Vengeance in Bloom (The Love Unauthorized Series Book 2) Read online

  “We’ll get to all that, but first, we need a change in location. If your note was truthful and you do trust I won’t hurt you, then you’ll come with me. I don’t believe you haven’t told Burke and Kai where you are, and I’m not ready for them yet. I want to make you understand before I deal with them.”

  “You have to give me something before I go anywhere with you. Tell me something to help me trust you.” I don’t have much of an option of whether I go with him or not. I didn’t think we would stay here, but right now, I’m hoping he’ll give me something to ease my mind. Help me believe I haven’t made a horrible mistake.

  “My name is Jacoby Spencer. I used to be your best friend. The only person in the world who knew about you, besides our parents. You were the dirty secret locked away in a room, and I was your whole world.”

  Burke

  Braelyn is pleading in the backseat. She’s thrown every offer our way. Verbally laid her body and soul at our feet. We have no use for either. Braelyn will get what’s coming to her, and if this were my plan, she would not be getting off this easily. She’s getting mercy from Paisley. I check the program on my phone for the millionth time since we left the house this morning. Everything seems to be going according to plan. We arrive at Cypress Lake before noon, and there’s nothing left but to let Braelyn free. Kai and I exit the car.

  “You’re just going to hand me over? Don’t you want your own revenge? What kind of pussy move is this?” Braelyn is back to crazy-bitch mode as she glares at Kai, who is currently struggling to yank her from the car.

  “This is Paisley’s decision,” I answer for Kai. “She is the one you really betrayed. She’s the one who gets to decide your fate. Trust me, you wouldn’t want your life in my hands.”

  “How do you know he’ll be here, waiting for me? How do you know he saw your message?”

  “I think he’ll be exactly where we want him to be.”

  Kai unlocks the cuffs around Braelyn’s wrists and stands back. I expect her to run, but she doesn’t. It’s kind of amusing if you ask me.

  “I like the idea of the cat-and-mouse game. They know exactly where you are, and you have to try to escape. Sounds like fun. Well, at least for the cat. You’re doomed as the mouse,” Kai says, taking another step away from her.

  “Here, take this.” I hold out a backpack to her. When she doesn’t take the bag from me, I walk over and secure it to her back myself. Then, I give her a pat between her shoulders that is a little harder than I’d normally ever handle a woman. “You’re all set. Good luck.”

  “Wait! Don’t leave me here. Please, I’ll do anything. Don’t go.”

  Her begging falls on deaf ears. There’s nothing she can say to sway my decision.

  “I have more information. I can help you. I know what happened to Paisley before she was put into foster care. I know where she came from. It’s the clue tying this all together. I’m sure of it. Take me with you, and I can help.”

  Kai’s door slams shut, but I pause and turn back to her.

  “You really are disgusting if that’s true. After everything you’ve done to Paisley, you’re still keeping that information from her. That’s even more reason to leave you here. We don’t need you to find out the truth.”

  I close my door on Braelyn, and she wildly pounds on the window. Seeing her emotionally fall apart is somewhat satisfying. It won’t be long before someone picks her up, and if by chance she does escape, we’ll know her every move. At least until she gets brave enough to cut out the location device under her skin. There’s nothing in the bag I gave her that’ll help her with that, just some items for when she’s found. I check the app on my phone for what I need next.

  “I’ve got the address. Let’s go.”

  The blaring filling my ears tells me our plan is well underway. Behind us, sirens wail, signaling the end to the first part of our plan. This time, the cops aren’t after the wrong person. This time, the cops are arresting someone who deserves every year of hard time spent behind bars, deserves a lot worse.

  Kai and I look at each other, and we are both wearing self-satisfied smirks. I nod, and he punches the gas, sending us hurtling to our next destination.

  Paisley

  I got into his car. How stupid could I be? I willingly got in the car with some crazed lunatic who claimed to be my long-lost best friend from before the age of five. What if I never see Burke again? What if I was wrong? What if Jacoby told his men not to hurt me because he wanted to do it himself? I was a lot more confident about this before I was alone with the man who had severely disrupted all our lives.

  He parks, we exit, and I nervously follow him into a house.

  Jacoby wanders into the kitchen while I lag behind him. Once we’re settled, he hands me a glass of sweet tea with a smile on his face, like we’re old friends here for an ordinary afternoon visit.

  “Is this your house?” I am trying too hard to sound casual when really my insides are a riotous mess.

  “It is. Do you like it? I bought the place shortly after seeing you at the hotel bar. Sorry about rushing off, but Braelyn was causing trouble. Turns out, she was more attached to you than I’d thought. She saw me at the bar with you after my meeting with her in the restaurant, she threatened to blow my cover if I didn’t stay away from you.”

  “You physically met with Braelyn?”

  “We met anytime she had information for me and on her paydays. She was basically my right hand while she served a purpose—until she fucked everything up with Burke’s disposal and the farmhouse. Realistically, she was always an expendable whore, but she was helpful for a time.”

  There it is—another fucking lie from that stupid bitch. She could’ve given us this information the second she came to me in the diner. Instead, she’s kept Sonnelion’s identity to herself all this time. Now, I wish I had let Burke have free rein over what happened to her.

  “Who are my parents?”

  “Were. They are dead, but their names were Charles and Elizabeth Holland.”

  My birth name is Paisley Holland. The name doesn’t sound right.

  “Tell me about them.”

  I sit on a barstool, hopeful that he’ll follow my lead. I’d feel much more comfortable if he were sitting. Thankfully, he does, and I relax just a bit.

  “Your family was my mother’s favorite topic after a couple of martinis at home—but only at home. I was the only person she’d allow herself to talk about it to. So, some of the information I know about you from early on is nothing more than the ramblings of a drunk.” He pauses briefly.

  “Well, they do say that a drunk man never tells a lie.” Again, I try for casual and then lift the drink to my lips.

  He smiles, obviously pleased that I’m relaxed enough to joke with him. “Your parents were my next-door neighbors. Our mothers were best friends. Every time I saw them, they looked happy, but my mom said that your father cared about two things—money and image.

  “Your mother was the complete package for a man like Charles. She was beautiful but not a bimbo. She was poised and had an education. She was the type of woman every man noticed when she walked into a room. I never saw her in anything other than dresses, and she always wore pearls around her neck.”

  “I think I remember her.”

  “That’s good.” He pats my hand, and I force myself not to flinch away. “I remember wishing my parents were more like them. They seemed so perfect. Then, you came along, and that changed.”

  “My father didn’t want kids?”

  “He wanted kids, but he wanted a child of his own.”

  “What’re you saying?”

  I’m pretty sure I know what he’s saying, but I need to hear the words.

  “Your mother cheated. Her husband was not your dad.”

  “But I thought you said they were perfect. That doesn’t make sense.”

  “They were perfect to a little boy who constantly listened to his parents fight. As I pieced things together when I got older, it was cle
ar that they were far from perfect, just a lot better at hiding it. Charles treated your mother like an object, not his better half. She was stuck in a marriage without love or partnership. My mother didn’t help either. Apparently, that woman slept with anyone willing to give her a bit of attention.” He lets out a scoff and shakes his head a bit. “My mom was a piece of work, always fucking around on my dad. God, the fights I used to hear between them. Anyway, she may have been a whore, but she never fell for any of the other guys like your mom did.”

  “I’m sorry, but I’m going to need you to say the words. You’re telling me that my mom cheated on her husband, and she—” I can’t even finish. I know I sound dense, but I need to hear the words.

  A silence stretches between us, and I hold my breath while he tortures me.

  “We’re each products of our mother’s infidelities, Paisley.”

  And there are the words, clear as day.

  “Your father always got his way, no matter what. Image was very important to him, but once you were born, even as a child, I could see he was a dishonest and cruel man in all aspects of his world. Your mother ruined that image.”

  At least this information helps me to understand how she could cheat. Maybe she just didn’t know how to get out. My mouth hangs in shock, and I’m not sure I want to know any more, but I’m here for answers. “Did he find out, or did she tell him?”

  “I don’t think your mother knew who your father was at first. I assume she was sleeping with both men.”

  I try to put myself in her shoes. Understand what he’s telling me from her point of view, but I can’t.

  “Your mom hid her pregnancy from him for months, which didn’t sit well with him. Once she told him the news, he began paying closer attention. Eventually—and I don’t know how—he learned about the affair. Your mother wasn’t permitted to leave the house for the rest of her pregnancy. He hid her, so no one would know she was pregnant. Then, he hired private nurses for the delivery and paid them off, so they wouldn’t report the birth. Once you were born, he did a paternity test and found out the truth. You weren’t his.”

  That’s why my birth records have none of my actual birth information. I wasn’t born in a hospital. He kept my birth a secret.

  “You said no one but you and your parents knew about me?”

  “Charles had to protect his image. He had to make sure your mother would never leave him or stray again. You were his insurance.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “You were his shame and his prisoner.”

  Quick movement past a front window catches my eye, but I maintain my composure.

  “He kept you locked away in a small room upstairs. I don’t think he spoke one word to you the entire time you lived in his house. Although you did tell me once that he would hurt you and you were scared of him.”

  “Why keep me though? Why not just put me up for adoption?”

  “She refused.”

  He stands, and I get nervous. Afraid about why he’s standing and also worried he’ll see something I don’t want him to see.

  He continues on while he paces the kitchen, “Your mother sometimes let you out of your room while he was at work but not very often. She was afraid you’d break something or make a mess she wouldn’t be able to hide from him. I never once saw you playing outside.”

  “But you said you knew me, so she had to have broken the rule.”

  “Our mothers were best friends. So, I’d come over and play with you. I didn’t understand till I was much older what was going on or why I was never allowed to talk about you to anyone.”

  He abruptly closes the distance between us, and I have to force myself not to flinch again when he frames my face in his hands. He ducks, so we are eye-to-eye, and I’m terrified he’s going to try to kiss me.

  “Do you remember any of this, Paisley? Do you remember me?”

  “No, but I don’t think I want to.”

  His eyes lock on my face, and I see it again—the familiarity that unnerves me. There is something about his eyes that I should know. The color? The shape? I press my lips into a tight line, and my brow furrows as I ponder what it is. I’ve seen them before . . . the jade color and the enviable long lashes. I’ve seen those eyes before on someone else. This doesn’t make sense.

  “Your childhood wasn’t all bad. You were my best friend. We played jacks every day while our mothers whispered downstairs. I painted you those flowers on your wall from a stencil set. You remember the flowers, right? I know you do because you tattooed them on your skin. I knew then some part of you remembered me. Some part of your heart was still with me.”

  I think I’m going to be sick. The beautiful flowers that bring me peace during my nightmares. The colorful yet haunting image Burke inked on my skin forever.

  “So, what happened? What happened to my mom, and how did I end up in foster care?”

  “You never left that house. Not once until the night of the fire.”

  I open my mouth to ask him what happened that night, but I’m distracted by what’s behind Jacoby. He looks over his shoulder to see what caught my eye, and then he moves. An arm wraps around my chest. The cold edge of a knife presses against my throat.

  Once again, I’m standing in front of the man I love, who is holding a gun aimed to kill. This time, it’s not aimed at me. It’s aimed at the man behind me, who is using me as a human shield.

  Burke

  J. Spencer is holding a knife to Paisley’s neck. The man I hired. The man who is supposed to be working for us to help end this all seems to be the exact person we’ve been trying to find all along.

  “How did you find us?”

  “GPS. There is a location device in Paisley’s shoulder, implanted just this morning. The plan was never for you to go after Braelyn. She’s exactly where she belongs. The plan was for you to go to Paisley.”

  His hand moves from around her waist and rubs the back of her shoulder. He finds what he’s looking for and takes the knife to her shirt. He cuts the material to reveal the freshly blemished skin. I lunge forward, taking a few steps, before he brings the knife back up to her throat.

  “Don’t come an inch closer, or I’ll slit her throat right here in front of you.”

  I hold my ground while he brings the knife to her shoulder. He searches with his fingers once more and then pushes the blade against her skin. Blood hits the floor, and Paisley squeals out in pain. He cuts the chip out from her body. I can’t take my eyes off her or the anguish on her face. He drops the chip to the floor.

  “That must’ve been Kai’s idea. There’s no way you thought of that. Where’s Kai anyway?” He pauses to look around the room. “He’s the person I’m most anxious to see. Is he off protecting that sister of yours?” He shakes his head and makes a clucking sound with his tongue. “There really was no hope for little Teagan being raised by you two. She was destined to be the type of whore who fucked a man who helped raise her, her brother’s best friend. The first time he fucked her, do you think he thought of all the times he’d dropped her off at school?”

  He’s a fucking liar. Kai would never do that. He’d never cross that line with my sister.

  Fuck. Teagan is with Callen, and he works for the investigator company. I sent her off with one of his men.

  His words hit their intended mark, and I grip the gun tighter in my hands. He’s using the mention of my sister and his lies about her and Kai to try to amp me up. I can’t let my anger blind me from Paisley’s safety.

  “Ah, I can tell by the way Paisley went rigid in my arms, she also knew your best friend was fucking your sister. Tell us, Paisley, how long have you known Teagan’s a little slut?”

  One look at Paisley, and I’m destroyed. The truth is written all over her face. What he’s saying is true.

  “Burke, he’s trying to fuck with your head. Don’t listen to the distractions.” There’s a tremble to Paisley’s voice.

  Later.

  I’ll deal with that later.<
br />
  “Quit playing fucking games. What do you want?” I grind the words between my clenched teeth.

  “Revenge, to destroy Kai. I want to ruin his whole life and leave him with nothing. At first, I was just going to kill him. That seemed too easy, too clean. He deserved far, far worse. That was supposed to happen while he spent years falsely imprisoned for the kidnapping of the girl he loved. Then, I was going to murder you and Teagan and leave him there with nothing left in his life but guilt. Braelyn ruined that plan though.”

  “Why? What the fuck has Kai ever done to you?”

  He doesn’t have time to spout any more bullshit before Kai pulls at his arm that holds the knife to Paisley’s throat. At the same time, he pistol-whips him. J. crumbles to the floor, and Paisley launches herself at me. I can’t get my arms around her quick enough and can’t hold her tight enough. Even though she’s crying, I’m relieved she’s still alive to do so. I let out a deep sigh of relief and then release Paisley. Kai delivers a sharp kick to Jacoby’s face, making sure the guys stays down.

  “Kai, go find Teagan! I’ll handle things here. Go find my fucking sister, and don’t put your fucking hands on her. Find her, and make sure she’s safe.”

  The thorn in my side, now recovering from the blow to his head, speaks up before Kai can make a move to follow my orders, “No one leaves this house. I have insurances set up. If anyone leaves, then Teagan dies.”

  Kai tightens his grip around J.’s neck, and he heaves him from the floor. I detour to the door, which is where I left my bag, and grab the duct tape from inside it. Once he’s propped him up on a chair, Kai gets to work on making sure he won’t go anywhere. Paisley pulls out her phone and makes a call. She puts it on speaker, and then Teagan’s voice fills the room.

  Voice mail.

  Rage consumes me. I take my aggression out on Kai because he’s there. Because he went behind my back and touched my sister. Because two of the very few people I trust were sneaking around behind my back. Because everything is a fucking mess. My feet charge forward with heavy steps. I rear back and punch my best friend square in the jaw. He was supposed to help me take care of Teagan, not . . . fuck, I can’t even think it. Kai makes no move to retaliate and takes punch after punch from me.