Keeping Wicked (The Mitchell Brothers Book 3)

by Kathryn L. James

  “It’s still bullshit.”

  “Well when are you being transferred to the bullshit center?” Anita crossed her arms over her chest.

  “This afternoon.” He blew an agitated breath.

  “I think I’m going to run down and grab a caramel macchiato. Anyone want anything?” I stood from the chair.

  “Espresso.” Anita’s face lit up. “I didn’t have time to make one before leaving home.”

  Dad shook his head, “I’m good. Had a cup of decaf.”

  “Glad you already drink decaf, otherwise we’d have one more thing to argue about.” I winked. “I’ll be back.”

  When I closed the door, Anita and Dad’s laughter did my heart good. I took the time to call Chad to hear his voice while making my way to the café. For the last four nights Chad and I had been together in the Penthouse and since dad was going to rehab all of this was about to change.

  And I wasn’t ready to make any adjustments to our arrangement.

  “Hey beautiful.” He answered on the first ring.

  God the huskiness in this voice alone dampened my panties.

  “I wanted to tell you good morning, but you had already left when I woke up.”

  “You were sleeping so peaceful; I didn’t want to wake you. As soon as I get this twenty-eight-million-dollar contract signed I’ll be back. Did your final grades post this morning?”

  I went back to school two days ago and took my finals yesterday. It felt good to have that chapter of my life finally behind me.

  “Not yet, hopefully by the end of the day. I’m a nervous wreck about one of my classes. I mean I passed, but I’m hoping I maintained an A.”

  “I could give the dean a call for you.”

  “No. He would think you were going to cut off donations from Mitchell Oil. I don’t want special treatment.”

  “I can pull a few strings without the threat of pulling funding and you can have your grade in a few minutes.”

  “What would you tell him? She’s my coach’s kid? I mean you can’t say you’re interested because you’re fucking me,” I reminded him with hint of frustration.

  “What’s gotten into you?”

  I licked my lips and drew my bottom lip between my teeth. “I don’t even know. I did call to tell you good morning. Well that’s not the only reason. I wanted to hear your voice.”

  “I’m glad you called, but still, I want to know what’s bothering you?”

  “Nothing’s wrong. I think having to secretly date you is more straining than what I thought it would be.”

  “It has to be this way.”

  “I know, but it would be nice to go out for dinner or to a theatre.”

  “I thought we agreed to keep our private life, private.”

  “We did. I’m sure Dad would go ballistic and he doesn’t need the added stress. And neither of us wanted the publicity.”

  He paused for a moment and the silence only made my heart beat harder.

  “If you’re ready to leave your dad in Anita’s hands for a couple of nights, pack a bag. We’ll go on a date, Mitchell style.”

  “Oh my God, really? I’d love to.”

  “Do you feel comfortable leaving tonight?”

  “I think tonight sounds amazing!”

  “My client is here. Let me get the signatures on the dotted line so I can get the hell out of here. Go over to The Valencia and charge a nice dress from the boutique to my account. Ask Sylvia to call me if there are any questions.”

  “I don’t need you to buy me a dress, Chad.”

  “If you haven’t been there by three, I’ll assume you didn’t pick one out and I’ll go see Sylvia myself.”

  The line went dead, and I knew he wasn’t playing around.

  It was unreal how he made me feel.

  Wanted.

  Desired.

  And complete.

  Beaming like a giddy junior high school girl, I whipped into the cafeteria on cloud nine.

  While standing in line for the cup of happy, I drummed up several ideas for a fabricated story of why I wasn’t going to be around for the weekend. Claiming I wasn’t feeling well had disaster written all over it because Anita would show up with a big bowl of her homemade chicken noodle soup. Carli wasn’t a good alibi because she had already posted pictures of her and Zane in Galveston and I’d read Anita’s comments so she would know I wasn’t with my bestie.

  All the way back, I thought of different white lie scenarios and came up at ground zero. A few steps from dad’s room, Anita’s raised voice echoed around the cracked door into the hallway. But it was what she said rather than how she said it.

  “It’s the right thing to do, Harry. You know it and I know it.”

  “It’s never going to be the right time!” He slammed his hand down onto something solid, maybe the bedside table. Whatever it was made me jump.

  A sinking feeling came over me and I braced myself in place for something that I knew wasn’t going to be good.

  “She has the right to know,” Anita pressed.

  She? Were they talking about me? I leaned against the wall trying to make myself stop eavesdropping, but the magnitude of a powerful earthquake couldn’t have moved me.

  “Is it the best for her or is it best for you? Telling her is the most selfish thing in the world to do to her!”

  “It was never my decision to keep this from her. That was you and Sharon. And when it was apparent Sharon wasn’t coming back, it was all you, Harry! It was never me.”

  “This was the deal from the very beginning. You accepted the terms.”

  “And then things changed. When Sharon left, so did you. I raised her, Harry.”

  “I never heard you complain. It gave you what you wanted. Her.”

  “That’s not fair. You know I’m not complaining. She’s always brought me the greatest joy. You could have died, Harry. Then what? Is Leah supposed to go through life and never know the truth? Or was I supposed to tell her on my own because you were too chicken shit to do the right thing?”

  My pulse pounded in my ears and an unsettled feeling made me nauseous. I felt whatever was going on, whatever they talked about was something earth shattering, and I wasn’t going to like it.

  However much I wanted Anita to ease up in fear he couldn’t handle the amount of stress...yet I stood at the half open door waiting for them to continue. There was anger in my dad’s voice and pleading in hers.

  “You’ll always be there for her. She’ll always have you. Why the fuck can’t you drop this shit?” He slammed his hand down on a hard surface again.

  “Shit? Really? That’s the word you want to reference the situation?”

  “You listen to me Anita and listen well. If you can’t handle the terms of the contract you signed all those years ago, maybe it’s time you put some space between you and Leah. You should consider putting distance between you two. I’ll pay your relocation expenses and help you find employment.”

  “If you think that’s the answer, fuck you Harry! Sharon left and never looked back. She was supposed to be Leah’s mother for God’s sake. All those years ago, I thought I could do it. I thought I could carry a baby and hand her over without forming a bond, but I’ve loved her since I saw those two pink strips confirming I was pregnant. She is part of me, and I will never do what Sharon did. I will never, and I mean never, leave my daughter.”

  The air whooshed from my lungs as the world stopped turning. I slumped against the cold wall for support and I couldn’t stop my body from trembling. Hospital staff scurried about in the hallway and alarms on medical equipment chimed while I was deafened to it all.

  Suddenly the door flew open and Anita and I met eye to eye.

  I stood paralyzed, staring into the eyes of a woman who in a snap of fingers became a stranger.

  She was my mother.

  Anita reached for me, and I jerked backward as if her hands were filled with the deadliest poison.


  “Leah,” she choked out.

  It was too much. This was too much. I bolted away and ran down the hallway like I’d never ran before.

  She called my name over and over, pleading for me to stop. Before I exited the steel doors, my father’s deep voice joined hers, but I never looked back.

  When I made it through the first-floor main entrance, I stooped over placing my hands on my thighs and heaved.

  My entire life had been a fucked up lie.

  Catching my breath, I rose, and my feet seemed to step one in front of the other. I didn’t know where I was going or even remotely aware of my surroundings. I just walked.

  A few feet ahead, a couple strolled hand in hand making me think of Chad and all that we were not in public. We were closed door lovers. But he gave me hope, made me feel whole, and alive. When he bore his whiskey colored eyes into mine, they seared into my memory forever.

  I needed him.

  I needed Chad to make the stabbing pain in my chest go away. I needed his protective arms around me and wipe the tears from my eyes. I couldn’t wrap my head around the cruel lies both Anita and my father led me to believe—all of my life. I thought of all the times I’d grieved for my mother to want me. All the times I dreamed of her coming home and all the times I woke up crying, it had been Anita that listened and held me.

  It had been Anita who was there when Preston put me through hell.

  And it was her that kept the truth from me.

  Stopping in front of a beautiful water fountain marking the entrance of the financial district, I eased down onto the tiled ledge with tears blurring my eyes. The sound of the water drown out the street noise and faceless people who scurried about.

  I felt as though I couldn’t pull enough air into the cavity of my lungs.

  Did my father have an affair with Anita? A contract… I remember them talking about a contract. And she agreed…What did she agree?

  A million questions churned in my mind pulling my thoughts in a million different directions.

  I thought it was Preston who ruined me, but it was my own father and Anita who ruined me.

  Chapter 18

  Hours passed in a hazy blur and I hadn’t budged from the fountain’s ledge. I tried to come up with one reason good enough for them to have kept the truth from me. And there wasn’t one that came close to being justified.

  Sad tears became angry tears.

  How dare them think any part of this was okay!

  Lost in my thoughts, a man old enough to be my father sat nearby on the same tiled ledge. He wore a grey suit and stretched his legs in front of him holding a cell phone to his ear. Glancing around, the five o’clock rush of people began pouring out of the surrounding buildings

  He raised his hand waving toward a woman walking toward him flashing a sexy glossy scarlet smile. Then he started speaking into the phone and I wanted to puke.

  “Hey baby, I’ll be home late tonight. Boyd has the entire graphics department staying over… yeah don’t wait up… I’ll make it up to you and the kids tomorrow night… pizza and a movie.”

  Liar.

  The world was full of liars.

  It didn’t take long for him to finish the call, stand and take the woman in his arms. Disgusted, I reached to my side for my purse that wasn’t there. Staring at the empty spot, I tried to remember if I’d dropped it in the hallway of the hospital or along the way.

  “Isn’t that great?” I muttered under my breath.

  I didn’t have money, credit card, keys, or phone.

  “Shit! Shit! Shit!” I rolled my eyes mentally backtracking my steps in hopes to recollect where I last possessed my belongings. It must have slipped from my grasp to the floor before I desperately ran away from the two people who made me angrier than I’d ever been in my life.

  There was no way in hell I was going to look for it. I didn’t have anything to say to them and I sure as hell didn’t want to listen to anything they had to say.

  Chad.

  I needed Chad.

  He was the only one who could help me find peace.

  Unable to stomach the cheater with his lover in his arms a second longer, I began making my way toward the hotel—my safe haven.

  As if to add injury to insult, out of nowhere, a fat raindrop landed on top of my head followed splatters of more. The sun was shining but a downpour fell from a dark purple cloud surrounded by a brilliant blue sky. In a matter of seconds my clothes were soaked, and strands of hair clung to my face. There wasn’t anywhere to take cover, not that I would have.

  By the time I reached Garrett’s hotel, I was a hot mess, soaked through and through. The clerk behind the registration counter appraised my appearance.

  “How may I help you?” She offered a fake smile.

  “I’ve lost my cell phone and need to reach either Garrett or Chad Mitchell.”

  “Mr. Mitchell isn’t in at this time.”

  I knew a rehearsed script when I heard one.

  “Chad Mitchell reserved the penthouse last week. I know you have his contact number on your records. If you could call him and let him know Leah Wright is in the lobby, I would appreciate it.”

  “Due to our policy I wouldn’t be able to call one our customers.” She raked her eyes over me. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I must take the next customer.”

  “Look, I get the confidentiality restrictions but I’m not asking for his number. I need you to call him. He was expecting me a few hours ago and I’m sure he’s worried.”

  “Miss Wright, I apologize for your… unfortunate situation, but I can’t accommodate your request. Now, if you’ll kindly wait outside.”

  On the verge of having a meltdown, I narrowed my eyes, tilted my head to the side and lowered my voice. “I’m Leah Wright, daughter of Harry Wright, the coach for the Lonestar’s. In case you’re not up to date, Chad Mitchell owns the team and his brother owns this hotel.”

  “Do you have proper identification?” She raised her eyebrow, clearly not buying a word.

  She wasn’t bending and I wasn’t leaving without assistance. “If you want to keep your job, it’s in your best interest to call Chad or Garrett Mitchell. You do remember Garrett Mitchell signs your paycheck, right?”

  She cleared her throat, “One moment please.” and began pecking away on her keyboard. “It may take a few minutes.”

  Thank God. Finally.

  The snotty brunette rolled the button on the mouse scrolling down the screen. Then she let out a breath and nodded staring over my shoulder.

  “Come with me, Miss.” A very authoritative impatient voice ordered from behind me. Slowly turning around, a giant of a man in a uniform who had the body of an MMA wrestler stepped into my space forcing me to step away from the counter.

  “I didn’t do anything wrong, officer. I simply asked her to call her boss or his brother. I assure you he’s waiting to hear from me.”

  “You can’t harass the staff,” he said with a stoic expression leading me to a small vacant sitting area.

  “I didn’t harass anyone. My father is Harry Wright, the coach for the Lonestar’s. Today I lost my purse and cell phone and I’m trying to reach Chad Mitchell, the owner of the team for help.”

  “Let’s say I believed you, why aren’t you calling your father for help.”

  “He’s been in the hospital and most likely moved to the cardiac rehab facility this afternoon. Giving him something to worry about is the last thing I’d want.” I lied, but added, “My best friend is out of town. Chad’s the only person I can count on right now. You can call and verify my story if you like.”

  A soft smile curled his lips, “A few minutes ago, the news reported Harry doing much better and indeed he moved to a rehabilitation center.”

  “He is.” Regardless how much he’d hurt me, I was still thankful. “I know I must look rough and I don’t blame the hotel staff for not believing me. There’s no telling what stories they
are fed by the public.”

  “The little storm that swept through, took a lot of people by surprise. That’s Texas weather for you. Stay put, Miss. I’ll be right back.”

  Leaving me in a corner sitting area of the lobby, he disappeared through a carved mahogany door labeled with a brass name plate. I couldn’t make out the name engraved but hoped it was somehow related to contacting Chad.

  I folded my arms across my chest and gazed through the windows over to the hospital across the street. Emotions churned inside me like an angry sea in the midst of a storm and tears welled up in my eyes. My heart hurt. Their lies stung. I loved both dad and Anita, but not enough to forgive them and maybe one day I could, but today wasn’t that day.

  Footsteps approached and I whirled around hoping it was someone delivering Chad’s number. Instead, a man who had the same strong jaw, piercing whiskey eyes, and had the same swagger as Chad stood before me.

  “Garrett Mitchell.” He extended his hand, an unreadable gaze locked on mine.

  “I’m Leah Wright.” I shifted slightly on my feet. “I’m sure the officer explained my dilemma. I needed someone to call Chad and let him know I’m here.”

  “I’ve already spoken with my brother. He’s on his way. I have some fresh towels being delivered to my office if you’ll step this way.” He nodded toward the officer, “Thank you, Cunningham.”

  “Yes, thank you so much, Officer.” I offered a grin. “I’ll make sure you get some great seats at a game of your choice.”

  “I can’t except gifts, ma’am. I’m only doing my job.” He tipped his head toward me before walking away.

  We passed several offices and then entered the last door at the end of a hallway. Inside the spacious office, a wall across from the desk caught my attention. A large portrait hung on the wall of a stunning bride wearing a gorgeous beaded gown holding onto Garrett sporting a tux as if it were made for him. They stood on sugary sands with topaz blue water in the background. Above it, an odd shaped piece of metal resembling the wing of a plane was attached to the wall.

  I pointed, “Is that part of an airplane?”