“Yes, sir?” Nelson listened intently. “The trial date has been moved to next week?” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Yes, my sister will be ready. She won’t leave the island until the day of the trial, sir.”
Riley blew out smoke and smiled. It was his lucky day. She was on an island? Hell, she wasn’t even in California. Wait. If she could arrive on the same day as the trial, then she wasn’t too far away. One of the islands off the coast, maybe? Santa Catalina. East Brother. Merritt Island. Balboa Island. Shit. There were too many, both public and private. He needed to narrow the search and fast.
“I trust Logan Greyson, sir. He’ll keep her safe.” He listened, and his expression flashed with annoyance. “No offense, sir, but I’ll handle the protection of my sister.” He ended the call, tucked the smartphone into his pocket, and entered the nursing home.
Wait a minute. The Logan Greyson? Heir to the Greyson family’s billions? Riley grimaced. This was unexpected. He hated the unknown, especially when it came to wet work. He could only imagine what kind of security a billionaire might employ, not to mention any offshore defense around the island’s perimeter. He flicked the cigarette onto the pavement and crushed it with his heel.
No problem. He could track down Logan Greyson’s island. With the trial date now just a week away, he didn’t have much time to find and dispatch his primary target. He’d make use of his contacts and call in a few favors. He was confident he could complete his mission and collect the rest of his fee.
But first, he had an appointment with Betty Lewis.
After an entire day of sulking—and she couldn’t call it anything other than that—and an awful night of tossing and turning, Hayley agreed to meet Logan for brunch. She knew on so many levels she was being ridiculous, refusing to confront him face to face, but what if he said the wrong things? The things that would make it impossible for her to forgive him. It killed her to think of him with another woman, but as long as he never explained, she could pretend there might yet be a chance for them.
If his confession confirmed her fears, it would be over. Maybe that’s what needs to happen, she told herself. Like a bandage. Just rip it off. The wound would eventually heal. Right? Her broken heart felt unfixable. If it were a car, it would be headed for the junk heap.
When she rounded the corner to the dining room, she saw the buttercream curtains billowing in the ocean’s cross breeze. Her breath caught in her throat. Logan sat at a far table and stared out at the gorgeous view. Early afternoon light painted the sky in shades of blue that melted into the indigo ocean.
Had Logan really purchased this place? Just for her? His chocolate brown eyes were almost amber in the sunlight. When he saw Hayley, he smiled. Her pulse quickened, and she couldn’t help but smile back.
Hayley was a goner already.
He stood up to greet her. “I’m glad you’re here.” When he tried to take her hand, she pulled away. She wasn’t strong enough to deny him. She knew she deserved better than a cheater and a liar. And it killed her to know she was this close to laying her self-esteem at his feet and letting him stomp it all to bits.
Her chest squeezed. “I don’t know what’s left to say.”
“Everything,” Logan said. “I didn’t tell you who I was because I knew you wanted a man who works hard for what he has. An honest living. Someone who has earned his way in life. Someone like your father.” He looked at her, his gaze begging her to understand. “I was born rich, Hayley. I didn’t want for anything my entire life. I never had to suffer. I never had to struggle. I didn’t have the experiences needed to shape the kind of man you found worthwhile. How could you respect me?”
Hayley stared at him. Had she really made it impossible for him to believe she couldn’t love the real Logan Greyson? “How could I respect someone who kept his identity a secret?”
His face fell. “I know. I loved the way you loved Logan Hunter. You were the first woman who really saw me—not how you could use me to climb higher on the social ladder or how much money you could squeeze out of me. I never wanted that to change. God, it was selfish. I was selfish, and I’m sorry.”
Tears gathered, but she blinked them back. “Even if I believed you, none of that explains Isabo.”
“She’s one of my dearest friends. I knew her long before she was thrust into Hollywood’s spotlight.” He clasped her fingers and brought her closer. “She’s a lesbian. She needed someone to take her to a major movie premiere, someone she could trust. She not quite ready to come out to the public.”
He’d acted as a beard for a friend? Could it be true?