Just Evil (The Evil Secrets Trilogy)

by Vickie McKeehan

  “Jake, Alana spent money like it grew on trees. She probably ran through all of it.”

  “Maybe. But what if that’s what Boyd wants you to think. Think about it, there’s no question you’ve got a house you can sell, a business you can sell, property you can sell. In other words, you inherit stuff, assets, but hardly any cash. Do you see where I’m going with this?”

  She thought for a moment. “If the business is worth more, then why did Connor tell me I’d inherited twenty million? What you’re saying is I get Alana’s stuff that I can liquidate, but there are no millions of dollars in cash sitting around in her bank accounts?”

  “Exactly. I think we should check her bank accounts, find out when the cash went south. I’d bet it was recent. Like I said, the assets listed in the will far exceed the twenty million dollar amount Boyd told you. So where are the rest of the assets, the cash she had on hand?”

  “Maybe Connor was upset about Jessica’s death; maybe it’s an honest mistake. Quinn pointed out that he was on the clock this morning right after his mother was found dead.”

  “Could be an honest mistake, but a lawyer should know the value of his client’s business. It would have been appraised at some point. The fact that he doesn’t know isn’t a good thing. He was either upset, just made a mistake, or the error was intentional and meant to conceal the withdrawals to the accounts.”

  “What should I do?”

  “Don’t sign anything. I’ll look over the rest of the documents tonight and if anything else surfaces, I’ll let Reese take a look at them. Those Boyds are damn clever lawyers.”

  The doorbell rang. She suddenly realized how late it had gotten and crawled off his lap. “I think that must be Baylee coming to retrieve her daughter.”

  Jake followed her to the front door. When Kit started to open it without checking who was on the other side, he grabbed her arm just before she turned the lock. “I’m sure you’re right, but humor me and make sure.”

  She stared at him, saw genuine concern in his eyes. By now the ringing doorbell had turned to frantic knocking. She looked out through the peephole and smiled. “All I see is one anxious mama.”

  When Kit unlocked the door and Baylee stepped inside, Jake still couldn’t get over the dark hair. And then he noticed how edgy she acted. The relaxed, lighthearted Baylee of old was gone, replaced by a wariness he’d never seen before. Now, pooled in her huge aqua-colored eyes, he saw an almost distant look, much like he’d seen recently in Kit’s.

  Remembering what Kit had told him earlier, he wondered whom Baylee thought she was fooling with the different colored hair. To him, she still looked like Baylee.

  Kit led her into the kitchen with an arm draped over the petite woman’s shoulders, “Did you get all moved in?”

  “Oh, Kit, the house is lovely, just perfect for us. It’s like a little doll house. I’m so grateful to be there. How was Sarah?”

  “A sweetheart. Would you like a glass of wine or tea or something?”

  With her mind on her daughter’s next feeding, Baylee slipped into a kitchen chair and sighed just thinking about how long it had been since she’d enjoyed a glass of wine. The temptation was there, but instead of taking it, she said simply, “Iced tea will do.”

  While Kit poured the tea into a tall glass, she told Baylee, “Jake and I were just finishing up dinner. Have you eaten? I have leftovers.”

  “Thanks, but I picked up a couple of fish tacos at the drive-thru.”

  “Jake was telling me that I have a brother in Ireland. His name’s Ben Griffin. I can’t wait to get in touch with him.”

  Instantly suspicious, Baylee turned accusing eyes on Jake. “A brother? Where’s he been all this time? Are you sure about this? You know you’re getting her hopes up, don’t you? She’s wanted family for as long as I can remember. And what if this so-called brother turns out to be a real jerk, what then? Or what if this brother wants no part of her? He could, you know, he could hurt her.”

  Protective, thought Jake, and angry, very angry. Right before his eyes, Baylee turned into a mother bear ready to defend her cub at the drop of a hat.

  “Okay, but what if he doesn’t know about her? And what if he wants to know his sister, Baylee? Doesn’t Kit have the right to know a half-brother? I realize there’s a possibility he might not feel the same about her; that’s why I’m going to contact him and give him the option of getting in touch with Kit.” He saw the flash of concern on her face and thought he knew what it was about. “I won’t give him the opportunity to reject her face to face.”

  Those aqua blue eyes went suddenly cold as steel, piercing Jake like daggers. “Fine. But I’ll tell you this: if she gets hurt in any way, I’m holding you responsible.”

  “Down Mom,” Kit said, as her hand fell on Baylee’s shoulder. “There’s no point in jumping down Jake’s throat. I wanted him to do this. He was trying to find out anything he could about…my father and he discovered this. I’m grateful for his help.”

  Baylee let out a loud pent-up breath, immediately remorseful. “Oh. You want to know if he’s really...gone. Oh Kit, did you find out if he’s…really…dead?”

  Jake grimaced. “He died just as Alana told her.”

  Baylee’s eyes went moist. “I…I’m sorry, Kit. I know you wanted it to be…not true. But that doesn’t change how I feel about this so-called brother. You know nothing about him.”

  Confused by Baylee’s behavior, Kit quietly told her, “He’s my brother, Baylee. That’s all I need to know.”

  Baylee downed a gulp of tea and stood up. “It’s getting late. I’ll start loading up Sarah’s things and save Sarah for last.”

  “We can help you load the car, Baylee.” But she was talking to Baylee’s back. With a sigh, Kit started packing up Sarah’s diaper bag.

  Noting the tension emanating off Baylee as she left the room, Jake quietly asked, “Is she okay?”

  Kit took a deep breath. “No. Not for a while now. She’s gone through a lot over the last few months. I can’t put my finger on exactly what’s wrong. All I know is something isn’t right.”

  He stood up. “I’ll start loading the car.”

  “Could you switch the car seat from the Jeep back to hers? That would be a big help. I’ll go talk to her.”

  Jake had just finished getting the car seat adjusted in the back seat of Baylee’s Range Rover when she stepped around the car. “Look, let’s just get this over with. I’m not apologizing for what I said in there. I don’t think it’s a good idea for her to try to find some stranger and to make him part of her life. Even a brother—a brother, I might add, that hasn’t made one move to try and find her all these years.” She put her hands in the back pockets of her jeans, rocked on her heels. “I don’t want her hurt.”

  “She’s been hurt enough, don’t you think?” He stared straight into the woman’s eyes.

  “Yeah, she has.”

  “What about Collin Boyd? Has he ever hurt her?”

  Baylee eyed Jake as if deciding just how much to confide in him and then remembered he’d been the one to confront Collin earlier that day. “He’s tried. Like the rest of his family, he refuses to take no for an answer. He isn’t just an arrogant jerk with money, but one who has never been held accountable for any of his mistakes. None of them have. The Boyds think they can do anything and get away with it. It’s in the genes. Collin’s had a thing for Kit for as long as I can remember. But she’s never given him the time of day, probably because it’s what Alana and Jessica wanted. Kit never fell into that trap.”

  She briefly looked away before turning back again to look up at Jake. “They’ve never dated, never gone out. I think that’s what pisses him off the most. Every so often, like this morning, Collin pushes the envelope.” She took a deep breath and took hold of Jake’s arm. “He scares me where Kit’s concerned. Watch out for her, won’t you?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Ten minutes later, standing on the porch, they watched as Baylee’s SUV
backed out of Kit’s driveway and headed down the street.

  “Thanks for dinner.”

  “Thanks for helping me with Collin. I’m not sure I said that. It just seems like there’s so much coming at me all at once, I can’t think straight. I’m a little nervous about Alana’s funeral. With everything going on, I’m feeling a little overwhelmed.”

  “I know, but don’t try to do everything yourself,” he suggested as he rubbed her back. It was then and there he decided that as much as he wanted her, it wouldn’t be tonight.

  She’d just discovered she had a sibling she’d never met. She was dealing with the fact that in the past forty-eight hours both Alana and Jessica had been murdered. On top of that, she’d just admitted that all of this was coming at her too fast. He wasn’t about to screw this up now by rushing her.

  “I need to take that next step in finding Ben Griffin. If I come by your office in the morning do you think we could find out more info about him?”

  “Sure, why not? But Kit, I meant what I said to Baylee. I’ll be the one to make contact with him. There’s no point in you getting your hopes up and then having them dashed if he doesn’t want to meet. You come by in the morning and we’ll see what we can find.”

  With that, he reached around her waist and dragged her into him. Her wet mouth tasted sweet and a little spicy.

  Like the other times he’d kissed her, this was no hurried kiss, but rather a slow seductive mating of tongues. “Why don’t you come back inside, Jake?”

  “I want you, in bed.”

  “I know.” It surprised her when he shook his head.

  He patted her on the rear and pushed her toward the front door. “You’ve got too much going on.” He pointed to her head. “Too much to think about tonight. When I take you to bed the first time, I want your complete attention.” He grinned at her and swatted her bottom again. “Now go back inside. Lock the door. Get some sleep.”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him it was him she needed now. But he knew her too well. If he stayed she’d talk it to death, then start dwelling on the past, dredging up what might have been, along with all kinds of painful memories. Reluctantly, she went inside.

  When he heard the lock click, Jake headed to his car, and eventually, to a cold shower.

  CHAPTER 12

  Over the next few days, Kit couldn’t escape painful stabs at her psyche as she dealt with the details of planning Alana’s funeral. It didn’t help that St. John encouraged the coroner to drag his feet in releasing the body. Keeping it an extra couple of days caused the arrangements to get pushed back, drawing out the whole process unnecessarily, creating several anxious days and sleepless nights for Kit.

  For the most part she kept the service low-key as Gloria hovered, determined not to let her take on any chore that might dredge up anything hurtful. But in spite of Gloria’s watchful eye there were still stress-related facets that had to be handled.

  When the funeral home called about Alana’s dress for burial, Gloria found a suitable outfit. When the issue of pallbearers came up, Gloria recruited men from Alana’s army of real estate agents, with only a few refusing her request outright.

  Kit handled the flowers and music. She filled the chapel with pink roses and orchids, two of Alana’s favorites, and worried that somehow Alana would find fault with her efforts. But when it came to the music Kit went with sentiment. She chose uplifting and inspirational songs, and at the last minute for no good reason added the traditional Irish song, The King of Love My Shepherd Is, telling Gloria, “It makes me feel as though I’m putting my own touches on our goodbye, my own way.”

  But on the day of the funeral, it came and went in a series of surreal, clipped images. Snapshots of condolences, concern, and sympathy amid a parade of mourners as they walked past Alana’s closed casket. Friends Kit hadn’t seen in years blended with others who’d driven down from San Madrid to pay their respects.

  And through it all Kit knew Holloway and St. John were there, lurking just beyond the fringe, watching her every move, her every action.

  Thanks to Jake, Gloria, and Quinn, she somehow got through it. Even though Baylee had helped with the flowers and music, she had been noticeably absent from the memorial service. Kit couldn’t help but worry about Baylee as she crawled into the waiting limousine afterward. But at that point all Kit wanted was to get as far away from Whispering Oaks as she could get, and preferably, as fast as the limo could take her.

  From his position on the hill overlooking the cemetery, he watched as the mourners gathered around the gravesite and a flower-draped casket. As the minister recited his prepared sermon, he spanned the crowd, taking note of those in attendance.

  He didn’t miss the searing glares Collin sent Kit every now and then, or the leering stares Cade paid to Quinn. But when he spotted the two detectives watching their prime suspect walk to a waiting limo, he smiled.

  Soon, they’d be even more confused by it all.

  As he watched the car slowly make its way through the cemetery and out the front gates, he planned the demise of yet another.

  Collin was furious. After watching Kit wrapped around Boston at Alana’s funeral, his rage took on a harder edge.

  As he sat around the pool with his brothers, he wasn’t the least interested in his father’s agenda anymore. He didn’t give a rat’s ass about the future of the firm, or his father’s warning, or the fact that everyone seemed worried that Auslo and Taft hadn’t yet found what they were looking for.

  Nothing much mattered to Collin other than making Kit pay for rejecting him yet again.

  “If she hadn’t been such a cold fish, we might have had a couple of kids by now. Why can’t she see she belongs with me? She never did appreciate what was right in front of her. It’s been like that since we were kids, all the times she interfered with our plans, busted in on our games, always tagging along where she wasn’t wanted.” She’d made him fall in love with her all those years ago and then shunned him. And now, she’d taken up with Jake Boston.

  She had to pay.

  As the brothers threw back Johnnie Walker Blue, Connor and Cade let him rant. It wasn’t the first time, but it was getting old. And it was starting to sound a little creepy and incoherent. Or at least that was Connor’s take.

  Cade, on the other hand, wanted to fan some of Collin’s hot wrath to flame. “Yeah, like the time we killed that old cat, just to get it out of its misery. Kit ratted us out to Maya, who got us grounded when she told Dad what we did.”

  “I know she’s behind what happened to Mother. I just can’t prove it. I want her to hurt like I’m hurting.”

  Cade might’ve been on his way to getting drunk, but hearing that had him pointing out, “Kit was always a timid thing.” Staring out over the water, he gave it more thought, and remembered a shy, skinny girl with eyes too big for her face. Kit was the opposite of Quinn. No spunk. No one could say Quinn was afraid of her own shadow. And wasn’t that too bad, he thought. “I can understand you thinking she might have killed Alana. God knows that bitch was the antichrist, but what’s Mother’s murder got to do with Kit? Why would Kit want to kill Mother?”

  “He isn’t making sense. He’s boning for her, that’s all,” Connor said. “And she won’t give him the time of day. That’s the problem, little brother; you’ve got the hots for her just like you did when you were both twelve. And look at your nose, some impression that’s going to make at your own mother’s funeral tomorrow, you with a bandage across your honker. What are you going to tell the reporters when they ask what happened there?”

  It didn’t help when Cade added, “And if Dad hears you talking about Kit the way you are, he’s going to personally ship you off to Siberia. He wants you over this Kit thing.”

  The razzing he was used to, but damned if Collin would admit the truth. After all, hadn’t his mother reminded him every time Kit rebuffed him what the girl was? “Mother always said Kit came from Hollywood trash.”

  Cade wanted t
o know, “Since when did you ever listen to Mother? You’re acting weird, bro. What’s this about anyway?”

  “She’s fucking that software prick.” Hadn’t he followed her to Boston’s office, saw it for himself? He’d wanted to confront her about it right then in the parking garage, but she’d taken off. Why was she always acting afraid of him?

  Cade thought a moment before turning to Conner. “Software prick?”

  Conner replied, “Boston? She and Jake Boston? Well, now that’s interesting. The police never arrested that son of a bitch for killing his wife. They let him get away with it.”

  “Had her killed more likely,” added Collin. “And she’d screw anything in pants.”

  The memory had Connor smiling into his whiskey. “Now that was a nice piece of ass.”

  Cade and Collin exchanged looks before Cade asked, “And you would know that how?”

  Connor lifted his glass. “Been there. Done that.” Just thinking about her—he rotated his shoulders. “How about we order a couple of hookers for tonight?”

  Cade wiggled his eyebrows up and down. “Now we’re talking. I could use a distraction. I’m tense.”

  Not even the idea of hookers had Collin feeling any better. In fact, he desperately wanted to use his fists on her. He’d done it before. Sitting here humiliated, he knew he would have to make her pay, big time. His mother would want that. But that’s what Auslo and Taft were for. As he saw it, the minions now worked for him and his brothers. And it was their job to do what they were told.

  Kit had deceived him by fucking Boston. She’d rejected him for the last time. He would meet with Auslo and Taft and up the ante. No matter what his father said, it was time to get results. Kit Griffin had always been his. He’d loved her since they’d been kids.