Uncovering You 8: Redemption Read online

  It’s very, very subtle. I wouldn’t have been able to pick up on it if I were not already such an expert on Jeremy’s body language. It’s in the way he stands: not in front and in the lead, as is his usual, but half—or maybe a quarter, or even an eighth—of a step behind. It’s in the placement of his hands: both in his front pockets. I’ve never seen him do that before.

  But mostly, it’s in the conflicting expressions I see darting across his face. Usually, he is an expert at keeping his emotions in check. His amazing poker face and all that invulnerability. But right now, he reminds me a bit of Robin: trying to put on a front to convince someone to believe, but not quite achieving it. Not with his usual style, panache, and confidence.

  Could it be true, then? Could Hugh really be Jeremy’s father?

  All those things I consider in the flicker of a second. Because that’s all the time it takes for Jeremy to reassume the lead.

  “Lilly.” He steps toward me. His hands come out of his pockets. Two fists land on the table between us. His voice is raw, husky, deep…and angry. “You have twenty words to explain what the hell this is about. Go.”

  I bristle. Maybe Jeremy can command me in private. However, in Hugh’s presence—and in my current state of mind—I am not about to keel over and assume deference. No way.

  “I have twenty words?” I challenge. “You have twenty words, Jeremy! To tell me why the hell you’ve been blocking Fey’s calls. Why the hell you’ve assumed control of my life in ways you have no right to.”

  “I have every right,” he says, “when the fate and well-being of what I care about is concerned.”

  “No, you have no right,” I spit. “You had me believe I had full access to the outside world. In reality you were still in control. You lied to me, Jeremy. You made me believe I was losing my closest friend. Why? And what the hell is he doing here?”

  I fling a finger out at Hugh.

  Hugh does not flinch. Instead, he steps beside Jeremy—beside his son?

  “I’m here,” he says in that deceptively calm, deceptively meek way of his, “because I received an invitation to come meet you again.” He gives a cunning smile.

  And immediately I’m struck by a realization: Hugh is not as weak as he pretends. There is a certain vitality to him that I was too preoccupied to notice before. Had I been sharper, I would have seen it the first time we met in the Stonehart Industries building.

  “Hugh has the connections to make this work,” Jeremy growls. He gestures dismissively toward the smaller man. “He would not be here otherwise.”

  “But how lucky I am that Mr. Stonehart found himself generous enough to extend the offer,” Hugh says smoothly. There’s a slight—oh-so-slight—mocking undercurrent to the old man’s words.

  Jeremy picks up on it, of course. His jaw tightens. But he does not reprimand Hugh.

  In fact, the two still haven’t made eye contact.

  “Back to you, Lilly,” Jeremy says. “You don’t know how much time I’ve lost today because of this. Time that is essential. Time that I won’t get back.”

  “Now, now,” Hugh says. “It’s not all bad. Look at the company we get to entertain.”

  “Stop,” Jeremy says. He turns on the man. “Do not interrupt.”

  Hugh steps away, bowing his head. “I apologize,” he says.

  What the fuck is going on between the two of them?

  “What are you going to do with Fey and Robin?” I ask Jeremy.

  “Do with them?” He has the nerve to chuckle. “I’m not going to do anything with them, Lilly. You are the only person who concerns me.”

  “You’re not having them watched?” I demand. “You’re not having them followed?”

  “They flew here with you. I don’t think they’re about to just run off now. I had to speak to you to understand what you were thinking bringing them here.”

  “It’s a free country, isn’t it?” I challenge. “They can go wherever they want.”

  “Lilly,” Jeremy snarls my name. “Don’t go in circles. You need to tell me what they want.”

  “They want to meet you!” I spit. “They came to California looking for me. They want to get me away from you!”

  Hugh smiles at us both. “This is about…” he makes a subtle, choking motion around his neck, “…the device you fitted on her, isn’t it? I told you it was a bad idea, son.”

  Son? Son! Shit that means—

  “Don’t test me,” Jeremy growls. “I can still have you locked away, old man. Watch your tongue!”

  “He warned you it was a bad idea?” I say to Jeremy, too used to these types of revelations to be truly shocked, but still feeling like I’m being thrown for a loop. “How much does he fucking know about us?” I gesture, borderline frantic, between me and Jeremy. “Who is he, Jeremy? Is he your father? Straight up: yes or no.”

  Jeremy directs an evil, animalistic glare at Hugh. It’s so full of hatred and rage, so heated and unbridled in its intensity, that at that moment, I don’t need Jeremy to verbalize an answer.

  I already know what it is.

  “Yes,” he says finally.

  ***

  I need to sit. Unfortunately, there’s nowhere I can do that in the room.

  “He warned you it was a bad idea,” I repeat. “He warned you. That means he was in on it from the start. The revenge plot. My kidnapping. Everything you did to me, he knew about!”

  “I never claimed I acted alone,” Jeremy says. “But that is irrelevant now. We can discuss it, Lilly, when it’s just you and I. Right now, we have Fey and Robin to deal with. Why did they come?”

  “Why did they come?” I laugh in his face. “They came because of what you did, Jeremy. They came because they began to worry. Whatever you were trying to achieve, blocking Fey’s calls, obviously backfired. I don’t see the logic behind it. Remember when you told me to call Fey? To assure her that everything was normal? Well, what did you think she would do when she couldn’t reach me again? What did you think would happen? You heard her on the phone when she told me how you picked me. She was frantic. What happened to common sense, Jeremy? What happened to your intelligence? As I see it, none of this is my fault. It’s your fuck up completely. This is on you, Jeremy. Not me. And now that shit’s hit the fan, you’re the one who has to mop it up.”

  “Such foul language,” Hugh mutters.

  Jeremy ignores him. “I did what I had to do,” he tells me, “to keep you safe.”

  “What?” I ask. “How does that make any sense? Safe from what? From whom?”

  “You don’t see half of what goes on around you, Lilly.” Jeremy snaps. “I’ve given you enough hints to understand. If you still don’t…” He spreads his hands. “…I cannot help you.”

  “Now, be fair to the poor girl,” Hugh says. “Can’t you see how overwhelming all this must be for her?” He steps around the table, toward me. “Why, I think…”

  “Don’t,” I warn him. “Don’t you dare come any closer.”

  Hugh stops. “Assertive, too,” he murmurs. He turns back to his son. “I can see why you like her.”

  “Fey told me she never sent the text with his last name,” I tell Jeremy. “I’m to assume you coordinated that, too. Part of the illusion you were building for me? The one that made me think I was losing my mind?”

  “That was never our true intention, really,” Hugh offers smoothly. “It was just an unfortunate side-effect. But you were the absolute perfect subject.”

  “I’m not talking to you!” I scream.

  Jeremy steps forward. Like I’ve known him to do, he assumes control.

  “You will not speak again until given permission,” he tells his father. “We’ve suffered enough of your commentary. I’ve granted you unprecedented leeway in speaking your mind. That right is revoked. If you challenge me again, you will go back to the pit I pulled you from. That, I swear.”

  Hugh lowers his head and backs into the corner.

  “Lilly,” Jeremy turns to me. “I k
now what I did looks bad. But you have to understand that I had my reasons. For now, I need you to believe me. When we are no longer pressed for time, I am willing to explain them. If you want. You are the only person in the world I feel the need to justify my actions to. But that comes later. Not now.

  “Right now, you need to tell me how much you told Fey and Robin. You need to tell me how much they know. It is pivotal—essential—that I have a full picture of things. Only then will I be able to deal with the issues in their proper fashion. And before you start—” He cuts me off just as I’m about to open my mouth. “—you need to understand that I knew exactly what I was doing. Exactly what it would appear like to Fey, when I cut off your communication with her. You are not to question my intelligence again.”

  I swallow. When Jeremy’s insistent like this, I feel shades of Stonehart coming out. Maybe this is even full-on Stonehart. He certainly has the intensity and forcefulness right now.

  “I told them nothing you wouldn’t want me to,” I say. “I held back everything. They came because they were terrified for me. I tried to assuage their fears. I told them I am in no danger from you. I told them that I am safe.

  “Of course, they weren’t convinced. Robin called me. His call didn’t go through. They didn’t understand—and I still don’t—why my cell phone was blocked.”

  I exhale. “But I trust you. If you say you had your reasons, I believe you. I wouldn’t be standing here of my own free will if I felt otherwise.”

  Jeremy’s features soften. He does not look so angry anymore. Or so determined.

  “Lilly…” he says tenderly. He glances over his shoulder at Hugh, who is busy pretending not to listen by examining his shoes.

  In two strides Jeremy is to me. He wraps his arms around my body and holds me to his chest.

  “I love you,” he whispers.

  I love… the feeling that I get, being held like that. The knowledge that comes from being more than merely the object of desire for such a strong, powerful man. The sense that somehow, no matter what has happened between us in the past. No matter what may yet come in the future, I am safe in his arms.

  I don’t need to feign strength. I don’t need to pretend to be someone I’m not. I can just be me, the woman Jeremy Stonehart fell in love with. Somehow I have to be confident in the knowledge that, for him, it’s enough.

  Our brief moment is interrupted when the interloper in the room coughs.

  I push off Jeremy and look into his eyes. “I’m sorry,” I mutter, “for springing all this on you.”

  He touches my cheek. “Don’t apologize,” he says. “It was expected.”

  “You’re not mad?”

  “Mad?” he gives a soft chuckle. “I was never mad, Lilly. Not at you. Emphatic, yes. But truly angry?” He touches his lips to my forehead in a brief kiss. “Never.”

  I’m about ready to melt on the spot.

  But I cannot. We have things that need dealing with. Jeremy was right. Time is of the essence.

  “Fey and Robin want to meet you,” I tell Jeremy. “They said it’s the only way I can get them to leave me alone. They want to see us together.” I pause. “It’s probably not such a good idea for them to know you’re here.”

  Jeremy chuckles. “You’re ready to return to them, then?”

  “Are you ready?” I ask. “What are we going to do next?”

  “Your friends want to meet me. But you came at a bad time. Even this little excursion…” He looks around the room. “…has cost me. I’m working on a huge deal, Lilly. A massive merger. I want everything in place just before the IPO. Then, when news comes out, the day before, our stock will sky rocket.

  “That’s why I’m in Boston. And while I was forced to make time for you, I cannot do the same for Fey and Robin. Hugh…” He does not look at his father. “…and I left the negotiating table to come find you. That type of disrespect, even in an emergency, weakens my bargaining position. It puts a stop on the progress we’ve made over the course of the day.

  “It is the eleventh hour. I need to be back. The deadline we set to grant Stonehart Industries exclusive bargaining rights ends Monday at midnight. If a deal is not struck before them, other vultures will come swooping in—especially since word has already leaked of my interest in the acquisition.

  “So if we’re lucky, my first spare moment will come then. If not…” His jaw tightens. “…well, contingencies must be made. If not, I’ll continue fighting, through the other offers, past the deadline, until I can make it work. Or, until the company finds a different suitor.”

  ‘You’ll make it work,” I tell him. “I don’t know what it’s about. But I do know you. And you never fail.”

  My words spark a smile from Jeremy. “Thank you, Lilly,” he says. “That means a lot.”

  “So reading between the lines,” I chew my lip, “I’m to keep Fey and Robin occupied until you’re free? Is that right?”

  “Yes,” he says.

  “Will you and I have another chance to speak before then?” I ask. “Will we see each other before you’re free?”

  “I’ve taken a room at the Revere Hotel Boston Common. Don’t tell your friends this, but Stonehart Industries owns the franchise. I’m on the top floor. The three of you should get rooms there. I don’t know if I’ll have a chance to return to my suite before all this is over…” He looks at me. “…but if I do, you’ll be the first to know.”

  “Okay,” I say. “I’ll try to convince them to get rooms there.”

  Jeremy smiles. “It shouldn’t be hard,” he says. “It is the grandest hotel in Boston.”

  “What do you want me to say about this?” I ask, gesturing around the room. “Why was I taken away?”

  Jeremy shrugs. “Call it a randomized screening. They happen all the time in airports. Security is important, you know.”

  More than you can believe, I think.

  “Fine,” I say. “So…until I hear from you next?”

  “Until then.”

  I pick up my carry-on. “And Jeremy?” I ask, before leaving the room. “No more blocked phone calls. Okay?”

  Chapter Four

  I return to Fey and Robin alone, without the entourage that whisked me away.

  Fey jumps up the moment she sees me. “Lilly!” she says. “You’re back! Where did they take you? What did they want?”

  “Nothing,” I say. “It was just a routine screening. They brought me to the back and searched my bags. When they didn’t find anything damning, they let me go.”

  “Sounds…suspicious,” Robin says. He stands up beside Fey. “Was Jeremy Stonehart involved?”

  “What? No!” I say, too quickly. Fey eyes me in that way of hers when she knows I’m not telling the truth. I blunder on. “Why would you even think that? I’d tell you if he were.”

  “Fine, fine.” He holds up his hands. “I’m not questioning you, Lilly. This is just another of those things that seems like too much of a coincidence to be simply swept aside. But since you’re back, I won’t take issue with it.”

  “How considerate of you,” I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm. Fey raises an eyebrow at me.

  I back off. “I’m sorry,” I say. “I’m just tired. It’s been a long day. Should we go find a hotel?”

  “I thought we were here to meet Jeremy?” Fey reminds me.

  “It’s too late for that. I texted him. He’s working. In fact, he’ll be working all weekend. So, until then…I’m all yours.”

  Fey looks suddenly hesitant, and slightly less sure of herself. “I do have class on Monday,” she admits.

  My frustration and anger with her suddenly boils over. “Hey, whose idea was it to come out here in the first place?” I demand. “Things aren’t always going to be smooth, Fey. I have work on Monday, too. But I’m missing it, all for your sake. So don’t give me that shit now.”

  Robin steps in. “Easy, now. She didn’t mean anything.”

  “I hope not,” I snap, “because it’s too late
for doubts and second-guessing now. This is what you wanted, Fey. So this is what you get. There’s no backing out.”

  And with that, her spine snaps back into place. “I am not backing out,” she hisses at me. “I’m here for your benefit, Lilly. Don’t you forget that!”

  I teeter on the edge of laughing at her. But I’m conscious of the fact that I’m looking more and more like a bitch in her eyes, so I fight the temptation.

  Instead, I just shake my head. “I didn’t ask you to,” I say softly.

  “I know,” she steps up to me and rubs my arm. “But that’s what friends do for each other. Isn’t it? I’ve got your back, Lilly—even when you don’t know you need it.”

  “Thanks,” I mutter. I wish with all my heart that her confidence in our friendship was enough to have her take me at my word when I tell her that everything is all right.

  But, it’s not. I don’t entirely blame Fey. In fact, I shouldn’t be blaming her at all. There’s only one person responsible for this mess, and that’s Jeremy Stonehart. I don’t know what he thought when he decided to block Fey’s calls. Especially after the heartfelt message I left on her machine—which he obviously could have heard by virtue of having all my calls bound through his cell.

  He said he did it to protect me. From what? If this is the outcome of that decision—and it’s something he says he anticipated—what could the alternative have been? How much worse could this situation possibly be?

  I shudder to think about it. That is the scary part. The hole I find myself in right now is bad enough. The facade I have to put on about my life with Jeremy in front of Fey and Robin is bad enough. If this was the better of two options…Well, I have no idea how much worse the other one must have been.

  “It’s late,” I say. “I think we’re all pretty much exhausted. Let’s just find some beds before we rip each other’s heads off. We can figure out what we’re going to do next in the morning.