Everything She Wanted (10 page)

KATE:
Unforeseen complication.

BEN:
What does that mean?

KATE:
I’ll bring you the papers and
maybe you can tell me.

BEN:
Come now.

KATE:
On my way.

She’d go to the morgue and make arrangements for her sister after she showed Ben the papers. She needed to know what this meant for her and Alex. If they were true, the Faradays might just get everything.

The angry huff she let out startled Alex. He jumped, his eyes wide when she turned to him.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. Mommy
will take care of everything. Let’s go see Ben.”

Alex smiled and babbled, wiggling like he couldn’t wait to go. Funny, the anticipation and trills rippling inside surprised her. She wanted to see Ben. She couldn’t wait to see him, and it had nothing to do with needing his help.

Chapter Eleven

E
VAN DIDN
’T WANT
to go back to the scene of the crime. His damn mother forced him. She didn’t want to step foot in the other woman’s house. So here he stood on the steps with a fucking cop beside him.

“I’m sorry, sir, but you aren’t authorized to go inside.”

“This is my father’s house,” he explained for the third time.

“No, it isn’t,” a woman said behind
him, standing in the now-­open doorway.

He turned to the sultry voice that snapped out those words. The woman was even better than the voice. Long dark hair, startlingly blue eyes dominating her heart-­shaped face. The scowl only made her lush lips more appealing. Not that tall, maybe five-­five, slender with just a hint of curve to her hips, and full breasts that would be more than a handful.
The longer he stared, the harder she glared. He liked a woman with attitude.

“Who are you?” he asked, very interested in getting to know her better.

“Your worst fucking nightmare.”

Her spunk only made him smile more. “Is that right? Well, do you have a name?”

“Kate Morrison. Margo was my sister.”

“Who?”

“You don’t even know the name of the woman you shot last night?”

Well, fuck. He didn’t expect that. Luckily, he schooled his features and shut down his surprise with a good dose of anger. “Hold it right there.” Evan took a menacing step toward her.

The cop planted a hand on his chest to stop him. “Stay where you are.”

“She’s fucking accusing me of killing her sister.” He turned to Kate. “I had nothing to do with it. The police informed my mother and
me late last night that my father and his mistress were killed.”

“You mean your father’s fiancé.”

“He planned to marry her?” Evan should have guessed. The look in his father’s eye when he looked at the woman told him how deeply his father cared for her. Didn’t matter now.

“He gave her a ring and everything. He loved her. He wanted to make a life with her because she was warm and kind
and sweet and thoughtful.” Her voice cracked on those words. “She made him happy. Can your mother say the same?”

No.
Evan didn’t speak the word. What use was it to defend his mother and a marriage neither of them participated in for years?

His gaze fell and landed on the car seat and the little boy dozing off with a giraffe in his hands. “Is that my brother?”

“He’s mine now. And so
is this house and everything in it. My sister’s name is on the property, not your father’s. You’re trespassing. Leave.”

The officer perked back up again. “Let’s go, sir. This is a crime scene. No one is allowed in without permission from Detective Raynott.”

“I need to get my father’s papers.”

“No,” Kate snapped.

“You’ve already gone through them, haven’t you?”

She didn’t answer,
but the gleam in her eyes was all he needed as confirmation.

“Hand them over.”

“I have a meeting with my lawyer. Get off my property.”

“Your property.”

“That’s right. Mine. My sister left this property to me and Alex.”

Evan walked right up to her. He used his height to intimidate her. She stared up at him, not the least scared. In fact, the anger in her eyes flashed even hotter.

“You don’t get to fucking tell me what to do at my father’s home.”

“Are you deaf or just stupid? This is my house.”

Evan didn’t think. He reacted and grabbed her by the throat. “Listen, you bitch . . .”

The officer put his hand on Evan’s shoulder. “Let her go. Now.”

Somehow she managed to slam her hand into his hand and make him lose his grip. She held his forearm, pulled it
around and behind his back, kicked him in the back of the leg, sending him down to his knees and falling to the pavement. She landed on his back, her knee digging into his spine, his arm so high up his back he thought it might snap, or pull his shoulder right out of the socket.

“Miss Morrison, let him up.” The officer stood over the two of them. “This has gone too far.”

Kate leaned down
next to his ear. “That’s a nasty bruise on your jaw you’ve got. She hit you, didn’t she? She cut you with that knife. You fucking touch me again, it’ll be the last thing you ever do. You hear me?”

“Get her the fuck off me before she breaks my arm,” he yelled at the cop.

“Miss Morrison, please. Enough. Self-­defense is one thing, but you’re over the line. Back off.”

“He started it.”
She glared down at Evan again. “I’m the one who’s going to finish it. Count on it.” She pushed her knee into his spine harder, then jumped off him, letting him go all at once. She went to the front door, grabbed the baby, and closed the door, locking it with her key.

It took Evan a second to gain his feet. Between her and her sister, he had enough aches and pains to make him forget he deserved
them.

Right now, he wanted to make the bitch pay, but the cop stepped between him and Kate and shook his head. “Touch her again and I will arrest you for assault.”

Evan gained his head and thought twice about going after her again. For now.

“I want to see my brother.”

“No. Stay away from this house, me, and Alex.”

“He’s my brother. I have a right to see him.”

“You lost
all rights the second you pulled that trigger and killed your father and my sister.”

“I didn’t kill them. I was at home with my mother.”

“No one believes that bullshit story. Soon, the cops will prove you were here last night. You killed them. I will make you pay for that.”

Evan hated to retreat. Not his style, but she had him by the balls. Nothing he could do with a cop standing between
them. “Fuck this, I’m out of here as soon as you give me my father’s papers.” He held out his hand for her to give them over.

She smiled in a not so nice way. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Excuse me, but I’m late to see my lawyer.”

“Ben Knight, right? I beat him before, I’ll do it again.”

She looked him right in the eye. “You won’t beat me.”

“We’ll see about that.”

“You
will
see. I’m not some weak person you can trounce with your fists or your money. If you know what’s good for you, stay away from me and Alex. If you don’t, I’ll have you on the ground again. Maybe next time, you won’t get up.”

“Threatening me in front of a cop. Not smart.”

“I don’t make threats. I make promises. I will keep the one I made to my sister and your father.” She eyed
the cop without a hint of trepidation she might actually get arrested for threatening him. “If he comes back, arrest him for trespassing.”

If he didn’t want to take a swing at her so bad and shut that smart mouth, he might like her. She had guts.

Why the hell did he even come here? His mother should go to his father’s lawyers and get copies of whatever his father set up along with divorcing
her. He needed to lie low before the cops did find evidence to put him behind bars for good.

He turned without another word and headed for his car, rolling his shoulder to work out the sore muscles and tendons after Kate laid him out. God, he needed a drink, or ten. She wouldn’t get the better of him again. In fact, he planned to teach her a lesson. She wouldn’t get away with speaking to him
in that haughty tone, or besting him in a fight. She wouldn’t take everything that belonged to him. He’d make sure of it. That was a promise he intended to keep.

Chapter Twelve

B
EN SAT AT
his desk, trying not to check the time again. Kate said she was on her way. She should have arrived twenty minutes ago even with traffic. According to the traffic alert on his computer, there were no accidents reported. Where the hell was she?

A knock sounded on his door a second before the door swung open and Jenna, Elizabeth, and Marti walked right
in without his assistant announcing them. He loved seeing them, but never expected them to show up at his office.

“What are you doing here?” He might have snapped that out a bit too brusquely judging by the narrowed gazes he received.

Jenna smiled and came around his desk to hug him. “We are here to see how it went last night.”

“What are you talking about?” Dumbfounded, he didn’t follow,
just stared in wonder as Jenna sat on the edge of his desk and Marti and Elizabeth took the two chairs in front like they owned the place.

“Morgan’s premonition. You met her last night, right?” Marti asked.

“Her?” he asked, trying to play dumb. He should know better.

“Oh, come on. Don’t leave us in suspense. What’s her name?”

Ben checked the time, worried that another five minutes
had passed with no word from Kate.

“What’s wrong?” Jenna asked, reading the concern he couldn’t hide.

“Her name is Kate Morrison. She’s supposed to be here, but she’s late.”

“So, we’ll get to meet her.” Marti smiled.

“If she shows up.”

“So, you don’t mind introducing her to us?” Jenna asked. “Your family?”

“No. You’ll like her. She’s a lot like you guys. Strong. Independent.
Tough, but nice. Beautiful.”

“Just like us,” Elizabeth teased, using his words.

He laughed under his breath. “Just like all of you. She’s got a good heart she hides well. She doesn’t trust easily. Not surprising since her background is in some ways like mine and in others a lot worse.”

“She sounds fascinating,” Jenna said. “How did you meet her last night?”

“I’ve actually met her
several times. She’s a social worker down in San Jose. I got a call from a detective I know that someone I tried to put behind bars may have killed a man and woman last night. Kate’s sister was one of the victims. She pointed the finger at the man’s son. Evan and I have gone a few rounds. He killed the son of one of my Haven House families and beat one of my clients near to death. His father settled
the suit by paying off my client.”

“Now, you think he killed his father and Kate’s sister?” Marti’s eyes filled with sadness.

“The evidence is circumstantial at the moment. We’re waiting for some lab results. I’ve promised to help Kate settle the estate for her son.”

“She has a child?” Jenna asked.

“A son. Alex. He looks just like her, right down to his blue eyes. Margo wasn’t
able to have a child of her own, so Kate agreed to be artificially inseminated. She gave birth to Alex four months ago. Alex is Evan’s father’s son. Donald had just filed for divorce from Evan’s mother. He planned to marry Margo and they’d raise Alex.”

“That’s an amazing thing Kate did for her sister.”

“She’s an amazing woman.” Ben hadn’t really meant to say that out loud. To all of them.

“So, she’s the one. Morgan was right,” Elizabeth said.

“I don’t know if what I feel for her is because of what Morgan said, or because it’s how I really feel.”

“You know.” Jenna reached out and squeezed his shoulder. “You’re just afraid to admit she means something to you because then you have to admit that Morgan was right. All of us have been wary of things Morgan knows, but she’s
never wrong.”

“I’m not afraid Morgan is wrong. I’m afraid she’s right. What do I do then? I don’t do relationships. The longest one I’ve ever had lasted less than three months.”

“That’s only because they weren’t Kate,” Marti pointed out. “You’ve been waiting for her.”

Ben shook his head. Leave it to the ladies to make this some grand romantic gesture. “The relationships never last
because I’m not husband material.”

“I call bullshit,” Elizabeth said.

“Me too,” Marti added.

“You’re afraid that one day you’ll wake up and find you are your father’s son.” Jenna spoke the truth he didn’t want to admit to them or himself. “That simply isn’t true. You are a kind and decent man who would never hurt anyone, let alone a woman. You care for the weakest, most vulnerable
­people with compassion. It simply isn’t in you to hurt ­people just because you can. Look at all the lives you’ve changed at Haven House. You can’t tell me that you look in the mirror and see anything but a good guy.”

Elizabeth and Marti nodded, agreeing with everything Jenna said.

He sighed out his trepidation. He wanted something more with Kate, but with everything going on, now might
not be the time to pursue something deeper. She needed his help.

“If not now, then when?” Jenna asked, reading his mind. “She’s in your life now. Don’t let her get away. If you like her, tell her. If you want to be with her, be with her. For once, Ben, don’t go into a relationship with one foot in and one out the door. Go all in.”

A baby cried outside his office door. He was up and striding
for it before he consciously thought about going to get Kate. The door opened and she walked in with Alex in his car seat at her side.

“I’m going to kill that fucking bastard,” she announced. The anger clouding her eyes said she meant every word.

Still worried that it took her so long to get here, he scanned her from the feet up, stopping on the red marks on her neck. “What the hell happened
to you?” He reached out, laid his hand on her shoulder, and swept his thumb over one dark bruise.

“He fucking tried to choke me.”

“Evan?” The anger exploded inside of him and made his chest swell and his hand fist.

“Don’t worry, I laid him out on the ground. Next time, I’ll kill him.”

Alex let out a wail that made Ben squint his eyes against the pain in his ears. “What’s wrong
with him?”

“He needs a bottle, or a diaper, or a mother who knows what she’s doing, because obviously I don’t.”

Ben laughed when Kate squatted to pick up Alex. “Lucky for you, I have three of the best mothers in the world right here.”

Kate’s head snapped up and her gaze went past him to all three very interested women.

“Hi,” they said in unison.

Kate’s eyes closed as she exhaled
deeply. “Oh, God, I am so sorry. I had no idea you were in a meeting. No one was outside, so I let myself in. I’m sorry, Ben, ladies, there’s no excuse for my poor behavior.”

Alex wailed even louder. Ben took him and bounced him in his arms. “Kate, relax. These are my very good friends.” He held his hand out. “Jenna is . . . well, my friend, client, and partner in Haven House. We’ve known
each other a long time. Elizabeth is her sister-­in-­law. They’re married to twin brothers.”

“Really?” Kate asked, interested.

“Identical twins,” Jenna confirmed. “I have twin boys too.”

“Wow.”

“Last but not least, Marti is married to my cousin, Cameron, who is also the president of Jenna’s company, Merrick International. Now, between these three ladies, they have seven children.
Elizabeth’s Grace left her handprint on my shirt last night.”

Kate smiled softly. “The little girl who’s got you wrapped around her finger.”

“She’s not the only one. Ask these guys. I do their bidding too.”

Kate laughed. “Really?”

“He’s a tough one,” Jenna said, “but we manage to get him to say yes most of the time.”

Alex’s crying softened, but he squirmed and whacked his hand
into his mouth a ­couple of times. “I think he’s hungry.”

Elizabeth stood and came forward. “Kate, so nice to meet you. Do you have a bottle in the bag?”

“Uh, yeah.” Kate dug it out along with the can of formula.

Elizabeth took both. “Great. How many ounces does he eat?”

“Six. I can do that.”

“It’s no trouble. I know where the kitchenette is. I’ll warm some water, mix up the
milk, and be back in a jiffy.”

Jenna stole Alex right out of Ben’s hands. “Come here, little one. What’s all the fuss? We’ll get you fixed up right away.” Jenna didn’t ask for the diaper bag, just picked it up off the floor and took it to the sofa with her. She pulled out a diaper and the pad and laid it and Alex out on the couch. “Let’s get you clean and dry. Aunt Elizabeth will be back with
your food and you’ll be all set,” Jenna crooned.

Kate stared up at him.

“They’ve got this. Tell me what happened at your sister’s house.”

Kate took a deep breath and let it out. “First, I got all the papers from Margo’s safe deposit box. It’s everything I expected. Alex’s birth certificate, the deed to the house in her name, her will, stuff like that. Then I got the papers from the
safe at the house. They don’t make sense. It can’t be. You have to find out who is responsible for this mistake and sue them.”

“Wait. What are you talking about?”

Kate pulled the strap up and over her head. She set the heavy messenger bag on the chair Elizabeth vacated and pulled out the folders. She handed him several papers.

Ben read through them quickly, trying to understand what
it all meant. “This is a DNA test. Donor #1 is not a match to Donald Faraday.”

“According to that, Alex isn’t his son.”

“That doesn’t make sense. The papers from the fertility clinic clearly state you were inseminated with Donald Faraday’s sperm.”

“Someone made a huge mistake. If Alex isn’t Donald’s child, he gets nothing.”

Jenna stepped up beside them with Alex in her arms. Kate
touched her fingers to Alex’s head. “If he’s not Donald’s son, who is his father?”

Ben hated seeing the tears in Kate’s eyes.

“He just lost his mother and father. Now, I don’t even know who his father is?”

“How could this happen?” Marti asked the question all of them were thinking.

“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. I’ll contact the clinic. We need to know for sure what
happened and whether or not Donald really is Alex’s father.”

“But the DNA test says he’s not.”

“It says Donor #1, not Alex Faraday. If I’m to prove anything in court, we’ll need confirmation one way or another. Let’s start there. Mistakes happen. Maybe the test is wrong. Maybe the lab that ran the DNA test made the mistake and not the clinic. Whatever the answer, we’ll get it,” he assured
Kate.

“That’s not all I found. Donald and Margo never filed the adoption papers. A judge never signed them. If Donald found out Alex wasn’t his son, it explains why they never filed with the court.”

“Maybe they didn’t file the papers because Margo knew you were having trouble giving Alex up. Maybe she wanted to wait in case you changed your mind and wanted him back.”

Kate bit her bottom
lip, the tears spilling from her eyes. “The evidence points to the fact the clinic made a mistake. They didn’t want him if he wasn’t Donald’s.”

“Kate, honey, you know that’s not true. They loved him. They wanted him.” He held up Donald’s will. “Donald had this drawn up only two weeks ago. After this DNA test was done. He left everything to Margo and his son Alex. What does that tell you?”

“I don’t know. It’s all so confusing now. Everything I thought was true is muddled with those other papers. One says one thing and the others say something completely different.”

Ben gave in to his need to touch her. He cupped her cheek in his hand and rubbed his thumb over the soft slope, taking away her tears. “We’ll sort it out. I promise.”

Elizabeth arrived with Alex’s bottle. “Here
we go.”

“We’ll leave you two alone,” Jenna said, handing Alex off to Kate, who took the bottle from Elizabeth and pushed the nipple into Alex’s open mouth.

“So nice to meet you, Kate.” Marti pressed her hand to Kate’s shoulder. “If you need anything, we’re all here to help.”

“Thank you. I’m sorry for all the swearing and yelling. Everything is kind of a mess right now.”

“Ben will
help you sort it out. He’s good at that kind of thing,” Jenna said, hugging him goodbye. “Evan will wish he never met either of you when you get done with him.” Jenna caught his eye. “Whatever you need, it’s yours, all you have to do is ask.”

“Thank you, Jenna. I appreciate it.”

The three ladies left his office without another word.

“What did she mean by that?”

“Exactly what she
said, and a whole lot she didn’t say. Jenna has the means to provide us with whatever help we need. Elizabeth’s husband is an FBI agent, so we’ve got some help there if we need it.”

“You think we need a federal agent.”

“No, but it’s nice to have someone with a badge on our side. Elizabeth’s father is also a very prominent judge.”

“You hang out with some very well-­connected ­people.”

“They’re my family.” He really did mean that. Which meant he needed to stop holding himself apart from them. “I don’t want to use them, but if we get into a jam, they might come in handy.”

Kate took the seat in front of his desk. She fed Alex and stared up at him. “What do we do first?”

“You take a break. Let me call the clinic and set a fire under them to figure this out.” He brushed
his hand over her hair. Her eyes softened and she leaned into his hand. “Did you eat anything for lunch?”

“No. I came straight here after my run-­in with Evan.”

“Does your neck hurt?”

“It’s sore. Not as sore as his arm and shoulder are though.”

That made Ben smile and his chest swell with pride. It also settled his tense gut. Kate could definitely take care of herself. “You should
press charges.”

“The cop watching the house saw the whole thing. He came at me first, but I put him in his place. Leave it alone for now. I want him to go down for murder, not get out of another assault charge. Besides, I threatened to kill him in front of the cop. The last thing we need is for him to press charges against me and leave Alex vulnerable.”

“Kate . . .”

“I know. I lost
my temper.”

He rubbed his fingers deep into her hair and the back of her neck. He rubbed the tense muscles. “I hate seeing you hurt.”