“Hi, sweetie!” She reached up to kiss him.
“Hey.” He replied, his tone less than enthusiastic earning him a pout. “Sorry, I’m just tired. Been working all day and I’m beat.”
“You’re forgiven.” She turned and walked into the kitchen with him following behind. “Do you want me to cook?”
“Yeah, that would be good. I’ll just go wash up.” Leaving her busying herself in the kitchen, he went upstairs to shower and change. The smell of pasta wafted up the stairs as he dried himself off and he realized that he was starving.
“Smells good,” he said, walking into the kitchen a few minutes later.
It was a warm night so they decided to eat on the back porch. Usually the conversation flowed, but tonight his mind was elsewhere.
“Finn? Finn, are you even listening to me?”
He realized she’d been talking to him but he hadn’t heard a word she said. “I’m sorry. God, I must be more tired than I thought.” He needed to get this straightened out. “Look, do you mind if you don’t stay over tonight? I think I need a good night’s sleep.” Her face told him that she did mind, but he really needed to be on his own right now.
“You can’t sleep with me here?”
How could he explain without hurting her feelings that he simply didn’t want her there that night? “I just want a bit of time to myself. It’s been a busy few days.” He smiled to soften his words. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
She still wasn’t happy as he kissed her goodbye at the front door, but the minute the door was closed she was gone from his mind. Going back outside, grabbing his cell from the kitchen on the way, he dialed Kat’s number.
“I was just wondering if you wanted to come over?” he asked when she picked up. The brief silence on the other end of the phone told him that she was thrown by his request, and he was sure she was going to refuse. He was surprised when she agreed.
***
He felt stupidly nervous. It wasn’t like this was a date or anything. He just wanted to clear the air, get some answers, and maybe put what happened behind him once and for all. But for some reason, he felt like a teenager all over again. Perhaps it was because this was the first time they were meeting for reasons not related to Jamie.
By the time the doorbell rang a short time later, he’d washed up the dinner dishes and put some beers in the fridge to chill.
“Hi,” he said as he opened the door. “Thanks for coming over.” She stood in the glow of the overhead porch light with a bottle of red wine in her hands.
“Here,” she said, handing it to him. “Thanks for inviting me.”
They both just stood there for a moment, looking at each other. “Okay, why does this feel awkward?” He smiled at her.
She let out a soft laugh “I don’t know. It does, though, doesn’t it?”
“Come one, let’s get this open.” He held the door open for her to come in, closing it and taking a deep breath before following her through to the kitchen.
“How is Jamie doing?” he asked as he opened the bottle to let it breathe.
“She’s doing okay, I think. I haven’t been home since I saw you earlier. There was so much to go over in the office and then I had to go into town to see the lawyer again now that she’s been found. Jake and Carrie are there, though, and I’ve told them to call me if there are any problems.”
Picking up the bottle and two glasses, Finn gestured her to follow him out onto the porch. “So what are you going to do now, head back to L.A.?” He didn’t look at her while he waited for the answer, focusing on pouring the wine. He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the answer.
“Not right away, no. The paperwork over the estate will take a little time, but I don’t need to be here for that. I don’t want to leave just yet, though, not until I’m sure that Jamie is going to be okay.”
He was surprised. He thought she’d be eager to get back as soon as possible. “You don’t sound like you like the idea too much.”
“It’s just that over the past few days I’ve realized how much I’ve missed out on all these years, and I don’t want to miss out on any more.” She smiled at him. “I definitely won’t be staying away as long this time.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“Really? You mean that?”
“Of course. It would be great for them to have you around more.” That wasn’t the real reason, he knew that. It was good to hear because he found himself wanting to see a lot more of her.
As the wine was drained from the bottle, and then they started on the beer, they reminisced about their days in high school, leading to fits of laughter when they remembered the things they’d gotten up to. They were both enjoying the evening and purposefully stayed away from the subject of her leaving. After one particularly spectacular laughing fit, which nearly had Finn choking on his beer, they decided it might be time for coffee.
“I’ll make it,” Kat volunteered, and he leaned back on the kitchen counter happily watching her move about his kitchen. While the kettle boiled, she turned to him. “Thank you. It means more than you know that we’re able to do this.”
Maybe it was the alcohol or the relief of having found Jamie. Whatever it was, in that moment he couldn’t stop himself. Crossing the gap between them in one step, he took her face in his hands, cupping it as he looked into her eyes. He’d expected her to pull away, but she didn’t. Encouraged, he brushed her bottom lip with his thumb before leaning down and touching his lips to hers briefly.
Looking into her eyes, he searched for a sign to stop but there was none. Pushing his hand into the hair at the back of her head, he pulled her tightly to him, all restraint gone. He felt her lips part under his, welcoming him. Her hands pulled his shirt from the waistband of his jeans and slid up his bare back, pulling him close.
The shrill ringing of his cell was like an alarm bell in the silent kitchen, snapping them both out of the moment.
“Shit! I’ve got to see who that is in case it’s work.” Cursing, he quickly went to grab his phone from the porch. It was Carla. Feeling a brief stab of guilt, he returned to the kitchen but Kat wasn’t there. “Kat?”
“I’ve got to go,” she said from where she was standing by the front door.
“What? Why?” He was confused.
“This was a mistake. I’m sorry, Finn.” She opened the front door to leave.
“What? Just like that you’re walking out on me again with no explanation?” He hadn’t meant for this to happen, but she had been as willing as he was.
Forty-One
“Are you okay?” Kat had told him that she wasn’t feeling very well, but since he’d gotten home Jamie had hardly spoken to him and refused to meet his eyes.
“I’m fine. I just wish everybody would stop asking me that!” she snapped at him.
Carrie was acting strangely, too. She’d hardly taken her eyes off Jamie and even now, as they sat in the living room watching TV, her eyes were on her constantly.
“Have you two had a disagreement or something?” Okay, there was no mistaking it that time. They definitely exchanged a look. There was something they weren’t telling him. “Okay, spit it out.” He looked at each of them in turn, waiting for an answer.
“You’re imagining things,” Jamie told him, but she was looking at Carrie as she said it. With a sigh, he stood up. “Okay. Well, if you’re not going to tell me I’m going to get myself a drink. Anyone want anything?”
“Yeah, could you make me a hot chocolate, the way you always made them, with marshmallows?”
It wasn’t until he reached the kitchen that he realized what Jamie had just said. She’d remembered! But if that were true, why on earth hadn’t she said anything? Maybe she was just remembering little things without even realizing it? All thoughts of a drink forgotten, he rushed back to the living room.
“Jamie! Do you realize what you just said?”
She looked confused. “What are you talking about?”
“You asked for a ch
ocolate the way I always used to make it!” He was grinning now “You remembered something!” He’d been expecting her to be as excited as he was but he didn’t see excitement in her eyes now, just naked panic.
“You stupid bitch!”
He whirled to face Carrie as she hissed this at Jamie. “What the hell?” He had no idea what was going on. “Will someone tell me what the hell is going on here?”
“Jake, just leave it alone. Please!” Jamie was pleading with him.
“No, I won’t leave it alone! Something is going on here and I want to know what!” He turned to Carrie “Why did you say that?” She didn’t reply, instead just looking at him in disgust.
“Okay, if neither of you are going to tell me, I’ll call Kat. She can come home and straighten this out.” He reached into his pocket for his cell phone.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” He looked up from dialing the number to find Carrie standing in front of the TV, pointing a gun and him and Jamie.
“Drop the phone and kick it over here.” In shock, he did what he was told.
“I should have known you were too stupid to pull it off,” she snarled at Jamie.
“Carrie, what is going on? What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Keeping the gun trained on them, she sneered, “Your precious sister got her memory back this afternoon. Unfortunately, that meant she remembered who attacked her.”
The confusion must have shown on his face. “Hasn’t the penny dropped yet?”
“Oh, my God! It was you!”
“Well done. Give the boy a medal.”
“Why on earth didn’t you do the job right? If you had, we wouldn’t be in this mess,” he said to her, grinning.
“What? Are you kidding me?” She wasn’t sneering any more.
“Jeez, if you’d told me what was going on I would have helped you! Dammit Carrie.”
“What the hell are you taking about?”
“Well, I managed to get Ted out of the way. Did you think I’d have a problem getting rid of Jamie? She’s not even my real sister, for God’s sake!”
She looked unsure of herself now. “But you’ve been so worried about her, going on and on about finding her.”
“Yeah, because I knew full well that if she was found I needed to keep the family in the dark. You know how much the money and the business mean to me. I don’t give a crap about anything else. We’ll be lucky to get away with anything, now.”
“Jake, what are you saying! You can’t mean this!” Jamie cried looking at him with wide, tear-filled eyes. “Oh, my God, Jake, this can’t be happening.” She dropped her face into her hands and started sobbing.
Marching over to stand in front of her, he pulled back his arm and slapped her with a backhand hard across the face. “God, I’ve been wanting to do that for years.” He turned to Carrie. “We’re screwed now. The best we can hope for is to get out of here.” He held out his hand. “Give me the gun and I’ll watch her. You go upstairs and get what you can. All my mother’s jewelery is still in her room and Jamie’s got some nice stuff, too.”
“You must think I’m an idiot,” Carrie said, her brow wrinkled. “You go and get the jewelery and I’ll stay here and watch her,” she said, waving toward Jamie with her gun.
He shrugged. “Okay, but don’t screw it up this time.” Without looking at where Jamie was sitting, holding the side of her face, he turned and left the room.”
As soon as he was clear of the living room he quickened his pace and headed upstairs to his parents’ room. She’d taken his cell so he couldn’t call Kat or Finn because he didn’t know their numbers as they were programmed in his phone. He considered calling 911, but dismissed that thought almost immediately. They might not get here in time, and if Carrie heard them coming, she’d know that there was no escape and a cornered wild animal will do anything, including kill Jamie. No, he had no choice. It was on him.
He knew that his dad had kept a gun in his bedside table and he just hoped to God it was still there. Yes! He let out a breath as his hand closed around the cold metal of the gun in the bottom drawer. Checking that it was loaded, he took a deep, steadying breath. Grabbing his mom’s jewelery box, he headed back downstairs. This had gone on long enough. It ended now.
Forty Two
What had she been thinking? She hadn’t been thinking, that was the problem. If she had, she would never have gone to Finn’s. At night. With a bottle of wine.
She’d hoped that after everything that had happened over the last few days, they would be able to come to some kind of a truce. She needed that. She hadn’t truly realized until she’d come back just how much her past still weighed her down. She certainly hadn’t expected to find herself in his arms once again. Oh, she was still attracted to him. She’d realized that the first day, but she’d had no idea he felt the same way.
It would be different if he knew the truth and still felt the same way, but he didn’t and she couldn’t deceive him like that. No, she would just have to avoid seeing him until she left. It wouldn’t be long now, and then she could get back to her life. That thought had held such appeal just a few short days ago but now, for some reason, she was dreading it more and more.
Forty-Three
“I’ve got it,” he announced, walking back into the living room. He’d concealed the gun in the waistband of his jeans, in the small of his back. Now he just needed to wait for the right time. “What now?”
“We go. Before Kat gets back. With any luck, we’ll get a bit of a head start.”
He nodded over at Jamie. “What do we do with her?”
“If it wasn’t for her, I’d have everything I want right now. I’ve got no intention of letting her enjoy what should have been mine. This time, I’ll make sure she’s dead.”
How had he not known he’d married a monster? He’d known she was tough when he’d first met her, and he’d discovered she was ruthless when he’d told her about killing Ted and she didn’t bat an eye, but this? He’d never even considered that she might have had anything to do with Jamie’s disappearance. He was such an idiot! But one thing he did know was that he had started all this, he had brought this monster into their family, and now it was up to him to deal with it.
Turning her back on him, she raised her arm and pointed the gun at Jamie. It was now or never.
“Put the gun down, Carrie,” he said, his voice surprisingly calm.
Keeping the gun trained on Jamie, she turned her head and looked at him. “You bastard. I should have known. Killing Ted was one thing, but you really are soft when it comes to her, aren’t you.” She shook her head. “Such a shame. I was starting to think you had potential.”
“You know damn well that killing Ted was an accident. I never meant for it to happen. My mistake was not coming clean at the time and letting you get your claws into me. A mistake I intend to rectify right now.” His voice hardened. “Now put the gun down, Carrie. It’s over.”
He could see her turning her options over in her mind and realizing that she had none. He wouldn’t put it past her to kill Jamie anyway and his finger tightened on the trigger, watching for the slightest sign that she was going to shoot.
She didn’t, though, and after a tense few seconds, raised her hands. “At least I’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you’re going to prison with me.”
He didn’t reply, keeping his eyes on her but addressing Jamie. “Grab the gun.”
He watched as she stepped forward and took the gun from Carrie’s hand before handing it to him. He tucked it in his jeans before telling Jamie to go and call 911 on the house phone.
She didn’t move, though. “Are you sure?” she asked him, a hard edge to her voice.
Surprised, his eyes flicked to her. “What do you mean? Of course I’m sure.”
“Answer me one question, truthfully.”
“Now? Can’t this wait?”
“No, it can’t, so will you? Tell me the truth?”
“Yes, of course, wh
at is it?”
“Was Ted’s death an accident?”
He allowed himself to meet her eyes briefly. “Yes, absolutely.”
“Then shoot her.”
“What? Are you nuts?”
“No. She tried to kill me. I lived through hell because of her. If you don’t, you’ll go to prison, too.” She put her hand on his arm. “You did wrong, but you are all I have left and the only people who know are in this room.”
For a moment, he allowed himself to consider what she was saying. It was true; if he shot Carrie now it would be easy to claim self-defense and no one would ever find out the truth about Ted. The moment quickly passed, though. He could never kill another human being in cold blood, and he knew in his heart that he needed to pay for what he’d done, accident or not.
“No, I can’t do it Jamie. This all started because of my greed and I need to pay for what I did. I’m as responsible for what happened to you as she is.” He gave her a small smile. “Go and call the cops, please.”
“There’s no need. I’ll do it.”
They both jumped at the sound of the voice. They could tell from the look on her face as she stepped into the room that Kat had heard everything.
“Oh, Kat, I’m so glad you’re here!” Jamie flung herself into her arms.
“How long have you been standing there?” Jake asked her, meeting her eyes.
“Long enough to know that I’m proud of you for making the right decision.”
He watched as she took her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed 911. All they had to do now was wait.
He didn’t feel any panic as they waited for the police to arrive. Instead, he was filled with a sense of relief that it was all over and he had finally done the right thing. They all knew the truth now, and the fact that Jamie hadn’t immediately condemned him made his heart soar, though he knew that he owed her answers.
She would be okay now. The monster that he married would spend the rest of her life in jail and she had Kat. That was all that mattered.
Forty-Four
Kat watched as first Carrie and then Jake were handcuffed and led away to the waiting squad cars, and was glad her sister wasn’t there to see it. When she’d gotten home, she’d heard the voices coming from the living room. It wasn’t until she got close that the conversation had stopped her in her tracks. Stunned, she’d stood there listening, while all the pieces clicked into place.
True Deceit (Blindsided Book 1) Page 28
