by K. M. Scott
Reaching out, I stilled her trembling hand. “Kim, I know all about what Victor and Taylor Stone did. I know they weren’t good people, but Tristan isn’t like them. He’s like his mother. Did you know Daddy and Mommy knew Tressa Stone? She and Mommy were friends in college. It was Tressa Stone who introduced Mommy to Daddy.”
My sister stared at me with a look of coldness I’d never seen before in her eyes. “He’s not good, Nina. He’s a Stone just like his father and brother. His father had Daddy killed and he found you to make himself feel better.”
I shook my head violently. “No, that’s not true, Kim. I know he felt bad at first and that’s why he came to find me, but then we fell in love. He’s a good man. I know he is.”
Without breaking her icy stare, she slid the paper across the table to me and pulled her hand back. “Then how do you explain your good man doing that?”
My heart pounded so hard that my chest began to ache. I didn’t want to look down at what was written on that sheet of paper. I believed deep in my soul that Tristan was a good man and loved me as much as I loved him, and I didn’t want to know that I could be wrong. I didn’t want to see an indictment of who he was written in my own father’s handwriting.
Holding back the tears that threatened to pour down my cheeks, I shook my head. “I won’t do this with you. Whatever you think you know, you’re wrong. Tristan is the man I love, and I’m going to marry him. I won’t let you ruin this for me.”
“Look at the paper, Nina. Look at what Daddy found out about your fiancé.”
My heart ached at the thought of what I’d find, but I couldn’t stop myself. I had to read it, if only to prove that Kim had it all wrong. I unfolded the sheet and there at the top of the page was his name.
Tristan Stone—August 2006—Hoboken
My eyes slowly scanned the next line, but I didn’t understand my father’s notes. All it seemed to be was an address with a bunch of numbers after it.
99 Garden Street NJ #0002675-2006
I looked up at Kim, confused as to what I was supposed to know from these notes. “What is this? I don’t understand.”
“Daddy’s notes are at the top. He found out about a girl’s death in 2006—a girl’s death your future husband was responsible for. The notes below are Jeff’s. I had him check into this when I realized who Tristan really was.”
I read my father’s notes about Tristan again, still not understanding them, and then moved on to Jeff’s. As my eyes slid over each word, the horrifying truth became clear.
Arrest record #0002675-2006 Tristan Stone arrested for the murder of Melissa Raynard on August 13, 2006. Case dismissed after death ruled an accident.
As I stared at the words swimming before me over the lined notebook paper, I heard Kim speak. “He killed a girl, Nina. He gave her the drugs. She was only twenty-one years old and he killed her. Oh, his father’s money kept him out of jail and from what Jeff says the coroner said the death looked like an accident, but if he didn’t kill her, he sure as hell was responsible for her death. He was a coke addict and that girl paid the price for knowing him. I couldn’t let you go on thinking he was the person he claims he is. He’s bad, Nina, and you’re going to get hurt or worse if you stay with him.”
Opening my hands, I let the paper drop to the table and shook my head in disbelief. “No, this can’t be. He wouldn’t do that.”
“Did you know he used cocaine back then? Did he tell you that?”
I wanted to scream, to run away from every word she uttered. Instead, I continued to shake my head, not wanting to believe Tristan could hurt anyone like that. I couldn’t think of him like that person described in my father’s notes.
But I couldn’t help it. Maybe if I hadn’t seen him sitting in front of the coke with my own eyes that night at Top, I could believe it was all a mistake or some awful, cruel ploy of Kim’s to hurt me, but I had and now those notes of my father’s and Jeff’s seemed entirely possible.
“Nina, you’ve seen him do coke, haven’t you? I can tell by the look on your face that you know what Daddy and Jeff found out is the truth.”
My head pounded and it felt like someone was strangling the air out of me. I stood up, still shaking my head, and croaked out, “I can’t do this. I can’t stay here.”
I ran out of Malone’s into the street desperate to find Jensen. Frantically, I searched up and down the sidewalk for him, but he was nowhere to be found. Where was Varo? Why wasn’t Jensen nearby like he always was? God, I just wanted to see a familiar face, someone to get me out of there and take me home.
Home where I lived with Tristan.
My feet were moving, but I didn’t know where I was going. My mind spun like a top, making me dizzy and lightheaded. Nausea choked me, making me want to throw up, and I reached out to steady myself on a pole. I couldn’t breathe. All I could think of were those words on that paper describing a man I thought I knew. Did I even know him at all if he could keep this from me, even after promising to tell me the truth?
“Miss, are you okay?”
I turned to see Jensen standing next to me. “I’m fine. I need to go home, though. Please take me home.”
“Of course, miss. The car is just over here.”
He helped me to the car, and as we drove away toward the house, I asked, “Where was Varo? He’s supposed to be nearby at all times.”
“He’s stuck in traffic, miss. I’m sure he’ll be home right after we arrive. I’ll let him know we’re on our way now.”
“No, that’s okay, Jensen. He has enough to deal with right now. Just get me home as fast as possible.”
As Jensen did his best to conquer the very beginning of rush hour traffic, I called Tristan. I had no idea what I’d say, but I needed to speak to him. I needed to hear his side of the story. I tried three times, but his phone went to voicemail every time and I never left a message. There was too much to say.
By the time we reached the house, I’d made up my mind. Of all the secrets surrounding Tristan and the rest of the Stone family, this was the one I couldn’t live with.
Chapter Nineteen
Tristan
Hours of questions by Federal investigators had left me exhausted, but just the thought of Nina waiting for me with a surprise was enough to make me top a hundred miles an hour as I drove up the Taconic. Tapping my phone’s screen, I saw she’d called three times but left no voicemail. That was nothing new. She never liked leaving voicemails.
Now that Karl was out of the picture, there was no reason to worry. Varo and West made sure she was safe, so she’d probably called just to tell me she loved me. I loved those calls and hated that I missed them, but stopping the Feds to answer a phone call wasn’t an option.
Fifteen minutes away from the house, I called her to let her know I was almost home. Two rings and then to voicemail. That was odd. Maybe she was in the shower. A sense of anxiousness settled into my mind, but I quickly dismissed it. The investigators had assured me that Karl would be in custody within the hour, so there was no reason to be uneasy.
I turned onto the driveway and punched in the security code on the keypad. The gates opened, and I raced up to the house, dying to see the woman I loved. The garage door was up, but I could park the Jag later. I didn’t want to waste another minute on anything but Nina.
The sun was just setting as I walked to the front door, wondering what my surprise would be. A nice dinner and the rest of the night in bed together would have been good enough for me, but if she preferred something a little wilder, I was up for that too. After all those months without her next to me, I didn’t care if we simply laid in each other’s arms and watched movies all night, stuffing our faces with Jiffy Pop.
As long as she was by my side, everything was better.
I threw my keys on the table in the center of the entryway and listened for any sign of what she’d planned. The house seemed strangely quiet. As I walked down the hallway to our bedroom, I peeked into the kitchen and sitting room, but bot
h were empty. Convinced she was waiting for me in the bedroom, I prepared myself to act surprised when I opened the door and saw her lying there in her sexy lingerie, or even better, naked and ready for me.
But she wasn’t there.
Taking out my phone, I typed out a text telling her I was home and pressed Send. I slid my tie from around my neck and unbuttoned my shirt, relaxing for the first time since leaving the house. My phone remained silent, so I checked it for Nina’s text back to me, but there was nothing.
Fifteen minutes went by without any message from her. Had she gone out? If she did, I knew Jensen could tell me. I made my way to his part of the house, but he was nowhere to be found. Where the hell was everyone?
“Mr. Stone? Can I help you?”
I turned to see Jensen standing behind me with a look of concern on his face. I rarely intruded on his personal life or space, so his expression didn’t alarm me. The poor guy probably thought I was there to ream him out about something small.
“I was looking for you to find out if Nina went out.”
“She did, but we returned over an hour ago.”
I clapped him on the shoulder to let him know we were good. “Okay. Thanks, Jensen.”
After a look around the entire house, I headed to the carriage house to see if Varo and West had any idea where she could be. The place was dark, and jiggling the handle, I found the front door locked. As I turned to walk back to the house, the car they used when they guarded Nina drove up with only Varo inside.
Opening the door, he looked calm. “You looking for me?”
“I came back to look for you and West, but the house is dark and the door is locked. Where’s West?”
Varo shook his head. “I don’t know. He said he wasn’t feeling well, so I went alone when Ms. Edwards went out.”
“Why are you just getting back now if Jensen and Nina returned more than an hour ago?”
“Traffic. Is there something wrong?”
I shook my head and tried to piece together what was going on. “I can’t find Nina. Jensen said he brought her back an hour ago, but she’s nowhere to be found.”
“Did you check the entire house?”
“Yes, and now West is nowhere to be found too?”
“I’ll check the grounds. See if you can find anything inside to give us a clue where she could be,” Varo said as he took off into the darkness.
I hurried back into the house and went straight to our bedroom. All her clothes still hung in the closets, and there didn’t seem to be anything missing in the drawers. Even her toothbrush still stood in the holder on the back of the vanity. As I checked each room again, I saw nothing in the house to indicate she’d been taken against her will either.
But something was very wrong.
Calling Jordan, I prayed Nina just decided to meet her in the city and this all was a misunderstanding. When she answered, I knew just by the tone of her voice Nina wasn’t with her.
“Jordan, this is Tristan. Is Nina there with you?”
“No. She and I went dress shopping earlier today, and she dropped me off after we had lunch. Is something wrong?”
“I’m sure there’s nothing wrong. I just came home expecting her here and she’s not.”
“Did you try her cell?” Jordan asked, trying to hide the worry in her voice.
“Yeah. She didn’t answer. I sent her a text too, but nothing.”
“Let me try. I’ll call you right back, okay?”
I pressed End and began pacing across the width of the entryway, suddenly worried I’d let my guard down too soon and Karl had finally found a way to get to Nina. After what felt like hours, Jordan called back and I instantly knew something was wrong.
“Tristan, she answered, but I couldn’t figure out what she was talking about. Her phone kept going in and out, but she said something about Kim and some girl. I couldn’t make out the name, but it sounded like Alyssa or Marissa. I don’t know anyone with those names. She was sobbing. Something happened. I know it. Kim did something, Tristan. I don’t know where Nina is, but wherever it is, she’s falling apart. You have to find her.”
My stomach sank as I listened to Jordan tell me what I’d feared ever since reading Joseph Edwards’ note to my mother explaining what he’d uncovered about me. Kim had finally found out about Melissa and told Nina, no doubt to hurt her intentionally. That fucking bitch!
“I’ll find her, Jordan. First, I have to find her sister to figure out what damage she’s done this time.”
“I don’t know what this is about, Tristan, but Kim is no good. Whatever she did, I’d bet a hundred bucks she did it on purpose.”
“Did she tell you where she was or say anything else?”
“No. I heard something in the background that sounded like a loudspeaker, though. Her phone went out and I couldn’t get her again.”
“Okay. Thanks, Jordan.”
“Whatever happened, you need to bring her home, Tristan.”
“I will. I promise.”
I stuffed my phone in my inside pocket, my hands shaking from the rage coursing through my body. If I didn’t get myself under control before I saw Nina’s sister, I might do just what she thought I was guilty of.
Varo knocked on the front door and walked in to explain he hadn’t found any evidence of anything wrong but he hadn’t found Nina either. “You won’t,” I said as I grabbed my keys. “She’s not here.”
“Are you going to get her now?” he asked, confused by my angry tone.
“I don’t know where she is. All I know is that her goddamned sister had something to do with this. I’m going to see her to find out if she knows where Nina went. Call Daryl and tell him I want you two to search everywhere, including the penthouse, her old job at the gallery, and anywhere else you two can think of. I want her found before Karl or his people find her. Do you understand me?”
Varo nodded, obviously shaken by the anger I no longer even tried to hide. As I pushed past him, I added, “And find out where the fuck West is!”
***
I stood on Kim’s front porch after making the three hour trip in less than two hours, my hatred for Kim fueling my driving with each mile. Not that it was entirely her fault. I knew that. I knew that I should have told Nina about Melissa, especially after I promised her I wouldn’t keep anything from her anymore, but how the fuck do you tell the woman you love about the woman who died as a result of your actions? I never found the right moment to explain that I’d been arrested and charged with the murder of Melissa, even though I’d been innocent.
Banging on the front door, I didn’t know what I planned to say. At every turn, Kim had fought me about Nina, but I’d thought that when I’d done everything I could to keep her and her family safe from Karl that she’d finally seen I wasn’t a bad guy. Obviously, she’d been saving the information about Melissa for when it would do the most damage.
Kim opened the door and immediately tried to slam it shut, but she was no match for me in my mood. I threw it open and brushed past her with little effort, intent on finding out how much damage she’d done. “Don’t bother trying to make me leave. I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what you did to make Nina run away.”
Closing the door, she scowled at me. “You can’t change things with your money this time. The truth can’t be stifled by any amount.”
“You just couldn’t leave well enough alone, could you?”
“And let my sister marry a murderer? No way. People like you get away with things every day. I hear my husband talk about getting people off all the time, and with your money, your father no doubt had to just flash a few big bills in front of some underpaid D.A. and that was it. No more problems for his baby boy.”
I shook my head at how in the dark she was. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. I didn’t kill Melissa. She overdosed.”
“I’m sure. How much does it cost to get a coroner to say that?” she spit out at me.
“I swear to God if Nina is hurt
because of you, I’ll make your life a living fucking hell. You think I can buy whatever I want with my money? If one gentle hair on Nina’s head suffers because of what you’ve done, I’ll devote every last cent of what I have to making you pay. You have no idea what you might have done this time.”
Kim shrugged and shot me a sneer. “I told her the truth about you. If that causes you a problem, so be it.”
Balling my fists in rage, I tried to keep myself from hitting a woman for the first time in my life. “That man I made sure you and your family were safe from might have her right now. I don’t know where she is, and I can only hope that the Feds have him in custody or he hasn’t made bail, because if he has, he’s going straight for her. All of this because you couldn’t let her be happy.”
“I was just doing what I promised my father I’d always do for Nina—watching out for her. Your father made sure I had to do that.”
Suddenly, everything I’d been holding in exploded from me. “I’m not my fucking father or brother! I’ve done everything in my power to show you I’m not like my family. If I hadn’t made sure you were safe all that time, Karl would have killed you and your family. I’m not a murderer. All you had to do is have your husband do a little searching and you’d know that. Melissa overdosed. I’m not saying I wasn’t there or don’t still feel responsible in some way still to this day, but I didn’t kill her.”
Kim’s stood there in her living room shifting her weight from foot to foot just like Nina did when she was uncomfortable. She knew I hadn’t killed anyone and still she’d told Nina about Melissa. Slowly, she moved toward the table behind the sofa and pulled a sheet of paper out of her purse.
“My father believed you were a murderer. Just because Jeff found out otherwise doesn’t mean I have to believe him instead. All that lawyer talk just meant that they didn’t have enough evidence to overcome your family’s money.”
