9781631054631ChoiceAffairsSalisbury (8 page)

How do I know
that? Because our photographer was the son of a longtime
friend of
Apolo’s,
and he was chosen because of his
discretion. Judging from the angle and everything, if I were a betting woman,
I’d have to say my mother was the traitor.

I glanced across at
Apolo
, who had started the car after storing the
beer. “Look inside. There’s more, a lot more.
Pictures.
A play-by-play of the entire afternoon.”

“Mother?”

“Who
else?”
He said nothing further, but put the vehicle into motion. I set the
glossy-paged magazine in
my lap, deciding it might be
better to wait until we got back to the penthouse before reacting to another
one of my mother’s publicity stunts. Apolo was on the verge of doing that
enough for the both of us.

I took both sacks from
him when we stepped inside
the penthouse. Apolo
grabbed the magazine from me and proceeded through the apartment. As I watched
him I shook my head at the mere thought of my mother and her meddling. Though,
she wouldn’t think of it as meddling. She was on the verge of a point of no
return with Apolo, and unfortunately, she had no one to
blame but herself.

Entering the kitchen,
I grabbed two beers and placed them on the counter. I opened the Sub-Zero and
placed the remaining, along with the sack of crabs, inside. Then, shutting the
do
or, I picked up the bottles and went in search of
my husband.

He was standing in the
living room, staring out at the landmarks that were beginning to illuminate in
the fading daylight. His hands were shoved deep inside the pockets of his
jeans. The offensi
ve magazine was open on the glass
and metal coffee table.

I quietly walked up
next to him and passed a beer in his direction. He accepted it, removing the
cap effortlessly. He held it for a moment before taking a long drink.

“That
bad?”
I inquired, uncappi
ng my own bottle.

“Go look. How she
managed to snap those pictures with no one knowing…” He shook his head.

I touched his arm and
headed toward the couch. Sitting down, I took a drink of beer before studying
the scene my mother had caused. “I won’t say the
usual.”

“Which is?”

“How?”

“I don’t know.
Yet.
I will find out. I’m going to put a
call into my attorney in Atlanta.
And
to Jacob.”

“It’s Friday evening,
Apolo. We’re leaving for Atlanta tomorrow.”

“No
matter.
The attorney is kept on a hefty retainer, and
I need
to put Jacob on notice, if he hasn’t seen this mess already.”

I sighed loud enough
for him to hear. “Well, don’t be
long,
we have all that crab to eat.”

“How about while I’m
tending to business, you set out some newspaper and bring me another beer?
That is, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course, I don’t
mind. Just don’t take too long, please. This is our last evening here. The next
time we’ll be here semi-permanently, your time will not be your own.”

“Has it ever been?”

“You’ve done
remarkably well making
sure our honeymoon has been
private.
Both on the island and
here, and I thank you for that.
Now, go make your phone calls, before I
get riled up about my mother and try to find her.”

He flashed me an odd
look before he walked past me.

“On
the phone, Apolo.
On the phone.
Though seriously, I’m so mad at her
right now, nothing would suit me better than for you to sic your dogs on her.”

He laughed as he
exited the room. “I won’t be long, I promise. And don’t forget my beer, Caiti.”

* * * *

Apolo

The time I’ve shared
with Caitlyn these past weeks have been some of, if not
the
best, times of my life. For the first
time in years, I’ve been able to relax and let my guard down. Not that I hadn’t
already let my guard down with Caitlyn. But to be able to
take her to the island and act uninhibited was pure magic.

Though I did get
caught doing business, we made an unofficial truce about how I would handle
that while on our honeymoon. However, the further we got into our time away,
the less need I saw to do
business of any sort.

Until
we got back to Washington…

We’d gone there to
make sure things were getting moved into our new home. I also wanted to explore
the area with my new wife. I knew once I began my new job as senator our free
time would not be our ow
n. There would always be
something, whether it
be
a fundraiser, a picnic, or so on.

Then, the last
afternoon, I’d gone into the liquor store, and there it was at the checkout.
One of those weekly gossip rags, with
none other than Caitlyn and myself on the
cover.
We were the main story, and where the
photo came from…well, I had my ideas.

Fuming, I tried
desperately not to bellow like a raging bull. Instead, I tossed my bride the
magazine and, immediately, she knew who’d planted the photo. The woman had no
sh
ame.

With Caitlyn taking
care of our fresh catch at home, I got Jacob on the phone. I needed to find out
what, if anything, he knew. And I was quite sure he was on top of the matter.

“Jacob, everything set
for us tomorrow?” I decided rather than start out
ranting,
I’d at least make sure our flight was still on schedule. I’m quite sure the old
boy didn’t need me treating him as though he were incompetent.

“Yep, everything’s
right on target, just like you asked for.”

“Good.”

“But that isn’t the
entire reason
for your call. You’ve seen the
magazine, I take it.”

“Yes, and I want to
know how she did it. I’m afraid I’m going to have to get tough with her,
legally. Perhaps then she’ll cease.”

“Or go screaming to
the press that her billionaire son-in-law wants to en
force
a gag order or whatever melodrama she can fabricate.”

“You’re right, of
course. Damn her! Haven’t you still got someone on her?”

“We did, Apolo. She
snuck right by them. Don’t ask me
how,
I just got the tapes from her
building.”

“And
what of my broth
er?
Is he behaving, or has he gone mad as
well?”

“Interestingly enough,
he caught a plane bound for Spain.”

“What?
When?”

“Three days ago. There
was nothing we could do. He was already gone. A friend of mine in customs over
in Madrid gave me the heads up.
Recognized
the name.”

“And?”

“And it appears
harmless enough. Evidently, he’s gone to one of the islands off the coast for a
little vacation. I’ve got someone who should be arriving about now.”

“Anthony just takes
off on a vacation? Leaves his restaurant
high and
dry? If I know you, Jacob, you’ve already called out there.”

“Yep, I did. They knew
nothing until the morning he left.
Said
he’d be back next Tuesday.”

“So, Susan and Tony
have both managed to slip right under you. Don’t tell me—”

“Hold it right t
here, Apolo. You know your brother. He’s well aware we keep
an eye on him. And as for your new mother-in-law, well I don’t think Alcatraz
could hold her. Not unless you pamper her like a goddess.”

“Like
we did before the wedding.
Which did
absolutely no go
od at containing her.
”

“The woman’s a regular
con-artist. Like I said, I’m going to look at the tapes, along with one of my
guys, and see if we can’t pin down when she left. Then, we can go from there.”

“
She’s probably back
in Ireland, safe and sound by no
w, Jacob.”

“No, I seriously doubt
that. Um, this goes no further, because I know Caitlyn probably isn’t aware of
any of this…”

“What? Tell me, man.”

“Her parents had one
hell of a knock-down blow-up the night of the wedding. Everyone was just about
gone,
but Caitlyn’s dad was hot about something and
told Susan she had done enough and was going back to Ireland with him.”

“I take it she told
him no.”

“In
no uncertain terms.
Told him it’d be a cold day in you-know-where before she
went back to live with him.”

“I can imagine the
rest, and I don’t want to hear. Just find her, and update me on my brother when
you have him in your sights. Damn relatives!”

“I’ll do that, and
I’ll see the two of you in Atlanta tomorrow.”

“Yes. I’m going to
leave a message for my fav
orite attorney. Get him off
his ass. Just let me know, Jacob…”

“You know I will. Now,
go enjoy your lovely bride, and be sure to tell her I said hello.”

Damn relatives indeed!
Anthony is no more on a vacation than a cow is green, and Susan, well, that one
is slippery. Like an eel.
A moray eel.
Ugly buggers.
Both of them.

Chapter
Six

The next afternoon,
Jacob met us at the small, regional airport where Apolo kept his planes. I was
trying my best to stay out of whatever mess my mother had made with the
sellout to the national gossip rags. I left the two men to
discuss it.

Instead, I settled
into the backseat of the limo and pulled out my phone. Powering it on, I noted
Izzie had left me two text messages. One welcomed us back to reality, and the
other ask
ed me to call her before Apolo and I left
for D.C.

Scrolling through, I
noted the only other person to text me had been my father. He was short, sweet,
and to the point. No mention of my mother, or if she was returning with him to
Ireland. Only that he hat
ed that we couldn’t have had
more time, but that his job required his attention. I made a note to call him
tomorrow, as it was rather late now.

Noting the sudden
silence in the car, I turned toward Apolo, who was pouring himself a whiskey.
“Apolo?”

“Hmmmm?
Oh, everything’s fine. Jacob was just
bringing me up to speed on all our guests. My parents left on a cruise
yesterday. They’ll be gone ten days. Your father got off for Ireland quite all
right.”

“Yes, he sent me a
text to that effect. Izzie sent one welc
oming us
back.” I hedged, but decided I’d ask since it was hanging there like an ugly
Christmas sweater, “And my mother?”

“It seems,” he
replied, sitting back against the leather seat, “that your mother is nowhere to
be found. She and my brother seem to be
two peas in a
pod, as Anthony thinks he’s disappeared as well.”

“What?”

“Oh, he’s just being
Anthony. He’s in Spain on vacation. He just enjoys being dramatic, like your
mother.
Nothing for you to worry
yourself with.”

“Wait a minute, what
do you mean my
mother’s nowhere to be found?”

“Just
that, no one has seen or heard from her.
It seems she knew she was overstepping
by taking those photos of the ceremony and releasing everything to that
tabloid. She gave Jacob and his boys the slip. Disguised
herself
, w
alked out of her place, and
disappeared.”

I threw my head back
against the seat and groaned. “That explains the lack of a text or a message
from her.”

“Don’t worry about
your mother, darling.
She’s just
wanting
to be the center of attention. When we get home, why don’t you give your father
a call and let him know we’re back in the real world?”

Somehow, I didn’t
quite buy into Apolo’s excuse or theory for my mother’s behavior and her sudden
going into hiding. It
wasn’t like her. On the other
hand, her doing so showed she knew she’d pushed Apolo to the limits.

“I’ll send Daddy a
text. I’ll tell him to call if he’s up. That way I won’t wake him if he’s
asleep. I’ll send Izzie one as well, in case she’s working.”

“Mm
mm, oh yes. Good idea, darling.” He was looking out the
window, glass in hand. I’d lost him. He was a million miles away now.
Welcome
home, Caiti girl.

The house was quiet.
Secretly, I hoped it would stay that way. I decided I would change clothes
first, g
et comfortable. No need not to. I headed
toward the staircase as Apolo was deep in conversation with Jacob. I wondered
if my mother was the center of their conversation.

“Caitlyn?”

I was foolish thinking
I could get away so easy. “I thought since you’re bu
sy,
I’d go change and text my father and Izzie.”

“Oh, yes. Good idea,”
he replied, before turning back to Jacob.

Shaking my head, I
continued up the stairs and to the master bedroom. I walked into the closet and
found myself a pair of well-worn jeans and a
favorite
shirt. After changing, I grabbed my phone and lay across the bed to send my
texts.

The first to my father
was short and simple.

In Atlanta for a few days.
Call me when you have a free minute. Miss you. Love, C

The next was to Izzie
and was even
simpler.

You at work?
We’re back. Call when you can. Love, C

I sighed and turned
over, contemplating what I should do next.
Perhaps a walk of the grounds.
Not only would it get me some exercise,
I could get to know the property a little better. Besides, autumn was upon us,
and it was beginning to show
it’s
splendor. Once we hit Washington, I was
sure I wouldn’t be getting out
to
enjoy
the scenery much.

Goin
g downstairs, I decided to see if Apolo wanted to join me.
I knew the answer to that would be a big, fat “no.” He was too caught up in
trying to finish things here to be bothered with taking a walk. But I’d let him
know, anyway.

I found him in his
office,
he and Jacob sitting across from each other
going over something.
Perhaps my
mother or his brother.
When I entered, he looked up over a
sheath of papers he was holding.

“I’m going for a walk.
I’m staying on the property, but just wanted to let you know in
case you wanted to join me.”

I turned around, not
waiting to hear what he had to say. I wasn’t mad, but perhaps a little
disappointed. I had known this would happen the moment we arrived, but I wasn’t
prepared for the depth of his involvement.

“Caiti,” I h
eard from behind. I stopped in the doorway. “Why don’t you
stop by the kitchen before you head out? Have some lunch readied? Say, in an
hour?”

“Of
course.
Jacob, would you like to join us?”

“No, ma’am, but thank
you. Your husband’s got enough for me to do.
I’ll
just grab something later.”

“I’ll make sure
something is sent to your office. No need for you to make do with potato chips.
Anyway, I’m off. Enjoy your meeting, gentlemen.”

“Enjoy your walk,”
Apolo countered.

After swinging by the
kitchen, I headed o
utside. Fall was definitely in the
air. It was a little cooler, but the big thing, of course, was the change in
the sun. I decided to walk to the bottom of the driveway to start with. That in
itself was good exercise.

I was startled by the
sound of my phon
e. I reached in my pocket and,
grabbing it, looked down at who was calling.
“Hi, Iz.”

“Hi,
yourself, Mrs. Choice.”
She giggled. “Have you gotten used to that yet?”

“No, but we haven’t
been around a great deal of people, if you know what I mean.”

She giggle
d again. “So, where did your husband take you?”

“His
private island in the Caribbean.
It’s beautiful, Iz. Still unspoiled in many ways, but the
house… Well, the house is…”

“Overkill,
like Apolo?
But I trust you had a wonderful time?”

“Yes, and yes, the hou
se was big, luxurious. Then, we went up to Washington. He
just wanted to spend some time settling in to the new place. But we made good
use of it. Lots of day trips.”

“So, you were around
civilization?”

“Yes, and yes, we saw
the article. You can imagine ho
w furious Apolo was.
Frankly, Izzie, I don’t blame him.”

“Have you spoken with
her? What excuse does she have this time?”

“Oh, get this—she’s
disappeared. At least, Apolo’s fella’s haven’t been able to find her yet. She
disguised herself and snuck right by
them.”

“What does Apolo plan
for her this time?”

I had made it to the
bottom of the driveway and leaned against the massive, steel gates that kept
unwanted guests away. I noted a young man sitting across the street in a sedan.
He had a camera positioned.
He looked familiar, so I
did a double take. Bob Secrest, the so-called nice, young, up-and-coming
reporter. I’d met him at the country club-fundraiser where Apolo had announced
my promotion. I thought of a few choice things I’d like to do, but instead, tur
ned my back to him.

“Sorry,
Iz.
There’s paparazzi staked out. As for Mother, I have no idea what he has
planned. He and Jacob were probably in the middle of discussing it when I
left.”

“Well, nothing seems
to deter her. She’ll back down once the newness we
ars
off. You know that, right?”

“You really believe
that, Iz?
Because I don’t.
And if she slipped away from Apolo’s
guys, that means she didn’t return to Ireland with my father.”

Silence.
Izzie knew something I didn’t know.
“What? What is it?”

“Well, she a
nd your father had a huge falling out the night of your
wedding.”

“And?”

“That’s really all I
know. Oh, and guess who asked me to dance after you two left?”

“Hard telling,” I
replied, trying to appear interested in what my best friend was saying, but
focused on this new development.
An
argument, between my parents.

“Bo!” You remember Bo?
That cute guy Jacob had take us around right before the wedding?”

“That’s
great, Iz. He seemed very nice.”

“Yeah, and his head is
made of cheese. Okay, I get it. Your mind is on a gazillion other things right
now. Your parents, your mother’s bad behavior, and who knows what else. Why
don’t you call me when you’re not so distrac
ted?”

“I’m sorry, Izzie. You
just threw me for a loop. This is the first I’ve heard about my parents arguing
at the reception. It must have been something, if you heard it.”

“Oh, everyone heard
it, Caitlyn. You know your mother. She’s a drama queen.”

I gro
aned.
Great
.
Now, I was sure that Apolo must know
about it. “Unfortunately, we leave for Washington late tomorrow. Are you free
this evening?”

Silence.
“I can be. I mean, I don’t have to work
or anything.”

“Don’t tell me. Bo?”

“Yeah, he asked me
out.
Again
.
But if you can arrange it, and Apolo’s
cool with it, I’ll give him a rain check and come see you.”

“Okay, I’ll let you
know as soon as I can. Love you, Iz.”

“Love you too,
girlfriend. Stop worrying. You’re about to embark on a life that most of us
only d
ream of.”

“I know. Okay, I’ll
call you after I speak with my husband.” I giggled and hung up. I needed to
find Apolo and find out what was going on.

* * * *

Apolo must have been
watching me from a window because he was waiting at the door for me when I f
inished hiking back up to the house. He’d changed his
clothes as well, wearing worn jeans and a T-shirt. “Enjoy your walk?” he asked,
kissing me on the cheek and playfully spanking me.