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Thanks, Chris. Is there anything else that you need?” She looked at me as if I wasn’t there, and I was now falling for this woman. She had set her boundaries and was now keeping everything above board and professional. I wanted to spin her around and hear her moan for me while taking her from behind. “No,” I said. “I’ll just get out of your way.”
As I walked back to my office, Sam occupied my thoughts. She intrigued me and it was getting harder for me to hide it. I passed by the art room on my way to my office and that’s when another memory stopped me in my tracks.
I opened the room door and walked in. I remembered seeing the safe open, then everything went blank again. I quickly made my way to the safe deliberately hidden behind the picture of a beautifully arranged bouquet of flowers in a vase. I opened the safe and started to go through the contents. There was nothing particularly unusual there: passports, cash, and a few gems. I was about to call it quits when I felt someone was watching me. I looked back to find Brandon lurking behind the half-opened door. He walked in when I saw him and made a failed attempt to explain why he was there: “Did you need my help with anything, Mr. Brooks?”
I gave him a concerned look. “No, did you need anything?” He quickly realized I was annoyed and left the room. I closed the door behind him and locked it. I was about to close the safe when something caught my eye. It was a white envelope stuck to the bottom of the safe under all the contents that I didn’t notice before. When I pulled it out and looked inside, it was empty. There was nothing inside, but a company name and address was listed on the front.
Myriad Genetics, the company was based in Houston, and it was addressed to Victoria at the ranch. Why do I have an empty envelope for a genetic testing lab? That’s when my memory returned as clear as day. These were genetics testing results.
The results had to be for Victoria, but why? I quickly left the art room and returned to my office. I did a quick search and found a phone number.
“Hello, my name is Christopher Brooks and I am trying to get more information on a genetic testing report that was sent to my wife four years ago.”
CHAPTER 10
SAMANTHA
Everything was coming along nicely. The carpet installers were removing the old carpet in the master bedroom and plans were well underway to install the new carpet later on today. The painters were already prepping to paint and all the new pieces I ordered had come in for the master bedroom. I had promised Chris I would be done in three days and by the looks of things I would be done right on schedule. I really liked the colors and the accents. The accent wall amplified the high ceilings and grandeur of the space.
I took a few pictures of the kitchen and sent them to Lizzie. She liked to see my before-and-after pictures; Liz and my mom were my biggest fans. I also made a mental note to add these pictures to my website and my social links. I was about to head to the art room to make sure all the boxes were sent off to storage when I noticed Brandon watching me. It was a bit odd, but I dismissed it as him being protective of his boss’s property. I quickly put my phone away and went back to the garage to organize the master bedroom furniture that was getting moved in later the next day.
I’d seen Chris earlier in the day. I was still torn about telling him about the pregnancy. He seemed preoccupied and I was a little busy so I pushed the thought to the back burner for a bit. It didn’t seem like the right time. Now that the renovations were coming to a close, I felt a bit uncertain of what to do next. I was so used to being at the ranch, it was becoming like a second home. I really liked the transformations and I liked Natasha. She was a very sweet and thoughtful little girl. I think being pregnant made me more emotional and the thought of her not having a mom pulled at my heartstrings.
I made my way down the hall to the art room; Victoria wasn’t a painter from what I gathered. The room was a place she used to collect things. So, there were a lot of random items scattered through the space. All the boxes were gone and it was time to start removing the carpet and testing paint colors.
I wanted to have a few options up so that Natasha could make the final decision. I entered the room and for the first time, I realized how big it was after all the contents were gone. With all of Mrs. Brooks’ things in it, the room had seemed so much smaller at first glance. I examined the walls and was mentally making notes of where to place the pieces I picked out when I saw blood on the carpet. I had not noticed it before, but I wasn’t sure what was there initially. I wondered what happened and that’s when I remembered the music box with the blood on it. My mind started racing to fill the holes. Did someone get hit with the music box or did the music box fall and hit someone? Who was the victim, and who was the person who used it? Or was it just spilled wine or paint from one of Victoria’s projects?
I felt chills down my spine thinking about the stories these walls could tell. One thing was for sure, I would be watching my back at the ranch going forward. I left the art room in search of the carpet installers. I needed them to get this ripped out today, the gaps in what happened made me feel like I was standing at a crime scene. It crossed my mind that removing the carpet may be considered tampering with evidence but I certainly had no knowledge of that so pushed that thought out my head.
I had plans to get Natasha to help me pick colors later today, and after the tragic loss of her mom, this was the last thing I wanted her to see. I considered asking Chris about it, but I was too afraid to find out he was the one who used the music box. I never got a violent vibe from him but when it came to these rich men, who know what they were capable of?
As I walked out of the art room, I bumped into Chris heading to the kitchen. I was startled initially; I think that bloody carpet had me on edge. “Whoops, I am so sorry.” I didn’t stop in time and could not avoid pressing against his hard body. I could feel the bulge in his pants, he was well endowed and I pulled myself back quickly out of reflex.
“You’re fine. Where are you off to in such a hurry?”
Should I tell him about the blood? “I’m headed to talk with the carpet installers. I think I want to get the carpet in the art room ripped out today.” I thought it best to not poke the hornet’s nest. I was not sure who knew what, but he had to be involved.
“Okay, if you need anything I am in my office.”
I think that was an invitation but I knew that would have been a bad idea. Just standing next to him in the hallway was making me wet. I squirmed slightly to hide the fact that I was aroused.
“I will.” I walked away. I couldn’t hold my composure any longer. The master bedroom was a flurry of activity. The painters were positioning blue painters’ tape around the outlets and along the corners of the ceiling. I spoke with the foreman and asked to get the carpet in the art room removed.
“When do you need ‘dis done? I only have enough workers here for the bedroom carpet install.”
“Okay, how much longer do you have in the bedroom? it seems done to me.”
“Maybe another hour. We can start the removal but we may not be able to get everything done, you are not the only job we have booked today.” I could tell he was a bit annoyed at my request but I was happy to hear he would at least start.
I went back to planning furniture placement. I was mentally making notes of where things were going when my phone rang; it was Lizzie. I walked quickly out of the bedroom, through the hallway, past the kitchen, and straight to the front door. When I made it to the cobblestone driveway I answered, “Hey, Sis, what’s up?”
“I have some good news for you!”
I was intrigued. “Okay?”
“I just got a call from Mr. Frank Sutton, the personal assistant to Emily Carter. Apparently, Mr. Brooks has referred you to another billionaire client! She wanted to know your availability. She has an apartment downtown she is converting to an art studio.”
I was not as excited as I thought I would be. When I took this job, I had every intention of getting more wealthy clients as a result. Now it was here and I was feeling sad instead of happy.
