Blood Rose

by P. T. Michelle

  When Sebastian steps through the doorway, I nod to acknowledge him as Talia fills him in. “I just got a call from your father’s secretary. She said this is the third day this week that Mina came in late. Your dad told her that Mina’s trying to adjust after what happened with Regan.”

  “That woman is such a busy-body.”

  When he snorts, Talia rests her hand on his lapel. “She’s not tattling, Sebastian. I believe she’s genuinely worried about her.”

  Sebastian presses his mouth together and buttons his suit jacket. “I’ll head over to Blake Towers now.”

  She lowers her hand, her eyebrows lifting. “Would you like me to go? I need to discuss something with Calder first, but I can go after that.”

  “No, I’ll go,” he says, shaking his head. “My sister and I haven’t talked as much since Joey was born. We should have Mina and Josi over for dinner soon, but for now, I’ll take her to an early lunch.”

  Once Sebastian leaves, I lean against the doorjamb. “Why have I been summoned to your office?”

  Tucking her hair behind her ear, Talia says, “The other day when Cass asked me for pointers on how to detect if someone was following her, she mentioned seeing a blur of a dark-haired man.”

  I stand upright, suddenly tense. Talia holds up her hand and continues in a calm tone. “At the time, I told her it was probably the paparazzi waiting to capture that picture of you two.”

  “Makes sense. Two of the reporters that day had dark hair.” When she doesn’t seem appeased, I frown. “Why do I feel there’s a ‘but’ coming?”

  Talia turns her laptop around, pulling up a set of photos. “I didn’t want to assume anything, but while I was evaluating these photos Cass took for me over the course of a week, and with Cass’s comments stuck in the back of my mind, this is what I noticed.”

  She selects three different photos and in every one, there’s a dark-haired man in the background. Pointing to them, she sighs. “Unfortunately, this is the clearest one, but the face is obscured. In the other two photos, the background image is too blurred for us to determine any facial features. And before you ask, I had Elijah look for cameras around those areas, but the guy seemed to know how to avoid them.”

  When I pull my phone out to call Cass, Talia says, “This man could very well have been paparazzi. We can’t know for sure.”

  She’s clearly tense about something. My gaze narrows. “I know you, Talia. You don’t stop digging. What aren’t you telling me?”

  “I tried to think who might want to follow her. The only person I could think of was Phillip.”

  I stiffen. “He’s in jail. There’s not a lot he can do from a cell.”

  Nodding, she walks over to her copier and grabs a print out. “I agree, but he could have someone else do it for him. Though I’m not sure why he would do that at this point.”

  I know a reason Phillip might want to follow Cass. I hate that I can’t tell Talia about Celeste. My hands curl into fists underneath my crossed arms and I nod to the paper in her hand. “What’s that?”

  She holds it between her hands. “I have a connection at the prison who provided me with the visitor logs. I asked for the names of people who’ve visited Phillip to see if I could match their faces to the images we have in the background of Cass’s photos.”

  “And did you find any?” I put my hand out for the paper.

  “I’m still working on connecting the names listed with photos once I identify them. But I did see a name that I didn’t expect on the list.”

  She’s definitely apprehensive about something. When Talia doesn’t hand me the paper right away, I lean over and tug it from her hands. “Who is it?” I ask, while quickly scanning the list. Rage jolts through me when I see Ben’s name on the visitor log, not just once, but three times this month.

  “What the hell is Hemming doing? He said he hated his father for what he tried to do to Cass…and for what he did to Celeste. For fucking shooting me. That lying son-of-a-bitch! I told you he couldn’t be trusted.” Crushing the paper in my hand, I turn in the doorway and grit out, “Where is he?”

  “He was supposed to come in today, but he’s not here yet,” she says quietly behind me. “There could be an explanation, Calder. Tread carefully.”

  “He’ll just lie again and give me some bullshit answer,” I say in a curt tone. I’m done with giving Ben the benefit of the doubt.

  Den moves to stand next to me, his tone calm, but his stance on alert. “Is there a problem, Talia?”

  “He’s just upset.” She puts her hand on my arm. “When Ben gets here, you’re going to have a rational conversation. Right, Calder?”

  I frown, but am saved from responding when Elijah steps out of his office and walks over to us. “I’ve got a bit of information for you from Cass’s credit card company. Apparently this thief wasn’t all that smart. Late yesterday, they used the new credit card to set up a bottled water delivery service. Somehow the credit card company didn’t catch this one, probably because it’s a recurring payment and runs through a different database.”

  I shake my head. “Is there any way you can get me the idiot’s delivery address?”

  “I think I might be able to.”

  “Then do it.”

  Elijah nods, then furrows his brow. “One thing you should know. I wasn’t the only one poking around in that database.”

  “What do you mean?” I say, glancing between Talia and Den. “Was the whole credit card company’s database compromised?”

  “No, that’s why I’m mentioning it. The company’s database wasn’t touched. Only Cass’s credit card data has been accessed by someone other than me.”

  My jaw tightens and I give him a curt nod. “Get me that address.” Putting my phone to my ear, I dial Cass’s number. “We can pay the asshole a visit later and call the police to arrest him.”

  Her phone goes straight to voicemail and as I leave the message, “Cass, call me,” I hear the buzz of an incoming text in my ear.

  I glance down at my phone to read two back-to-back texts from Cass.

  My hand tightens on the phone, alarm bells going off in my head. She’s going to Beacon to meet with Celeste and Ben is taking her? “Fucking hell.”

  “What’s wrong, Calder?”

  Why would Cass allow Ben to take her to where Celeste lives? It doesn’t make sense. What if he forced her? My whole body tenses with the need to hammer Hemming into the ground. “Ben is with Cass. I don’t know what his agenda is, but if it involves his father, I’m not waiting around to find out.” Bolting for the door, I call over my shoulder, “Have Bash meet me there.”

  “Where is Cass going?” Talia asks, her tone tense. “Calder. Wait!”

  Vibrating with the need to get to Cass ASAP, I stop at the door and glance Talia’s way. Cass made me promise never to reveal Celeste’s existence, and it’s hard as hell not to yell out the truth. This shit is eating me alive.

  Setting my jaw, I say, “I’ll call you once I’m on the road.”

  Talia looks at Den who’s retrieving his gun from his desk. “Den’s going with you. Sebastian will follow as soon as he can.” She holds her phone up. “Ben’s phone is going straight to voicemail, but Cass’s is ringing as if she’s out of range. I’ll keep trying to get through.” As Den walks to the door, Talia’s steady gaze holds mine across the room. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but you need to give Ben a chance to explai—”

  “She is my life. If he’s done anything to put her in harm’s way, I’ll roll right over him to protect her,” I snarl, then walk out.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Cass

  I’m tense with the need to know how Ben knew that was Celeste’s lab report, so I quickly say, “There was nothing on it to indicate it was Celeste’s, so how did you know?”

  “Because the lab results also showed a high score for a pregnancy hormone,” Ben answers calmly. “The only pregnant person during that time frame, other than Talia, was Celeste.”

/>   When I just stare at him while trying to think of what to say, Ben hits the steering wheel with the heel of his hand. “What the hell is it going to take?” Shaking his head, he continues, “I’ve tried really hard while working two goddamn jobs, but apparently no one in your tight-knit Blake circle ever really trusted me. I don’t even know why I’m still working there.”

  “That’s not true, Ben.” I’ve never seen him so angry. I feel horrible. He can’t leave. “I know that Calder has been tough on you—”

  “I would’ve thought that you of all people would trust me, Cass,” he cuts me off, his dark gaze narrowing on me. “But I guess since you’re about to marry a Blake, you’ve already converted to their mindset too. I just don’t see the point of sticking around. I mean if I’m never going to be trusted, why bother?”

  I touch his arm. “I’m still me, Ben. Nothing has changed. I trust you.”

  “Really?” He looks doubtful, returning his focus to the road. “What’s the big deal then? Why didn’t you tell me that I was evaluating Celeste’s blood? And for that matter, why are you even looking at a dead woman’s blood work?”

  The pain in his expression is very real. I imagine that being rejected by his half-brother has a lot to do with his current mood. Or maybe it’s because it was Celeste’s blood? I bite my lip and try to think of the right thing to say to get him to stay. If he leaves, there’s no chance he and Calder will ever become close. Maybe if I share a secret only Calder and I know, that will help Ben feel that he is absolutely trusted. Just like family should be. It’s a huge risk, but I believe keeping Ben in our lives is worth it.

  I take a deep breath and answer. “Because Celeste isn’t actually dead.”

  “What!” His gaze jerks to mine and we swerve slightly.

  “Watch the road,” I say quickly, grabbing onto the door handle.

  Gripping the steering wheel tighter, he flicks a hard look my way. “Explain, Cass. Right now.”

  “Before I say anything else, you should know that besides Calder, you are the only other person who knows this. You can’t, under any circumstances, tell another soul.”

  He nods, his tone less combative. “Tell me.”

  I exhale to calm my nerves. “I didn’t have a clue about Celeste’s plan until I found the note she left for me on a thumb drive after the trial was over.” When he doesn’t speak, I relay how she explained what she’d done and why, and how I’ve had to keep her secret that I’d been duped into helping her carry out ever since.

  He doesn’t say a word while I talk, but once I’m done, he glances my way with astonished anger simmering in his gaze. “My father told me that he was innocent and I never believed him. He’s in jail for a murder he didn’t commit and you’ve had proof this whole time? How can you sit there and tell me that’s not some fucked up shit?”

  I bristle at his accusation. “I didn’t create this mess, Ben. It’s not right, I agree, but neither is what Phillip did to Celeste when she was just a teen or throughout her life. Nor the fact that he shot Calder and tried to frame me for Celeste’s disappearance so the blame wouldn’t blow back on him. He did everything he could to make sure his past with her wouldn’t come out. Your father is a certified psychopath. You know that he absolutely deserves jail time.”

  His gaze stays locked on the road. “Not for this, he doesn’t.”

  The fact he hasn’t looked at me again, worries me. “You can’t say anything, Ben. Not ever. The digital letter Celeste left behind is destroyed, so the proof is gone. I don’t agree with what she did, but there’s an innocent child’s life to consider in all of this. You know as well as I do, even from prison, Phillip would try to assert his parental rights for a slice of the Carver legacy.”

  “Is that what makes it easier for you to sleep at night?” he snaps. “Fucked up justice is just that, Cass. Fucked up!”

  My stomach churns at his fury. I hated my inadvertent part in this whole deal, but I’ve learned to live with it. Did I just make a huge mistake by telling Ben?

  He glances my way, and his furious expression settles some. “What does any of what you’ve told me have to do with Celeste’s health? And where the hell is she?”

  I start to speak when my phone pings with a text from Talia.

  Calder is on his way to the address you gave him. I did a bit more digging after discovering a dark-haired man in the background of three of your surveillance photos. To be safe, I checked to see if Phillip had any dark-haired male visitors recently. We’re trying to match names to faces now, but one important thing, Ben was on the list of visitors. He saw his father three times this past month. That could mean nothing at all, but I just thought you should know. Can you tell me what’s going on? Calder’s very tight-lipped, but he’s worried for you. Is everything okay?

  According to the timestamp of Talia’s text, Calder’s not far behind us. Maybe ten minutes? I’m so glad for that traffic we got stuck in leaving the city. Calder might be even closer. I quickly text her a response.

  Thank you for the update. I had no idea about Ben, but I’m glad Calder’s coming. I’m fine right now. We’re five minutes away from Beacon.

  I text one last note and hit send.

  Things could get a bit dicey once we arrive at the house.

  Ben glances at my phone. “Your phone works? The service out here is crap so I shut mine off to save the battery.”

  I stare at my texts stuck in Send mode and my stomach churns. When the undelivered message pops up, I cut my gaze over to Ben. My heart rate jumps as I stare at his dark hair. Not once did I consider that the man following me could be Ben. He’s also the right height of the glimpse of the guy I saw in the library. In light of what Talia just told me about his visits to see his father, I have to wonder if I’ve been completely wrong about him this whole time. And God, if I was wrong about that, now I’ve just told him about Celeste…and I’m leading him right to her! I have to do something to stop this.

  I bite my lip, then say, “That text was from the lady I’m going to see. She had a family emergency and had to leave. She asked me to come back tomorrow.”

  “What?” Ben frowns, gesturing to the road. “We’re almost there. Did she finally give you her street number? You can just leave the stuff on her porch. I saw plastic bags in your purse. That should keep it safe until she returns.”

  “Yes, but she said—”

  “You said that she needed it today to get your project done in time. Let’s just get it delivered.”

  I take a deep breath and tell myself that it’s going to be okay. Celeste needs the money now. I can’t come back. She said she wouldn’t be there today, so she won’t see me arrive with someone else and Ben won’t see her either. He’ll never know this is where she lives unless I tip my hand. “I guess it’ll be okay.”

  Ben looks at me. “You didn’t answer my questions. Why did Celeste’s health report matter? And where has she been this whole time?”

  Now that I’m questioning his motives, I have no problem lying. “I haven’t had any contact with Celeste since she disappeared, so I don’t know where she is.” When he frowns, I say, “The date on that lab report was over a year ago, remember? As for why I asked, I wanted to know if Celeste had developed Lupus so I could convince Beth to get checked. She hasn’t looked well lately.”

  When Ben grunts as if he doesn’t like my answer, but at least accepts it, I let out a slow breath and look toward the side road we’ll need to take to get to Celeste’s house.

  While we turn away from the town of Beacon and head in the direction of Mount Beacon, I glance at Ben’s GPS, and my heart starts to race all over again. I have less than three miles to come up with a plan to get in and out of Celeste’s house without Ben seeing me.

  Celeste better not have kid toys on her lawn or anything that would make him suspicious that this house belongs to anyone other than the person I’ve told him.

  As we take the hairpin turn onto the road that’ll lead to Celeste’s house, I gl
ance down the hill to our left at her ranch style home with a manicured front lawn sitting in the middle of several acres of wooded land. There’s no other home around for miles.

  “This lady likes her privacy, doesn’t she?” Ben mutters and takes the long driveway down from the main road leading to Celeste’s house.

  “I guess.” I scan the well-mowed front and side lawns for any tale-tell signs of Celeste. The backyard isn’t massive and it drops off pretty steeply, running right into the woods behind it. There’s no car in the driveway, and while I’m relieved not to see any children’s toys, my heart twists a little, and I wonder again if something happened to Celeste’s child.

  Ben parks and takes his seatbelt off. “I’ll walk you to the door.”

  “That’s not necessary.” Quickly undoing my seatbelt, I slip the tote onto my shoulder and start to open the door, but Ben is already there opening it for me.

  With the house key hidden in my palm, I have no choice but to let him walk me to the door. “She said that I should put my stuff under the basket.” I squint at the front door. “But I don’t see one.” Looking at him, I gesture to the side of the house. “Could you check around the back and see if she has one on the back porch?”

  “Be right back,” Ben says and heads off.

  The moment he disappears around the corner, I slip the key into the lock. It takes several seconds that I don’t really have to get the key to work, but I finally open the door, then rush toward the kitchen table as fast as I can.

  Just like Celeste said it would be, the lockbox is lying open on the table, a few bills next to it. I don’t have time to neatly stack the money in it so it’ll close. Instead, I quickly pull the two plastic bags out of my tote and set the stacks inside the open box and the door key next to the box.

  Ready to get out of here, I take a fast glimpse around the room and notice that the small house is neat with a couch and side chair in front of a TV. Not a single picture is posted on the walls or any toys are lying about. No photos on the fridge…nothing to identify the owner. I frown at the sparseness of it all. Celeste’s life has really changed. Is she happier now? A part of me wants to walk into the bedroom so I can see a baby crib or playpen in there, but do I really want to know for sure? I should just leave and never look back.