My father, the famous widowed millionaire—money, looks, and a prestigious name. The full package by everyone’s standards. If they only saw what I see, the cunning man behind the myth. Checking my watch, I don’t have time to dig into this anymore. Cruise arrived ahead of us to pull my father aside. I want this done before Sara Jane arrives, but we’re late. I’ll keep her waiting to handle this first, then join her inside the party.
When we walk across the main floor, the lights are dim, the music from the party is loud, and Cruise is waiting on us.
He meets us halfway and does a double take. “She looks different,” he says before his eyes shift to me and back again.
“Is Sara Jane here?”
“No. I scoped out the party. Neither is your father.”
“Good. Let’s go to his office. He’s probably in there hiding from his employees.”
“He’s not exactly liked.” Cruise is staring at me, so I finally snap, “What?”
April remains quiet by my side. He glances to her and then shakes his head. “Nothing.”
“Then stop staring, and let’s get this over with.” Cruise steps in line and we take a sharp right and make our way to my father’s office. “You’re going to take April back to the hotel. The rehab place is expecting her in the morning.”
The light is on in my father’s office, but the blinds are closed. I’m not surprised. He’s probably fucking some intern before he announces the company is being sold off for the price of its parts.
I’m hoping April’s my smoking gun and ready to talk once she sees him. I know there’s more to their story, and I want to find out. Between April and him, I’m determined to get answers once and for all. My father has despicable people working for him, and I know one of them knows something about my mother’s death. His dirty deeds are coming back to haunt him, his sins are about to be exposed, and I might finally get justice for my mother.
Refusing to give him any more respect than I have already, I push open the door. As predicted, he’s found some easy target to play his sick sexual games. Her dress is up and her bare ass pressed against his glass desk. He’s leaning forward, positioned like he’s ready to fuck her. I laugh, loving that I messed up his plans. Though not announced, our entrance wasn’t quiet. When he doesn’t even bother to acknowledge me, I spit, “Get your whore out.”
Typical. He doesn’t even bother to turn around as he stands there like a statue, staring at her. “Told you my son would be here shortly.” Her hair is messed up, some hanging down, some still up. The woman’s body shakes with a sob, and I hear her start to cry. My anger converts into confusion. He shifts and very slowly looks back at me over his shoulder. “Just in time, Alex. I couldn’t have planned it better. Oh wait, I did plan it. I just expected to be inside her when you walked in.” My world is ripped out from under me. “You might know this whore.”
The woman moves her head to look at me and the air is gut-punched from my lungs as my mind grapples with familiarity. Through strands of chestnut hair, black streaks down her cheeks, and red that at first glance is mistaken as blood, I recognize those deep oceanic eyes. They’re mine. Mine. And they should never look that fucking devastated. My brain stumbles for a split second to make sense of what my father and the woman I gave my whole fucking heart to are doing. “Sara Jane?”
“Alexander,” she says, her voice breaking at the end. “Help.”
Only a split second. Then I’m there before she finishes her sentence, throwing him to the ground. Sara Jane remains standing, her hand unmoving, a pen held in the air like a knife.
Despite the scuffle behind me and Cruise yelling, I take hold of her wrist and lower her arm down slowly. “I’m here, Firefly.” Staring into her eyes, something wild has replaced the kindness I’m used to, her spirit dimmed, but her instincts unleashed.
“Alexander,” she says, sniffling. Her forehead hits my chest.
I push her hair back from her face and wipe the black streaks from her cheeks. “I’m here.” Sliding her dress down to cover her hips and underwear, I wrap my arms around her. “It’s okay. I’m here.” I turn just enough to see Cruise out of the corner of my eye blocking the door. I look at my father and make a promise I intend to keep. “When I kill you, you will die a slow and painful death.”
He laughs, pushing up off the floor. “I expect no less, but I was just testing to see if she was worthy of the Kingwood name. Like wine, she should be tasted before committing to the whole bottle.”
Turning back to Sara Jane, I rest my cheek against her head. My jaw is ticking, my hand shaking from the rage filling my muscles. But she needs me more. Through gritted teeth, I tell Cruise, “Get him out of here before I fucking kill him.”
“Don’t threaten me, son. If you want the truth, she came willingly. She wanted me. All along. She wanted me. Can’t blame her.”
My temper spikes. “Shut the fuck up.”
Sara Jane fists my shirt, pulling my attention back to her. “Get me out of here, Alexander. Please.”
The noise behind me grows, Cruise and my father fighting until his back hits the large window. Shielding Sara Jane with my body, I turn back. My father is frozen with fear. When I follow his line of sight, my gaze lands on April. My assumptions are finally confirmed. She played a role in the Kingwood mystery.
My father stammers, “Wha-what-t is she doing here?”
April stands just inside the doorway, her mouth open and her eyes full of tears as she stares at him. When she looks to me, she says, “He injected me the first time. I trusted him with my life . . . with my baby. I should have known better.”
Shocked by this turn, I say, “I don’t know what the fuck is going on, but you need to tell me now.”
April’s cries turn to sobs as she stares at the man on the other end of her hatred. “He turned me into a drug addict. One of his henchmen showed up every day after that first day. Pinning me down and shooting me up until I was the one roaming the streets looking for the next fix.”
Baby?
“She’s supposed to be dead.” My father points at the ghost that’s come back to haunt him. “She tried to take you from your mother.”
“What? What do you mean?” My gaze darts to April.
“She, she, she needs help. She—”
“I was so happy. I thought he’d be happy. I’d just given birth. I gave birth to the heir that woman couldn’t. But he,” she screams, pointing back at my father, “he took my baby. He stole you away from me.”
Blood rushes in my ears, and my head becomes light. My grip on Sara Jane and reality loosens. I’m not sure what happens in the next few seconds. My body along with my mind goes numb. Blackness replaces the air evaporating from the room and my thoughts float like I’m underwater. My body is shaken, my thoughts still racing toward reason, toward some rationale that can help me hold on to the words thrown out so recklessly.
Alexander is whispered, my skin tingling from warmth. I look down into the only eyes I can lose myself in. “Alexander,” Sara Jane says, cradling my face with her soft hands. “Alexander, look at me.”
“I am.”
“Look. At. Me.”