Crossed (16 page)

Across from me sat a man with a familiar face. It took me a while to recognize my second oldest brother, Cash, without his neatly trimmed beard. He was a younger replica of my father, at least the way I remembered him. Sharp jawbone, pursed lips, and a dimple in his cheek when he smiled. I had yet to see that expression on Cash, but I was sure it’d be there—I could already tell.

“What do you want from me?”

“We just want to talk, Grace.”

“Who’s we?”

“The family.”

“And you couldn’t have called?”

“If we did, would you have agreed to see us?”

Of course not
, I thought.

“So you decide that kidnapping works better?”

“Ah, come on, Gracie. We’re family. It’s about time we got to know each other better.”

But I didn’t even want to talk to him. Not while I was his prisoner. I slouched in the seat, wondering whether the door would open if I pulled on the handle.

“You don’t want to do that, Grace,” Cash warned. “You’d get your face and body messed up if you jumped out at this speed, and I don’t want to be the reason for screwing up that perfect skin of yours or scraping those long legs.” His gaze snaked up and down my body, making me feel uncomfortable. I was his sister for God’s sake. Why was he looking at me like I was the next one in line to conquer? Or maybe that was one of his patented looks?

Outside, the buildings flew by as whoever was driving seemed to speed up. Cash was right. It wasn’t the best idea to jump out of the getaway Escalade they’d used to abduct me from my salon. Hunter must have been going mad now, calling reinforcements and trying to locate me. I should have known better than to go outside on my own. Scar had warned me they would try to get in touch with me. I didn’t say another word to Cash, and he remained just as quiet.

An hour later the car turned in a weaving driveway. For a moment it appeared as if we were driving into a forest. Shivers ran up my arms as my stomach began twisting with nerves. The dark hole we seemed to be driving through seemed to have no end. Thoughts of being tied down to a tree for the wolves to feed on, or buried in the middle of nowhere, roamed through my mind. When light finally shone, the car pulled up to a mansion that could definitely pass for a White House. This had to be my father’s new house.

The door beside me opened and I cautiously stepped out onto the interlock driveway. Cash motioned for me to go up the ten steps toward a door suitable for a giant. Why would anyone make doors this huge? I mean, I was sure the tallest man in the world could easily pass through and still have enough space to jump on a trampoline in the threshold and not hit his head. But once I stepped into what I still assumed was my father’s home, it made sense because everything here was over-the-top. The furniture, the expensive paintings, the marble floors, and a waterfall cascading down a wall, right into a pond of exotic fish. My head couldn’t turn fast enough to take everything in.

“To the left.” Cash followed right behind me as a door to a beautifully furnished library opened. Shelves upon shelves were stacked with encyclopedias and sets of law books. At the very top was a display of a notary stamp collection. The room smelled of leather, expensive cigars, and liquor. Way too much liquor. The monstrous chair swung around as my father put out a cigar he was just finishing. I recalled my mother never liking the smell, and I wondered whether she was here.

At first glance my father looked as if he hadn’t aged a year. His coy smile and strong jaw, which had been passed to all the Wagner boys, remained the same. He appeared to be in shape, and I bet he still worked out the way he used to. But there was tiredness and sadness in his eyes. For a moment it made my heart ache. He looked like he’d lived seven centuries, not seven decades.

“Hello, Gracie.” His voice dominated the room the same way I remembered.

“It’s Grace,” I corrected.

“Yes, well. You never did like it when I called you that. I’m sorry for today’s circumstances, but it’s been difficult to get a hold of you. That pestering agent has been keeping you all to himself.”

“You mean trying to keep me safe from you.”

“Ah, Gracie. You don’t need to fear us. We’re family, and I’d never hurt one of my children. Just because your mother chose to keep you away from us before doesn’t mean that we can’t spend time together now.” My father stood up, strolled to the front of the desk, and leaned back against it, gesturing to the chair in front of me. “Have a seat, please.”

I stepped to the front of the chair but remained standing. Staying at eye level with my father felt more comfortable than having him look down at me.

“I think it’s a little bit late for a family reunion.”

“It’s never too late, Grace. I hope I can show you that with new trust.”

“You want trust? This is definitely not how you earn it. Not with me.” I felt a chair push underneath my knees, forcing me to sit down. “What, are you going to kill me? Well, do you want to know what my will says about my assets? Any assets. That’s right. I’ve updated it, and they certainly aren’t going back to you!”

My father slammed his fist on the wooden table, making me jump. There was the calculated and ruthless man I remembered—the one my mother feared and was not able to live with. The one she hid me from her entire life. His face reddened with anger and his eyes seemed to darken from sky to navy.

Axel and Ace, on the other hand, who had joined us in the massive library, didn’t even flinch. I could see on Cash’s face that he regretted his father’s action and temper. I may not have known them for over ten years, but I could recognize the disappointment in my brother’s facial features as if we hadn’t spent a day apart. Did Cash even want to be here?

“I don’t want your assets, Grace. Only what belongs to this family.”

“Are you going to keep me imprisoned here?” I asked.

“Of course not.” Cash came around and poured my father a glass of what I assumed was scotch—his favorite.

“Grace, we don’t do what we used to do,” Cash said. “Ace just passed the bar, and he’s joining the company. We’re totally about legal cases now. No more scams. Father’s sick. We’d like the few years or months he has left to be happy ones. That’s why we’d like to get to know you better and try to put this family back together.”

“You’re strangers to me.” I looked from Axel to Ace and then to Cash. The only reason I knew we were related was because the genes didn’t lie. “And how can I believe anything you say? Scar tried to kill me.”

My father cleared his throat. His facial expression shifted from the cunning man I knew him to be to a version of his gentler self—which meant he desperately wanted something from me.

“We’re trying to take care of that, Grace. Scar fell off the wagon and got dealing with the wrong people. He’s confused. But if you sign this”—my father pushed a piece of paper across the desk—“we’ll get him off your back.”

Cash’s face twisted with disapproval. If this was the way my father was expecting me to join his clan, he was going about it the wrong way.

“What is this?” I asked, quickly scanning the legal documents.

“Grace, we want you to be part of our family. You can see your mother, your brothers. All you need is a proper name. A Wagner name.”

Somehow I doubted my name would be the only thing I’d be giving up.

“Don’t beat around the bush. What is this exactly about?”

“It’s you getting what’s rightfully yours, Grace.”

He wanted me to change my name? Seriously? And why didn’t I believe that this was it? After so many years, why now?

I stood up and slammed the pen on the table. “I don’t want anything from you. Especially your last name. I never did.”

“Grace, if you don’t do this, we won’t be able to keep Scar away.”

“Why not? You kidnapped me, why not just kidnap him?”

“It’s not that easy with Scar.”

I could tell he was lying. In fact, it didn’t seem he cared about Scar at all. At every mention of Scar’s name, a shadow of disappointment and regret crossed my father’s face. Whatever my youngest brother had done, he was certainly not one of my father’s favorites right now.

Cool wind blew through the library. I felt as if a dozen ghosts had walked right through my body. And that’s when the sound of guns ricocheted around the house. I fell down to the area rug at the foot of my father’s desk, and everyone else around the room also dropped down, right in the spots they’d stood in a second before. My brothers each drew a gun—Axel’s came from behind his back, Ace drew his from a strap at his ankle, and I didn’t see where Cash got his—but the point was that they were prepared. Someone kicked down the library door. Its metal hinges bounced on the wooden floor. Standing in the doorway, pointing one gun at my father and another one at Axel, the next most dangerous man in line in this house, was Hunter. Tristan, Emma’s brother, stood beside him with another set of weapons, pointed at my other two brothers. Outside, I heard Julian’s voice: “If you don’t want your brains splattered, stay the fuck on the ground!”

“Remind me to fire the security team,” Cash growled. “I’m assuming you don’t have a warrant, Mr. Reeve.”

“I don’t need a fucking warrant when you kidnap my girlfriend from underneath my nose. You okay, Grace?” Hunter took five long steps toward me, never losing the sight of his targets, holding both his arms steady.

“Grace is family. This is her home. And if you’d let us near her in the first place we wouldn’t have been forced to go through such extreme measures to have her escorted here so we could talk,” Axel barked.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Escorted? All I want is for you to leave me alone. Do whatever it is that you do and keep me out of it.”

“You were part of this a long time ago, Grace. There’s no going back.” Cash wearily closed in toward our father, standing in front of the desk, using his own body as cover.

“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t arrest you now,” Hunter said.

“You know exactly why, Mr. Reeve. You arrest us, and I won’t have a choice but to show the police how Grace has been laundering money the past three years. And believe me, I wouldn’t be the one going to jail.”

“What the hell?” I gasped.

“Come on, Grace. It’s time to leave. Next time I see any of you, I will not hesitate to pull the trigger.”

“You’re not a killer, Mr. Reeve,” Axel mocked.

And in a split second Hunter was at my oldest brother’s side, pointing the barrel of his gun right in the middle of Axel’s forehead, “Do you want me to prove you wrong?”

“Hunter, please…”

Was I the only one who believed that Hunter wouldn’t hesitate? I had no doubt in my mind, and I think it was the fear in my eyes of what Hunter was capable of doing that made my brothers take a step back and finally let me go.

C
HAPTER
17

We arrived at Maddox’s with five minutes to spare. One of the things I was sure I loved about Hunter was his punctuality. But I guessed being an ex-Seal he had to be on time. After the ordeal at my father’s house, Hunter had taken me home and asked me to change into a fancy gown. He said he had a surprise for me.

Maddox’s was the type of fancy restaurant you dressed up for, where you could expect not only to eat in style but also to have plenty of privacy. The secluded booths, private rooms, and abundance of nooks and corners created a truly romantic atmosphere. I couldn’t help but feel nerves deep in my tummy. Hunter wore a gray suit with a white shirt and a silver tie. The attire appeared to have been tailored to him. With Hunter freshly shaved and smelling appetizing, I couldn’t take my eyes away from him—and neither could any of the women we passed while the waitress led us to our table.

My adrenaline and hormones had been spiked since this morning, when Hunter hinted at a special evening to celebrate returning to work. He also mentioned that he was getting closer to resolving our issue with Scar and the entire family, but he wouldn’t tell me until he was certain. Because of this man, the past three weeks of my life, although dangerous, had been the best ones yet.

We were led to a secluded booth, and I took a seat on the plush banquette. The waitress tipped the wine bottle into my glass, filling it an inch to taste. The dry Merlot flowed like silk ribbon on my tongue, and it was exactly what I needed right now. I nodded in approval and she topped my glass.

My heart was pounding and I couldn’t contain the surge of emotions inside me, so I took another sip of the courage potion. Hopefully it would work itself into my veins quickly.

“So what’s the occasion?” I asked, feeling my voice shake. “It’s not like we have an anniversary coming up or anything.”

Crap! Did I just say
anniversary
?
I could just slap myself.
Great way to scare a man off, Grace! Tell him you’re expecting an anniversary dinner.

“Well, there is a reason I brought you here tonight, but not one I can yet reveal.”

“Really?”

“Yes, but I’d like to think we can first spend some time alone.”

“You’re not proposing, are you?” I asked.

Hunter’s face sobered. Was he? No way! It was too early and too fast, with too many unanswered questions.

“Just kidding,” he finally smiled, and I breathed out in relief.

“Is marriage something you’ve thought about?” he asked in a more serious tone.

“I think so, one day. Not yet.” I felt my knees bop up and down underneath the table. This certainly wasn’t the topic I was expecting tonight. Getting nervous over perhaps hearing the “L word” now seemed silly. Hunter had just gone way beyond what I was ready for.

Hunter reached forward and took my hand into his. “Grace, relax. Please. If you want me to help you do so, just say the word.” He scooted around the half-moon booth to sit beside me, and wrapped his arm around me. “You look gorgeous tonight.” He kissed my shoulder, then swept his lips along my neck, awakening shivers on my skin.

“Oh, this old thing?” I smoothed my hand over the brand-new red dress I’d had stashed away in the closet since the day Emma dared me to buy it. And now I prayed I’d remembered to rip the tag off of this
take me now
–screaming ensemble. The fabric dipped all the way to my lower back, nearly revealing my ass. At the front, the collar ran straight from one shoulder to the other, just underneath my collarbone. And of course this was one of those outfits you couldn’t wear a bra with, so as Hunter smoothed his hand over my thigh and nibbled on my earlobe, I was sure my nipples were beginning to misbehave.