Authors: Cassandra Cole
CHAPTER SEVEN
Colt had a full day of running around and doing errands
ft who knew hertown, for an undetermined amount of time. ad taken control over her senses. that skill. t freind
. The journal and papers he had found in his uncle’s house were tucked safely in the inner pocket of his jacket. He’d be damned if he left them from his side. He had only read the first half of the journal, before he was betrayed by his mind and body with involuntary sleep.
By the time Colt was through with a busy day of medical appointments, working out, and tending to car repair issues, he was finally ready to continue where he left off. He readied himself by keeping busy throughout the day, so that he had some time to let things sink in, and prepare for whatever left there was to know. Now was the time to face it.
Colt walked into his favorite Italian restaurant for an early dinner, and sat nestled in a booth near the window, giving him a perfect view of everything around him, inside and out. He asked the waitress to bring him a Caesar salad and Lasagna.
The pretty waitress tried to flirt with him, but she would get nothing in return. Just as he was about to open the journal to investigate further, in walks his neighbor insistent on talking.
“I guess the journal can wait a little longer, I’ll read it when I get home,” he accepted.
While visiting, it took several minutes before he noticed someone was playing the piano. Every Thursday evening anyone could go up to play.
The classical tune soothed him immensely, and he was impressed by how talented the player was. He tried to get a glimpse of who was creating such a beautiful music, but she had her back to him. He noticed her long, wavy, golden brown hair and snug black dress perfectly outlining her slim, curvy body. He caught a glimpse of her delicate fingers somewhat in awe, how something so graceful looking could be so powerful at the stroke of the keys to the tune.
Colt finished his dinner, picked up the journal and papers that were safely placed beside him, and said goodbye to his surprise visitors, and next door neighbors, Bob and Helen. He headed towards the door just as the lady rose to leave the piano. Having completed what had turned out to be a dare by a couple friends and heading hastily for their direction, her five foot eight inches, with heals, swiftly and firmly collided into his solid, rock-hard pecs.
Briefly forgetting his manners, Colt rushed to pick up the journal and papers that had dropped to the ground, instead of acknowledging the golden haired piano player. She was apologizing profusely, reaching to help him retrieve the few remaining papers just as he looked up. He recognized her immediately. It was the upset lady whom he had met at the Marina, sans car keys.
“It’s my fault. Sorry for bumping into you like that,” he told her quietly. He wasn’t going to let her take the blame, even if she did launch like a missile straight into him. He wasn’t complaining either.
She was reaching for the last of the letters handing it to him, brushing his hand in the process which sent shivers throughout her entire body. He was watching her intently, and realized that she was absolutely exquisite, with golden eyes unlike he had ever seen, that revealed a naive sweetness that quickened his heart.
He noted she seemed much more comfortable in a classic, black dress, than overly glittery gown that seemed to wear her, more than she wore it. She had the air of a Tom-boy and playfulness about her. Her hair was long, wavy and enchantingly disheveled. He studied her face once more, just in time to see a subtle change in expression, when passing him the last of the letters. He wasn’t sure she recognized him from the Marina.
He wanted to know her, intrigued. “I don’t think we have been formally introduced. I am Colt Jacobs,” he introduced himself with a playful grin and an air of lightheartedness, recalling his quick work on her vehicle wires.
“I’m Jenna,” she replied nervously, as if anxious to catch his eyes straight on. There was something about him that was disarmingly compelling, she thought, overtaken by his kindness and confidence.
“You play the piano beautifully, Jenna. Sorry for bumping into you like that. Let me buy you a drink so I can make it up to you,” Colt pressed. He was looking at her so intently that she shuddered. The expression on his perfectly chiseled face was so kind and sincere it moved her. He seemed genuinely sorry, but even if he wasn’t she could barely keep her eyes off of him. He scared her, somehow. Finally pulling herself together, she found herself mumbling ‘sure’ weakly and forcing herself to look away.
Colt led her to the corner booth where he had been sitting, and asked her to order whatever she would like. She ordered a diet coke, while her friends made faces at her in another booth, where her strawberry daiquiri was now being dropped off. It became pretty clear she was avoiding looking at him.
Colt broke the ice and asked her how long she lived in Horvath, and where she learned to play the piano. She told him that she had only lived there for a few years and had studied music. She pointed to her grinning friends, and said she had only gone to play the piano under a dare, the daiquiri, her prize. She was in fact a music teacher at the local University. They made small talk for a little while longer before he finally decided he was ready to ask her about his pressing matter. A passing waitress was also asked to bring over a strawberry daiquiri.
“I am looking for an old friend of mine, Chuck Sinclair. He used to live in Horvath a couple of years back. Do you know of anyone by that name?” he inquired gently trying to seem as natural as possible. He watched her expression change to one of confusion, and new she had seen the name Chuck Sinclair atop the papers.
He sat quietly and let an uncomfortable silence linger between them, an excellent interrogation tactic he had learned during his military training. And it worked, as she seemed to have more to say. “I don’t know any other Chuck Sinclair, that is except the one you and I both know,” she added softly, revealing that she did in fact recognize him from the Marina.
Her statement surprised him, but he hid it well. Chuck that they both knew of? What could she possibly be talking about?
“So you do know someone by the name of Chuck Sinclair?”
“Of course I do,” she stated somewhat surprised, “and I would think
you
would too.
Chase
is
Chuck.
True, there are a lot of Sinclair’s in town, but not Chuck Sinclair. He liked to go by Chase, and had his name legally changed years ago. You didn’t know that?”
Colt was too shocked to say anything. His chest tightened and his hands trembled as he tried to digest what he was hearing. He moved his hands to his lap, so as not to give away his shock at the potentially explosive realization.
Jenna continued talking, barely noticing his reaction. That was just like her, once she started talking she was an open book with nothing to hide. Finally, she circled back to the topic at hand, “Why are you asking me about Chuck, though? I’m confused. Is this some kind of test?” she wondered, baffled.
Colt, suddenly feeling anxious, dizzy, and claustrophobic, excused himself awkwardly, sincerely apologizing for his haste.
She found it odd, but managed a smile as he got up to leave. She stood up and returned to her friends, confused about what just took place.
She found herself sad the terribly handsome mystery man had to leave so soon. She had hoped to learn more about him, due to the stories she had heard about his heroism as a SEAL from Chase.
Jenna watched Colt’s figure quickly leave the restaurant, after paying the remaining tab on the way out. She had seen the discomfort on his face and knew that whatever was going on, it was serious.
Jenna decided to call Chase, as he may be in a position to know something. She knew he would be busy having drinks with his buddies, his cell going straight to voicemail, and left him a message, telling him of meeting Colt but saying nothing further.
Chase called her back almost immediately and demanded that she come and see him right away.
It was the fastest response she had ever gotten from him. Be that as it may, she got into her car and drove towards his hotel. But if she knew just how livid he was, she would have stayed away, forever.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Colt got into his Jeep and drove straight to his cabin. He couldn’t believe what Jenna had told him. He needed to dig through the journals again, to ensure the end result was what it appeared. Turns out, it was what it appeared. Chase was his brother. His
twin
brother at that! A part of him didn’t want to believe it but in his heart of hearts, it knew it to be true.
He thought back to College, when he had first met Chase. Chase had hated Colt from the very moment he laid eyes on him despite Colt giving him no reason to do so. It was as if he knew something about Colt that made him treat him with disdain. Classmates had occasionally commented how much Colt and Chase looked alike.
Colt also remembered how he and Chase had decided to put their differences aside, work together and become friends. It had been Chase’s idea. At the time, red flags had gone off in his mind as there was something about Chase’s proposition that seemed calculated rather than sincere. But he had ignored his instincts. After all, he was only a young man who had barely found his way.
Now he saw everything clearly. Chase’s objective had always been to keep him close, so that he could keep an eye on him and interfere with misguided information, if need be. He recalled that every time he mentioned the death of his parents to Chase, and trying to recall his memories his ‘best friend’ would always, and aggressively, persuade him to move on and let the dead get their rest and focus on building new memories. All this time Chase’s main objective was to prevent him from knowing the truth. But why? How had he known they were brothers? That was what he desperately needed to find out.
There was no doubt in Colt’s mind that Chase knew that he was his twin brother all along. But why did he keep it from him all these years while secretly masquerading to be his friend. He was determined to confront Chase and seek answers. But for now, he had to come up with a plan. He remained in his office and poured through the journal and letters.
Colt wondered about the drawer being locked, and the ‘inside joke’ that there was something special about the office, Uncle John had always said to Colt, as if there was something underlying the comment. He realized now it was a clue, and the journal and letters were there for him to find. He figured out he was probably the only person who knew there was a key taped behind the picture on the wall, Colt just never knew what the key was for. He always said he wanted Colt to have the picture one day. It was of black stallions, and Colt was deeply passionate about riding.
He cried for the first time in years, reading his parents and Uncle’s letters, their private thoughts made him feel closer to them in a way he had never ever felt. He learned that his parents were madly in love and they adored their two boys, Colt and Chuck, dearly. In the journal, he found baby pictures of himself and Chase, which made him choke up all over again.
Colt kept reading, hungry for more information. He read to the end of the journal which talked about acres of the farm land, and what?! Gold mining prospects! This was just before they died, he thought. That explained it. The money, the lifestyle, it all started to add up, he knew Chuck was a cunning business man, but he never could figure out how even in all his success, his dollars amounted to a ‘B’ for billion, rather than ‘just’ Millions.
The journal explained everything. He knew there was millions upon millions of dollars in gold on thousands of acres of land his father had once owned. But the land had been sold, to a developer. Little did he know, until now, his brother had been the ‘developer’ involved in the purchase transaction, not revealing what was hidden beneath the soil. He paid off his aunt and uncle to keep their mouth shut. They knew he was capable of anything and feared not only for their own lives, but that of their nephew, Colt.
A successful Navy SEAL, they knew he would be fine. They justified it best to allow the secret to remain just that. The will clearly outlined in case anything happened to him and his wife, his two boys would inherit the land. Unbeknownst to him at the time, it was rich with gold. The only way Chase had found out was by a colleague, who revealed gold was found along the river, further past his parent’s property. After investigating the wealth hidden on his family’s land, he had arranged to sell it, ensuring it was purchased under a corporate entity and unable to be traced to him.
It was time Chase paid for his greed. Being the clever military man that he was, Colt had also taken his late uncle’s phone book as he had thought it might come in handy. Colt perused the contact list and made a call to Valerie, his late uncle’s estranged wife. If anyone knew what was going on, it would be her. Besides, he also needed to understand why his Uncle John had kept the truth from him. It didn’t add up, he knew he was a good, kind albeit somewhat weak man.
The call between Colt and Valerie lasted nearly two hours. Colt learned his parents had died in a car accident. He had been a passenger in the car that night but he had wandered off, confused and in shock. Chase had been at his uncle’s house that night. When the paramedics found only two dead bodies despite receiving reports that the car had three passengers, they declared him missing.
His uncle John and Aunt Valerie had searched for Colt for years, believing he was out there alive somewhere. Colt, a scared little boy who had just lost his parents before his eyes, was eventually found half way across the country, after getting a ride from a trucker asking him if he needed help. He wandered the streets until he was found by authorities disheveled and put into a foster home as a John Doe.
Meanwhile, even as a child, Chase seemed relatively unaffected by his parents’ death and brother’s disappearance. After losing his brother, his wife, and both his nephew’s, Uncle John had sunk into depression which is how the drinking started. Chase had gone into boarding school, where he excelled. Uncle John had agreed to keep his mouth shut about Chase selling the property, and in return, Chase would make sure he was well taken care of financially, booze and all. That was about the time Valerie left him. Be that as it may, John had secretly continued to search for Colt. He found Colt when he was practically an adult. By then, Colt was immersed in his life as a Navy SEAL. Uncle John was also too afraid of Chase so he only offered up half-truths and didn’t mention anything about a gold mine or a twin brother.
“Tell me where my parents were buried,” Colt finally asked his aunt.
She gladly told him which cemetery. Colt got into his truck again and drove towards the cemetery. He was finally going to get a semblance closure. Before he made any move against Chase, he would first pay his respects to his parents and say his final goodbyes. The road was clear and he arrived at the cemetery sooner than he expected. He jumped out of his car and quickly found the two grave stones with his parents’ names.
He took a deep breath and was overwhelmed with emotions. Eventually, his knees were unable to support his body and he found himself kneeling on the grass in despair at all of the lies and deceit. His heart was racing and tears stung his eyes, forcing them back so he could stay clear and focused.
A strange feeling settled in the middle of his heart. It was guilt. He parents had died in the crash and he had forgotten and wandered away. After all, he was only a young boy when it happened. A few memories of his childhood slowly crept in but the most important, a visual memory of his parents.
He had found his way into foster care on the other side of the country. Always the one for adventure, he found himself going the route of the Military. The sea, land and air, Navy SEALs became a passion of his, of protection, and somewhere deep inside he knew this was his way of compensating for shutting down his memory. Tours of duty and his SEAL brothers replaced what he had longed to have.
Colt came to the comforting realization that his parents had never really left him. He gently kissed both grave stones. He rose up slowly and turned to leave with the full intention of visiting again. As he rose, he felt as if his stars were aligning somehow, putting the pieces of his life together right before his eyes, his deepest desire. Colt was just about to enter his car when it started raining heavily.
He quickly entered the jeep and put the key in the ignition when he saw her. It was Jenna, kneeling by a grave stone at the other end of the cemetery, crying. “What on earth is she doing here?” he thought, as he rushed toward her.
Rain was now pouring down but she seemed not to notice or care. She didn’t hold back as she wept grieving the recent loss of her mother, and closest friend in the world. Her display of vulnerability made her even more beautiful to Colt, and moved him deeply, as he approached.
He crouched next to her, covered her with his jacket doing a lousy job of keeping her dry as she was already soaked through and through. She didn’t even realize who was trying to shield her from the downpour, as she was completely lost in despair. She managed to glance up, where he knelt beside her, and was utterly shocked. He too was stunned, when the golden haired beauty revealed a bruised, bloodied and swollen face, blood running from her face, as the rain gently carried it away.
Colt went into action. “I’m taking you home,” he declared softly. She nodded after which he lifted her easily and carried her towards his truck. He gently placed her on the passenger’s side seat, got into the car and drove off. All he could hear were muffled gasps of breath, and the sound of the pouring rain.
Colt occasionally glanced at her, willing to say nothing sensing that was her preference. Her face said it all. He concluded she was morning both her mother, and the physical abuse she obviously just endured from someone she mistakenly thought had loved her.
Finally, the silent sobs subsided. He looked over at her with so much compassion that her heart trembled. They were both soaking wet and shivering from the cold, or perhaps it was the shock, each with their own reasons. Jenna said nothing and didn’t even look at him.
He took her to his log cabin, at the edge of the forest. Jenna spoke for the first time, “Where are we?”
“This is my home, come inside for some dry clothes and a hot drink,” he quietly insisted. She obliged and followed him inside. Colt led her to his bedroom and showed her to the bathroom. “Why don’t you take a hot shower to warm up, and I’ll leave some dry clothes for you on the bed, while I make us some hot chocolate?” “You’ll be safe here, I promise” he added.
She walked slowly into his bathroom with her eyes fixed squarely on the floor as if she was trying to avoid meeting his gaze. She could feel him staring at her which made her nervous. She entered the bathroom and closed the door gently, glad to finally be alone. Jenna was indeed freezing and quickly peeled off all her clothes and got into the shower.
The steaming hot water didn’t stop her from shaking though. She stood there for some time as reality finally dawned on her. Jenna recalled the events of the afternoon bitterly. When Jenna called Chase to tell him about her chance encounter with Colt, he had summoned her to his office immediately. When she arrived, his face was dark and creased with the ugliest scowl she had ever seen. She told her about meeting Colt and his asking about Chuck Sinclair. She told him how confused she was that Cold didn’t know his friend’s real name. His eyes were cold and ruthless, and she was frozen and confused.
When Jenna asked for an explanation about what was going on, Chase stood there and laughed dangerously. A growling like laugh, and the moment she realized she had no idea who he really was, the facade now gone. Trembling with fear, she recalled him darting towards her, slapping her, throwing her hard towards the wall then yelling cruelly “You stupid little bitch, you’re a nobody who has managed to ruin my life. Get the fuck out of here,” he went on, “I want nothing to do with you, you useless piece of shit”.
There was nothing but pure evil in him, Jenna recalled, also for a moment unsure if he would let her leave with her life, just about the time when Hank, his bodyguard, walked in. Jenna raced off the yacht the second he came in, sensing Chase’s moment of hesitation on how to handle the situation to her obvious bloody face.
Jenna spent most of the afternoon at the cemetery in total shock and humiliation. She always went to her mother’s grave to seek solace when she was hurting. Sadly, six months ago was the last time she saw her alive.
Jenna finished showering, dried off and wrapped herself in the white towel draped over the shower door Finally exiting the bathroom, she found a warm pair of sweat pants and sweat top on the bed, which were placed in the dryer so they would be toasty warm for her. This small detail didn’t escape her, even in the deep fog she was in. She was jolted lucid, when she looked into the mirror however, and saw her swollen and bruised face.
She mustered up the courage to tiptoe into the living room to join Colt. He heard her footsteps coming up from behind him but decided not to turn around. He did not want to scare her off so he acted preoccupied while preparing a fire. It wasn’t until she said “Thanks for the warm clothes… and the hospitality.” that he finally turned around and acknowledged her.
“Why don’t you sit down by the fire and have some hot chocolate?” he suggested.
Jenna obliged and watched him for a minute. Finally she said, “I think it’s obvious what has happened to me, so why don’t I let you do the talking” she softly insisted.
“You’re absolutely right, I should explain what happened earlier..,” he went on.
He told her about his parents’ death and how he had just learned he had a twin brother named Chuck. Jenna gasped, realizing what this meant, and the slight changes in her delicate facial features made Colt want to scoop her in his arms once more. But instead, he continued on revealing Chase’s deception.