Page 20 of The Perfect Lie
“So, you know about their relationship, but it’s more complicated than that. You know the kind of man Rui Salko is firsthand. Do you honestly believe that he would just let Gwen go after keeping her hidden for five years? Something about Crosby’s story doesn’t add up, so I had Patton look into him.”
“What did he find, Davian?”
The easiest way to explain was to just come out with it. If she broke down, I would be here to catch her. “We have reason to believe that the McCall Agency is a front for something else. There is a good chance that he might have had something to do with your kidnapping as well as Gwen’s.”
“Do you have proof?” Reyna pulled her hands from mine. Her arms crossed at her chest, which was her way of expressing disbelief. “Davian, there is no way that my father could have been a part of the kidnappings. Why would he allow me or Gwen to be kidnapped? He adopted us. He has been nothing but supportive and loving.” Reyna rose from the bed, fear penetrating her eyes. “Oh my God. What about Delilah? Is she a part of this?”
Pushing from the bed, I stood before her and brought her body to mine. It was a mistake telling her so much. I should have waited until after our celebration. Why did I think she would accept the truth? Why didn’t I think of the effect it would have on her relationship with the McCalls? Holding her close, I took the brunt of her misery as her body shook. “Davian, this just can’t be true. It can’t.”
~14~
Reyna
As Patton drove the limo that Davian arranged from the airport to our new destination, I tried to focus on our engagement celebration instead of the information Davian shared with me three hours ago. To say it was a blow was an understatement. I never knew much about my adoptive father’s business dealings, nor had he ever talked about them. When I mentioned to him that I wanted to work with him at the McCall Agency, he shunted me away from the thought. Looking back, I was beginning to think that he might have been hiding something even back then.
Once we reached the magnificent restaurant that overlooked Niagara Falls, I thought for sure the beauty of the falls would take my mind off of my earlier conversation with Davian. I should have listened to him and not pushed for answers. Instead of enjoying the view and dinner, I was destroying the chef’s beautiful presentation by moving the food across my plate
“Somehow, I get the feeling you aren’t enjoying our dinner as much as I had hoped.” Davian’s voice broke my thoughts, causing me to feel self-conscious with my lack of appetite.
“I’m sorry. It’s just that I can’t get over what you said about my father.” Placing my fork on the white linen tablecloth, I took a drink of the red wine Davian chose for this wonderful dinner.
Reaching across the table, he waited for me to place my hand in his. “Look, princess. I know what I told you is a lot to digest, but don’t let what we don’t know for sure ruin our celebration.”
Davian was right. Patton didn’t have all the facts, and there could be a possibility that my father was a straight-up guy. Davian worked so hard to make this day special, and all I was doing was ruining it for him. It wasn’t every day that a woman got a marriage proposal from one of Atlanta’s sexiest bachelors. Nor swept off her feet by being flown to one of the most romantic spots in America. There’s nothing more romantic than having dinner at the top of Niagara Falls.
As I tried to enjoy our meal with the falls as the backdrop, I wondered how much trouble Davian went through to plan this night. When he told me that he reserved half of the tables in the restaurant so we could spend the evening alone, I thought he was crazy. No one ever went through so much trouble for me.
The conversation was light, and Davian made sure to steer the conversation away from my father and Gwen when I tried to bring it up. Mostly he talked about wedding colors and venues, avoiding who and who not to invite. It was all overwhelming, especially since I just got engaged this morning.
Wanting nothing more than to change the subject, I said, “Davian, we have plenty of time to work out the details of our wedding. Can’t we talk about something else?”
“Yes, of course.” If his feelings were hurt, he didn’t show it. He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it. “How about we get out of here? I have another surprise for you.?”
What was he up to?He had already done enough. “Davian, what could you possibly do to top this?” I waved my arms in the air, reminding him of the magnificent dinner and the breathtaking view.
“Well, there is only one way to find out.” I recognized that grin. He was definitely up to something, and knowing him, it would be unforgettable.
Pushing away from the table, he held out his hand and helped me to my feet. As we exited the restaurant, Patton was waiting near the limo. When Patton opened the passenger door for us, I wondered if he waited by the limo the whole time we were in the restaurant or if he left to get himself something to eat.
Other than the soft music Davian requested Patton turn on in the back of the limo, our ride back to the airport was in silence. I tried to refrain from sharing my thoughts since I didn’t want our next venture to be like dinner, but I found it more and more difficult as the silence between us grew. Even though Davian told me everything he knew about Crosby McCall, there were still some unanswered questions.
“Davian?” I began as I adjusted my body to him. “You said that Patton thought that the McCall Agency might be a front for something else. What do you think Crosby is hiding?”
“Let’s wait and see what surfaces before I lay opinion on his business dealings. I don’t want to jump to conclusions.” The way Davian clenched his jaw caused the muscles to flex. I could see that mentioning Crosby’s name left a bad taste on his tongue.
I wasn’t sure why but calling my adoptive father by his first name felt more appropriate now, especially since I found out who my birth father was. And after learning about the McCall Agency, and what kind of person he might be, I didn’t feel right calling Crosby McCall my father. I hadn’t spoken to or seen him in such a long time. I wasn’t sure what to say to him if we came face to face. Come to think of it, why hadn't I seen or spoken to him or Delilah?
Sliding my fingers in between Davian’s fingers, I asked, “Why haven’t I been allowed to see the McCalls since we’ve been back from the Caymans?”
Davian’s jaw clenched just like before. “I don’t trust them, or at least Crosby.” Davian’s lungs filled with air, clearly upset. “Why all the questions, Reyna?”
“I think I should see them, or at least talk to them.” Davian tightened the grip on my hand, and I was beginning to think I said something wrong.
“What the fuck, Reyna? No way in hell I’m going to allow that to happen. I don’t trust Crosby, or Delilah, for that matter.”
“They adopted me. They can’t be all bad. You don’t even know if the information Patton found is true.”
“That was a mistake,” he admitted under his breath.
