Into The Rabbit Hole (Vandervilles Book 3)

by Khardine Gray

  Taylor

  They walked out to the coffee house near the station and sat outside, around one of the little wooden tables. An arch made of ivy and honeysuckle covered them. It smelled glorious and was just the thing Taylor would have taken the time to appreciate on a better day.

  “Thanks for taking time to see me.” Taylor thought she should thank him because she knew how busy he was.

  “Don’t be silly,” her father said, shaking his head. He then looked over at her and rested his hands on the table before them. They’d ordered two cups of coffee but neither had taken a sip. The two cups sat side by side, getting cold as the breeze wafted over them.

  “Dad,” she began. He looked up and it was the first time she noticed the redness in his normally lively, gray eyes. “I wanted to see you because our last meeting wasn’t exactly great.”

  She was in the hospital, very upset with him. She was disappointed because she’d caught him in the act with his secretary, and she was bitter and scared about what had happened to her.

  She was still disappointed in him. And it didn’t help that he’d been all over the news in the last two days with scandals of his previous dirty dealings, but he was still her father. The same blood may not run through their veins, but he was her father.

  “It was entirely my fault. Everything that’s happening is all my fault.” He bit the inside of his lips and focused on her.

  She didn’t know what to say to that because it was true. She couldn’t tell him that it wasn’t his fault, and there was nothing she could say to soften the blame, either. Everything that was happening was horrendous.

  However, that wasn’t why she was here. She didn’t want to cast blame. They were all in this and they all had to deal with it.

  “We’ll figure it out.” That probably sounded more positive than she felt.

  “I’ll figure it out,” he said with emphasis, then fixed his gaze on her. “How’ve you been?”

  “I’m okay.”

  “Good, and how are you with Brian?” There was a softness in his eyes that showed his sincerity.

  “I’m okay with him.” There was so much she wanted to ask him but didn’t know if she could. More importantly, she wanted him to know that she still loved him. “Dad, I don’t want you to think that I’ve replaced you.”

  “Brian’s a good man, a better man than me.”

  That was true, too. Thinking it was harsh, cruel even, but the truth of it outdid that.

  “You raised me and did everything for me,” Taylor told him. “And, I love you.”

  He held her gaze. That was the very best thing she could say. Despite everything that had happened, she loved him.

  He brought his hand up to the side of his face and ran his fingers over his cheek and stubbly chin. “I love you, too, Taylor, and I always will. I know, though, that your feelings will change towards me when you find out all that I’ve done.”

  “Maybe… But not the love.”

  She knew her father had to be truly despicable to have received a head in a box. That said everything and more. She got the feeling that he’d done terrible things in the past, really terrible things. The thought killed all the respect she had for him, but the love was still there. The familial bond they shared.

  “You’re an angel, you know that?”

  “No, I just try to be good.”

  He smiled at her briefly, then the serious expression returned to his face.

  “What’s happening now with Wade and the investigation?” she asked.

  “Not a lot. I’m requesting an extensive investigation on the crime scene, but since Wade looks so guilty and I’ve basically lost my stripes, it’s difficult to get approval. We need something more than our words to get it authorized.”

  “So we’re still sitting ducks?”

  “We’ll do our best.”

  “Is there anything I can do?” So far she hadn’t done anything to help and she really wanted to. Taylor just wasn’t sure what to do.

  “You can keep safe. That is the best thing that you can do.” His eyes filled with concern. “I almost lost you, Taylor. I can’t live through that again.”

  His words touched her heart, and she was reminded of how much love surrounded her.

  “Okay. I’ll do that. But if you can think of anything you think I can do, please let me know.”

  “Sure.” He reached out and smoothed his hands over hers. “Taylor, I’m really sorry for all that’s happening. I really am.”

  She offered a curt nod, just to show compassion. That was all she could offer him because she knew that there was so much more that she didn’t know about. She was far from okay with the uncomfortable feeling that settled in her stomach as she looked at him.

  He was her father, a man she’d grown up with and looked up to. Her brain wouldn’t allow the possibility of him doing terrible things to people. But she needed to accept it as a fact. That way she wouldn’t be as devastated as she feared she would be when she found out the truth.

  Finally, a moment of hope. Real hope. She’d been sitting with Chloe and Wes on the terrace, listening to their idea to save Wade.

  Well, actually it was Wes’ idea. Taylor couldn’t have been more grateful to him for his attempts.

  They’d come in ten minutes ago and started talking excitedly in one babble, but what she got was that Wes believed the camera on Wade’s bike might be of use to them.

  “I didn’t know bikes had anything like that,” she commented.

  “Yes.” Chloe nodded quickly and smiled. It was a real smile, unlike the labored ones she’d seen recently. “A motorcycle as good as Wade’s comes with a built-in camera that tracks where it is and its surroundings.”

  “We’re hoping that it recorded something from the night of the murder. Something from outside the house,” Wes jumped in. “That’s where all the action took place.”

  Taylor smiled at him and focused on his eyes. She liked the way he looked at her, and for all she cared they could have been the only people left on earth. Not that she wasn’t excited to have Chloe around. Her being back at the beach house was good for everyone’s blood pressure, especially Taylor’s, because she couldn’t help but worry about her friend in Wade’s house all by herself.

  Correction: it was Chloe’s house as well.

  Right now, though, it was difficult to focus on what they were both saying and not be excited that Wes was here.

  It was because they were telling her something good. That allowed her to distract herself for a moment or two by how handsome he was.

  “So it depends on what’s on the tape?”

  “Yes.” Wes nodded.

  “What if it was affected like the other cameras on the road?” That could happen.

  “No, this wouldn’t have been linked to the same system. It’s literally an internal recording system with its own mind.”

  “We can get the bike tomorrow,” Chloe added.

  They had to file an application for it because it was taken away from Merissa’s house as part of the evidence. Chloe said that Detective Fray had sped up the application because the bike wasn’t actually needed as evidence. Since Chloe lived with Wade, she claimed it back as part of her own possessions that they shared.

  It was an ingenious idea.

  “I hope it works.” Now she was thinking about Wade and what this could mean for him if Wes found what he was looking for.

  “He could come home.” Chloe beamed with excitement.

  “Girls, I don’t want to be the wet blanket, but this is all wishful thinking,” Wes said, bringing his hands together. “I’m hoping it works.” He looked at Chloe who nodded with understanding.

  “I know, it’s a big if. But I’m going to hope that it’s our ticket. My ticket.” Chloe looked desperate to believe in something.

  Taylor understood the need because it was hers, too. She desperately wanted Wade’s name cleared and for him to come home. The media reports were getting worse and, now that her father wa
s in the spotlight, all kinds of crazy was being posted. Just since she’d left him and come home another finding had emerged. She came in to a news headline stating, Benjamin Vanderville committed years of fraud to get his position as state’s attorney.

  Taylor’s heart shied away when she saw that, and she knew there was more to come. No one told her, she just knew. And she knew it was all going to be bad things.

  “My ticket, too,” Taylor agreed with Chloe. Her support elicited a smile from her friend.

  Chloe came to Taylor’s side and sat next to her, resting her head on her shoulder.

  “I’ll do my best.” Wes smiled.

  He was the person they needed. The person who could think outside the box of what was already available to them. She just hoped that this would work.

  Chloe lifted her head. “Should I make dinner? Kelly will be home soon.”

  Taylor looked at Wes, she wanted to spend time with him. He’d been coming by every day to see her. They never made that cinema trip, but she definitely enjoyed the little time they spent together walking on the beach, eating and talking about anything besides what was going on. She liked the kissing, too. He had the softest lips she’d ever felt and she loved the way he touched her.

  “I think I’ll pass,” Wes replied.

  Disappointment pinched her heart at the thought of him leaving.

  But then he said, “I have something to show Taylor.”

  She couldn’t help the smile that lifted her face. “Really?”

  He nodded.

  “You guys go and have fun.” Chloe looked at them both and her face brightened. Taylor was so different to when she was with Richard.

  She knew she wasn’t with Wes, exactly. Although it felt like they were official when she was with him, she supposed they weren’t really. They were at that phase of a relationship where you’d keep seeing each other until exclusivity was discussed. She was there in her mind. Definitely. He was the most perfect man she’d ever been with.

  Everything about him was perfect and she wanted him to feel the same way she felt too. Maybe for him that would come with time.

  “Thanks,” Wes said and Chloe left them.

  Wes stood up and reached his hand out to take Taylor’s. She took it gladly and rose to meet his awaiting lips.

  He kissed her softly, sending energy throughout her body. Making her feel as if she were walking on air. She pressed her hands onto the firm muscle of his chest and found herself wondering what the skin would look like there without the cotton t-shirt.

  It wasn’t a superhero one today. It was just a casual long-sleeved t-shirt that made his abs look good. That was the first thing she noticed when he walked in earlier.

  “Do you want to come to my house?” he asked against her lips.

  “Yes.” She smiled into more kisses.

  He pulled away with a truly sexy smile and took her hand to lead her away.

  A half an hour later she was transported to Wes’ magical world of wonder. They stood in his very large basement. Today it was the exact replica of Matira Beach in Bora Bora. She stood by what looked like the seashore on a perfect day with the bright sun beaming down on them, although evening was approaching. Taylor imagined the gentle swish of the sea at her fingertips, even though they were a few miles away from the beach.

  “You like it?” Wes asked in that nervous way that made him look even more attractive.

  She whirled around and gazed at him, allowing the ends of her hair to brush against the edges of her elbows.

  “I love it. How is…” She giggled, thinking of what she was going to say. This sort of thing was what he was used to, but for her, she’d always be memorized. “How are you doing this, Wes? I know I’m in L.A. and I’m not on the beach, and it will be dark in a few hours, but this is Bora Bora. My favorite place on earth.”

  Butterflies filled her stomach as she watched the corners of his sensual mouth turn up into an easy smile.

  “That’s why I did it. You seen Star Trek?”

  She almost jumped for joy. She actually had seen a few episodes of the series. “The holodeck,” she answered, and he looked impressed.

  “The holodeck, indeed.”

  “You have a real holodeck?” She widened her eyes at him. From what she saw on the show, that thing was amazing. It could project a hologram of anything, anywhere, and place you inside the simulation. This felt like that. If Wes had the technology to do something like that, then that would be phenomenal and she’d be expecting something like a Nobel prize.

  “Not exactly, it’s not nearly as sophisticated or futuristic. But it’s good, right?”

  “Wes, right now, I’m totally convinced that we’re in Bora Bora. Has Chloe ever seen this? I can’t believe she wouldn’t mention it, this is so cool.” She beamed, grinning with excitement.

  He’d been standing by a large rock formation and leaning against the tallest part of it. She watched as he moved away from it and smiled up at him as he came closer.

  “She doesn’t know about this.” Wes looked directly into her eyes. “I’ve been toying with the idea for awhile, and then I thought about how much you love Bora Bora, so that kicked me in gear to finish it. This is the only simulation it does at the moment. I did this for you.”

  No one had ever done anything like this for her before. Not even close. She could easily put it down to never being with anyone who was this super intelligent, but that wasn’t what this was about.

  What touched her was that he listened to her, knew how much she loved the place, and did something that he knew would have meaning for her. That was the sentiment that she valued.

  Taylor was taken with everything Wes did. Everything. He’d presented himself at a time in her life when she needed to be saved. Saved from fear, saved from disappointment, saved from a broken heart. In fact, on that, her heart only started to beat again when she realized how comfortable she was with him. She liked being in his world and in his mind. And…she supposed there was also one important thing that was becoming very evident, and that was the swift development of her feelings for him.

  Just now her feelings went through the roof. “You did this for me?”

  “Yeah, and look, the cologne brought you back to me.” He chuckled. “I’ve been buying it in multipacks.”

  She smiled, wanting to laugh, but found it more important to let him know that something more powerful than his highly valued cologne brought her here and would keep her coming back. “It’s you, Wes. Just you. I’ll come here, or wherever you are, just to see you.”

  She didn’t think her words would have any effect on him but they did. Something flickered in his eyes and she could tell that hearing that come from her meant a lot to him.

  Taylor should be worried that her feelings for him were developing way too fast, and that she never felt like she could trust anyone again. Richard had hurt her deeply, and the pain from that whole saga was still there. She should be worried that she wasn’t more distraught about that and basically avoiding men altogether.

  But this was Wes, the most perfect guy she’d known all her life. She knew him, and that was perhaps reason enough to trust that he would never be a jerk. Wes would never be another Richard. This man wasn’t made that way. Made to deceive and manipulate. He was the real deal.

  Suddenly the sun started going down and the room darkened. Moonlight then took over, turning everything everywhere silver. She talked to him about how she enjoyed walking on Matira Beach in the moonlight. She’d gone into details about how everything looked.

  Before her were those details. He’d tried to capture them, all of them. Like how the water sparkled against the moonlight and each sparkle looked similar to the glint of a diamond. He made the palm trees look like jagged shadows, black against the silver backdrop. The sky was inky black and the moon hung like a picture against it.

  Again she spun around, looking everywhere, absorbing the magical feeling that filled her soul.

  “Wes.” Excitement r
ippled through her and she took hold of his hand, but he didn’t move.

  He held onto her hand, compelling her to look at him.

  “What is it? You’re giving me that look again,” she pointed out. It was the look he had where she couldn’t tell what he was thinking, as though he was trying to work out if she was real or not.

  “It’s you. You in the moonlight,” he replied. His voice respectfully low and appreciative.

  “How do I look?” She kept her voice low, too, watching the subtle silver tone turn his eyes the same color.

  “Taylor,” he began on the edge of a breath. ”Not even the angels could rival your beauty.”

  She looked at him, trying to catch herself before her heart could take another step and jump into the chasm of risk people took when they took a chance on love.

  But it was too late. In that moment, as she looked at him and his words melted her heart, she fell for him.

  She was ready for him even before he moved forward to kiss her. Her whole being was.

  Her soul welcomed the swish of his tongue into her mouth and she indulged on the taste of him. Wes tasted like something rare, something new and exciting.

  She pressed her hands onto the solid wall of his chest and a soft moan escaped her lips as their kiss really got going. Desire pooled between her thighs and pulled down heavily on her groin.

  Her body molded to his when he pulled her closer and gripped at the side of her dress, making both straps fall down her shoulders. She wore a strapless bra, one of her favorites, made of sheer material that was almost see-through. The matching thong was the same.

  He stopped when he ran his hands down her waist and brushed the top of her thighs. “We should stop,” he managed through a labored breath.

  Her own breathing was short and choppy from the sexual heat of their kiss. “Why?” She looked at him with confusion.

  “I don’t want you to think that I brought you here just to…” He had that attractive embarrassment again. “Sleep with me.”

  “I didn’t think that. But what if I wanted to?”

  She couldn’t see his skin quite clearly in this light, but his expression was the face he made when he was blushing. He released her and ran his fingers through his hair.