“Let me show you something?”
A knot twisted in my stomach, and I was suddenly uneasy on my feet. The fear of the unknown combined with my usual distrust had me teetering on a razor-sharp edge. I nodded, too shaken to form words. Even though I agreed, I couldn’t ignore the trepidation sitting in my chest. I followed as he led the way to his study. He opened a drawer at his table and drew something out, only when he held it out to me, did I realize it was a photo.
My gaze locked with his as I took it, then glanced down. “This is a picture of us standing in front of your car. Is it supposed to mean something?” We took the picture just before we left for the farm.
“Look closer, sweetheart.”
I studied the image again. I heard myself gasp. “No. It can’t be.” My stomach felt like someone had just dropped a sack of rocks into it. “There’s snow behind the car,” I whispered, noticing the barely visible timestamp at the bottom. It was taken almost nine years ago. “Am I—” I couldn’t say it. My heart thumped harshly in my ears and my palms grew damp.
“That’s my wife,” Trent’s soft words wrenched my gaze back to his face.
“I’m your wife?” My throat suffocated on a fist of dread. Slowly, he shook his head. “I don’t understand. This is me.” I waved the photo.
“No, sweetheart, that’s Krisha. Your twin sister.”
“Twin sister?” I couldn’t breathe beneath the incapacitating shock. My knees buckled and I gripped the table to stay upright. The photo slipped from my fingers as I clutched my chest, disbelief spiraling through every cell. Trent caught me as I fell and lowered himself to the floor with me in his lap. “I have a twin sister?”
“Had.”
It took a moment before the full implications of his words registered. My heart crumpled like a piece of paper. A wicked fear grabbing hold. Did he kill his wife? I pushed out of his embrace, crawled away, and sat against the table. I hugged my knees to my chin rocking back and forth, to control the sudden trembling that crept over me and tried to understand. Even without memories, my past and my future collided, holding me prisoner once more. Sharp pains stabbed my chest, devastating my heart.
Then it hit me. A chill slithered up my spine, and my blood turned to ice. You knew?” I whispered. My skin tingled and bewilderment swept through me as I turned to look at Trent. The tremble began once more in my chin and rippled inward, bulldozing me. I shot to my feet, gripping the table to support my suddenly dizzy body. “All this time, you knew who I was?” It wasn’t true. Yet it was the only explanation for the sudden need to empty my stomach. “How could you?” I glanced down at my shaking hands. My head throbbed, the pain shooting me right between the eyes, like a misguided bullet. “All this time, my past lay right at your feet and you chose to blindside me into your bed.” I panted, gasping breaths from a chest too tight to heave. It didn’t make sense. It wasn’t real. Soon, the real Trent would wake me up and take me in his arms, and comfort me like he knew how.
He stood. “Please, Ash, calm down.”
I stared at those cerulean eyes that could make my body burn with just a look. Now, all I felt was contempt. Tears gathered at the corners, clinging to his dark lashes. The sight of his agonized expression sucked all the oxygen from my lungs. Then I paused. No. Those were not real tears. He lied. I backed away from him, stumbling as my unsteady legs fought to keep me upright.
“Don’t you dare, Trent.” A sob escaped my lips and I swallowed down the next one. Everything inside me turned cold, unfeeling, miserable. “Don’t you dare tell me to calm down,” my steady voice morphed into a scratchy whisper. “You lied to my face. Wait—was your whole family in on this? Your children?”
“Don’t, Ash, you’re hurting,” he took a step toward me.
“Hurting,” my laugh was caustic, dry, brittle. “You once told me to jump without looking and guess what, I did. Right into your devious arms.” My heart sank at the improbable realization. Fresh tears blurred my vision and I buried my face in my hands. I winced at its attempt to make me appear pathetic. I was, wasn’t I?
“You’re right. I lied and I have a lot of explaining to do.” Trent’s voice broke and I almost believed the sincerity of his emotions. “Just give me a chance, Ash. Let me explain. Please.” The tortured words coming from him threatened to drop me to my knees.
I hardened my heart and glared at him. “You had your chance, and you made a mockery of my love for you. There are no second chances in love, not in my lifetime. Because of men like you, real women with real pain are afraid to love.”
I turned away and he came up behind me, gripping my shoulders. He pulled my back to his chest. And just for a moment, I melted against him before my brain intervened. “No!” I twisted out of his embrace and staggered away, my hands and legs shaking violently. “How could you do this to me?” I gaped at him, silently begging him to tell me that it was all a sick joke. Any second now he’d spring the truth on me.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart.”
No such luck.“I can’t deal with this right now, I need to get out of here. Now!”
“I’ll drive you—”
“Stay the fuck away from me, Trent. Or God help me...” I threatened and hurried from the room. Instead of going upstairs, I headed out toward the main door, knowing I’d find everything I needed. As I reached the end of the hallway, I could hear Trent coming after me. Grabbing his trench and car keys from the table at the entrance hall, I shot out the door. In two seconds flat, the car purred to life and as I sped down the driveway, I glimpsed Trent in the rearview mirror, his face unreadable.
I’d driven all of five times since living with Zayne, only because he wanted me to get a feel for a car should the need arise. Well, thank fuck. However, the sedan I’d driven was no match for the Lambo and I struggled to keep the vehicle steady for a bit. Why the hell had I sent Jenson back home? Oh, wait because I had no idea Trent was a deceitful bastard at the time. God, how did I fall for such innocence, such lies? He’d lied with a straight face, every single time he kissed me, touched me, fucked me. And I’d craved more of his devious intentions.
“Fuck.” I hit the wheel then grabbed it with both hands as the car slid from my grasp. If I didn’t make it back in one piece, lying would be the least of Trent’s problems. Zayne would kill him and think nothing of it. I might be blind to his occupation, but I was no idiot. Some of his phone calls alone, which I’d overheard by chance, told me he wasn’t all that innocent. It seemed the same could be said for Trent, apparently. At least, with Zayne I knew where I stood. He hadn’t lied to me—he just never told me anything and I never asked.
I had no idea how I made it back home in one piece, but I did. As I reached the building, I looked out the window and gasped. Zayne was waiting for me on the curb, the thunderous look on his face a clear indication Trent had called him. I barely put the car in park before I jumped out and staggered into his arms.
“Fuck, Angel, I’ve been going out of my mind since Trent called me. Are you all right?” He caressed the back of my head as I bawled against his shirt. “What happened, baby? Please, tell me.” His arms tightened around me. “Where’s your purse, your phone?”
“Trent lied to me,” my muffled words slipped out between the tears.
“About what?” he asked, rage filling his tone.
