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Trevor took her hand and led her to the couch in the study. “I think it’s about time you knew what we’re up against,” he said with obvious regret. “Pete Young, the private investigator I hired, looked into several things: the accident with my car, the bribery charges and—”
“Your father’s disappearance,” Ashley guessed with a shudder.
“Right. Now that the press is involved, it could get very unpleasant.”
She smiled despite the dread inching up her spine. “I know.” Settling into the corner cushions, Ashiey tucked her feet beneath her and stared up at Trevor as he paced the floor.
“When I talked to Pete last night, he was sure that he had enough evidence to prove that Claud had paid to have my car tampered with. He found someone at the garage where my car was serviced who was willing to talk, for a small fee.”
“So Claud paid off a mechanic to tamper with your car.” Ashley felt sick inside, as if a part of her were slowly dying. She had thought her cousin capable of deceit, and bribery perhaps, but something this cold-blooded and cruel was beyond those bounds. “Dear God,” she whispered, turning cold inside.
The corners around Trevor’s mouth pulled downward. “According to Everett, Pete also thinks that Claud planted the story in the paper.”
“But the reporter talked to me,” Ashley offered tonelessly. Why was she even trying to defend her cousin?
“Because somehow he knew that you would be there, or maybe it was just a lucky guess on his part. It doesn’t matter. I’ll bet that Claud was involved.”
Ashley lowered her forehead into her hands and gave in to the tears threatening her eyes. “I really didn’t think it would all come down to this,” she whispered. All the lies about her family and her father were really true.
Trevor sat on the couch beside her and kissed away the lines etching her smooth brow. “We can handle it if we just stick together.”
“I thought you wanted me to leave.”
He took her hand and his eyes narrowed in concern. “I never want you to leave, but I think that it might be safer for you.”
“Safer?” Her face suddenly lost all expression as the meaning of his words became clear and rang dully in her weary mind. “There’s something you haven’t been telling me, isn’t there? A reason why you want me to go. Ever since I got here last night, I’ve had the feeling that there was something bothering you, as if there is some kind of danger lurking around every corner. It’s more than concern about your reputation or even losing the senatorial race, isn’t it?
“Trevor, what’s going on? And don’t give me any double talk about reporters and mudslinging.” Her face was grave. “I want the truth. All of it. And I want it now.”
Trevor let out a weary sigh and touched her cheek tenderly before lowering his eyes.
“What did Claud say, Trevor? When I came here last night you said something to the effect that you never thought you’d see me again. At the time, I thought you were talking about the scandal, but it’s more than that, isn’t it?” She noticed him wince and pale and a wave of understanding washed over her in cold rushes of the truth. Everything, all of Trevor’s actions, were beginning to make sense. “Oh my God . . . Claud threatened you, didn’t he? And . . . the price was my life!”
Chapter Twelve
Trevor closed his eyes against the cold truth. His lips whitened and he swallowed back the savage rage that had been with him for the better part of two days.
“Yes,” he ground out, as if the admission itself were tearing him into small pieces, making him impotent against the injustice of the world. “Claud told me point-blank that if I didn’t get out of the race, you would get hurt.”
“But he only meant that he would ruin my reputation,” Ashley protested weakly.
Trevor’s eyes glittered dangerously. “He meant that and more. He’d feed you to the wolves if it would save his skin.”
“But surely you couldn’t believe—”
“What I couldn’t do was take a chance with your life. I know how ruthless your cousin can be. He nearly killed me by having my car tampered with, and I’ll lay you odds that he was involved in my father’s disappearance.”
“But he was only twenty-two.”
“And a very ruthless, determined man. He learned his lessons from the master well.”
“Meaning my father.” Ashley slumped against the cushions of the couch, wishing there was some way to end the pain, the agony, the bitterness and hatred between the families of Stephens and Daniels.
“Are you beginning to understand what we’re facing?” he asked. “That’s why I think you should go away. Just until Claud is safely behind bars and the press has cooled off a little.”
Ashley shook her head. “It won’t matter. If I did leave, the minute I’d get back to Portland, someone would hear about it and the reporters would start to track me down. That’s how it works. If I left we’d only be putting off the inevitable. As for Claud, I’m not afraid of him. I told you before that violence isn’t his style. If there’s dirty work to be done, he’d hire someone else to do it, and I can’t really believe that he’s desperate enough to harm me.
“I’m staying and we’re going to fight this thing together,” she finished determinedly. A small, proud smile touched Trevor’s lips. Having made her decision, she straightened, slipped on her shoes and stood.
