Page 17 of Savage Truth

“I’m sorry for what I put you through.” He tried to pull her into his arms, but she turned at the last second.

“Yeah, I was the one left holding the bill for the hotel when you rushed home to her.”

“The boys—”

Cole lurched forward. “What is she talking about? What hotel?” Then he was in front of his dad, flexing his muscles even more. “Or are you talking about the convention center?”

I rushed their way, my gaze darting between the three of them.

Cole knew. I could tell by his granite expression.

“Son—”

Cole’s fist connected, and Lucas’s head snapped back. I winced. Mom shrieked. Before Cole could hit him again, Lucas shoved him back. Cole caught air, and his head clipped the corner of the coffee table on the patio.

Damon rushed out. “What the fuck?”

Mom was at Lucas’s side, checking his face as he stared at Cole with somber eyes. Cole gained his feet, and Damon grabbed his arm. Blood trickled down Cole’s neck, and I rushed to his side. Head wounds bled, but still… “That may need stitches.”

Cole cleared his throat. “Raelyn is the woman Dad was fucking that weekend.” He never looked away from Lucas as he delivered the news to Damon.

“What weekend?” Damon growled.

Then Cole turned to me, and I had to dig my heels in not to flinch. But I would not cower.

“Did you know?” His voice was low and lethal.

“No.” But the pieces were falling into place.Mom’s job last summer. Our short stay here and the crying she’d tried to hide from me.

Cole sneered. “Get the fuck away from me.”

“I swear I didn’t know.” I could feel the connection we’d had at the cove slip away. He wouldn’t even look at me.

He got up, and as one, he and Damon headed to the gate. “I can’t be in this fucking house anymore with these liars and cheaters.” He snapped his piercing gaze to his dad. “Might as well be murderers.”

* * *

Cole

Damon and I went to our cousins’ house. Staying at ours wasn’t an option. I couldn’t guarantee there wouldn’t be another altercation with my dad.

I knew enough about Raelyn that she should have been forced to leave, but Dad was blind.Marriage. What the actual fuck?

Calmer, I pressed my phone to my ear, willing the PI I’d hired to pick up. I wanted to nail that bitch so Dad kicked her out.

He answered immediately. “Wes here.”

“Hey, Wes. This is Cole Savage. Have you found anything on Raelyn and Riley Matthews?”

I could hear him tapping on his keyboard. “I was going to call you this afternoon. Their trail is muddy, probably deliberately. It looks professional. It’s gonna take some time to pull the threads together, but I do have one thing established.”

I leaned back in the desk chair in Phoenix and Shane’s study room then glanced at the door to ensure it was locked. Riley tended to go wherever she wanted, and I wouldn’t put it past her to follow me here and barge in.

“I talked with some tenants and the landlord about the address on Raelyn’s driver’s license when they were last in California. Your dad’s firm employed her, but only for two weeks. After that, they moved to Vermont and used a different name.”

Sitting straight, anticipation crawled over me. This was the stuff I needed to use against them. “What were the names?”

“Elise and Kinsley Ferrero. Raelyn, or Elise, worked for a large event. Kinsley volunteered. But by the time it closed, they were long gone. So was about twenty grand.”

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