Uncovering His SECRET (4 page)

“Oh, excuse me, I
didn’t realize that ‘slut’ was another word for love.”

“Do you know what she
did?”

“I know what you
think
she did.”

“What who did?” Dee
asks, breaking the moment and saving me from realizing that I may
have made the biggest mistake of my life.

“Not you,” Jade
tells her.

“Listen, I’ve had
about enough of you.”

“Good thing I don’t
work for you then, huh?”

“Caleb, why won’t
you do something about her?” she whines to me.

“I enjoy her
company.”

“I’m your fiancée.”

“Yeah, about that.
I’m thinking we should call it off.”

“Are you insane?”

“No. I think I’m
the most sane I’ve been in years. We both know I only asked you
because marrying you would be relatively easy for me.”

“I love you.”

“You don’t. You
love the idea of me. Of marrying into my family.”

“We’re good
together.”

“I’m trying to be
gentle about this Dee, but do I really need to spell it out for you?”

“I guess maybe you
do.”

“Fine. I dated you in
high school because I knew it would hurt Tegan. I’ve been sleeping
with you for the past year because you were available. And I asked
you to marry me because I knew you’ve always only wanted me for my
last name. But I think it’s time I went after what I want, instead
of just settling for what’s convenient.”

“And you want her?”
she asks, motioning towards Jade.

“Umm, no. I mean, no
offense Jade, but it’s not you I want.”

“The feeling’s
mutual, believe me.”

“Then who? Who do you
want?”

“It’s really none
of your business. Keep the ring, and whatever else I bought you.”

“What about
tomorrow?”

Shit. I forgot about
the family dinner to celebrate the formula being almost ready. “You
can come to dinner, but that’s it.”

“You’ll be sorry.”

I already am. “Not
for the reasons you think I will.”

She storms out, and
Jade starts clapping. “That was pretty freaking awesome.”

“Thanks, but I didn’t
really enjoy that.”

“Yes, you did.”

“You’re right, but
I shouldn’t have.”

“From what you’ve
told me, that woman made one of my best friends suffer. I would’ve
paid you to do that.”

“I also told you I
was worse.”

“Karma already
visited you when you hooked up with the beauty queen, but if you hurt
Tegan again, I’ll come for you.”

“I don’t even know
where she is.”

“When you want that
information, all you have to do is ask.”

“You’d tell me?”

“Yeah, I think I
would. I like you.”

“I like you, too, and
I’m going to be asking for the info soon. I just have to get some
things in order.”

“You do that. I’m
just going to go outside and check in with my boss. I need to see if
they’ve found anything more out about the letters and emails.”

“You can do that in
here.”

“I like you, but I
can’t say I trust you, Caleb.”

“I’ll earn your
trust.”

“I certainly hope
so.”

* * *

Tegan

I don’t know what to
do with Ethan. He’s become obsessed with watching Caleb through the
telescope. He only leaves that room to take a shower or pee. He
convinced me to let him sleep on the couch in there, and we eat in
there now too. I know this isn’t healthy, but how can I keep him
from his father any longer than I already have.

“E, do you want to go
over there today and meet him?”

“Will it make you cry
more?”

“No, baby. I only cry
because I see how much you want him, and I know I shouldn’t have
kept him from you.”

“Yes. You should’ve.
He broke your heart, Mama. I don’t want to feel like this. I don’t
want to want him in my life.”

“But you do.”

“Yeah,” he says
hanging his head down. “I’m sorry.”

“No. Don’t
apologize. I never want you to apologize for wanting him in your
life. You deserve your father.”

“Even if it ends up
hurting you?”

“Yes, Ethan. Even
then. You come first. You always have, and you always will.”

“What if he doesn’t
care?”

“He’ll care. Your
father’s going to care so much.” And hate me even more.

“How do you know?”

“Because I don’t
think anyone could know you and not want to be part of your life.”

“He can only have
part of it, though. I won’t leave you, Mama. I know you’re
worried about that.”

He’s right. “If you
wanted to go with him, I’d let you. But if he tries to take you
otherwise, I’ll fight him. Harder than I’ve ever fought for
something in my life. I promise you that.”

“I know.”

“Let’s wash up, and
then we’ll drive over.”

We’re out of the
house fifteen minutes later. I’m surprised that the gates are open
when we get to the ranch. There should be extra security, not less.
As I’m parking the car, the chip in my arm starts buzzing. It’s
Jade’s rhythm that buzzes under my skin, sending out the distress
call.

“Listen to me, E. I
need you to stay in the car. Get on the floor and don’t move until
I come back. No matter what you hear. Do you understand?”

“Why? What’s
wrong?”

“Jade sent out a
distress signal.”

“Be careful, Mama.”

“I always am.”

Once he’s settled and
I throw a blanket from the backseat over him, I check my weapons.
I’ve got two of my Glocks and two Bowie knives. I put one gun in my
waistband, and slide the knives into my boots. I use the car for
cover and run to the side of the house. Nothing’s changed since I
was last here, so I know the best way to get inside.

Once I make it in the
French doors of the study, I cock the gun in my hand and then slip
out into the hallway leading to the dining room. I hear the screaming
almost immediately. A voice I recognize from some of my nightmares is
yelling about Caleb ruining everything. Delia. This is just getting
better and better.

I stay close to the
wall until I get to the dining room door. There’s a large mirror on
one wall that gives me a little glimpse at what’s going on. There
are eight guys with guns, plus Delia and her little pistol. Christ.
No wonder Jade send out the call. She could probably handle most of
the guys, but a crazy woman is too unpredictable. I should know. I’m
about to look like one.

I grab a knife and
switch hands with my gun. Good thing they teach us how to shoot with
either hand in our Society training. Taking a deep breath, I lean
into the room and throw the knife just as I shoot the guy nearest me,
and then his friend. Semi-automatic trigger for the win. I hear the
thud and Delia’s scream as I jump onto the table in front of Caleb,
grab my other gun, and shoot the two guys closest to him. One got off
a shot that hit me in the arm, but I’m too hyped up on adrenaline
at the moment to feel the pain. Jade takes out three more guys as the
last one drops to the floor with his hands in the air.

Jade secures him after
checking that the other guys are out. I keep myself in front of Caleb
until she nods at me. Delia’s still screaming and begging for
someone to free her hand from where my knife has impaled it in the
wall, when Ethan runs into the room.

“Mama, you’re
bleeding.”

“Ethan, I told you to
stay in the car until I came back out.”

“I know.”

“If you know then why
are you in here?”

“Your arm is
bleeding.”

“I got shot. It’s
not bad. You shouldn’t be in here, baby.”

“You wouldn’t be
here if it wasn’t for me. If I hadn’t wanted to meet him.”

“Yes, I would’ve.
I’m Jade’s backup. I would’ve gotten her distress signal even
if we’d still been up at the house. This is
not
your fault, E.”

“Oh my God,” Delia
says from behind me. “He’s your kid. And Caleb’s. He looks just
like him. You have a little bastard.”

My other knife is in my
hand and at her throat before I even realize it. “Listen to me
clearly because I will only tell you this once, bitch. I don’t care
what you called me in high school or even what you call me now. But
say one more thing about my son, and I will slice your throat open
without a second thought.”

She must see I mean it
because she just starts whimpering again. I think about shoving the
knife further into her hand, but I have more important things to
worry about. Not the least of which is the man who’s staring at our
son with tears in his eyes.

“Your name is Ethan?”
Cal asks him.

“Ethan Caleb Hall,”
he replies.

“You gave him my
name?” he asks without taking his eyes off of our boy.

“Yes.”

I should say more, and
I want to, but I can’t. I can’t make my mouth form more words.
Seeing them together has my heart in my throat. If I wasn’t in the
middle of an active crime scene, I’d probably drop right to the
ground. As it is, I sway a little.

“Mama,” Ethan says,
pointing to me. “She’s hurt. Help her.”

I feel strong arms come
around me and pick me up before I fall to the ground. “I’ve got
you, Teeg. I’ve got you. Just hold on,” Caleb tells me, as he
lays me across some empty chairs.

“It’s a through and
through. I’m fine. I need to protect you.”

“You did. You saved
me.”

“You’re not mad
about Ethan?”

“I’m so angry I can
barely see straight, but I won’t fight with an injured woman.”

“He’s perfect, Cal.
He’s just like you. Perfect,” I tell him as I succumb to the
darkness.

* * *

Caleb

As Tegan passes out,
Ethan—my son—starts to freak out. I pull him back from her as my
mom runs in with one of the medical grade first aid kits we keep on
hand for ranch injuries. She immediately puts pressure on Tegan’s
arm, and has my dad hold it down.

“I need to be with my
mama. Let me go,” Ethan screams as he fights against me.

“She’s okay, Ethan.
She just lost some blood and she passed out,” my mom tells him.

He stops struggling,
and looks to Jade, who nods at him. “She’s okay. Her transmitter
would let me know if she was in serious distress.”

Transmitters. Guns.
Knives. Who the hell has Tegan become?

“Thank you for taking
care of her, Father,” Ethan tells me in a flat voice.

“I’m not that
formal, Ethan. You can call me ‘Dad.’”

“No. You have to earn
that name. You haven’t done that yet.”

“I wasn’t given the
chance.”

“You hurt my mama.
That was your chance. No one hurts her when I’m around.”

I nod. Tegan wasn’t
kidding. This kid—my kid—is pretty damn perfect. And she called
me that, too. She said he was like me, even as he looks like he wants
to punch me.

“Your mom’s
probably told you some pretty bad things about me, huh?”

“No. I mean, I know
you believed something about her that wasn’t true and you called
her the ‘S’ word. Which makes me mad at you. But she also told me
that you’re smart, and compassionate, and a bunch of other things.
She said you’d want to meet me, and that you’d…care about me.”

“I do, Ethan. I
care.”

It’s the truth. I may
have just met him, but I love him already. I’ve heard people say
it’s like that when you have a baby. I guess this is the same
thing, only I missed the diapers, the first steps, and pretty much
everything I should’ve been there for. I’m not missing anything
ever again. I don’t know how we’ll work this out, but we will.

“Did she tell you
about us?” I hear from behind me.

“Yes. You’re my
grandma and grandpa. You came and asked Reina for help to keep my
father safe.”

There’s that damn
word again. Father. I’m going to get him to call me “Dad” if
it’s the last thing I do. He said I have to earn it, and I will.
Whatever it takes.

“Do you go with your
mama on assignments like this regularly?” my dad asks. I need this
answer, too.

“Never. I usually
stay with one of the Grams, or one of our friends. I begged her to
bring me here so I could see him. I didn’t think I wanted to meet
him, but I wanted to see him.”

“How did you see me,
Ethan?”

“Mama owns the blue
house on the hill. I had a telescope, so I could see you in the
barn.”

“The blue house?
Tegan Kelly owns that house?”

Oh shit. I remember the
bidding war my grandpa waged for that house. I also remember how much
Tegan always loved that house. I didn’t know she had the money to
outbid him, though.

“Yeah. It’s pretty
cool, but I like my rooms in Chicago and Las Vegas better.”

“Chicago and Las
Vegas?” I ask.

Jade interrupts us
before I can answer. “My extraction team in almost here. You need
to pack a bag, Caleb.”

“A bag?”

“You’re not safe
here. We need to get you someplace safe.”

“I’m fine here,”
I say, looking around the room to notice that an FBI unit is here and
is taking care of the bodies, while Delia and the last gunman are in
handcuffs. I was so caught up in my son that I missed all the
arrivals. “Why has no one helped Tegan?”

“One of our doctors
is on the plane and will take care of her. It’s better that way.
Now about that bag. You have five minutes.”

“I told you—,” I
don’t get to finish my sentence as an explosion shakes the ground.
I look out the window to see my lab in flames. “Okay, maybe I do
need some protection.”

Tegan

I wake up in the
hospital wing of the Foundation offices. I’ve been here before, so
I’m not too disorientated. Until it all comes back to me, and I
realize I passed out before getting Caleb—and Ethan—to safety. I
start to get up, but Caleb’s voice stops me.

“Easy, Teeg. You lost
a bunch of blood.”