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“How do you know the location is tropical?”
“Just look at the picture. You can tell it’s not in the United States. Mama never told me she’d left the country. All she said was that the moment she met my father, there was no other man for her. I never understood how she could feel that way until yesterday.”
As I picked out the remaining glass, the dull ache in my heart became more intense. “Why yesterday?”
“Because I realized that from the moment I laid eyes on you, there could never have been another man. I think I fell in love with you sitting in that witness chair, trying not to look at you, trying to ignore the chemistry that I couldn’t understand. You ruined my life, but not because I had to run and hide, using a fake name. Because you were always the one, no other man good enough. I know it sounds crazy. I truly think I’ve lost my mind, but that’s the way I felt my entire life.” She laughed again and as I grabbed a hand towel, wrapping it around her hand, a single tear slipped down her face.
“You aren’t crazy, Jade. You were never far from my mind. Never.” She allowed me to slide my finger through the salty bead, her eyelashes skimming across her cheek.
“Then what do we do?” she asked, another moment of determination crossing her face.
“Meaning?”
“Meaning after skimming the letter, I have no doubt my father is a member of some law enforcement agency.”
Nodding, I leaned against the bathroom counter, watching as the blood from her finger trickled down the sink. “It is entirely possible your father is no longer alive. I’m sorry if that upsets you, but you need to be prepared for the possibility.”
“My gut tells me he is alive. If what I think is true, he’ll come after you again just like he did before.”
“Maybe, but I’m in the process of eliminating what could be a problem.”
She shook her head. “You won’t trust me enough to tell me what that is.”
“I told you before. It’s not about trust, but about the strong possibility I have another leak in my organization.”
“Fine, then take the letter. Maybe you can find his fingerprints or DNA. There’s a smudge on the paper that isn’t mine. I just need to learn the truth. Help me, Constantine. If you really care about me at all, just do what it takes to find out.”
I hated to hear the agony in her voice, the level of despair that I knew far too well. I would turn over every fucking rock until I learned the truth.
For her.
“Are you certain you want to learn his identity?” I asked quietly.
“Yes. There’s a reason he was barely in my life, or my mother’s for that matter. I need to know if he had another family or if his work kept him from being there when we needed him the most. I also won’t allow him to continue to persecute you. I don’t care what I must do to make that happen.”
Her imploring touched a part of my soul I didn’t know existed.
“He may not have had a choice in the tough decisions he’s made if he is law enforcement.”
“As I said, I need to know. Take it. Take the picture. Maybe he listened to my voicemail. Maybe someone else did. I’m sorry I disobeyed you, but I’m tired of being used as a pawn.”
I admired her courage but wasn’t certain she really did want to learn the truth. “I’ll see what I can find. You heard your mother call him Ryan?”
“Yes, but never in front of me.”
“At least it might be somewhere to start.”
“Someone is seeking revenge against my father. That’s what happened in the Bahamas. They were after me. How did they know I was there?”
“If I had to guess, I’d say you were being hunted in Miami, an abduction imminent.”
“So this person followed us?”
“Jade. I don’t have all the answers, but that’s also a possibility.”
“As far as the trust fund. I don’t want the money.”
I shook my head, giving her a stern look. “From everything you’ve told me, it was obvious your father loved you very much. You have every right to accept your inheritance. Whether dead or alive, that’s what he wanted. And my guess is he regretted not being able to spend time with you.”
