Page 111 of Wrecked
The wind shoved them again and he two-handed the steering wheel, always keeping everything under control.
“How’d your mom end up with Kovac?”
Having Sam interested so much in her life shouldn’t surprise her. He was that person who wanted to know as much as he could, but he wasn’t asking for any benefit of the mission.
Sharing some of the painful parts gave them less power over her and allowed her to breathe a little easier.
“My mom went into hiding for a year.”
Sam gently interrupted. “How old were you then?”
Hallene rarely thought about that time. She had grown up quickly. “I was twelve when my father died. I told you I encouraged my mother to get back out of the house and find something that would make her happy.” Hallene released a stream of air like a boiling tea kettle. “That’s how she ended up with Kovac. I give her credit for not capitulating easily. She’d been burned the first time and did not make it easy for Kovac to woo her, which probably just motivated him to work harder. The thrill of the hunt and all that. When he’d beaten down her walls, he convinced her to marry him.”
Sam slowed as sheets of rain blasted across the road, but he kept going. They had plenty of time to reach the resort. “Then Phoebe was born?” he prompted.
“Yep. My mother and Kovac lasted two years, during which I decided to live with my paternal grandmother. She was strict but fair. I learned a lot from her. I skipped my first year of college to stay with her when she got sick with terminal cancer. She passed right after I turned twenty and left me her fortune, which I had not expected. I knew my father had come from money, but ... not that much. She never allowed us to go hungry when he failed as a provider, but she kept a tight grip on her purse strings.”
“Money hasn’t affected you, has it?”
She hesitated to reply. “I’m no saint, Sam, but money has been the root of all bad things in my family, and now Phoebe’s. As my grandmother was failing, she told me what I’d inherit and that she wanted me to spend it doing good for the world. That was a big responsibility. I always want to use the funds in a way my grandmother would have approved.”
“Any grandmother would be damned proud of what you’re doing, Hallene.”
This man kept finding new ways to twist her heart in knots that only he would know how to unwind. “I’ve kept my fortune secret even from my mother. She doesn’t make healthy choices when it comes to men and money. I’m pretty sure she found Kovac’s wealth as attractive as him and believed she would have a partner to enjoy spending that on a fun life with. I will always take care of her, but she’s better when she’s earning money than sitting around trying to figure out how to spend it.”
“Then Phoebe doesn’t know about your fortune either, right?”
Hallene replied in a decisive, “No. Phoebe would have become my new best friend.” It was laughable, but the sad truth. Hallene had come to learn she became far more attractive when a man realized she had to be financially independent to spend her time tracking down children.
Those same men immediately lostherinterest.
Thinking back now, she might have been unfair grouping Phoebe in with people trying to get close to Hallene for her money. In truth, Hallene had never spent enough time with the teen to make that claim.
She felt the need to speak up for Phoebe since she wasn’t here to defend herself. “I still regret having avoided Phoebe so much. If I had at least been friendly with her, she might not have been vulnerable to what happened. She might have listened to advice from a female with experience of growing up in a similar world. I might have gotten her to understand how dangerous this world can be.”
“You don’t know that for sure, Hallene. Some kids are well informed and still rush into trouble.”
“I know, but I’ve been running so many things about her through my mind. I feel I may have judged her unfairly at times. I looked at Phoebe and saw her father. That’s just wrong. I wouldn’t want anyone to judge me based onmyfather.”
“Of all people, I get that.” Sam smirked.
Funny how they came from two different worlds with similarities at times. Just thinking about Sam’s world reminded her of his team following them.
They should call his team now so there would be no chance of them losing track of Sam. What was the difference in calling them in now or later?
She could take one stress off him by doing a better job of meeting him halfway on all of this.
Maybe bringing in his team now would help Sam later when he had to face his superior.
Just thinking this through felt freeing. Sam had not been trying to change her but being with him was showing her the true meaning of being a partner.
No one person should hold all the control between two people.
Happy to do something for him, she said, “Sam, I think you should—”
Sam shouted, “Hold on!”
Bright lights blasted the inside of the SUV from behind.
