Lie by Night: An Out of Darkness novel (Entangled Ignite) Read online

  A frown creased her brow. “I assume you didn’t mention you used to date Jacob’s sister?”

  “No, I didn’t. They don’t need to know everything about my life. I’ve never told them about my time on the run from the great Alistair Forrester.” Sarcasm dripped from his words. “Besides, they’re not interested in me, only in what I know about the old man.” He ran a hand along the back of his neck. “I had no idea they were bringing you here.”

  Closing her eyes, she remained silent. The night wind rustled through the branches of the old birch, and an owl hooted in the distance while he waited for her response. When her eyes opened, they were dark and troubled. He braced himself.

  …

  A pain pierced Emma’s heart as she thought back to her days with Jack, a pain that had nothing to do with the hurt she’d felt at his abandonment. In fact, the pang in her chest had nothing to do with her and everything to do with Jacob. After the events of the past days, she and Cole had something in common—neither of them believed in coincidences.

  “You were hiding from Forrester when we met?”

  “Yes. Trying to live a normal life.”

  “And what, he found you, and he didn’t approve?” Even she heard the ring of falsehood in her words, dreading the confirmation that she had brought the madman into their lives.

  “Quite the contrary. He was thrilled.” Her heart dropped. “Thought your brother might be a nice addition to his operation when he graduated. Thought our relationship gave him an inside track, even though I told him I’d never met Jacob. ‘Grant, dear boy, meet Jacob, become his friend. He’s just the kind of man who can help us.’” Grant’s voice changed, taking on a lower, melodious timbre as he mimicked Forrester. “But I wanted nothing to do with his plans. So I stole some money from dear old dad and disappeared again.”

  Seeking direct confirmation of the truth, Emma’s question exhaled in a whisper. “That horrible man targeted my brother because of me? Because of our relationship?”

  Reluctantly, Grant nodded. “Look, I tried to keep you safe. That’s the reason I left.”

  “You could have warned me.”

  “Please try to understand there’s a line you don’t cross with Alistair. Running is one thing. Betrayal is a death sentence—I thought if I said anything, I’d put us both in more danger, and I thought Jacob was smart enough to steer clear of the old man.”

  Anger flashed in her eyes at this insult to Jacob. When he said nothing more, she started to turn away. He reached out to stop her. With his hand resting on her shoulder, he stepped forward so that he stood in front of her again.

  “I was running from my father and his maniac of a business partner. Believe it or not, I was trying to start a normal life when I met you.”

  “And instead you put my brother and me in danger.”

  Sadness and regret filled his eyes. “I thought I was keeping you safe by leaving. I thought Alistair would leave you and your brother alone without the connection to me.” His hand dropped to his side.

  She chewed her lower lip, trying to understand the timeline of events. “It couldn’t have been long after that when you resurfaced as Grant, met Lizzie, and had Sam.”

  He flashed a sad, self-effacing grin. “Yes, I thought Alistair had died in an explosion, but he reappeared. He insisted I take a trip to Mexico to meet with a potential client. Lizzie begged to join me on what she thought was an emergency business trip. The irony is that’s where she met Zach. The one incident Alistair didn’t foresee or manipulate.” His jaw set in a hard line. “You can see how well my second attempt at a normal life worked out. My beautiful daughter growing up in a happy household calling another man daddy. And, me? I’m thrilled to have scored a Thanksgiving pity invitation.”

  Emma felt a reluctant stirring of sympathy.

  Grimacing, he continued. “Look, I’m not trying to make you feel sorry for me, but I am trying to be the man Sam deserves as a father. Trying to make amends for past mistakes. I’d like my daughter not to know about us, about the man who was…who tried very hard to be Jack.”

  She studied him for a long moment, judging his sincerity. Then, “I won’t say anything in front of Sam.”

  He nodded his thanks. “Zach and I don’t have much in common, but we both fear the damage Alistair can do to this family. You need to be careful. I don’t know if he’ll contact me, but I promise to let you know if I hear anything about Jacob.” He stuck out his hand and flashed a smile. “Truce.”

  If Grant’s words were true, and they rang with sincerity, then Alistair had made his life hell for years. She might not fully trust him, but he was another link to finding her brother, and she needed whatever resources came her way. She frowned, but accepted his hand. “Truce.”

  …

  Zach and Cole walked along the path from the lake back to the house. Their debrief had been quick and thorough.

  “I like her.” Zach turned the conversation to Emma.

  “I like her, too,” Cole admitted.

  “But…” Zach let the word hang, waiting for Cole’s response.

  Damn Zach for making him say what they both already knew. “But I trusted the wrong person before. Not to mention that Jacob is her brother, and that makes things, well, complicated.”

  “Ah, Cole. Aren’t you the one who advised me not to let a mistake in judgment color my entire life?”

  Reluctantly, Cole nodded. Zach had blamed himself for his cousin, Thomas’s death—a murder in which Zach had been Alistair’s intended victim. This situation, however, was different.

  “It’s not different.” Zach responded as if he’d spoken aloud, then shook his head. “The uncertainty about Jacob’s role does complicate things, however.” He clapped Cole on the shoulder. “We’ll protect Emma from hurt as best we can. Oh, I forgot. Lizzie wants her boots from the storage shed by the lake. You go ahead. I’ll be right back.”

  Cole continued up the moonlit path, drawing a deep breath of the crisp night air. It felt good to be home.

  Reaching the edge of the forest path, he stopped. Grant and Emma stood in the shade of the old white birch, hands clasped. Grant released her hand and they smiled. Even from this distance, Cole could sense the familiarity. A sharp pain pierced his chest as they walked back into the house.

  Had he been wrong about Emma? If she knew Grant, why didn’t she say anything at dinner? What was she keeping from him?

  Cole stood for a long time in the shadow of the forest. Finally, he stepped out of the darkness into the clearing.

  The moon burned brighter than when he’d left the house. It colored everything around him the white hot color of betrayal.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Cole!” Emma switched the back light on and stepped out of the kitchen to glance about the yard. “Oh, there you are. Dessert is ready.”

  She held the door open as Cole stepped out of the shadows and into the glow from the porch. As he drew closer, she saw the shadows in his eyes. She scanned the yard behind him, realization dawning.

  When he reached the door, she lifted her hand to place it on his chest. Searching his eyes, she lowered her voice to a whisper, “I’ll explain after dinner.”

  If possible, the line of his jaw grew even more rigid. With a curt nod, he brushed past her and walked back into the dining room.

  Thanksgiving dinner had been replaced with many desserts. Pumpkin pie, apple pie, blueberry cobbler, cream cheese filled crescent bars, and pumpkin bread. Emma toyed with her dessert, making a valiant effort to eat.

  Cole dug in with gusto, despite his tension.

  “Uncle Cole?” Sam drew his attention.

  “What is it, niece Sam?” Cole’s response elicited another giggle from the perpetually happy girl.

  “I helped with the pumpkin pie.”

  “You did? Well, it’s delicious.”

  Grant reached for the pumpkin pie, only to find it swiped from his grasp by Uncle Cole.

  “Oops, sorry about that.” Cole adde
d a large piece of pie to his plate, clearly not the least apologetic. He offered the dessert to Zach next, making Grant wait until Zach and then Lizzie took a piece.

  “Look, Mom. Everybody likes my pie.” Sam clapped her hands in satisfaction.

  Her joy was lost on Emma who watched from the corner of her eye as Cole devoured the pie. When his eyes weren’t on his plate, they flicked to her or to Grant.

  He had definitely seen her with Jack.

  Grant.

  The sooner they talked, the better.

  After dessert, Grant announced he and Sam needed to head for his home. Sam ran upstairs to grab her overnight bag, and everyone migrated to the entryway to say goodbye. Zach and Cole lagged back, talking in hushed tones, before joining the group. When Sam reappeared, she hugged and kissed her mom and dad, then Uncle Cole. She stopped in front of Emma and regarded her with her mother’s eyes. She smiled with her father’s mouth.

  “I like you,” she said.

  “I like you.” Emma knelt on one knee, bringing her level with the little girl. “Thanks for sharing your pumpkin pie with me.”

  “Will you be here tomorrow when I get back?”

  Emma looked up at Cole. I hope so.

  He said nothing.

  “I’m not sure.” She forced a smile.

  “Then I’ll hug you now just in case.” She launched herself into Emma’s arms, her little girl sweetness filling a hole in Emma’s heart that reopened as soon as she pulled away.

  “Thanks for dinner.” Grant shook hands with Zach.

  He, too, stopped at Emma. “It was nice to meet you.” He nodded infinitesimally and looked back at Zach and Lizzie. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

  Emma frowned at Grant’s back as he and Sam walked hand in hand out the front door. He knew she was going to tell, and he’d as good as given her the thumbs up to do so.

  She looked at the rest of Cole’s family. They seemed to circle Cole, excluding her when before they’d embraced her.

  Zach leaned to whisper in Lizzie’s ear. He placed a kiss on Daniel’s head.

  Lizzie looked uncertainly at Emma. “Well, it’s time for this little guy to go to bed. I’m glad you could join us, Emma.” She headed up the stairs.

  The minute she left the room, Zach’s gaze hardened. “Let’s talk in the family room.”

  Emma followed him, with Cole bringing up the rear. It annoyed her that Cole had ratted her out to Zach without giving her a chance to explain.

  The family room was as welcoming as the rest of the home. A fire burned cheerily in the fireplace, surrounded by a chocolate brown leather couch and love seat. A gorgeous stone fireplace rose from floor to ceiling, bordered on either side by picture windows that invited visitors to sit and enjoy the view.

  Emma sat on the sofa, Zach on the love seat. Cole remained standing.

  Getting right to the point, Zach opened the conversation. “You know Grant? From before?”

  She nodded. “We dated during my senior year of college. I knew him as Jack Freeman.”

  Zach leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Why didn’t you say something?”

  Cole’s fingers began that familiar beat of frustration against his thigh.

  Her lips turned down. “You’d just introduced him as Sam’s father. I wasn’t going to accuse him in front of his daughter.”

  Cole wasn’t satisfied. “Would you have said anything if I hadn’t seen the two of you under the birch?”

  Emma ignored his accusatory tone. “Yes, I was going to tell you. And Grant knew I was going to tell you once we were alone.” She looked from one man to the other. “I don’t appreciate being grilled. I’m not the bad guy.” Her gaze stopped at Cole. “I don’t think Grant is the bad guy, either.”

  Cole said something under his breath that she didn’t catch. Ignoring him, she forged ahead. “Grant explained he’d been living under a false name because he was trying to escape Forrester.” Cole’s gaze burned through her. “He apologized and asked me not to say anything in front of Sam. I didn’t.”

  “Thank you.” Zach looked from Emma to Cole. “Sam’s had enough trauma in her life; she didn’t need that. You did the right thing.”

  Frowning, Cole turned to him. “It’s awfully coincidental, don’t you think? Grant and Emma, Jacob and Alistair?”

  Before Zach could answer, Emma interjected. “Too coincidental.” She swallowed as guilt crept in. “He said when Alistair found him, he was happy about our relationship…that he noticed Jacob because of me.” She reluctantly shared this further evidence of the connection between Forrester and Jacob. Grant would tell them, anyway, when they questioned him. She glared at the men. “This doesn’t mean Jacob is in league with Forrester.”

  “No, it doesn’t,” Zach agreed. “Unfortunately, it reinforces the magnitude of Alistair’s manipulations and that we’re still discovering everyone who’s been or who’s still being used by him.” With a worried frown, he stood. “I’m going to say goodnight to Daniel. Then, Cole, maybe we could talk for a few minutes before you leave.”

  Cole nodded, watching Zach exit. He remained standing on the other side of the table. Emma rose, feeling disadvantaged by his height. He turned to her, his features a stone mask.

  “How does Grant’s father figure into what’s happening?” The more she knew, the better prepared she would be for whatever happened next.

  “His father is dead, killed a year ago in South America. We’re certain it was Forrester’s doing.”

  Her heart skipped at this further evidence of Forrester’s brutality. She walked to the picture window, her gaze glued to the place where she and Grant had talked.

  “You need to remember that Grant can’t be trusted. That when Zach and Daniel disappeared, Grant knew Forrester was behind it and said nothing.”

  Emma raised one hand to touch the cool glass pane. The intensity of Grant’s statement fresh in her mind. “He had to protect his daughter.” The way I have to protect Jacob.

  “That doesn’t excuse his silence. We could have kept Sam safe if we’d known.” He was furious. She didn’t need to look at him to know it.

  “Really? Because, looking at it as an outsider, I’d say Grant had grounds for concern when Zach, Daniel, and Lizzie disappeared—Weston Security couldn’t keep them safe.”

  “That’s because, at the time, no one knew about Alistair. Zach thought the man was dead.”

  Emma considered this and nodded. “I’m not condoning his choice, but I understand it.” She turned from the window. “He had to protect his daughter.” She repeated the words, knowing he didn’t agree. They’d reached an impasse.

  Uncertainty descended on the room, a dark cloud suffocating them both. It lingered until Zach and Lizzie returned. Lizzie glanced from Emma to Zach. “Well, the kids are in bed.” A note of indecision crept into her voice when her guests remained silent. “Emma, would you join me for a cup of coffee?”

  Emma nodded, both relieved to step away from the tension between her and Cole and also frustrated they’d been interrupted before anything could be resolved.

  But, then, some things couldn’t be resolved.

  With a sideways glance at Cole, Emma followed Lizzie into the kitchen, where the other woman took two mugs out of the cabinet and poured. The coffee smelled wonderful.

  “Black or with cream? Or a dash of Irish whiskey?”

  “Irish whiskey.”

  Lizzie poured a generous portion into both mugs, handed one to Emma, then sat and propped her feet up. She leaned back in her chair. “Make yourself at home.”

  Unable to bring herself to put her feet on that beautifully upholstered seat, Emma rested her elbows on the table instead.

  “So, you and Grant, huh?” Lizzie sipped her coffee.

  Emma spewed a small amount of liquid back into her cup.

  Lizzie grinned. “Sorry about that. I tend to say what’s on my mind.” She didn’t look at all contrite. “Hey,” Lizzie raised her glass in a silent toast,
“We women who survived Grant have to stick together.”

  Emma considered the completely inappropriate toast for a moment. What the hell. She raised her mug. “Cheers.”

  Lizzie took another sip and then sat her mug on the table. “I’m not mad at Grant for keeping his suspicions about Alistair to himself. He had to protect Sam. When Zach and I were kidnapped, and Zach didn’t remember me because of the drugs Alistair gave him, I battled that every day. How to protect Sam. How to protect Daniel. How to protect Zach. It hurts me to admit Zach came last, but the kids couldn’t protect themselves. They had to come first.

  “Zach’s not quite so forgiving, but then he lost more than I did—almost all of our memories together before the kidnapping. Gone in an instant.” A wistful look crossed her face. “But we’ve moved on. And Zach tries with Grant. We have to put Sam first. And she loves her father. Both of them.”

  Unsure how to respond, Emma sipped her coffee and waited.

  Finally, Lizzie continued, “Forgiveness is even harder for Cole than Zach. We’re all he has. He doesn’t like Grant, but tries to hide it for Sam’s sake.” Her mouth curved in a tentative smile. “He likes you, though, I can tell. He’s never brought anyone here before. Don’t hurt him, okay?”

  “I don’t want t—” Emma started, but a sharp cry from the monitor interrupted her.

  Lizzie rose instantly. “I know the supposed experts say to let him cry, but, well, I have to check. Something like the kidnapping, it never leaves you.” She headed for the hallway, and called, “I’ve got him!” In the doorway, she turned back to Emma. “I hope we see more of you.”

  Alone, Emma sat at the kitchen table until her coffee grew cold. She’d learned a lot today. Maybe too much. Both intellectually and emotionally, she now understood why Cole was determined to protect this—his—family. He should understand her desire to protect Jacob. Rising determinedly, she went in search of Cole and Zach.

  She stepped into the hallway and stopped, listening in an effort to get her bearings. Hushed, male voices drifted from the hall to her left. She followed them, stopping short at the mention of Jacob’s name.