“I don’t know. I think your brothers are pretty good guys. I also know a few of the guys your sisters are marrying and they seem like fine men, too.”
“I agree. I think there’s good in all of them. But right now, I’m talking about you. And what I see.”
Captivated, Tripp couldn’t resist asking, “And what do you think you see?”
“I don’t think. I know.” Her hand fell away, but that serious gaze never left his. “You’re the man who does right by others, no matter the cost to himself. It’s heroic. And absolutely unusual.”
Her words struck a chord and, while a very big part of him was grateful for the way she saw him, an even bigger part refused to believe her. It was sweet that Sadie saw him that way, but he knew the truth. If he truly was a hero, Lila would still be alive. His child would be alive and in kindergarten by now. And he wouldn’t carry around this endless emptiness in his heart.
But he didn’t say those things.
Even if, in that same place in his heart, Tripp knew he was right.
* * *
Sadie sensed that she’d overstepped but had no idea why. She’d meant what she’d said and had been as complimentary of Tripp as he’d been of her the night before.
Yet somehow she felt the genuine praise had fallen flat.
It was tempting to think the intimacy they had developed over the past twenty-four hours was a mirage. It was something she might’ve let herself believe, even a few days ago in the safe house while berating herself over her failed relationship with Tate.
But Sadie refused to go there, allowing that self-defeating behavior to define her reaction.
She hadn’t imagined the quiet moments that had passed between them, which meant Tripp’s denial was steeped in something else. But what?
She knew he had something tragic in his past. Although she hadn’t been on the force when it happened, personal details always had a way of coming out. Was he still mourning and grieving the loss of his fiancée? Because if that were the case, then she had overstepped.
And the intimacy she had pressed for had been ill placed.
She would do well to remember it and focus instead on the reason she was staying with Tripp. It was a protective measure, nothing more. Tate Greer was still out there and she still had a target on her chest.
With the excuse that she needed to go back in to set the table for dinner, Sadie headed inside. She puttered around in the kitchen, pouring them both drinks and hunting up some fixings for salad. By the time he came in ten minutes later with the cooked burgers, she had a big bowl on the counter and plates set out for them.
She kept her smile bright and her tone equally light and airy. “Those smell delicious.”
“Making burgers is one of my few skills. I feel pretty confident in telling you that they will be.”
“With a sales pitch like that, how can I resist?”
They settled in at the table and Sadie sank into small talk. It was a skill she had honed over the years with her family and she was pretty good at it, if she said so herself.
Although they had begun to find their way as adults, especially over the past year or so, there had been plenty of tension between the six Colton siblings after their parents died. Adopted as a child, Griffin had always battled feelings of being separate from the rest of them. And she and her sisters, while there was deep love between them, had the typical ups and downs that a group of four women could have for one another. From drama to secrets and back to drama again, often in the course of one conversation.
And then there was Riley.
The oldest, the head of Colton Investigations, and by default, their resident leader. There were times they loved him for it and there were times they resented him for it. Often, Sadie thought ruefully, at the same time.
But through it all, they’d each figured out a way to deal with one another. And for Sadie, that had meant lighthearted conversation and a way to navigate through all the emotional land mines that lay beneath the surface of their family unit.
With that skill firmly in hand, she put it to good use over dinner.
For his part, Tripp seemed to take the conversation in stride. He laughed when she talked about various members of the CSI team. Who was overly serious and who was working on the side to become a stand-up comic. Even one who came in each Monday with a dating story that could make a person’s hair stand on end.
Tripp listened to it all, laughing and offering his own version of events when they shifted gears to discuss other colleagues. But nowhere during dinner did they get back to that easy intimacy and layered conversation they’d shared before.
It was like a switch had flipped off, Sadie thought as she rinsed dishes before putting them into the dishwasher. And she had no idea how to get the old Tripp back.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“It’s fine. I’m one of six kids, Tripp. Every one of us rotated through cleanup duty.”
“Back to sibling politics again?”
She didn’t miss the curiosity in his question. “It’s been drilled into me since birth. I guess I never really realized, though, how much I depend on them. Or mention them, for that matter.”
“It’s nice.”
Tripp’s phone went off, putting a pause to their conversation, and Sadie finished loading the last few dishes as he answered the call.
“Riley. How are you?”
“Speak of the devil,” Sadie muttered. What was her brother doing calling Tripp? The two men knew each other and worked well with one another when it was required, but, best she knew, Riley didn’t make it a habit to call GRPD members after hours.
Was he checking up on her?
Although she didn’t need anyone’s permission to stay at Tripp’s, she had given Pippa an early morning heads-up. Not only was she her calmest sister, but since Pippa was also on the hook for the morning donuts, Sadie had wanted to save her the trouble. Pippa had promised to spread the word about where Sadie was staying, especially since Sadie was still without a cell phone.
“Your brother’s coming over, along with Ashanti Silver,” Tripp said as he put his phone away.
“CI’s tech expert?”
“Yep. They’ve got an idea for how to draw out Wes Matthews once and for all.”
Although Sadie knew the players broadly in the RevitaYou mix, a month out of the loop had been a bit too long to go without new information. “I know Wes is the man behind the pyramid scheme. His daughter, Abigail, was embarrassed but honest about that from the get-go as she got to know Griffin. What’s their idea?”
“It was suspected for a while that he was still in Michigan, but the FBI has officially debunked that. Latest intel suggests he’s hiding out in the Bahamas.”
Realistically, Sadie knew the man needed capture. But as she thought about Abigail and Griffin creating their new life with baby Maya, there was a part of her that wanted to spare them the upheaval. All while keeping Abigail’s father at a distance.
“I hate what this must be doing to Abigail.”
“Your brother has an idea and if it works, she will be able to put it behind her soon enough.”
But would she?
It was a nice dream, to think that you found closure. And focusing on Maya’s future would undoubtedly help Abigail in the healing. But looking to the future or not, the reality of her father’s crimes would have their day. They’d have to.
Wasn’t that the root of what she was experiencing over Tate? Realistically, Sadie knew she was better off without him. Far better off.
But the embarrassment of being so wrong, coupled with the betrayal of genuine feelings, wasn’t something that was so easily healed.
In the end, Sadie admitted to herself, it just hurt. More than she could ever have imagined.
* * *
Tripp settled Riley and Ashanti in his
living room before returning to the kitchen to get drinks for everyone. Riley had already hugged Sadie and affirmed for himself that she was okay, insisting she sit with them and recount the events at the hospital.
The drinks had given Tripp a polite excuse to escape. And also think about Sadie.
Something had shifted during dinner, before taking a decided left turn over the dishes. He’d thought they were getting along, but something had clearly spooked her. Although he knew the events of the past day, as well as the entire month before, were likely catching up to her, it seemed like something else was bothering her.
So much more.
And he felt wholly responsible for whatever “that” was.
Tripp brought the requested drinks into the living room, passing them out when Riley spoke up.
“I realize my sister is probably downplaying what happened last night. Which is why I want you to know that this comes from me and all the rest of my siblings,” Riley said. “Thank you for being prepared and for making sure that she’s okay.”
“I’m fine, Riley.” Sadie laid a hand on his arm, in that way of hers that was so warm and natural. “Truly, I am.”
“Because of Tripp.”
Sadie looked about to argue before her jaw snapped closed. In fact, if he wasn’t mistaken, it looked like she might be biting down on her back teeth. Although he hadn’t ignored what she’d said earlier—We may have our fair share of sibling spats, but they’re there for me. And I can’t imagine life without them—watching the byplay between brother and sister gave Tripp a new appreciation for what she must deal with as the youngest in the family.
Anxious to change the subject and take the spotlight off her, Tripp shifted gears. “What is this idea you have to pull Wes Matthews out of hiding?”
“He fancies himself as something of a playboy,” Ashanti started in, clearly as happy as Tripp to divert attention off the family politics. “We’ve been working with Cooper and the FBI, and we’re going to use that weakness to catch him.”
Sadie looked to Riley for confirmation. “We’re talking about Abigail’s father?”
“Yep.” Riley nodded. “He’s quite the ladies’ man. Kiely learned that firsthand when one of his discarded women, Meghan Otis, kidnapped Alfie out of some weird need for revenge.”
“Which only reinforces my point,” Sadie said. “Is he really going to be dumb enough to risk extradition?”
“No extradition needed,” Ashanti said. “I put a few feelers out and he’s nibbled on every one of them. If he’s so dumb to go diving into a honeypot while in the midst of fleeing, he deserves what he gets.”
It was hard to argue with Ashanti’s logic. And while a big part of him was determined they play every bit of this by the book, Tripp couldn’t deny the fact that it made a lot of sense for Colton Investigations to handle this part of the work. As a private enterprise, CI could function in a way that neither the Grand Rapids PD nor the FBI could.
A little coloring outside the lines, as it were.
He was still glad to know the FBI was involved. Cooper Winston was one of the best agents the Bureau had. The man was solid, aboveboard and, as of recent events, also engaged to Sadie’s sister, Kiely.
Even with his reassurance that Cooper was on the case, Tripp was concerned that the team followed all proper protocols. Especially if they didn’t want Matthews getting off on a legal technicality later.
“You’re not doing anything illegal to capture him, are you?”
Ashanti warmed to her subject. “I’ve done nothing to coerce return contact.”
“What have you done?”
“I started with the suggestion I had a rather sizable fortune from my older late husband that I was looking to invest.”
“And he bought it?”
Ashanti smiled as she took a sip of her soda, her warm brown eyes taking on a decidedly fierce quality. “At the risk of undervaluing my mad skills, he didn’t just buy it, he swallowed the whole damn hook.”
“Unbelievable,” Tripp muttered. They’d spent the past three months trying to think of any number of ways to lure the bastard out and maybe they never really needed such schemes at all.
“Or highly believable,” Sadie argued. “Looks like no matter how smart Wes Matthews thinks he is, he’s still dumb enough to fall for the oldest trick in the book.”
Ashanti tilted her soda toward Sadie’s, clinking glasses. “Score another one for an old classic. Because once again, the honeypot does its job.”
CHAPTER 9
Sadie sat beside her brother and willed her teeth to unclench. To her credit, she’d tried doing that all evening, but Riley was making it difficult. Since he was also oblivious to how much he was annoying her, she was seriously considering adding bodily harm to her to-do list.
That only made her feel guilty when Riley pulled her in close for a hug after Tripp and Ashanti left the room to go into the kitchen.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Riley, I’m fine.” His hold remained as tight as a python’s but, strangely, she didn’t care. “I’d tell you if I wasn’t.”
He let go at that, pulling back to stare down at her. “Now you’re just lying to me.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Sure you are. But since it’s a family trait to keep one another in the dark about anything bad, I’ll try to forgive you.”
Sadie thought about that, especially in light of her earlier conversation on the back porch with Tripp. “Do you think we do that?”
“Of course.”
“Lie is a rather harsh word choice.”
Riley patted her knee. “I’ll do you one better, then. How about ‘gloss over the details’?”
Now that one she’d buy.
“It’s the Colton love language. Make sure no one else knows just how bad the situation is.”
Sadie laid her head on his shoulder and let out a small sigh. “How is Brody holding up in all this?”
“On the rare occasions we hear from him, not very well.”
She lifted her head at that news. “What do you mean when we hear from him?”
Riley got that look on his face—the one that said he was about to gloss over details—and she put her foot down before he could go there. “Riley, come on. I know I’ve been out of the loop for the past month, but you have to tell me.”
He let out a sigh, but based on his head nod and the serious look on his face, Sadie knew she was about to get the truth. “I think he’s scared and I think his situation is pretty bad. We know he’s hiding out.”
“From?”
“Greer. And Wes Matthews. He put money into that pyramid scheme and because it’s a big fat lie, he hasn’t made a profit. Now they want their money back and made that abundantly clear with their usual starting point of broken fingers.”
Once again, Tate’s real job reared up and slapped her in the face. Capital X didn’t take kindly to investors who couldn’t pay them back. They were willing to make large loans, but they wanted payback in full, in a timely manner, and with serious interest.
In spite of her earlier, confused thoughts about Brody, she couldn’t understand his reasons for staying away. “He came to us for help when this all blew up. Why won’t he stay with one of us? We can help him and keep him safe.”
“When any one of us has been able to talk to Brody, that’s what we’ve tried to tell him. Vikki has got a couple of texts and Pippa got a phone call. But that’s about it.”
“I don’t understand this.” Sadie thought about the young man who’d been a presence in their life for nearly a decade. Despite her uncharitable moments, she loved him. They all did. Didn’t Brody know how much they cared for him? And that they were his family? “Why won’t he let us help him?”
“My money is on embarrassment, which, before you tell me I’m wrong, you know is tr
ue.”
“I don’t know any such thing.” Sadie pushed back, surprised that was how Riley saw the situation. “Why should he be embarrassed?”
Riley stared at her dead-on but his voice was gentle when he spoke. “Why have you been embarrassed? About Greer?”
She sat back on the couch, that family urge to brush it off welling up sure and strong. “I’m not.”
“Sadie—”
“Come on, Riley, it’s not the same.”
“How is it different? Greer is an ass and he took advantage of you. Why should you feel any embarrassment about that? At all?”
“You don’t understand.”
“I understand plenty. What I don’t understand is why you seem to think you’re responsible.”
She didn’t want to have this conversation. She certainly didn’t want to have it here, with Tripp a room away. And she really really didn’t want to have it with her brother. But Riley wasn’t backing down and it seemed like Ashanti had Tripp occupied in the kitchen.
“Because it is embarrassing.”
“The man is a criminal.”
“And I almost married him!” Sadie caught herself and lowered her voice. “Do you have any idea how awful it is to think about that? To think that I had almost run off with him to Vegas and bound my life to a criminal. A man who murders people, Riley.”
She felt the tears working their way up and did her best to swallow them back. “Where would I be right now if Vikki hadn’t caught wind of it all?”
Riley pushed back, unwilling to back down. The paternal role was one he took often as the eldest sibling, but there was something different this time. He seemed more insistent. And even more determined than usual to make her see reason. “She did catch wind of it. And Kiely got Johnson to spill the details on Greer’s involvement with Capital X. Disaster averted.”
“Hardly. I still lost over a month of my life, stuck in a safe house because of him. And believe me, I had plenty of time to think about my poor judgment.”
“He played everyone, Sadie. Why is that on you?”
Harlequin Romantic Suspense December 2020 Box Set Page 11