by Dana Mason
“What—” She stopped when her chin quivered. “What’s my name?”
“Marianne Alexis Spatz,” Sharpe said quietly. “Your father is Alexander Spatz.”
Bailey’s breathing hitched again, and her hand began to jitter once more.
Ryan squeezed it and looked from her to Sharpe. “Can she have a moment?”
Sharpe raised his eyebrows and nodded. “Of course.”
Lucas stood and said, “We’ll step outside for a while.” They both slowly wandered out the door and toward the beach.
* * *
Bailey slowly stood, and Ryan saw she was still in a lot of pain. “Talk to me, Bailey,” Ryan said, standing with her.
“I’m speechless. What can I say? Everything in my life is a lie. I went to bed in a world I knew, but woke up in a world where…where the color blue is no longer blue and where mothers…” She violently shook her head and went straight-faced. “No, I’m not doing this.” She closed her eyes and inhaled again. “Oh, my God, I…” She covered her eyes with both hands. “I just don’t know what to say, Ryan,” her voice squeaked out unusually high. “Tell me what to do.”
“You’re going to take one breath at a time.” He rubbed a hand up and down her back. “Then we’ll figure the rest out slowly. It doesn’t have to be today.”
She nodded and planted her hands on her hips. “No. No, I’m not ready for this. My God, Ryan.” She covered her face again and eased back down on the loveseat. “I was sleeping with my sister’s husband.”
“You couldn’t have known. Nobody, and I mean nobody, had any idea Dex was married. Of all the things I thought he was, I never suspected he was married.”
She pulled her hands from her face and rubbed them on her pants. “How did he find out who I was?”
“I have no idea.” Ryan sat down next to her. “He must’ve known his wife had a missing sister. He probably just figured it out after you started seeing each other.”
“How can I have a relationship with these people now? How am I going to have a relationship with…my…s-sister?” She stuttered the word as if it hurt to say.
“One day at a time, Bailey.” It hurt him to his bones to see her struggle with this. Bailey had always wanted siblings. She had always wanted a sister and a large family, but she only had him.
“You’re right.” She nodded. “I just need time. I need to recover and have a little time to process everything. Maybe then I can meet them.”
Ryan stood and walked to the screen door. He poked his head out and said, “Agent Sharpe.”
Sharpe and Lucas both turned back toward the house.
“Agent Sharpe,” Bailey said. “Thank you for coming here and being so patient.”
“Of course.” He sat down across from her. “The next step would be to set up a meeting between you and your family.”
“We’re going to need a little time,” Ryan said. “Bailey wants to have a little time to recover from her injuries before she meets them.”
“Okay. That’s okay. We can put it off for a while.” He met Bailey’s eyes and said, “You know, you don’t have to meet them. Normally, an interview comes first, and you’d have time to decide if you wanted to be reunited with them. Of course, things are happening a little differently because of the circumstances.”
Bailey laughed, but there was no trace of humor in it. “Because the entire world knew about my family before I did. The entire world heard my story before I did.”
“Bailey,” Ryan said. “We had to. It was necessary for the FBI to share some information with the press to help us find you.”
“I know. I understand.” The smile dropped from her face. “I’m sorry, Agent Sharpe. I would like to meet them, but I need a little time first.”
“I understand, and I’m sure they will, too.”
Bailey’s first thought after he said this was, would they ever want to meet her? She’d done serious damage to the family she didn’t even know she had. How would they all get past this?
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Six months later…
Mae set the hot cup of coffee down in front of Bailey, then sat across from her on the patio. It was a beautiful day. Clear and bright, but cold as hell. The beach across the street was covered in a heavy blanket of snow. Bailey was happy to be outside, even if it was cold. She missed being outside and being active, and God, did she miss summer. She’d spent most of it recovering from her injuries, thanks to Dex. She barely left home the first month or so after she’d been found in that little camp trailer.
As if reading her thoughts, Mae said, “The trailer is gone.”
Bailey nodded. “Yeah, I know.”
“You know? How did you hear when you’ve been avoiding any news for so many months?”
“Some things have slipped through.” Bailey chuckled. “Is it true the owners of the property finally put it up for sale?”
“Yeah,” Mae said. “Apparently, they only came out once a year to spend a week on the lake. They didn’t know the trailer had been parked on their property. I guess it’s better to sell the place and get a family moved in who’ll enjoy it.”
Bailey scoffed. “Or at least take care of it. Someone who won’t leave it abandoned for transients to take over. I can’t believe they didn’t even have a trusted neighbor looking after the house, much less someone to call them when strange RVs homestead the land.” Bailey sipped her coffee and looked up at Mae. “I also heard Michael and Amanda Gomez received the reward offered by the Spatz family.”
“Yes, they received it last week.” Mae stared at Bailey for a moment. “Ryan told me about the nightmares.”
“Wonderful. Just what I need, another person worrying about me.” She looked up at Mae with a slight smile. “I’m fine, really. It’s just that—”
“Dex is dead, and Snaggletooth’s in jail, Bay. They can’t hurt you.”
Bailey almost laughed when Mae used the nickname. “I know, I know… He can’t hurt me.” She closed her eyes for a moment. “If you didn’t know me, Mae, would you believe me?”
“Don’t be stupid. Everyone knows The Rosa Trials is a tabloid. They don’t care about the truth, only ratings. They’re just bullies. You know that.”
“And she’s getting a lot of ratings from my story. Or at least from the ‘alternate’ version of my story.”
Mae grimaced. “I’m sorry. This world… This is what we’ve become—watching train wrecks for entertainment.”
“I just can’t figure out where she’s getting the information, Mae. Where did she get the photos? How does she know what she knows? It has to be someone close to me.”
“Oh, bullshit, Bailey. Most of what she’s reporting isn’t true. The only thing she really has are the photos, and it’s what, maybe three or four photos total?”
“She has at least five, and it doesn’t have to be true. That’s the problem.”
Mae wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and said, “She’ll go away soon. People will get bored, and she’ll move on to a new target.”
“I know, but I’m thinking maybe I need to give her a nudge.”
Mae stared at her for a long moment. “What kind of nudge?”
“I think it might be time.” She shrugged. “Maybe it’s time to go there and meet them.”
Mae’s eyes lifted to the sky, and she nodded. “That might not be a bad idea. If you meet them and become a happy family, she no longer holds the power.”
Bailey nodded. “And it’s time. I feel bad. I know they’re waiting.”
“You need to do this on your time, not theirs. Don’t make a decision based on what you think they need. And you shouldn’t make decisions based on Rosa Sikes either. What does your therapist think?”
Bailey pushed the bangs off her face and sort of rolled her eyes. “She doesn’t give specific advice like that. She just lets me talk it out until I come to my own conclusion. But, honestly, I should’ve gone before Christmas. I know that. It’s cruel to make them wait t
his long.”
“I’m sure Alex Spatz is just happy to know you’re well.”
“And I’m sure Nicole Spatz isn’t anxious to meet me.”
“Don’t be so sure, Bailey. What if you’re wrong?”
“What if I’m right?” Bailey asked, her heart fluttering a little at the thought. “Mae, what if I’m right?”
Mae reached over and placed her warm hand on top of Bailey’s cold one. “Bailey, what if you’re wrong?” Her eyes grew wide. “You have a sister, and I realize you’ve only had a few months to process that fact, but look at it from her perspective.” Mae lifted her hand and waved it toward Bailey. “She now has a sister, too. A sister she’s been waiting to meet her entire life.”
* * *
Ryan’s music was making her jumpy, and she couldn’t reach the knob to turn it off. Vince, Lucas, and Mae all insisted on coming with her and Ryan. Bailey tried to talk them out of it, but they wouldn’t budge. She even tried to get Mae to agree to stay home for Bailey Mae’s, but no, she closed the shop for two days and packed a bag.
Bailey turned to see the headlights of Lucas’ truck driving behind them. Vince was riding with her and Ryan. He was in the front seat, quietly chatting with Ryan. The backseat was closing in on her, making her feel claustrophobic. She lifted to look over Ryan’s shoulder at the speedometer.
“Relax, Bay.”
“Easy for you to say,” she muttered.
The pitch-black night didn’t give her anything to look at either. She tried to sit still, but her arms and legs wouldn’t cooperate. When she kneed the back of Vince’s seat, he turned to look at her.
“Do you want to switch?”
She shook her head. “No, your legs are too long for the back seat. I fit fine. Just… Just restless, I guess.”
Vince smiled at her. “It’s okay, Bailey. You’re allowed to feel a little uneasy.”
“What if he’s a weirdo? What if he’s crazy or—”
“Does any of that matter?” Ryan asked. “He didn’t raise you. You don’t have to maintain a relationship with him if you don’t like him.”
“If it makes you feel any better, Bailey, I’ve done some reading up on the family. They’re perfectly respectable,” Vince said.
“I’ve done a little research myself. Problem is, the public image doesn’t always match the private one. Look at mine. Rosa Sikes has the world believing I’m a selfish whore who has no regard for anyone else and ran off with her brother-in-law.” Bailey smirked. “Because, you know, the media is always fair and honest.”
“The Rosa Trials is not the media,” Ryan said. “She has a rag show, and no one with any self-respect believes anything she says. She makes money spreading lies, and those fake-ass ‘trials’ are her way to make people believe she’s fair and honest.”
“And sometimes they work. Some people believe her trials are fair—”
“Smart people—people who count—know the difference.” Bailey and Ryan’s eyes met in the rearview mirror. “Anyone dumb enough to believe her bullshit isn’t someone you need in your life.”
He smiled, and his eyes crinkled. It was so familiar to her; it eased her nerves some. She would never have gotten through the last few months without him by her side. He was too good, and she wasn’t sure she deserved him. She turned again to look back at Lucas’ truck. All her friends were the best. But having a family, what would that be like?
“I’m happy to have siblings, but I just don’t know what to do with that.”
“Let things happen naturally, sweetheart. You don’t have to work at having a relationship. Just let it happen,” Vince said.
* * *
They checked in at the hotel once they arrived in Sacramento. Bailey couldn’t sit still for five seconds. After unpacking her clothes, she started pacing. Ryan’s eyes followed her, and he wished he could do something to make this easier on her.
She walked over to the sliding glass door and jerked the curtain open, then slid the door wide. A cool breeze washed through the room. It was cold in Sacramento, but nothing compared to South Lake Tahoe. When Bailey stepped out onto the small balcony, Ryan followed her.
“Pretty good view,” he said.
His eyes scanned the area and settled on a café where people could be heard laughing and talking every time the door swung open.
“Hey, do you want to go get a drink or something?” he suggested, recognizing her rising anxiety. “You look like a caged animal.”
She turned and gave him a faint smile. “No. I’m sorry. I’m sure my restlessness is getting on your nerves.”
“Babe, you’re not getting on my nerves at all. But I understand if you need to get out of your own head.”
Bailey lifted her gaze to the inky sky. “I have a family nearby. They’re out there, under the same sky.”
“They’re probably just as nervous and anxious as you are.”
“God, I wish Mom was here to talk to.” She closed her eyes as the cool breeze brushed her face. “What would she think about all this?”
“I’ve had the same thought.” He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He inhaled the lavender scent and felt his dick grow hard but pushed his desire aside. “The truth is, I don’t know what she’d think about it.”
“What do you think these people are like—my father and siblings? Do you think they’re like me?” She placed her hands over Ryan’s. “What have the last twenty-eight years been like for them?”
“I’m sure they’ve felt a huge void with you missing from their lives.”
“How weird is it I never felt that same void?” Bailey said, turning to face him. She rested her hands on the sides of his neck. “Thank you for being here.”
His hands traveled down her back, and he chuckled nervously. “Do you need a distraction?”
Bailey kissed the skin at the base of his throat and said, “I’d love a distraction.”
He wrapped his hands around her hips, lifted her off her feet, and carried her back into the room before lowering her onto the desk. Their mouths came together in a fusion of heat and softness. Bailey nipped his lips with her teeth and muttered, “I really, really need a distraction.”
Ryan grabbed the hem of her dress and ripped it over her head, his body heating rapidly at the feel of her teeth. It seemed crazy, but with all the madness going on around them, he needed her now more than ever. He needed the skin-on-skin contact, to hear her breathing in his ear and feel her pressed against him. He needed to be inside her.
He reached over and clicked the lamp off, and the glow from the open patio door grabbed his attention. A full moon lit the sky outside, and the strong breeze caused the sheer curtains to billow into the room. Ryan tugged at his duffle bag sitting on the desk to grab a condom, but Bailey stopped him with a hand on his arm.
“It’s okay,” she said. “The doctor sent me the final test results this morning.”
Ryan’s head whipped around to meet her eyes. “Wait, what? Did he say you were okay?”
She smiled and nodded. “Yes. I’m fine. Totally disease-free.”
Ryan rested his head on her chest, relief overwhelming him. Living with that hanging over their heads for the last several months was killing him. The thought of that son-of-a-bitch injecting her with drugs from dirty needles made him rage. If he ever got his hands on the bastard…
Bailey cupped his face with her hands. “Are you okay?”
He nodded, unable to speak.
She pulled his head up so their eyes were level. “I love you.”
Ryan leaned in, his mouth devouring hers in an effort to remind her that, no matter what, he loved her, too.
He didn’t think he’d ever get enough of her. Ever.
When she arched against him, he lifted her off the desk and carried her to the bed. After laying her down, he stripped off his clothes. His need was so strong, he felt like a freaking teenager. His hips pressed down hard as he entered her, making her gasp, but she didn’t pull awa
y. She came at him just as forceful, pushing him up as she lifted off the bed.
Ryan grabbed her hands and held them above her head then drew back slightly to stare at her. Bailey’s wide eyes were bright, the expression in them the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. He released his grip and slid down her body, exploring her slowly. She was pliant to his touch, soft and supple. He leaned back on his knees and lifted her hips to pull her closer. He wanted to see her when he made love to her, watch her face and feel her body move under his touch.
He rested her on his thighs as her legs came around his hips. When he moved forward, he penetrated her deeper. Bailey’s eyes widened, and she fisted the blankets underneath her. With his palms on her hips, he moved inside her with even thrusts, but when she bucked toward him, he plunged harder.
Her breasts bobbed freely with the motion, and Ryan didn’t think he could hold out for very long. He was coming undone at the sight of her uninhibited surrender. Her cries drove him forward, but the beauty of her arched back—the way she lifted toward him, and the look of pure satisfaction on her face when she came— sent him into a soul-shattering orgasm that pushed him over the edge so fast, he couldn’t help but pound into her several more times before collapsing on top of her.
It took several minutes for them to catch their breath, but once they’d calmed, Bailey rested her head back and said, “Will you promise not to leave me alone with them tomorrow?”
That made him feel like a jerk. Here she was, stressing over meeting her family, and all he cared about was his own feelings. She was wholly focused on what she had to do tomorrow. Apparently, he didn’t make a great distraction.
“Bailey, I don’t think they’re going to want me hanging around.”
“I don’t care what they want. I don’t feel up to it, not without you there.”
“I promise to be the overbearing boyfriend until you tell me to back off, but don’t tell me to back off unless you’re sure. Don’t be a martyr. If I ask, be honest about it.”
“I’m afraid. I don’t know what to expect.”
