Chain of Title

by Robyn Roze

  Danielle and her fiancé were back to appearing skittish and uncomfortable.

  Sean leaned forward in an attempt to block Shayna from Frank’s view and to convey to him, with a murderous expression, the impending doom he was inviting. Then he felt Shayna’s hand on his chest, directing him out of the way.

  “Really, Frank? On the day our daughter announces she’s engaged, you want to make it about us?”

  She leaned around Sean to get closer to her ex. Sean noticed Frank flinch and his heart warmed at the newly lit fire in Shayna.

  “I wish for so much more than that for her. I want her to marry her first love, not her second choice, a second choice who ended up not even being a close second.” Danielle gasped, her eyes volleying between her parents. Shayna ignored her, hissing, “And you made sure I paid for that, didn’t you?”

  A sheen of sweat appeared on Frank’s forehead and above his upper lip. He nervously swiped them away, apparently realizing too late that he had woken the giant.

  “You’re a real piece of work, Frank. I never really knew you. And Danielle is the only good thing I have to show for my time with you, because the rest of it was a lie,” she breathed out hotly.

  “Mom! Your wrists! What happened? How’d you get those bruises?” Danielle asked with alarm, accusing Sean with her eyes.

  Shayna held her hands out in front of her, slowly pulling her long sleeves up to her elbows, twisting and turning her wrists so all could view them better. Frank loosened his tie and cleared his throat. Sean squeezed one tight fist into his other hand, planting his elbows on the table, unable to take his eyes off Frank.

  Shayna huffed derisively. “These are the only ones that I can show you,” she remarked coldly.

  “Mom, what’s going on? How did that happen?” Danielle repeated, the concern obvious in her pitched voice, her eyes still casting suspicion at Sean.

  Then Shayna leveled her unforgiving eyes directly at Frank, her posture strong and unyielding, as was her voice, “Ask your father. He knows all about it, don’t you, Frank?” The year-around tan that Frank Chastain always seemed to boast drained to a ghostly white, his skin appearing clammy. “I’m no longer in the business of protecting people from the truth,” she said, bringing her eyes back to Danielle. “The truth gets heavy when you carry it by yourself. I need to start spreading the burden around. If I can handle it, so can everyone else.” Shayna turned to Sean and squeezed his thigh, looking pointedly at him. “Let’s go.”

  As they stood together, Sean congratulated Danielle and extended his hand to Harper. “I haven’t had the privilege of getting to know Danielle yet, but if she’s anything like her mother, you’re a very lucky young man.”

  Shayna glanced at Harper and then Danielle, and smiled apologetically at them both. “I’m sorry that your father chose to ruin this day for you. Understand now, this is the last time I will be in the same room with him, except of course for your wedding and reception. Do me a favor though—make it a big room.” She shot Frank a scathing look before Sean wrapped his arm around her and escorted her through the bustling restaurant.

  CHAPTER 24

  Sean was more than pleased with the way events had unfolded at Lucy’s. Based on the horror-stricken look on Danielle’s face, he could only imagine the questions she must’ve asked her father after he and Shayna left. The satisfied smirk on Sean’s face just might become permanent. However, it had taken every ounce of his strength not to kill Chastain in front of everyone at that restaurant. The raging war between self-control and seething emotions had left him feeling beaten and worn. He raked his hand through his wavy brown hair, shaking his head. Shayna’s declaration that she wouldn’t be seeing her ex again, except for the upcoming nuptials, had been the words he had wanted to hear from the beginning. He did feel sorry for Danielle though. The poor kid’s engagement announcement had been relegated to a non-event, the wedding date not even discussed.

  Glancing over at Shayna as they headed for the marina, he couldn’t help but feel a coolness from her. She hadn’t said a word since leaving the restaurant. After what she had been through, he knew not to read too much into it. He just needed to be patient and follow her lead until his Shayna was back. He was a patient man, and time was on his side.

  Shayna pulled the ringing phone from her bag, glancing at the caller ID. “Hello, sweetheart,” Shayna murmured with a regretful tone, her elbow wedged up against the window and door, thumbnail flicking at her teeth as she stared out over the passing cityscape. “Really. What did he tell you?” Shayna rubbed at her eyes and exhaled. “Yes, we had an...altercation. I’m not going to discuss the details, Dani, other than to tell you that there are other bruises. And that I meant what I said today. I’ll be making sure that your Uncle Jack understands, too.” Shayna paused and dropped her head back against the dark leather headrest, closing her eyes. “Don’t cry, love. Everything will be just fine. Sean and I will be back in a few days and I’ll call you then. We’ll discuss whatever plans you have for your wedding, and I’ll help as much you’ll let me. Have you set a date?” She sat straight up looking forward. “What? Dani, please don’t do that because of what happened today. I hope this is the only wedding you’ll have, unlike me, and that your marriage will be long and happy. I want it to be special for you and Harper. You both deserve it. Your father and I will be civil. We won’t do anything to embarrass you. You have my word.” Shayna began shaking her head. “No, no, no. Just wait until I get back and we’ll talk—just you and me. Okay?” Shayna nodded and a weak smile dragged across her lips. “Great. I’ll call you as soon as I get back. I love you too, Dani.”

  Shayna disconnected the call and returned to her former mute state, staring gloomily out over the passing structures. Lake Indigo lay low on the horizon. Sean slid his hand around hers, but she remained limp and unresponsive.

  Her phone rang again. He was getting rid of the damn thing before they got on the boat.

  She scowled when she saw who was calling and then answered it with a bitter tone. “Is Dani hurt? Is she sick?” Shayna’s face shaded with fury. “Then why the hell are you calling me!” She bit at her lip, eyelids dropping to slits. She listened for a few moments and then laughed mockingly. “You know, Frank, I think you’re right. Maybe I am a poor judge of character. You’re the shining example.” She disconnected from the call and meant to drop it in her purse, but Sean caught it, sliding the phone into his pocket.

  He answered the annoyed look on her strained, tired face, saying, “It’s mine, now—until we get back.” He raised his brows and shook his head as she prepared to contradict him. Surprisingly, the fight in her drained quickly, and she relaxed back into her seat.

  “I feel almost sick it’s been so long since I’ve eaten. Can we stop by your restaurant and get something?”

  “Yeah, sure. Can we get it to go? I really want to get the hell out of here.”

  “So do I,” Shayna whispered somberly.

  ****

  Thick clouds skated across the sky, blocking most of the stars and moonlight. Safety lights flashed ghostly intermittent warnings in the murky distance, where other boats sat anchored in the protected waters for the night. Sean and Shayna had gorged on lasagna, garlic bread, and delicious roasted red pepper bisque. She had been unusually quiet since the confrontation with Frank earlier in the day, but Sean also felt a chill directed at him. He knew she was pissed about him locking her phone in his desk at the restaurant, but, damn it, he didn’t want any interruptions.

  He also wanted to make sure they couldn’t be tracked.

  His hand scrubbed at one side of his face. A crew had swept the Tuscan Dream before he and Shayna arrived at the marina. He needed to make sure there were no listening devices aboard or anything more nefarious. Things were beginning to heat up, and he wasn’t about to take chances, especially where the woman he loved was concerned.

  Now she sat with her arms crossed and draped over a side rail, gazing into the darkness, away from him. Before
boarding the boat, she had told him they needed to talk, get some things settled. He didn’t like the sound of that. He had meant it when he’d told he wouldn’t answer every question she asked. Some things simply weren’t relevant to them. He would have to make her understand that.

  A gentle gust lifted and fluffed Shayna’s blonde hair. He watched her breathe in the cool air, turning her face into it. Jesus, she was so beautiful. His chest tightened just looking at her. Remembering the times they had spent sweaty and naked together sent hot spikes of need to his groin. He had never planned on her. Never expected her. Never thought he would find a woman he couldn’t live without. He would do anything to keep her safe—except, of course, for that one time he couldn’t.

  The bruises on her body, the distress on her face, and the waver in her voice sparked an unparalleled rage that swelled inside him. His hands raked hard through his dark hair, gripping unmercifully at the nape of his neck, trying to control the beast inside him. He would find a way to make it up to her, for not being there to protect her. Sean ground his teeth and narrowed his eyes at the moon sneakily peeking through the clouds. Frank Chastain was a dead man, one way or another. He would make sure of it.

  “I want to know what’s going on, Sean,” Shayna said dispassionately. She still sat, brooding out over the inky bay. Silence stretched between them, only the sound of water lapping lazily at the side of the Tuscan Dream.

  He wished he could read her mind. “What do you mean?”

  “The things you said last night.” She paused and skimmed a finger along the railing, her eyes following the path. “Exactly what kind of friends do you have? You and Frank?” She bravely turned to face him.

  Sean swallowed hard, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly. He hated this. None of it would’ve ever had to come up but for her bungling, loser of an ex-husband. None of it had anything to do with Shayna or their relationship. Now, a divide was already beginning to form between them because of it. He could feel it.

  “Like I told you before, I know people. People with means and connections.” He paused and chose his words carefully. “The kind of connections that are sometimes outside the law.” He braced for her reaction.

  “And these people are here in Mt. Pleasant?”

  “When they want to be.”

  Her brow furrowed. “What does that mean?”

  Wetting his lips, he thought carefully. “Most aren’t from here. It’s a network scattered between the coasts—and beyond. There are no boundaries.”

  “And Frank knows these people too?”

  Sean grabbed a seat and pulled it over to sit across from Shayna. “No. He’s mostly mixed up with local thugs and one from Vegas.”

  “Vegas?”

  His eyes searched hers for any recognition. “Did you know your ex has a gambling problem?” The sudden shock that spread across her creamy complexion said she didn’t. “It’s probably one reason he dragged his feet about the divorce in the beginning. He needed cash readily available. The divorce forced him to sell a substantial amount of his personal stock and real estate portfolios to pay you off. You’re a smart woman, Shay. I’m sure you’ve already wondered if the problem with the release on your acreage had anything to do with money troubles.”

  “How do you know all of this?” she asked warily.

  “I already told you.”

  She nodded slowly, suspicion clouding her features. “And yet, you still expect me to believe that you didn’t know who I was when we first met? When you heard my last name?”

  His head cocked. Where was she going with this? “No, Shay, I didn’t.”

  “I find that hard to believe—now.” Sean winced away from words that felt like a punch to the gut. “Does Frank owe you money? Or your friends? Is that what this is about? Getting to him through me or getting money from me?”

  Sean sat gaping in wide-eyed disbelief. “How could you possibly think I’ve been using you this whole time?” He felt like a hot spear had just pierced his heart.

  “Like you said, I’m a smart woman. The world I knew up until a day and a half ago no longer exists. Right now, I’m questioning everything I thought I knew. Apparently, I should’ve questioned a hell of a lot more over the years,” she said distantly. Her eyes wandered off over the water and into the darkness.

  He clasped her hands and pulled her toward him, bringing her eyes back to his. “You don’t need to question my intentions where you’re concerned,” he pleaded roughly. His throat constricted, his stomach rolled at the thought of losing her trust, of losing her. “You know me, Shay. I’ve never lied to you.”

  “You get around that by not answering my questions and by omitting information that you think I might not like hearing.”

  He dropped her hands and slapped his against his thighs. “What the hell!”

  “You don’t always answer my questions, Sean. Not directly. Not even last night. Just this morning you told me you wouldn’t answer all my questions and that I should know when not to ask them. Why? What are you hiding?”

  The doubt in her eyes made him queasy. Sean stood abruptly, scraping the boat deck with the chair as he knocked it back with his legs. “You know everything you need to know about me, Shay. Everything that’s important.”

  Shaking her heading solemnly, she asked pointedly, “Am I safe being with you? These friends of yours...am I in any danger because of you?”

  He exhaled sharply, eyes widening, his ego bruised. “How safe were you with him!” The instant he blurted it out, he felt like an enormous prick. The pain on her face confirmed it.

  Shayna gasped, as she looked away, arms crossing over her chest. Shaking her head slightly and worrying her bottom lip, she said sharply, “That’s a really shitty thing to say, Sean.” She flicked her eyes back to his. “I don’t need a reminder from you. I’m not to blame for what happened. He is! I never in a million years thought he would...” She didn’t finish, instead angrily swiping away a tear. Sean could feel himself shrinking in shame for his insensitive comment and harsh tone. “I can’t believe I was so wrong about him. For so long,” she said in an anguished whisper, glancing down at her hands twisting in her lap. “But I’ll get past it, like everything else. I always do,” she muttered, looking resolutely into the night.

  Sean tentatively moved toward her, sitting next to her but not touching her. She immediately drew her body away from him and stood, walking to the other side. He rubbed his hand roughly over his face as his stomach churned from the chilly rejection.

  “I have a lot to think about, Sean.”

  The way his heart hammered against his chest, she had to hear it. “Just talk to me, Shay. Whatever you’re thinking right now, just say it. It’s okay. We can work out whatever it is. Just don’t shut me out.” He stood and moved a few steps closer. “What are you thinking, Shay?” The words were more like a demand than a question.

  With her back to him, she sighed and responded coolly, “I won’t answer all your questions, and you should know when not to ask them.”

  He huffed loudly at the verbal face-slap. Then his reaction followed with a rising anger and need to set some things straight. “I never said I was a saint. I didn’t know who you were until you spelled it out for me. You know why?” She still stood with her back to him, her arms closed tightly around herself. “Because I’m a man. When I saw you, all I could think about was what you’d feel like underneath me. I didn’t give a shit what your last name was—that’s the truth. I have my reasons for not wanting to talk about certain things, Shay. I’ve made mistakes in my life—some big ones. I don’t want to relive them, talk about them.” He swallowed the lump growing in his throat. “And I don’t want you to hate me,” he said quietly, stepping to her side. “I’m sorry about what I said before. I didn’t mean it, Shay. I know it wasn’t your fault. I never thought it was. Look, I know you’ve been through a lot, even before yesterday. You are safe with me. You always will be. I’d never hurt you. And I’ll do everything in my power to make sure
that no one else ever does again.” She still wouldn’t meet his eyes. Sean inhaled deeply and exhaled softly. “But you have to stop comparing me to him, Shay.”

  Her head whipped around, finally meeting his emotion-filled eyes. “I’ve never compared you to Frank,” she snapped.

  Sean shook his head soberly. “I wasn’t talking about him.” He saw the understanding register, her eyes sweeping back and forth as she sputtered, but seemed unable to speak. “I have lived long enough to make mistakes—a lot of them. I’m probably not done making them. I need you to be okay with that, Shay.” He searched her eyes for an answer. “I never wanted to be on a pedestal...never belonged on one.”

  Shayna released a trembling breath, covered her face with her hands for a moment before she wrapped her arms around herself again. “I’m tired. Really, really tired. I’m going to bed,” she said over her shoulder, as she pivoted and walked away. “I’m sleeping in the guest quarters.”

  Sean’s stomach lurched, and he reached out, rounding his hands over her shoulders, gently drawing her back against him. “No, Shay don’t. Please. Don’t,” he begged in a tender whisper. He could feel her body quaking, her head shaking against him as her silky hair brushed against his face, the sweet scent caressing his senses. Then he let her wriggle free, leaving him standing alone in the chill on the deck.

  ****

  He sat up, rubbing out the knot on the back of his neck from having slept at an odd angle. Pushing up from the cushioned lounger, Sean glanced at his watch in the moonlight, the clouds having cleared away overnight. Three-thirty in the morning. He couldn’t believe he had slept that long. He had stayed on the deck wanting to avoid sleeping in bed without Shayna, and hoping she would reconsider. A new wave of anxiety rolled over him as he recalled the events of the last forty-eight hours. Then cold, focused anger gripped him with singular clarity—on one person.