[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.” Violet fixed her gaze on Steve.“The original person who went to prove it changed his opinion.He got to know your family.Learned about you.Met you.Ended up believing you.So Adam’s parents hired Morgan.They were worried about the original person.They figured you turned his head just like you had Adam’s.They believed you planned on ruining their first investigator’s life, an amateur, just like you had their son’s.They couldn’t allow it to happen again.Couldn’t bear to have that kind of heartbreak repeated in their family.Isn’t that right, Steve?”A chill wrapped itself around my body and my heart and squeezed.Steve.Steve not only knew about Adam, but knew him.Tears wavered Steve’s form.Pain and remorse flashed across Steve’s face.“Adam Westcott’s my cousin.”The world stopped.Or at least mine.It looked darker and was without sound.Steve’s mouth moved.I heard nothing.Violet seemed to have vanished.I saw pain and truth in Steve’s face.He had always known I had married Adam.His cousin.Words I had never said pounded in my mind and soul, demanding release.Steve reached for my arm.He had stormed away from me, angry because I was keeping a secret from him.What about his? Why was his okay to keep?I stumbled away from him, using my wrist to swipe away the tears.“Damn you!”Birds chirped.The sun heated my skin.Everything returned to normal.Or at least the semblance of normal I had once believed was my life.Steve moved into my path.“Faith, please listen to me.My Aunt Janice and Uncle Frank couldn’t believe Adam would kill someone.I couldn’t either.So I decided to take a job as an assistant prosecutor in Eden instead of working with my father.Janice and Frank stood beside me during my darkest days.I was going to prove JAG was wrong.It broke my heart when I discovered the truth.Adam was a murderer.When I found out they hired Morgan to look into the cases you solved, I called my aunt and uncle.I told them I’d have the guy arrested for stalking if he got anywhere near you.They were wrong.They had to let their vendetta go.They said I was betraying the family by trying to stop them from uncovering the real truth.A truth I didn’t want to know because I fell in love with you.”“You’re a liar,” I said, teeth clenched.“Go to Hell.”Nausea clawed at me.I leaned against the rail, drawing in huge breaths of air.Steve was Adam’s cousin.Steve moved to Eden to prove I was a killer.He used my grandmothers to get information about me.Steve’s family wanted someone to hurt me.I found myself sinking to the ground.I drew my legs to my chin and rested my forehead on my knees.Tears coursed down my face.Violet stepped toward me.I bunched my legs, ready to kick and defend myself if she came any closer.Violet raised her hands and retreated a few feet.“He’s not lying.He does love you.Steve wanted his aunt and uncle to stop the harassment.I’ve worked with his father, Griffin, on cases so I’m trusted by the Davises.I’ve also had some dealings with Morgan and knew the kind of man he was.When Steve called and asked if I’d tell his family about Morgan, I agreed because in my line of work it’s nice to have favors owed to you by those in the legal field.I told them Morgan wasn’t above roughing up people to get the results he needed.They didn’t care.I’m sorry you found out this way, but I can’t have people going around calling me a murderer.”But I could? I pressed my forehead to my knees.“Griffin doesn’t like ugly out in the open so he hired me to make sure Morgan didn’t hurt you,” Violet said.“And to ensure you didn’t hurt Steve.”Me hurt Steve? He hurt me.Wounded me.Everything I knew about Steve was a lie.Everything I knew about me and Steve was a lie.No.He loves you.That’s not a lie.I covered my ears with my hands.A knot formed in the center of my chest.Someone touched my shoulder.I jerked away.“Faith, please,” Steve said.“Go away.” I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping it shut up all the thoughts swirling in my head, some conjuring up a hope of there still being a beginning of a happily-ever-after for me and Steve, and others proclaiming the sad end of our relationship.The man of my dreams and the man of my nightmares came from the same family.How could I have a future with Steve knowing Adam would always lurk in my life? He’d be family.Still.I shuddered.“I can’t.I won’t.” Steve knelt down beside me.My heart asked if it really was such a bad thing.Steve knew.Always had known and had believed me.My brain said yes.He kept the truth from me even as he vented about me doing it to him.He knew I was in danger and didn’t tell me.Well, at least I could stop obsessing about the secret I hid from Steve.I choked out a laugh.To think of all the time I wasted worrying about him finding out.And caring about it.“I think we should talk.” He sat beside me on the cooling concrete.‘You’re drawing an audience,” Violet said.“You might want to leave her alone.”“You can leave.Get away from Faith and this resort.You’re not needed here,” Steve said.“You’re not the one who hired me for this weekend.” Violet stared down at us.“Faith, please look at me.”“I don’t want to talk about this.Not now.Later.”“Later won’t help us.I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I knew about Adam.I didn’t know how to bring it up.I was waiting for you to.” Steve attempted to take my hands into his.Violet walked away.I folded my arms against my chest.“I considered myself a failure and a shame to my family.I didn’t want anyone to think bad about my grandmothers.I left West Virginia determined to make it alone in the world.During basic training I realized I was a joke—the hillbilly.My first duty station in Germany wasn’t much better.When some people find out you’re from West Virginia, they automatically think you’re an illiterate whose parents were related.Adam was the first person I met who respected me… or at least he acted that way.I let my need to be loved and belong overshadow everything.I didn’t want anyone to know how far I fell.”“When someone pushes you, I don’t think you should call yourself clumsy if you trip.” Steve rubbed my back
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]