I sat down next to her on the bed. “It went okay. It’s still a lot to take in, you know?” I answered. Cora knew about John being my dad and the whole Dalton situation, and she had a strong dislike for both of them after what they’d done to me. But I hadn’t told her about the Ivy’s death and our involvement. I didn’t want her tangled up in that mess.
“Yeah. You know I’m here if you ever want to talk about it, right?” I nodded. “Are you staying here tonight?”
“I think I might stay at home.”
She grinned. “As bad as I want to spend time with you, I think that’s a good idea. Your mom will like that. It’ll be good for you two. Do you need a ride?”
“No. I have to do something with Dalton first. He’s on his way to pick me up. I’ll have him drop me off at home.”
Her eyes widened. “Tell me you’re seriously not thinking about taking that engaged bastard back?”
I shook my head. “I have way more important things on my mind than a relationship right now.” I grabbed my phone when it rang. “Hello?”
“I’m outside,” Dalton said. “Come out whenever you’re ready.”
“Okay, I’ll be down in a minute.”
“Good luck, girl,” Cora said, after I hung up. “And be smart, okay? I don’t want to see you get hurt again.”
“Trust me, I’ve put a barrier on my heart that no one can break through right now.”
***
“Uh … where the hell are we going?” I shouted, when I noticed we were driving out of the city and in the opposite direction of the office.
Dalton stared straight ahead with his eyes on the road. “To talk to John,” he answered.
I pointed behind us. “Are you lost? The office is that way.”
“We’re not going to the office.”
“Then where the hell are we going?”
“We’re meeting my dad and him at his cabin in Chattanooga, where he’s been staying. If someone sees all of us together, all of us possible suspects, then that would be a red flag. We need to be as discreet as possible, but we have to see him. I have to convince him to get out of the cabin … make a statement … or let someone make a statement on his behalf. The man has to do something.”
I looked over at him in confusion. “So you’re saying we need to lay low, yet still try to figure out who killed Ivy at the same time?”
“Exactly.”
His answer didn’t make much sense, but I wasn’t in the mood for an argument. Silence and awkwardness stretched out the long ride. He didn’t bring up our relationship. I tried to hide my disappointment of that by staring out the window, watching the city flow into the wooded hills. Deep down, I wanted to hear him tell me how hurt he was, how bad he felt, over and over again for my own gratification.
I guess hearing a guy grovel for forgiveness was my thing.
Perfect. I’m that girl.
My stomach twisted at the thought of facing John. The last time I saw him was when he had ambushed me and revealed that he was my biological father. He’d begged me for a chance to get to know each other, to have that father-daughter relationship I’d so longed for when I was younger, but I didn’t want that anymore. I would’ve rather stayed in the dark about that part of my life than get hit with the truth.
I preferred him to deny me. It was easier to let go when you knew the other person wanted nothing to do with you. It was easier to not give a shit – to block it out of your mind. It felt like he was a shadow now, haunting me, even when I tried to run away. And to top it all off, I had to accept the fact that he’d be around until we figured out who killed Ivy.
The sun was setting by the time we slowly drifted up the long, gravel drive and stopped in front of a modest cabin in bum fuck Egypt.
Two matching black Mercedes were parked side by side in front of us, looking out of place. I recognized one of them. Why was Kenneth here? He normally didn’t work on these cases. He’d practically retired and only took on small workloads since marrying my mom.
The interior light shined when Dalton opened up his door. I went to do the same, but froze up when reality hit me of what was about to happen. I looked over at him.
“I can’t go in there,” I said. “There’s no way I can face him right now.” Especially in front of Kenneth and Wilson.
Dalton looked over at me with concern and stretched his arm across my seat to grab my hand. “Babe, yes you can. Go in there and show him how fucking strong you are. Let him know his absence didn’t mean shit to you.” He grinned. “And if the mother fucker tries to talk to you about anything other than figuring out who killed Ivy, we’ll leave. I promise if he tries to mess with you, he won’t like the results.”
I couldn’t help but crack a smile. “Look at you, Billy Badass, threatening the future president of the United States.”
“I’ll always defend you.” His response was like a punch in the gut. “As for the whole President thing, there’s no way that’s happening now. The man had a public scandal. They’ve already suggested he step down from his position, but he’s refusing. People aren’t going to vote for him. They can forgive, but they’ll never forget. And they don’t like cheaters or frauds. They always have more secrets buried.”
My cheeks started to burn. “So you have more secrets?”
His eyes turned hard. “Don’t you dare compare me to him, Gabby. I’m not a cheater. I never touched Eva while we were together. Not once. Not anyone. I didn’t buy her a ring. Shit, I hardly even talked to the chick.”
“You kept her hidden from me. Omission is the same as lying, especially about something that serious.”
His fingers swam through his hair before he pulled at the roots. “I know. I was trying to end it with her, yet not make my world go up in flames at the same time.”
“But you didn’t end it with her. You kept riding your family’s wagon until they said something and completely humiliated me in public.”
I’d wanted to die when Eva was introduced as his fiancé. His entire evil family, with the exception of his brother, stared at me as they waited for the entertainment to start her breakdown. There was nothing more fascinating than a public show of ripping a girl’s heart out of her chest.
“I know, and I’m so fucking sorry. It’s the biggest mistake of my life. I swear to you, if you just give me another chance, I will never do anything to hurt you again.”
It was a little too late to be making that promise. I blew out a ragged breath. I was already exhausted, and we hadn’t even walked inside yet.
“This is not the time or place to talk about our relationship.”
He nodded in agreement. “But it’s going to happen, Gabby. We are going to talk about it.”
He waited until I opened my door before getting out. He stayed by my side, and we took slow steps towards the door. He knocked for us. The door swung open, and I came face to face with John.
He didn’t look anything like he had when I first met him. The smugness, the arrogance, all of his confidence was gone. Now I noticed the wrinkles resting just underneath his hairline, his sunken cheeks, and tired eyes.
He let out a puff of air. “Gabby.” He said my name like it’d been resting on the tip of his tongue for weeks. “You came.”
“I didn’t come for you,” I snapped, looking away from him.
He frowned and shuffled backwards to let us in.
“I warned you,” Kenneth said, appearing at John’s side.
John held up his hands. “I didn’t say anything.”
I followed the three men into the dining room where a long table was covered with scattered papers, folders, and open laptops. Wilson was seated at the far end and didn’t look up or say one word at our arrival.
“Have a seat,” Kenneth told us.
I sat down, and Dalton took the chair to my side.
Wilson cleared his throat. “I want to go over a few things. No one will talk to the police without our lawyer present, period.” Everyone, with the exception of me,
nodded their heads in agreement. “No one will know that we’re working on this case behind the scenes. Don’t ask anyone but our inner circle and people we can trust to help you. The police will ask too many questions about why we’re involved.”
“Have they questioned John yet?” I asked, interrupting Wilson, resulting in a cold glare from him. The man liked to be in charge. I could tell he was containing his smart-ass retort to stay on my good side. “He was all over the news for having an affair with Ivy. Why have they questioned Dalton, but not him?”
Wilson shook his head, his eyes narrowing. “They haven’t had a chance to question him because he’s been hiding out here. I’m sure they’re trying to obtain a warrant and sufficient evidence before they bring him in. We want to be ready when that happens.”
I glanced over at John. “So they’re looking for you?”
“I didn’t do it,” he rushed out in response. “I would never … I could never … do that to anyone. I had a special place in my heart for Ivy. I didn’t love her, but I cared about her deeply.”
I rolled my eyes. She was obviously not tucked away in a too-special spot considering he told us to destroy her if we had to.
“What about your wife?” Dalton asked. “Have you talked to her? Do you think she might be responsible for Ivy’s death?”
John shook his head. “My wife would never do that.” He’d said the same thing about her paying Ivy off for outing their relationship. “The sight of blood sickens her. She’s a good woman. She’s not a murderer.”
“Can you think of anyone else who might be responsible?” Wilson asked. “Think back. Think back as far as you can and name anyone who might have it out for you.”
“Or if you ever heard Ivy mention any rivals she had?” Kenneth chimed in. “Let’s not forget that her death might not even be John-related. It could’ve been an ex-boyfriend or a current one who felt betrayed when she came out as John’s mistress. That could’ve set him off.”
He had a good point. The murderer could’ve been anyone. I was only hoping they weren’t in this room with me.
John dropped his head down on the table. “I’ve been trying to think back as far as I can.” He snorted. “It’s kind of difficult creating a list of people who’d want to set you up for murder.”
“You have a lot of enemies,” Dalton said. “Whether you want to believe it or not, you do.”
“He needs to be out in the public eye,” I blurted out. Every pair of eyes came my way. “I know you guys said he needs to make a statement or whatever, but he also needs to get himself out there. Go back to work, go on with your daily life, and let people know you’re not scared about getting in trouble for this.”
“You can’t be serious?” Wilson asked. “We’re having someone make a statement for him. If he does it himself and goes out there, they’ll hound him, making him a public spectacle. He might say something wrong.”
“No, if he’s locked up in here, out of sight, it will make him look like he’s hiding something. Innocent people don’t hide out in a cabin in the middle of the woods. Guilty people do,” I argued.
“She does have a point,” Kenneth said, giving me a gentle smile. “Get your face out there, and if anyone asks for a statement, you give them one.”
“That’s a terrible idea,” Wilson fired back.
“No, she’s right,” John said, looking directly at me. “Tomorrow, I’ll go back to work. I’ll move back in my home. I’ll go about my day as normal.” I hoped that wouldn’t involve another mistress, but I was too afraid to ask.
Dalton clapped his hands together. “Then it sounds like we have a plan. Let me know as soon as you get back in town tomorrow or if anything comes up before then.”
“Got it,” John answered, promptly.
Everyone got up, and I was the first one to scurry out of the cabin. I jumped into Dalton’s car and watched the men congregate on the front porch, immersed in a new conversation that I didn’t want to be a part of.
“I’m starving,” Dalton said, when he got back into the car. “Let’s get dinner.”
“I’m not hungry,” I answered. My lie was backfired by the grumble of my stomach. Traitor.
“One meal. You’re hungry, obviously. And by the time we get back to the city, you’re going to be starving. Let me feed you.”
“Take me to a drive-thru and then drop me off at Cora’s if you’re so concerned about my starvation.”
“I don’t only want to feed you. I want to talk to you. I want you to hear me out.”
I let out a sigh. “I’ve heard you out. You’re not with Eva anymore. You’re sorry. Blah, blah, blah. That’s great and all, but it doesn’t change anything between us.”
“Why not?”
“Why not?” I screeched. “Where should I start? How about the fact that you lied to me?” My stomach grumbled again. Damnit.
“One lie. I told one damn lie. But I never lied about my feelings for you.” I didn’t say anything. This was what I’d been afraid of. This conversation. The sound of my stomach growling again interrupted the silence. “I’m feeding you.”
“Fine,” I grumbled, caving in. I was tired, hungry, and not in the mood to argue. “But as soon as the food is gone, so am I.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
DALTON
My foot pressed down on the gas pedal with too much pressure. The chance that she could change her mind haunted me with every passing mile. I had to get to my condo fast before she decided this was a bad idea.
Talking to her and explaining myself was the only way I knew to get her to give me another chance. I gripped the steering wheel and silently prayed she’d forgive me. I’d beg. I’d cut off my family. I’d do anything for the woman I loved.
“Dalton, I agreed to eating and going through a drive-thru. Not coming over to your place,” she cried out, when I whipped into the parking garage.
“And I said I’d feed you. I never said where. We can eat here. It’s nothing different than a restaurant,” I said, parking.
“Yes, it is. There are many differences. If we go to a restaurant, we won’t be alone. We won’t have to sit close enough that you can touch me.”
“We’re already here.” I got out, looking more confident than I felt, and raced over to the passenger door. My pulse sped as I opened up the door and stood there, waiting for her next move, which thankfully was stepping out of the car and leading us to our place.
“So what sounds good?” I asked, walking in and flipping on the lights. “Pizza? Chinese? Your wish is my command.”
She took a nervous look around. “Pizza is fine.”
I clapped my hands. “Got it. Make yourself comfortable.” I followed her to the couch, grabbing my laptop on the way, and sat down next to her. Awkwardness swept over us while I ordered our food. You could’ve cut the fucking tension with a knife. “Do you want something to drink while we wait?”
“Water is fine.” Her answer was short, devoid of any emotion, which killed me. We’d grown so close and comfortable around each other. We’d shared secrets and fears, but now it felt like we were strangers struggling for words.
I handed her the remote, snagged two waters from the kitchen, and headed back into the living room where she was flipping through channels. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. I needed to move shit along, get us talking, and take advantage of this situation. I didn’t know if I’d get her here again.
“Thank you for coming,” I started out, trying to get my words in order. God, why the fuck did this sound so damn formal? I felt like I was in a business meeting.
She let out a long, ragged breath and threw her hands up. “You win. I’m going to hear you out like you asked, but I’m not making any promises. Me being here doesn’t change anything, you hear me?” I nodded. “This doesn’t mean I forgive you for lying. I’m only here so there’s no awkwardness while we work together.”
I tightened my hold on the bottle and bit into my lower lip. Fuck … she was definit
ely still pissed. Real pissed, and I couldn’t blame her. If the roles had been reversed, if I found out she’d been hiding a fiancé from me, I’d been fuming.
“I’m asking. No, I’m begging for you to give me another chance. Forgive me.” My voice cracked in the end from desperation. I was looking at the woman I loved with terror in my heart that she’d never be mine again, that I’d ruined the best thing that had ever happened to me.
It took her a minute to answer. “You have a fiancé. You’re getting married, for Christ sakes.”
I shook my head violently. “I’ve stressed this so many times. I’m not getting married. I broke it off with Eva.”
“That’s unfortunate. I’m sure your heart is broken.” I didn’t miss the nasty sneer in her tone.
“You’re right. My heart is broken, but it’s not about her. I don’t give two fucks about losing Eva. I wasn’t in love with her. She was a business deal my parents created when I was in high school. My heart is broken because I lost you. I hate myself for the pain I caused you. I hate myself for losing you.”
She sat her water down on the coffee table before turning and looking me straight into the eyes. “You know what’s really sad? It’s sad that you’d sell your future and heart away for money and some business deal.”
I threw my head back before looking at her again. “Love didn’t mean shit to me before you. I didn’t think love was a real fucking thing. I was never one of those men who thought about who his wife would be or believed in soul mates. I’d been content with the idea of having a wife that was just there. That’s how my life was supposed to work. I’d get married to a woman that was okay, we’d have kids, and then I’d take over the family business. No emotion. No love. Only going through life with that plan. There was never anything more to it until you. You changed everything for me. You changed my plans, my train of thought, the way I saw my future. You’ve made me want the real thing. I finally look forward to my future if it has you in it.”
She looked at me speechless while struggling to come up with a response. I’d just hit her with a fucking bomb, and I wasn’t sure how big the explosion was going to be. “I honestly don’t know what to say to that.” She paused, still struggling. “Dalton … this … you and I … we can’t do it anymore. It’s over.”
Breaking Karma Page 6