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Chapter 81
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His Wicked Games series Chapter 82
- CALDER -I deserved that.I deserved it, and yet if I could go back, I still wouldn't reveal a thing to her. There's no reason Lily needs to worry about some stranger claiming to be my half-brother, not during our wedding week. And not until I confirm that he is, in fact, my father's son.Which, at this point, I still highly doubt.I spent the entire car ride from my office to the estate revisiting what the man told me.I'm Taran Harker, he'd said. My mother was Patricia Harker.First of all, what the hell kind of name is Taran? Secondly, he'd said Patricia Harker like I was supposed to know who that was, like I should have been aware of every woman with whom my father had some casual acquaintance.If my father had been acquainted with Patricia Harker at all, which is still in question.According to Mr. Harker, Patricia Harker met Wentworth Cunningham while he was in London. He was there to acquire some pieces for one of his many collections, and she was working as the repres
His Wicked Games series Chapter 83
- CALDER -I wasn't lying when I said I had work to do. But though I initially locked myself in my room with every intention of losing myself in my accounts, I should have known it would be a lost cause. No matter what I do, I can't get this whole Taran Harker business out of my mind.I tell myself that I'll have more information in a couple of days, once Joe Osborne has had the time to do his research. But I'm not sure I can wait that long. And I'm not content to just sit around doing nothing.Which is why, not half an hour after Lily and Louisa leave to get the dress, I borrow my sister's car and take off on my own errand. I'm now at the public storage locker where I left boxes and boxes of my father's effects in the months directly following his death - those things I couldn't sell and didn't want to deal with. I spent months going through his financial statements after he died, but I largely ignored his other papers and keepsakes. I didn't want to dive too deeply into his memori
His Wicked Games series Chapter 84
- LILY -I don't look back. I stride down the steps and out the door without even a glance over my shoulder to see if he follows.He doesn't.Only when I'm outside do I break into a run. My feet crunch over the gravel paths through the gardens. The cool night air whips at my face. I'm sure there are garden lamps out here somewhere, but no one bothered to turn them on tonight. My only light is that of the moon, but it's enough to get me across the grounds to the hedge maze.I pause next to the dark, high walls of the maze. The hedges rustle in the breeze, but otherwise there's no sound. No footsteps behind me. No one calling my name, asking me to come back to the house and talk things out like two rational adults.I'm not sure when I started crying, but there are tears on my cheeks. Am I overreacting? Completely misreading Calder? I remind myself of Lou's words: People deal with that stress in different ways. But it's not wedding stress that's bothering Calder. I know it isn't. Wha
His Wicked Games series Chapter 85
- CALDER -I wake to a headache that threatens to rip my entire damn skull apart.I groan and sit up. My arm hits something - a bottle. It slides away from me - across the table? Desk? Where the hell am I? - and falls to the floor. I curse at my clumsiness, but as the grogginess leaves me, I'm relieved to find that the bottle is empty. I bend over and grab it up off the rug, then rub my face as I sit up again.I'm at a desk in what was once my old office. I'm sure this room was used as a bedroom during the house's brief stint as Huntington Manor, but it looks as if Louisa has started to put things right again. This desk really should be on the other side of the room, though. And they need some curtains on those blasted windows. The paint on the walls is a little too light for my tastes, but I know my opinions about this room don't matter much anymore.Still, this room serves its purpose. It's a place to think.For all the long hours at my job, it's been a while since I fell asleep
His Wicked Games series Chapter 86
- LILY -Lou turns bright red when I finally meet her downstairs."I'm so sorry," she says. "I knocked, I swear. I thought maybe you'd overslept or something.""It's all right," I assure her."Not if I scarred Calder for life."I smile at her astute analysis of her brother. He might not be opposed to feeling me up under a boat with reporters all around or playing a sexy game in the bathroom of a roadside sex shop, but he's still trying to figure out this whole family thing, and having his sister catch him in the act doesn't make that any easier.Lou, at least, for all her blushing, seems to see the humor in it."I saved you some bacon, if you're hungry," she says with a little laugh. "I imagine you are.""I'll be fine. We're already late." I smile and indicate the door, and we head outside together.Now that Lou knows I'm not angry, and that things aren't going to be awkward between us, she's right back to her usual self."In my defense," she says as we walk around the house
His Wicked Games series Chapter 87
- CALDER -Joe Osborne is useless.For as much as he charges for his investigations, I expected better. So far he has only managed to confirm things anyone might have discovered with a thorough internet search: that Patricia Harker is a real person and that she has a son named Taran of about my age. Or at least she did. Apparently she died two months ago.Taran Harker, he tells me, lives up in Cincinnati, and he worked as an insurance broker up until last fall, when he was fired for unspecified reasons. He's done nothing remarkable since then. As far as Joe has been able to trace, Taran has been down here for a week, and up until two nights ago, he had a room at a large chain hotel near my office. That fact isn't particularly surprising to me, but it's still unsettling. What worries me more, though, is that Joe can't seem to discover where Mr. Harker is currently staying. He learned of Mr. Harker's stay at the hotel after the man had already checked out; he had no chance to follow h
His Wicked Games series Chapter 88
- LILY -"I'll do the dishes," I say when dinner is over.Lou starts to protest, but I cut her off."You cooked," I tell her. "That means you're off duty for the rest of the night.""No way. This is your wedding weekend. You have enough to deal with without having to worry about dishes.""Ladies," Ward says, rising. "Both of you can relax. I've got the dishes."But Calder rises just a moment after him. "And you two have done enough for us already, letting us have our wedding here. Lily and I can manage to clean up."There's something about his tone - polite and generous though it seems on the surface - that ends the conversation immediately. I'm glad to win the argument, but I'm worried by the edge in Calder's voice. I didn't miss the words he used - that subtle reference to the fact that they're letting us have our wedding here. It's the first time I've heard even a hint of bitterness from Calder about the situation, but he's been acting strange for most of the evening. Ever si
His Wicked Games series Chapter 89
- CALDER -Lily tells me I owe Louisa's man an apology.I, on the other hand, say that there's nothing wrong with expressing normal brotherly concern, and I refuse to apologize for questioning the methods of a man who hasn't married the woman carrying his child. I have every reason to doubt him.But I'll give credit where credit is due - Ward has been handling this situation well, at least since he returned with Louisa last night. Both mother and child are fine, but the doctor recommended she take it easy for a few days, and Ward has insisted that she stay in bed this morning. I even saw him take breakfast up to her earlier.Maybe there's a good man hiding beneath that grubby exterior after all.But that doesn't mean I owe him an apology.Besides, I have other things to handle today, like helping greet our guests. They've been arriving since noon, and we've been helping them get settled in their rooms. Lily's currently leading her coworker Morgan and her husband up to their suite
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His Wicked Games series Chapter 116
- CALDER -I wait until both Lily and the baby are asleep before I decide to sneak out. As much as I want to sit here with her in my arms forever, our conversation about her mother reminded me of a call I need to make.I look down at her before I leave. Her brown hair is in a messy bun on her head, and she doesn't have a stitch of makeup on, but I don't think I've ever seen her look so beautiful. I lean over and press a kiss against her forehead as I lift our sleeping son out of her arms.He's so tiny that I'm afraid I'll break him. But even though he was born a little early, the doctor told us he's perfectly healthy - and after hearing him scream this morning, I'm tempted to believe him. This little guy has quite a pair of lungs on him.I settle him gently in the bed the nurse wheeled in for him. I can see so much of Lily in him - and so much of myself. I knew I would love my son, but the intensity of my feelings is startling. When I think of how close I came to losing both of the
His Wicked Games series Chapter 115
- LILY – Two Days LaterThey won't tell me what happened.I remember the pain. The screaming. The fear.I remember hearing the first, sweet cry from my son's throat.I remember the miracle of Calder's voice, the proof that he was alive.But after that, there's only darkness.I woke up yesterday morning in the hospital. Calder tells me they were able to get an air ambulance out to us at the estate, but he won't give me any more details than that about what happened two nights ago after he made it to the house. And there's a desperate, hollow look in his eyes when I ask, so I don't press him for details.Honestly? I'm not sure I want to know.And truthfully, it doesn't matter. Calder is alive. I'm alive. And our son is here. So much has happened in the past couple of days, and none of it feels real.I look down at the tiny little human in my arms. He's perfect. Even though he arrived a couple of weeks before his due date, he's still round and healthy. He emerged with a thick cro
His Wicked Games series Chapter 114
- LOUISA -Just stay calm.Just stay calm.Just stay calm.It doesn't matter how many times I say it to myself - it gets harder with every passing second. I spend almost twenty minutes searching for my cell phone in the rain, but I can't find it anywhere. It's not in the car. It's not on the driveway. It's just gone. Finally, I force myself to give up the search and return to check on Lily - and I'm not a moment too soon.If I had any hope that we might make it through the night without this baby - after all, I was in labor for nineteen hours - it's fading fast. After five minutes at Lily's side, it's clear that her little one has no intention of waiting for help to arrive, and she seems to know it, too. Even if I thought I still had a chance of finding my cell phone, I can't leave Lily now.Both Ward and Calder are still out there somewhere. It's just me and Lily - and a whimpering Ramona, who's still clearly confused and terrified. I long to go over to my daughter, to pick her
His Wicked Games series Chapter 113
- LOUISA -Lily's face has gone white."Calder?" she says into the phone, her voice cracking. "Calder! Calder, answer me!" Her hand visibly shakes as she pulls the phone away from her ear."What's going on?" I ask her, running over and shifting Ramona in my arms. I've just managed to get my little girl to stop crying. "What happened?"She doesn't answer. Instead she hits a couple of buttons on the screen, presumably calling him again. I glance over at Ward, but he looks just as shocked and confused as I feel.After a moment, Lily drops the phone, her eyes wide with horror."What happened?" I ask again, my stomach sinking further with every passing second. Something is wrong. Something is desperately wrong. Ramona starts to whimper in my arms."Lily," Ward says firmly. "You have to tell us what's happening."Lily glances up, blinking, as if she's suddenly remembered she's not alone."Something happened," she whispers. "Something happened to Calder."She's in shock, that much i
His Wicked Games series Chapter 112
- CALDER -Lily is in labor. Lily is in labor.That thought drives out everything else - even the raw, gnawing feeling in my gut when I think about what Michelle has done - and suddenly nothing matters but getting to my wife.If I was a madman on the road before, it's nothing to how I drive now. I don't care about the rain or the traffic. I don't care if a cop chases me down for driving twice the speed limit. I'm getting to that hospital. Getting to my wife.I should have been there, I think. I should have been by her side when this started. But though the guilt eats away at me, I can't think about that now. I have one concern and one concern only - getting to her. Being with her as soon as humanly possible. Holding her hand as the pain comes. Even over the phone, I could hear the fear in her voice.I need to be with her.And if I have to kill myself to get to her, I will.. . . . .- WARD -Keep it together, man. They're counting on you.I hate that I have to remind myself o
His Wicked Games series Chapter 111
- LOUISA -It might be storming outside, but I'm determined to make today a little brighter."I have a surprise for you," I tell Ward.It took me half an hour to find him after I put Ramona down for her afternoon nap. Even though I've insisted that he take a break from his restoration projects, Ward has continued to work, and I find him retouching the paint in a bedroom in the eastern wing. He's currently perched on a ladder with a paintbrush in his hand.When he grins down at me, I know he couldn't be happier to see me."What sort of surprise?" he asks, and his expression makes my heart skip a beat. He climbs down the ladder and stands in front of me.I drink him in as he wipes the back of his hand across his forehead. His T-shirt has streaks of paint on it, and there's a new hole in his jeans, but somehow all of it works together to make him look irresistibly yummy. Something wells up inside of me as I admire him - and the way he's looking at me right now brings the blood rushi
His Wicked Games series Chapter 110
- CALDER -Less than two hours later, Michelle and I are in Barberville and I've got her set up at a modest little extended stay hotel just outside of downtown. I've prepaid for a two-week stay, and after that, I'll reassess the situation and figure out the best course of action. Michelle told Lily that she was looking for a job in the area, but since learning the truth about her health, I'm not sure whether that was an empty claim or not. Either way, though, now is not the time to be making any rash decisions. Lily comes first. We'll deal with Michelle after the baby is here.I'm getting ready to leave when a thought occurs to me."Lily will have lots of questions when she learns the truth. And she'll want you to start treatment as soon as possible."She starts to protest. "I still don't think I want treatment - ""At the very least, will you go talk to a doctor here in town? Explore your options? I'll pay for your visit, of course."She hesitates, then nods. "All right."I tur
His Wicked Games series Chapter 109
- LOUISA -I'm in the office on the south side of the house, working out some of the final details of my surprise honeymoon trip for Ward, when Calder stalks into the room."Good morning," I say - though you'd hardly know it was morning, considering how overcast it is outside today. When I glance up and see his face, my fingers freeze on the computer keyboard. "What's wrong? Is it Lily?"We had a bit of a scare yesterday, what with Lily getting rushed to the hospital. She'll be on bed rest for the duration of her term, but both mother and baby are healthy - or so I thought. Calder looks like he's hardly slept. There are dark circles under his eyes, and he seems agitated."We need to figure out what Lily's mother wants," Calder says, jerking a hand through his hair. "It's that woman's fault that Lily is in this state."I lean back in my chair and glance over at Ramona. She's in her playpen over by the window, and she's pulled herself up onto her feet so that she can watch her uncle
His Wicked Games series Chapter 108
- CALDER -That was too close.My jaw hurts from clenching. My mind won't slow down. I've been pacing the same spot on the floor for so long that I'm surprised I haven't worn a hole into the boards.It was only a false alarm, I remind myself. Lily is fine - for now - and the doctor said she was only having Braxton-Hicks contractions, probably made worse by stress. But even though she's now safe in our bed, I still can't seem to make myself calm down. When it comes time for the real thing... I don't even want to think about it."There's no need to be so worked up," Lily tells me. "Everything is fine. Come to bed.""Everything is not all right," I say. "Your mother upset you so much that you - ""It was my dad's fault, too," she says. "And it was a false alarm. I'm all right. No harm done.""Maybe not this time, but I'm not willing to take that chance again." I resume my pacing. "That woman needs to go.""I agree," she says. "And she's already looking for a place. But in the mean
