All Bets Are On (13 page)

Chapter Twenty-One

Derek believed her. He could feel the rage and fear rolling off her in waves. He
didn’t even need to touch her hand to feel the distrust. Once again, his sister had thrown him a helluva curve ball.

“Deirdre is not psychic,” he said after a moment. “And neither am I.” He took the cup of coffee Jaclyn had thrust onto the table. She sat across from him and picked up the stick, staring at it as if unable to believe the results. Truthfully, neither could he.

“Then how did Deirdre know about the baby?” she demanded. “How did you?”

“Our family.” He paused, searching for the words. “We aren’t like everyone else. It’s why we have to be extra careful.”

“What do you mean not like everyone else?” Her tone dripped with skepticism. “Are you royalty? From some foreign country? Or are you with the CIA and have every room in the country wiretapped?”

“I can’t exactly talk about it. But in our business, we go after people who do wrong to other people.”

“Like Fredricks?”

“Exactly. And Trish.”

Her lips thinned. “Did you schedule an audit of my foundation?”

“Yes. For next week.”

“So, you targeted us?” Her voice was hard and bitter.

“In a matter of speaking. It’s my job.”

Jaclyn stood and leaned against the table, bracing herself with splayed fingertips. “You were behind all of it. Everything I’ve lost.”

“It wasn’t like that.”

“Wasn’t it?”

“Jaclyn, I’ve had your best interests at heart from the very beginning. I’ve been trying to help you clean up your mess before the auditors arrive. In fact, here are the papers from the lawyer.” He threw them on the table in front of her. “You need to sign them so I can take them back to the lawyers, and then you need to get over to the bank and freeze that account until you can get Trish removed. You know I’ve been doing everything I can to save your organization. “

“I don’t know what to think anymore.” She collapsed into the chair.

Derek scooted his chair in front of hers and placed his hands on her knees. “It looks bad,” he said. “But we can get through this, together. If you let me help you.”

“I’m sick, Derek. And I’m confused. I need to sleep and be alone to think. To sort this all out.”

“All right, but before I go, we need to talk about the baby.”

Suspicion filled her eyes. “You mean the baby you needed to get some kind of promotion?”

He stilled as his gut churned. He never should have told his mother about the baby. He should have waited; he’d gone about this all wrong. He reached for her hand, but she pulled it back. “My mother’s proposition was more about trying to get me to reconnect with an old girlfriend than it was about giving her an heir.” Well, at least most of it.

“That woman I saw you with at the party?”

“Yes.”

“Why would she care who you date?”

“Let’s just say she’s well connected.” Very well connected. As a high-level demon, their offspring would be very powerful.

“Something I’m definitely not.”

“That doesn’t matter to me. It never has.”

He pulled her into his arms, and after a moment he felt the tension leave her shoulders. “Do me a favor, and sign the papers. I’ll run them by the lawyer’s office so he can complete the dissolution documents.”

“I’d like to talk to Trish first.”

This surprised him. “All right. Give her a call.”

She stepped away from him. “Alone.”

“We really don’t have the time—”

“I don’t care. I need time to be alone. I don’t know what to believe or who to trust.”

He took a deep breath. What she needed was rest, which she’d never get if she couldn’t just let go. “You can trust your heart. What does your heart tell you?”

“It tells me that like your sister, you’re a game player, a rich, bored, bad boy who’s been playing with me.”

If she’d physically hit him, the blow couldn’t have been harder. “Is that really how you see me?”

“Please go.”

What was wrong with her? He’d gone out of his way doing everything he could for her, and she still treated him like the enemy. “Fine! I’ll leave, but I’ll be back in thirty minutes, because like it or not, we’re in this together. We need to get those papers signed, and most of all, we need to talk about our child. I’d like you to see our family doctor as soon as possible and consider moving into my home with me.”

“What? You want me to live with you?” Her incredulity was hard to miss. “No way.”

“Why not? You’d have everything you’d need. I have a full-time staff to take care of you. You and the baby need rest and taking care of. I can do that for you. “

“I am not leaving my house!”

Why was she being so obstinate? “I realize this is a lot for you to absorb. Take some time. Think it over.”

“There’s nothing to think over. I can take care of myself. Now, please leave.” She stormed toward the front door and pulled it open.

“Fine. Get some rest. I’ll come by later when you’ve had a chance to let it all sink in and pick you up, take you by my place so you can see it. I’m sure once you do, you’ll love the idea.”

She shook her head in disbelief. “What are you, an idiot? What don’t you get about I need you to leave? I don’t want to see you, I don’t want to see your doctor, and I sure as hell don’t want to see your house and move in with you. Now get out!”

It was taking every ounce of self-control he had not to throw this woman over his shoulder and carry her out of there. He wouldn’t do it. Not yet anyway. He’d give her a chance to be reasonable. For now.

“Fine,” he gritted. “We can talk later. In the meantime, keep yourself and this baby safe. Don’t go anywhere without letting me know.”

“What, now I’m under house arrest?”

“You are carrying the heir to a very wealthy and important family. It’s called taking precautions, and making sure you and the baby aren’t targeted.”

She threw her hand up. “Don’t worry, Derek. The only place I’m going is to bed.”

“I can send over a nurse?”

“Oh my God. Just go!”

“It’s going to be all right, Jaclyn.”

“Maybe for you, but certainly not for me.”

Derek walked into his car dealership angrier than ever. He hadn’t wanted to leave Jaclyn alone, but he k
new she needed her space. She was confused and scared. And truthfully, so was he. Why hadn’t he stopped her from getting pregnant? Had it been a decision on his part? Even a subconscious one? That thought alone had him breaking out in a cold sweat. That was crazy. He’d just been caught up in the moment.

“So, did you tell her?” Deirdre asked as Derek walked into his office. She was sitting behind his desk, working at his computer.

He grabbed the guest chair on the opposite side of the desk, and held it so tight he felt the wood splinter beneath his grasp. “You know damn well I didn’t have to. What in the hell were you thinking?”

“Just helping you out there, big brother.”

“So you made me out to be her worst enemy and offered to help her get rid of the baby?” Fury enveloped him. She was the bane of his existence. He had to do something to get her out of his life.

She shrugged. “I wanted to see if she’d jump at the bait.”

“Like hell. Be careful, sister. I am tempted to once more have you locked in the tower of ice and let you contemplate the many ways you have tormented me these last one hundred years.”

She smiled. “Your threats tire me, Derek. We are family. I only have your best interests at heart.”

Her words rattled. Did they sound as hollow and insincere when he’d said them to Jaclyn? He picked up the chair and slammed it to the ground. “Do me a favor and stop helping,” he bellowed.

She shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

“And get the hell out of my chair.”

“Ah, my chair now. I run this place.”

“No, you run the eighth level of Hell. You do not run my car company.”

“Aren’t they one in the same?”

“Stop playing with me, Deirdre. I’m not in the mood.”

“Sometimes you can be quite the drag, brother.” She took a sip of a tall fruity drink. “In case you’ve been wondering, I’ve cleaned up most of the cases you were supposed to be working on before you became obsessed with the little momma.”

He swept his hands across the papers on his desk, sending them flying throughout the room. “You call that cleaning up? I call it mass murder.”

“I know.” She grinned. “Not everyone can be me. So unless you have something new…”

“You mean another city you can destroy?”

“You really are a bore, brother. So, tell me, what did the little momma say when you told her about the other benefit of her little baby bump.”

He stared at her, his eyes narrowing. “I’m surprised you didn’t tell her for me.”

“I had to leave some of the work for you.”

He wondered exactly what the consequences would be if she just happened to take a little trip through the nine circles…

She laughed, her raucous voice echoing through the room. “You didn’t tell her! Afraid she’d run screaming for the hills?”

“I’d like to give her a little time to get to know who I am before I tell her I’m the Prince of Hell.”

“But you’re royalty. What girl doesn’t want to be a princess?”

“Drop it Deirdre, I’m warning you.”

Her gaze glittered, sparkling. “Seriously, Derek. How did this happen? Did you want to get her pregnant? Do you even want the kid?”

Again silence. He imagined yanking her by that long red hair of hers, pulling her through the chamber into the first realm. Oh, yeah, she’d scream, she’d fuss, and when she made her way back out there would be hell to pay, but damn it would be so worth it.

“Kids aren’t something you can stick in the backyard and ignore,” she continued. “But I’d say this is going to make Mother very happy.”

His right eye twitched at the thought of his mother anywhere near his child.

“It’s all she’s been talking about for years. It’s going to make you golden in her eyes.”

“Worried you’ll lose your newfound status?” he snapped.

“Not really. You’ll fuck up again. You always do. You can’t help yourself.” She leaned back and crossed her long legs. “You know, you can always give the kid to me.”

“To you? The thought of you and my child, any child, makes my stomach turn.”

She slitted her eyes. “I’ll raise it at the Penthouse, we can wipe the little momma’s mind, and you can go about your bachelor business as always.”

“Wipe her mind?”

“It’s not like she planned to be a mother.”

“That’s cold. Even for you.”

“I’m just looking out for you, brother. As always,” she said in her chirpiest, most irritating voice.

“Do me a favor and stop.”

“Just don’t forget our offspring don’t gestate as long as human babies. You don’t have a lot of time to figure out what you’re going to do.”

And how the hell was he going to explain that? His day was just getting better and better.

“How much you want to bet as soon as you tell her the truth, she’ll be long gone? Of course, you can always use your ability to persuade her to stay with you. With that one, it might be your only chance.”

“Thanks to you!”

She shrugged. “Maybe you should consider giving Sabine another try.”

“Maybe I should teach you to mind your own business.”

With a swoop of his hands, the floor opened up beneath her and she fell through all the way down to the river Styx. As far as he was concerned, an icy dunk with the dead was just what the woman needed.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Derek left his office and walked down a long hallway, passing the guest lounge, the kitchen, and the restrooms t
o a room in the back of his warehouse. At the far end of the room, he walked into a large closet. Deirdre was right about one thing—he had to come up with a plan and do it fast. Jaclyn needed to see his doctor, and she needed to be protected. Things were going to start moving very quickly now.

Not everyone would be pleased about a new heir to the Underworld.

A large wooden and iron door only his kind could see sat centered in the far wall of the closet. He opened it and walked through into his private dominion in the Hell dimension where everything was different—safe. Special. Beautiful. And where he spent the bulk of his time. An Austin Healy was waiting right where he’d left it, centered in a large space inside a covered garage. He got into the car and drove down the country road, the windows rolled down, the cool air lifting his hair.

Passing through twelve-foot iron gates, he entered his sanctuary nestled behind tall ivy-covered stone walls, and drove up to his home. He climbed the steps to his Southern style mansion and stepped onto a wide porch that stretched the expanse of the house. There was nothing he liked more than to sit on this porch, sip his scotch, and watch the sun sink out of the sky.

He crossed straight through the great room with wall to wall windows highlighting a stunning view to the back patio that looked out at his saltwater pool, the manicured lawns, the rolling hills in the distance. He loved the peace and solitude of his home, but would Jaclyn?

He tried to see his estate the way she would, the picturesque barn in the distance filled with horses he hadn’t ridden in far too long, and the assortment of other toys that had snagged his interest throughout the years. Would she love it as he did? Or would she find the isolation too lonely?

“Master Derek. Can I get you anything?” Monique, his nanny from childhood who now oversaw his estate, stepped onto the patio next to him.

“Yes. Can you assemble the staff?”

She looked surprised. He didn’t blame her. This would be the first time he’d spoken to them directly in, well, ever. “Absolutely.”

He thought about this place, this house that had always been a touch too cold. A touch too lonely, and realized he wanted to have Jaclyn here with him. He liked the idea of hearing laughter in this house, of hearing the pitter-patter of little feet across the hardwood floors. But was Jaclyn the one he wanted to spend his life with? He couldn’t be sure, but he knew he wanted to live with her right then. Was that enough?

Monique walked back into the room followed by Trudy, the head maid, Elaine, the head cook, and Louis, the head gardener.

“What can we do for you?” Monique asked.

He paused when he realized he didn’t know how to refer to Jaclyn. His soon-to-be wife? Did he want to marry her? He just didn’t know. What if she refused to marry him? Hell, he wasn’t even sure she liked him. The mother of his child? He decided not to chance it. “A friend of mine is going to be coming to stay with us for a while.” At least he hoped she would agree.

“Which guest room should we get ready?” Monique asked, covering her surprise well. In all Derek’s years of living here, he’d never brought a woman home, not for a visit, and certainly not to stay.

“The big suite next to mine. What’s more, she’s going to have a baby so we will need a nursery set up next to her room.”

“A baby!” Monique clapped her hands together, her face filling with happiness. “This is very exciting. Do we know yet if it’s going to be a girl or a boy?”

“No, not yet.” He turned to the gardener. “Louis, have your crew work on the yard. Sculpt some of the bushes into animals. Order a merry-go-round. A playground, and anything else a child would like.

“Yes, sir.” Even Louis looked happy. Excitement filled the house for the first time in he didn’t know how long. As he caught their fever, he realized what had been missing from his life.

A child.

A wife.

A family.

He wanted that. And he wanted it with Jaclyn. He just hoped she wanted him.

And if she didn’t?

He’d have to make sure she did. He thought back to her words earlier and realized there was a very good chance she wouldn’t. It didn’t matter whether she did right now or not. Derek never backed down from a challenge. And one thing Jaclyn had been from the moment he laid eyes on her was a challenge.

…

As soon as Derek left her house, Jaclyn turned on the computer. It only took thirty minutes for her to see how trul
y wealthy and powerful he and his family were. Beyond what she could have ever imagined. He wasn’t kidding. She and her child could easily be targeted. But she wouldn’t let that fact alone drive her out of her home. When she moved in with a man, she wanted it to be because they loved each other, and because they wanted a future together. Derek wasn’t that man.

He could be that man
, a small voice whispered. She immediately quashed it. First things first, she needed to save her foundation. She took another shower, then got dressed to head to the bank and the lawyer’s office. No reason to give Derek another reason to come by the house. She needed distance from him. Needed to be on her own and think.

On her way to the bank, she called Trish.

“What’s up girlfriend,” Trish said, her voice upbeat and happy. Just hearing her, Jaclyn wanted to believe it was a mistake, that her closest friend in the world wouldn’t do this to her.

“We’re having some problems with our accounts. Can you meet me at the bank?”

“Problems? What kind of problems?” Trish asked, her voice instantly filled with concern.

“I really don’t want to go over it on the phone. It won’t take long, I promise.”

“All right. When?”

“Twenty minutes?”

“Seriously?”

“If you want, we can get lunch after,” Jaclyn offered, knowing there was no way she felt up to eating, and certainly not after what she had to say to Trish.

“Fine. Bribe me with sushi and I’ll be there.”

“See you soon.” Jaclyn hung up the phone and on her way to the bank, tried to come up with the best way to handle the situation. She had her printouts of the ledgers with her, and the lawyer’s paperwork. Jaclyn would no longer go through life with blinders on. She would rather know the truth up front and deal with it. The truth about Trish, and the truth about Derek. Whatever that may be.

She parked in front of the bank and waited for Trish to arrive. Shortly afterward she pulled up, looking like she walked out of glamour magazine. So much time, effort, and money spent on her appearance. The big question was, was it foundation money?

Jaclyn handed her the lawyer’s papers first, laying them on the hood of Trish’s car.

“What is this?”

“Dissolution of our partnership papers. I want you out of Safe Haven.”

Trish’s mouth opened in disbelief. “What?”

“After you sign those, we’re going into the bank and signing new signature cards. I want you off the accounts.”

Tears instantly shimmered in her Kerry blue eyes. “Why?”

Jaclyn didn’t trust herself to speak. She wouldn’t give in and feel sorry for her. She was an adult, she knew better. She laid the evidence next to the lawyer’s papers. “You stole over forty-five thousand dollars from our foundation. I expect it back within the week.”

“Jaclyn, I—”

“I don’t care why. I don’t want to hear it. What I want to do is salvage what’s left of the foundation and keep you out of jail. Maybe, if we’re damned lucky, we can get the money back into the accounts and clean up the books before the auditors come in and tear our lives apart.”

Trish looked at her, her eyes swimming in shame. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Tell me you’ll get me the money. I really don’t want to see you go to jail.”

“I never would have done this without him…” Trish glanced away.

“What I don’t get is how easily you could have thrown away all we’ve worked so hard for,” Jaclyn said bitterly.

Tears shone in Trish’s eyes. “Robert needed money, and I wanted to help. But his troubles just kept on coming. He promised he’d pay me back, and soon, so that we’d never miss the funds.”

“But obviously we did as soon as we tried to buy supplies.”

“I’ll get it. I promise,” Trish said, her lower lip trembling. “If not from Robert, then from my parents. I promise.”

Jaclyn hoped she was right for all of their sakes. She stiffened her resolve and handed her a pen. “Sign here. The bank manager is waiting for us.”