Fatal Exchange (23 page)

E
mily sat down on her mother’s beige linen sofa beside her father, while Mason and Avery—who had finally been released from the hospital—took the matching wing chairs across from them. Her mother’s tastes had always been too eccentric for her, as she’d taken her love for southern charm and spread it thicker than a buttered biscuit, preferring heavy furniture, damask wallpaper, and flashy chandeliers. Emily’s preferences, on the other hand, ran more toward simple, natural wood and fabrics.

But Charlie was the main reason they were here. The thought of what he had done made her feel dizzy. Nauseated. She had watched Charlie shoot Mason. Had seen them slip Charlie into the back of the ambulance. But her mind still refused to believe the truth. Somehow Charlie had been behind everything that had happened today.

Her father took her hand. “I don’t know how else to tell you, Emily, other than straight out. I received a briefing from the captain thirty minutes ago. Charlie didn’t make it.”

The air whooshed out of Emily’s lungs. She grabbed one of her mother’s damask throw pillows and pulled it hard against her chest. She shouldn’t care Charlie was gone. Shouldn’t feel the gut-wrenching pain that threatened to tear up her insides.

Her father squeezed her hand. “Emily?”

She drew in a deep breath. “I’ll be okay.”

The emotions of the day magnified her reaction, but it was more than that. He’d betrayed and used her. It felt strange that the death of someone she clearly hadn’t known was affecting her. She couldn’t help but wonder what might have been if things had been different. Wondering if she could have done something to stop what had happened today.

Emily’s foot tapped against the bamboo flooring. “Did he ever say why?”

“I’m not sure we’ll ever know all the reasons, “ her father said, “but one of the officers was able to question him briefly before he went into surgery. He confessed he was the department leak and knew he was about to be caught, so he came up with the crazy idea of using Rafael in a hostage situation, then somehow managed to talk Nerón into pulling it off with him. When things started falling apart, he panicked and grabbed Tess. It will take us awhile to figure out all the details, including verifying that Russell was the only one working with him.”

So Charlie had used her to get what he wanted, probably never intending to go through with the marriage. She’d been a love-struck fool who’d fallen for his charm, because in dating her, he’d been given access to the house, her dad’s office, giving him the edge he needed.

“There is some good news,” her father continued. “Doctors believe Eduardo will make it. Also, with the arrests of Nerón and several of his associates, agents were able to confiscate one and a half tons of drugs along with cash and weapons. It’s just a matter of time before charges will be brought against him as well for the murders of James Torres, Ivan Cruz, Dante Ortiz, Adan Luna. Thanks, to a great degree, to Emily.”

“I told you that you did well, Sis. You might not be a cop, but if you’re ever up for the challenge, I’d hire you on my team in a second.”

Emily chuckled at the thought. “Trust me, there’s not a chance of that happening. Ever.”

Avery smiled at her response, but her smile quickly faded as she shifted gingerly in her chair and turned to Mason. “While it doesn’t seem adequate, I owe you an apology. I was so focused on finding out the truth behind Michael’s death that I played right into Charlie’s hand too. You deserved better than that. You were Michael’s best friend. You’d saved his life more times than I can count. I should have trusted you no matter what the evidence said.”

“You’re trained to follow the evidence. There was no way for you to know.”

“But I was still wrong. Charlie also confessed he planted false evidence, knowing I’d go after it, to take the pressure off himself.”

“And Michael?” Emily asked. “What about his innocence?”

“I’m praying we’ll finally be able to prove, once and for all, he wasn’t involved.”

Emily wanted to ask more questions, but the fatigue in her sister’s eyes mirrored her own. “Tess needs you, and you need some sleep.”

Avery nodded. “She’s with Mama right now, but she’s afraid to sleep. Being around family is helping, but I’m still worried about her.”

Her father stood up and squeezed Avery’s shoulder. “All my girls have been through a lot, but your sister’s right. You need to be with your daughter
and
follow the doctor’s orders to get some rest. We’ll get through this together.”

“I’m not going to argue. I’m exhausted.” Avery got up slowly out of the chair, wincing at the movement. “We’ll talk more tomorrow, Sis.”

“And Emily . . .” Her father bent down and kissed her forehead. “You’ve always made me proud, but today you went beyond
the call of duty. You put your life on the line and brought justice. I’m proud of you.”

“Thank you.”

Her father cleared his throat, then smiled at Mason. “I’m guessing the two of you have a few things to talk about. I’ll see you both tomorrow.”

Mason nodded. “Good night, sir.”

“Good night, Daddy.”

Mason moved to sit beside her on the couch. She wanted him with her, but her emotions still felt raw. To realize her relationship with Charlie had been based purely on lies pointed to her lack of judgment.

“I won’t stay long, but what can I do?” he asked.

“I don’t know.” Her legs wouldn’t stop shaking. She was still trying to take everything in. “Somehow the fact that I broke things off with him should mean it doesn’t matter, but to realize he was simply using me . . . How is it possible that all of this wasn’t real and I didn’t see it?”

———

Mason mulled over Emily’s question. He didn’t want to believe that Charlie’s death could affect what had happened between them today, but he knew it had. She’d trusted Charlie. Loved him. Finding out he betrayed her was going to take a long time to forget.

“I honestly don’t have an answer for that, Emily.”

“Like with you and your father, somehow I’m going to have to find a way to forgive what he did.”

Her statement caught Mason off guard. It was easy to focus on Emily and her situation. To encourage her to let go so she could heal. Talking about his own issues was a whole other thing. He grappled with what he wanted to tell her.

Because he’d never forgiven his father.

Emily brushed away a tear and shot him a wry grin. “Come
on, it’s your turn now. I’m sitting here with swollen red eyes and smeared makeup, allowing myself to be completely vulnerable with you. The least you can do is remind me I’m not the only person in the world struggling with this issue.”

He laughed in spite of the somber mood between them. “Don’t worry. You’re not.”

“So . . .”

He took a deep breath. “I’ve never forgiven my father, and I’ve worn that unforgiveness like a badge.”

He cringed at how vulnerable his own words sounded. Besides his brothers, he’d never spoken to anyone about his father. But he knew if he was going to keep Emily, he was going to have to be honest.

She grabbed a tissue off the end table and blew her nose. “My father always told me that forgiveness is a choice. A conscious decision to let go.”

They’d both faced their demons today, and getting past them was going to take time. But nothing that had happened over the past few hours had changed what he was feeling toward her. It was all he could do to stop himself from pulling her into his arms and kissing her long and hard.

Emily pulled away, seeming to sense his thoughts. “I’m going to need some time to figure things out. Between Charlie, Rafael, and Tess . . . I’m just not sure which way is up. I’m not sure how to trust my heart and move forward . . . Yet.”

“It’s okay.” He reached up and brushed away a tear sliding down her cheek. “I understand. I’m leaving in a few hours anyway.”

She looked up at him and caught his gaze. Was that regret he saw? Longing? “When?”

“I’ve got the flight out to Colorado first thing in the morning. My father isn’t going to live much longer. I need to be there for him and for my brothers.”

“I’m glad you’re going. I know you said you aren’t close to your father, but if he dies and you’re not there . . . you’ll always regret it.”

“I’m still not sure I want to go, and forgiveness might be a conscious decision, but it’s a hard one as well. For my brothers’ sake, if nothing else, I’ll go and be there with them.”

“It’s the right decision.”

“Maybe when I get back we can talk. About us.”

He needed to know if she was feeling the same things he was. If she was open at all to this unexpected relationship he never would have dreamed possible before today. He wasn’t willing to walk away because the situation was clouded with emotion.

She nodded. “I’d like that.”

“Me too.” No promises or guarantees, but at least she’d left an open door. “Are you going to be okay by yourself?”

“Yeah. I need to spend some time praying, trying to figure out what I’m feeling, while probably devouring a couple pints of cookie dough ice cream in the process.” She grabbed another tissue from the end table and blew her nose. “But I’ll be okay. Eventually. I just need time to process everything. I don’t love Charlie anymore—that isn’t even an issue—but that doesn’t mean his betrayal doesn’t hurt. Everything I thought we had was a lie . . . It makes me wonder about myself and how I can ever hope to be able to read other people.”

He wanted to tell her that she could trust him. That he’d never do anything to hurt her. But today wasn’t the day to do that. After what she’d gone through, it was going to take time for him to show her she could trust him.

“You don’t need to apologize. Trust doesn’t come easy when you’ve been betrayed.”

“You understand, don’t you?”

“My father wasn’t there for me. There was a lot of hurt and rejection. Seeing him again is going to be very hard.” He had a
lot to learn about forgiveness. A heavenly Father had forgiven him. Surely he could learn to do the same. “Can I ask you to promise me one thing?”

She nodded, her eyes still brimming with tears.

“I’ve had feelings toward you for a long time, but the timing was never right, and maybe it won’t be right again this time. But . . . when you’re ready, if you’re ready, to give us a chance, call me. I’ll be waiting.”

She nodded, reached out, and ran her hand down his arm. “Thank you. For everything.”

“You’re welcome, but you did pretty good yourself. You might not be a police officer, but your sister was right. I’d trust you to watch my back anytime.”

Mason started to stand, then leaned forward and brushed her lips gently with his. Forward, maybe, but he couldn’t help it. Emily Hunt had completely captured his heart.

He turned around, leaving the Hunt home like he’d done dozens of times in the past, but the next time he came back, he’d be returning to see the woman he was falling in love with.

M
ason parked his rental car outside the brick, ranch-style home in south Denver, hands resting against the steering wheel as he stared out the window. It had snowed last night, leaving a dusting of white powder across the front lawn. According to the news report he’d just picked up on one of the local stations, six more inches were expected over the next twenty-four hours. Bringing much needed new powder to the surrounding slopes.

But skiing wasn’t on his agenda today. His father was inside. Dying. He’d heard from him twice over the past fifteen years. A wedding invitation from wife number two, and a death notice regarding his third wife. He’d ignored the correspondence, clearly sent out by someone who didn’t know the situation. Didn’t know that Nathanial Taylor had been anything but a father to the boys who carried his name on their birth certificates.

Memories surfaced, unsolicited. The day he’d found his mother overdosed on the couch. His brother Sam’s funeral. The day he’d finally found the courage to leave home. His father wasn’t in any of those memories.

Over the years he’d managed to bury the anger, pain, and loss, but this morning there was no escaping the past and the wall that had built up between them. Somehow he was going
to have to find a way over, under, or around it if he was going to walk through the front door.

Mason stepped out of the car, careful not to move too quickly. He looked up at the house and saw that his little brother had stepped out on the porch to greet him. He’d made the right decision, even if he didn’t understand the regret, guilt, and fear tangled up in his gut.

“It’s been too long.” Mason wrapped his brother in a big, one-armed bear hug.

“How are you?” Calvin took a step back. He had their mom’s blue eyes, their father’s nose and stubborn streak. “Can’t believe you got shot.”

“All in a day’s work. I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too, but Tulsa’s less than a two-hour flight from Atlanta.”

“That goes for you as well. But once that baby comes, I think I plan on showing up. How’s Sarah?”

“She wanted to be here, but the doctor won’t let her travel.”

Calvin and Sarah’s first child was due next month. A little girl they planned to name Emma Rose after Sarah’s grandmother. She was going to be their father’s first grandchild. Their aunt would have been proud.

His brother’s question broke the silence. “Are you ready for this?”

“I’m still not sure I want to go in there.”

“You didn’t fly all the way from Atlanta to back out now.”

“I did have a little encouragement on that side.” He’d wanted to pick up the phone a dozen times over the past twelve hours to check on Emily and see how she was. But he respected her need for space. Prayed that she’d have room for him in her life when he returned.

“A new girlfriend?”

“She’s . . . she’s just a friend.” For now.

“Listen to her, then. Sounds like she might be worth keeping.”

“She is.”

Funny how bad he wished she were here. He wasn’t sure how it was possible, but so much had changed. And while he had no idea what the future held, he was certain about one thing. He had no desire to move forward without her. He’d spent the entire trip in prayer over his new relationship with Emily. And over his lost relationship with his father. Years of lost time. Mountains of regrets. Wondering if there was even a way to bridge the gap between them. Knowing that it probably wouldn’t have changed anything, but wondering anyway, if he’d tried harder . . .

Today was something he was going to have to face on his own. And no matter how badly he wanted to erase his past, lingering memories that had haunted him and the pain that came with them had become a part of who he was today. Emily had been right. It gave him the drive to help kids like Rafael and make a difference in the world. For that reason alone, he wouldn’t change anything.

“You can do this. We all can. No matter what happened in the past, we’re family.”

“I know.”

Only, his younger brothers didn’t remember their dad passed out on the floor, the women who’d come and gone, or all the times he’d left them alone.

“He loves you, Mason. He always has.”

Forgive him.

I
don’t know how, Jesus.

“Come on.”

Mason followed Calvin through the front door. The living room had been set up with medical equipment against the back wall and a hospital bed in the middle of the remaining space.

Nathanial Taylor was smaller than Mason remembered. He
wasn’t sure he’d even recognize him if he hadn’t seen an updated photo. He’d been told his father wasn’t going to live much longer, and by looking at him, he could see why. Face drawn, skin pale . . . this was the man he’d spent his life hating.

Mason and his father shared the same tall frame, thin nose, and cinnamon brown eyes, but beyond that they shared nothing. Not even the happy memories most children had of their fathers. On the flight, he’d worked to remember everything he could about his childhood when his father had been a part of it, but he couldn’t remember more than half a dozen fleeting incidents. The only good one was the baseball game. Either he had a really bad memory or there simply weren’t any other good memories to resurrect.

“You came.” His father’s voice was hoarse and unsteady.

Mason stopped at the side of the bed, not sure of what to say.

“I . . . I understand you’re a cop.”

“A detective. I work mostly undercover.”

“Detective. I’m impressed, though not surprised. I saw a story on the news this morning about that ransom case you just led. Heard you took a bullet and saved a young girl’s life.”

Mason reached for his injured shoulder. “It was nothing.”

“I bet it wasn’t nothing to that girl and her family. I’m proud of you. Always knew you’d turn out to be a fine young man.” He turned his face away and started coughing, the effort shaking his entire body.

Mason wanted to run out of the room. The smell of urine and antiseptics overpowered him. He hadn’t come here to listen to his father talk about how proud he was of him. He wasn’t sure why he’d come here.

Forgive him.

He shook his head. How could he forgive a man who walked out on his mother? Who’d drunk his paycheck week after week? Who’d left them with nothing?

God, I know what’s right, but how
can I forgive him for what he did to our
family?

Craig walked into the room and gave Mason a big hug, along with the reprieve he needed before turning back to his father.

“I wanted you all to be here. Together.”

Mason worked to curb the emotion as he stood between his two brothers at the side of their dying father.

“I . . . I lived my life regretting so many things,” his father continued. “Leaving your mother and you boys. Not being there when Sam died. Missing out on soccer games and science projects and senior proms. My first grandchild is about to be born, and I’m not even going to get to hold her.”

“There’s still a chance, Dad,” Calvin interrupted.

He shook his head. “I spent my life believing lies. Not anymore. I paid a lawyer to make out my will last month. I’m leaving the three of you everything I have. I figure you can sell this place and split the profits. It isn’t much, but hopefully it will help.”

Mason felt the lump of anger he’d been carrying swell. “You don’t get it, do you? I don’t want your money. There’s only one thing I ever wanted from you. I just wanted you to be there.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t, Son. I don’t know what else to say.”

Mason pressed his lips together and focused on a dark spot on the wall. He hadn’t heard his father call him “Son” for twenty years. Any apology seemed inadequate when placed beside a lifetime of hurt.

An apology couldn’t take away the look of pain on his mother’s face when she found out about his mistress. It couldn’t make up for all the birthday parties and soccer games missed, or bring back his brother Sam.

Sorry didn’t change anything.

“Why now? What’s changed to make you want to suddenly make up for all your failings as a father?” He knew the words would sting, but there was no sense not calling a spade a spade.

His father lowered his head. “Looking death in the eye can make you see things a lot more clearly.”

“Is that all you have to say?”

“Mason—” Calvin began.

His father tried to hold up his hand. “It’s okay. You deserve to be angry, and I deserve whatever you have to say. I know I wasn’t much of a father to you and I would be the first to admit it. I never knew how to show you that I loved you.”

He started coughing again. Mason took a step back. He’d thought that in coming, he’d somehow find a peace over his past. All he felt right now was a desire to run.

“I need to go.” Mason walked toward the door. Built-up anger swept through him. He couldn’t do this. Not now. Maybe not ever.

Forgive him.

Mason grabbed the handle of the front door, then stopped.

Forgive him
.

Mason paused, then let go of the handle and walked back across the room. He watched his father cough while trying to catch his breath. Helpless. Broken. He wouldn’t want to die that way. He didn’t want his father to die that way either.

He reached out and took his father’s bony hand. “I forgive you. I want . . . I just need you to know that.”

His father smiled and closed his eyes.

Mason was about to hang up when Emily finally answered the phone.

“Mason?”

“Emily . . . I . . . I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have called, it’s just that . . .”

“No, it’s okay. I’m glad you did.”

“I just wanted to make sure you are okay. Were you asleep?”

“Trying to. I couldn’t sleep at all last night. Too much swimming through my head.”

“You could take something. An over-the-counter sleeping pill.”

“I probably should, but what about you? Have you seen your father?”

“Yes, but . . . he passed away this afternoon.”

“I’m sorry.”

“So am I. Funny how I didn’t think it mattered, but now that he’s gone, there’s this huge aching hole inside me. I miss him.”

“Did you get to talk to him?”

“Yes. I told him I forgave him.”

There was a pause. “When are you coming back to Atlanta?”

“I need to stay a few days to help my brothers with the estate. I should be back by the weekend. Monday at the latest.”

“Call me when you get back, okay?”

Mason smiled. “I’d like that.”