Mike glanced at Teresa, his blue eyes as excited as hers.
‘I said it might be over.’ Behind her, two other fire-fighters walked into the Varsity.
‘Tell them what you found, guys.’
The fire chief, a dark-haired woman in her early thirties, looked vaguely confused. ‘Well, I…’ She looked at her partner. ‘I don’t understand. Why is this a good thing? Why are you smiling?’
Mike rolled his eyes. ‘Girl, just tell them.’
Flynt and Zea looked at each other, the smallest glimmer of hope sparking in them. The woman turned to them with a doubtful smile and shrugged.
‘The ceiling of the diner collapsed, the place completely gutted. When we managed to control the flames, we saw that most of the stuff from the apartment above had fallen with it.’
Mike shifted impatiently.
‘And?’ Flynt ’s tone was equally exasperated. Zea closed her eyes then, the hope in her threatening to overflow. Please, please say what I think you’re about to say. Say it.
The firefighter nodded. ‘In the mess, in the rubble…we found him. We’ve found a body.’
Zea felt her body go weak. ‘Flynt…it must be Jared…’
Flynt gathered her to him. ‘Honey…I think it might just be.’
Julieta woke in the early hours, needing to pee. Still half asleep she stumbled into the bathroom. The cold tile woke her, and as she washed her hands, she started as she heard the nurse come into her room. Walking back into the room, she stopped when she saw Jesse standing against the far wall. His expression was unfriendly, hostile, his arms crossed. She looked away and climbed back into bed. The nurse fussed over her, taking her vitals.
‘I didn’t see you there.’ She pulled the covers over herself.
Jesse stared at her, hatred written across his face. The nurse finished her checks and left, throwing a concerned glance Jesse’s way.
Heart pounding, Julieta looked away from the rage in Jesse’s face. He knows.
Jesse went still. ‘I know, Julieta. I know what you did.’
Julieta blinked at him. ‘I…’
‘Shut up. You did this to yourself. To the baby.’
She sneered. ‘The baby. Your baby, you mean. And I don’t know what you mean.’ She was starting to enjoy herself. Jesse made a disgusted sound.
‘The doctors found it in your bloodwork, Julieta. The drug you took. The abortion drug.’
Julieta went pale. ‘
‘Yeah. Yeah you do, and you know what, Julieta, it saves me feeling any pity, any doubt I might have had about leaving you which was very little in the first place. Which is what I’m doing. I’m moving my stuff out as soon as I get back to the island. You can make your own way home. You’re an abomination.’ He turned towards the door.
‘Want to know why I did it?’ Julieta spat the words out at him then laughed as he spun around. ‘Want to know, Jesse, really? I did it because of Bree Saffran.’
Jesse was confused. ‘What the hell are you talking about?’
Julieta snarled at him. ‘Do you think I didn’t know about you and that whore, Jesse? Fucking around behind my back. Her, of all people.’
A sickening dread shot through him. ‘Bree? This is to do with Bree?’ He grabbed her by the shoulders. ‘What the hell has this got to do with Bree?’
Julieta turned away from him. ‘Go away, now, Jesse. You’re free. I don’t have to tell you anything.’
Confused, angry, Jesse slammed out of the room and marched back to the gynecologist’s office. ‘Isn’t there some law against child destruction?’
The gynecologist looked uncomfortable. ‘She’s within the state time limits, Mr. Kline, I’m sorry.’
Jesse left the hospital, his emotions in turmoil. Yes, he was free…but the thought that Julieta had aborted their child, his child, out of nothing more than spite was intolerable. Why? He had told Julieta he would support her but they hadn’t been a couple, not really. Had he led her on?
Jesse got back into his car and closed his eyes for a second. What a shitty few months. Only the thought of Bree had kept him going. He started the car now, eager to get home to her.
Maybe she would make him feel better. He desperately hoped so.
The letter came via Flynt’s apartment a few days after the fire.
My beautiful Zea,
A simple note does not seem to be enough to express my utter sorrow for what I have done to you. I admit, I went insane because of my love for you. When I realized, you could never love me the way I loved you, the only way I could think of to end my pain was to hurt you.
My darling, I admit to you now all I have done. I raped you, which I’m sure you know. And yes, I did intend to kill you, so that I would no longer be tormented by the sight of you and Flynt together, of seeing him touch you when I could not. I cannot comprehend what was going on in my head to think that killing you was the only option left to me. To compound my crime, afterward, my anger returned, and I behaved in a manner that I find repugnant.
I can only ask now that you will find some peace now that I have decided to do what I should have done instead of hurting you. I have decided to end my life. I am sorry to have to destroy the apartment. You will find David’s half of the inheritance transferred into your bank account. You need not feel guilty about this money, my love, it is rightfully yours.
I will love you forever, my dearest, loveliest Zea, even in death.
Jared
For the identification of the body in the fire Zea had given them David’s old hairbrush so they could compare the DNA, but Flynt told her the lab in Seattle couldn’t get a good sample from the body and had sent it off to a specialist unit.
‘It could be weeks, darlin’.’
She hissed in frustration.
But it was when a lawyer from Louisiana contacted her that Zea really believed it was over. Flynt had recently amended his will to make Zea the sole beneficiary. An incredulous Flynt has listened as Zea repeated what the lawyer had said.
‘Sweetheart, this stinks. He wanted to kill you – that was his plan. Why the hell would he make you the beneficiary of his will?’
He stopped when he saw how pale she was. ‘What? What is it?’
‘It’s the money. He left me all of his money. And David’s inheritance.’ She sat down at the kitchen table, trembling. Flynt reached over to hold her hands. She shook her head, took a deep breath. ‘Flynt…. it’s a lot of money. A lot. He left me eighteen million dollars.’
Flynt gaped. ‘What the fuck?’
She stood up, pacing. ‘I knew his family was rich but I didn’t know… Flynt, I don’t want it. I don’t want anything from him, even if half of it was David’s. Especially because of that. David is dead and I don’t deserve anything from him. I let him down. I should have seen the signs that he was breaking, I…’
‘Don’t you ever, ever fucking say that again!’ She jumped as Flynt roared, losing his temper. He buried his face in his hands and she stood, too shocked to say anything. He reached out for her and pulled her into his arms. He let her go, made her sit down, facing him. ‘I’m sorry, darlin’, I didn’t mean to…but please, listen to me. You are not to blame for what David did, for how he died. David is the one who…look what he did to you…God, Zea, he destroyed your life. He killed eleven people, Zea; kids, he murdered children. That’s not on you. None of it is your fault. And his psychotic brother is definitely not your fault.’
‘I let Jared into our lives, though.’ Her voice was small, still reeling from his outburst.
‘Because that’s what we do, especially when we’re vulnerable. He was family, something to hold onto. Anyone would have done the same,’ he smiled at now, touching her face. ‘That’s what makes us human.’ He leaned forward and kissed her. ‘You don’t have to do anything with the money. Give it away. Use it to do something good, donate it somewhere in David’s name. But don’t ever blame yourself.’
Zea leaned her head against her new husband’s. God, she c
ouldn’t get used to calling Flynt that and yet it felt so right, so natural. ‘You know what. Mr. Newlan. If I hadn’t gone through all of that, I would never have met you.’
Flynt grinned. ‘Nah, I would have found you.’
Zea laughed. ‘Do you know what, Flynt Newlan? I think you would have.’
Kizzie had ignored Ethan’s texts but now she was getting pissed. ‘Just change your number,’ Bree had told her but Kizzie demurred. Why? She asked herself, and realized that she felt there was unfinished business between them.
The number that came up now, however, she didn’t know. ‘Hello?’
‘Hey, sorry to call but is this Kizzie Kline?’ An older male voice, not elderly, but she supposed him to be late thirties, forties.
‘Who is this?’
‘Sorry, my name is Jake Fonseca. I’m Ethan’s brother and I’m sorry to call you but we have a little crisis here. Ethan is missing.’
Kizzie’s heart almost stopped. ‘What?’
‘Look, I’m sorry to drop this on you but I’m just going through Ethan’s cell phone contacts and – ‘
‘– how long has he been missing?’
Jake Fonseca sighed heavily. ‘Thirty-six hours. We’re just calling everyone to see if they have any clue. He had a relapse a couple of nights ago, was readmitted to the hospital. He went missing from his room, and we can’t find him anywhere. He left his phone, his wallet, most of his clothes. In this weather…’
‘I understand, and I wish I could tell you where he is. Have they searched the entire hospital? I mean, the roof and everywhere?’
‘Every inch. So, you don’t know anything?’ Jake sounded impatient to get off and call the next person, and Kizzie didn’t want to keep him. She said goodbye and then sat down heavily. God. Ethan was missing. Had she been to blame? Cutting him out like that without letting him explain?
‘Fuck,’ she said softly. She had been mad at him for Lexi’s sake, but Lexi was dead, nothing could hurt her anymore and Ethan…
Ethan had held her sister as she died. Ethan had comforted her…
‘Holy hell,’ Kizzie said and darted for her keys. She grabbed her coat as she swung out of her door and ran to her car. It was time to step up. It was time to find Ethan and get the whole truth from him.
EVERGREEN
An Alpha Billionaire Romance
Part #8: Ethan
By Michelle Love
#8: Ethan
Heartbeat. One. Two. Three. Try to breathe. Keep calm.
Kizzie Kline sat with Jake Fonseca as they waited in the hospital’s emergency room. They were waiting for the ambulance to arrive, the police, the search party staff. Jake sat forward, his elbows on his knees, never taking his eyes off the door. Kizzie hesitantly put her hand on his shoulder. ‘He’ll be okay.’
But she knew she was lying, and that Jake knew that as well. Five days. Five days Ethan had been missing and now this. Kizzie closed her eyes. Why didn’t I listen to you? Why didn’t I take your calls, give you a chance?’
She had joined Jake’s search parties after he had called her and had worked side by side with Ethan’s brother to scour every location they could think of.
Where are you?
But until an hour ago, no-one knew. Then the call. We found him, behind some dumpsters Downtown. It’s bad.
It’s bad. God…all Kizzie and Jake knew now was that Ethan was being rushed to hospital with knife wounds. How many and how serious? Christ…please, Ethan, don’t give up. Please, please stay with us.
Jake stood suddenly, and adrenaline flooded Kizzie’s system. Outside the double doors, she saw the ambulance, a swarm of first responders, then finally, the gurney. Jake darted forward, Kizzie close behind him. Ethan was so pale, so white, his eyes closed, his breathing shallow. He was covered in blood.
‘Oh, my God,’ she whispered as Jake howled his brother’s name. A policeman took them aside as Ethan was rushed into surgery.
‘Kids, in here.’ He steered them into a relative’s room and made them sit. ‘Look, I’m sorry to have to tell you that it looks like Ethan’s been stabbed. We found him with multiple wounds to the chest and arms…we think he may have been attacked sometime in the night.’
Jake, his eyes tormented, shook his head in disbelief. ‘But where has he been for the past five days? That’s what I don’t get? And why try to kill him, he didn’t have anything with him.’
‘He had one thing with him, but we are having trouble knowing why he had it.’
He handed Jake a sealed clear evidence bag. ‘Do you know this woman, Mr. Fonseca?’
Jake squinted at the photograph in the bag and shook his head. Kizzie’s heart was pounding.
‘May I have a look, please?’
Jake handed her the bag and Kizzie, with dread and certainty, looked down at the photograph of her dead sister. ‘It’s Lexi,’ she said, her voice a whisper. ‘It’s my sister. Oh God…officer, I don’t think Ethan was attacked.’
The police officer and Jake stared at her as her eyes filled with tears. ‘What do you mean?’
Kizzie began to cry softly. ‘I think he did it to himself. I think Ethan was trying to kill himself.’ She broke into noisy sobs as Jake and the policeman looked at each other in shock.
Zea slid her arms around Flynt’s waist and kissed him. He responded and she felt him relax in her arms. After the diner had been destroyed, Flynt had insisted that they – Zea, Teresa, their boss Amos, and himself – go into business together. ‘I’m thinking high-end catering?’ Zea and Teresa were excited, but Amos gratefully declined. ‘I’m going where the sun is, thank you, Flynt. My sister had been nagging me to go live with her in San Diego, and you know what? I’m gonna do it.’
They would miss their kind old boss but now Zea and Teresa were planning their future. Flynt was putting up the capital and even talking about building a restaurant. Zea reeled him in when he got too ambitious – ‘Dude, I might be a trained chef but I’m nowhere near cordon bleu standard.’ – but Flynt shook his head.
‘Don’t put yourselves down; the diner was one of the most popular in Portland for a reason. Now, what’s so bad with being a high quality but still family based establishment?’
In the end, Zea and Teresa let Flynt get ambitious and went along with whatever he suggested. Both were excited about the potential.
Better still, was Zea and Flynt’s new life together. Free of the threat of Jared Podesta, they embraced married life, planning their future together.
One Saturday, they spent the day in a city coffeehouse, just talking and planning while the rain poured down outside.
Zea snuggled into Flynt’s arms. ‘Baby. What a year it’s been.’
He sighed and buried his face in her hair.
‘Do you believe it?’ He muttered.
‘That Jared is dead? I don’t know, I really don’t. I hope, though. I hope, is all.’
Flynt nodded, glanced at his watch and smiled. ‘Well, would you look at that, managed to waste a whole day. C’mon bub, I’m taking you home.’
His cell phone beeped and he answered it. ‘Oh hey, Mike. Yeah? Okay, well, we’re in the city…Bruno’s, why? Okay, see you in a few.’
‘What was that?’ Zea looked at her husband curiously.
‘Mike and Teresa are on their way, something about the case.’
In a few minutes, Mike appeared at the door, an excited Teresa practically bouncing at his shoulder.
He held a sheet of paper out to Flynt ‘It’s not one hundred per cent confirmed but…’
As Flynt read, Teresa grinned at Zea and put her arms around Milo. He flushed and kissed her cheek.
Flynt, his face stunned, held the paper out to Zea. She took the paper and looked at it, not understanding what the technical jargon meant. She looked up at Flynt, eyes wide. He smiled, a wide, genuine grin of elation.
‘They’ve found, and I’m quoting, a familial match. Whoever that was in the fire is biologically related to David. They need to do mo
re tests to make sure and see if they can pin down the exact relationship but…’
He was cut off as Zea threw herself into his arms and kissed him. ‘It’s over?’
Flynt laughed as their friends looked on. ‘It really is, my love, it really is.’
Emory Dutta smiled as she felt Dante’s lips drifted slowly up her spine. ‘Good morning.’
She heard him chuckle softly, then his body cover hers. ‘And the same to you, beautiful. How about you roll over and show me properly just how good a morning it is?’
Emory giggled and did as he asked. They were laying a pool of sunlight on his massive king-sized bed, and Emory had never felt more alive than she did at this moment. The last weeks as they had enjoyed each other were a fairy tale as far as she was concerned. Every day more memories came back, especially those of her miserable marriage and every time she thought she might break from the horror of it, Dante was there to hold her, talk to her, love her.
And their lovemaking…Emory knew she could never give this up. They connected at such a deep level, and when Dante was inside of her, she truly felt she was home.
She stroked back his curls now. When he was happy, his swarthy face took on an almost boyish look – in sharp contrast to when his temper was roused – never directed at her, rather in response to her remembering how Ray Grace had treated her but then Dante’s face would harden, become almost menacing. She didn’t tell him, but it kind of turned her on when he was like it.
He was looking down at her now, his green eyes intense. ‘What are you thinking?’
She smiled. ‘I was thinking that I never want to leave this moment with you.’
Dante grinned. ‘Well, that’s good to know because I have a little something for you…’
She could already feel his cock hard against her thigh, and she chuckled, wrapping her legs around his waist. ‘That’s nowhere in the realm of being little,’ she teased then gasped as he drove it into her, shuddering and trembling with the force of his love. She kissed him as they moved together, bodies twisting and cleaving to the motion.
Evergreen: An Alpha Billionaire Romance Page 22
