Change of Heart (15 page)

“Thanks,” I mumble, looking down automatically at my food to break his gaze. I feel my cheeks burn a little. I smile, shake my head almost imperceptibly, and glance back up at him. “So? Are you going to make good on your promise? You said you’d tell me who Tam and Victor are if I were still here this morning.”

That
reminder catches Rich off guard. His easy smile freezes on his face. His eyes darken. “I did say that, didn’t I?” he mutters to himself. He pushes his plate aside and leans in, focusing on me. “Penny, all this is going to take a while to explain. But I owe that much to you, I think.” He exhales, and rubs his eyes. “If you want the whole story… well, everything began a long time ago. How old are you now?”

“Nineteen.”

“Nineteen. Right. This would have started when you were still in elementary school. My father…” Rich trails off. His eyes become distant. “No. That’s going too far back. You don’t need all that history.” He runs a hand through his dark, reddish hair. In the daylight, parts of it look more golden than red. “Okay. Here’s what I can tell you and still have it make sense. I’m not originally from here. I was born and raised just outside New York City. My father was a big shot investment banker there.” Rich grimaces. “You know the kind. Your grade-A, stereotypical corporate asshole who doesn’t give two shits about anything other than money.”

I’m startled by the venom in Rich’s voice. I can tell he doesn’t think highly of his father. But at least he
knows
him. “Go on.”

“Well, my mother died when I was little.”

“Shit. Rich, I’m sorry.”

He waves my sympathy away. “Don’t be. It happened a long time ago. I don’t even remember her. I was raised by my nanny.”

I don’t remember mine, either
, I want to tell him, but keep my mouth shut. “Okay.”

“Anyway, when I was about eighteen, I had a falling out with my family. Right before I was supposed to go to college. I came to Oregon instead. I’ve lived here ever since. Everything was fine until about a month, a month and a half ago.”

“What happened?”

“My sister showed up on the doorstep one night. Totally out of the blue. I hadn’t seen her since I left New York.” Rich smiles. “She looked a bit like you.”

“Close enough for you to pass me off as her, anyway,” I point out. “Do you have a picture? I’d love to see my doppelganger.”

Rich shakes his head. “She only looks like you to someone who hasn’t spent much time with her. Or, with you.”

“What’s her name?”

“Mindy. But I always called her Min.” Rich grins. “She hated it.”

“I can see why. So, what happened next?”

“She told me she was in trouble. My father—” Rich grimaces again, “—got on the wrong side of some people. He took something from them—a document—that was very precious.”

“He stole it?”

“In a way. But he also helped create it.”

“Huh. What is it?”

“A database with a bunch of names in it.” Rich shrugs. “Sounds pretty innocuous, right? Except that it isn’t. When these people—my father’s former business associates—found out what he’d done, they went after him. But they couldn’t get to him.”

“How come?”

Rich gives a grim smile. “Because, by that time, he was already in jail.”

I narrow my eyes. “What?”

“Ironic, isn’t it? Being locked up is what keeps him safe. It’s more than the bastard deserves.” Rich’s hands clench into fists. “Of course, he would have never thought how any of it would affect his daughter. That’s what he was always like. Cold. Uncaring. Completely unaware of the consequences his actions have on others. Even those in his own family.”

“I take it you two didn’t get along,” I say slowly.

Rich smirks. “You could say that. So, when these people discovered the document missing, and my father in jail, what do you think they do?” Rich picks up his fork and slams it prong-first into his food. The plate cracks under the blow. I jump back, startled. “They go after his family. After my sister. As collateral.”

“So these people… they’re related to Tam and Victor?”

Rich nods. “Yeah. The document’s important to them. It’s a list of politicians and businessmen with links to organized crime. Min is smart, though. She’d always been a sharp kid. She picks up on the danger before she has any right to, and runs. She comes to me. That’s where we hatch our plan.”

“The one that you involved me in,” I say flatly.

Rich grunts. “Right. Tam and Victor work for those same people my father pissed off. Of course, they know about me. But they also know of the circumstances that had me leave New York. They know that I’m useless as collateral against my father. They know we don’t talk to each other. Min, on the other hand…”

Rich takes a drink before continuing. “Tam and Victor showed up at my door a few days after Min arrived. They were looking for her. They didn’t know she’d come to me yet.

“They offered me a deal. They assumed—and here’s where they went wrong—that since I left my family so long ago, I don’t care about any of them. They said if I could get my sister to confide in me—or better yet, if I could gain her trust and then give her to them—they’d
reward
me. They offered a lot of money.”

Rich scoffs. “As if I ever had any desire for more of that. Tam said I should expect Min to find me soon. They knew she’d been travelling across the country, but haven’t been able to pinpoint her location. To keep her safe, I agreed with them. That’s when things really took off.”

“So you planned with your sister to find someone who looks like her, and to pawn that poor girl off to Tam and Victor?” I ask. “All the while buying Min more time to hide. Am I right?”

“That’s the gist of it.” Rich pauses. “I’m surprised you’re taking all of this so calmly.”

“Well, the worst has passed. And like I told you, I’ve been through a lot in my life.”

Rich shakes his head. “I doubt you’ve ever been through anything like this.” His voice becomes solemn. “And you’re wrong. The worst hasn’t passed. In fact, it’s only just begun.”

“So where is she?” I ask. “Your sister, I mean.”

Rich looks up and holds my gaze. The corner of his mouth twitches up in a half-smile. “Hiding.”

Chapter Eight

It’s dark by the time Rich pulls up in front of a large villa standing alone on an enormous stretch of land. We had to take the main road through town to get here, but that had been a good fifteen minutes ago. The most prominent landmarks in the so-called “city” had been two grocery stores, a department store, and a library doubling as City Hall. Each could have fit on a lot half the size of the one in front of me.

“Does your friend know we’re coming?” I ask as I step out of the truck. “All the lights are off.”

“She knows.” Rich swings his door shut. The sound prompts a dog from nearby to start barking. “There are a lot of rooms in there. She’s probably somewhere in the back.”

“If she’s in at all,” I mutter, following Rich along the pebbled path to the front door. I realize that the barking is coming from inside the house.

Rich looks for a doorbell, and, finding none, bangs on the door with his fist. Right away, I hear the scrambling run of paws on hardwood. A second later, a resounding thump sounds as
something
collides with the door, followed by more, louder barking.

“She has a dog?” I ask Rich.

“I guess.” Rich shrugs, then sticks his hands in his pockets and starts rocking on the balls of his feet. For the first time since I’ve met him, he actually looks a little… uncertain.

“Rich?” I ask. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah.” He grunts. “It should be. I just didn’t mention that’s I’d be—” he looks me up and down, “—bringing a
friend
. You being here wasn’t part of the original plan.”

“Is that a problem?”

“No. But I should mention, this girl has a tendency to be—how can I put this—
possessive
.”

“Over what?”

“Well,” Rich lowers his voice, “
me
, for instance—”

Without warning the barking cuts off and the door swings open. A tall, slender figure appears in the doorway.

Tall compared to me, at least. If she were in heels, she’d still only reach up to Rich’s nose. She has dark, tanned skin, and slightly-tilted, bright green eyes. They look stunning above her elegant cheekbones. Her hair is the same shade as mine, but much longer, and straight. She wears it in an elaborate braid that flows down to her hips. A few solitary strands are cut shorter and fall around her cheeks, framing her face.

Her eyes light up when she sees Rich. She jumps to wrap both arms around him and holds him tight. Even though he doesn’t really reciprocate, I find an unexpected bit of jealousy building in my gut. I try to ignore it.

Using both hands, Rich gently eases the girl off. When he sets her down, she smiles widely, revealing a row of stunning white teeth. How is it fair that somebody can look so flawless?

“Richard!” she exclaims. Even her voice is perfect—high and clear like the notes of a magnificent harp. “You look exactly the same as the last time I saw you.” She puts a finger to pursed lips. “That’s a compliment, you know.”

Rich chuckles. “Thanks.” He reaches out to touch her braid. “Your hair’s longer.”

The girl beams like it’s the greatest compliment in the world. “I haven’t cut it since we broke up.”

My breath catches in my throat. Rich had never said we’d be staying with his ex!

I must have made a sound, because the girl cuts off and turns her attention to me. The smile is wiped off her face as if it had never been there. “Richard,” she intones, low and threatening. “Who is that?”

I can feel the hostility radiate from her. The retriever at her feet must have picked up on his owner’s mood, because he starts to growl. Uncomfortable, I take a small step toward Rich.

“Amanda,” Rich says in what I imagine is his most conciliatory tone, “this is Penelope. Penelope, Amanda.”

“Hi,” I say. Not wanting to make a bad first impression, I force myself to smile and hold out my hand. The girl in the doorway stares at it as if it’s dripping with raw sewage. I let it fall to my side.

“Richard,” the girl says, not once taking her eyes off me, “you didn’t mention you’d be bringing one of your
whores
.”

Anger jolts through me. I take an aggressive step forward. By the crooked smile on Amanda’s face, that’s exactly the reaction she was going for. The retriever moves closer and bares its teeth, its growl becoming more menacing.

Before I can do anything stupid, Rich steps between the two of us. “Hey, hey now,” he says, raising his arms to separate us. “Let’s not get off on the wrong foot here. Amanda—” he glances at her, “—call off your dog.” Amanda sniffs and stares daggers at Rich. He stares back at her. I’m seething at the side, trying hard to bite down my tongue.

Finally, she grimaces and looks down at her dog. “Fine.” She motions with one hand. “Down.”

The retriever obeys, settling on its haunches. A little bit of tension seeps away. Amanda crosses her arms, looking like a petulant
child. “Who
is
she, Richard?”

“A
friend
.” Rich stresses the word. “No more. And, I assure you, quite harmless.”

“Hey!” I protest, stepping around Rich. He bars my way with an outstretched arm. His hand lands right on my chest. My eyes widen for a moment, then narrow. I glare at his hand, then at him, waiting.

“Oh,” he says, as if he didn’t realize what he’d done. “Sorry.” Yet he takes his sweet time taking his hand away from my breasts! “She can be a little feisty, though,” he confides in Amanda.

Amanda’s arms are still crossed, but at least she’s not looking at me as if she’d just caught me sleeping with her fiancé. “I can appreciate that,” she admits grudgingly.

Rich relaxes. “There, see? You two are on the fast track to becoming friends.” He grins at Amanda, then at me, as if nothing is wrong. “Now, are you going to invite us in? Or are we going to stand on your doorstep all night?”

Amanda shakes her head in disbelief, and then mutters something that sounds a lot like, “Presumptuous bastard.” But, she steps aside. “Come on in,” she announces with mock sincerity.

Rich takes her up on the offer straight away. When I don’t follow, he looks back and waves me in. “Come on.”

I don’t move. “You heard what she called me. I’m not coming in there before I get an apology.”

Our hostess is wearing a fake, heavy smile on her lips. “I don’t normally take in strays,” she tells me with perfect sincerity. “Even if they do arrive with welcome company.”

“Bitch!” I cry out. Again, Rich moves fast as a flash of lightning. He has me by the shoulders and is pushing me to the side of the house before I can blink.

When we’re out of earshot of Amanda, he scowls. “Penny,” he tells me, “you need to
behave
.”