by Calista Fox
“May as well just yank the Band-Aid in one fell swoop. I’ve already ground the woman under my heel in front of her sons. Let’s see how much more damage I can do.”
“Hey, this isn’t your fault, Scarlet,” Bayli contended. “Karina Reed Vandenberg has plenty of skeletons in her closet. And apparently, she’s been incredibly good at keeping them locked away.”
“I can’t imagine what’s so hush-hush about this from her side of the story. Sam said his dad bailed and possibly changed his name. He didn’t want to have any connection to a kid and a woman who might try to tap him for child support. So that really should be that.”
“Should be.…” Bayli paused before saying, “If you’re not sitting at the moment, you might want to.”
“Bayli!” Scarlet wailed. Now how much was she about to torture Michael and Sam—and their family?
“Just take a deep breath. Or ten.”
Scarlet plopped down on her sofa and inhaled. Exhaled. Repeated. Then she said, “Okay, spill.”
“All right. So, first things first. I got my hands on some yearbooks from Karina’s high school alma mater. She was a cheerleader, very popular, voted ‘Most Likely to Rock the World.’ And there were plenty of photos with her and the same guy. Total modern-day James Dean ringer. Rebel Without a Cause to the extreme.”
“Explains Sam’s rugged good looks.”
“For sure. Dad was quite easy on the eyes.”
“Was?”
“Well, there’s no telling what a life of crime has done to the man.”
“So he’s still alive?”
“Unless he’s recently been shanked in prison.” There was some rustling of papers on the other end of the line; then Bayli added, “Wyatt Hill—real name, not changed following Karina’s pregnancy stick displaying a plus sign—is currently incarcerated in Florence, Arizona.”
“Something tells me I’m going to regret asking this, but what’s he in for?”
“This time? Money laundering and bribery.”
“And the last time?”
Bayli’s tone dripped sarcasm as she said, “Money laundering and bribery. And the time before that and the time before that.”
“What the fuck?” Scarlet was on her feet and circling the den.
“He has a law degree, if you can believe that. He’s some sort of Better Call Saul shyster.”
“So it’s drug money he’s laundering.”
“That’s what the convictions claim.”
“Nice. And now I know about it. How do I keep this from Sam?”
“That’s the warning I issued when you asked me to find him.” Bayli had the good grace not to hammer her point in further. But she did say, “There’s a bit more to the story. Think you can handle it?”
Scarlet’s eyes rolled. “Of course there is. On a scale of one to ten, how much worse does it get?”
“Solid ten. Maybe an eleven, depending on whose shoes you’re standing in.”
With a groan, Scarlet said, “Better lay it on me. You know I can’t stand being left in the dark.”
“I’d prefer this one wasn’t something I’d uncovered. But the truth is, I didn’t dig for it. It fell in my lap.”
“That’s ominous.”
“Oh, sweetie, it’s worse than that.”
Scarlet dropped into her chair behind her desk. “I’m all ears. Go ahead … ruin my day.”
“Year is more like.” Bayli took a deep breath, then blurted, “So Sam Reed has a brother! Biological. And … his twin.”
“Oh, fuck, no!” Scarlet’s palm slammed onto the blotter before her.
“Fuck, yes. Here’s what happened.” A hint of excitement tinged Bayli’s tone, because she was an intrigue junkie as much as Scarlet was. “I called the hospital in Camden, Colorado, where Sam was born. Told the clerk we were getting married and needed a copy of his birth certificate because he’d lost it in our last move. She enthusiastically declared that they now have the capability to scan the certificates and send via e-mail.”
“How very new millennium,” Scarlet said in a dry tone.
“Be nice. She was quite proud. In a town of three thousand and one, it’s apparently a big deal to connect to the digital world.”
“You got me on that one.”
“Okay, well, as thrilled as she was, she clearly lacked attention to detail. She sent me the wrong birth certificate. It was for a Reed … Just not the one we were searching for.”
“I don’t believe it.”
“I checked all the facts. Dylan Reed was born on the same day as Sam, about five minutes afterward. Mother: Karina Reed. No father listed.”
Scarlet stared up at the ceiling, her head spinning. She asked, “Is there a more holy shit I can’t believe it word in the English dictionary than fuck?”
“Not that I’m aware of. Now,” Bayli continued, all conspiratorial-like, “I contacted Karina’s landlady in good ole Camden, Colorado, and told her the same story I told the clerk, but that I was also interested in secretly getting in touch with Sam’s long-lost brother, Dylan, as a surprise for my betrothed and she informed me that Dylan had been put up for adoption just a few days after he was born.”
“Sam has no idea he exists?” Scarlet’s stomach plummeted. “He has no idea he has a twin brother?”
“It’s entirely possible that, metaphysically, he knows. I’ve read some crazy stuff about how twins separated at birth lived for years or decades with that sense of missing something until they’re reunited. Or living with that feeling forever if they never meet up with each other.”
“Difference is that now I really know. No speculation or metaphysical sense of the ambiguous, but actual fact.”
“Set in stone. Not a great position for you to be in,” Bayli agreed. “I do not envy you.”
“I don’t envy me.”
“So,” Bayli tentatively ventured, “what are you going to do?”
“Tell Sam?” Scarlet let out a long breath. “I mean, what the hell else am I going to do? It’s not like I can keep it a secret now that I’m in on it. But … Goddamn. How much is this going to send him over the edge?”
“Not just because you’re the one to drop the bomb on him, but because you went snooping in the first place. Well, technically, I went snooping,” Bayli amended. “But it was your directive.”
“I take complete responsibility, no doubt there.” Why, oh, why do I have to be so damn inquisitive?
“Look,” Bayli said, “I can see where this might create an uncomfortable situation with you and Sam. Maybe even ultimately you, Sam, and Michael. But the bottom line, Scarlet, is that you were hired to find out everything you could about that missing art collection. That includes finding out about the people closest to that collection. It’s all part and parcel.”
“Not morally justifiable when I’m sleeping with the man whose past I had you investigate.”
“How I came by the information is my cross to bear,” Bayli assured her.
“But it still all comes down to me asking you to pry into Sam’s life. Karina’s, too. And now I have to figure out how I’m going to break the news to him.”
“I get the pickle you’re in. If there’s anything I can do—”
“You did exactly as I asked, Bayli, and I appreciate all your hard work and resourcefulness.”
Scarlet drummed her nails on the leather blotter as she considered this new twist. Bayli tried to soothe her nerves, but eventually Scarlet let her friend off the hook for hand-holding and disconnected the call.
Only to place another one.
She needed to make a trip to the Arizona State Prison in Florence. To do that in an expeditious manner, she had to contact a specialist in her grandmother’s network to ensure Scarlet could circumvent the sixty-day application process for an out-of-state facility. Her background check was already on-file with numerous agencies, so she hoped to be on a plane the next day.
“Now that’s some damn fine jumping,” Sam said as Layton Travers slid from hi
s daddy’s saddle, the one Sam had restored.
“Sucking up because you missed my birthday party?”
Sam ruffled the teen’s shaggy brown hair. “Not sucking up. Your form has always been good—DNA, I’m guessing. But it’s pushing exceptional and I want you to keep at it. How you carry yourself on that horse when he’s jumping isn’t just about improving your score in competitions, it’s critical in avoiding injuries, and I’m not just talking about to you.” Sam ran a hand over the bay Morgan’s neck and added, “Raider’s a champion. We want to keep him in tip-top shape.”
“Yes, sir.”
Sam’s expression softened and he said, “I am sorry I missed your party. Some unexpected business came up and I needed to be in New York with my family.”
“I understand. And Mom told me about all the work you put into my gift. It’s the best, Sam.”
“Glad you’re enjoying it. Now, Miss Hadley’s finishing up with Jason, and then I want her to spend some more time with you. All right?”
“Absolutely.” The kid beamed. “She’s real pretty.”
“And just a tiny bit too old for you,” Sam said with a chuckle.
By about twenty years.
“So maybe you should ask her out,” Layton suggested. “She doesn’t know anyone in town.”
Sam hedged, fighting the grin. “Well, see, I sort of have my hands full with someone else.”
Layton’s brow crooked. “Anyone I know?”
“No. And it’s really none of your business. So go join Miss Hadley. And no flirting.”
“Now you’re just plain takin’ the fun out of this.”
“Smart alec.”
Layton climbed back onto the horse and trotted off. Sam headed to the stables to make the rounds.
He’d inadvertently left his cell in Win’s office after making some calls and had then gotten caught up in a conversation with Jeanette Hadley before they’d gone over to the indoor arena together for training. So Sam had forgotten about the phone. He retrieved it from the stable manager and noted a couple of missed calls from Scarlet.
When he got to the house, he gave her a ring, but it went to voice mail. He’d had a number of things on his to-do list when he’d returned from their weekend on the East Coast, not to mention he’d had a hell of a lot of emotions to wade through, but he was itching to speak with her.
There were plenty of mixed feelings tearing him in different directions. He’d never responded so strongly to a woman other than Cassidy. Physically, sure. He’d had his fair share of mutual attractions. But what he’d experienced with Cassidy and now with Scarlet went well beyond attraction.
Scarlet was gentle with Rudy, deeply affected by his mistreatment, and Sam could easily surmise she’d be kind and compassionate to the horses in his care, too. She was also bold and daring. Intelligent and sexy as hell. All in all, everything Sam would have been looking for in a woman if he’d been looking.
Funny how that happened sometimes. When you were purposely searching for that special someone, it was tough to find exactly what you wanted. But when it was the last thing on your mind, it showed up on your doorstep. Or at least, attempted to, if not hindered by a snowstorm and highway-hazard elk.
Sam would contend that having Scarlet all to himself had been incredible, but sharing her with Michael, the two of them bringing her even more pleasure … Well, that had been downright mind-blowing.
Even the angry sex had rocked. Not just because of the intensity between him and Scarlet but also because Michael had been watching. Had been turned on by what Sam was doing to her—and how she’d responded.
Scarlet had wanted Sam to take her like that. He’d felt it deep in his bones. She’d wanted to soak up all of his fury, all of his emotions. And there was a part of him that wanted to strip away everything that haunted her as well. Not just through sex but also by being a stable, steady presence for her. Solid as oak. Someone who wouldn’t leave her. Because he knew that was her biggest fear.
And that made her current case all the more tormenting for her, since she’d had to go to a dark place to get the information she’d needed from Sam’s mother. In doing so, Scarlet had risked both Sam’s and Michael’s affection.
Sam recognized that quite clearly. It didn’t make the situation easier, though. It was still convoluted. But at the heart of it, there seemed to be something the threesome needed that they could only get from one another. Michael had rejected any sort of emotional commitment from the time Sam had met him, and that was all wrapped around the loss of his mother and the strain between him and his dad.
Karina and Sam joining the fold had only added to Michael’s strife. Thankfully, Sam had been able to break through some of Michael’s defenses and become a friend, a confidant, a brother to him. That connection had strengthened the first time they’d set their sights on the same woman, long before Misty and Pembroke. It’d been a pre-Princeton summer fling they’d had with a reality TV star who’d rented a beach house in the Hamptons not too far from the mansion. A spontaneous hookup during a party that had led to many more steamy nights.
The three-way affair, however, had fizzled before summer had even come to an end. But it’d given Sam and Michael a taste of the alternative lifestyle. And they’d both enjoyed the indulgence.
Sam hadn’t expected that he and his stepbrother would ever get emotionally entangled in a ménage, but that was clearly happening with Scarlet. Which set off a few alarms in the back of Sam’s head. Mostly related to what he and Michael had discussed about logistics. Geography could be a real bitch sometimes.
But Sam was going to take a leap of faith and rely on the tried and true where there’s a will, there’s a way adage.
And dialed Scarlet again.
NINETEEN
Scarlet had been on the visitors’ side of prisons and correctional facilities before. Yet she’d never been quite so nervous as when Wyatt Hill entered with a guard.
Even if Bayli hadn’t scanned and e-mailed the yearbook photos of him, Scarlet would have pegged him instantly as Sam’s father. Wyatt was a mammoth of a man, all brawn and earthy good looks.
Incarceration and the criminal lifestyle had nothing on this guy. Sure, he was a bit weathered around the eyes and mouth, but he’d be an easy pick-out in a lineup, with unforgettable chiseled features and bright blue eyes.
Wyatt slid into the seat on the other side of the glass partition and lifted the phone. Scarlet pressed her own receiver to her ear.
“Mr. Hill, my name is Scarlet Drake. I’m an independent insurance fraud investigator.”
His gaze narrowed on her. “You’re not from my lawyer’s office?” he asked with a deep southern drawl.
“No, sir.”
“Then what the fuck makes you think I want to speak with you?”
She inhaled sharply. The nerves were clearly justified. After a long, though somewhat discreet, exhale, she said, “I’m looking into the disappearance of an art collection from the Vandenberg estate in the Hamptons.”
“And that has what to do with me?”
Scarlet’s gaze met his as she said, “It belonged to Karina Reed. Your high school sweetheart. The mother of your two sons, Sam and Dylan. Your twins.”
His jaw clenched, the way Sam’s did when he was tense. “You can go fuck yourself, lady. I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” Wyatt slammed down the receiver. Shoved back his chair and jerked his chin at the guard, indicating he was done.
Scarlet hung up. Heaved a sigh.
That went oh, so well.
She gathered her belongings and returned to her rental car. Drove back to Phoenix to catch her flight home. On the plane, she stewed over the brief interaction with Hill. Wondered if she should have stayed and tried again, but in all honesty, Scarlet wasn’t entirely sure what she hoped to gain from engaging him in conversation.
Her interest in the man was predicated on his relationship to Sam—well, lack thereof, but Wyatt was Sam’s birth father. And the father
of Sam’s brother. So naturally, Scarlet wanted to pick the man’s brain about his romance with Karina, why he’d bailed, and whether or not he’d ever been in contact with Dylan. If he’d ever considered reaching out to Sam.
Scarlet had learned from Bayli that an absentee parent could be like a black hole. There might be curiosity to explore it, but chances were very good you’d just get sucked into an inescapable abyss.
Bayli had had what if? moments while growing up, all centered on finding her dad. Who was he, why had he split before she was even born, why had he told her mother he loved her when it clearly wasn’t true?
And what if Bayli were to locate him?
She’d wanted to on a few occasions, Scarlet knew. Particularly when her mother required a series of heart surgeries—and the bills had started to pile up. Bayli had been a kid then and she’d needed not only some financial support from her father but emotional support as well.
But he’d left them both. Willingly. Consciously. So Bayli had finally decided to write him off, as her dad had done with her and her mother.
Had Dylan done the same, or had he searched for his birth parents? Had he found Wyatt?
As the plane touched down at SFO, Scarlet once again reached that mental question when it came to all of her internal queries on this particular subject: Did it matter? If Dylan had somehow tracked down Wyatt or vice versa, did it matter? Did it make any difference in Sam’s life?
Not that Scarlet could see.
So she’d come to another dead end.
She’d learned who Sam’s father was and that Sam had a brother. The rest remained a void.
Well, except for the fact that she was privy to something Sam was not.
Guilt ate at her as she left the terminal, retrieved her car, and drove back to River Cross. Her gran was off on her own wild adventure for a new book, so the house was empty and quiet. Scarlet took a shower and slipped into a nightgown and robe. She was mentally exhausted. Conversely wound up, though.
She snatched her cell from the nightstand, slid between the sheets, and hit the speed dial number for Michael.
