lakes, Lynde

  “As always, you assumed the worst,” Bud said.

  Lisa realized that no one was ready to talk of happy things. Too much tension remained. She felt Jay studying her. Then Bud’s gaze was on her, too. What were they thinking? It didn’t matter. She’d be leaving now that Meta didn’t need her anymore.

  Meta cleared her throat. “Quit sparring, boys. We have important matters to resolve. We must regroup and help those who will get the brunt of Tom’s greed—his boys.” Her voice grew heavy with regret, and she shook her head. “Will the sins of the fathers ever stop showing up in this family?” She pressed her lips together. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

  Lisa knew Meta was right. Tom had left his children with the same evil legacy that Jay and Bud had to overcome. “You can count on me to be there for his kids,” Lisa said.

  Jay was staring at her again, his look questioning. Her face grew warm. Was he thinking she had overstepped her bounds?

  Meta took off her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I don’t know how to justify it all in my mind.” Her words came out choked, faltering. “I try to understand and make excuses for Tom, like I did for Jay’s and Bud’s parents, but I just can’t.”

  “It doesn’t excuse him,” Bud said, “but I’m sure he thought he had his reasons. After all, he lost his job at the prison… ran up all those bills… had a family to feed. I suppose it was easy for him to blame everyone but himself.” Bud’s face flushed as though he suddenly saw the parallel between his own actions and Tom’s and didn’t like what he saw. He captured Lisa’s gaze. “But a man can change. The chain doesn’t have to go on.”

  Lisa smiled in agreement. She glanced at Jay. Did he think he had bad blood? Maybe all these years he had believed that the chain couldn’t be broken and that was why he’d chosen a risky career. It seemed Bud finally saw it. Now if only Jay could see that what his parents did had nothing to do with him. Of course, the revelation wouldn’t stop him from leaving, but it would give his soul peace, and she wanted that for him. Then, someday he could love himself enough to accept love.

  My God, all this applied to her life, too. Just because her street-hardened-cop Dad had been a lousy, cold parent didn’t mean she’d be like that. She learned in the last few days that she was capable of giving and receiving love. An ache rose in her. If only she had the chance, she would prove that she and Jay could be good parents in spite of their bad examples. If only she could give him all this love bubbling inside of her.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Jay, do you really have to go tomorrow?” Howard leaned forward across the breakfast table where they were enjoying a last cup of coffee, his lips curving into a wide grin. “I was thinking that we all need a weekend holiday. My treat.”

  Lisa captured Jay’s gaze, waiting, knowing his answer—and wishing she didn’t.

  “He has a promotion hearing,” Meta said. “I don’t want him missing that.”

  Meta was right, Lisa thought. He was so close to his dream. Even if she could, she’d never stand in his way.

  “I’ll barely make it back in time as it is,” Jay said, holding Lisa’s gaze.

  “Too bad.” Howard rubbed his chin. “I’m taking Meta to the desert this afternoon, and I’d like all of you to come.”

  “Sorry,” Jay said. “Another time.”

  “Yeah,” Bud said. “Make it five years from today, and maybe he’ll get around to it.”

  “Let it rest, Bud!” Jay’s dark eyes narrowed.

  Howard shifted in his chair, revealing that the dissention between the brothers had made him uncomfortable, too. “How about you, Lisa?”

  It was tempting, she thought. It would be easier to be the one to leave than the one left behind. Nevertheless, as much as staying would torture her, she had to be there to say her last good-bye to Jay. “Thanks, Howard, but I have something important to do here.”

  “What about you, Bud?” Howard said smiling. “You’re our last hope.”

  “Sorry, I have plans, too.” He glanced at Lisa and smiled.

  “Well, we’re still going, aren’t we, Meta?” Howard asked. She blushed and nodded. Howard exhaled, clearly relieved by her answer. “You kids don’t know how much I missed this lady while she was up at that mountain cabin.” He put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze.

  “We might as well ’fess up,” Meta said. “I managed to call Howard… and even slipped out to see him once.”

  “And that wasn’t easy,” Howard said. “That nurse and bodyguard watched over her like a couple of mother hens.”

  “Meta, that was dangerous!” Lisa said. “Here we thought—”

  “I suppose it was,” Meta interrupted. She winked at Howard. “But Howard’s good with a gun, and it was the most fun I’ve had in a very long time.”

  Jay’s eyes brightened, and he raised an eyebrow. “Exactly where in the desert are you going, Grandma?” Lisa knew what Jay was thinking.

  Meta cocked her head to the side and grinned. “You always were quick, Jay.”

  “Quick?” Bud asked. “About what? Jay only posed an irrelevant question.”

  “Did he?” Meta laughed and exchanged glances with Howard.

  “Tell them what you decided about the house,” Howard said.

  “Bud…” Meta’s face turned serious. “This should interest you. I have leased the house to the Catholic diocese. Father Ryan has accepted my compromise, and our attorneys are handling the paperwork.”

  “What? But Drake will buy it outright and pay a bundle.”

  “I told you I could never sell this place, but I can lease it, just as long as it never leaves the family.”

  “But where will you live?” Bud looked petulant. “Where will I live?”

  “I’m moving in with Howard. And you, my dear, will have to find a place of your own.”

  “Grandma! You can’t be serious!” A flush crept up from the base of Bud’s neck. “And…and…” he sputtered, “a woman your age moving in with a man! It’s downright ridiculous!” Bud shot to his feet, bumping the table, rattling dishes and glassware.

  “Hold on there,” Howard shouted.

  “Stay out of it, Howard,” Meta ordered. Then her voice softened. “Please, dear, it’s better if he hears it from me.”

  “What will people say?” Bud asked.

  “It doesn’t matter what anyone says. I’m making a life for myself while I’m still spry enough to enjoy it. And it’s time you do the same.”

  “But to live with a man, like a common—”

  “Don’t say it, Bud,” Jay warned. “Your foot is already not only in your mouth, but halfway down your throat.” He grinned. “Don’t you get it, Bud? They’re eloping to the desert—I’d guess about a five-hour drive.” He raised a brow and looked at his grandmother. “Vegas, maybe?” The cleft in his chin deepened as his grin widened.

  Meta blushed and nodded. “It’s too bad none of you can be there for the wedding. But we’ll get pictures.”

  “Congratulations! Lisa and Jay shouted in unison. They rushed forward and hugged Meta and Howard.

  When the hugging and congratulating was over, Lisa went to Bud and touched his arm. He just stood there staring blankly, struck speechless, probably for the first time in his life. Finally, at the age of forty, he would have to grow up.

  Jay stuck his head into the library doorway. “Where is everybody?” he asked Bud.

  “Grandma and Howard just left for Vegas, and Lisa’s upstairs showering. I told her since it was your last night here that I’d treat you guys to dinner at Edward’s Mansion.”

  “Another time, big brother. I want to spend the time alone with Lisa.”

  “Maybe that’s not such a good idea, considering who she is.”

  “It’s a very good idea, especially considering who she’s going to be—my wife.”

  Bud’s expression didn’t change. “Then Grandma didn’t tell you about her yet.” His tone lowered meaningfully.

  “Lo
ok, Bud—”

  “She must’ve forgotten in all the excitement.” Bud shook his head regretfully.

  Jay leaned against the fireplace mantel. “I know you and Lisa got off on the wrong foot, Bud, but she’s a terrific woman.”

  “No argument from me on that,” Bud said. “I wouldn’t have resented her so much if I’d known her true identity. She has as much right here as we do.”

  “I’m glad you see that. I don’t know how I’m going to pull it all off, but she’s going to be your sister-in-law.”

  “At least you got part of it right.”

  “If you have something to say, Bud, spit it out and quit playing games.”

  “Think about it. Grandma put her in the will, invited her to stay on as long she likes, even though her services are no longer needed. And from the beginning, she loved her like family.”

  “So what? Who wouldn’t love Lisa?”

  “Like her own granddaughter,” Bud said. “She’s in the will, man. Do I have to draw you a picture? Lisa is the baby girl Mom gave up for adoption—our sister.” Bud’s voice broke, and he wiped his eyes near the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

  “Bud, you lying SOB!” Jay glared at him. “Did you really think I’d believe that? I knew you didn’t want her here, but you’ve gone too far.” Jay knew how convincing Bud could be, and he wasn’t falling for it. He’d gotten lots of undeserved punishments because of his brother’s emotion-charged acting.

  “Why would I lie about something you can check so easily? One call to Grandma in Vegas should convince you.”

  “I’ll ask Lisa.”

  “She doesn’t know, man. It was the condition of the adoption. Grandma would have never known the truth except Dr. Hendricks had Lisa checked out by a detective agency before recommending that Grandma bring her into this house. He took the proof to Grandma, showing her the changed birth certificate and the sworn deathbed statement of the adoptive mother. Lisa thinks the cop is her dad and that her mother is dead.”

  Jay shook his head. “I thought you and I had formed a bond when we battled Tom and his thugs together. But you’re still the same manipulative jerk you’ve always been. I feel sorry for you, Bud. You’re only a step above Tom.” Jay raked his fingers through his hair. “In fact, maybe only a half a step.”

  Bud narrowed his eyes. “Just talk to Grandma before you make any moves on Lisa, little brother—making love to her would be incestuous, you know.”

  Jay glared at Bud’s retreating back. Lisa was no more their sister than the pigtailed kid down the street. She was the right age, but told him she was an only child and had cut her teeth on her dad’s handcuffs.

  Lisa stuck her head in the library doorway. “So this is where you’re hiding, Jay.” Her white terry robe opened slightly as she breezed into the room, exposing knees and a couple of inches of firm, trim thighs. Jay switched on the ceiling fan. A freshly showered springtime fragrance swirled around Lisa and into his nostrils, intoxicating him, torturing him.

  He forced his attention above her shoulders. She had swept her damp honey-blonde hair on top of her head in a crown of shiny ringlets. A few wisps of loose tendrils framed her scrubbed face, making her the most alluring woman he’d ever seen. Jay moved forward to take her into his arms. After two steps, he froze, dropped his hands, and backed away. He cursed under his breath when he realized he was examining her face for a family resemblance. A muscle twitched in his jaw. Bud had gotten his light hair from their mother. So their mother was a blonde, too—that didn’t prove anything.

  Lisa took a small step toward him. “Bud told me he was taking us out for dinner, but it wouldn’t upset me if he went on alone,” she said in a most beguiling voice. “I could fix something simple to eat, and we could just stay here and talk.” Her large green eyes seduced him with a frankness that excited him almost beyond control. He fumbled in his back pocket for a handkerchief to wipe away the newly formed sweat from his brow.

  She stepped toward him, arms outstretched, as though she was going to entwine them around his neck. He backed up until he bumped into the desk. Then he turned, escaping to the window, putting a distance between them. Jay stared out into the garden, seeing nothing, fighting a desire so strong he thought it would explode inside him.

  “Lisa, I know this is ridiculous, but I’m going to ask it straight out. Could you be adopted?”

  “What?” Her expression was a mixture of puzzlement, frustration, and mild amusement.

  “The handcuffs that you cut your teeth on, did they belong to your real dad?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. Many times growing up, I wished I could trade him in for someone warmer and more loving, but we don’t get to choose our parents. You know that.”

  She came up close behind him, her fragrance wrapping around him as she snaked her arms around his waist like a temptress, beckoning him to taste the forbidden fruit. But he’d already tasted it, was already obsessed by it. What was he thinking? Lisa wasn’t forbidden to him. Bud was lying—he knew it! There was absolutely no doubt in his mind. He swallowed. But what if he was wrong?

  He only had to wait a few hours, just until he could reach his grandmother by telephone. Unfortunately, she hadn’t joined the cell phone generation. Damn it, when he reached her, he would feel ridiculous and kick himself for not spending every moment left to them in Lisa’s arms. But if he gave in to his longing after what Bud had told him, what kind of man would he be? Certainly not the disciplined man he liked to think he’d become.

  “Go get dressed, Lisa. We’re taking Bud up on his offer. It’s a first. He’s never offered to pay before.”

  The disappointment and puzzlement in Lisa’s eyes caused a sharp pain in his gut. She stared at him a moment. Then, without a word, she whirled and left the room. He wasn’t sure if she was going upstairs to get dressed or if she’d just stormed out of there in anger. She had every right to be upset. He was upset himself. This wasn’t at all what he’d planned for the evening. He was relieved when she returned smiling, in a black dress, four-inch heels, and looking sensational. Bud was right behind her, shaven, hair slicked back, and wearing an Armani suit. As he came closer, his musk aftershave overpowered Lisa’s more subtle fragrance.

  “Doesn’t Lisa look gorgeous?” Bud asked, grinning. Jay tightened his jaw. Damn Bud! He had wanted to be the first one to tell Lisa that. He grabbed his suit jacket from the back of a chair and followed them to Bud’s car.

  Bud drove. Jay sat in the passenger seat by the window with Lisa sandwiched between them, her warmth and curves pressing against his side. He didn’t know what to do with his arm. He ached to put it around her shoulders, but in his easily aroused state, even that wasn’t safe. He rested it over the top of the seatback, careful not to touch her. When she glanced at him and smiled, her silky hair brushed across the back of his hand. Damn Bud! He was probably lying. But what if he wasn’t? Damn him.

  When they parked, he assisted Lisa. Walking through the restaurant parking lot, Jay gripped Bud’s arm, delaying him, and whispered, “If you’re lying about Lisa, I swear I’ll give you the worst beating you’ve ever had. It’ll be months before you get out of the hospital.”

  “It’s a given, little brother, and I’d deserve it. But it will never happen.” He shook Jay’s hold from his arm and caught up with Lisa. “Hey, little sister, what’s your hurry?”

  Lisa frowned. “What’s all this sister talk?”

  Bud laughed. “You’re a sister to me, okay? Anything wrong with that?”

  Jay followed them, fists clenched, noticing the slight sway of Lisa’s hips. What was Bud’s motive for this cruel lie? Jay knew he was being duped, but his damn rigid morals prevented him from touching Lisa until he was certain. He could wait a few hours. Grandma would clear it all up. Then he just might kill his brother!

  The antique ceiling fans in Edward’s Mansion sent the aromas of roasts, steaks, and baking bread swirling around Lisa. She had never eaten there before, but the owner had gi
ven her a tour of all the historic dining rooms when she’d dropped by to investigate the murder of a waiter a few years ago. Now she was here as a guest. If the roast beef au jus with cheddar on the mashed potatoes in the baked shell was an example of the typical cuisine, she would definitely be back.

  Everything was perfect except for the silent battle electrifying the air between Bud and Jay. They were polite enough to each other, yet hostility sizzled just below the surface of everything they said or did.

  “More wine, little sister?” Bud asked.

  Jay threw down his napkin. “Excuse me for a few moments,” he said as he stood. His clipped voice and tense expression dared anyone to object. “I’m going to try Grandma’s hotel again. I need to settle this!”

  “What?” Lisa asked.

  He didn’t stop. His stride away from the table was wide, angry.

  She set her empty plate aside and fingered the antique lace tablecloth. The texture felt delicate to her fingers, as fragile as the brothers’ relationship. She watched Jay disappear and then turned to Bud. “Is there a joke here with the little sister business that I’m not getting?”

  He grinned. “Does it bother you when I call you that?”

  “No,” she said hesitantly. “But it seems to bother Jay.”

  “Can you think of a better reason to do it?”

  Lisa let out an exasperated breath. “Come on, Bud. This is Jay’s last night here. How about dropping it until after he leaves tomorrow?”

  “You want it, you got it,” Bud said, holding her gaze. “After seeing you in action, trying to mount that big bruiser’s back, I knew you were my kind of woman. Besides, no man could refuse you. You’re too…” Without finishing, he picked up his glass and took a gulp of wine.

  “I know there’s a put-down coming, and I know I’m going to regret asking, but I’ll bite. I’m too what?”

  He laughed. “I was going to say too beautiful, but that’s not enough to describe the special way you look tonight.” Bud leaned forward and closed his hand over hers.