by Mari Carr
Who would have guessed the solution to their problems would be found in an exclusive BDSM club?
Caden pulled into the parking lot and grabbed a spot near the entrance. “Guess we should grab the suitcases to make it look legit.”
They each took one of their bags from the trunk.
“I think I’ve got all the names and dates and details right in my head,” Tess said. “But if you notice me hesitating, you should probably jump into the conversation, Cade.”
He nodded. “No problem.”
The Vista Inn was nestled at the base of a hill, and surrounded by mature oaks and well-tended flower beds. It was the only building on the narrow county road they’d turned onto, and there was nothing more for miles around. Despite that, it was lovely and well maintained, with a fresh coat of paint on the door and not a single weed in the flower beds.
Once inside, it was clear it was more Bed and Breakfast than hotel, the lobby small and quaint with antique furnishings. The smell of fresh-cut flowers filled the air. It was inviting, warm, peaceful. Isaiah could understand why Rose’s mother made it her retreat, returning often to visit. Obviously, Tess felt the same way when she looked at him, a smile in her eyes.
“I love this place,” she murmured.
The woman behind the counter looked as antique as the furniture, and Isaiah felt a slight glimmer of hope.
“Hello,” Tess said with a friendly grin as the elderly woman stood from the comfortable armchair placed there for her, setting her knitting aside.
“Good afternoon,” the woman said. “Welcome to Vista Inn. I’m Mary Santucci. What brings you to our quiet little corner of the Earth? Have you come to stay with us?”
Tess nodded. “We have. My mother used to stay here years ago, and she sent me postcards. I was a boarding school student, and I’ve always wanted to come see the place in person.”
“Well, isn’t that lovely?” Mary started shuffling around behind the counter, looking for a reservation form. “We have quite a few return visitors. I hope we’ll add you to that list. How many rooms?”
Tess never hesitated. “Two, please.”
Isaiah approved. Three people in one room would definitely draw attention in a place like this.
“Have you worked here long?” Tess asked, handing Isaiah the papers to fill out with their details.
“I’ve been managing this inn for nearly forty-seven years. The inn may have changed ownership a few times, but I stuck around, even if it’s only part-time these days.” Mary leaned closer as if imparting a secret. “In truth, I’m as good as retired. My daughter, Cindi, manages the place now. My grandson’s wife just had their first child and Cindi went up to Vancouver to help them out for a couple of weeks. I promised to hold down the fort here. And it’s worth it. You should see my great-granddaughter.”
“I wonder if you remember my mother then,” Tess said, interjecting as Mary reached for a cell phone. The woman liked to talk, but her words came out slowly. Isaiah was reminded of the DMV sloths in the movie Zootopia. They were in serious danger of being here come nightfall if they didn’t get the conversation on track.
“I’m afraid I’ve seen too many people come and go, my dear, and the old noggin isn’t as sharp as it used to be.”
Tess was undaunted. “Her name was sort of unusual. Tallulah.”
“Tallie?” Mary stiffened, her easy smile morphing to a look of absolute shock. Then she narrowed her eyes. “You don’t look a thing like her.”
Tess laughed, her acting abilities quite impressive. “My mom always said the same thing. Liked to tease me, told me the stork dropped me off at the wrong house and she was certain I belonged to the Hamilton family, who lived next door.”
Isaiah tried to cover his laugh with a cough. A quick peek at Caden confirmed he was also amused and impressed by their future wife. And she didn’t think she had a knack for fiction.
Mary nodded, her face softening a bit. “So you’re—”
“Rose,” Tess lied. “Rose Hancock.”
Mary’s eyes widened when Tess spoke the name. She turned away and reached toward an oak board adorned with old nails from which the room keys hung. “I’ve kept the room exactly the same.”
“The room?” Tess asked.
“Your mother’s room. We always called it the Rose Room. She made me promise to keep it locked up the last time she left. I think…maybe…” Mary had tears in her eyes, and that was when Isaiah noticed Tess did too.
“Her job took her to dangerous places sometimes,” Tess said quietly, stepping next to Mary as she came out from around the counter and placing a comforting arm around her shoulder.
“It wasn’t her job,” Mary said, with the first real bit of strength. “It was that woman.”
“Woman?” Tess prodded.
“Miss Tallie and her dear John were happy together. Anyone could see they were in love, the perfect couple.” Mary paused and looked at Tess again. “You don’t look like your father either. Not a drop.”
Isaiah stepped in, anxious to distract Mary before she decided to ask Tess for proof of her identity. “What woman?”
“Apparently John’s family disapproved of Miss Tallie, though I have no idea who could dislike that loving, wonderful woman. He bought the inn for her…and for you, Rose. The two of them were forced to hide their relationship, so whenever they could steal some time together, they met here.”
Isaiah was struggling to figure out who the primary characters were in Mary’s story. Tallulah was married to Jayce and Priscilla Hancock, so who was John?
“Who was the woman you mentioned?” Tess asked, clearly as confused as him.
“Miss Tallie claimed it was John’s sister, trying to catch them in the act. She said something about the woman hoping to get her brother disowned, so she would inherit the family fortune. After she was declared dead, the ownership changed hands. To one Ms. Rose Hancock.”
“Rose?” Tess said, quickly catching her mistake. “Me?”
“Yes, dear, the inn is yours.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I had no idea. My…my mother died suddenly. While she was away for work,” Tess said quickly, trying to cover.
Mary looked at Tess with sadness in her eyes. “I know that, dear, but there’s something you may need to hear. I hate to be the one to tell you…” She trailed off, and they all leaned forward, as if they could will the old woman to speak. Finally, she sighed and continued. “I always thought the secrecy was just Miss Tallie being dramatic. Until I met that woman.”
“She came here?” Caden asked.
Mary nodded. “She did. Just once. Miss Tallie had left for some work trip. Somewhere in South America. That woman showed up looking for her. I knew the second she opened her mouth she was bad news, so I played dumb. Told her she had the wrong place, that no one named Tallulah had ever stayed with us. I don’t think she believed me, but then some nasty-looking giant of a fella came in, whispered something in her ear and she smiled. It was the scariest smile I ever saw in my life. The woman said something like, ‘Never mind. I’ve got her.’ And then she and the giant left. It was nearly a year before I heard that Miss Tallie had drowned.” Mary shook her head. “I don’t mean to upset you, dear, but I don’t believe for one second that was how your sweet mother left this world. It was that woman. I’d stake my life on it.”
Tess shivered, clearly shaken by Mary’s comments. Isaiah felt a cold chill snaking down his spine as well.
“So you’ve been running the hotel for R—me? All this time?”
Mary nodded. “John calls me once a year, like clockwork. Just to see if there’s anything I need. I always ask if you’ll be coming to see the place, but he said you were too busy.”
“He doesn’t come?”
Mary shook her head. “No. He never came back after Tallie died. I suspect the place holds too many memories of her for him.”
Tess wiped her eyes.
“Are you alright, dear?” Mary twisted her hands together in worry. �
��I shouldn’t have said anything about that woman. I’m prone to flights of fancy. I must be wrong. I’m sure it was just an accident.”
Tess smiled. “Yes, it was just an accident.”
“Before she left, Miss Tallie made me promise to keep her room locked until either she or you came.” Mary leaned closer to Tess. “I’m going to confess right now that every six months or so, I sneak in there to dust, vacuum, and wash the windows. I can’t stand a dirty house.”
Tess grinned. “I’m certain my mother would forgive you for that.”
Isaiah realized that was the first thing Tess had said that wasn’t a lie. Her anti-hoarder, no-mess, no-stress mother would definitely approve of the dusting.
Mary waved the key she’d claimed from the board and led them up three flights of steps. It took a long time, and Isaiah had to bite back impatience with the woman’s slow pace. The Rose Room was the only room on the top floor of the house, which probably helped keep whatever it had held for all these years secure. The last flight of steps had been cordoned off with a thin chain, and given their rickety, narrow state, Isaiah was sure no visitors would ever be tempted to journey higher. He assumed they were heading to an attic.
That assumption was proven wrong when Mary threw open the door, revealing a brightly lit room that was as charming as the rest of the inn.
“Wow,” Tess whispered, her awed expression pleasing the manager.
“If I’d known you were coming, I would have washed the bedding.” Mary walked over to the large king-size bed, smoothing out the quilt. Given the lack of dust her actions raised, it was clear Mary hadn’t lied. She’d kept the room, devoid of life for fifteen years, spotless.
While he and Tess had continued to venture around the room, looking out the window at the gorgeous views, Caden had stopped by a fireplace, staring fixedly at the painting hanging above it.
“Miss Tallie liked pretty things and antiquing. She bought a lot of new furnishings for the inn, refurbishing them herself if need be. John gave her that painting, and the two hanging on that wall over there.”
Caden followed the direction of her pointing, his eyes narrowing angrily.
“And those two sculptures,” Mary continued, oblivious to Caden’s discomfiture. “I told her it was a shame to keep such beautiful artwork hidden away up here, but Miss Tallie claimed they were precious gifts and she wanted to keep them safe for her daughter.”
Tess’ smile was forced, and Isaiah knew she’d spotted Caden’s sudden anger as well.
“Do you mind giving us a moment alone?” Tess asked, not bothering to shield the tears in her eyes. “Seeing her things…after all this time…”
“Oh, of course, my dear,” Mary said. “I imagine this is quite difficult for you. Take all the time you need. I’ll be downstairs if you need anything.”
Mary shuffled to the door. None of them spoke as they listened to her slow plodding steps retreating down the stairs.
“What’s the deal with the artwork, Cade?” Isaiah asked.
“It was in the tunnels. I remember helping to get that painting out for Elroy when I was twelve or so.”
Isaiah was confused by Caden’s response. Wasn’t this discovery good news? “So this proves it, doesn’t it? That the Hancocks were members of the purists.”
“I don’t know what the fuck this proves,” Caden said, rubbing his chest. Isaiah recognized the tell. Whenever Caden was stressed out, he touched his scar.
“Who’s John? And the sister?” Tess asked.
Isaiah shook his head. “I don’t know.”
Caden looked around the room. “I have my suspicions.” He opened the dresser drawers, which were filled with a woman’s clothing.
“She thought she was going to be back,” Tess murmured, sadness in her tone. “Tallulah left for that last trip, thinking she’d return here.”
Caden rifled through the clothing, closing the drawers with a defeated sigh when he didn’t find anything.
Isaiah decided to join the search. Perhaps there was something here that would help them figure out their next move. Because as it stood now, their mystery had just gotten bigger, not smaller.
He opened the closet, sliding the blouses, skirts, dresses, and coats along the bar, taking time to check pockets.
Tess was going through the contents of the nightstand drawer, while Caden had dropped to his hands and knees to look under the bed.
Tess closed the nightstand when it yielded nothing of interest. “If there is something here, something of value, it wouldn’t be in plain sight. There was no way Tallulah could have been certain Mary would respect her wishes and keep the room locked all these years.”
“You’re right,” Caden said, rising once more, spinning slowly as he studied everything in the room with a more critical eye.
Isaiah pulled down three hat boxes from the top shelf of the closet and placed them on the bed. They each took a box.
Isaiah’s contained exactly what it was created for, a fancy party hat.
“Oh,” Tess said, glancing over. “I love that hat.”
He rolled his eyes, made certain that was all that was in the box, then closed the lid.
Caden’s also contained a hat, plus something Tess explained was a fascinator.
“What’s in yours, Tess?” Caden asked.
“Two more hats.” Tess was just about to put the lid back on when something caught Isaiah’s eye.
“Hold on a second.” He took the lid of the box from her and peered at it closely.
“What is it?” Caden asked, leaning closer.
“Someone’s written the name of a bank in pencil. It’s faint, but I can read it.” Isaiah turned the inside of the lid toward them.
“You think it’s Tallulah’s writing?” Tess took the lid from him.
“Stands to reason. Boston Safe Deposit Co.,” Caden read. “That’s one of the oldest banks in Boston. Check the other hat boxes. See if she’s written anything on them.”
Isaiah lifted his lid again. Nothing. So he took the hat out and checked the actual box. In the corner, he spotted it. “Hancock safe,” he read aloud.
“No way,” Tess murmured. “It doesn’t say that!”
Isaiah showed it to her.
Tess’ eyes were wide with shock, then delight. “We are fucking awesome.”
Caden studied his box inside and out, but found nothing. Until he picked up the hat to return it—and felt something inside the brim. He flipped the hat over, picking at the material underneath, ignoring Tess’ squeak of distress and warning.
“Try not to wreck it. It really is a gorgeous hat.”
Isaiah grinned when Caden shot her an incredulous look. Then he peeled back the material, two small keys falling into his hand.
Isaiah pulled his cell phone out.
“Who are you calling?” Tess asked.
He raised his hand, locating the number he wanted online. “Give me a minute.” He waited until someone answered before asking his question. “Hello. I’m hoping to gain access to my safe deposit box for the first time. What exactly do I need to bring?” Isaiah listened. “Mmmhmm. Okay. Great. Thanks so much.”
He hung up and sighed. “Need the keys and to show ID proving we have access to the box. Do you think Tallulah would have named Rose as her heir on that, as well as this inn?”
Caden shrugged, but there was no denying the idea of seeing Rose again wasn’t exactly welcome news. “I’ll call the Grand Master’s advisor, see if he can find out if there’s a safe deposit box at that bank and who has access to it.”
Tess reached out, placing her hand on Caden’s shoulder. “If it does belong to Rose, you don’t have to go to the bank with us. In fact, it might be better if we don’t all go. It’ll draw less attention to our actions if someone is following us.”
Isaiah agreed with Tess on both counts. “If we find out it is in Rose’s name, Tess and I will go with her to retrieve what’s in the box. You can wait for us at Trinity Masters’ headquarters wit
h your brother and Marek. I suspect the Grand Master will be interested in seeing what we find. This could be it. The end of our task.”
Isaiah hoped that was true, because he was ready to commit to these two, ready to start his future with them.
He hoped Caden felt the same. Things had been amazing since their time together at the club, but there was no escaping the fact that the idea of seeing Rose again sent him back to some dark place.
They needed time. Time away from all this madness, the cross-country dashes, the danger. He wanted nothing more than to hang out with Tess and Caden in his home in Loudoun County, curled up on the couch, in front of the fire, watching TV like an old married couple—or trio, as it were.
As it stood, there were too many obstacles knocking them off-kilter, keeping them from truly having the time to get to know each other.
“Fine,” Caden said at last. “Let me call the advisor and tell him we’re headed back to Boston. I hope you’re right, Isaiah. I hope this is the end.”
Chapter Nineteen
Tess stood in the bank foyer with Rose’s husband, Marek. The Grand Master’s advisor thought it best if all three of them split up in an attempt to confuse anyone who might be following them.
After a great deal of grumbling, Caden had agreed to head to Bay Bank with his brother Weston, while Isaiah and Franco had gone to Commons Loan and Trust. If the Hancocks were following their trail, they’d have to guess which pairing had gone to the right bank.
Rose was meeting them here, having arrived an hour earlier in disguise. Tess kept looking around the bank, trying to spot her, but to no avail. She was shocked when a blonde who she’d looked at no fewer than half a dozen times approached them.
“I do like you as a blonde,” Marek murmured. “Maybe you should wear this to bed tonight.”
“How unexpectedly perverted of you, Captain America,” Rose said, her grin betraying she wasn’t against the idea.
