Page 101 of The Last Resort
“But I am also outraged on Beyonce’s behalf,” he added.
When they reached the empty parking lot of the lodge a short time later, Matthew stopped the Jeep and turned off the engine. They sat in silence for a moment. Rachel was tempted to say something but badly needed Matthew to take the lead. To show her where this was going.
Please. Please. I want this man in my life. I want a future with him.
He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. So damn sorry. I said some really horrible things to you earlier, and I behaved like an angry prick on the flight back from the wedding. I can keep apologizing but what I really want to say is that I don’t want to lose you, Rachel.”
Hot tears stung her eyes. She wasn’t used to the men in her life owning their faults. To admitting they were wrong.
“I don’t want to lose you either,” replied Rachel, reaching for the door handle.
I am not going to fall to pieces in his car.
She climbed out of the Jeep, and when Matthew came around to her side, and offered her his hand, Rachel didn’t hesitant to take it. Hand in hand, they climbed the front steps of the lodge.
CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
Inside the lodge, Matthew led her upstairs, but instead of going into their bedroom, he ushered her into the meeting room. “Before we do anything else tonight, I want to explain a couple of things. Just so we are clear. Is that okay?”
Rachel worried her bottom lip as she took in the sight of Matthew’s laptop and the thick manila folder which sat on the table. “Um. Okay.”
He let go of her hand and moved toward the computer. “You might want to take a seat for this sweetheart.”
Sweetheart.She held his words to her own heart which was beating fast.
Matthew flipped open his laptop and began to tap away on the keyboard. He hit the enter key then spun it round to face her. “This is the report I got the Royal Security team to put together early this morning. I asked them to do it after I took that call from your father.”
Had it only been this morning that all of this had gone down? Less than twenty-four hours ago, she’d been asleep in their bed on the island. But while she’d slept, Matthew had been busily pulling her life apart.
Humor was her only defense.
“I bet it makes fun reading. Any idea what happens in the next book?”
She didn’t need to read this part of the story a second time—she’d already lived it. Turns out being a good character in a dark novel wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Her only consolation was that she hadn’t been killed off in chapter three.
Matthew sighed. “It’s a tough read. I can’t begin to imagine how hard this past year must have been for you.”
Begin to imagine? I still find it hard to understand.
He clicked on another tab and a legal looking document opened. Matthew pointed to one particular line. “Everything in the report lines up with what you told me, but did you know about this?”
From this distance it was hard to make out. It appeared to be a scanned letter from an insurance company whose registered address wasis that Chicago?She didn’t recognize the company name or the logo.
“What is this?” Rachel took a hold of the laptop and pulled it closer. She read the letter. Once. Twice. By the time she was half way through the third reading, her hands were shaking. Her gaze filled with the sheen of tears, and she sobbed. “By why? Why would he try and get Kellie and then me to find the money when the insurance company has already settled. I don’t understand.”
Matthew scowled. “What do you mean from Kellie?”
He didn’t know about her sister’s divorce or the settlement money. “My father tried to get Kellie to divorce Dan so he could get his hands on some of the Brock’s money. Kellie and Dan split a year ago, but they recently got back together. Their reunion meant he no longer had that cash cow to look forward to, so when my mom mentioned the Royal family to him, my father turned his attention to me. Istill don’t understand why he kept quiet about the settlement.”
“I think I do. Imagine being in prison knowing that when you get out in a few years there will be four-million dollars waiting for you. Money that no one else will come looking for since they’ve all been paid.”
“And the fact that the money would have had to come at the cost of either his eldest daughter’s marriage or what’s left of my pride, wouldn’t have figured in his thoughts for one minute.” She raked her fingers through her hair. “That’s why he kept calling. You and I were his backup insurance policy.”
“I assume it was your father who called you the day after we arrived. The person who you said was a lying asshole.”
Rachel nodded. “Yep. That’s him.”
Matthew rose from his chair and came around to where Rachel sat, taking the seat next to hers. He brushed his fingertips on her arm, through the layers of her coat it still sent shivers down her spine. It was all Rachel could do not to bury her face in her hands. Her father was a liar and a thief.
