But part of me hoped Cade could find a life of peace eventually.
Being my father’s protégé couldn’t have been an easy life. Not at all.
Still, the man had been watching us for how long, now? I was pretty sure his so-called “friendship” with Joe at the leather club was all a part of him keeping tabs on us, and once my father died…
He came in for the kill.
I needed to talk to Joe.
Alone.
But right now I had my beautiful woman in my bed, and I’d take advantage of that. She’d helped me immensely. She’d let me fuck her hard and fast when I needed it to cleanse my soul of the blackness that sliver of envy had colored it.
In the end, though, her words, rather than her body, had helped most of all.
I woke to the sound of the shower.
I moved my arm to the other side of the bed. Still warm. Marj hadn’t been up for long.
I sat up and stretched, yawning. I could join her in the shower. Yeah, that sounded good.
When I got to the bathroom, though, she was stepping out and reaching for a towel.
I smiled. “Guess I’m too late.”
“For what?”
“To make love to you in the shower.”
She laughed. “Just this time. Jade and I are driving into the city this morning to see Mel and the baby.”
“What about Joe?” I asked.
“We didn’t invite him.” She laughed again. “He might be there. He spends about every other night with Melanie at the hotel.”
“Do you have time for breakfast?”
She nodded. “Just let me get dressed. I’ll make something. I want to talk to you anyway.”
“About what?”
“It can wait for coffee. I started a pot. It’ll be ready now. Go pour yourself a cup, and I’ll be out in a minute.”
Hmm. She wanted to talk. And she didn’t want to talk in the bathroom while she was wet and naked.
That didn’t sound too good.
I pulled on a pair of jeans and headed to the kitchen, texting Joe on the way. Marj might need to talk to me, but I needed to talk to Joe. I’d promised Brad discretion, but Joe and I were in this together. He had to know what his father had done, and together, we had to find Cade Booker and discover the truth, once and for all. I quickly texted Joe and got an almost instant response.
I’m heading to the north
quadrant. You can meet me
there. I only have an hour or
so before I leave for the city.
That didn’t give me a lot of time. I poured coffee into a travel mug and scribbled a quick note to Marj, apologizing and saying I’d see her later.
“He’s trying to incriminate Dominic, Alex, and Colin,” I said, after explaining how we’d inferred that the polished rock Dale had found probably belonged to Alex.
“Did she ID it?” Joe asked.
“No. Ruby has it. She’s going to take care of that. Alex was just released from the hospital.”
Joe nodded. “Why them? Why not us?”
“Evidently Cade hates his siblings nearly as much as he hates us. They work against him, after all.”
“Makes sense. But why Colin?”
“That one’s a little harder.” I explained my theory of Cade’s jealousy of Colin.
“Wow. Cade really had a number pulled on him.”
“Yeah. Well, my father pulled a number on a lot of people.” Myself included, to a much lesser extent—and not until his true self was revealed after his suicide.
“No one’s blaming you,” Joe said.
I exhaled slowly. “I know that. I’m beginning to see things a little differently.”
“Oh? Did you decide to see a therapist?”
“Not yet. I’m still going to talk to Melanie, once she and the baby are home. It was actually Marj who gave me the epiphany.”
“Ugh. Spare me the details of sex with my sister.”
I chuckled. “It wasn’t during sex, you idiot. Your sister is one smart woman.”
“I always knew that.”
“She wants me to talk to someone qualified, of course, and I will. But she basically told me to get over myself. That I was indulging myself, a lot like—” I stopped. Marjorie had trusted me with her secret, and I couldn’t let her down.
“I know what you don’t want to say,” Joe said.
“You do?”
“Yeah. I know. I did the same thing. Feeling guilty because I didn’t protect Talon. Feeling guilty because nothing happened to me. It was stupid.”
Good save, Bryce. Actually, Joe had done the saving. He’d thought Marj had been talking about him.
“It’s time we both got over it,” I said.
“Can’t argue.” Joe tipped his Stetson. “That what you wanted to talk about?”
I swallowed. No. That wasn’t what I’d wanted to talk about. How to bring it up?
By the way, your father’s still not dead. Dominic and Alex actually do work for him. Oh, and he bought my dad’s cabin.
Before I could get the words out, though, Joe’s phone buzzed.
“Yeah?” he said into it. “Tell me some good news.”
Pause.
“You’re kidding. Excellent!”
Pause.
“We’re on our way.” He ended the call and stuffed his phone back into his pocket.
“Mills and Johnson,” he said. “They found Cade Booker. He says he’s willing to talk.”
Chapter Forty-Eight
Marjorie
I rolled my eyes, crumpled up Bryce’s note, and tossed it in the kitchen trash. He could have texted me. Of course, had he texted, I’d have gotten it right away and run out to stop him.
Cute move, Bryce. But you and I are still going to talk.
I made my way to the main house. Jade was ready and waiting to go see Melanie.
“I can’t believe I haven’t seen that baby yet,” she said. “I’m the last one.”
“You’ve got two boys at home to take care of,” I said. “She understands.”
“Talon’s got them today,” Jade said. “He’s taking them on an overnight in Denver. They’re going to the zoo.”
“You mean he actually left you alone?”
“I had to demand it,” she said. “By the way, I promised him you’d be here with me at night. Sorry to cramp your style. You don’t have to stay. I’ll be fine. Or Bryce can stay here with you. Talon will never be the wiser.”
“Works for me,” I said. “I’m happy to look after you.”
We drove out of the long driveway and onto the road that would lead us off Steel property.
A truck drove toward us and then whizzed by.
And recognition stabbed into me.
“That was Joe’s truck,” I said. “And Bryce was in the passenger seat.”
“Hmm. I wonder where they’re going?” Jade said.
“I have no idea. Bryce said he was going to talk to Joe this morning. I’m almost sure Mel said Joe was going to the hospital this morning, but they’re headed the wrong direction.”