Page 70 of Well Aware

He snorted. “Because I was her husband.”

“You were her fiancé,” I corrected. “Not her husband. And I was listed as the beneficiary. Even if you were married, if I was listed as the beneficiary, then it’d still go to me. That’s how beneficiaries work.”

Not that I’d ever cashed in that life insurance.

A million-dollar policy wouldn’t bring my sister back.

The money felt like blood money to me, so I hadn’t touched it. Nor had I contacted them in any capacity.

Which, maybe I should have, seeing as if I’d followed through, Cain would have no reason for being here right now.

“Well, they keep saying that you haven’t claimed it yet or answered any of their inquiries about it.” He threw up his hands. “I feel like it’s owed to me, anyway. So just accept it and sign it over if you don’t want it.”

I narrowed my eyes at him, feeling bold all of a sudden. “I would die before I’d give you a multi-million-dollar policy for my sister’s death.”

He sighed, as if I exasperated him. “What did I ever do to you?”

That had me stiffening so fast that Beau’s arm wrapped around my waist to hold me still, as if he feared that I would launch myself at the man in front of me.

I might have, had I not had Iris to think about.

She changed everything.

“I think it’s time for you to leave,” I ordered.

Iris called out from the car in that next moment, and Beau let me go to open her door.

He, thankfully, didn’t pull her out of the car.

If he didn’t see her, Cain wouldn’t see the resemblance.

There would be no denying that Iris looked nothing like Beau.

There was too much Japanese in Iris’s features to deny her heritage.

That, and the color of her eyes were exactly like the asshole staring at me.

It wouldn’t take too much for Cain to make the connection.

Cain pointed at me. “I’m going to just take this to the lawyers.”

“You do that.” I crossed my arms.

After he left, Beau pulled Iris from the car and walked together with me to the front door of my place.

While I gave Iris a bath, Beau used my room to take a shower of his own.

“Who was that man?” Iris signed to me.

“That was your Aunt Rose’s ex-fiancé,” I answered.

One day, I would have to tell her who Rose was to her, but that time wouldn’t come for a while yet. Iris needed to be able to keep the secret, and she was way too young for that yet.

It was an hour later, as I lay against Beau’s naked chest in the middle of my bed, that I asked, “What do I do about him? That won’t be the last time I see him.” I hesitated. “Should I just sign that money over to him?”

He was quiet for so long that I thought he’d fallen asleep before he said, “Do you want to give that money to him?”

“I’d rather die than let him get a cent,” I snapped.