“She never smiled,” I say quietly. “I only saw it once when she had…”
Her head was thrown back in lust—an image I’ve tried to erase.
Brax slides a file across the coffee table. “I did some research into your mom last night,” he says. His fingers linger on top of the file as if he’s deciding if he wants me to see it or not. Then, he lifts his hand, giving me access.
I open it and scan through the information and images Brax printed.
“She owns five hotels. The Secret Roses franchise is well-known for their themes, uniqueness, and all-around extravagance,” he says while I read. A bitter taste lingers on my tongue—jealousy, maybe, or just thirteen years’ worth of resentment finally surfacing.
“People refer to the hotels as a luxurious slice of paradise without having to leave the country. They’re for the wealthy and, as of five years ago, only those over the age of twenty-one can book a room. It’s another part of the appeal—the exclusivity.”
“Do you think that’s why she’s here?” Chase asks. “Is Huxley Bay about to get its very own Secret Roses Hotel?”
“Every sign points in that direction,” Brax answers. There’s a brief pause as if he doesn’t totally believe his own words. “I…” His voice wavers before he continues. “The street cameras I got permission to access around Bakes by the Lakes show Clarissa Rose meeting up with Weston Monroe, the owner of the Huxley Manor, right after she left the café.”
He taps the laptop, pulling up stills of them sitting on a bench. “He’s been looking to sell for a while so he can move to Colorado. His daughter is due to have his first grandchild. It seems as though Clarissa Rose responded to his real estate ad.”
When I look at Brax, there’s an unreadable expression on his face. Just a flicker of what looks like—regret, perhaps. I open my mouth to speak, but a wail stops me.
“Uncle Chaseeeeeeey,” Roman yells from his room. “I need help killing the gargoyle!” His dramatic plea makes me chuckle despite everything as Chase stands.
“I’m guessing there’s nothing you found on the big wide web that tells you what my mother’s connection to The Octopus is?” I ask when Chase is out of earshot.
Brax’s expression tightens but this time it’s gone as fast as it comes. “Afraid not,” he says. “I’m still looking for evidencethat’s…concrete.” His eyes shift and move back to the still images. “Did you get a chance to talk to Chase last night?”
“He wanted me to sleep,” I say, shaking my head. “This isn’t exactly a romantic conversation to have over date night,” I say as I stare into my hands. “I don’t know how to tell Chase, Bella, or Griff any of this. I don’t know what any of this means.”
My head spins with thought after thought.
Did my mother run because she killed my father and didn’t want to get caught? It doesn’t sound like The Octopus would be on her payroll, so why would he clean up her mess?
Brax’s words draw me back.
“You don’t have to carry this alone, Erin,” he says quietly. “Chase will understand more than you think. He’ll be there for you. You just have to let him.”
“I’m scared, Brax,” I admit.
“I know.” His voice dips. “There’s more to this,” he adds after a pause, and the shift in his tone tells me he’s holding back his words. “You deserve the truth, not theories. I’ll do my best to get it for you.”
“I don’t want to keep secrets from Chase, not after everything we’ve overcome to get here. But I don’t want my past to hurt him, and I think thiswillhurt him.”
Brax’s gaze lingers on me for a moment. His jaw tightens as if he’s fighting with himself. “He’s been through a lot,” he says. “But he’s tough.”
Chase’s ocean blue eyes that make me weak in the knees hit me at full force, and I can’t stop the words from spilling out of me. “He’s my everything, Brax,” I choke, admitting what I’ve always known deep in my bones.
Chase Harper is my forever.
“She took my home and life from me once before, and I adjusted to it the best I could. I’m still trying. But this time my life—my home—isn’t a place. It’s a person. I can’t let her takeanother thing from me. If the hotel is a front and she’s here for any other reason. Cartel or worse, I’ll do whatever it takes to help you stop her.”
Brax’s look hardens. There’s tension behind his dark eyes.
“I’ll do what I can to help you understand this better before you talk to the others.” There’s an edge to his voice now, and I get the impression he’s choosing his words carefully. “Erin… I’m not forcing you to tell Chase before you’re ready. But promise me you will. Don’t keep this from him. Chase won’t like you putting yourself in harm’s way. He’ll hate it even more if he finds outafterthe fact.”
I can see he doesn’t want me to share this just for Chase’s sake. It’s clear he’s trying to protect me too, and maybe that’s why it seems like he’s holding information back.
“I’ll tell Chase, Bella, and Griff. I just need some time to figure out what exactly I’m telling them, because right now, it’s a whole lot of nothing. And I’m not naive enough to believe that this means nothing.”
Something’s coming.
