Page 20 of Conner's Choice
“Holy shit.” He grabbed his phone and called Conner. “Listen, Con-Man, I don’t have much time to talk. I’m getting ready to go AWOL for a bit. Don’t worry, I’ll still have eyes on you and Elizabeth. Especially now. Are you ready to hear this? I believe Warner and Farmer are half-brothers. Farmer’s DNA is already in the system, but you need to get a sample of Warner’s as soon as possible.”
“Jesus, Surfer! Are you sure?”
“Reasonably sure. Get the DNA. I’m still working the Parker angle. Right now, though, I’ve got to head overseas.”
“All right, Surfer. Good luck. I hope everything works out with whatever mission you’re on.”
“Thanks, Conner. I’ll keep in touch.”
Elizabeth deserved anOscar. At home with Kevin and in the shop with Lexi, she continued to act as if she were clueless. Inside, though, she seethed with anger over this latest betrayal. She was used to Kevin’s infidelity, but she never suspected Lexi could be so heartless after everything she’d done for her, including giving her a position requiring more experience than she possessed. It took all of Elizabeth’s self-control not to fire Lexi and throw her out of her shop.
She viciously jabbed a needle through a piece of shimmery material wrapped around a mannequin and imagined the pleasure she would feel when she served both Kevin and Lexi their walking papers. Sucking in her breath after she accidentally stabbed herself, Elizabeth held her finger to her mouth. Then she heard the burner vibrate in her purse. A quick peek at the window that overlooked Lexi’s workspace assured her that Lexi wasn’t watching. Elizabeth went over to her desk and pulled out the phone.
Conner:I need to see you immediately.
Elizabeth:On my way.
As she gathered her things, her heart pounded in her chest. Judging by the urgency of the text, the news couldn’t be good. Her pulse leaped even more, though, with the thought of seeing Conner. Memories of their passionate kisses and touching him intimately sustained her at night when her husband was off with his lover. She wondered how Lexi felt, knowing Kevin threw her over for God only knew how many other women, but she refused to pity her. Like Kevin, she deserved what she got.
The worried expression etched on Conner’s handsome face when Elizabeth arrived at his office frightened her. “What is it? What’s happened now?”
“Elizabeth, we need Kevin’s DNA.” He didn’t mince any words.
“Why?”
“Surfer discovered some fishy business regarding his and Farmer’s birth certificates. He suspects they’re half-brothers.”
Stunned, Elizabeth could only stare openmouthed at him, her mind racing with the horrible ramifications if it were true. “Oh, my God. No. No. This is crazy. Kevin never mentioned any half-siblings.”
“He wouldn’t want to claim kinship with this one. Surfer thinks his father went to a great deal of trouble to hide their relationship.” Conner paused as he gripped her shoulders. “And that’s not the worst of it. I don’t know how to tell you this.” He pulled her close to him. “There’s a good possibility Kevin fathered Tanya Parker’s baby. Its DNA is being tested, so that’s another reason why it’s important to have Kevin’s.”
To her credit, she didn’t burst into hysterical tears, although she reeled a little, and her blood ran cold in her veins. Her mouth went dry as she clung to Conner. Everything suddenly fell into place—the furtive glances she’d noticed between Kevin and Tanya, her surprise pregnancy, her and her husband’s vicious murder to cover up an adulterous affair, and Kevin’s decision to risk his career by representing Ray Farmer, his half-brother who committed homicide for him. It fit. Every sordid detail.
She lifted her chin, her eyes and voice like granite. “I’ll get a sample of Kevin’s DNA.”
Conner nodded. “Do you want me to go with you to get it?”
“No. I can’t be seen at the police station, though.”
“Bring it to me. I’ll turn it over to Detective Stone.”
Elizabeth backed out of Conner’s arms. “I can’t imagine what you must think of me right now.”
“Allow me to show you.”
He drew her toward him and kissed her hard, his tongue hot and eager. Her mouth molded perfectly to his, and she loved how her body fit against him. His hands gripped her hips, holding her in place. Finally, he lifted his head. “That’s how I feel about you, Elizabeth.” Setting her free, he added, “Now go. I’ll be here waiting for you.”
Elizabeth held her composure until she pulled into her driveway. She stared at her house for a moment before she started to scream and cry and pound the steering wheel with her fist. Lexi. Tanya. Alexa. How many others had there been? Her husband—the man she’d pledged her life and love and fidelity to—was not only a serial cheater but probably a murderer, too. Elizabeth gagged on the bile rising in her throat and jumped out of her car. Falling to her knees she threw up on the side of the driveway. Still queasy, she let herself into the house and headed upstairs to the master bathroom where she took Kevin’s toothbrush and replaced it with a new one. After she brushed her teeth, she threw her toothbrush away and stuck a new one in the holder. Downstairs in the kitchen, Elizabeth dropped Kevin’s toothbrush in a Ziploc bag, secured the house, and left.
When she rejoined Conner at his office, he took one look at her tear-stained face and pulled her into a hug. He kissed her gently. “I’ve decided to take the sample to Christian’s aunt Jessica at the University of Colorado’s medical center instead of Detective Stone. She can run the test far more quickly. Do you want to come with me?”
Elizabeth didn’t care anymore if someone spotted her with Conner. So what? She was ready to pack her bags and leave Kevin for good. “Yes.”
In Conner’s Jaguar, they traveled in silence under a gray, leaden sky which had turned portentous. Lightning flashed as they entered the medical center through the ER where Jessica Stone-Slater met them. After introductions were exchanged, Jessica led the couple to her office.
“As I explained on the phone, Dr. Slater, this is an urgent and sensitive matter.”
“No need to be so formal, Conner.” Jessica smiled. “I’ve known you since you were an awkward, gangly kid. I’ll always be Aunt Jess to you.”
