Deception, page 17
Carter narrowed his eyes at her. “That’s the last time I’ll bake anything with you.”
Giggling, Sofie avoided his attempts to lift her up. “That’s okay. I bet Ever knows how to bake.”
After playing a few rounds of Uno we all sat in the living room, watching a movie. Sofie had chosen the seat next to me, making a hopeful spark flicker to live that Everleigh was right and all she needed was time.
When Carter declared it was bedtime—taking care of my daughter in my place—the pressure on my chest at hearing his words made it hard to breathe. But then a small hand on my arm sent air rushing back in. “Will you read me a story?”
“Of course,” I whispered, afraid to talk too loudly and scare her away. We stood up, Sofie taking my hand, not realizing how much it meant to me.
“Want me to come tuck you in?” Carter asked, watching us walk out of the room.
“That’s okay, daddy can do it,” my daughter responded, then picked four books.
And for the first time since seeing her, I had hope that we’d be okay.
Chapter 27
Everleigh
“Any news?” I worried my bottom lip, an annoying habit I’d picked up. Carter kept typing away at his keyboard, showing me footage of a surveillance camera.
We’d been staying with him for the past few days. Lucius coming back was a huge change for Sofie, and we were trying to give her as much time to get used to her dad again as we could.
She wouldn’t let Lucius out of her sight, but she also asked for Carter when he wasn’t in the house. Lucius was slowly building back the trust he’d destroyed by leaving, spending every free minute he had with his daughter.
But he also constantly checked all the exits and barely slept. He was on edge, and I knew it was because he was expecting someone to charge through the door and tell us we had to get out of Chicago.
“Maybe. There hasn’t been another clear image like the last one. But have a look at this.”
Carter brought up a few grainy still images, most likely taken from security cameras. He was amazing with computers. And when he’d heard about my brother disappearing, he offered to help.
Beggars couldn’t be choosers and all that, so I accepted. I had a little money left from my savings, and I’d gladly give him all of it if it meant getting my brother back.
I squinted, comparing the image on the screen to the memory of my brother. The hair was longer but the same color. The bushy beard made it hard to make out facial features, but when I saw the familiar scar over his eyebrow, I was sure it was him.
“Where was this taken?” I tightened my hold on the back of the chair I’d been leaning against. One of the rooms in Carter’s house was an office, housing numerous screens and a few computers, resembling a mini surveillance center.
“New York.”
I jolted. “New York? As in the New York that’s about eight hundred miles east of here?”
“Yup. I don’t have any other footage, though. And no idea what he was doing there. Or why he hasn’t contacted you.”
What the hell are you doing, Archer?
“I need to go to New York.”
Carter stilled. “Do you honestly think you’d be able to find your brother in a city of over eight million people?”
No, I didn’t. But it was killing me to sit here and do nothing when I knew he was only a short flight away. Of course, we had no idea where he’d gone after the surveillance camera captured his image a few days ago. For all we knew, he wasn’t even in New York anymore.
“But how do I find him?”
He cleared his throat. “Have you ever considered that he doesn’t want to be found?”
I’d squashed the thought of Archer deliberately staying away every time it sparked. It hurt too much.
A hand on my arm startled me, and then Carter gently led me out of his office. “Look on the bright side. You know he’s alive.”
But for how long? I let out a bitter laugh. A person didn’t just disappear for shits and giggles. But Carter was right. I couldn’t do a thing. And if Archer wanted to stay away, maybe I should respect his wishes.
If only it wasn’t burning a hole in my chest every time I thought of him out there all by himself. Why didn’t he ask me for help?
Lucius looked up when we came back to the living room, where he’d been helping Sofie paint her unicorn figurines. He had a purple paint smudge on his cheek.
I sank down next to them, and he put his arm around me. I already felt less like I was falling apart.
“What did Carter say?” he asked softly.
“He has footage of Archer in New York.”
Lucius leaned back so he could look at me. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t look for information before everything blew up.” He pressed his lips to mine in a brief kiss.
“Don’t you dare apologize. We don’t even know if Maurizio had anything to do with my brother’s disappearance. Chances are it’s all just a coincidence.” Laying my head on his chest I relaxed against him. “I’ll be okay.”
And I would be. Because he was with me.
Sofie sat down on my lap, holding up one of her unicorns. “You want to help us paint Sparkles? Daddy’s hands are too big. He can’t do the eyes.”
Lucius ruffled her hair, and I laughed when she pouted, smoothing down her locks. I took the paintbrush she held out with a smile. “I’d love to. And lucky for you, my hands are nice and small.”
We spent the rest of the day playing with Sofie, ignoring the real world.
Until Lucius’s phone rang, pulling us back into reality.
“Yeah?”
I’d never get used to the way he answered his phone.
“You want me to what?”
Lucius walked out of the room, his voice fading with each step. The back door slammed shut, and though I craned my neck, I couldn’t see where he’d walked to in the backyard.
“He’s not leaving us, is he?” Sofie’s sweet voice was shaking, her hand finding mine and holding on tight.
I pulled her closer, and she cuddled in. “Of course not. It’s only a phone call. Nothing to worry about.”
Despite my words, I wasn’t sure that was the case. The crease between his brows when he walked away wasn’t very promising. And the fact that he walked away in the first place didn’t make me feel warm and fuzzy, either.
Carter dropped down on the sofa next to us, making us bounce, and Sofie giggled. “What are you pretty ladies up to?”
“Watching Daddy talk on the phone,” Sofie replied, making me tickle her.
“Don’t you know that you’re not supposed to tell other people if you’re spying on someone?”
She shrieked and jumped out of my lap, hiding behind Carter, grinning from ear to ear. “Daddy says you shouldn’t lie.”
Well, she had me there. “He’s right. Lying is wrong.”
Lucius came back inside, a deep line between his brows. “What did I miss?”
“Not much. What did we miss?” I asked.
“Gunner wants me to come back and work for him again.”
We’d been talking about where we’d go next and had settled on San Diego. I was excited to go back, to see Thea again and show Sofie the beach and my favorite ice cream shop.
But if he was working for Locked Security, I doubted we’d be moving as planned. Their head office was in Chicago.
There was no doubt in my mind that I’d stay wherever he was. No matter how much Chicago didn’t feel like home.
Lucius sighed, holding on to the doorframe. “I said no.”
I blinked at him, his words not quite making sense. Did he say he turned down the only job he ever wanted? “What? Why would you do that?”
“It’s not me anymore. And I want to spend time with you and Sofie. Locked Security doesn’t exactly provide steady work hours. I’d be gone for weeks at a time.”
I got up, making sure he saw the earnest expression on my face. I didn’t want him to regret turning down his dream job. “I’m happy as long as we get to stay together. Whether we live in Chicago or San Diego doesn’t matter to me. And if you go back to Locked Security, we’ll make it work.”
Once I was close enough, he took my hand and kissed it. “It’s only a job. I have everything I need right in this room.”
“Aww, thanks, honey. I love you too. Does that mean you’re asking me to move in with you?” Carter barked out a laugh.
Lucius shook his head. “Uncle Carter always has a room in our house, right, Sofie?”
Sofie had been quiet during our exchange, but now she came over, and Lucius picked her up.
“And he’ll come and visit?” She looked at us with big eyes, the worry clear on her face.
Carter winked at her and nodded. “Try to keep me away. San Diego has always been one of my favorite cities. Lots of impressive sights, especially at the beach.”
Lucius shot him a dark look, and Carter walked out of the room, whistling. “I’ll make dinner.”
Sofie put her small hand on Lucius’s cheek. “Can I go to the beach when we move there?”
“Of course you can.”
“Every day?”
He laughed. “We’ll see. You’ll still have to go to school, too.”
I left them to negotiate an acceptable amount of beach days, knowing we’d be down there nearly every day. Lucius still carried so much guilt for leaving Sofie that he gave in on most things.
Finding Carter standing in the open fridge door, studying the contents, made me smile. He was such a conundrum. Family man and jokester at home, badass commando and computer genius at work.
I looked over his shoulder, noticing the nearly empty fridge. “What are we having for dinner?”
“Pizza. We forgot to go to the store.”
“Rosie’s?”
He pulled his phone out, nodding. “Of course. I’ll order if you get out the carrots so Blake won’t complain about the unhealthy dinner we’re about to feed his daughter.”
I snorted but peeled and cut the carrots. Carter still called Lucius by the name he’d used when he first met him. But for me he’d always be Lucius.
We settled around the kitchen table to eat twenty minutes later. Lucius shot a reprimanding look at Carter about our dinner choice, and Santino made a rare appearance, opting to stay at a hotel in town after spending one night on Carter’s couch and waking up to Sofie putting hairbands in his hair.
He was going to San Diego with us, agreeing to come as soon as Lucius asked him. They were both restless, but I hoped they’d be happy there.
“You good to leave in two days?” Lucius asked between bites of pizza.
Santino grunted in affirmation, then continued eating. He’d barely swallowed the last piece of his pizza when Sofie asked him if he wanted to watch The Little Mermaid with us. Mumbling something about an errant he had to run he left shortly after. Carter locked himself into his office, leaving the three of us to cuddle up on Carter’s couch.
Sofie was tucked tightly into Lucius’ side, her face awash with happiness. She fell asleep within the first ten minutes, and Lucius put her in our bed. She’d been refusing to stay in her own, worried that she’d wake up and Lucius would be gone.
I understood her fears and would do whatever it took to make her feel comfortable and safe. We already felt like a family, so sleeping in the same bed seemed normal. I missed spending time with Lucius, but Sofie needed us right now.
When he came back, he lifted me up from where I’d been sitting on the couch, then dropped down on the cushion, settling me sideways on his lap. I laid my head on his chest, my arm winding around his middle.
“Do you mind if I ask what happened to Sofie’s mom?”
The question had been on my mind for a while, but I hadn’t been sure if it was my place to ask. Neither Lucius nor Sofie ever mentioned her. But if we wanted to make this work, I had to know if she would come back at some point.
“Isobel was a one-night stand. One that I can’t regret because it got me Sofie. Last I heard she was living in Houston. But I haven’t checked in on her for nearly two years. So who knows.”
“She never calls? Or visits Sofie?”
Lucius pressed a kiss to the top of my head, gathering me closer. “She wanted Twenty thousand dollars to go through with the pregnancy. Her name isn’t even on the birth certificate. She walked out of the hospital the day after giving birth and hasn’t seen Sofie since.”
I tilted my head back, unable to believe someone would just walk away from their child. “Her loss, my gain.”
His mouth twitched and he leaned down, pressing his lips to mine.
Being with Lucius was better than anything I could have imagined. I couldn’t wait to start our life together and I was excited to show him and Sofie my hometown.
Chapter 28
Lucius
San Diego was the opposite of Chicago. The sun shone most days, temperatures hovered around seventy degrees, and it barely rained.
Sofie loved the beach, and Everleigh never tired of wandering up and down the sand with her, looking for shells. We already had quite the collection at the house.
We were staying with Everleigh, and Santino got an apartment in the same complex.
But I wasn’t settled. I’d been working all my life, so sitting around, doing nothing was making me restless. Which in turn made me feel guilty because I should have been happy.
I needed something to do and had been diving headfirst into finding out why Maurizio sent money to a place I’d never heard of every month. It was bothering me. He was not the charitable type. If he sent money somewhere, it was for a reason.
And I needed to know why. Tie up the last loose end. I’d been trying to dig through a mountain of information Carter sent me, but the account statements and emails between Maurizio and Hills View Berries told me nothing. My last option was to google the name and see what came up.
Something I should have done as soon as I started digging for information. But sometimes the most obvious solution is also the hardest to find.
The first result was a farm selling produce straight from their shop. It was easy to find a phone number, as they had a website that listed both that and their email address.
I was by myself in the apartment, sitting on the small balcony that looked out over the wall of another apartment. We needed to find a bigger place to live, but real estate in San Diego was tight. And for now, this worked.
The girls had gone to the market. They went every week. It was their thing, and they loved it. They also cooked together most nights. It felt like we’d been a family for years, not just the two months we’d been in San Diego.
I dialed the number listed on the website, and a woman answered.
“Hills View Berries, this is Ava.”
“Yeah, uh, hi. My name is Lucius. I was, uh, wondering what kind of berries you sell?”
Well, that was a clumsy delivery if there ever was one, but I hadn’t thought about what I’d actually say. I didn’t think the place was legit. Which made this all even more confusing. Why would my dad get involved with berries?
Her voice was all business. “We have blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. Are you looking for anything in particular? We sell the berries on their own and also make jams, cakes, and sauces.”
“Where are you located?”
“We’re in Summer Lake, near Oregon. But if you’re not close enough to come out, we also deliver.”
“No, that’s okay. Thanks for the information.”
“No problem. Have a nice day.”
I hung up, having no more of an idea why my dad sent money there than I did before.
A hand snaked around my torso, and then Everleigh leaned over me, touching her lips to my cheek. “Hey. What are you doing out here?”
“Enjoying the view.” It was a standing joke between us ever since we moved in.
A flurry of movement appeared at the door, accompanied by loud footsteps. “Dad, look what Ever got me.”
A red-cheeked, bright-eyed Sofie climbed on my lap, holding up a small crown of flowers.
I took it, turning it every which way under my daughter’s watchful gaze. When I’d sufficiently admired it, I held it out to her. “You want me to put it on?”
She nodded, and I placed it on her head. “Mi princesa.”
Sofie threw her arms around me, then jumped off my lap and disappeared inside again.
Everleigh took her place, studying my face. “Did something happen? You look worried.”
I gathered her close, breathing in her familiar scent. “I called Hills View Berries.”
She sat up, putting her hands on my shoulders. “And? Don’t leave me hanging here.”
“They’re a real place in Oregon. Which makes this so much more confusing.”
“You’re going to go up there, aren’t you?”
I kissed her soft lips, holding her close. “Do you mind?”
She shook her head. “Not at all. I’ll organize a sleepover with Thea. She’s been asking me to come around nearly every day. I think something’s wrong.”
Her husband had hired Locked Security to beef up their security system after Santino got in without problems. It made me think there might be something else going on. Nobody needed that much security without a reason.
“Tomorrow?”
“Sounds good. I’ll call Thea.”
She kissed me and slid off my lap. I resisted the urge to follow her inside like a lost puppy.
The berry farm was nestled in a valley near Summer Lake. Fields lined both sides of the road leading up to an older but well-maintained farmhouse. I glanced over at Santino, who was driving. He’d been undeterred and refused to let me go on my own.
And if this was a front for some other business, I might need the reinforcements.
We parked in front of the shop, next to an old tractor that was covered in cobwebs. The building looked like it used to be a barn, the outside painted blue with big white letters above the door identifying it as the Hills View Berries shop.
