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Nico.
Nico Kostas was one of my father’s many aliases, the one he’d used most recently when romancing Jade’s mother.
I had met Brooke Bailey several months ago when she came to town with my father. She was still a beauty, a former supermodel who’d chosen career over motherhood. Her blond hair was cut short now, but I could tell even through her robe that she still had her signature body. Her eyes were a striking light blue, just like Jade’s. Ryan had told me about her automobile accident with my father. We were pretty sure he had orchestrated it to collect on a million-dollar insurance policy—
Wait! Was my father in financial trouble? It was certainly possible, now that the Steels were on to him and his two cohorts were out of the picture. Most likely, he was just greedy and figured he could make an easy mill.
With my father, anything was possible.
This was some kind of disturbing setup. No way would my father come to see Brooke when he knew we were all trying to sniff him out. My first guess? He was using Brooke as a pawn, as leverage. But my first inclination was rarely correct when it came to my father. He never did the obvious.
“Mother, I don’t want you to see him,” Jade said.
Apparently Jade hadn’t shared any information about my father with her mother. I knew from Melanie that they weren’t close. Still, she wouldn’t want her mother in harm’s way, and neither did I.
“I agree, Ms. Bailey,” I said. “It’s not a good idea.”
She looked me over, from my ponytail to the jeans and tank top I’d changed into before coming over. “Just what would you know about any of it?”
Clearly she hadn’t recognized me. “Nico Kostas is my father.”
She eyed me again. “No. His daughter is a mannish policewoman. I met her once.”
I let out a huff. “Look again.”
She squinted her eyes. “It is you. Goodness, you’re so pretty. What happened to you?”
“Mother,” Jade said, “stop being rude. Ruby is a friend of ours. And she’s right. Don’t see him.”
“But I’ve missed him so much.”
“Ms. Bailey,” I said, “my father is—”
Jade eyed me, pleading.
I cleared my throat. “I didn’t know he was coming to town.”
“He’s not. He’s sending me a plane ticket.”
A chill swept through me. “A ticket where?”
“I don’t know. He said it’s a surprise.”
“You know you can’t travel yet,” Jade said.
“My doctors say I’m progressing very well. I’m walking without crutches now.”
“So? You’re still limping.”
I opened my mouth to mention that he had probably orchestrated the car accident to collect insurance money, but then I clamped it shut. That was only a theory, and I had no idea whether Talon and Jade had talked to Brooke about that possibility.
“Please,” I said. “Don’t go. It’s not safe.”
“Ruby,” Jade said, her eyes resigned. “Go ahead and go with Ryan. I’ll tell my mother. Everything.”
I nodded. This wouldn’t be easy for Jade and Talon. But it was necessary.
Ryan took my arm and looked to Jade. “You sure you guys will be okay?”
