The Inheritance (The Donatelli Series) (11 page)

At the thought of Blade with another woman, sadness crept inside Maria and settled deep in her chest.

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By six the next morning, Blade was packed and ready to leave. He cleaned the house, did his laundry, washed the dishes and put them away, and tossed the perishable food. He removed the hard drive from his computer and left the rest sitting on the battered old table he used as his desk. He’d packed his personal papers and most of his clothes in boxes or bags. Some would go into storage. After he took care of business this morning, he’d find a place to hole up until he closed on the property and got a workable house plan, and then he’d go to New York to take care of the house there. If he stayed gone long enough, Sunny might give up and return to California. If Sunny and her friends tracked him down, things could get rough, and he didn’t want those people around Maria and her family.

He rented a storage unit, parked his Harley on one side, and walked three miles to the Ford dealer, where he bought himself a late model used car. It took three trips to move his books and other items of importance to the storage unit.

The post office was his next stop. He rented a box and changed his address, mailed his payment to the credit card company, and stopped by the office of
Max and Company
. Maria wasn’t there, but Nick was.

“Nick, I need to hire an attorney, and the sooner the better. Any suggestions?”

“Something wrong?”

“My stepmother is making trouble, so I moved out of my house this morning. I thought I’d camp out at Penrose until I get things settled here and get you started on my new house. Sunny should be gone by then.”

“What if she isn’t?”

Blade didn’t answer. If she sent her friends after him, Maria and the kids would have a nice little nest egg. Dead or alive, he wouldn’t give Sunny what she wanted.

Nick made two phone calls and five minutes later, Angelo walked in the door. Nick asked, “Angelo, how would you and Teresa like a house to live in for a while?”

“Sure. Where is it?”

“It’s Blade’s house.” Nick explained the situation. “Don’t let Teresa stay there alone, and if you see anyone messing around the place, call 911 and then call the guards. Blade is taking your room at Staff House for now.”

Blade said, “Do you think that’s a good idea, Nick?”

“We bought a piece of land to build on and ran out of money,” said Angelo. “That’s why we’re living in the Staff House. It’ll be nice to have some privacy for a change.”

“Do you have furniture?”

“Not yet. Is the house furnished?”

“Yes, it is.” Blade handed the house keys to Angelo and talked about the things he’d left in the house. “If you know anyone who wants an old pickup to tinker with, they can have it.”

“Vincent,” Angelo and Nick said together.

“My nephew is looking for something to drive, and he can fix nearly anything,” said Angelo.

“Then give it to him. The keys are in it. Look, Angelo, I appreciate you doing this for me. I have a big house in New York and it has more furniture than I’ll ever use. I’ll put some things aside for you and Teresa.”

“Hey, thanks, Blade. I appreciate that.”

Angelo went back to work, and Nick introduced Blade to his attorney, Gerry Merlino, who’d just come into the office. “I have work to do,” said Nick, “so you’ll have the place to yourselves.” He grabbed his jacket and left.

Gerry flipped the lock on the door and they got down to business. “Tell me about this trouble with your stepmother. Start at the beginning.”

Blade talked about his earliest memories, of being beaten by his father with the belt buckle until blood ran down his legs, and of having bourbon poured down his throat until he threw up. “That was Sunny’s solution to every problem. By the time I was in high school, I was a full blown lush. I couldn’t get through a day without a drink.

“When I was fifteen, Sunny and I had a big fight, and I knew if I stayed any longer she’d either kill me or I’d kill her. I emptied her purse, stole a motorcycle, and left town.”

He told Gerry about his grandfather and the condition in the will. “My greatest fear is ending up married to a woman like Sunny.”

“I hear you. I’m divorced. I always thought I’d marry again, but every woman I date reminds me of my ex, and I don’t want a repeat of the past.”

Gerry scribbled notes on his legal pad. “I’ll check with the police and see what they’re charging Sunny with. Will you testify against her?”

“Of course, although the cop was the one who found the open container of Jack Black and coke vials in her car and my mail in her purse. I want to know if she came here alone. I don’t want to wake up dead tomorrow morning, which brings me to another issue.”

“You need a will.”

Blade nodded. “I want to leave everything to Nick’s cousin, Maria.”

Gerry leaned back and pulled off his glasses. “I wasn’t aware that you knew Maria that well.”

“Better than I know anyone else.”

Except Daisy.

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Angelo and Teresa moved into Blade’s house that evening, and Blade moved into their room in the big house shared by all the people who worked on Cara Andrews’ staff here in Washington. Lucas, one of the guards who’d been watching over Cara for years, showed him around. The women had the two bedrooms downstairs and the men, including four guards, shared four bedrooms upstairs. Since Blade took Angelo and Teresa’s room, he had it all to himself.

He wasn’t completely unpacked when a woman tapped on the open door. “Blade? I’m Lila. Welcome.” She held up two glasses and a half-empty bottle of wine.

“I appreciate the welcome, but don’t bring that stuff in here.”

“You don’t drink?”

“No.”

She set the bottle and glasses outside the door and walked inside the room. Lila had blond hair and a perky smile. She couldn’t be more than thirty. Blondes had never attracted him, especially pushy blondes. “I understand you’re a friend of Nick’s.”

He glanced at her and put his socks in the drawer. He thought she’d get the hint and leave, but she sat on the bed. “There’s a comedy club over by the Dairy Queen if you’re interested.”

“Thanks, but I’m not into the club scene.”

She jumped to her feet. “Okay, I’ll leave you alone to get settled. If you need anything, I’m downstairs.”

“I’ll keep it in mind.”

If he wanted sex, that woman would provide it, but there was one little problem.

She wasn’t Maria.

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Sophia was glad to have Angelo and Teresa down the street, but Maria moped around the house like she’d lost her best friend. The biker was gone, but not forgotten.

She wanted her children to be happy, and they were, all but Maria. Fred and Maria had been separated in spirit for years, and it was time for her to move on, but she refused to date. Gerry Merlino had asked her out to dinner several times, and she always turned him down. She’d turned herself into a martyr and dedicated her life to her kids, which was fine, if that made her happy. But it didn’t. Still a young woman at thirty-six, Maria needed a man in her life, and she was pretty enough to attract any man. The one she’d attracted was a man who dressed in black leather and drove a big motorcycle.

If Maria wanted Blade, he’d have to accept that her children were an important part of her life. And if Blade wanted Maria, he’d have to learn to trust people. Everyone was capable of love, but Sophia wasn’t so sure that Blade would ever be comfortable with the give and take of married life. Add the stress of growing children to the mix and it could be too much for him to handle. Lesser men had deserted their wives and families because they couldn’t take the stress of parenthood.

Still, if Maria chose to continue her relationship with Blade, Sophia wouldn’t interfere. Having a handsome man pay attention to her boosted her ego, and Maria needed that right now. Fred had convinced her that she wasn’t a desirable woman, that she wasn’t pretty enough to keep him interested or good enough in bed to keep him at home.

Maria’s job situation hurt her even more. That stupid attorney had her fired when Robbie got hit in the head and knocked out on the playground. What was she supposed to do, leave her son at the hospital until she got off work? Now she worked for Nicky and did a good job. She felt better about herself than she had in years, and Sophia didn’t want to see her falling into another bout of depression if this relationship with Blade didn’t work out.

Maria deserved better.

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Blade went out to see the property again the next morning. He’d just parked the car when Gerry called. “Sunny Banner checked into the inn alone, but she had a man with her the morning she was arrested.”

“Supplier?”

“They don’t know who he was, and Sunny isn’t talking.”

“If he’s her supplier and she told him I had money, he’s still around. She probably owes him a bundle. Does she still have a house?”

“I have a man checking on that now, Blade. And my assistant is working on the will. Do you have a copy of your grandfather’s will?”

“No, I don’t. I’ll call Colin Jacobs and have him fax a copy to you today.”

Still sitting in his car, Blade made the call to New York, and then he walked down to look at the property again. It didn’t belong to him yet, but soon it would. The land was sprinkled with firs and maples and madronas, many of which would have to come out to make room for the house, and much of the property was covered with thorny blackberry vines. The berries were delicious, but the vines were nasty to work with, with thorns big enough to tear through a pair of leather work gloves.

He stood halfway down the hill when a car stopped on the road above. Maria waved and started down the hill. He walked up to meet her. After a long, warm hug, he took her hand and they walked down to the home site together. “What are you doing here?”

“I have a friend who is single and looking. I thought you might want to meet her.”

“Tell me about her.”

“She’s in her mid-thirties and lived with a guy for five years. He kept saying he wanted to get married someday, but she finally realized his someday would never get here. They went their separate ways about four months ago. She’s lonesome, and he’s planning a wedding with another woman.”

“Kids?”

“No kids and no pets, and she doesn’t want any. I think that was part of the problem with this guy. He wanted a family and she didn’t. She’s a massage therapist. I didn’t tell her about you, Blade. I thought if you weren’t interested, there was no sense getting her hopes up. She’s pretty, with long brown hair and green eyes. Would you like to meet her?”

I don’t want her, Maria. I want you.

She shook her head slightly and Blade felt hope drain away. “Yeah, okay. Give me her number and I’ll call her.”

Chapter Seven

B
lade bought himself a new laptop computer and set it up in his room at what everyone, including Nick, called the Staff House. He searched the Internet and read everything he could find on the Banner-Covington Shipping Corporation, including recent newspaper articles. He printed out one article about Edward Banner and his influence on the company. Blade’s grandfather was highly respected in the shipping industry, and until the age of eighty-five, he remained active on the Board of Directors and influenced policy that moved the company out of some difficult times. He forced two board members out and named his own successor when he retired.

Joseph K. Grafton, President and CEO, now ran the company. In an interview, Grafton said, “Edward Banner wasn’t just a highly astute businessman. He was a man of high principles who set standards for safety in an industry that lost too many people to accidents. His policies on responsibility have saved our ocean beaches and wildlife from another catastrophic accident like the Exxon Valdez.” The reporter went on to say that Banner-Covington had spent millions to institute those policies, and they hadn’t had a serious accident or spill since then.

Another article talked about a possible takeover attempt by another shipping company. If Blade didn’t get his hands on his grandfather’s stock and the charities sold those shares on the open market, the company would be ripe for a takeover. He didn’t want to see his grandfather’s policies put aside for the sake of higher profits.