Asher had been her rock for years. She’d never revealed the full extent of everything to him, but he’d been the one to get her through when her mother came back into her life after ten years of silence only to leave her again. Her mother claimed she wanted to reconnect, but in reality, she’d only wanted to use Roxanna and her abilities to help operate the hotline scam designed to rip off innocent people—like Loyal, and his fiancé.
She’d been so gullible, letting her inner child’s desire for her mother’s love and acceptance blind her to what was really going on. There were very few people she couldn’t read, and her mother was one of them. Loyal was another.
That should tell you something right there.
Yeah, it should, but just like with her mother, her heart didn’t listen—at first.
The moment her mother realized Roxanna figured out the scam and she’d milked their relationship for as much as she was going to get, she’d skipped town with her boss and every penny in Roxanna’s bank account without so much as a goodbye.
Left flat broke and completely alone, old inadequacies had risen up with a vengeance. That was the night she’d met Asher at a college frat house poker party. She’d cleaned him out down to his last dollar, and for some inexplicable reason, they’d bonded. He’d been the first person to ever make her feel loved. Not in a man and woman sense, but as a friend.
The guy came from one of the richest families in the state, and he didn’t care she was freakishly tall and dressed like a biker hippie. He didn’t care she was broke. He didn’t care she noticed and said strange things. He’d simply taken her for who she was and offered unconditional friendship and love that fed her inner craving for acceptance.
And then he’d taken her home to meet his father the governor, his mother, Janine, and all his siblings. There had been an instant connection with the Diamond family that warmed her soul in a way she’d never experienced before. He had saved her when she didn’t even know she needed saving.
They’d gone through a lot together; heartbreak on each side. Her with her mother, him with his own stupid ex-fiancé who used him for his connection to the governor’s office. For the past six years, they’d always been there for each other.
But now Asher had Honor, and Roxanna was alone again.
As she crossed a side street, she felt bad even thinking that, because she would never begrudge him his happiness. She was thrilled for her best friend and the love he’d found with his cake baker. Once they worked through their issues, the two of them couldn’t be more perfect for each other. But Honor was the one he turned to now, not Roxanna. Five months ago, it had been Honor who helped him deal with the shock of learning he had a half-brother from his father’s one-night-stand thirty-one years ago.
And damn it all anyway, those lonely feelings of inadequacy had reared up again. It wasn’t his fault, or Honor’s. It wasn’t even her mother’s fault, horrible as she was, or her father’s, or her grandparents’.
It was something she needed to work on for herself.
Roxanna straightened her spine as she walked, squared her shoulders, and lifted her chin.
She didn’t have to be what others considered normal.
She was good enough—no—she was good, period.
And like Asher, she would find someone worthy of all the love she had to give. Someone who would love her back, just as she was.
Chapter 4
“You’re an ass, Loyal. Always have been, always will be.”
Well, she wasn’t wrong.
Normally Loyal didn’t care. Normally, he felt completely justified in whatever asshole thing he said to the woman. But realizing he’d been a jerk right after Roxanna’s apartment had burned in a fire left him feeling a little like he’d kicked a puppy. Or a kitten.
A very beautiful, sexy kitten.
He sent Asher a quick heads up to let him know he’d find a different place to stay so Roxanna could use the apartment, then sipped his coffee—with the exact right amount of sugar and cream—as he searched online and found a report of the fire. Seeing it wasn’t far away, he started his Range Rover and navigated out from behind the building.
He made a left turn onto Aspen Street, and a couple blocks later, the back and forth sway of Roxanna’s long, brunette curls caught his attention up ahead.
She strode along the sidewalk with her earth-toned skirt swishing around her legs and boots. His usual type tended to wear Louboutins, or Manolo Blahniks, but there was something about Roxanna’s lace-up military boots that were oddly kick-ass sexy.
Loyal slowed the SUV, darting his gaze back and forth between her tall form and the road. Her purposeful stride made it clear she had a destination in mind, and yet she moved on those long, killer legs with a lithe grace that would’ve served her well had she chosen to be a dancer. Or a model.
Instead, she called herself a psychic.
His lip curled in distaste. They were nothing but a bunch of cons, preying on people’s emotions and insecurities and hopes and dreams all while swindling them out of their money.
For him, it was the principle of it all. The dishonesty of the profession. The group that had reeled Lisa in hook, line, and sinker had been well-organized and very smooth. They’d even convinced her if he wouldn’t keep paying to support her “spiritual journey,” marrying him would be a mistake—and boy, had she followed their advice.
In hindsight, they’d probably done him a favor, but he sure as hell wasn’t about to thank the money-grubbing crooks. The money Lisa had racked up was chump change to him, but he assumed many of their other victims couldn’t afford to cover thousands of dollars like he’d had to for her. How many other lives had they ruined? How many were they still ruining?
That right there was why he couldn’t stand so-called psychics.
As far as Roxanna was concerned, he sometimes wrestled with the rationale his brother wouldn’t be friends with a thief. Not knowingly, anyway. It made him question if she was that good at fooling Asher and the rest of his family—who also loved her—or could she possibly be on the up and up?
If he believed the latter, he’d have to admit she could be the real deal. But a woman who could read his mind and know what he was thinking and feeling? No way in hell he was going to open himself up to believing in that creepy shit.
As he drew even with Roxanna, he gave a tap on the horn. She startled and glanced over. When she spotted him behind the wheel, her brows drew down into a frown, and she kept walking while staring straight ahead. An impatient beep from a driver behind had him gunning the gas to make a left turn at the next intersection to intercept her. Cross traffic was dead at eight a.m. on a Sunday morning, so he rolled down the window and took a casual drink of his coffee while he waited.
Roxanna’s step slowed mid-block, her narrowed brown eyes glaring at him. Finally, she moved forward once more and walked up to his window. “What?”
“Are you going to your building?”
“My Jeep is there. I couldn’t drive it last night because my keys were in my apartment, and my spare keys were at the shop.”
Had she walked all the way here last night in that thin nightgown? The idea was absurd, yet he wouldn’t put it past her. He felt bad again, though he knew it had nothing to do with him.
The chill of the morning had put color in her cheeks during the few blocks she’d been walking, so he offered, “I can give you a ride.”
A toss of her head sent a ripple through her shiny, sun-kissed hair. “I prefer the fresh air.”
He cocked his eyebrow and took a sip of coffee while giving her a moment to change her mind. She remained silent and stubbornly still.
“Suit yourself,” he said as he reached to put his coffee in the cup holder. “But you can’t say I’m always an ass anymore.”
Her gaze narrowed, and she opened her mouth to reply, but he took his foot off the brake and drove away. Like her shutting the door in his face.
Two right turns and a left put him back on track to her a
partment building, and five minutes later, he slowed to a stop across the street from the brick building that still had a couple of fire trucks around the perimeter.
It hadn’t burned to the ground, though his gut tightened as he took in the black soot around the blown out windows on the top two floors, and the collapsed roof on the far end. The thought of her being trapped inside the burning building made his heart beat faster and shortened his breath.
He frowned at the unexpected reaction and slid his gaze toward the small groups of people clustered beyond the yellow caution tape. They watched the remaining firefighters making sure the fire was completely out. The expressions of despair on their faces told him they were likely tenants, too, and he recalled the flash of emotion on Roxanna’s face last night when he’d been all snarky about her having her own apartment.
He considered parking and waiting for her to arrive, but suspected she wouldn’t welcome any comfort or moral support he would offer. The thought of pulling her into his arms sped up his pulse all over again.
Fuck.
He shifted his foot from brake to gas and got the hell out of there. He was an idiot for even considering being nice to her. Last thing he needed was to complicate his life with sympathy for a con artist like Roxanna Kent.
By eleven a.m., he’d grabbed his stuff from the apartment above her shop, booked a room at a hotel a few minutes away, and now made the turn into the driveway of his parents’ estate. His cell dinged for an incoming text, and he picked it up as he parked behind the multitude of family cars filling the driveway.
His brother was four hours behind on his Hawaiian trip, and was probably still in bed with his new fiancé, so he wasn’t surprised he was just replying now.
Asher: What the hell is going on? Why is Rox staying at the apartment with YOU?
Loyal: There was a fire at her apartment building last night.
Asher: Holy shit. Is she okay?
He started typing a reply, but his phone rang before he could finish. “Yes, she’s okay,” he answered.
“Honor’s here,” Asher advised. “I got you on speaker.”
“Hey, Loyal,” she greeted. “Do you know what happened?”
“Not really. Just that she showed up at the apartment at three o’clock in the morning because of the fire. She’s not exactly chatty with me, you know.”
“Whose fault is that?” his brother accused.
He ignored the flash of guilt the question sparked. “Whatever. I drove past the building earlier. There won’t be much to salvage, if anything.”
“I can’t believe this. I have to call her.”
“I don’t think she has a phone,” Loyal advised. “I didn’t see one last night, or this morning.”
“Then tell her to call us as soon as she gets it replaced.”
“I’m not going to see her. I told you I won’t be staying there. I already booked a hotel.”
“We can call the shop,” Honor said.
“Yeah, that’ll work,” Asher agreed. “I’ll let her know she can stay in the apartment as long as she needs. Or hell, she can even just move in.”
“That would make sense,” his fiancé said. “How come she never did that before? Seems like that would be ideal with her shop right below.”
“I offer every so often, but she’s funny about that stuff. She doesn’t want anyone to think she’s taking advantage of our friendship.”
Loyal shifted impatiently in his seat. He didn’t want to hear how noble and good Roxanna was. It clashed with his inner narrative and made him feel…kind of like an ass.
Frowning now, he asked, “Do you two need me for this conversation?”
“Not really,” Asher replied.
“Then I’m gonna go. I just got to the house for brunch.”
He waited for, Talk to you later, but instead he got silence.
Then Asher asked, “You’re going to brunch?” in a voice that was equally surprised and cautious.
Loyal frowned at his screen. “I always go to Sunday brunch when I’m home. Why wouldn’t I?”
No more than the question was out of his mouth, a rusty, red pick-up truck turned into the driveway behind his Land Rover. He glared at the rearview mirror as a flash of white-hot heat was followed by icy cold.
“Are you kidding me? What the fuck is he doing here?”
Chapter 5
Loyal slammed his door as Grayson Cole opened the one to his Ford F-250 truck. The red hunk of junk was an eyesore, like his half-brother. He hadn’t seen the guy since the day he and Asher had gone to meet him after the whole secret son/brother scandal erupted at the start of his father’s senatorial campaign five months ago in May.
After the DNA test their family had done confirmed he was indeed the result of his father’s one night stand thirty-one years ago, Loyal stayed in Texas except for Celia’s wedding in August. Thankfully, Grayson hadn’t gone to the wedding, because Loyal hadn’t wanted to see the guy then any more than he did now.
And yet, here they were.
When Grayson got out of his truck, his big female German Shepherd, Remy, leapt to the ground beside him. Loyal recalled the dog from their visit to his house and kept his distance. The animal sported an olive-green vest with an American flag patch on the left side, and second patch on the right proclaiming Service Dog. He didn’t remember her wearing that the last time.
Remy remained at Grayson’s side, and Loyal shifted his gaze to his half-brother. Looking at the guy was like looking at himself in a cheap mirror. He wore old jeans, scuffed army boots, and a tan T-shirt under an unbuttoned black and blue plaid flannel shirt.
Loyal adjusted the cuffs of his dress shirt under his custom tailored sport coat as he growled, “What the hell are you doing here?”
Grayson shut his truck door and murmured a command that brought the dog up against his leg as he faced him squarely. “The same thing as you, I imagine.”
Last time they met the guy was all, “Get the fuck off my property before I call the cops.” Animosity still rang in his voice, but now they were on Loyal’s home turf. Much as he’d like to return the favor, more so he wanted to find out what was going on.
He crossed his arms and braced his feet shoulder width apart. “I’m here to eat brunch and enjoy time with my family.” The guy’s eyes narrowed the slightest bit at his emphasis on my, and he tilted his head slightly. “I thought you didn’t want anything to do with us pretentious pricks?”
“Your father is setting up a foundation for veterans. We’re going over some of the details today.”
Your father, not our. Loyal lifted his eyebrows at that distinction as well as the news he’d revealed. “So much for not wanting our money.”
“If it helps my brothers who fought for your freedom to sit here on your privileged high horse in your gilded little castle, yeah, I’ll take the fucking money.”
“You don’t know shit about me,” he ground out.
Grayson simply shrugged as if he didn’t care one way or the other. They stood in silence for a long moment, until a light whine from the dog drew Loyal’s gaze down. When he looked up again, his half-brother arched his brow.
“So, what’s the deal here?” Grayson asked. “You gonna try to keep me from going in or what?”
He clenched his fingers on his biceps at the word try. Of course the asshole could be cocky with a guard dog at his side. He’d love to lay him out right here in the driveway, but even if he managed to get one good swing in, he doubted the dog would let him get any further than that.
Much as Loyal would prefer to walk ahead of him and show him this was his territory, the idea of that damn dog at his back made the hair on the nape of his neck tingle. He stepped back and to the side for Grayson to go first, then followed him and the German Shepherd.
They stopped at the formal entrance, and Loyal shouldered by on the opposite side of the dog to open the door. He stood aside, and Remy swept through to do a swift recon of the foyer, then circled around to his half-brot
her’s side as the guy stepped inside.
Grayson murmured, “Good girl,” the dog nudged his hand, and then the two of them went through to the family dining room where everyone was likely waiting, leaving Loyal to close the door.
His jaw clenched with the realization they’d been there before. But the guy didn’t belong here, that much was obvious just by looking at him. Did his dad realize he was only there for the money?
Their family gave generously to support the veterans in any way they could, but much of it was done anonymously. His dad always said he wanted the political work he did to benefit the people to stand on its own merit. He didn’t seek out big donation photo ops, because he didn’t need or want to buy his way into the hearts of the voters.
But all of a sudden he was going to set up a foundation for veterans? What the hell was that all about? He didn’t want to buy votes, but he was okay with buying his son?
And why in the hell is this the first I’m hearing about any of this?
He hung back at the dining room entrance and watched his mom and dad greet his unwanted half-brother without a word about the dog at his side. Dogs weren’t allowed in the house when they were growing up—or now. They stayed in their luxury kennels in the stables and enjoyed the run of the grounds.
Father and son exchanged a very brief, businesslike handshake, while his mom pulled him close with a tight hug, giving the guy the same treatment she’d give any of her own children currently sitting silently at the table. Loyal was amazed at her capacity to forgive. Back in May, he’d been convinced his parents would divorce over Grayson, and here she was five months later, embracing him and welcoming him into the family with a warm smile.
Her eyes widened when he caught her gaze over the guy’s shoulder.
“Loyal!” She stepped around the German Shepherd and hurried across the room. “I didn’t know you were home.”
Love Loyal and True Page 3