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He licks his lips and then he carries on speaking. “Layton Cooper had a daughter named, Bethany. She was sixteen years old and pregnant when she allegedly killed herself. The coroner ruled it as a suicide but Layton believed she was murdered. She told everybody the baby’s father was her high school boyfriend, but it wasn’t.”
“Who was the baby’s father?” she asks as her face turns pale. Because we both know the answer.
“Your father,” he says.
She blinks at him as tears form in her eyes. “No,” she whispers.
“After Layton told me his suspicions, I had Jax go to Virginia and look into it, and he verified everything Layton said, including the coroner helping your father to cover up her murder. I’m sorry, princess.”
My mom looks at Jax. “You’re sure it was true? You had proof of this?”
“Yes, Alana. She met your father when Cooper’s construction company was doing work on your father’s lake house.”
“I remember that house,” she whispers.
“She used to go to work with him sometimes,” Jax says.
Alan’s hand flies to her mouth. “Oh, God. I remember her too. I met her. She wanted to go into politics and I told her to choose another career if she wanted a life,” she sniffs as a tear runs down her cheek. “But they were never alone there. I was there the entire time. And my mom.”
“No. It seemed they slept together when she was on a school trip to New York. She was only fifteen,” Jax replies.
“Sicko,” I snap, forgetting that I’m talking about my mom’s dad. I clamp a hand over my mouth.
“That poor girl,” she breathes. “Why did he? I mean he could have paid her off. Wasn’t that his thing? Buying and selling people was his deal. Not killing them?”
“Alana,” My father says softly, reaching for her hand but she snatches it away.
“I can’t believe it,” she shakes her head and then glares at Jax and my father. “You must have missed something.”
“I didn’t, Alana,” Jax insists, and I know he’s right. He’s a bloodhound when he goes after someone.
“You can’t believe it of a man who would sell his only daughter to a monster? For a mere three million dollars?” my father snaps.
“Why did you lie to me?”
“Because I didn’t want you to be burdened with what he did. I knew how much this would hurt you.”
Her face turns a deep shade of pink. “You don’t get to decide what truths I get to know. I decide that.” She bangs her fist on the table. “You had no right to keep this from me. She was having a baby, Alex,” she shakes her head and then drops it into her hands.
“Shall we go?” I whisper to Jax.
“No,” my father says. “Your mom and I will deal with this later, but right now, we need to find Ed.”
He pushes back his chair and walks around the table to her. Dropping to his knees beside her, he takes her hands in his. “I’m sorry, princesa,” he whispers. “I should have told you.”
She turns her body slightly and he wraps his arms around her, pulling her close to him until she’s sobbing on his shoulder. He whispers something in her ear and a few moments later, she stops crying. She sits up straight and wipes the tears from her eyes. “Sorry,” she mouths to me.
“Don’t be,” I say, reaching over the table, I squeeze her hand in mine.
“So, is this all about revenge for Ed then? Because you found out what his friend did?” my mom says as she regains her composure. I sense my father is not entirely forgiven, but like he said, they’ll deal with it later.
“Seems a little extreme,” I say.
“Yeah,” my father nods his agreement. “But the Virginia connection is no coincidence.”
“But what has this been about all along?” Jax says as his jaw ticks and I can almost see the synapses in his brain firing. “Not revenge. Not obsession. Not jealousy.” He looks at my father. “You told Foster Carmichael that three million dollars was way too small a price to pay for his daughter. You remember that?”
“Yes,” he replies, his face pulled into a scowl.
