Somewhere Along the Way (14 page)

Sarcastically, Luke had asked, “Suddenly you’re concerned with her health?” He expected Gio to defend himself, state he still loved their mother regardless of how he’d distanced himself from her.

Gio had fallen silent for a moment. “I don’t want to have to cover up a murder.”

Luke hadn’t pushed Gio for more than that. What was left to argue? He didn’t want to cover up a murder, either.

Stripping, Luke dropped his clothing on the floor as he walked to his bedroom. Never, even when he’d discovered his father had another family in Venice, had Luke imagined his life would come to this. That he would one day be using his talents and his influence, not to cure cancer, but to prevent a scandal unlike anything his family had weathered before.

Luke stepped beneath the hot spray of the shower and tried to wash away the day. He didn’t want to be in New York, battling the newest Andrade drama. A part of him loved his mother, even while he felt a growing coldness in his heart each time he thought of her.

Had she embezzled from their family’s company as Gio suggested? Why? And how did heading down that dark path align her with a doctor who wanted her dead?

I used to know the right thing to do. I don’t know anything anymore. Gio hid the truth about our father because he said he wanted to protect us. I hated him for that. I didn’t want to be kept in the dark.

Oblivious sounds pretty fucking nice right about now. No matter how much I don’t want to agree with Gio, there isn’t a better way to handle this. The police can’t be involved. An investigation won’t stop with the doctor and the poison. Questions will be asked. Questions that could land Gio in prison. End my career. Destroy what’s left of our family.

Thanks again, Mother.

I would have preferred to tell myself that I love you as I fight to save your life.

I hate that you took even that from me.

With his head pounding from the pressure of questions he didn’t have the answers to, Luke stepped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around himself, and headed back into his bedroom. He craved the sanity of Defiance, the loving arms of Cassie.

He needed to keep her out of this, especially if there was any chance the missing doctor had been working with anyone. And if the truth did leak out, things could quickly become legally complicated for everyone involved. Cassie had been through enough in her life. He wouldn’t expose her to the ugliness in his.

Thank God she’s not here.

Dressed in boxers and lounge pants, Luke flipped on his television and lay across his bed on top of the sheets. He picked up his phone and listened to his messages.

“He’ll call,” Bonnie said over the phone.

Cassie plopped back on her bed. She’d used the time while waiting to hear from him to give herself a manicure, a pedicure, and a shave. She had so much time she’d even shaved areas she’d only trimmed before. “Sometimes you just have to face that you’re not a size eight anymore.”

“You lost me. I’m talking about Luke.”

“I am, too. This feels like when I kept trying to squeeze my ass into a size eight pair of pants. I wasn’t a size eight. I was a ten. But I didn’t want to admit it to myself. I told myself one pair had always been tight. Another had shrunk in the wash. Eventually I couldn’t deny it anymore.”

“You think Luke doesn’t like you because you’re a size ten? I’ve seen him with you. I don’t think he cares.”

Cassie rolled onto her side and played with the edge of the pillowcase. “I’m saying he’s not going to call me back, Bonnie, and sitting here praying he will isn’t going to change that.”

“He’s going to call. You said he was texting he missed you.”

“Well, maybe when I didn’t answer those texts he moved on.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

“Or, maybe, his mother really is sick, and he’s by her side, not checking his phone.”

“I really want to believe that’s true. Not that I want his mother to be sick. You know what I mean?”

“I do. Hang in there. You’ll know soon enough.”

Cassie stretched out an arm and picked a card off her bedside table. She rolled onto her back and held it up in front of her. “Remember I told you about Luke’s cousin, Maddy? She slipped me her number before she left. I couldn’t imagine ever calling it when she did, but now I’m tempted. I don’t want to go home without knowing the truth.”

Sounding doubtful, Bonnie asked, “You really think she’d tell you if her cousin is seeing someone else?”

Cassie thought back to the conversation she’d had with Maddy. “She has a husband and children.”

“What does that prove?”

Cassie threw the card down beside her on the bed. “Nothing, I guess. I’m just going crazy waiting. I want to do something.”

“Stalking a billionaire will probably get you arrested.”

“I’m not going to stalk him, and stop calling him a billionaire. I feel like I’m going to throw up every time you say that.”

“I can see how his financial status would make it seem like this is less likely to work out.”

Cassie groaned and covered her eyes. “You’re not helping.”

“Sorry.”

Cassie’s phone beeped with an incoming call. She checked it and almost dropped her phone when she saw who it was. “It’s him. It’s Luke.”

“Well, what are you waiting for? Take the call.”

“What if he doesn’t want me here?”

“Then he’s an idiot, and there are plenty more billionaires in the sea. Well, not billionaires maybe, but men with jobs. Go. Before he hangs up.”

Cassie sat up in her bed and switched over. “Hello?”

“I miss you, Cassie.” Luke’s voice was deep, pleased, and heavenly. Cassie closed her eyes and sank back into her bed, savoring the joy that filled her at the sound of her name on his lips.

“I miss you, too.” She let out a shaky breath. “Sorry I didn’t answer your texts.”

“It doesn’t matter, Cupcake.”

“Yes, it does. You deserved better than that. I don’t trust people easily, and when you said you were leaving, I panicked. Then I didn’t know what to say.”

“It’s okay.”

“You kept talking about wanting us to have more than a casual thing. I overreacted when you said you didn’t want me to go to New York with you. I shouldn’t have told you to leave.”

“I needed to get back here anyway.”

There was something in Luke’s voice, a deep sadness that made Cassie want to reach through the phone and hug him. “How is your mother?”

“She’s stable, but she’s not in the clear yet. The next twenty-four to forty-eight hours will be pivotal.” His voice lowered. “It’s not easy being away from you, Cassie, but I’m glad you’re not here.”

Cassie’s hand tightened on her phone. “So, now isn’t a good time to tell you I’m in New York City?”

“You’re where?” His voice rose with an emotion akin to anger. It was the first time Cassie had heard him sound anything like that.

Is that how a man sounds when he’s afraid his regular girlfriend is about to discover how he spends his vacations?

“I flew in this afternoon.”

“You shouldn’t be here,” he said in obvious frustration. “Where are you staying?”

Cassie’s breath caught in her throat. He was coming to see her. He might not like surprises, but they’d work it out. “I’m at the City View Hotel.”

“I’ll send a driver for you in the morning. He’ll take you to the airport.”

“You want me to leave? Just like that? Without even seeing you?”

He sighed. “What I want and what needs to happen are not at all the same right now.”

“What are you afraid of? Are you engaged? Or living with someone?”

“I need you to trust me, Cassie. Once this family situation is resolved I’ll come back to Defiance, and I’ll explain as much of it to you as I can. But you have to go home in the morning.”

She wanted to trust him, but he hadn’t actually denied seeing anyone else. “Don’t send anyone. I have a ticket I can use. I don’t need you. But I still can’t believe you don’t even want to see me. I’m such a fool.”

With a pained sound, Luke said, “You’re not a fool, Cassie. I meant everything I said to you in Ohio. It’s killing me not to come to you tonight.”

“You’ll have to excuse me if I don’t believe you.”

“Cassie—”

“There isn’t much more to say, is there?” Cassie bit out and hung up.

***

Long after Cassie had hung up on him, Luke paced his apartment, telling himself he’d done the only thing he could. He needed to keep Cassie safe. And that meant keeping her as far away from his family as he could. Being associated with the Andrades in any way could put Cassie in both physical and legal danger. Yes, she was angry with him. Probably hurt. But all of that was preferable to risking anything happening to her because he involved her in any of this mess. Once his mother was conscious and the threat of exposure was past, Luke would go to Cassie and apologize. He’d tell her as much as he could without endangering his family and do whatever it took to gain her forgiveness.

Still he couldn’t forget the questions she’d asked him. He should have done more to reassure her he wasn’t with anyone else. Even though he’d told her he’d wanted to see her, she hadn’t believed him. Why should she? She had taken a leap of faith and come to him, a move that revealed how she felt about him even if she wasn’t willing to say the words yet.

And what do I do?

I send her packing without an explanation.

Of course she thinks the worst.

He tried to get her out of his head.

Told himself to stay away from her.

None of his rational arguments, however, could stop him from getting dressed and driving over to her hotel. He needed to see her. Somehow he had to make her understand she couldn’t stay, but that didn’t lessen how he felt about her. From the lobby of her hotel, he called her. “I’m downstairs. What room are you in?”

She let out a shaky breath. “Why are you here, Luke?”

Luke didn’t know how to begin to explain the ache inside him. His family, their lies: they were huge obstacles standing between him and what he wanted. He wanted to shed them, even if it was only for one night. “Let me hold you tonight, Cassie.”

There was a long pause, long enough Luke thought she might have hung up on him again, but then she said one thing—her room number—before hanging up. Adrenaline rushed through Luke’s veins, and he strode to the elevators with barely restrained urgency. He didn’t want to give himself time to think about all the reasons he shouldn’t be there.

She answered the door in an oversized T-shirt and shorts. In one hand she held a stack of tissues. She tossed them behind the door when she realized she was still holding them. Her eyes were puffy and her nose was red from crying, but she’d never looked more beautiful to him.

He stepped inside, slammed the door behind him, and pulled her into his arms. Their kiss was deep and hungry. Luke forgot what he’d wanted to say and gave himself over to the pleasure of her skin, the light scent of her, the way her tongue eagerly met and danced with his.

She broke off their kiss and searched his face. “I want to believe in you.”

“You can.” There was so much he wanted to say, but so little he could.

“Can I?” She pulled away from him and crossed the room. “Because what you say to me and how you act don’t match lately. Any woman would ask herself why.” She marched back to stand in front of him and faced him angrily.
“Swear to me that you don’t have another woman in your life.”

“I swear.”
I wish it were as simple as another woman.
He didn’t say that, though. Instead he pulled her back into his arms. “There is no one else in my life. No one else in my heart. All you have to do is look at me, Cupcake, and I tangle up inside.”

She pounded a closed fist on his chest. “Then why send me away?”

He hugged her to his chest and rested his chin on top of her head. “Things are complicated right now. My family is going through a critical time, and they need me.”

She relaxed somewhat. “Because your mother is sick?”

“Yes.”

“I could stay and support you through this. You wouldn’t need to entertain me. I could simply be there for you.”

Luke’s eyes misted at the sincerity of her offer. Cassie loved, the way a person was supposed to. “You are one amazing woman, Cassie.”

“But you still want me to leave? Is it because you don’t want your family to know you’re with me? I’ve heard a lot about you since I’ve been here. They say you’re insanely rich. I don’t care about that, but maybe you do. Are you embarrassed that I—?” She was speaking softly, sadly.

Her question ripped at his heart. He interrupted her. “Oh, Cassie. No. That’s not it.” He held her back from him and looked down into her teary eyes. “When my family does meet you, they will love you—just as I do.”

Cassie blinked back angry tears. “Don’t say you love me then send me away. Don’t play me that way.”

“This isn’t a game, Cassie. I wish I could tell you what’s going on, but all I can do is ask you to trust me.”

Cassie stood there, glaring at Luke, with her fists clenched at her sides. “I kept a secret from you back in Defiance, Luke. At first I didn’t think you would stay, so I told myself it wouldn’t matter. Then I was afraid if you knew, you would leave me.”

Luke tensed. “What kind of secret?”

Cassie looked down at his hands on her upper arms. “It’s scary, isn’t it? Not knowing.”

Luke loosened his grip on her, but demanded, “Just say it, Cassie.”

She searched his face for a long moment. “I’ve never had a family. Not a real one. Not the kind you see on television where people argue over chores and everyone gathers for dinner. I want a family, Luke. I want it so much that when I met you I had already started the process on my own. I’ve gone through three IUI cycles.”

“Are you—?”

“Pregnant?” Cassie’s lips pressed together sadly. “No. I found out I wasn’t right before you left.”

“That’s why you were so quiet that day.” Cassie’s secret once again highlighted the difference in how she and Luke had grown up. His heart soared at her disclosure. She had so much love to give. Her children would never know the cold manipulation he and his brothers had grown up with.

“Yes. Having a baby was all I wanted until I met you. Then I started to believe I could have it all. You. A family. That’s why I’m here. I wanted more than I had in Detroit, and I made a better life for myself, but I had to fight for it. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. I want to be with you, Luke, and I’m not afraid to fight for you—for us. If there is anything to fight for. But I can’t go back to Ohio and wait for you to come to me. I’m strong, but I’m not that strong. I’ve been left too many times, and I can’t open myself to that kind of hurt again.”

Never in his life had Luke seen such honest emotion, and it humbled him. “I can’t tell you what’s going on, Cassie. It involves more than just me. But I can tell you that you’d be putting yourself at risk if you stayed.”

Cassie’s chin rose. “You wouldn’t let anything happen to me.”

She was more right than she knew. His grip on her tightened. “People dream of having money, but what they don’t realize is there is always a price to pay. Sometimes it comes for your very soul.”

Cassie laid a hand on Luke’s cheek. “People without money are tested the same way, Luke. We all get backed into a corner and discover parts of ourselves we don’t like, but we can’t let that define us. Whatever is going on, Luke, don’t let it change you. Don’t let it win.”

Luke swung her up in his arms and carried her to the hotel bed. Her words had moved him, and he wanted her more because of it. Cassie was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside. He wanted to lose himself in her beauty, her goodness.