“That’s the way it is when you lose a parent, I’m afraid,” Bob said settling in and pulling out a folder. “You get this image of them in your head when you’re little and no matter how much you grow up and know they’re not that way, it’s hard to realize just how different and flawed they really are.”
“I was particularly interested in this one,” Lucas said, pulling the photograph from his pocket and setting it on the desk.
“The one in Rio,” Bob nodded. “Gorgeous place. One of your father’s favorites I believe. Let me find the details on that one.”
Lucas swallowed hard as he considered making an excuse for not having the death certificate. He felt the weight of the knife in his deep coat pocket but didn’t want to have to use it. There were too many witnesses in the outer area and a place like this would almost certainly have security cameras. Bob seemed agreeable enough. If he said he’d left the certificate at home and would fax a copy – did anyone even use fax machines anymore? – or that he would mail one… Bob hadn’t mentioned it yet. Perhaps it would be better to wait until he did. Maybe it wouldn’t come up until Lucas had everything he needed.
He had stopped paying attention as he pondered and it took a moment to refocus on what Bob was telling him. There was contact information for the property manager in Rio, the rental agreement for a secluded property in Alberta, Canada, and the details on a sale for an estate in northern Italy. Lucas nodded and took the folders of information, flipping through the pages and scanning for details that might indicate a place David would have gone to hide.
The closest were the Alberta and Rio properties. It would have been easier for David to make it to Alberta, but if given strictly personal preference, David would probably go for the crowded beach as opposed to the reclusive spot. He pulled out his phone and, pretending to check messages, began noting down the addresses for the various properties. It would take some organizing on his part, but he would visit each and every one to see where his father was hiding out, even if he had to drive all the way to Rio himself.
“Do you have another appointment?” Bob asked, as Lucas’s head remained bowed.
“Hmm?” Lucas asked looking up. He’d finished typing in the addresses and tapped a button to switch the screen. “Oh, uh… no, but it is a bit of a drive back and I should probably be leaving soon to make it before—”
“Say no more,” Bob assured him and stacked the pages into a neat pile, holding it out for Lucas to take. “Take these and discuss things with your father’s lawyer. When you’ve figured out what you want to do about the properties, give me a call.”
Lucas took the pages and stood to leave, hesitating at the door before deciding not to mention the non-existent death certificate. No need to call attention to it now. “Thank you Bob. I’ll be in touch.”
Pleased with what he was able to learn, Lucas grinned at the receptionist who was just settling in behind the front desk after her lunch break. He headed out for his car, his attention focused on the folder in his hand instead of where he was going. He collided with another body similarly distracted and both ended up on the ground.
“I’m sorry,” Lucas began to say, holding a hand out to help the other fellow up. Both froze, the man on the ground for only a moment before mumbling about its being his fault and pushing himself from the pavement, keeping his head ducked. But Lucas didn’t question his instantaneous recognition. His hand clamped down on the older man’s arm as he steered him away from the open parking lot and towards the side of the building where support posts and a garbage dumpster would provide a little privacy.
The man didn’t fight Lucas. He wore an odd expression somewhere between disappointment and pride. “Hello, Dad,” Lucas said in a low voice. He stood less than a foot away. David’ back was pressed against the cool, shaded stone corner of the building. Lucas stood blocking the easiest path to freedom. It wouldn’t take too much effort to shove Lucas aside but he didn’t. He was surprised to feel an easing of something in his chest as he looked at his son. He hadn’t taken the time to think much about the young man or anything else from the life he’d fled.
“Good to see you recognize your old man,” David said.
“You didn’t really think a little hair dye and… what did you do to your eyes?”
“Contact lenses. Not bad eh? I’m lucky my eyes are so light to begin with. It’s much harder to try blue lenses are brown eyes. Color doesn’t always look right,” David began rambling and blinking as talking about the lenses brought them to his attention. If he was sufficiently distracted, he could sometimes forget they were there but certain movements of his eye could shift the lens in painful and eye watering ways.
“Well, it’ll take more than a few little tricks to fool me,” Lucas said, reclaiming the conversation.
David wouldn’t let him have it. “I wasn’t aiming to fool you or anyone who knows me personally,” he admitted with a smile. “What are you even doing here?”
“I found Bob’s number when I was going through your things,” Lucas grinned like a rooster that believes he’s outwitted a fox. He held up the folder of information Bob had printed off and given him. “I know all about your foreign properties now.”
“But you’re not here with the cops,” David pointed out. “And you haven’t told them about Bob so there’s something else you’re playing at. What were you hoping to accomplish? Trying to get at some of the money and property I’ve stashed away? Have they taken everything and you don’t like the prospect of having to earn your own way?” David watched Lucas’s reaction carefully. They were his fallback taunts and Lucas usually grew frustrated and walked away rather than confront his own laziness. But Lucas wasn’t backing down or shying away from David this time.
“Is it a reward then? You want to make sure you have me so you can get full credit for turning me in. If you gave them the information about Bob and the houses, they’d send in teams to get me and it could be difficult for you to collect any reward; more likely, they’d be suspecting you of being my accomplice. Could wind up charged yourself,” David was rambling again. He’d learned early that throwing words at people tended to confuse or dazzle them enough to buy valuable time. There was more than one way to talk your way out of a situation. “Of course, if you hold me and call them now, they’ll wonder whether you knew where I was all along. Could still be charged yourself.”
“I’m not doing this for myself,” Lucas finally said through gritted teeth. Everything he’d thought about saying or asking his father should he ever see him again had vanished from his mind. Instead of coherent thoughts, he was torn between a desire to throttle the man and hug him, to scream and to cry.
“Who’re you doing it for then?”
“Zoe,” Lucas said, taking a step closer to his father. She would have to come home and pay attention to him now.
David laughed. “Zoe? Son, I know I told you to fix things with that girl but she’s too much for you,” he said dismissing Lucas’s righteous attitude with a little wave of his hand. “There was only a small window when you had any influence over her and you slammed it shut with both hands. This won’t open it again. It’s nailed shut.”
“You killed Steve,” Lucas accused. “You hurt—”
“What happened to Steve was regrettable but necessary,” David said flatly. “If you let sentiment get in the way of self-preservation you’re a fool. It’s difficult to enjoy martyrdom when you’re dead.”
“I’m going to—”
“You’re not going to do anything or you’d have already done it,” David challenged. He could see that he had Lucas where he needed him, where he could use him. It was lucky he’d caught Lucas by surprise. At first, the shock of seeing his son had created a small bubble of panic, but whatever Lucas had planned to do when he found David, he wasn’t prepared to do it so soon. That moment of hesitation had given David the necessary opening and now he’d sown the fast-growing seeds of doubt. “You’re just using Zoe as an
excuse to do something you wanted to do anyway.”
“And what’s that?” Lucas asked, skeptical.
“Get one over on me,” David said. “And you have. You’ve got me and you can turn me in for whatever that’s worth. You’ve proved that you’re not as useless as I gave you credit for.” He stopped smiling and put on his sincerity. “I’m sorry, Lucas. I lied to you because I didn’t think you would… understand, or be able to handle the kind of life that goes with the truth. Maybe it was true when you were younger, but I should have realized that you were old enough to be trusted, that you deserved to know the truth and make up your own mind.”
Lucas had set his jaw and was unconsciously nodding in agreement.
“I’m sorry that Zoe got hurt in this mess,” David said. “I always liked her. I hope she’s not taking things too hard. Before… well, when you two were together… she seemed to make you really happy. I’m sorry your timing worked against you.” David gave a little half-smile and ducked his head. “Kind of reminds me of how things ended with your mother, actually. You don’t get over a woman like that.”
“No,” Lucas said, looking down at his own toes. “I don’t suppose you do. Have… Did you ever… I mean…” Lucas struggled to find a tactful way to approach his question. “When you and Mom split up…”
“It was my fault,” David interrupted. “All of it. Of course, you know about how I… cheated with Barbara. I don’t know… No, that’s not true. I do know why I did it. I wanted to feel… the thrill again.” He looked to Lucas whose eyebrows rose. “Not that kind of thrill. That was never a problem with your mother,” David confided with a crude wink.
Lucas grimaced. “You know, I don’t think I want to know after all.”
But David continued. “I meant the thrill of doing something you weren’t supposed to. Your mother – Diane – she knew about Allan Peters. She took me by surprise when I met her but I was already in things so deep. It would have been impossible for us to have the kind of life she wanted if I didn’t put all that behind me. She gave me an ultimatum just before you were born. She didn’t want that kind of life for you and told me I had to choose. I chose the two of you.” He looked his son in the eye, willing him to feel the magnitude of what that decision had meant, what it had cost. “I got out of the games I’d been running, we changed our name, and I went legit. But they were still after me and when you were seven or eight, they got pretty close. That was when we came out here. Not long after that, she met the Butlers and the Dunmores and managed to get me in with them. There was a… close call, but I took care of it. And I did everything I could to give Diane the life she wanted for us.”
Couldn’t have tried too hard, Lucas thought to himself. “If you cared about Mom so much, why’d you fight so hard to take me away from her? Why’d you turn around and marry Barbara? Why didn’t you fight harder for her?”
“I was scared,” David said. “And upset. I didn’t think she’d leave me and when she did… I panicked. I was hurt and wanted to hurt her back. Taking you seemed the best way to do that. She threatened to give me up but I told her if that happened, I’d make sure she went away with me. She’d rather you were safe with me than wind up in the system. She didn’t want to hurt your chances at a normal life.”
Lucas had relaxed his body and taken several steps back so that David no longer had his back pressed into the wall. He was leaning against it comfortably while Lucas milled about. Most of the office’s employees had returned from their lunch breaks, though few had noticed the pair of men deep in conversation in the shadows.
“So, what are you doing here?” Lucas finally got around to asking. “I know Bob isn’t expecting you and it might give him a heart attack if he does. He hadn’t heard anything about how you’re a wanted man. I told him you’d died.”
David laughed but the gears in his mind continued to turn. “Surprising him would probably be a bad idea then. Especially if I were to suddenly show up looking like this,” he gestured to his lightened hair. “I’ll make do,” he said with a certainty that impressed Lucas. “I always manage. I was going to discuss having the payments from the rented out properties sent to a PO Box that belonged to a friend of mine since I retired early and was spending some time traveling. But that probably won’t sound too kosher coming from a dead man.”
Lucas chuckled. “Doubt it. Where were you gonna go to hide out? I had a little bet with myself that it would be Rio.”
David nodded. “Wasn’t planning to hide so much but yeah, it was gonna be Rio.”
“Still could be,” Lucas said quietly, using his toe to kick at a loose piece of the concrete sidewalk.
David looked up with feigned surprise. “So… you’re not going to turn me in?”
Lucas sighed. “You’re my dad,” he shrugged. “You made sure I didn’t want for anything, even if you did bend the law to do it.”
“What about Zoe?”
“She… She doesn’t want me,” he muttered. “Not any more. There… there was another guy.”
“Was?” David asked with curiosity.
Lucas smiled. “I… took care of him. She doesn’t seem to want me back. But at least I don’t have to think about her being with him.”
David nodded, impressed. “So… Rio. You want to join me? I’ve got enough stashed away that they haven’t found yet. We could set ourselves up nicely.”
Lucas pulled the photo of the beach house from his pocket. “I could probably arrange to have Bob switch the address for those payments for you. He’s expecting me to contact him after talking to your lawyer about what to do with your properties.” He held the photo out for David to take. “Shouldn’t be too difficult.”
“No, it shouldn’t. And there are probably a few other things you could retrieve for me that would help get us where we’re going.” He looked at the beach house and could almost feel the warm breeze in his hair, the hot sand working its way between his toes. “You’ll have to be vigilant. They’ll be watching you closely. You’ve got to hide what you’re actually doing carefully.”
“Just tell me what to do and how to do it,” Lucas said, taking the photo back and returning it to his pocket.
Chapter 25
Heat prickled down Aiden’s arm as he felt her fingers trail along his skin. She took his hand in hers and squeezed, twisting it and nibbling at the thin skin on the back of his hand. A rush ran through his veins as he remembered the way it felt when she’d touched other parts of his body during their late-night encounter in her office.
Her fingers began to gently massage his limbs, prod his abdomen. He clenched the blanket tightly as she got closer and closer to his more sensitive areas. She was teasing him and he couldn’t wait to pay her back in kind. Soon, he would have her on her back and at his mercy. He would make her beg for him to take her and let her have her release. Payback would be slow and sweet.
There was a weightlessness severing the ties tethering his body to the bed where he lay. His limbs were loosening and he could feel his control over them fading. What was she doing to him? He tried to lift his head and look but it wouldn’t obey and darkness was closing in. The hand that had started it all returned to his wrist and gave a brief squeeze before it was gone, leaving only the warmth of her skin on his behind.
“Aiden? Wake up, honey,” he heard a familiar voice calling quietly to him. But it wasn’t Zoe’s voice. He fought to raise his eyelids. The weightlessness he’d felt only moments before had been replaced with a crushing gravity. It pressed him into the bed so that he couldn’t move. It would have been forgivable, welcome even if it had been the weight of Zoe lying naked and spent on top of him, cutting off the circulation in his arms and legs.
But the heaviness was drug induced. The face hovering above him was surrounded by a grey halo of hair rather than the glowing red one he longed to see.
“What… happened?” he croaked. His throat was dry and scratchy. His searching eyes locked on a cup of water to his r
ight and Jack reached over to get it for him. Aiden couldn’t raise his hand to take the cup himself.
“You had another seizure,” Jack explained. He wiped a dribble that escaped from Aiden’s mouth as he struggled to process the information while swallowing. “You hit your head on the counter on the way down. They want to keep you over night to make sure you don’t have a concussion.”
“Oh.” Aiden stared up at the ceiling. He wanted to ask whether they’d heard anything from Zoe but it had been weeks since he’d called her office, just hoping to hear her voice, and Mason had answered. He’d told Aiden that Zoe was traveling in the wake of… everything. There was much that had hung in the air unspoken between them. Aiden couldn’t bring himself to ask and Mason wasn’t about to sell his friend out. His loyalty was to Zoe.
It hurt to think that she had gone without saying a word to him. Aiden hadn’t been comfortable talking about it to his grandmother, despite her assurances that he could tell her anything and that it was obvious something was bothering him beyond the accident and his slow recovery. Jack wouldn’t let him off the hook though. He’d seen more of Zoe’s interactions with Aiden prior to the accident and had his suspicions about what might have been blossoming between the two.
Aiden was awed at the maturity in his younger brother as he began to confide bits and pieces of his complicated relationship with Zoe; before long, he’d confessed everything, though he kept the juicy details of the night they spent on the couch in her office to a minimum. Jack had reddened a bit here and there as he listened, nodding and taking everything in without judgment or comment. He let Aiden vent his frustration and hurt. It was as painful as the last time they’d parted after the accident that had claimed the lives of their parents; at least then she’d had the decency to tell him she didn’t want to see him to his face. This time she’d slunk away without comment.
Promised Box Set Page 28
