Half Empty (First Wives #2)

“I’m waiting.” Ruslan reached for a cigar on his desk.

“The tabloids are circulating speculation on your daughter-in-law. Indirectly pointing a finger at her for Fedor’s death and questioning if she’s unhappy with one man’s fortune and trying to add to it with her new male friend.”

Ruslan rolled the cigar between his fingers and held it under his nose. “That’s helpful,” he said before he reached for a lighter. Once the cigar was lit and the sweet smoke filled his lungs, instantly calming his nerves . . . he blew out the smoke slowly. “I think it’s time for me to visit my son’s grave.”

“In Texas?”

If his Russian friend disagreed, he didn’t express his feelings.

“I’ll arrange it.”



Two days later, Trina was arranging a hospital bed to be delivered to the Hamptons house for Avery’s release. She wanted to take her back to Texas, but the plastic surgeon and neurologists felt that should wait for another week.

Lori argued to return to LA, but Trina pointed out the quiet of the country would give Avery the time she needed to heal. Ultimately the decision was one of practicality. They would stay in the Hamptons home for the next week and then fly back to Texas for the prolonged future. Considering the surveillance and bodyguards on them now, it would be easier to watch over them at the ranch.

Truth be told, Trina was a little anxious to get into the safe deposit box Sasha had given her the key for. But taking care of Avery was the priority, and the box would have to wait.

The only media was a lone car parked across from the Hamptons home with a camera pointed out the driver’s side window.

They pulled in like a presidential motorcade. Three black SUVs, all rented, and all home to at least one armed bodyguard.

Wade jumped out of their car and opened the door for Trina and Avery. Jeb stepped in the second Avery poked her head out, reached in, lifted her out of the car.

The drive from the hospital had been slow, to avoid potholes and any unnecessary bumps along the way.

Trina walked ahead of everyone with keys in hand to let them all in. Once inside, she disarmed the alarm system and tossed her purse on the foyer table.

She turned to Avery, who looked comfortable in Jeb’s massive arms.

“Do you want to go to bed or get propped up in the family room?”

“I’ve been in bed for days,” Avery said.

“Family room it is.” Trina pointed Jeb in the right direction and went upstairs to find a few pillows and a blanket while everyone else filed inside.

By the time she returned, the flowers from the hospital were brought in from the cars, as well as several pieces of luggage from the group.

Shannon took the blanket and pillows from her and went to Avery’s side.

Lori was already in the kitchen, brewing a pot of coffee, and Wade and Ike were hoisting bags to the second floor.

“Good thing this is a big house,” Lori told her as she removed coffee cups from the cupboard.

“It felt like a mansion when I was married. Then it was a place to rest between hospital visits and funeral homes.”

Lori gave her a one-arm hug. “You survived it.”

“Feels like I’m right back where I started.” Her gaze drifted to the family room.

“Except that no one is ending up in the ground, and there’s a big Texan winking at you every time you walk in the room.”

Just thinking about Wade had blood rushing to her face.

“God, it’s good to see that smile,” Lori said.

“I can’t believe he’s still here. All this crazy and he hasn’t even hinted at leaving.”

“Nothing wrong with that.”

Jeb and Reed walked in from the back door, with Rick close behind.

“Okay, ladies.” Rick managed to get all their attention through the great room right as Wade and Ike walked in. “And gentlemen. The security system has been updated as of yesterday. Everything is being monitored remotely from our headquarters. Audio and visual. Trina, you’ll notice the new cameras we have put inside.” He pointed out two small fixtures that were in the corners of the great room and another in the kitchen. “There are more in the hallways and other common spaces. Bathrooms and bedrooms are not online. The backyard, and especially the back office, are live. The front door and gate are up, as usual. We have also placed a few cameras on the perimeter of the property for shits and giggles.”

“That seems like a lot of work, considering we plan on leaving in a week,” Trina said.

Rick let his usual smile lapse, and his gaze traveled to Avery, lying on the couch.

No one continued to question the need for more cameras.

“So keep that in mind if anyone wants a little touchy-feely in the kitchen. Not that my men will go out of their way to watch, but you never know.” Rick was joking, his men weren’t really like that, but then again . . .

Trina’s eyes found the whites of Wade’s, her heart skipped a beat. Since Reed and Lori already knew the drill of surveillance, and Shannon didn’t have a man in the house that she knew enough to be touchy or feely over . . . and Ike and Jeb didn’t seem to be into each other, that left the warning squarely on Wade and her.

“I think I’m safe there,” Avery said from the sofa.

Oh, yeah . . . and Avery. Who probably wouldn’t mind someone watching if she were up to doing anything other than sleeping and popping a pill every four hours.

Rick continued, “We have a team overhauling the ranch as we speak to get it ready for your return. Wade?”

“Yeah?”

“I assume you have a security system at your place.”

“I do. Although not quite as extensive as what you seem to have here.”

“There are always people around, anyway,” Ike told him. “It’s a working ranch.”

“Which means you need more security, not less. Trina, do you plan on spending any time at Wade’s?”

She glanced at Wade, then back at Rick. “Well, yeah . . . eventually. I mean, I hope—”

“Then we’ll send in a team.”

Wade held up a hand. “Whoa, wait just a minute.”

Before Rick could continue, a call from the gate did a double ring on her phone.

Trina answered while Rick and Wade talked about cameras and alarms. “Hello?”

“Mrs. Petrov? This is Detectives Armstrong and Gray. We’d like to have a word with you.”

Trina’s heart started to pound in defining thumps. “Okay.”

She pressed the button for the gate to open. She looked up to find everyone staring.

“Detectives Armstrong and Gray are here.”

She noticed Lori’s back stiffen, her chin come up. Reed and Lori exchanged glances, and Wade moved to her side.

“I’ll let them in,” Jeb offered.

“I still don’t remember anything more from the last time I spoke with them,” Avery said from the couch.

“It’s okay, Avery.” Shannon sat by her side.

Armstrong and Gray stepped into the room and did a quick scan. While both detectives weren’t small men, they didn’t quite compare to Rick and Jeb, with Reed close at their heels. “Sorry to bother you, Mrs. Petrov, but we had a few questions and a new development to share.”

“Did you find the bastard who did this to me?” Avery asked from the couch.

Gray stepped around the kitchen island so he could look at Avery. The man seemed uncomfortable. “No, ma’am. But we do have a lead on a surveillance camera coming from the parking garage.”

“We’re following up on it,” Armstrong added.

“What kind of lead?” Reed asked.

“Sometime after the cameras spotted Ms. Grant entering the garage and before the police and medics showed up, a known felon was seen leaving from a back door. The cameras from a Chinese restaurant adjacent to the garage picked him up.”

“What kind of felon?” Rick asked.

Avery pushed herself up on the sofa as she listened.

“The kind that people hire to do the unthinkable. Which is why we are delivering this news, and not Officer Ferrero, who you spoke with the day of the assault. Our departments agreed to consolidate the cases, since we think they are connected.”