by Kat Mizera
Downing a glass of orange juice, I took the elevator down to the gym and was glad to find it empty. Although I didn’t usually mind seeing guests of the hotel in the gym, sometimes I wasn’t in the mood to be social, and this was one of those times. Seven o’clock on a Saturday morning was thankfully not the most popular time for people on vacation to exercise.
Getting on the elliptical machine, I turned on the news and started my workout. I was in good shape, but it took some work to stay this way. At thirty-six, I still felt young and vital, but I often wondered how long it would last. Sometimes it felt like my life was nothing but one long roller-coaster ride. I’d unwittingly become an agent for the CIA because of events out of my control, and the CIA had agreed to keep me away from field work as long as I was available to help with anything to do with Limaj or providing a safe house of sorts to other agents when they needed it. The hotel was centrally located to Europe, Africa and the Middle East, so it appeared to be perfect for that role.
Of course, like all good plans, things didn’t go the way we wanted them to. Our marriage wasn’t working out any better than my attempt to live a “normal” life, and sometimes I just wanted to run as far away from this life as I could. It wasn’t that I didn’t love Liz and Leni. They were a wonderful family. Leni was smart, funny and growing up to be a raving beauty like her mother—despite the fact that she was adopted. She had long honey-blond hair, big blue eyes and a pert little nose. Liz, ironically, could have been her biological mother with how alike they were.
The problem, I thought with regret, was that Liz and I had both come into this marriage with baggage. A lot of baggage. In all honesty, we were both so romantically damaged we should have just called it a day long ago. Knowing the love of my life was out there, completely unaware I was still alive, fucked with my head on a daily basis. Liz and I had come together in a mass of tangled feelings, mangled emotions and generally broken hearts. We’d decided we were willing to work on finding what we’d lost with others, and that even if we couldn’t, being miserable together had to be better than going it alone. In some ways we’d been right, but in a lot of ways, we’d been dead wrong.
Ten years later, neither of us had any misconceptions that we were in love. In fact, we were probably more like brother and sister than husband and wife at this point. It wasn’t a terrible way to live, but it wasn’t a great way either. There had to be something better out there, but if there was, I certainly had no idea where. I met gorgeous women of all ages both at the hotel and while traveling, but none held any appeal other than the occasional stirring in my pants that quickly faded. My heart, unfortunately, was stoically impassive. If I couldn’t love my wife, I was pretty sure I couldn’t love anyone else. I thought she felt the same way, but in the last year she’d gotten quieter than usual, and it didn’t seem prudent to ask her why.
I’d considered tapping into her phone and computer, but the sad truth was that I didn’t love her enough to put the energy into being jealous. We didn’t sleep together, after all, so it was only natural she found that kind of satisfaction elsewhere. The truth, if I wanted to be honest with myself, was that it might almost be a relief if she found someone else.
I pushed the button to stop the machine and was wiping my face with a towel when an announcer from CNN caught my attention. “And from Las Vegas, Nevada, tonight, frightening news in the world of rock and roll. Jayson Keller, lead singer of the platinum-selling rock band Pretty Harts, and his wife, lead guitarist Casey Hart, were in a car accident last night. He was reportedly driving his Porsche 911 Carrera when they were hit by a drunk driver while at a red light in a suburb of Las Vegas. The driver of the other car was killed and both Keller and Hart were hospitalized. While Keller is in critical condition, Hart is in serious but stable condition, purportedly nursing a broken collarbone and a concussion.”
I stared at the screen in horror and then grabbed my keys and sprinted up the stairs back to our penthouse.
Liz was at the kitchen table, drinking a cup of coffee and going through email. She looked up and smiled when I came in. “Good morning. How was your workout?”
“It was okay. Listen, something—” I was cut off as the house phone, which was connected to the hotel, rang.
I picked it up, frowning. “Yes?”
“Mr. Baxter, you have a guest,” the front desk told me. “Mr. Ace Ross. Shall I send him up?”
“Of course. Thank you.”
I put down the phone and looked at her. “Ace is here.”
“He is?” She looked confused. “How come?”
“I don’t know for sure but… Have you seen the news?”
“The news?” She blinked, shaking her head. “No, I took a shower and just sat down to check my email.”
“Have you heard anything from Las Vegas?”
“Vegas?” She frowned at me. “No, why? What’s going on?”
I headed into the living room and turned on the TV just as the door bell sounded. Liz answered it and she and Ace hugged warmly as he came in.
“Hey, Scott.” He shook my hand. He was a big guy, over six feet tall and a solid two hundred pounds of muscle. His reddish-blond hair had grown out some since the last time I’d seen him, and it made him look younger.
“What are you doing here?” Liz asked as we settled into the living room.
“There was an accident in Las Vegas last night—it’s been all over the news.” Ace spoke quietly.
“Who?” she asked.
“Jayson and Casey were in a bad car accident,” I told her quietly. “Jay’s in rough shape and Casey’s pretty banged up, but she’s going to be okay.”
She looked at me with a strange expression on her face. “Are you sure? That can’t be right.” She was looking from me to Ace and back again.
“It is.” Ace nodded. “I spoke to Nick a couple of hours ago and he confirmed.”
“But, but…” Her voice faltered and she ran to the kitchen.
We followed in confusion and found her clicking on something on her computer.
“What’s wrong, hon?” I asked with concern. Her face had gone ashen and her hands were trembling.
“He, he just sent me an email!” she protested. She found it and pointed to the time signature: 10:15 a.m. Friday morning, Pacific Standard Time. That would mean it had been dinnertime here in Monte Carlo. Dinnertime yesterday.
She was still staring down at the list of emails and I zeroed in on the subject line.
“Is there something I should know?” I asked her softly.
She met my gaze guiltily and I was shocked to see tears in her eyes.
“I, yes… Oh fuck.” She clicked on the email to open it and then got up and left the room.
“What’s going on?” Ace asked. He came and stood next to me, reading over my shoulder.
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Subject: I love you!
Hey, babe. It’s Friday morning and I’m getting ready to leave the studio and hit a meeting. Nick is going to meet me there and then we’re going to pay off that last creditor I told you about. I know you offered to lend me the money, but I decided I’ve let a woman cover me for long enough—I have to do this on my own. You understand, right? Because I plan to spend the rest of my life with you, beautiful, and I think I’ve finally figured out a way for us to do it. No one gets hurt, the kids won’t suffer, and even our most important secret doesn’t have to be compromised. What do you think of that?!
I’m going to talk to Casey as soon as everything is taken care of today, and Tuesday morning I plan to be on a plane to Monte Carlo so we can talk to Scott together. This is going to work—trust me on this. I know you’ve been hating the guilt, but that’s going to be a thing of the past starting next week. I love you, Lizzy, and you just wait and see how great things are going to be! Four days and counting until you’re in my arms… J
“Oh hell,” he muttered. “Did you know?”
I shook my he
ad. “Apparently, I’m a shitty spy. Although, to be fair, I noticed something was up but didn’t really think…” Shit, what had she been thinking? An affair was one thing, I’d pretty much been expecting it, but to do it with Casey’s husband? This was going to be a huge mess.
“Liz?” I followed her into the living room and found her sitting on the couch, phone in her hand.
“Fucking hell.”
“Oh, Liz,” I whispered, sinking down next to her. “You were having an affair with Jayson Keller? Of all people, why him?”
“I know.” She started to cry, swiping at her eyes angrily. “You don’t understand. It’s not… Shit.”
“Mom? Dad?” Leni was calling to us from the hallway and I immediately stood up and went to head her off before she saw her mother.
“Honey, I’m right here,” I said, meeting her in the hallway. “You’re up early for a Saturday.”
“I’m going to watch Prescott at his fencing tournament,” she reminded me. “I told you guys about it last week. His mom will be here to get me around nine. Where’s Mom?”
“She’s not feeling well,” I said. “It’s just a bug, so don’t worry, she’ll be okay. Why don’t you go wait for your friend downstairs? But tell me what time you’ll be home?”
“I don’t know—I think we might go to lunch afterwards, but I’ll call you.” Leni picked up the backpack she took everywhere, slipped on a pair of loafers and bounded out the door, none the wiser about her mother’s situation. She was nine but acted more like a teenager, which both worried me and made me proud. Times like this, I was glad for her independence.
I took a few minutes to compose myself before going back into the living room. I’d had no idea that Liz and Jay were involved. I’d suspected that she’d met someone, but not that someone. I wondered if Casey knew, and then shook my head. There was no way she knew because she wouldn’t stay with him. We’d been apart for a decade but I knew her better than that. I didn’t know what debts he’d mentioned in his email or what meeting he’d gone to, but I could take a guess what the secrets were that he’d mentioned. Casey had probably told him about Luke being my son and that was the scariest part of this.
I finally ambled into the living room, unsure what to expect. Liz turned woeful eyes to me, her hand shaking slightly as she held up her phone. “I just texted Casey but there’s no response.”
“She’s probably sleeping,” Ace said.
“Where’s Leni?” Liz asked.
“She’s going somewhere with Prescott’s family? I’m assuming you said this was okay?”
She nodded. “Yes, they take French together at the academy and I think he has a crush on her.”
I grimaced. “At nine?”
She nodded absently and then looked up. “I’m sorry—I didn’t intend for you to find out this way. We were going to tell you. He was coming on Tuesday…” Her voice trailed off and she closed her eyes.
“It’s not like this is a real marriage,” I said lightly. “My heart isn’t broken.”
“It was still dishonest.” She glanced at Ace, who was looking uncomfortable.
“Would you give us a minute?” I asked him.
Ace ambled out, calling over his shoulder. “I know this is a difficult time, but we have to talk sooner rather than later. There are security issues.”
“Leni!” Liz suddenly sat up straight. “Do you think—”
“I don’t think your daughter is in any danger, but if you tell me where she was supposed to be going, I’ll go keep an eye on her for a couple hours while you two talk.” Ace paused to look at us.
Liz pulled up something on her cell phone and started typing. “They’re going to a fencing match at the academy. I’ll text you the address.”
“Take my car,” I called to him. “I’ll call downstairs and the valet will bring it up. Red Maserati.”
“Red Maserati?” Ace had a small smile on his face. “Sometimes I love this job.” He disappeared and I called the valet, explaining a friend was borrowing my car. Then I sat down next to Liz.
“Oh, god, I’m so sorry to do this to you, but I didn’t plan to fall in love with him. It just happened. This was the first time in a long time that I felt whole, and now he might die.”
“I know you’re worried and upset but we have to talk about everything.”
“I know.”
“You have to tell me what went on with the two of you and how much you’ve told him.”
Her eyes met mine guiltily, once again.
“Everything,” she whispered.
“Everything?” I gaped at her. “Like, who I am?”
She swallowed and gave a barely perceptible nod.
“Jesus, Liz, seriously?”
“I’m sorry, but he wouldn’t have told anyone. He would never hurt me. Or you. Or Luke.”
“That’s not a risk I’m willing to take.” I picked up the phone and called the concierge. No matter what the situation was, we were going to Las Vegas.
3
Casey
If hell was real, I was sure it was my life right now. Sheer, absolute hell. I’d been through hell before, but this time I had children to deal with and it made everything that much harder. Sasha had rushed to my side, but the look on the twins’ faces when I’d told them their father had major injuries and would have to stay in the hospital was heartbreaking. My phone never stopped ringing and the press was camped out in our driveway, outside the gate, on the street, all over the place. Neither the kids nor I could go home, so they were staying with Nick and Skye while I stayed at the hospital with Jayson.
My mother had brought me some of my things so I could shower here since I was camped out in Jayson’s room. I didn’t feel right leaving him, and frankly, until we could finish the conversation we’d started in the car, I wasn’t sure what else to do. If Erik was in Monte Carlo, I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that Liz knew where he was, and she and I were going to have a very serious conversation in the near future. I wasn’t emotionally or physically up to that just yet, so for now, I was stewing in private. She’d texted me multiple times, asking how I was, but I couldn’t talk to her the way I was feeling. I was still too raw. It was a good thing she was thousands of miles away and I had a broken collarbone, because I probably would have laid her out.
I’d brought the twins to see Jay today but he was in no condition to talk or visit, which upset them and accordingly made me hurt for them. Luke hadn’t come to the hospital yet and I wasn’t sure what to do about that, but he’d told Nick he didn’t want to and talked to me on the phone instead. I didn’t know what was going on in his head, but Nick and Skye would take care of him until I could go home and sort it out. I didn’t want to force it, though, and god knows, I had enough on my mind.
Erik was alive.
Erik was fucking alive.
And worse than that, Nick admitted he’d known about it. We hadn’t discussed it again because he said I was in no condition for a talk like that, but it had been three days since the accident and I needed answers. I was operating on autopilot right now, trying to be there for Jay, be strong for the kids, and hold everything inside, but I was about to erupt like a volcano of emotion and it wasn’t going to be pretty.
“Mom?” Sasha’s voice brought me back to reality and I turned, putting a finger to my lips since Jay was asleep again.
“Hi, honey.” I got to my feet.
She came towards me quickly and hugged me tightly. “How are you?”
“I’m hanging in there.” I squeezed her arm. “How are you? I’m sorry you’re being pulled in so many directions right now.”
“It’s fine.” Sasha shrugged. “Anton is helping with the kids and Tessa told me to take whatever time I need. She’s a strong believer that family comes first.”
“I’m glad.” Sasha had been working as a nanny for a local professional hockey player and his wife the last couple of months, and she had recently started dating their adult son, Anton.
“M
om, have you eaten? You look like you’re about to fall over.”
“My stomach is in knots.” I shook my head. “But I think a good stiff drink would certainly take the edge off.”
“You can’t drink on an empty stomach!” Sasha protested. “I’m going to find you something to eat.” She marched out of the room and I smiled after her. She was a great kid. Well, a young woman now, but still one of my kids. She was smart, funny, hard-working and a wonderful daughter.
“Casey?” Jay’s hoarse voice got me to my feet and I winced at the ever-present pain from my broken ribs.
“I’m here.”
“You should go home,” he whispered. “You’re in pain.”
“I’m fine. How are you feeling?”
“Like I got run over by a truck.”
“You kind of did,” I said with a gentle smile.
He sighed. “We need to talk.”
“We do. But you’re not in any shape for that right now. Just rest.”
“I’m sorry…” His voice trailed off as he drifted back to sleep.
As frustrated as I was with the situation, I didn’t have it in me to browbeat him in this condition. I was going to have to wait, no matter how much it was killing me.
In light of everything that had happened and our concern that the accident had something to do with Jayson’s gambling, ever-worried Sandor called a meeting of sorts. There were too many unanswered questions and too many lives at risk to put it off, so although I wasn’t really up to it, he forced me to agree to meet with everyone close to us that knew the truth about Luke’s heritage in Nick and Skye’s penthouse. Nick paced nervously as we waited for everyone to arrive and Skye moved behind him to lay a comforting hand on his shoulder.
“What is it?” she asked. “What’s got you so rattled?”
“I can’t find any answers,” he admitted. “I’m one of the richest men in the country, with all kinds of connections, and I can’t find out what happened Friday night at that intersection.”
