by Addison Fox
“If you’re sure?”
“Of course.”
“I guess it’s not a problem. I mean, it’s no secret he shops here regularly for his wife.” Maria hesitated, then rushed on, “Tripp Lange has been a good customer of Davidson’s for years. He and my grandfather became friends, in fact.”
Those icy edges spread through his gut in ever-expanding fractals. “We appreciate the help, Miss Davidson.”
* * *
Reed avoided making any calls from the car, but used the late-morning hour as an excuse to stop for lunch. Jessie waited in line for sandwiches and Reed stepped outside the sub shop to call his mother.
“Reed. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Mom. How are you doing?”
“I’m good.” She sighed, a hard choke clenching her voice. “Which is a lie. I’m not fine at all.”
“I’m sorry, Mom. Really, I am. But I need to ask you something.”
“Sure.”
“Your jewelry through the years. The different gifts. Do you know where Tripp purchased them?”
“Davidson’s. It’s his favorite place. He’s raved about the owner forever and was very saddened by his death a few years ago—” Diana broke off, before her voice sharpened, the hitch in her voice fading. “Why?”
“Davidson was the appraiser on the Renaissance Stones. He’s the one Max and Mrs. B. hired to look at the rubies.”
“Should I ask them?”
He toyed with the idea—Max Senior and Josephine Beauregard were well aware of what their actions nearly fifty years before had wrought—but still, he was hesitant. “I’d play it by ear. If they seem well enough to hear the information, you can say something, but I wouldn’t push it.”
“I understand.”
His mother quieted and he knew she did understand. Whatever disappointment or disillusionment she might be feeling, his mother was inherently kind and thoughtful. She’d know if the time was right to share details with the octogenarians.
“He killed him, didn’t he?”
“Mr. Davidson?” Reed waited, then continued, “It’s a possibility. It’s also a possibility the man simply died of old age. I’m looking into it.”
“Beyond that, though. Tripp used him. For information on the rubies.”
“We’re moving forward on that assumption.”
“Everything I own is tainted.” Another layer of tears filled her voice. “Maybe it’s a good thing you pulled me away from the house without any of my things. I’m not sure I want to see them anymore. How could I wear something that has blood on it?”
He didn’t know.
Although he’d barely had time to breathe since finding DeWinter’s bloody body the day before, Reed had wondered what lay ahead in his quiet moments. His mother had suffered a horrible deception and there was no way her husband was headed for a good ending. Reed was committed to getting answers—he could do no less—but the hunt for justice would hurt the one person who had supported him and loved him his entire life.
“We’re going to get to the bottom of this. I’m going to get you answers.”
“I know you are. That’s the thing that keeps me going. That, and the fact that when this is all over, you’re going to give me a daughter-in-law.”
He nearly dropped the phone, both at his mother’s words and at the sudden, enticing image they evoked. “What?”
“You heard me. You love Lilah. And if you’re a smart man, you’ll tell her and do something about it.”
“I don’t know, Mom.”
“I do. I might be feeling awfully down about love right now, but it’s not for lack of belief in it. You love her.”
Of all the places Reed imagined he’d fall in love—or come to the actual realization he was in love—standing in front of a sandwich shop in a small strip mall wasn’t it.
He waited, expecting a tightness in his throat or a hard ball of lead in his stomach, but neither came. Instead, a swift flutter of excitement seemed to lift his body a few inches off the ground as a wave of warmth spread through his chest.
“I do love her.”
“I know, sweetie.”
* * *
The knock on the back door had Lilah glancing up from the fondant she rolled out for the top layer of the weekend’s wedding cake. Wiping her hands on a nearby towel, she went to the locked door. After a quick peek through the side window, she flung it open when Reed stood on the other side.
“I’ve missed you.” He pulled her close, his lips against her ear.
“I’ve missed you, too.”
He hung on extra tight, and while she loved the feel of his arms around her, Lilah sensed he was a bit off. “What is it?”
He closed the door, then followed her to her work area. “I talked to my mom a while ago.”
“How’s she doing?”
“She’s hanging in there. She’s sad and upset, but she’s hanging in.”
An image of the bright, vibrant woman who had fed her iced tea and desserts filled her thoughts. A woman who now lived with the betrayal of the one person she was supposed to trust and believe in above all others. “I’m so sorry she is going through this.”
“Yeah.”
He paced before the counter, his gaze on the fondant, before he moved on to the small trays of drying gum-paste flowers she’d finished up earlier after deciding she didn’t have quite enough for the first two layers. “These are amazing. So lifelike.”
“Thanks.”
He continued to move around the counter, his attention fully captured on the flowers, and she nearly said something when he spoke. “What makes people get married?”
“Love.”
The response was so immediate—so deeply felt—she almost caught herself off guard.
Was it possible? Even after all she’d been through, that she truly, deeply believed in love?
A tiny flicker of hope—something she’d feared long dead—sparked to life in her chest and Lilah knew the truth of it. She did believe in love. With her whole heart, she still believed you could love someone and they could love you back. Totally and completely.
Steven had taken that away from her—or he’d tried to—but that stubborn hope had remained, watching. Waiting.
Waiting for Reed.
He turned from where he paced at the counter, a caged animal making laps for no other reason than he couldn’t sit still.
Only he did still.
And stared at her with a world of emotions swimming in the depths of those magnificent gray eyes.
“I love you.”
That flame of hope that had lingered long after she’d believed it had died spread through her soul like wildfire. Reed Graystone loved her.
She stood before him, colorful stains on her apron and her hair in a messy twist. The tips of her fingers were green and purple, the same color as the flowers she’d created. Her feet were encased in the ugliest pair of orange Crocs she owned, broken in so completely that she saved them for the days she’d be standing for hours on end.
And still he loved her.
With startling clarity, she knew there was only one answer she could give in return.
“I love you, too.”
Chapter 17
Tripp Lange paced his office at the compound, his thoughts a jumbled mess.
Diana had left him.
He’d tried her cell phone repeatedly, not once getting through as the phone continued flipping over to voice mail. When he’d finally checked one of his private software programs to trace her location, he’d come up empty-handed, as well. The phone was off, not transmitting at all, and the last place she’d used it had been from the house.
He’d briefly toyed with going to Reed’s, but the risk was too great. He needed to
deal with his stepson, but that required planning. If Diana was there—and he wasn’t sure Reed would take such an obvious tack—Reed would never let him get to Diana.
And if she wasn’t—
“Sir?” Alex stood in the doorway of his office.
“Yes?”
“I’ve not been able to confirm the officer that managed the removal of your wife from the house.”
“Did you follow the usual channels?”
“Yes, sir.”
Tripp paid well for that knowledge and he didn’t appreciate the inability to get the answer to a simple question. “Has Trey kept watch on my stepson’s apartment?”
“He has. Reed hasn’t returned home yet.”
“He’s with the baker.”
“Shall I tell Trey to shift his focus?”
Tripp ran through his options, his lingering anger over the lack of information from the police still filling his thoughts when it hit him.
“Jessie Baxter. Go pick her up.”
“And if she’s with her husband? Shall I bring him, too?”
He paid Alex well for his obedience, but Tripp still appreciated the man’s willingness to ask. Alex was loyal—had been since he’d trained him fresh out of the old country—and he suddenly realized what a precious gift that loyalty really was.
Especially in light of the fact his wife obviously had none.
“Don’t wait for him, but if he’s there, subdue them both. Bring them to the new space out near Fair Park we used for Barrington.”
“I’ll alert you when I’m on my way with the package.”
As Alex departed, Tripp mapped out how he’d get his stepson to the warehouse. He had the slightest moment of regret as he imagined killing Reed, but it couldn’t be helped.
* * *
Lilah helped Violet finish drawing the curtains in Elegance and Lace before she turned back to take another glance at Reed. They’d both been quiet after their private declaration of love, their heads bent together for several long moments as the reality of what they’d found in each other sank in.
And then they’d returned to work, she in the kitchen, him taking calls in her office. It bore a simple sort of normalcy that was as enticing as it was calming.
Normally, in the days before a major event, her mind raced with all she had to complete. The details for the cake. The last-minute needs for any of the other desserts she was providing. And managing any contractors they were bringing on. For as big as the Kelley-Gardner nuptials were, the Elegance and Lace team was lean, the bride and groom opting to have much of the catering expenses rolled into the hotel.
Lilah kept waiting for that frenzied feeling to come, but all she felt was calm. And it was all because of Reed. And the fact they loved each other.
“I can rent a damn tux, you know.” Max’s voice boomed across the shop, breaking through that calm.
“We don’t need you in the ballroom.” Violet’s voice was prim and proper, her green eyes glittering with all the warmth of steel.
“You need all the help you can get and you damn well know it.”
Sensing Max and Violet had already gone a few rounds on this argument, Lilah abandoned her mental happy place and dived into the fray.
“Vi, you need to get that ginormous stick out of your very fine bum. Max is capable and willing to help. Put the man in a tux and shut up already.”
“I need eyes and ears outside.”
“Which the hotel’s already providing.” Lilah kept her voice calm, even as the urge to pop Violet one began to dig in with sharp claws. “I want more people we know and trust inside the ballroom.”
“Perimeter, Lilah. We need a secured perimeter.”
“And that’s it.” Cassidy wagged a finger at Violet. “Someone’s been watching way too much TV.”
“Why aren’t you both taking this seriously?”
Before Lilah or Cassidy could reply, Reed cut in smoothly, “I’ve got a few people I can add to detail. And between Baldwin and Buchanan and the family members Gabriella offered up, we can map out a plan to make sure everything goes off without a hitch.”
“I’m not sure—”
Reed patted Violet on the shoulder before pulling her in. The move was part protector, part older brother, and if she weren’t already in love with him, Lilah thought that might have been the moment to clinch it. “We’ll manage.”
“I can’t risk all those people on Saturday. They’re depending on us.”
“And they’ve put their trust in the right place.” Reed guided her to one of the large wingback chairs in the sitting area. “Now I need you to put your trust in us.”
They continued to discuss prep, walking through various scenarios as Tucker and Max identified every ingress and egress point in the hotel.
“What is the plan to deal with your stepfather?” Max kept his voice casual as he glanced up from a detailed layout of the hotel, but Lilah sensed the bigger question underneath and knew Max only voiced what they all wondered.
“I have to find him first and I don’t know who I can trust in the department not to tip him off. There’s no way of knowing how deep his influence goes.”
“Is there anyone you trust implicitly?” Tucker asked. “It might be a place to start.”
“Jessie, of course. She’s my partner, but she’s my friend, too.” Lilah watched as Reed processed the question, his subtle frown saying far more than his lack of another name.
“Anyone else?”
“No one I can be absolutely sure of.”
Lilah wasn’t sure if that was the truth or a by-product of learning of his stepfather’s deception, but she couldn’t blame Reed for being spooked.
Nor did she want him to accidentally pick someone under Tripp’s influence.
Lilah caught Tucker’s eye before the man pressed his point. “What about us, then?”
“No way.”
“Before you leap to a no, Reed, why don’t you hear Tucker out?”
Five pairs of eyes were trained on her, full of varying degrees of curiosity, concern and, in Reed’s case, that continued, stubborn no in his stormy gaze. Unwilling to wait for him to give that no a voice, Lilah rushed on, “Max and Tucker are military trained. They’re as well versed on ops as you are.”
“I’m not putting anyone at risk. No way.”
“Yo, man. We’re not—” Max chimed in immediately and Tucker had already stood, nervous energy driving him from his seat when Reed held up a hand.
“It’s not a matter of capabilities. I won’t put anyone else at risk. Not over this.”
Tucker spoke first, his normal, easygoing demeanor nowhere in evidence. “What part of we’re involved and committed hasn’t hit you? Your stepfather is a risk to all of us. And he’s not stopping until someone stops him. You say he has influence?”
“Yes.” Reed nodded. “Even without knowing how deep his unsavory connections go, he’s one of the city’s most respected businessmen. He’s got almost limitless access to cash and he’s clearly got some percentage of the police in his pocket.”
“Then it’s guerilla warfare and you don’t have the time to be choosy.”
As arguments went, Lilah knew Tucker was absolutely right.
But the look of pain that washed Cassidy’s face in sharp lines telegraphed her fear as clearly as if she spoke the words. The man she’d only just found was putting himself in mortal danger.
Lilah knew exactly how she felt.
* * *
Cassidy and Tucker called a break in the planning so they could go home and feed Tucker’s boxer, Bailey. Reed suspected Tucker was going to get an earful on the car ride over his adamant decision to enlist in this suicide mission, and Reed couldn’t say he blamed Cassidy.
If it were up to him, he’d h
andle this with Tripp all on his own.
Which would be the true definition of a suicide mission, the rational side of his mind leaped out to remind him. He’d been successful on the force by remembering he was part of a team. He used the resources at his disposal and brought in backup, help and others’ guidance when he needed it.
And now he was on his own.
The cancer of Tripp’s influence couldn’t be underestimated. So the people he’d considered friends—those he’d have taken a bullet for—were no longer trusted allies.
“The pizza’s almost done. You want to snag a few plates for me?” Lilah pointed in the direction of the fridge. “The second cabinet over there.”
“Sure.” He moved through the motions, the rich scents of yeasty dough and sausage registering through the fog in his mind.
“The guys will be good eyes and ears on Saturday.”
He trusted Baldwin and Buchanan. Both had more than proven themselves, first to their country and then in their loyalty to Lilah and her friends. They’d already appointed themselves bodyguards to the women of Elegance and Lace and he knew both would follow him through a door, his back covered.
None of it changed his innate distaste in drawing civilians into a police problem. “I don’t like the idea of putting them in the line of fire. Of putting any of you in the line of fire.”
“Vi, Cassidy and I vowed that we weren’t going to let whatever’s going on ruin our business. And while the chances are slim anything’s going to happen on Saturday, we’re taking proper precautions to ensure no one unwelcome gets into the wedding. So Max and Tucker are in this.”
“Have you told the bride and groom?”
“Violet let them both know two days ago. We felt it was only right.”
“Were they upset?”
“Since the groom is the grandson of a congresswoman, there was already a pretty significant layer of security in place. Our little problem was seen as small potatoes.”
Reed wasn’t sure he agreed with the assessment, but he couldn’t argue with the measures already in place. “So everyone in attendance will expect extra eyes and ears around the ballroom.”
“Exactly. A few more won’t bother anyone. And your eyes—” she pressed a quick kiss to his chin “—can focus where they need to.”