“Does Jeremy keep things from you?” I asked.
“When we first met he did. It drove me crazy. But beneath his tough exterior is a man who loves and cares deeply for his family. He’d do anything to protect us.”
“How did you handle it? I mean, Jeremy keeping things from you?” I rested my hip against the counter. I could use all the advice I could get.
Chloe was texting. The men were in their world talking about the statute of limitations.
She swept my hair over my shoulder, her brown eyes searching my face. “At first, I had to walk away. But I realized that wasn’t the answer. We both loved each other. He isn’t perfect, and neither am I. Look, sweetie. You can’t get mad every time Kade keeps something from you. Understand his reasons. You have to meet each other halfway. Decide what you can and can’t handle and communicate with him.”
I hadn’t even given Kade a chance to explain, and I certainly didn’t understand his reasons, except the part about Dad’s adoptive family not being his story to tell. I’d assumed he didn’t tell me because he didn’t want to worry me.
“Gloria,” Jeremy called. “We should get going. I have an early meeting.”
“Daddy, I barely got to spend time with Lacey.”
“There’ll be time for that later,” Gloria said.
Chloe huffed.
It had been a long day. I was tired both mentally and physically.
Jeremy and Dad agreed to swap information if they had anything of substance regarding the ledger, Lorenzino, and Weeks.
After they finally drove away, I asked Dad, “Are you okay?”
“I am,” he said as we cleaned up the kitchen. “I never had a problem with Gloria. Now, my father was a different story. He and I never got along. He always treated me like I was a male Cinderella. Over the years, he drank more and more to the point where he took out his drunken frustrations on me. He was very abusive. One night when I was seventeen, I came home past curfew. He was waiting up for me. We had words, then it got out of hand. We both ended up in the emergency room. After that I took off.” He loaded bowls into the dishwasher.
“I’m so sorry, Dad.” I stopped wiping down the table. “I know that had to be hard for you to tell me.” I wasn’t about to ask for details. The fact that he’d told me that much was a win in my book. Frankly, that was all I needed to know. The details would only serve to anger me more, and I couldn’t take out my anger on a dead man.
“I don’t like talking about him. I don’t even like thinking about that time in my life, though it did feel good to say it. But let’s concentrate on the future.”
Great idea. “So when are you going to call those people your mom was associated with?”
“I want to talk to the private investigator I hired first. Jeremy’s right. We need to make sure the names in that report are not associated with Lorenzino.”
“I can do an internet search while you talk to the PI. Better yet, I can have Kody help. He’s good with finding things on the internet.” Kade had once told me Kody was a whiz with Google searches and computers in general.
“Tell you what,” Dad said. “Let me read through the report and talk to the PI, and then we can put our heads together on a plan of action. Deal?”
I smiled so wide, my cheeks hurt. It was the first time I’d felt like an adult with Dad, and I was excited that we had another avenue to search.
Chapter 26
Kade
Kody and I sat on my tailgate down by the lake watching our friends and family enjoying themselves. My brothers and I had liked the idea of having a party. In my mind, it was a way to let loose and maybe reconnect with Lacey. During the past week of school, it had driven me fucking insane not to be able to sit with her at lunch or talk to her or touch her. Something had changed in her since the night of her first baseball game. She seemed happier. Maybe it was her first win. Maybe she wasn’t mad at me anymore. Or maybe she was moving on with her life. The last thought gutted me. I grilled Hunt for information since he spent nights with her. All he said was that she was happy she was finally getting to know about her father’s past. Please let it be that and nothing more.
Not surprisingly, news of the party had zipped through the school halls like a damn rocket. Anytime anyone was having a party, the entire school seemed to show up. I hadn’t gone to many. At the ones I had, people had been packed in like sardines in the kitchen and open areas of the house. Not my scene. The lake—and the breathing room that came with it— was the perfect venue for me.
The night air was fresh and crisp as the campfire crackled and threw the occasional spark. “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol blared from speakers that Kelton set up on the deck of the boathouse my father had renovated into a game room. Lacey had dubbed it the funhouse. Tents dotted the landscape. Anytime we had parties, we set up our tents and told others to bring theirs. Battery-powered lanterns hung from tree branches, giving the lake area a dim glow. Guys were snuggled up with their girlfriends around the fire, including Kross and Becca. I’d give anything to have Lacey cozied up to me by the fire. Instead, I hung with Kody, drinking a beer. I didn’t drink all that often, and I was hoping the alcohol would ease my nerves. I was mainly waiting for my baseball beauty to arrive. My plan was to play it cool. Not suffocate her. Keep it casual. Hunt texted me and said she was on her way.
“Your girl might want my help doing some fancy Google searching. Her dad has a couple of names of people his mom knew. They might be able to shed some light on uncovering her or the ledger.”
I growled. I should be helping her, although Kody was the computer mastermind. He could find a needle in the haystack that was the net.
“Are you ever going to talk to her?” He also had a cup of beer in his hand.
“And say what? I already apologized. That’s not enough.”
“Grovel then. You’re brooding.” He finished off his beer and burped.
“Says the brooder.”
He nudged me, flicking his chin toward the path leading down from the garage. Lacey glided down it dressed in tight jeans and knee-high boots, her hair flowing behind her and a smile on her gorgeous face. Heat unfurled inside me, sliding down to my groin as I pictured her on the stairs in nothing but her thong as she caressed her naked breasts. That seductive image vanished in an instant when Tyler trotted down the path.
“Lacey,” he said. “Wait up.”
I tightened every muscle in me. If he so much as touches her, the cold lake has his name written all over it.
Kody held out his arm. “You can’t let him bother you. She’ll always have guys checking her out or vying for her attention. Trust her. Trust what you guys have together.”
I wasn’t sure we had anything at the moment.
Tyler planted his hand on the small of her back as they found their way to the campfire.
I cussed under my breath, and every one of my muscles vibrated.
“Easy, tiger.” Kody slowly lowered his arm.
I gulped a large mouthful of beer, my eyes glued to Lacey and Tyler.
Becca and Kross scooted closer to Shaun, who was the only guy in the circle without a girl. Lacey sat cross-legged next to Becca. Tyler scanned the grounds. When he found me, I tipped my cup to him. Restraint burned a path through me. Fighting wasn’t the way back into Lacey’s good graces. I had to be the bigger man. I had to show her I was in control, even though I envisioned throwing Tyler into the lake. He said something to her, and she nodded. I tracked his movements to the cooler then back to Lacey. He handed her a can of soda.
She swept her hair over her shoulder as her eyes met mine. I waved casually. She set down her soda and pushed upright as my phone buzzed.
A text from Hunt. Sullivan is here on crutches. You want me to stop him?
I showed Kody my screen.
“What the
fuck?”
I typed my response. Is he alone?
Seever and his girl, Tammy, are with him.
Nah. Let him walk among the wolves.
“You sure, bro? This can’t end well, and it’s not a way to win your girl back. Although I’d love to have a go at Sullivan again.”
“He’s not here to fight if he’s on crutches.” I was curious why he was here.
We hadn’t seen or heard from Sullivan since he’d been shot. It had only been a few weeks since the ordeal. He had to be recovering still. I texted Kelton, who was in the funhouse playing poker, and copied Kross on the message. The music died. Kelton flew out of the funhouse. Kross stretched to his full height, keeping his sights on the path down from the garage.
Lacey began her trek toward me. At the same time, Sullivan emerged. Seever and Tammy were by his side. Kody hopped down, meeting Kross and Kelton as they converged on Sullivan. The kids around the campfire scrambled to their feet. Others at the water’s edge did the same. Shaun and Becca sidled up to Tyler, who swung his gaze from my brothers to me. He angled his head and opened his palms.
I shrugged. I wasn’t moving. My brothers could handle the situation. I’d intervene if need be.
A light scent of citrus floated in the air as Lacey propped her hip against the edge of the tailgate. “Hi.”
Her sugary tone sparked goosebumps on my entire body. “Thanks for coming.”
“A party, huh? When I first moved here, I remember some kid at school bragging about how off the hook the Maxwell parties were. Seems tame to me.”
“Well, give it an hour or two. The brave and drunken ones will be throwing themselves in the lake.” I searched her face, my gaze landing on those glossy lips that I was dying to capture between mine. Hell, I wanted to devour them, slide my tongue into the warm cavern of her mouth, and taste her.
“You’re not going to read Sullivan the riot act?” Her eyebrows knitted.
“Nah. My brothers can handle it,” I said easily.
“Are you sure you’re really Kade Maxwell?”
I stretched out my hand. “I am.” I wanted to touch her so bad. “You must be Lacey Robinson. The school is abuzz about this great pitcher who pitched two more winning games this week.”
She placed her hand in mine. “Nice to meet you, Kade Maxwell.”
When her fingers landed in my palm, tingles shot up my arm. I lowered my head and planted a soft kiss on the back of her hand. “It’s my pleasure.”
She blinked, her long lashes fanning out over her silky skin as a slow ball-squeezing smile materialized.
Our quiet, pleasurable moment died when the bane of my existence hobbled toward us with Seever and Tammy flanking him. The triplets had wry smirks plastered on their faces as they stalked up behind them.
“It seems they need your help,” she said.
“Will you stay? I need backup.” Give her the choice.
She lifted a shoulder. “Sure. I’ve been known to kick butt.” She climbed into Kody’s spot on the tailgate.
Tammy, Seever, and Sullivan settled in front of Lacey and me. I felt as though we were the king and queen of the land. My brothers crossed their arms over their chests, never losing their annoyed expressions. Tyler wormed his way up to stand next to Lacey, and Shaun and Becca ponied up to Tyler. Our other guests clambered closer, and hushed whispers buzzed around us. Sullivan hunched over his crutches as his dark and insolent gaze fixated on Lacey and me.
Tammy Reese waved at me with a flirtatious smile. In spite of her sweet façade, the girl was downright trouble. Before Lacey, she’d been the only girl I’d dated at Kensington. Tammy and I had had dinner once, and one time was all I fucking needed with her. She babbled non-stop over a dinner she didn’t eat about wanting marriage and babies as soon as she graduated. That wasn’t for me. Sure, a family was definitely in my future, but not when I graduated high school and not with her.
Lacey scowled and mumbled under her breath.
Seever shoved his hands into his Kensington letter jacket. “Hear my cousin out before you go ape shit.”
“I need your help,” Sullivan said. His beady eyes narrowed.
“Do you want me to put you out of your misery?” I couldn’t help it. My enemy, the one who’d almost killed Kody, wanted my fucking help.
Snickers, snorts, and other derisive sounds echoed through the crowd.
“Ha, ha. Seriously, Maxwell. You know it had to take a lot for me to come to you for help.”
“What do you think, Lace? Should we let him speak?” I didn’t take my eyes off of Sullivan.
“Why not? He is outnumbered.” Her tone dripped with sarcasm. “You have the floor, Mr. Sullivan.”
He regarded Lacey with a cold, clinical expression.
“You heard the lady. Speak,” I said.
“How much do you know about Jeremy Pitt?” Sullivan spoke the words slowly as though he was rethinking his decision to come here.
Dead silence, except for the crackling of the fire.
A smile flirted on Lacey’s lips as our eyes met. She licked them as though she was hungry to tell him the answer to his question. A rush of adrenaline charged through me. Since Pitt had threatened both of them about touching Lacey, I was eager to see Sullivan and Seever’s reaction.
I bowed to Lacey. “You have the floor again, Ms. Robinson.”
Chapter 27
Lacey
Surprise shimmied along my skin. Kade hadn’t barked out orders at his brothers or me. He’d given me the choice to stay by his side. He’d asked for my opinion on Greg. He wasn’t throwing his fist into Tyler’s face or Seever’s or Sullivan’s, and he’d allowed me to address Greg’s question.
I squared my shoulders and stared at Greg. “Mr. Sullivan, shouldn’t you know about Jeremy Pitt? After all, you and Aaron are the ones who’ve been conspiring with two of his men to hurt me.”
The partygoers let out a collective gasp.
“We weren’t going to hurt you. We knew Tyler was listening that day at the restaurant. We knew he would bring that back to the Maxwells. It was a way to get under their skin and get them to react.”
He was as crazy as Aaron. “How did you want them to react? By putting you in the hospital?”
Kade’s jaw flexed. “Or maybe kill you? Did you not get enough pain from Kross and Kody?”
“Let me get this straight. You were trying to use me to get to the Maxwells. Is that right?” I asked.
“Something like that,” Sullivan said firmly.
Kade groaned.
I raised my eyebrows. He’d told the truth. First step in the right direction. Okay, this could be fun. Aaron was here. Greg was here. My beef was more with Aaron. Maybe if I caught them off balance, one of them would accidentally reveal something about what had happened to Mandy. It was a long shot.
“So, Aaron, what’s your story then? Are you trying to hurt me or are you trying to use me to get to the Maxwells? And if I were you, I would choose your answer carefully.”
He inclined his head, his green eyes appraising. “I’m not sure what you’re implying.”
“Cut the bullshit,” I said evenly. “When we ran into each other in the hall at school, you told me you wished my plane had crashed on my way back from California. Did you not? Oh, and you threatened to break my arm if I made the team. And let’s not forget about the psychological game you instigated where you had Tammy steal my gear before tryouts then return it, making it appear like I was the one who was crazy.” I had never been interested in the drama club or acting. Yet, I felt like I was on stage as the partygoers were all gathered around watching and listening intently.
“You threatened her again?” Kade asked. “You truly are psychotic.”
The triplets pressed forward. Tyler mashed his lips into
a thin line. Shaun had no expression at all, and Becca sent Aaron a death glare. The crowd around us whispered and gasped.
Tammy smirked at her boyfriend. I wanted to smack the amusement from her face.
I held up my hand as though I was a judge presiding over a criminal case. Adrenaline cascaded through me. I was enjoying this way too much. The sounds died. The triplets held their ground. Aaron glowered.
“I came here for help,” Greg said. “I didn’t come here for you to grill my cousin.”
“You should’ve thought about that before you stepped into your enemy’s lair,” I said.
“What’s your deal, bitch?” Tammy asked.
Becca sidled up to the tailgate and said to Tammy, “Shut the hell up. You’re just as bad as your boyfriend.”
Tammy lunged for Becca. Tyler wedged in between them.
“Cat fight,” someone in the crowd shouted.
Aaron snagged Tammy’s arm and pulled her back to his side.
“Tsk, tsk. Such a pretty face.” I said. “Such a shame you ruin it when you open your mouth. No wonder Kade didn’t want to date you anymore.”
Kade whispered, “Are you sure you’re really Lacey Robinson?”
“New and improved,” I said.
His lips tilted up into one of his famous Maxwell grins. “I like new and improved.”
“Fine, you want to do this here and now? I was fucking with your mind,” Aaron said, holding his head high.
“Like you always do, fucker,” Kelton muttered.
Aaron’s jaw hardened. “You’re a good ballplayer. So good it pissed me off. Is that what you want to hear?”
“No.” I raised my voice. “I want the truth. If we’re going to win games and work as a team this season, I want to get all our cards out on the table.” I waved my hands around to encompass everyone who was watching. “If it has to be in front of the whole school, then so be it.” I didn’t like airing my dirty laundry to strangers. But I had enough to worry about and no time to wonder if and when Aaron would strike. “You want to win. Right?”
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