The moment he freezes, then shakes his head, his breathing sawing in and out, I tighten my arms around his neck and soften my tone. “I have an idea how we can prove his paternity.”
Calder grips my arm and tugs me down in front of him. He doesn’t meet my gaze as he tucks my pea coat’s collar under my chin then buttons it with tense, precise movements. When I realize he’s struggling to calm down, I grasp his hands and hold him still. Finally he meets my gaze, his own deadly calm. “I want to bury that bastard. What do you have in mind?”
His emotional response to finding out about Phillip and Celeste proves that he cared more for her than he let on, more than he ever acknowledged to me. Swallowing that bitter pill, I shove my shredded feelings aside to focus on helping Celeste.
“While I find it strangely convenient the group of folders that went missing during the break-in that damaged the computer system also happened to include Celeste’s medical record, there’s still a sample of her blood at the clinic. On the way back from New Jersey, I researched paternity testing. All we need is a blood or DNA sample from the prospective father. With a blood sample from the pregnant mother, a Non-Invasive Prenatal Paternity test (NIPP) can be run to prove or disprove paternity. If we can prove Phillip is the father, then the police will want to question him about Celeste’s disappearance.”
Calder frowns. “Phillip deserves what he gets if he turns out to be the baby’s father, but Celeste truly seemed to think she had a stalker. She never indicated to me that the person was someone she knew.”
I cross my arms. “And yet the person she was obviously having some kind of relationship with was only listed as Deceiver on her phone. If Celeste kept that person’s identity a secret, I don’t think it’s a leap to consider the possibility that she could’ve known the person stalking her but wasn’t ready to reveal who.”
A corner of Calder’s mouth quirks in amusement. “And here I thought Talia had the investigative mind.”
I ignore the heat that floods my face and glance away. “Not wanting to be arrested as a suspect in Celeste’s disappearance is highly motivating.”
“I won’t let that happen,” he says in a serious voice. When I take an unsteady breath, Calder’s tone softens. “Look at me.” Just as he takes a step closer, someone calls out, “Celeste, are you out here?”
“It’s Ben,” I whisper to Calder, then answer Ben’s call in a normal voice as I put some distance between us. “Over here.”
A second later, Ben turns the corner at the end of the bushes. “There you are. Beth said you were out here.” His smile fades when he addresses Calder. “You’re Calder Blake, right?” he says, stopping in front of us.
As Calder slides his hands into his pockets and nods, I quickly gesture to him. “I convinced Father to let Calder shadow me as my guard for the next couple of days.”
Glancing from Calder to me, Ben tucks his gray scarf inside his black coat and buttons it closed. “Do you really think it’s necessary to have two guards, Celeste? I just saw Marco pull in behind me when I arrived.”
I shrug. “If I had my way, Marco would be gone, so I agree with you that two guards are unnecessary, but you know how stubborn my father can be.”
“Yes, I do.” Ben snorts as he clasps my hand. “Let’s take a walk.” Folding my fingers around the crook of his arm, he tugs me back toward the center of the garden and says over his shoulder to Calder, “Celeste is in good hands now. You can wait inside.”
As much as I want to look back at Calder, I can’t. Not without giving away my feelings. The sound of leaves crunching not far behind us tells me what Calder thought of Ben’s suggestion. When Ben stiffens and acts like he’s going to turn and say something, I tighten my hold on his arm and pull him forward. “Unlike Marco, he’s doing his job, Ben.”
Ben folds his hand over mine and says loud enough for Calder to hear. “So long as he gives us some privacy, I won’t say anything.”
Instead of soothing me, his comment sets my nerves on edge. What does he need privacy for?
Fuck privacy. With corrupt morals and skewed agendas, every person in this goddamn house is a suspect as far as I’m concerned. Any of them could’ve had a hand in hurting Celeste. My stomach knots over the news of her pregnancy. She never let on, not once. I wish she had told me. I could’ve been there for her. Guilt and anger swirl in my thoughts.
I mentally paint a target on the back of Ben’s dark head. He has no fucking clue how on edge I am right now. Crossing my hands behind my back, I curl them into fists as I follow the youngest Hemming son and Cass. If he makes even one inappropriate move on her, he’ll regret it. Cass can be pissed all she wants, but I’ll only stand for so much bullshit.
Once I reach the end of the maze that leads to an open circular center of the garden with low bushes and a decorative fountain, Ben meets my gaze. “You can guard from here. We’re not leaving this area.”
My attention drops to his hand covering hers on his arm and my desire to send him flying over the hedge ignites, but Cass shakes her head, telling me not to challenge Ben. I inhale deeply, then exhale slowly. I can handle this. I have to. Setting my jaw, I nod my understanding and take a position near the entrance that’ll allow me a clear line of sight to all access points.
As if he’s trying to torque me off, Ben leads Cass to a bench on the opposite side of the open area. My view is unobstructed, but I’m too far away to hear what’s being said. I shove my hands in my pants pockets and snort my annoyance.
Ben pulls Cass down beside him on the bench and every muscle in my body seizes up when he takes her hand and rubs it briskly between his. He says something that makes her smile and their breath plumes in the air as they laugh together.
I grind my back teeth when he leans in and blows his breath across her hand between his. As much as the intimate gesture pisses me off, it’s the way she looks at him that’s like a kick in the balls. What is he saying to elicit such rapt attention?
Hearing her laugh at whatever he’s saying grates, but the fact she doesn’t appear to have her guard up at all is unacceptable. She should’ve put layers between them. Real, physical layers. Like gloves. Where are the fucking gloves I insisted she put in her pockets? And why is he blowing his goddamn breath on her hands?
My shoulders tense and I ignore the cold air blowing around me as I work to gain control of my thoughts. I’m the only person Cass should trust enough to get that close to her. Hemming doesn’t know that her confident smile hides a deep hurt from her past.
Watching him bend close as he whispers something in her ear, it’s hard to reconcile the near impenetrable wall I had to break through to be with her the other night, and even then she didn’t tell me everything. It might be irrational, but I don’t give a damn that she’s pretending to be someone else. She needs to employ that wall of distrust with him. She needs to be wary.
When Ben lifts her hand and her broad smile fades slightly, I’m instantly on alert. My gut twists as he slides a ring on her left finger. What kind of business-only marriage needs a diamond big enough for me to see from this distance? But it’s the look in his eyes as he presses a lingering kiss to the ring on her finger that ignites fierce territorial instincts within me. Fuck, he wants her.
I stride forward without a thought, but I don’t get more than three steps before my phone buzzes. I halt and keep my gaze on Hemming as I answer in a low, curt tone. “Blake.”
“Elijah looked over that text conversation Cass sent you,” Bash says. “We were able to retrieve a phone number, but it’s a burner phone that’s gone dead. No way to trace it.”
I move into the entrance of the maze and turn my back to the foliage, making sure I can still see Ben and Cass as I speak to my cousin in a low rumble. “Were you able to find out anything about the rental car or the blood they found in it?”
“We were right behind the police in talking to the rental car company. A woman matching Celeste’s description rented the car under the fake credit card of
Selma Tobian. They didn’t have any security cameras to confirm her identity.”
Ben points toward the sky and gestures like he’s shooting something. Whatever he says makes Cass smile. Tension tightens my shoulders. I don’t like that he’s trying to charm her. “Did you check the car’s GPS? Did it go to New Jersey?”
“The car drove through Manhattan, then it was found abandoned on 495. Why are you asking about Jersey?”
I exhale, frustrated. Tons of women could match Celeste’s general description. We need a stronger connection. “It was just a thought. What about the blood?”
Bash snorts. “We’re piggy-backing off Phillip Hemming’s backdoor efforts. He paid someone in the forensics lab to quietly test a sample of Celeste’s hair against the blood the police found. A guy in the lab owes me a favor. He promised to pass us a copy of the results Hemming will get. We should know sometime tomorrow. What about you? Find out anything?”
“Cass discovered that Celeste had an appointment at an abortion clinic in Jersey yesterday, but she never showed. Did your guys check the rental car’s GPS’s destination log?”
“He only told us where it had been and where they found it. I’ll head over there now and see what the guy can pull up. Money is the only thing that is an incentive for the clerk.”
“Let me know what you find out. Cass thinks the appointment is what Celeste’s text conversation with the Deceiver was about. He’s probably the father.”
The sound of a car door shutting comes across the line. “The text definitely sounded combative, Cald,” Bash says as an engine roars to life. “But I didn’t get that he would hurt her.”
“Under normal circumstances maybe not, but he was trying to control her and she was rebelling.”
“You’re thinking there might be someone with a motive now instead of a stalker?” Bash asks.
When Ben brushes a lock of hair from Cass’s face, I curl my upper lip and glance away so I don’t bark at him to get his fucking hands off her. “Possibly. Cass wonders if Celeste actually knew her stalker, but wasn’t ready to reveal him yet. Maybe things got out of control yesterday.” I nearly crush the phone when Cass tries to smooth her hair against a sudden gust of wind and Ben captures her hand and locks their fingers together. “We need to move quickly. I want to get Cass away from this whole fucked up mess.”
“Agreed. Talia is really worried. She doesn’t like that she hasn’t been able to talk to her.”
“I’ll have Cass call her. I need you to find a way to get yourself invited to tomorrow night’s event at the Carver’s estate. Use one of your brothers if you have to.”
“Thanks,” Bash mutters in a dry tone. “Just what I want to do, leverage the Blake family name.”
“Damien is the best at this schmooze bullshit. Your little brother seems to have no issue with everyone wanting a piece of Blake ass…ahem, wealth.”
Bash barks out a laugh. “I’ll be sure to tell him you’re pimping him out. What did you have in mind for tomorrow night?”
“The party will hopefully give us a chance to collect DNA samples to prove who the baby’s father is. If we can get it, I’ll need to hand it off to you for testing. I’m not leaving Cass until this is over.”
“Got it. I’ll text you once Damien comes through.”
I hang up just as Cass and Ben stand and then start back toward the maze’s entrance. When they pass me a few seconds later, I glance down at the engagement ring on Cass’s hand, then set my jaw as I begin to follow a few feet behind.
We’ve only moved about twenty feet when Ben’s phone rings. He stops and glances at his phone, then apologizes, “Excuse me one minute. This is a patient I need to talk to.”
Once Ben returns to the center of the garden and turns his back to us while he talks to his patient, I focus a hard gaze on Cass. “What happened to keeping Ben at bay?”
She shifts so her back is to Ben and says in a low voice, “I’m playing a part, Calder. Ben just gave Celeste a gorgeous engagement ring. She wouldn’t be human if she didn’t respond appropriately.”
Her answer might be logical, but I don’t have to fucking like it. “Don’t let him manipulate your emotions.”
“I’m not.” She sighs and glances back toward the house, her expression wistful. “I just wish Celeste had experienced it herself. He was very sweet.”
I snort my cynicism. “It’s a business arrangement.”
“For Phillip, I agree, but not him.” She glances at Ben as he gestures animatedly while talking to his patient. “I think he truly cares for her. Women would kill to be asked like that.”
I pin her with an icy stare. “She’s his ticket to Carver Enterprise’s deep pockets. The fact he gets to fuck her is a bonus. Don’t let him fool you and sure as hell don’t let him touch you.”
“I’m not being manipulated,” she says, her tone tensing. “I know you told me last night that you don’t plan to marry, but some people actually still believe in marriage. Ben is being sincere. Maybe you need to ask yourself what you’re really angry about…the fact that Ben was touching me or Celeste?”
What the hell does that mean? She’s missing the point entirely. “Celeste isn’t the subject of this discussion. You letting your emotions be played is.”
Cass bristles and crosses her arms. “How quickly you forget that I had to jump on your back to keep you from going after Phillip once you found out Celeste was pregnant. So who is more emotionally invested?”
I set my jaw and say between clenched teeth. “I’m trying to keep you safe. You can’t trust anyone. Why are you defending this guy?”
“I’m not, I just…” She sighs and trails off. I don’t tell her that Ben has started back toward us. I want her to finish her thought, but she glances over her shoulder and sees him coming. Quickly turning back to me, she says in a hushed voice, “We both want the same thing…to help Celeste, so let’s just focus on that, okay?”
As Cass looks up at me and I watch her pulse beating rapidly, the tension between us feels like a vacuum sucking the air from my lungs. I push my hands in my coat pockets to keep from burying them in her hair and yanking her close. I want to bite her stubborn lip and take possession of her mouth, to obliterate Ben from her thoughts.
Screw this fucked up situation.
Common sense prevails, and I give Cass a curt nod of agreement just as Ben reaches us.
“Sorry about that. Come along, fiancé,” he says jovially, urging her back toward the house.
My gaze locks on his hand resting at the small of Cass’s back and I instinctively step forward, protective hackles fully engaged. At the last second, I stop myself from grabbing his arm and let them continue on while I get my shit together.
The tension between Cass and me is shredding my control. One thing we definitely agree on, Ben wants his fiancé. The difference is…he desires Cass. I saw her engaging personality bleeding through when she laughed at something he said in the garden. Celeste smiles, but she rarely laughs. Cass might think I’ve called a truce over Ben, but for us to be effective in uncovering the truth in Celeste’s life, she has to trust my instincts and keep her guard up. All the men in Celeste’s life are suspects, and the only way I’ll get Cass to unequivocally trust me on this is if I find a way to tear down the barrier she’s built back up between us since last night. I don’t know why it’s suddenly there, but I want it gone. Moving forward with a determined stride, I curl my fingers around the leather choker in my slack’s pocket and slide my thumb over the silver raven.
Beth pulls the French door open just as we reach the back patio. “Come inside, Celeste,” she says, looking impatient. “I’m trying to coordinate what to wear for the interview.”
Cass quickly shakes her head. “We’re just attending, not being interviewed.”
Beth rolls her eyes, her tone clipped. “You’re the one who taught me that you’re always being interviewed even when you don’t say a word. We must be dressed appropriately.”
Exhaling d
eeply, Cass apologizes to Ben, then trails behind Beth. I step forward to follow them inside when Ben says next to me, “I’d like a word, Blake.”
Beth and Cass are standing at the entrance of the main room, apparently disagreeing about the upcoming interview. The last thing I want to do is referee their squabble, so I slide a stoic gaze Ben’s way and wait for him to speak.
Ben reaches over and pulls the door closed. Folding his arms, he turns on the patio and faces me, leaning back against the doorjamb. “After the next couple of events the media attention should die down. I want you to pack your things and leave.”
The desire to flatten this entitled prick resurfaces all over again, but for Cass’s sake I manage to rein in my temper. Keeping my eye on the ladies through the glass, I answer in an even tone. “I will leave when Celeste decides my services are no longer necessary.”
I start to reach for the doorknob, but Ben puts his arm across the doorway. “You had your chance with her at that masked party four years ago. I don’t know if the rumors about you two in the kitchen are true...” When I slit my gaze, he stiffens to his six-foot height. “She’s my fiancé now. I’ll take care of her.”
I roll my shoulders, taking advantage of the couple inches of height I have over him. “But can you protect her?” When he starts to speak, I cut him off. “You want to keep her safe, right?” The moment stubborn determination settles on Ben’s face, I drop my casual tone. “I don’t give two shits if my presence threatens your fragile ego, she is my priority. Don’t block my way again.” I return my attention to Cass and Beth in time to see sheer devastation on Cass’s face as she stares at Beth. Once the ladies exit the room, I step forward aggressively.
Steel Rush (In the Shadows#5) Page 7
