Fire (Beautiful Ashes Series, Book 2) (18 page)

“What’s goin’ on, Mama? Uncle Tar?” he squeaked.

He swept the little boy into his arms. “I’m getting married, Partner.”

“Is she pretty?” he trilled.

“She’s absolutely beautiful,” Tar crooned.

“I wanna meeeeeet her,” Cole sang.

Lisa interrupted, “Soon, honey.”

“Really!” he clapped and jumped down. “Imma make her a picture.” And he raced to the table, dumping his crayons and markers.

“I’m very happy for you,” Lisa pretended while once more placing her hand on Tar.

He fought the odd sensations dancing along his arm where she held on. Warning bells going off like crazy in his mind. “Thank you.”

Cole called out, “What’s my new auntie’s name?”

Tar chuckled at that. “Keeley.”

“Oh!” he exclaimed. “Pretty name.”

“Yes, I agree,” Tar replied.

“Have you set a date?” Lisa inquired, sounding interested while inside she began plotting how to stop this wedding.

Tar shook his head. “If I could marry her today, I would.”

“Wow! What’s the rush?”

Tar turned to face her so they weren’t right next to each other. “We’re in love. Why wait?”

“Fair point. When can we meet her?”

“I’ll work something out with Mitch.”

Her eyes widened. “You were
with
her last night.”

Something told Tar to tread carefully like there was a live mine waiting for him to step on. He shrugged it off, neither confirming nor denying, and changed direction of the conversation, “You guys did okay without me.”

“We missed you. Didn’t we, Cole?”

His little head popped up from where he was concentrating. “Yeah!” he shouted out.

Tar laughed at his enthusiasm. He couldn’t wait for Keeley to meet Cole, so they could take him to a park for the day. Visions of what it’d be like to have nieces and nephews fill their home with laughter and joy consumed him. Didn’t matter if they never had kids of their own, they would have children to love all around them.

Lisa pulled him from his happy musings, “Does this mean you’re not going to stay on this case?”

He sobered instantly. “I’m absolutely staying. My brother isn’t home. I won’t rest until he is.”

Cole cried out, “Daddy! You’re going to bring my daddy home.”

Fuck. “We’re doing our best to make that happen, Buddy.”

“‘Kay, Uncle Tar,” he said as he went back to coloring.

Lisa leveled a look at Tar. “You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep,” she whispered low.

“Excuse me,” Tar stood and left the room. He planned on keeping that promise and realized it was best for him to no longer be around Lisa. Broke his heart to leave Cole but this really was starting to raise all kinds of alarms in him. She played the role of loving sister-in-law, but something about her screamed jealous lover. He was pretty sure Mitch would agree, considering how much he didn’t care for the woman, especially when he conveyed what just happened.

Chapter
Twenty-One

Lacey crawled into the car in front of their parent’s home and glanced over at Keeley. “Okay, you were right. How do we help Mom?”

Keeley exhaled loudly. “She’s stubborn.”

“Hello!” Lacey quirked a brow when she had Keeley’s attention “Pretty sure you live in that same glass house.”

“Fuck you,” she said without heat, pulling away from the house that held so many bad memories.

“You alright?” Lacey didn’t miss how uncomfortable her sister was the entire time they visited their mother. She knew it wasn’t Mom. They really had come to a point of understanding and forgiveness.

“Not so much,” Keeley admitted.

Lacey slid her hand on her sister’s shoulder. “You did great. And I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’re both trying to move forward as mother and daughter.”

Keeley shot her a half-smile. “I love Mom.”

“Doesn’t mean it’s any easier to give mercy and grace, Kee.”

“Probably harder,” Keeley sighed. “Hurts even more when someone close to you betrays your trust, or makes you feel like they abandoned you.”

“Yeah, it does. Mom did what she did
for
us, not to cause more harm.”

“I get that, Lace. But doesn’t change the chain of events that happened as a result.”

“I know. I’m so sorry, Keeley.”

They were at a red light, so she turned toward Lacey. “It’s me who’s sorry. You did not deserve the hell I dragged you through.” Tears were slipping down Lacey’s cheeks Keeley noticed before the light turned green.

“Neither did you deserve to go to hell.”

Keeley wiped at her eyes as the tears blurred her vision. What more could she say? A part of her wanted to argue that she got exactly what she deserved. Yet another part kept telling her that wasn’t the truth. She actually glanced into the rearview mirror expecting to see a devil on her left shoulder and an angel on her right. The voices were that loud.

Lacey interrupted her reverie. “We’re to meet E at the club.”

“When?”

“Now is what the text says.” Lacey held her phone up, showing it to Keeley.

They entered the office to find it full of many familiar faces. Lacey asked E, “What’s goin’ on?”

Nik answered, “Mitch needed us all here.”

Keeley searched for Tar but he was nowhere to be found. Disappointment filled her as she took a seat. Alex reached over and patted her leg. “Maybe he’s coming with Mitch.”

She shot him a smile. “Never know, right?”

Sofie walked in and Keeley got up just as Lacey met her by the door. They were in a huge group hug when Mitch approached the door. The ladies stepped out of his way. Keeley once more turned to see if Tar was there, but he wasn’t. She sighed, and Lacey wrapped her arm around her shoulders. Sofie grabbed her hand.

Mitch addressed them all, “Thank you for meeting me on such short notice.” He opened up his laptop. “I’m hoping at least one of you can shed some light on this video footage we received.”

Everyone crowded around the desk. Keeley observed that Lacey and Sofie were not just hanging onto her but also to their husbands. She also didn’t miss the distraught look on Nik’s face. She nodded to her sister and sister-in-law and then went to stand by Nik. “Hey there, little sister.”

“You doin’ okay?”

He hugged her tight and whispered in her ear, “That noticeable, huh?”

“Only to someone who understands missing the person they love,” Keeley mumbled back to not interrupt Mitch.

Nik gave her a knowing glance before turning his attention to the video playing. Keeley did the same and gasped so loud every eye was on her.

“What is it, Kee?” E queried.

“That woman is Doctor…”

“Thompson,” Mitch finished for her. “But this person right here,” he tapped on the screen to the patient in the background, “is who we can’t identify.”

Alex leaned in closer. “Can we zoom in?”

“Negative. There’s some sort of lock on it.”

Nik reached for the keyboard. “May I?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely,” Mitch confirmed. He turned his attention to Alex and Sofie while Nik worked at the computer. “Learn anything since I moved you to a different venue?”

Alex blew out a long breath. “Nothing that would hold up in a courtroom.”

“I’m not sure how much help I am,” Sofie admitted.

“You keep me company,” Alex winked at his wife.

Mitch added, “And it looks better to have a couple nosing around in those circles.”

“Well, I’m glad to not be pretending we’re buyers,” Sofie confessed.

“Thank fuck,” Mitch responded. “I’d worry if you enjoyed that.”

“Sick motherfuckers shouldn’t be allowed to breathe,” E spoke what they all were thinking.

“Got it!” Nik exclaimed. Sure enough he’d worked some kind of magic and suddenly they could zoom in.

“Fuckin’ A! That
is
Chase McNeil!” Mitch was on his phone the next second.

Nik, Alex, E, Lacey and Sofie were engaged in conversation as Keeley studied the video closer. She couldn’t take her eyes off Dr. Carla Thompson. Why were her movements so familiar?

Her head was cocked, causing E to inquire, “Who else do you recognize, Kee?”

Nik added, “I only see the two, Thompson and McNeil.”

Lacey leaned into her sister. “Keeley?”

But Keeley kept watching the doctor treating Chase. It wasn’t just her movements. The things she was saying were like déjà vu. Where had she heard them before? And then Dr. Thompson angled herself toward the camera. Keeley matched the angle. “Where do I know you from?” she mumbled under her breath.

Lacey clutched her sister’s hand, but Keeley shook it off and leaned closer to the screen.

“You were lucky there’s something to repair,” Carla told a mortified Chase.

That look on his face. God, she remembered how it felt to be damaged to the point you thought no one could ever fix you again. But it wasn’t that as much as how Carla said it, or rather the accent lingering in her words. Images were appearing in rapid fire as Keeley remembered. Her brain providing missing pieces she thought she’d never recover. And one in particular lit up like a Vegas sign in the pitch black desert. Viviane! Keeley gasped and backed away from the laptop so fast she fell.

“Are you okay?” Lacey reached down to help her sister, but Keeley batted her hand away.

“No. It can’t be. My God. Noooooooo!” She bolted to her feet and tore out of the office, running as fast as she could. Her only thought: Dr. Carla Thompson was Viv.

Lacey looked over at E. “Should I go after her?”

Nik answered, “Something spooked her. Give her a minute.”

Alex pointed out, “Mitch is out there on a call.”

Mitch raced after Keeley but she left like a bat out of hell. What was that all about? He turned to go ask her family when they met him.

“Where’s Keeley?” Lacey inquired.

“I was hoping you could tell me where she ran off to,” Mitch replied.

“Tar?” E implied.

“Now that would make perfect sense,” Sofie offered.

Lacey couldn’t deny that and nodded.

Nik chimed in, “Then she’s in good hands.”

“The best,” Mitch confirmed and decided to send Tar a text giving him a heads up on Chase and Keeley. He faced the Strands, “Let’s get back to work and as soon as Keeley reaches Tar, I’ll let you know.”

They all agreed but Lacey just couldn’t shake that twin instinct. Keeley figured something out.

Something crucial.

Vital.

Life changing.

*****

Tar was out of his mind with worry. Mitch and the team still didn’t have a location on Chase but they were working their asses off to find it. He finally convinced Mitch that once they were ready to move in for extraction, Tar would be there. And what was the deal with Keeley? He’d spoken to E, and not even Lacey could figure out what happened. Did that video somehow trigger her? God, he should be with her, holding her, reassuring her. Hell, just being with her during the crisis. That was what a good husband did for his wife, he was there for her in the good and the bad. Went the other way too, you were after all partners in all things. At least you should be. He paced thinking about that more. The Strand brothers certainly understood this. He knew that even though Aimee couldn’t be there, Nik was talking to her daily, probably more than once. But he couldn’t help but wonder, would Chase be in this kind of danger if he kept his wife more in the loop? He got needing to protect her from certain things. Yet, wasn’t it odd that she knew nothing? He ran his hand through his hair contemplating that.

Lisa approached, “I’m going to fix dinner. Is there anything that sounds good to you?”

He spun around. “How often did you talk to Chase?”

She shrugged, “When he was home.”

“So, he never called you during the day or sent you a text?”

Her eyes were wide but inside she was desperately trying to figure out what he was after. “Occasionally. We have a normal marriage,” she added for good measure.

“But he kept certain things from you,” he pointed out, “and you
hate
that.”

“Yes, I do. That’s no secret. It’s why I couldn’t marry you,” her voice trailed off.

“You should’ve said so,
not
fuck my brother.”

She blinked several times.
How do I work this to my favor
? Her head bowed as she cried, “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Water under the bridge,” his voice and stance softened.

“I wish I knew what it was you need to hear.” She wiped away the tears on her cheeks waiting to see if that was the
in
she needed with him.

He stepped forward and embraced her. “I need to hear how much you love Chase.” Holding her like that brought those crawling sensations again. She was lying. He could feel it in his bones. But what did she lie about? The past? The present?

Shit! He was onto her deception. She had to think fast. “I love your brother very much,” her voice breaking on a sob, “and I want him home.” He held her a little tighter. She traced his jaw bringing his gaze to hers. “But I never stopped loving you.”

“Lisa,” he breathed, “I care for you,
but
as my sister-in-law.”

She mocked indignation. “What are you insinuating?”

He took a step back. “I’m just saying, it’s normal to have residual feelings for each other but that I no longer think of you as my former lover.”

“Wow! That was a verbal slap!”

“Wasn’t meant to be. Look, all I’m saying is we’re in love with different people and that’s the way it should be. We were never meant to be.”

“Really? So you’re saying we wouldn’t be happily married right now if I could’ve handled your job.”

“I think we didn’t have a firm foundation to handle the storms of life, Lisa.”

“I don’t think we were ever given a chance,” she huffed.

“Hey, why the hell are we arguing?”

“I don’t know, Tar, maybe because you’re an insensitive asshole!”

“I’m insensitive? That’s rich!” Oh, he was pissed. She had some fucking nerve. He’d forgiven her and Chase for their betrayal, but damn her for trying to make that his fault.

Cole walked in biting his little lip. “Why are you yelling?”

Tar knelt down and held his arms wide. Cole walked into them. “Sorry, Buddy. Your mom and I are just worried about grown-up things and it came out as mad.”

“You’re not mad?” His soft green eyes searching Tar’s deeper ones. “I am. But more at the situation than a person.”

“You miss, Keeley.” His nephew wasn’t asking a question.

Tar smiled. “Very much so, yes.”

His little head bobbed as he reached for his mom’s hand. “Like we miss Daddy.”

Lisa seized the opening her son just gave her and she hugged both Cole and Tar. “Yes, baby,” she hiccupped.

Both looked at her. Cole traced a tear falling. “Uncle Tar will help.”

Tar blew out a heavy breath. “I’m trying, Partner.”

Lisa stood upright. “I need a moment,” she announced leaving them quickly.

In the bathroom she splashed water on her face. What the hell was she going to do? Tar was slipping from her grasp every second. Fucking cunt, Keeley was her biggest problem. Though his code of honor was a formidable adversary as well. She needed a plan. One that was foolproof. Maybe…she began to search for something to use. A drug of some kind. Anything that brought down Tar’s defenses. Then she recalled, to help Cole with nightmares before Chase’s disappearance he’d been prescribed a mild sedative. Yes, she’d just increase the dose and slip it into Tar’s food. Perfect. With him under the influence, she could take advantage of him. She’d video the whole thing and use it to get rid of Keeley once and for all.