NICK HAD SPENT nearly two weeks being ignored by his staff, walking the hallways of the house at night and examining his life. It had taken him that long to figure out what was important and what he needed to do. He had a feeling if Izzy knew, she would inform him that the average woman would have realized the truth in about an hour.
He paused by the front window in the living room and watched an SUV drive up to the porch. It parked and two women climbed out.
Lexi and Skye didn’t look anything like their sister, but seeing them reminded him of Izzy. There was both pleasure and pain at the thought of her. Pleasure because he’d finally come to see she was everything to him. Pain because he might have lost her forever.
He met the women at the front door.
“Thanks for coming,” he said.
“We’re not here for you,” Lexi said briskly as she pushed past him and walked into the living room. “We’re here because you made it clear we were having this conversation one way or another and we didn’t want Izzy seeing you in Titanville.”
He motioned for them to sit down.
They sat together on the sofa. Skye eyed him with a mixture of contempt and dislike.
“We’re not interested in helping you,” Skye said bluntly. “Just last week, Jed paid a visit to Izzy to try to convince her to date one of his business partners. Izzy slapped him in the face and threw him out. If she was willing to do that to her own father, imagine how little trouble I would have taking you on.”
Nick held up both hands in a gesture of surrender. “No one is questioning your motivation or ability.”
“Good. Now, what do you want?”
“If he says Izzy,” Lexi told her sister. “Shoot him or I will.”
Unfortunately that is what he’d been planning to say. He needed a new plan.
“How much do you know about my past?” he asked instead.
Skye and Lexi glanced at each other. Skye motioned for Lexi to talk.
“Foster kid, very smart, goes to college at fifteen. You’re a total geek, you don’t fit in, Garth saves you, becomes your friend. Flash forward seven or eight years, you’re working for him. Another eight years, you screw our sister.” Lexi gave him a cold smile. “Did I miss any highlights?”
“No.”
Izzy had told them about him, but hadn’t mentioned his guilty secret. He knew in his gut it was because she knew it was the part of him that shamed him the most. Even in her pain and heartbreak, she’d protected him.
“What Izzy didn’t tell you is about my time in South America.”
He spoke quickly, giving them a brief synopsis of what had happened there. He didn’t spare himself the blame, taking full responsibility for what had gone wrong.
When he was done, the sisters again exchanged another look-this one he couldn’t read.
“You paid for what you did,” Skye said. “And maybe you suffered. That doesn’t excuse what you did to Izzy. Garth is trying to destroy our entire family. You don’t seem to get that. He nearly killed Izzy.”
Risking their wrath, he said, “Garth has admitted to all his actions, except the explosion. He claims he had nothing to do with it.”
“And you believe him?” Lexi asked, sounding outraged.
“Yeah, I do. I don’t agree with what he’s doing to you and your sister. If he had a problem with Jed, fine. Jed ignored his own son when he begged for Kathy’s life. Jed deserves whatever happens to him. But you two and Izzy are innocent. Garth was wrong. His vengeance is misplaced. He’s used us all.”
His best friend. He still had trouble wrapping his mind around that truth. His own family had betrayed him.
“I’ve severed my financial and personal ties with Garth,” he continued. “I’ve resigned from his board, sold my shares in his company. He’s out of my life.”
“Too little, too late,” Lexi snapped. “You knew Garth was behind bringing Izzy here and you didn’t say anything.”
“The way he told it, he wanted Izzy helped out of concern. He said you wouldn’t accept his help. I believed him because I didn’t have any reason not to.”
“But when you found out what he was doing,” Skye said. “You could have said something.”
“I know.” He drew in a breath. “It was too late, then. If I’d told Izzy the truth, she would have left and not had the surgery. At first that’s what I wanted-her to see again. She’s so full of life. So tough and sweet and honest. She leads with her heart. She’s fearless. I’ve never known anyone like her. She needed more than half a life.”
“The surgery could have left her blind,” Lexi said, studying him.
“She needed to know.” He shrugged. “If things had gone badly, she would have been all right. She would have found a way. That’s what she does. I couldn’t tell her about Garth because she had to have the surgery.”
“And after?” Skye asked.
“I didn’t want to lose her. If she knew, she would be gone. I…I liked having her around.”
For the third time, the sisters shared a look. He’d given up trying to figure out what they were thinking.
“Why should we believe you?” Lexi asked.
“I don’t know. I can’t prove it. I could show you my letter of resignation from Garth’s board, but so what? He could reinstate me in a second. He was my friend and I trusted him. That’s my mistake and I have to live with it. I trusted a man I’d known for years, who had saved me and been like family. I don’t know where everything went wrong for him, but it did.”
Lexi leaned toward him. “Knowing everything you know, having lost Izzy, you still believe Garth didn’t blow up the oil rig?”
“Yes.”
“That’s crazy.”
“Maybe, but why lie about only that? Garth’s proud of what he’s doing to your family. He wouldn’t deny something that big.”
“Fine,” Skye said. “To go back to my original question, what do you want?”
He smiled. “Izzy. You want to shoot me here or should I stand?”
“We’re not going to help you get her,” Lexi said.
Apparently they’d already discussed that because she didn’t have to look at her sister for confirmation.
“You hurt her,” Skye said. “She didn’t ever want to fall in love. She didn’t want to take the chance. But she did and you devastated her.”
“I know. I’m not saying I deserve her, just that I love her. I’m not asking for your help. I’m asking you not to get in the way.”
“What could we do?” Lexi asked. “Izzy is her own person.”
“You’re the people she loves and respects most in the world. If you told her not to trust me, that I wasn’t worth it, she’d listen.”
“Then you don’t know Izzy. She never listens,” Skye told him.
“You’re wrong. She listens to both of you.”
“Interesting that you’ve figured that out,” Lexi said. “I’m not sure even Izzy is aware our opinion matters to her. At least not on a conscious level.”
“Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then,” he said.
Lexi smiled. “Meaning guys aren’t inherently insightful?”
“Something like that.”
Skye nodded slowly. “We won’t help, but we won’t get in the way.”
Tension eased. The bands around his chest loosened for the first time in days. “Thank you.”
The sisters stood.
“She won’t be easy,” Lexi said. “You’re going to have to convince her.”
“I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”
“Try bleeding,” Skye told him. “That will get her attention.”
KATHY TOOK THE COFFEE and sipped. “Nice,” she said with a smile. “You always remember.”
“It’s your favorite,” Garth said.
He didn’t have time to be here. He had meetings and was due to fly out to Germany in the morning. But he’d been unable to concentrate and had decided to visit Kathy before he left.
She frowned. “You’re sad.”
“I’m fine.”
She didn’t look convinced and touched his arm. “You’re sad,” she repeated.
Sometimes she surprised him. Most of the time Kathy was in her own happy little world, but every now and then she seemed to see more.
“I hurt a friend,” he admitted. “I didn’t mean to. Or maybe I did. I don’t know. I’m doing something and…”
He trailed off as her expression changed from concerned to confusion.
He gave her a smile. “I’m sad because of a friend.”
“Did you say you’re sorry?”
“No.”
“Say you’re sorry. You have to say you’re sorry.”
There was no point in having this conversation. Whatever moment had occurred was now gone. “I will,” he said, not meaning it.
“We have new kittens,” Kathy told him. “Five. I need to check on them.”
“Okay.” He kissed her cheek. “I’ll be back next week.”
“Bye.”
She turned and walked away. He watched her go. Did she remember him after he left or did he cease to exist? What did she think about during her day? Did she recall the person she’d been before?
Knowing he would never get any answers, he left the pet store and headed for his car. But before he could reach it, he saw Izzy Titan walking toward Bronco Billy’s. She seemed to be alone.
Garth dropped his coffee container in a nearby trash can and hurried across the street, following her into the restaurant.
She was just being shown a table. He hesitated for a second, then walked toward her.
She saw him. Her face tightened and her eyes turned to ice. “Don’t even think about sitting here,” she snapped as she sat down.
He pulled a handkerchief out of his slacks pocket and set the white square on the table in front of her. “Truce?”
Izzy stared from the fabric to Garth and back. “I won’t pretend to understand the game,” she told him, wondering if she could slap him in the face the same way she’d hit her father. Something told her Garth would move a lot faster and she’d only end up hitting the back of the seat or something and hurting her hand.
“No game. I want to talk.”
“And I should believe you why?”
“Please, Izzy. Give me fifteen minutes. I didn’t blow up the oil rig. I did the rest of it. Sure. I was the investor in Lexi’s spa, I arranged for Jed’s horses to get doped. I tipped off the D.A. about Skye’s foundation, had a guy hack into her records and plant false information. The illegal arms being shipped? That was me, too. All of it.”
“I could so throw your ass in jail over this.”
“I’ll deny it all. But I didn’t blow up the oil rig. I had nothing to do with that.” He sat across from her in the booth.
“You just admitted you’d lie about talking to me.”
“That’s different.”
“Degrees of evil? Do you have a chart so I can follow along?”
“No chart. You don’t even have to talk, just listen.”
“Not talk? Have we met?”
He smiled. “I meant you don’t have to participate in the conversation.”
She stared at him. The smile was gone already, but she’d recognized it. It was the carefree smile Jed had used often when she’d been younger. She hadn’t seen it in years. It reminded her that Garth might be the devil, but he was also her brother. Perhaps only a half brother, but then Lexi was only her half sister. He was still family.
Somehow she’d forgotten that. They had a connection.
“Fifteen minutes,” she said, glancing at her watch. “Starting now.”
“Nick wasn’t a part of it. I told him I wanted to help you without taking credit.” He shrugged. “Nick used to think I was actually a nice guy and he believed me.”
“There’s a stunner,” she muttered, wondering if any of this was true.
“When he found out there was more going on, he was pissed. He told me to back off. I wouldn’t. He faced a real dilemma…tell you the truth and have you walk, or keep quiet until you had the surgery. You know what he chose.”
Izzy didn’t want to think about that-didn’t want to think about Nick or the secrets he’d kept from her. How he’d hurt her.
“He picked his friend,” she said.
“He picked what was right. If you’d known, you would have left in a snit and who knows when you would have gotten the surgery.”
She didn’t want to agree with that, but knew he was right. “He could have told me later.”
“When? While you were still in bandages? Afterward when he was falling for you? What would have been the best time, Izzy? When would it have been okay?”
She didn’t have an answer for that, either. There was no good time. She knew that, but so what? Nick had still betrayed her. Given the circumstances and all Garth had done to her family, she would guess that decision should make Garth a happy guy. So why was he taking Nick’s side? Was it another round in the sick game of crush the Titans?
“Why are you defending him?” she asked, figuring there was no point in avoiding the obvious. “You’re the one who told me he was working for you. You’re the one who came between us. You knew what was going to happen, so none of this is a surprise.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t count on Nick.” He leaned back in the booth and stared past her. “He never gets involved. I didn’t think you mattered that much to him. He told me to stop going after you and your sisters. I didn’t listen.” He returned his gaze to her. “Maybe I should have. He’s gone. We’re not friends anymore. He’s angry and disgusted with me.”
Garth actually sounded surprised and a little sad, she thought, refusing to pity him.
“Gee, you used your only friend to hurt people and you’re shocked he’s judging you. What an unfortunate time to be you.”
“Thanks for the sympathy.”
“You’re welcome.”
He picked up the handkerchief and stuck it in his pocket. “Give him a chance, Izzy.”
“Why?”
“Because we both love him.”
She blinked. “You can’t love anyone. You’re a cold, empty, ruthless bastard.”
“He was the only family I had. I played and lost. Our friendship is a casualty of war. I don’t like it but I can’t change it. It’s up to you. Take care of him.”
Oh, please. Was he serious? She was about to tell him exactly what she thought of him when she remembered Nick talking about his friend in South America. The one who had kept him alive. The man who had been like his brother. The one who shared Nick’s scars.
They had been tortured together and nearly died together. Nick had trusted Garth with more than his life and yet had rejected Garth’s current actions. That had to mean something. Even more confusing, what had happened to the man who had saved Nick from those frat bullies all those years ago? Where was the young man who had explained how to get the girl and fit in? Where was that Garth Duncan? When had he changed and why?
“You want me to take care of Nick while you still plan to go after me and my sisters?” she asked.
“I mostly want to take down Jed, but sure, you girls can come along for the ride.”
“That’s insane. You’re giving me advice and at the same time promising to ruin my family.”
“I have layers.”
“You have a desperate need for therapy.” She stared at him. “Nick’s your only friend, isn’t he? You don’t have anyone left.”
Garth shifted on his seat. “We’re talking about you and Nick.”
“We were and now we’re talking about you. What happens when you win? Who will you celebrate with?” Not Kathy. His mother wouldn’t understand. So who was left? Staff?
“I should go,” he said.
“No. Wait.”
What he’d done was unforgivable. She knew that, knew he had to be stopped. And yet there were hints of an actual person inside the dark, angry facade. Someone who was part of her family. Someone who might be worth saving.
“Don’t do this,” she said, reaching across the table and touching his hand. “Stop now, Garth. Come talk to Lexi and Skye. We can try to work something else out. We’re family, for better or worse.”
He pulled back and stood. “It’s too late, sis. Jed has to pay for what he did.”
“Agreed, but let us in. You don’t have to be alone in this.”
“Thanks for the offer, but I’m good.”
“You’re not. You’ve lost everyone.”
He gave her that smile again. “I like to travel light.”
He was lying, she thought. Lying to cover being hurt and alone. He was so close to winning and knew he would end up with an empty victory. Only it was too late to stop playing now.
Without thinking, she scrambled to her feet and hugged him. He stiffened with surprise and didn’t hug her back. She stared up into his dark eyes, knowing in her gut this was the right thing to do.
“I’m going to save you.”
He took a step back. “What the hell? I don’t need saving. I’m winning.”
“I know. That’s why you need saving. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt too much.”
“I don’t worry. I get things done.”
She smiled. “Tough talk, big brother. Your life has just changed forever. You’re not going to know what hit you. But it’s okay. I’m going to do it with love. Lexi and Skye will take some convincing and Dana wants to introduce you to her favorite gun, but she’ll come around, too. This is going to be great.”
For the first time since entering the restaurant, Garth looked wary. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You’re wrong and it won’t be the first time. It’s late September. We need this resolved by early December so we can have Christmas together. That’s a lot of healing to get done. I’m not a great planner, but my sisters are.” She smiled again. “Thanks for coming by. I’m glad we talked.”
Garth frowned, then left. When he reached the door, he glanced back at her, as if trying to figure out what was going on. She waved at him.
She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t seen it before. The solution was simple-Garth needed to be a part of the family. Then he wouldn’t want to hurt them anymore. Just as important, he had to be stopped before he did something that really got him in trouble.
She wasn’t sure exactly how they were going to make this all happen, but they would figure out something. Poor Garth-he wasn’t going to know what hit him.
“SAVE GARTH?” Dana scowled. “No. I’m throwing his ass in jail. Whenever I get tense, I picture that and get all tingly inside.”
“I’m serious,” Izzy told her. “I talked to him. He’s worth saving. We have to figure out how.”
“You figure out how. You’ll have plenty of time after your sisters have you committed.”
Izzy waved the comment aside. “Don’t be crabby. This is the right thing to do. Think of how smug we can all feel when we’re together.”
“And smug is a goal?”
Izzy grinned. “Sometimes.” Since meeting with Garth, she’d known this was the only way to win. She’d never been so sure of anything. “I’m going to talk to Lexi and Skye later.”
“I can’t wait to see that explosion.”
“They’re going to love my idea.”
“Uh-huh. Are you on drugs?”
“I’m right and eventually you’re going to have to admit it. That’s enough of a high for me.”
There was a knock on the door. She stood to answer it.
“Besides,” she continued as she reached for the doorknob and turned it, “what’s the worst that could happen?”
She turned to face the visitor and nearly fainted when she saw Nick.
It had been over two weeks since she’d left his ranch. Two weeks of feeling as if the best part of her had died. She ached for him, had trouble sleeping and had known she would bear the scars of his betrayal forever.
Still, she couldn’t help wanting to touch him now, to reassure herself that he was real. She saw the dark circles under his eyes, the drawn hollows in his cheeks. She wanted to hold him and ask if he was okay. She wanted to kiss him and have him kiss her back. She wanted to hear the sound of his voice.
“Should I get my gun?” Dana asked.
“You women are quick with the weapons,” Nick said, staring at Izzy. “Shoot me if you want, I’m not going anywhere.”
Izzy stepped back to let him in the condo. “Have it handy. I may need it later.”
“Sure.” Dana backed out of the room. “I’ll be close by. Yell if you need anything.”
Seconds later, Izzy heard the bedroom door close.
Nick continued to study her. “You look good.”
“You look like shit.”
“That’s how I feel.”
“Good. What do you want?”
He gave her a faint smile. “To tell you how much I love you, Izzy. I probably have from the first moment we met.”
“You kidnapped me.”
“I’m a helluva guy.”
She turned away and walked to the window. She desperately wanted to know his words were true, but how could she trust him? She folded her arms across her chest and told herself to keep breathing. That the pain in her stomach would eventually go away. That hope was for someone else, not her.
He came up behind her, but didn’t touch her, which was good. If he did, she would probably shatter.
“You changed everything,” he said. “I can’t stop thinking about you. Please, give me a chance to prove myself to you.”
“You have Stockholm Syndrome,” she said, closing her eyes tight. “That’s all this is.”
“That’s when the prisoner falls for the person holding him hostage.”
“Okay. You have something else then. What you’re feeling isn’t real and even if it is, I don’t care. You lied to me.”
“I know. I kept my relationship with Garth a secret. I was stupid and wrong and, worse, I hurt you. I’m sorry, Izzy. God knows you deserve better than I gave you and you deserve better than me. I live with guilt every day. I can never make the past right. You should be with someone who isn’t so damn scarred.”
She spun to face him. “I never minded the scars.”
“I meant the ones on the inside.” His green eyes burned with a fire she’d never seen before. “But I can’t help it. You’re the one. I never thought I’d love someone. I never thought I deserved it. But here we are. I know I screwed up. I know I need to prove myself and I want to. Just give me the chance. Please. I love you.”
He reached up his hand as if he was going to touch her, then dropped it to his side. For the first time since she’d known him, he looked unsure.
She thought about all the rejections in her life. How neither of her parents ever cared about her. How she hid behind crazy adventures. Facing death was a whole lot easier than facing the fact that she had no one of her own.
She, too, had never thought she would fall in love. Be willing to risk it all. Nick was everything she wanted, everything she needed. Not perfect…just perfect for her.
“I’ve decided to save Garth,” she said. “It’s the only way to resolve whatever issues he has. It won’t be easy.”
Nick blinked. “Save Garth, as in…”
“Drown him in love. Pull him into the family. Comfort his bruised and tattered heart.”
“Garth Duncan?”
“He’s a person, too.”
“Don’t you hate him?”
“Not anymore.” She tilted her head. “He talked to me the other day. Said I shouldn’t give up on you.”
Nick looked confused. “Garth?”
“You keep saying his name as if there are three different men we could be talking about. So are you going to help me save him?”
“Uh, sure. If that’s what you want.”
“Good. We have to convince Dana first. She won’t be easy. Then Lexi. Skye’s all mushy inside, so I think she’ll get on board right away. We need a plan and that’s not my strong suit. Maybe we could ask Aaron to help.”
He grabbed her upper arms. “Izzy, while I appreciate you wanting to save Garth, that’s not what I came here to talk about.”
She smiled. “I know.”
“I love you.”
“You keep saying that, but don’t people in love kiss? Or plan for the future? There’s a lot of talk here, but not a lot of action. I have to tell you, it’s fairly disappointing.”
She had more to say but was cut off when he leaned in and kissed her.
She welcomed his mouth on hers, wrapped her arms around him and melted into his body. He pulled her even closer, holding her as if he would never let her go. They kissed until she thought she might drown from the joy of it all.
After several intense minutes, he pulled back. “Isadora Titan, will you marry me?”
She grinned. “Maybe.”
He laughed, bent down and pressed his shoulder against her midsection, then straightened, lifting her off her feet.
She shrieked. “What are you doing?”
“Kidnapping you. I’m going to keep you at my ranch until you come to your senses and say yes. It worked before.”
All the blood rushed to her head, but she didn’t struggle too hard. A door opened and she saw the lower half of Dana enter the room.
“Do I want to know what’s going on?” her friend asked, sounding both amused and appalled. “Is this what you do for fun?”
“Sometimes,” Izzy said. “He’s kidnapping me because I didn’t accept his proposal.”
“Should I be packing up your things?”
“That would be nice.”
“You going to say yes?” Dana asked.
“Eventually, but he’s going to have to work for it.”
“That’s my girl.”
Suddenly she was on her feet again. The room spun as her blood rushed elsewhere. Nick held her, his expression fierce.
“You’re going to say yes?”
Love filled her. The hot, bright emotion gave her strength and healed the last few cracks in her heart. “I love you. What else would I say?”
They reached for each other.
“Take it outside, children,” Dana said. “I just got the sofa cleaned.”
Izzy giggled. “She’s so romantic. We have to find her someone.”
“Not in this lifetime,” Dana grumbled. “I mean it, Nick. Don’t listen to her.”
Izzy led him outside. Dana closed the door behind them. Izzy stared into his green eyes and knew she’d found home at last.
“Thank you,” he said. “For giving me another chance. I love you, Izzy.”
“I love you more.”
He touched her cheek. “Something for us to argue about for the next fifty years.”
“As long as you’re clear on the fact that I’ll be the one who wins.”
He kissed her. “We’re both going to win.”
“True,” she whispered against his lips. Which made it a very good day.