Retribution (14 page)

I stopped in front of the side door and grabbed the lock. Before I could change my mind, I shoved the key in and turned. My heart felt like it was going to explode out of my chest when I removed the lock and opened the door.

The unit was pitch-black inside. I ran my fingers along the walls, hoping to find a light switch. I didn’t want to use my cellphone for light. Luck was with me when I felt a switch. I flipped it, and an overhead florescent light came on. I sighed in relief. Most storage units didn’t have lighting, but this one did. I hoped that finding a light switch wasn’t the only luck I would have today.

I stared around the unit, and my mouth opened in a silent groan. The unit was much larger than I’d expected. While it wasn’t overflowing like those units I’d seen on
Storage Wars,
there was a lot of stuff to sift through.

Covered in a sheet, a table and chairs were closest to me. Next to the table was a large stack of boxes that were a few inches taller than me. I dreaded the thought of going through all of them, but I knew I would have to.

I skipped over them and continued to check out the unit. Against the far wall were five four-drawer filing cabinets. I was relieved to see that none of the drawers had locks on them, like in Robert’s office. Next to them was a set of luggage covered in dust. It was obvious that they’d been in here for a very long time.

The only other thing in the unit was a black garbage bag that looked like it was full of clothes. I would have to search through it, too, but I doubted if it would have anything inside.

Resigned to a day of digging, I started with what was closest—the table and chairs. I pulled the cloth away and dropped it onto the floor. There was nothing on the table at all. I dropped to my knees and checked underneath. Besides a few cobwebs, it held no secrets either. I threw the cloth back over it before moving on to the boxes. I counted two rows of six boxes. Careful not to knock any of them over, I grabbed the first box and set it down on the floor. After opening the flaps, I peered inside. I was surprised to see it filled with photo albums. I pulled the first one out and flipped it open. My eyes widened as I looked at the first page.

I knew the photo was several years old, based off of the clothing style both subjects wore. I knew it had to be a younger version of Robert with Marie. Otherwise, I would have thought I was staring at Cooper. It was disturbing just how alike they looked. I guessed Robert was in his early twenties in the photo. His dark hair was the exact shade of Cooper’s without any sign of gray at all. His face was smooth and carefree. The same smirk I’d seen a thousand times from Cooper rested on Robert’s lips.

I shook my head. If Cooper knew just how alike they looked, he’d grow angry. I knew he hated having any similarities with Robert.

I turned my attention to Marie. It was the first time I’d ever seen a photo of her. She was beautiful. In the photo, she was smiling, her eyes glued on Robert. The love she felt for him was clearly visible.

That’s how I should look at Robert
, I thought to myself.
That’s what real love looks like.

I wasn’t sure that I’d ever looked at him that way, even before everything had gone to hell between us. I didn’t think I had, and that thought made me truly sad.

Her hair was a pale-blonde color, almost white next to Robert’s dark locks. Her face was heart-shaped. She seemed so innocent. I studied her closely, looking for any signs of Cooper.

Her lips.

They were the same as Cooper’s. That was the only thing they seemed to share.

I flipped to the next photo, then the next, and the next. Every page was filled with Marie and Robert. In all of them, they looked so happy together, so in love. I flipped through the rest of the pages before setting the album aside and grabbing the next. When I opened it, I noticed that Robert and Marie were a few years older in these photos. Marie was still smiling brightly in every photo, but Robert no longer smiled or even smirked. His face had hardened, as had his eyes. He was no longer Cooper’s twin in these.

The next album I grabbed had me smiling. It was filled with photos of baby Cooper. I laughed at some of the photos. Cooper’s early childhood was perfectly laid out before me. As I flipped through the album, I watched him grow from an infant to a five-year-old. He smiled in every photo. Clearly, he had been loved as a child—at least, Marie had loved him. I saw several photos of him with her and Ellie, but there were only three or four with Robert. Every photo of Robert was the same as the previous album. His facial expression gave nothing away. He didn’t smile.

I continued searching through the albums, watching Cooper grow up in most of them. With each album, I noticed how Marie’s smile slowly diminished. By the last album, she was no longer smiling unless Cooper had his arm around her. I swallowed roughly when I realized I’d just witnessed two decades of destruction of Robert, Marie, and Cooper. What had once been a happy family had dissolved right before my eyes, and it was all because of Robert.

“Robert Evans, destroying lives since before I was born,” I mumbled as I put all the photo albums away.

At the last minute, I decided to leave the one with Cooper’s baby photos out. I wanted to take it home to him tonight. He deserved to have as much of his mother as he could.

The next box was full of photo albums as well. I didn’t take the time to look through all of them though. Instead, I randomly flipped through pages to make sure nothing was stuck in between them. I didn’t even glance at the pictures. I didn’t want to see any more family history.

I pushed the first two boxes aside and opened the third. It was filled with old receipts. I looked through them, but nothing caught my attention. I carefully stacked all three boxes on top of each other, exactly as they had been, before moving to the next group of boxes. I thoroughly searched each one but found nothing.

I grabbed the black garbage bag. I was surprised to see that it was full of baby clothes and a few stuffed animals.

Cooper.

Marie must have kept some of his things and stored them away. I grinned as I held up a tiny blue onesie. I couldn’t imagine big, strong Cooper fitting into something like this. To me, he was larger than life, not someone who had once been an infant. That was silly, of course, but it was what it was. Once I made sure the bag was completely empty, I started shoving the clothes and stuffed animals back inside. Just as I’d suspected, there was nothing hidden inside.

I moved on to the filing cabinets and started pulling drawers open. Almost every drawer was filled with tax documents, dating much further back than I’d expected. I flipped through the last few years out of curiosity. My mouth dropped open when I saw how much Robert had made each year. I’d known that Robert was rich, but I hadn’t realized just how rich he was.

I hastily shoved the documents back into the drawers, trying not to think about how rich
I
was just from marrying Robert. But in reality, I wasn’t. All of that money was Robert’s. When I left him, I wouldn’t ask for anything, in hopes of a clean break. That would leave me with absolutely nothing—again. Still, that didn’t scare me the way it had before. It was better to have nothing and be free rather than have everything and feel scared and trapped.

I searched through the rest of the drawers. They were filled with family documents, and I thoroughly checked each paper, but there was nothing of use. Most of the documents were birth certificates, death certificates for Robert’s parents and Marie, and other similar documents. I did find a copy of Robert’s will. It was dated only a year ago. I was surprised to see that he’d planned to leave everything to Cooper. I knew that would surprise Cooper as well. I debated on whether or not to tell Cooper what I’d found. I wasn’t sure how he would feel, knowing that the man he despised had planned to leave all worldly possessions to him. In the end, I decided that I would tell him. He deserved to know.

It was good to know where all this information was, but none of it was what I was looking for. Cooper was going to be pissed when he realized there was nothing here either. Robert was too smart for either of us. He wasn’t going to just leave any trace of wrongdoings lying around for us to eventually stumble upon.

I closed the last drawer and looked around the unit. The only thing I hadn’t searched was the set of luggage. I walked over to it and crouched down. There were three pieces total, and I started with the biggest. I unzipped the main compartment and looked inside.

Empty
.

I checked the front pocket as well and found the same. I zipped it back up before moving on to the next one. I searched it as well, sneezing from all the dust I was stirring up. Again, there was nothing inside.

I grabbed the laptop bag, the third and final piece, and opened it. It had a few gum wrappers inside, but that was it. A small compartment in the front was closed with Velcro, and I’d almost missed it. When I pulled it apart, I saw an envelope inside. I suddenly felt nervous as I carefully pulled it out. Unlike the luggage, the envelope wasn’t coated in dust. It was dirty, but it clearly hadn’t been there as long as the luggage. Hope surged within me. Maybe I had finally found something. I opened the envelope and pulled out several sheets of paper. The paper was thick, something that a lawyer’s office used. I knew that simply from all the filing I’d done at the firm.

Before I could open the papers, my phone beeped in my pocket, shattering the quiet around me. I squealed involuntarily as my pulse pounded in my ears. Once my heart stopped racing, I laughed at myself for being so jumpy. I pulled my phone from my pocket and unlocked it. There was a text from Cooper.

I need to talk to you. I need to show you something.

I typed out a quick response.

I’ll be home within the hour.

When he didn’t respond after a couple of minutes, I shoved my phone back in my pocket and turned my attention back to the papers in my hand. I unfolded them and started reading. My brow creased in confusion when I realized what I was holding—divorce papers, the ones Marie had drawn up with her lawyer.

“But why would they be shoved in here?” I wondered aloud.

I had no idea. Maybe Cooper would be able to shed some light on why these had been hidden away. I put them back into the envelope without reading any further. I would take them back to the house, so he could see them. I stood and walked back to the filing cabinets. I pulled out Robert’s will. Cooper would want to see it, too.

I made one final stop to grab the photo album before turning off the lights and walking outside. I locked the door and walked back to my car. I knew it wasn’t smart to take the will and divorce papers. Robert could decide to randomly stop by the unit to check on things and discover them missing, but it was a chance I was willing to take. My gut told me that those divorce papers mattered. I just wasn’t sure why.

On the drive back to the house, I wondered what on earth Cooper wanted to show me. We had agreed not to text each other just to be safe, so whatever it was, it must be important. By the time I made it home, I was almost afraid to even know.

Cooper’s car was parked in the garage, but when I walked into his room, he wasn’t there. I checked the first floor again, but he was nowhere to be seen. Confused, I headed back upstairs. When I reached the top of the stairs, I saw Robert’s bedroom door open. I froze as Cooper slipped out of the bedroom and closed the door behind him. When he looked up and saw me, he stopped. For a moment, we just stared at each other. He looked away first and started walking again.

“What were you doing in there?” I asked when he walked past me.

I quickly started moving again, following him, as he walked to his room. He threw the door open and continued inside. I scrambled to keep up with his fast pace. As soon as I walked in, I closed his door and turned back to him.

“Cooper?” I asked.

“Since he’s away, I searched his office again. I thought I’d actually find something this time.”

“And did you?”

He glared at me. “No. There’s nothing. I searched the whole place again. Fuck. I even moved the pictures hanging on the walls to see if maybe there was some kind of hiding spot.” He kicked his computer desk in frustration. “He’s too damn good at hiding every fucking thing.”

I winced for his poor toes. “We’ll find something, Cooper. You can’t give up hope.”

“I’ve searched this house over and over. There’s nothing. He’s too damn smart.”

“He’ll slip up. He has to. Just give it time, Coop. We just have to wait.”

He glared at me. “I’ve waited long enough. I’m tired of standing by and letting him live his life while my mother is buried six feet under.”

I cautiously approached him. Cooper was in the mood to throw things. I didn’t want to end up with a black eye because of his temper. I’d had enough of the Evans men and their tempers.

I decided then and there that I wouldn’t say anything about what I’d found in the storage unit just yet. Cooper was a bomb waiting to explode. If I gave him false hope, only to rip it away, he would do something he’d later regret.

“You have no proof. You can’t go against him with absolutely nothing. You know that.” I rested my hand on his arm. “There’s nothing you can do.”

“I want to kill him.” His voice quieted.

It scared me just how calmly he’d spoken those words.

“Then, where would you be? In jail. He’d steal the rest of your life from you, Coop. Please just calm down and wait. You’ll have your chance.”

“And what happens between now and when I finally have my chance? He beats you to a pulp again? I don’t think so. It’s time I stopped trying to prove that it was him. It’s time I took action.”

“Cooper, no. Whatever it is you have on your mind…no. You can’t.”

“I can,” he said without an ounce of emotion.

“You can’t,” I said as I stepped even closer. Our bodies pressed together in the most delicious way. “I won’t lose you because of this. I can’t.”

“Why not? Do you really care that much about me?”

“You know I do,” I said.