In Their Shadows, page 20
He lifted her face to his and caught the glimmer of tears on her cheeks. His face crumbled. “Hey, it’s okay,” he said. His lips felt like liquid on her skin as he attempted to kiss her sadness away. “I love you and I’m glad you’re willing to work on us. That’s all I can ask. I was worried this whole time that you were upset at me for bringing that up. And whatever happened with your family, I hope everything is okay.”
She took a grateful inhale of his scent and relaxed in his arms, soothed by the compassion she knew she wasn’t worthy of. “You know what,” she said, her voice muffled against his shirt. “Why don’t we go away together?”
“I think that’s a great idea. I’ll be wrapping up this project in the next couple of months, so how about we plan something for March?”
April’s face fell. “Well, I was thinking something sooner,” she offered. “Like this weekend.”
“Damn, babe, I wish, but I can’t. We have a function this evening and I’ll be working all weekend.” Of course. That explained the suit and tie attire.
“What type of function? Babe, I just got home and I was hoping we could stay in and spend some quality time.” Really, she was too scared to be seen out in public.
Carter rubbed her back. “I’m sorry, sweetie. This is a charity event I can’t miss. I would love for you to go with me, but you can stay home if you prefer. I know you just got off work, so if you’re tired, I understand.”
“No, I’ll go. It’ll be fun.” April forced a smile, struggling to mask her disappointment. As much as she would rather hide out in the penthouse, there was no way in hell she was going to be left alone. Not after everything she had just witnessed. It was better for her to stay with Carter, for her safety. And his.
Chapter Thirty-two
She hated the calm before the storm. But that’s exactly what tonight felt like.
April held out her hand as Carter helped her from the car. By looking at her from the outside, no one would be able to tell anxiety had a churning feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Carter had picked out one of her favorite dresses to wear tonight, a slinky chiffon material that clung to her curves with a thigh-high slit that swayed to expose inviting pieces of her leg. The gorgeous silver material seemed to glitter off of her tanned complexion, wrapping around her neck and disappearing under the loose curls of her hair. She smiled, prompting Carter’s lips to curve at the casual gesture.
“You look breathtaking,” he complimented with a wink.
April flicked a manicured finger across the lapel of his jacket. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”
“I’m so glad you’re home.” He then leaned closer to whisper in her ear. “I can’t wait to explore you more in detail later. Hopefully after tonight’s surprise, you’ll let me.”
April felt her insides twist. She paused on the sidewalk. “Carter, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“I promise you’ll love it, babe.”
“Maybe, I should—”
But he was already placing his hand on the small of her back and gently guiding her to the building.
As usual, Atlanta was lit up like Christmas. Virtual billboards flashed commercials and ads to city-goers illuminated by bright neon lights. Rideshares and a variety of vehicles stuffed the roads, and the sound of car horns rang out in a harmonizing chorus. Pedestrians were so cluttered on the sidewalk that it looked as if the concrete had been replaced with boots, sneakers, and heels. No matter if it were 3:00 in the afternoon or the early brushes of dawn, the city was always awake.
Carter’s company had rented out one of the ballrooms in the Marriott Marquis and even went so far as to reserve rooms in case employees got a little carried away with the alcohol. The futuristic-themed room was predominately white with pub tables and swivel stools. White, leather circular couches were sprinkled throughout the room to allow for leisure resting from the upbeat music that blared through the speakers. An entire accent wall had been decorated to look like a starry night sky and massive screens displayed the company logo and party slogan Our employees are the future. The party was already in the throes of entertained laughter when they stepped into the ballroom. Carter grabbed April’s hand and propelled her through the throng of formal gowns and alcohol-induced laughter.
They found a vacant pub table and April took a seat. Carter immediately whisked away and returned with punch, and April was disappointed he hadn’t bothered with an alcoholic beverage. Lord knows she needed it to calm her nerves.
“I got you something,” Carter said as he reached into his pocket. He pulled a long jewelry box into view. As she watched, he lifted the lid to reveal a diamond and emerald encrusted tennis bracelet. She gasped as the delicate stones caught the light and seemed to cast a glittering array of light across his fingers when he lifted it into view.
“What is this for?”
Carter draped the bracelet over her wrist and hooked the clasp together. “I just missed you,” he said. “I missed us. And I just wanted to see you smile. Like, really smile. I feel like I haven’t seen that in a minute.” He didn’t know how right he was.
“I don’t know what to say.” April’s voice was throaty and breathless as she looked down at the bracelet. “I really love it, babe. Thank you.”
“There he is!” A burly man made his way over and gave Carter a friendly squeeze on the shoulder. “Good to see you, Carter.”
“Always good to see you, Jake.” Carter turned to April to make introductions. “Michelle, this is one of my clients, Jake Pram. Jake, my lovely wife, Michelle.”
Jake’s smile was a mile wide. “Carter, why didn’t you tell me your wife was so beautiful?”
April felt herself blush at the compliment.
Carter laughed. “Because you’re a ladies’ man and would probably try to steal her from me,” he teased.
Jake playfully cupped April’s hand in both of his. “Don’t listen to him,” he said, giving her hand an elaborate kiss while keeping his eyes on Carter. “He’s just jealous because every woman he talks to wants me instead.”
April laughed. “Okay, thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“ I guess congratulations are in order?” Jake said, lifting a glass in April’s direction.
Confused, April turned in time to catch Carter shaking his head. “What is he talking about?” she asked, glancing between the two men who were, not so obviously, exchanging pointed looks.
Jake covered his mouth. “Oh, you haven’t told her yet. Sorry about that.” He smiled again at April. “It was nice to meet you.” With that, he strolled off.
April turned to her husband. “Carter, is there something I need to know?”
Sighing, Carter took a seat on the stool. “It’s kind of a surprise,” he said.
“I told you I don’t like surprises.” Something he had clearly ignored. It was upsetting and she felt her face wrinkling in restrained anger as she got to her feet. “I think I need to go.” Her eyes darted around the room as she spoke.
Carter rose in confusion. “Babe, why do you look scared?”
“I don’t like surprises, Carter. I told you this.” April couldn’t keep the pleading tone out of her voice and she hated how vulnerable she was at the moment. “Just tell me what you’ve done. Why do I need to be congratulated?”
“It’s good, April. I promise you’ll love it.”
“Then tell me.”
Carter relented with a sigh. “Well, you know how you mentioned—”
The lights began to flicker, halting his words. April turned worried eyes to the stage as the music faded and a hush fell over the crowd. A woman in a gorgeous sequin gown with a mass of curls piled on top of her head took to the stage with a microphone in hand.
“Good evening, everyone,” the woman greeted with a smile. “I’m Stephanie Parrish and I want to welcome you all to the employee appreciation party for Evans Architectural Designs. We would, of course, like to thank Carter Evans as the owner for taking this opportunity to show his appreciation for the hard work and dedication of each one of you. Now eat, drink, enjoy, and remember how essential you are to the success of this company.” She paused to allow for the appreciative claps and cheers from the audience. “Also, I would like to make a special announcement. On behalf of Evans Architectural Designs, we would like to extend a heartfelt welcome to Mr. Evans’s wife, Michelle, as our newest partner. Where is Mrs. Evans?”
April’s eyes rounded as the thunderous applause lifted in a crescendo around her. A spotlight panned the crowd as she looked to Carter, who was smiling so big, his eyes had nearly disappeared into his cheeks. “Surprise,” he mouthed.
She couldn’t even feel her limbs as he took hold of her hand and lifted her arm in the air. What had he done?
“Oh, there she is.” Stephanie gestured toward them with a wave of her hand. “Mrs. Evans, we couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome you to the team.” More cheers and even a few back pats from people within reaching distance. April was utterly stunned, and her face warmed underneath the attention.
“All right, now let’s party!” Stephanie announced. The music rose once more and so did the crowd.
April felt Carter give her arm a light squeeze. “Well, what do you think?” he prompted.
She narrowed her eyes. “What exactly just happened?”
“So good to meet you, Mrs. Evans,” Stephanie gushed, appearing at the table and immediately pulling April into a welcoming hug. “We’re so happy to have you with us. Carter here has done nothing but rave about your talent and experience.”
April was clearly at a loss for words and could only smile. “Oh, well thank you,” she murmured.
Stephanie patted Carter’s shoulder as she spoke. “Carter has already set everything up for you. We’ll just need your stuff for your personnel file. Driver’s license, Social Security card, resume, references, etc. Again, it’s just technicalities to have your information on file. Congrats again,” Stephanie added, “Carter, show my girl a good time.” And she breezed away.
Carter turned to April, who had dropped her head in her hands. “What’s the matter?”
April wasn’t sure how to feel. On one hand, she was irritated because Carter had, unintentionally, opened up her personal life and forged documentation for scrutiny. She had gone so long under the radar that she didn’t know what to expect with this type of exposure. On the other hand, she was honored that Carter would give her a percentage of his business. It demonstrated his love, his trust. It showed she was his future. Which was probably why she felt so terrible. “Carter, how could you do this without consulting me?”
He was clearly taken aback by her reaction. “I thought you would be happy, Michelle. We talked about wanting to spend more time together. Plus, this was something I thought long and hard about. It was a big decision for me because you know my business is my life. But so are you.” He paused, frowning when she didn’t immediately respond. “Babe, I don’t get it. Are you mad about this?”
“I’m . . . not mad . . .” How could she explain? This isn’t what she wanted to do. This isn’t what she wanted from him. “I just wish we had discussed something this big before you went and made the decision for me.”
“Honestly, I thought you would appreciate the gesture.” He was struggling to restrain his rising anger. She could see that clear as day. “I damn sure didn’t think you would piss on this.”
April shook her head. She pressed her fingers to her closed eyes, staving off the impending headache. “What about my job? I can’t just up and quit.” She was grasping at straws. Anything to make him see.
“Michelle . . .” Carter was just as much at a loss for words. “What exactly do you want?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, do you want us or not? Because I can’t keep up the charade. I can’t keep pretending like things are okay when they’re not.” He was holding her gaze now, his own eyes filling with sorrow.
Her voice had lowered to a whisper. “Why do you want me to take this so bad?”
She might as well have punched him the way his face collapsed with the question. His shoulders slumped and he glanced to the dance floor where his employees were immersed in pure joy and happiness. “No, I think the better question is, why are you so against it.”
He left her there, drowning in her own sea of regret. It was torturous. She could only sit there, alone, while the festivities circulated around her. She knew she had to find him and apologize. Hell, even she knew the way she acted toward such a beautiful gesture was completely uncalled for.
April started to rise, but then paused when her eyes zeroed in on a woman in the crowd. A woman who looked suspiciously like Brynn. If it wasn’t for the outfit, April may not have known that it was her. But she remembered that dress.
She remembered how they had gone shopping and Brynn had plucked it off the rack and made a joke about how it was wild with its iridescent sequins. And April had encouraged her to try it on because it was such a unique color, and the high split would accentuate her gorgeous legs. Brynn had laughed but she’d acquiesced and emerged from the fitting room to both of their amazement, looking absolutely stunning, like some kind of ethereal goddess. April had been right. It hugged her body like an extra layer of skin. And Brynn had wanted the dress, bad. Her longing had practically oozed from her pores. But she’d peeled it off with a leisurely reluctance that had saddened April. “I’m not like you,” Brynn had teased. “I can’t afford to buy clothes to put away just in case when just-in-case could never come.” It hadn’t even taken any convincing. April had handed over a credit card without so much as looking at the price. And Brynn had graciously accepted the gift, but she’d insisted the dress wouldn’t see the outside of her closet because she had nowhere to wear it.
It couldn’t be her. But that damn dress was causing April to do a double take, looking for the shimmery material among the rainbow of chiffon and silks and tulle.
Just as quickly, the mystery woman in the dress was gone, having blended back into the throng of inebriated party guests nearly obscured in the low-level lighting. April had to shake her head at the silly assumption. She must’ve been mistaken. Had to be. Sure, the woman had looked nearly identical to Brynn. But the dress wasn’t custom. It could’ve been anyone from anywhere. It was improbable to think Brynn was even in the city (she rarely left Columbus, if ever). But it was even more of a reach to think she would be at this party for Carter. What were the odds?
April sat for a few moments longer when her cell phone buzzed with an incoming text. She grinned when she saw it was from Deuce, those two simple words like a melody to her ears: Found him.
Chapter Thirty-three
The rain pelted the windshield like rocks and April barely had time to dash it away with the windshield wipers before another sheet immediately took its place. The sky was pitch-black except for a dull glow from the moon, hidden behind the clouds. April’s sigh came out shaky and fearful. No time to back out now.
She parked the car on another street and bundling her hair in a messy bun at the top of her head, she fit the baseball cap on top. She noticed the subtle shaking in her fingers as she fumbled with the plastic gloves. Get a grip, girl, she mumbled, the plastic cold and uncomfortable against her clammy skin. With one last look in the rearview mirror, she sighed, opened the door, and stepped out into the rain.
It was coming down in sheets now, nearly obscuring her vision. April squinted through the curtain of rain, the water chilling her cheeks numb. She stumbled blindly forward. The sidewalks were empty, the houses gloomy and ghostlike.
The pounding of her sneakers echoed off the empty streets as she ran toward Jameson’s house. The metal from the gun was beginning to bite into her skin, and she almost wished she had somewhere else to hide it other than her waistband. Too late for wishes.
Jameson’s house would appear to be the most sinister one, the sight seemingly reaching out and beckoning her like a crooked finger. The driveway was empty, the lights off in the house. With one last look around, April cut through the freshly manicured front yard and made her way to the back of the house. Her heart was hammering with every step, her breath coming out quick and desperate. She urged herself to keep moving forward as she rounded the house.
April knew from past experience that Jameson used to keep a spare key under the back doormat. Holding her breath, she stooped down to the soggy piece of carpet and peeled the corner back, nearly jumping for joy when the key winked up at her from the ground. Some things never change, she thought with a satisfied smirk as she shoved the key into the hole. She heard the locks click out of place and, licking her lips, she grabbed the doorknob and pushed the door open.
It opened easily without so much as a squeak. April pocketed the key and stepped into the kitchen, closing the door behind her. The house was quiet, the only noise coming from the creak-creaking of the ceiling fan in the living room someone had apparently forgotten to turn off. April crept on, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the dark. Her wet shoes made a squeak with every careful step she took on the hardwood floor. She listened to the rain plummeting outside, hitting the roof like bullets, splashing against the glass.
April went into the living room, her eyes scanning for pictures on the mantle or coffee table. But there were none. Only furniture dominated the room, yet not one shred of memorabilia was in sight. Boxes were scattered around the room, all closed and pushed out of the way.
A crackle of thunder rumbled outside and had April jumping; startled. She knew she had to hurry. The storm was getting worse, and it was only a matter of time before Jameson got home. She headed down the long hall, frowning when she was met with nothing but closed doors. She wiped a stray raindrop from her forehead. She swallowed and grabbed the doorknob to the master bedroom, then she swung the door open.
