Secrets (5 page)

“I talked to a Navy Seal and he told me I
should be one.” Micah spoke around the pastry in his mouth.

The smile on Chastity's face froze. Her
system shut down at the news that someone she didn’t know had been
around her children. That’s how kids were abducted; making small
talk, making them feel safe and comfortable around strangers. Her
eyes narrowed as Jonah joined in. “He said you should follow your
heart.”

Micah shrugged. “Same thing.” Neither
noticed the tightening around her eyes, or her pursed lips.

“What Navy Seal? Where did you meet him?”
Chastity hadn’t meant to snap at them, but fear of the unknown
always lurked just beneath the surface, ready to strangle her
fragile strip of peace and rip her sanity to threads.

Startled, they glanced at her, then nodded
toward the front of the house, their actions mirroring one another.
“In the living room, yesterday. Ms. Cook said he came from around
the world to check on us.”

“Someone came here yesterday?” She gazed at
Ms. Cook who’d just put her cup down.

“Huh? Yesterday, somebody came here?” The
older woman squinted at the boys.

“Yes’m. You introduced me and Jonah to the
big man with the dark hair and light eyes, said he came to see
us.”

Confusion evaporated from Ms. Cook's face,
her mouth opened and closed on a large smile. “Oh, yes.” She
clapped her hands. “Kenton's back in the country and came by
yesterday to check on us. He said he’d be back today. That’s right.
Robbie sent the boys in for something and he met them in the living
room.”

Chastity's fist balled by her side. Fear and
anger wrestled inside. Robbie knew the rules. No one was to get
near her children. That’s why she took Mariah with her and Sven
yesterday, so he could keep the boys safe here. Did Maude ask her
son to come to the ranch and look around? To get information about
her children? The old witch was definitely up to something.

“You said he just got back into the
country?”

“Hmm. Yes, I think he said that. He didn’t
stay long. Just asked about his uncle and the boys.” Ms. Cook took
another bite of cinnamon bun as Sven walked in.

“Who asked about the boys?” He asked while
pouring a cup of coffee.

Ms. Cook grinned up at him. She’d forgotten
to put in her partial plate and large gaps were highlighted in her
smile. “Kenton asked yesterday when he came to see us.”

Sven looked at Chastity. “That’s great.
Haven’t seen him in a while. I hope Jamison gets here soon. We can
knock out a few things before Kenton comes back today.”

She looked at him, brow raised. “No one said
he was coming today.”

“I know, but he will. His uncle is dead and
he has questions.” He looked at her meaningfully. She nodded. Sven
had been Mr. Baxter's right hand for over twenty years and knew
more about the deceased's family than he let on. The sound of a car
door closing caught everyone’s attention.

“Kids, put your plates and bowl in the sink,
and go to the family room. I’ll be in as soon as I finish my
meeting.” She waved them up. Panic teased her belly, her children
would not be exploited under any circumstances. “Play fair on the
games and have at least one tea party with Mariah.” She gave each
one a kiss on the forehead and sent them marching toward the back
of the house, safely away. Inhaling, she ignored Sven’s raised brow
and headed toward the office. A moment later, he followed. After
Ms. Cook brought Mr. Jamison to the office, they sat down to
strategize.

An hour later, they were still no further
along. “If she takes this to court, there’s not a whole lot we can
do about it, is there?”

“No, she won’t win. She can’t win. Mr.
Baxter had every legal right to leave his money to whomever or do
with it however he pleased,” Mr. Jamison said. “I’m stumped as to
why she’s doing this.”

“She hated him and this is her last dig at
him for ignoring her all those years.” Sven paced the floor,
stopping just short of the dark paneled walls.

“So she thinks this is one way to make sure
he doesn’t get what he wants?” Chastity asked.

Sven nodded.

“She’s crazy. That doesn’t make sense.”

“It doesn’t have to. She hated the way he
treated her, now it’s her turn.” Sven waved away her comment.

“But he’s dead.” Chastity tried to make
sense of the woman's rationale.

“She plans to stop his last request.” Mr.
Jamison said thoughtfully. He laughed. “No wonder David put so many
things in place. He knew his sister well.”

“You ready to go to court?” Chastity asked,
completely stumped.

“Believe it or not, I think David Baxter
planned for her to take his estate to court. Once they file the
papers for a trial, another packet will be released to me from his
vault. His banker has already contacted me with a few
triggers.”

“Triggers?” Chastity wondered when this
rollercoaster would end. All she wanted was the chance to raise her
children in peace, without the debilitating fear from her past
choking her.

“Yeah, I’ve got some packets coming to me,”
Sven said, rotating his neck. “Mr. B. made a lot of contingency
plans. Some of the big envelopes contain plans and information to
be used in case certain things happen. He worked on them for years.
I think his banker has all the packets in a vault along with DVDs
from Mr. B and written instructions for the triggers.”

“Sooo, if she decided to drop this whole
thing?” Chastity asked, looking at the two men. Sven, true to his
Nordic heritage stood six and a half feet tall, with a wide chest
and long blonde hair threaded with gray that he wore in a ponytail.
His face sported lines in his forehead and around his mouth. If she
had to guess his age, she'd put him in his fifties. Mr. Baxter had
hired the ex-Navy Seal to head up security on the ranch. The big
oaf took his job seriously and was like an uncle to her. Mr.
Jamison looked small, almost effeminate next to Sven. That’s
probably why he sat, while Sven prowled like a large cat.

“If she had, then the information for the
court case would remain sealed. We're still dealing on a
need-to-know basis. No one knows everything he put in those
packets; like I said, he’d worked on them for years.”

She frowned.
Years
? They’d only come
to their agreement four years ago, after she’d gotten pregnant with
Mariah.

“Hello, Kenton.” Ms. Cook's pleased voice
echoed down the hall.

Chastity looked toward the door when she
heard the voices. Her eyes darted to the papers Mr. Jamison
returned to his briefcase just before the knock sounded on the
door. Sven opened it and greeted Kent with a fist pound and
embrace.

“What’s up, my man?” Sven smiled and ushered
him inside.

“Not much, got into a small problem on
afar-away island and was out of it for a while. Came here as soon
as I got word about Uncle David.” He turned toward her and nodded
at Mr. Jamison, although his eyes never left her.

What happened to his arm? The cast held his
fingers in a splint. It looked uncomfortable. Other than that, he
looked good. The man stood a few inches shorter than Sven, his
chest just as wide. What did they feed them in the military? The
short hair cut, high cheekbones, hazel eyes that changed with his
emotions. Now, they were dark green. A little worn around the
edges, his eyes had lost that haunted look since the last time
she’d seen him four years ago. She warmed under his intense stare.
“Kenton.”

“Chas. How are you?”

The inflection in his voice said he was
asking about more than his uncle’s death. No matter, they weren’t
friends. His mother had made it her life’s mission to make
Chastity’s existence hell, she didn't trust anyone living who was
related to that woman.

“I’m dealing.” She pointed to Mr. Jamison.
“You remember your uncle’s attorney? He needs to talk to you about
your uncle’s will.”

“Yeah, Mom wrote and mentioned something
about his affairs being messed up.”

“Really?” Sven turned and watched him
closely.

Kenton looked at him and then at the
attorney. “Is there a problem?”

“Other than your mother trying to overturn
your uncle’s will, no.” The attorney pulled a sheaf of papers from
his briefcase.

“Yeah, she mentioned that. I told her it was
a waste of time. There’s no way she can win. But, if she listens to
me, it’ll be a first.”

Chastity’s heart raced as Kenton watched her
closely, as though she were a puzzle he needed to figure out.

“Your uncle left you a few things in his
will,” Mr. Jamison said.

Kenton nodded, but continued staring at her.
She broke the staring contest and looked at Mr. Jamison.

“Who’s the executor of his will?” Kenton
asked. The room stilled. No one spoke.

Chastity’s brow rose at his question. No
questions about his uncle’s final condition? He hadn’t come to see
his uncle in four years, and she knew he’d been stateside since
he’d been here last. The fruit damn sure didn’t fall far from the
tree.

“I am.” Her tone dared him to challenge
her.

He nodded. “Good. That’s the least he
could’ve done.”

She gazed at him, trying to decipher his
coded words. “What do you mean?”

He sighed, raked his hand through his hair
and looked at her. “I met the twins.”

She nodded slowly. The frown on her forehead
dug deeper than before. “They told me.” She spread her hands and
shrugged.

He stood and looked at Sven. They stared at
each other for a moment. “Uncle David’s their father, right?” He
sneered, his words dripped with disdain and something more.

“What?” She whispered. As his words
registered, her stomach lurched and she heaved. The coffee she’d
had earlier hit the wastebasket. Tears filled her eyes as she
stared at him. At that moment, she hated him and his mother. “You
son of a bitch and I do mean that literally. Your uncle was a man
of honor and integrity, worth ten of you. How dare you…how dare you
say such a foul thing. You’re a fucking— ”

“Whoa, wait…I thought, I mean they look— “
His face paled and then reddened.

“How dare you stoop so low? Your mother,
yeah. Expected. But Mr. Baxter loved you like his own.” Her voice
cracked under the weight of his betrayal. Her face and neck heated,
grew tight. Words stuck in her throat as her face crumbled and she
broke down in tears.

“I didn’t… Damn, Chas. I’m sorry. I jumped
to conclusions and thought they were his kids. I didn’t mean to
make it look like— “

Her head snapped up and she glared at him
through tears. “What the hell were you thinking? He was in his
seventies. Can men that old still have sex? Or even want to? She
looked at all the red faces in the room and swiped the moisture
from her face. “Never mind. If that’s the new angle your mother is
going after, she’ll be disappointed.”

“My mother only suspects the boys are yours.
She’s thinking of an unfit mother angle.”

The moment the last word left his mouth, her
eyes widened and then narrowed.
I will kill that bitch
. Fire
leapt in her veins. She hadn’t realized she’d moved until she stood
in front of him, vibrating under the force of her anger and
conviction.

“Tell that bitch to bring it on. I will
crush her.” She turned and left the room.

In all the years he’d known her, he’d never
seen her shaken. If asked, he’d have said she didn’t get riled or
happy. The pain and sorrow in her eyes when he mentioned his uncle
fathering her sons, ripped through him. But that last look, when
she cursed his mother, was death on two legs. No fear, no
compromise, no games. He didn’t doubt for a moment she’d do exactly
as promised.

“You’re an asshole.” Mr. Jamison shoved some
papers at him. “Here’s the paperwork for the Bentley and the Jaguar
convertible he left you. Although you probably think she fucked him
to get you those as well.” Jamison stood. “Your uncle was a
respectable man, with a large heart and a strong sense of justice.
He hated seeing the innocent punished and the guilty go free. What
you implied is an insult to his memory and to that courageous young
woman. Call my office, leave your account information, and the
money he left for you will be transferred. Or we can mail you a
check.” He turned and walked out, closing the door tightly behind
him.

Kenton was so stunned by the turn of events,
he couldn’t think. Last night, instead of enjoying Renee the way he
should have, he’d spent most of the night matching memories and
events. He'd finally settled on the idea that his uncle had
fathered the boys, the only logical conclusion to his mind.

“What’s wrong with you? Even if you believe
that bullshit, why’d you throw it out there like some jealous
bastard?” Sven asked, leaning against the wall.

Shaking his head, Kenton stood holding his
arm and ignored the jealous comment. Of course, Sven would pick up
on his true reason for anger. “Man, I saw them yesterday. Say what
you want, but there’s a definite family resemblance. Those kids got
some Baxter in them.”

Sven straightened and stared at him. “Not
from Mr. B.” His tone adamant.

“Look, I’m not trying to start shit. I
already told my mom, if she goes down that bullshit unfit line,
we’re through. I mean that. There’s nothing wrong with those boys.
Chastity's done a good job.”

“Yes, she has. And if that’s the angle your
mother decides to play, then she’ll come against a mama bear that
takes no prisoners.” Sven nodded toward the door. “She might not
fight too hard for herself, but for her kids, she’d go against God
himself.”

“I saw that.” Kenton exhaled. “It’s none of
my business who the father is. If you say they’re not my uncle’s,
then I guess I’m wrong and owe her an apology.”

“You are wrong and you owe her a big ass
apology. Let me ask you this.” Sven walked closer and looked down
at him.