Boxed Set: Intercepted by Love (The Complete Collection): Books One - Book Six (45 page)

Cade sat at his mother’s bedside, holding her hand. She was still heavily sedated, despite the Narcan drip, and he didn’t want to press her too hard with questions.

The important thing was to figure out how she had gotten the drugs. Security had done a thorough search of her room and had confiscated her kit as well as several packets of dope.

“The list of visitors is confidential,” the director had said. “Except if we get a warrant from the police.”

Cade had called the police and they agreed to launch an investigation—more likely based on him being a football player than that they actually believed his story—that and being in on a hot piece of Hollywood gossip was more than likely the impetus.

Unfortunately, it meant he couldn’t get the list of visitors unless they shared it with him.

“Mom? Can you hear me?” Cade rubbed her hand. “I told you, I wasn’t leaving you alone.”

“Everything’s my fault,” she mumbled, not opening her eyes.

“No, he must have forced you to stay quiet. Did he visit you yesterday?”

His mother didn’t respond. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but she seemed just as determined to shut him out—like she always did.

“Did you love him?” He could have swallowed his tongue. This was definitely not the first priority, especially with a murderer running around.

She stirred and turned her head toward him, her eyes barely open. “Yes. We were high school sweethearts. But he was always too handsome for me—blond, blue-eyed, football star. He really stood out in our neighborhood—more than fifty percent Mexican with blacks, Samoans, and Filipinos making up the rest. He was a golden boy, but kind of an ass. He had a personalized license plate,
El Blanco
, on his Camaro, and he dated all ethnic girls. Guess I was the Navajo, at least I played it up because it made me different, even though I’m more Irish than Native, but I got the tribal papers to prove it. Opposites attract, they say. Your father was so pale he’d get sunburn out on the playing field and third degree burns at the beach.” She seemed to drift off.

This was way more information than he’d ever gotten. He’d never known that Dick Davis originated in a working class neighborhood. He’d hidden his background well. For a kid from the ’hood, he’d acted like he’d grown up in Beverly Hills.

Tears seeped from his mother’s eyes, trailing down the wrinkles on her leathery face. She had been a real beauty back in the day. He’d gone through her Banning High School yearbook, but now, knowing Dick had been there, way back, he’d have to study the pictures more carefully. There was a platinum blond kid on the top row of the football picture. Could that have been Dick?

Cade squeezed his mother’s hand. “He can’t get to you here. The police are investigating anyone who visited you and who might have snuck drugs into your room.”

“Oh, Cade, no one snuck any drugs. I bought them.”

“What?” He dropped her hand and shook her shoulder. “From who?”

“Someone who owes me, and it wasn’t Dick. You see? You got it all wrong. You really think I’m an old idiot, don’t you? Hoodwinked and blinded, an easy mark, stupid.”

“No, I don’t,” Cade sputtered. “But you OD’d twice. They gave you stronger drugs. More potent, so you’d have an accidental overdose.”

“Maybe it wasn’t accidental.” She turned her face toward the wall. “Maybe it’s time for me to go.”

“Why? Don’t you want to live for me, for Joanie and Donnie and Bret?”

“No, Cade. That’s your mistake, thinking people live for other people. I have to want to live for myself and all I manage to do is to keep hurting the people I care about. Joanie’s in jail, Donnie’s gone overseas, and you.”

“Yeah, me. Nothing bad’s happened to me because of you.”

“Not after you find out what I’ve really done.” She pushed his hand away. “Can you please leave now? Leave while you still care, and I can pretend you still love me.”

“Really done? What the hell? Mom, I told you I’m not leaving you.” Cade leaned over her and spoke into her ear. “You don’t have a choice.”

“Then, I’m leaving you. Give Bret a kiss from me. Tell Andie she’s a wonderful woman and she shouldn’t undervalue herself. Give my thanks to her mother.” She pressed a buzzer at her bedside, and a voice responded.

“Everything okay, Ms. Prescott?” the nurse asked.

“Yes, I’m fine. Please escort my son from my room. I no longer want him to visit me again.”

“Mom, you can’t do this.” Cade grabbed her shoulders. “Whatever happened, we can get through this. So you didn’t tell me about Dick. I can forgive that. And you have tons of money running in and out of your account. You’re probably involved in organized crime and maybe who knows, you snuffed someone. But what have you done to me except leave me with a foster mother who fixed my face and a foster father who kept me on the right track? And another one who coached football, and another one who baked cookies and put me in the Christmas play, and read me fantasy books, and all those families who blessed me, took me camping and hiking, and the foster brothers who fought with me, and the sisters who gave me presents and cooked for me. I now know why you couldn’t take care of me, but I’m over it.”

Two guards stood behind him, clearing their throats.

“We’re sorry,” one of them said. “Ms. Prescott has requested you to leave.”

“Yeah, sorry.” The other one put a hand on Cade. “It sucks, man, but she has her rights.”

He’d respect her wishes, even though it sunk his heart as if it had struck an iceberg.
It’s her guilt talking. It’s not you.

Cade grabbed ahold of his mother and kissed her. “I’ll always love you. Don’t ever forget.”

Then he turned and walked out.

# # #

“I am so stuffed.” Andie wobbled out of the car after parking it in Cade’s garage. She’d picked up her mother before the restaurant, and all of them, including Bret, had joined Sylvia and her remaining coworkers at Nouveau Richer for their farewell bash.

“So am I,” her mother said. “I can’t believe they put crab and caviar into the burgers. Only in Hollywood.”

“Well, the dream is over.” She opened the door to the backseat and unstrapped little Bret. “Even Declan seemed deflated for once.”

“Yeah, he had to sit there and watch us eat. But at least he signed the divorce papers. Guess he’s onto another project.” Mother yanked her shopping bags from the trunk. “I bought your dad all these funky t-shirts.”

“I wish he could have come out and done the touristy stuff. How’d you like that cheesy wax museum?”

“Horrors! Bret was fussing the entire time. It’s too early for him to be teething.”

“Is it? You little sweetgums?” Andie nuzzled her nose in the baby’s tummy. “You are so adorable. I’m going to miss you so much.”

“Did you decide to go home with me?” Mother unlocked the door leading from the garage to the laundry room where the mail slot was located. “Oh, look, the mailman’s been here.”

“Any suspicious packages?”

“Nope, just letters.” She sorted through them and tucked an envelope under her arm. “Let’s get Bret changed and fed. Then I have to look up flights. Are you coming home with me?”

Pushy, wasn’t she? Andie shrugged as she carried the baby into the house. True, she had no more job, and she’d be living off Cade, but who would take care of Bret? Who would she trust? An unknown nanny sent by an agency?

“Can you wait until I speak to Cade? He has a lot going on, and I want to see him and Bret settled first.”

“Fair enough. You seem to really care about him. I guess your dad can wait a few more days.”

“Mom! Please. Can you stop the guilt trip?” Andie put Bret on the changing table and flipped the lid for the wipes. Empty. “Can you bring the diaper bag in? Looks like we’re out of wipes.”

“Sure, I know you care about Cade, and I can see he loves you, but now that Declan signed the divorce papers, you have to wait six months before it’s final. California law. Which, mind you, you’re lucky because in New York, it’s a long process of fault finding.” She clomped her way to the garage.

Why did parents always insist on waiting? Waiting for what?
To know your heart, to know how you really feel. To know if it’s real.
Her dad’s voice. Always the voice of reason.

She stroked Bret’s silky baby hair, tiny sandy colored wisps, and gazed in his clear blue eyes. “I’m going to miss you, buddy. I’ll always love you.”

Of course Roxanne couldn’t produce adoption papers that fast. And she could always change her mind before or after it was signed. And maybe a baby was always better off with his own parents, no matter how dysfunctional they were. After all, Cade still held a torch for his mother, and he must be reeling right now about Dick Davis being his father.

“Cade’s going to take care of you, his half-brother,” Andie said. “You have nothing to worry about. Cade’s a good man—a great father.”

She gave the baby another kiss, feeling the rip tearing her heart apart. Cade and Bret belonged together, as brothers. Leaving Cade would mean leaving Bret, too. How had she fallen in love with both of them so deeply in such a short time?

Her mother set the diaper bag on the table. “After you’re done, I have something to show you.”

Andie shook her head and rolled her eyes. Mom was always so dramatic and serious. It was probably the jacket she won from Pinball Alley, hailing her the Pinball Queen of Los Angeles, or maybe she’d already bought their airline tickets.

“Sure, see you in a bit.” Andie dug through the diaper bag. A tiny waxed packet dropped from one of the diapers. It was stamped with a red heart with the initials H. E. A. She opened it and a pinch of white powder dropped out. What the hell?

“Mom! Mom! Come here. We have to call the police. There’s heroin in Bret’s diaper bag.”

The first thing Cade spied on his street were the police cruisers. God, no! Had something happened to Andie or Bret? He double parked, since his driveway was blocked and ran toward his house.

Two officers exited right when he got to the door.

“What’s going on?” he asked. “Where’s the baby? Did anyone get hurt?”

“We’re okay.” Andie held Bret and stood behind the door. “I found drugs in the diaper bag.”

“Drugs in the diaper bag?” Cade’s jaw slacked to the ground.

“Yes, apparently, packets of heroin were slipped into the diapers,” one of the police officers said. “Would you care to answer some questions?”

“Uh, sure.” Cade opened the door. “Come in, have a seat.”

The officers returned to the great room and sat on the couch. “Who, besides Miss Wales and Mrs. Wales, had access to the diaper bag?”

“Anyone who’d been in the house. Me, my mother before she OD’d, Roxanne, the baby’s mother.” Cade spread his hands. “Someone is trying to kill my mother. Did you guys find out who was visiting her at the rehab clinic?”

The two officers glanced at each other. One said, “You’re the only one who visited her.”

“Yeah, and the rehab facility says she kicked you out of her room,” the other said.

“Uh, true.” Cade rubbed his palm over his hair. “But what does that have to do with the killer?”

“Your credit card was used to mail the packages with the dope.” The first officer glared at Cade.

The second one cleared his throat. “Maybe we should read you your rights.”

“Me?” Cade bolted to his feet. “On what charges?”

“Attempted murder. You have the right to remain silent …”

Cade blocked everything out. He gazed at Andie and her mother, both of whom seemed shocked. The cold metal of the handcuffs were too tight for his wrists, and his left hand throbbed from the broken fingers.

This was all wrong. Everything. He fell to his knees and closed his eyes.

# # #

Andie’s tongue was stuck in the back of her throat. She held onto Bret and shuddered. How could they charge Cade? With what evidence?

The police officers pulled Cade to his feet. They spoke into their shoulder mics to report the arrest. They were taking him away from her.

“Wait.” Andie rushed toward Cade. “Anyone could have put the heroin into the diaper bag. How do you know it wasn’t me?”

“Are you confessing?” one of the officers asked.

“No, I didn’t, but you can’t arrest Cade. He loves his mother.”

The other officer raised his hand to shut her up. “We have other evidence. You can call his lawyer.”

She reached out and touched Cade, but he shrugged away from her. “Go back to New York. Go live your life, Andie. Thank you for everything you and your mother have done for me.”

“This isn’t right.” She clutched his arm and shoved the baby at him. “They can’t take you away from Bret. You’re all he has.”

“Someone hates me, Andie. Someone’s out to get me.”

“I’ll figure it out. I swear I will.”

“No, you need to leave before you get caught in this.” Cade kissed Bret’s forehead, then leaned over and kissed her. “Bye. I’m breaking up with you, so please, go back home.”

“Breaking up with me? But why?” Andie’s heart shattered and her chest tightened. “What about Bret? Who’s going to take care of him?”

“He’s not ours, Andie.” Cade’s eyes filled with tears. “His parents can always take him back.”

“But I love you, Cade. I can’t let you go.” She hugged him, pressing Bret between them. “We should be a family together.”

“You deserve better. My mother said for you to stop undervaluing yourself. She thanks your mother too.” He kissed Bret one more time. “This is from your nana.”

Behind her, her mother snorted. “About time he got something right.”

Andie wanted to kick her mother. Even the police officers had stood back to allow them to say farewell. But she wouldn’t ruin the moment. “I deserve you, Cade. You’re innocent and we’re going to all be happy together.”

“Ahem, we better get going,” one of the officers said. “You can visit him once we process him.”

“No, Andie, don’t come visit. It’s over. We’re over. Finished. Go home.” His voice was so strong and firm, it terrified her. Did he no longer want her? For real?

“No, my home is with you.” Andie refused to let go. She clutched him and pressed her face into his chest.

“Okay, I’ve waited long enough.” Her mother grabbed her by the shoulder. “Listen to him, Andie. He doesn’t want you, and I have evidence he lied to you all along.”

Cade jerked away from her while her mother pried her hands from him.

“What are you talking about?” he muttered. “I never lied to Andie. Ever.”

“Oh yeah?” She waved an envelope and slid out a piece of paper. “I had you and Bret tested. A perfect match. You’re Bret’s father. Dick Davis was covering up for you. Look for yourself.”

The piece of paper wavered in front of Cade’s eyes, but the result could not be disputed. He’d seen paternity test reports before, so he skipped the table of markers and indices. On the center of the page was a box with the damning numbers: Probability of Paternity 99.99%.

Bret was his son, but how could it be?

[to be continued]