Page 61 of Love Over Time

“Take the money,” I’d whispered. “Meet me at five under the mesquite tree.” She nodded, and I smiled. “You’re going to love Paris. I promise.” After all the horror of Dad’s death, after five years in Tucson at a boarding school, Nikki and I had finally found a way back to each other. I kissed the side of her mouth and her cheek. Her giggles made my chest swell with happiness. She threw her arms around my neck and pressed her lips against mine, soft and full. “Go.” I ushered her toward the end of the tunnel, where the light shone bright. “I can handle my uncle.”

That’d been our first kiss. The kiss that had haunted me for ten years after she’d left me. How many women had I kissed after that, looking for that same thrill, that same connection, the feeling that I was complete? I didn’t know. All I knew was that I never found it, that I never felt it again until Nikki came back into my life. Even though I hadn’t said it that day, I loved her. I’d known she had returned to the manor to steal, and I didn’t care. Instead, I’d asked her to run away with me to Paris. But the truth was, she’d come back because she knew I’d be an easy mark. And I’d been stupid enough to believe her. It was all a fucking lie.

I ripped her note in half, again and again until the small pieces fell around my feet like snow. She’d played me. From the beginning, she’d been after my money. Like an idiot, I’d believed her. I’d believed in Dom’s good intentions too. How long had he waited to give Nikki Dad’s original will? Now she had Mom’s jewelry and the will. How much would Jonathan pay to get his hands on that loot?

Why did you do it, Nikki? I would’ve given you the world.

My mind raced, shuffling through all the conversations we’d had since she’d returned to Paradise Creek. Nikki had been angry at me that first day when she supposedly figured out who I was. God knew I’d been furious with her too. But after we talked, we’d figured out we’d been played. Jonathan didn’t want us together, but we’d won.

We’d found each other again, and we were happy—at least, I was happy. What had changed for her? Had it all been pretend? Just to get what she wanted? Acid pumped through my veins. Of course it had been. It hadn’t been Jonathan who separated us that day. Nikki’d just never fucking showed up to our meeting place. She’d lied about that too. Her anger, everything had all been an act. She’d known exactly who I was the day she came back. I was the fucking mark, just another pawn in her long con.

A growl escaped my lips, leaving tiny scrapes in the back of my throat. I sank down on the desk chair and screamed her name until I couldn’t breathe. She’d betrayed me. After all we’d gone through, she hadn’t cared about any of it. It’d always been about the money for her. She’d been so obsessed with it since we were kids. I’d fooled myself into thinking she’d changed, but people never change, and here was proof. I picked up the envelope off the bed. The scribbles on it choked the oxygen out of my lungs.

I’d bet Lisa was part of it too. How they must’ve laughed at me for believing their sob story, for believing Lisa was innocent. Lisa had gotten convicted for murder for a good reason. She’d been there, for Christ’s sake. I’d seen her when we left the tunnels through the garden exit and came back in through the kitchen. She’d been there, covered in Dad’s blood. Forensics had even confirmed Lisa matched the height, weight, and strength of the killer. But Nikki knew all too well how to twist the facts and make me believe a different story.

A pounding headache spread from my sinuses to the place where a deep furrow split my forehead. I rubbed my fingers against it, crumpling the envelope in my hand until something hard inside it poked me. I shook it out, and it fell on the bed…an SD chip. I stared at the pieces of paper on the floor with her handwriting on them. The tears in my eyes made the letters blurry.

I’m leaving something to make it up to you…Tessa’s real insurance policy.

What the fuck was this? I glared at the chip between my fingers. Another lie? Another con? After all she’d done, did she really think she could make it up to me? Did she really think I would believe another one of her lies? With trembling hands, I strode to the desk, pulled out the chair, and sat. I shoved the chip in the SD slot and tapped on the track pad to open the only folder available. Then I clicked on the voice recording.

“For Christ’s sake, Jonathan, he was your brother. What kind of a monster are you?”a woman’s voice quavered.

I slid the video counter back and restarted it. It was Mom. I hadn’t heard her voice in so long, but I was sure it was her. I pinched the bridge of my nose for a moment and hit Play again.

“I made a terrible mistake. I panicked, but I never meant for any of this to happen. I love James and you. You know that. I always have. I would never do anything to hurt you.” My uncle whined like a child who’d been found out. In the background, another woman whimpered.

“Where is the body, Francesca?” Mom yelled, and Jonathan’s wife cried louder. Footsteps echoed over the speaker, mingled with shuffling sounds that created static.“Where?”

“The tunnels,” Francesca said quickly. “You have to help us. This was all an accident. I promise.”

“Take me to him,” Mom said, her voice void of emotion.

Mom’s breath hitched, more scratching sounds came through, and then the recording ended.

I sat back in the chair, covering my mouth. Mom knew Lisa was innocent because she’d been there. And not only had she not moved a finger to help Lisa but she fucking helped Dad’s killer frame an innocent girl for the murder of her husband.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Tessa’s Insurance Policy

Nikki

Thank God for small favors. At least Scott hadn’t thrown me in the trunk. The car hit another bump, and I smacked my head on the door again, hands tied behind my back. A cable tie wrapped around my ankles bit into my skin, marking the spot with a raw, dull pain. And all I wanted to do was wipe my neck where he’d licked me before I passed out. If anything, just to get rid of the stale-beer stench wafting toward my face.

We were moving fast now with cars passing us at even higher speeds. My guess would be we’d gotten onto the freeway, though I hadn’t a clue which one or which direction we were headed. I opened my eyes, and my whole body stiffened. Francesca sat in the driver’s seat with Scott next to her. She was getting ballsy, coming after me herself. Was there anything Francesca wouldn’t do for her husband? Or for the social status her husband provided?

As long as they thought I was still out, they wouldn’t make a move. And I needed time to come up with a plan. I’d hoped to be able to turn the tables on my assailant back at the bar, but he’d caught me completely off guard. I hadn’t expected him to have a syringe to knock me out. Fuck, this guy was creepy. My hands shook uncontrollably. I did a quick assessment of my current state. Luckily, it seemed all he’d had a chance to do was slobber on the side of my neck. What now? I didn’t even have my phone with me. Scott must’ve gotten rid of it before we left the bar.

Closing my eyes, I pressed my head against the nook of the seat. By now, I was sure Henry had found the note I left for him. Was he hurting? Was he in as much pain as I was when I wrote the letter? I couldn’t think about that. It’d been the right thing to do. Jonathan wasn’t above using me against Henry. So I’d beaten him to the punch. I’d broken it off with Henry, cutting him deep in the process so Jonathan would have no leverage on him.

The car hit another bump. I’d been right in assuming Jonathan would come after me as soon as he realized I had Tessa’s insurance policy. That little chip was proof of all the nasty things the three of them had done to James. Once Henry heard the recording, he’d know Tessa was in on it too, that she’d helped them all these years. I would never understand why she’d done it, but I hoped Henry would see Tessa didn’t deserve his love or his tears, or all the years he’d spent missing her.

Henry was finally free to go after his father’s killer. I wanted Henry to think I’d left him so he wouldn’t come after me, so he’d use this time to take the chip to someone who could help us prove that Lisa was innocent, and claim what was rightfully his. I buried my face in my shoulder, rubbing the tears off my eyes.

Would Henry ever believe that I did what I did for him and Lisa? That didn’t matter. All that mattered was that Lisa would be free soon and Henry would get his home back. If I didn’t make it out of this one alive, it’d be better for him to think I was in Paris or somewhere else…safe. I swallowed my tears, ignoring the gaping hole in my chest.Leaving him was the right thing to do.I repeated that over and over in my head. He would be angry at first, but then he’d move on. Just as he’d done last time. A dull pain burned across my belly.

Short, stubby fingers slid up my leg. I pressed my lips together and forced myself to keep still. I’d Tasered this guy in the crotch just last week. Had that not been a big enough hint that I wasn’t interested? I let Henry flood my mind instead, how worried he’d been the night I thought it’d be a good idea to use myself as bait. I played that moment in my head like a movie—Scott getting beat up by Henry over and over and getting shoved in the trunk of Dom’s SUV.

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