BEVERLY BARTON - Dangerous Deception

“And my wife,” a voice from the doorway said.

Everyone stilled instantly; then one by one, they turned and stared at Grayson Perkins IV. Cara’s heart did a ridiculous little rat-a-tat-tat when she looked at her brother-in-law. It had always been that way for her, ever since she first laid eyes on him when she was thirteen and he twenty-one. Gray’s mother had been on the board of some charity that Norah Lee had served on and the two became fast friends. Long after Norah Lee left the Bedell family, both Gray and his mother, Emeline, remained friendly acquaintances. Edward had handpicked Gray for Audrey, deciding that his pedigree was far more important than the money his family lacked. The Perkins family contained predecessors who were Old South blue bloods, Confederate heroes and English aristocracy.

“Come in, my boy. Come in.” Edward motioned to his son-in-law.

Gray hesitated for a split second; then, as handsome and debonair as any old Hollywood movie star, he sauntered into the living room. Gray was, without a doubt, the most beautiful creature on earth. Almost too pretty to be real. Tall, slender, elegant. With dark, curly hair, chocolate brown eyes and thick lashes any woman would envy. Every feature perfect.

Cara had been in love with Gray for as long as she could remember.

“If anyone cares what I think, I believe Edward is doing the right thing by hiring a detective to find Audrey,” Gray said. “If she has run off with Bobby Jack, she could be in real trouble.”

“Oh, Gray…” Cara wished she could wrap her arms around her brother-in-law and comfort him. She’d seen that forlorn look on his face too many times during the six years he’d been married to her sister. Audrey didn’t deserve a man such as Gray. There were times when Cara wished Audrey was dead. And once or twice she’d even considered doing the deed herself.

“What time are you expecting the detective?” Gray asked.

“He’s due in any time now,” Edward said. “I expect him to arrive before lunch. He’s driving in from Atlanta.”

“I assume you’ve hired the very best money can buy.”

“Naturally. I contacted the Dundee Agency.” Edward eyed Gray inquisitively. “Why would you ask such a question?”

“It was merely rhetorical.”

“Was it?”

“She’s in love with him, you know,” Gray said matter-of-factly.

“Who’s in love with whom?” Edward asked.

Tears welled up in Grayson Perkins’s big, beautiful brown eyes. He clenched his teeth tightly.

Oh, God, he’s going to cry, Cara thought.

“Speak up, boy,” Edward said. “You can’t mean Audrey and that—”

“Yes, of course, that’s who he means.” Cara jumped in, wanting to spare Gray further inquisition. “Audrey is absolutely crazy about Bobby Jack Cash. She’s made no secret of the fact that she’s madly in love with him. She even asked Gray for a divorce.”

“What!” Edward’s face turned crimson.

“See,” Patrice chimed in adamantly. “I knew it. Your precious Audrey has run off with that scum and they’re fucking their way through Europe or the Caribbean or—” A resounding slap across her cheek silenced Patrice instantly. She staggered for a millisecond as she cried out and clutched the left side of her face with her open palm. “You bastard.” She glared menacingly at her husband, a man who, as far as Cara knew, had never before struck her.

Edward’s nostrils flared and his eyes closed to mere slits as he balled his hand into a tight fist. “Don’t you ever say anything so vulgar and crude about my daughter again. Do you understand me, woman?”

“I understand,” Patrice said. “I understand a lot more than you think I do.”

DOM HAD GROWN UP on a ranch in Texas, lived in a big sprawling old house and shared a bedroom with his older brother Rafe. The Shea family hadn’t been poor, but neither had they been rich. From the time he could walk, he could ride, and from the time he could ride, his Dad had put him to work, just as he had Rafe. Just as he did Pilar and Marta and Bianca when they got old enough. His mother, Camila, had been born and raised in Texas, but her parents had come from Mexico shortly after they married. Camila had raised her children in her Catholic faith, with great pride in both their Mexican and Irish heritages. Dom’s parents had been strict, but loving, giving their children a solid foundation on which to build.

As he entered the foyer of the massive antebellum mansion on Lookout Mountain, he wondered if being this rich is what had turned Audrey Bedell Perkins into such a notorious first-class bitch. After reading the complete file on her, Dom had come to the conclusion that if she were a member of his family, he’d be glad she had run off and probably wouldn’t want her to ever return. The lady spent her father’s money as if it grew on trees. She cheated on her husband regularly and made new enemies everywhere she went. She was both envied and despised by the whole of Chattanooga’s elite social circle.

“Good afternoon, sir,” the stiff-upper-lip butler said as he showed Dom into the living room. “Mr. Edward has been expecting you.”

Before they reached the half open double pocket doors leading from the foyer into the living room, Dom heard the sound of raised voices.

“Please, let’s not do this,” a female voice pleaded. “Gray shouldn’t have to suffer this way and poor Daddy—”

“Poor Daddy,” another female voice mimicked, none too kindly. “You’re the one everyone feels sorry for. Poor, pitiful Cara. The ugly duckling. The daughter her daddy doesn’t dote on, the sister Grayson doesn’t even know exists.”

“Shut the hell up,” a male voice commanded.

“Mr. Shea, from the Dundee Agency, is here,” the butler announced.

Silence.

Cold, hard stares focused on Dom as he entered the room. Then a large, tall man with a mane of thick white hair still streaked with reddish-brown highlights came forward, his big hand outstretched.

“I’m Edward Bedell. Come in, please.”

Dom entered the living room, feeling somewhat like an early Christian entering the coliseum in Rome. He extended his arm and shook hands with Bedell. A firm, cordial exchange. “Domingo Shea.”

“I’m glad you’re here, Mr. Shea. Your employer, Sawyer McNamara, promised me his best man. Is that what you are? Are you Dundee’s best?”

“I’m one of their best,” he replied. “My boss believes I’m the best man for this job, otherwise he wouldn’t have sent me.”

Edward Bedell nodded. “You know what I want—I want my daughter found. And you also know that money is no object. Whatever it takes, however much it costs, find Audrey.”

“Yes, sir. That’s what I intend to do.”

“I’ll answer any questions, provide you with any needed information. All you have to do is ask.”

Dom glanced around the room. “You can start by introducing me to your family. I assume they’re your family.”

Bedell cleared his throat. “Yes, they’re family.” He motioned to the leggy brunette with a set of topnotch silicone boobs. When she came forward, he slipped his arm around her waist. “This is Patrice…my wife.”

Mrs. Bedell smiled at Dom. An I’m-not-happily-married smile. A smile that made a silent but obvious offer.

“Ma’am.” Dom deliberately avoided direct eye contact with the lady. The last thing he wanted was to give the client’s wife any wrong ideas.

“And this is my younger daughter, Cara.” Bedell simply glanced at the tall, freckled, strawberry blonde who offered Dom a forced smile.

There was something sweet and downright wholesome about Cara Bedell’s appearance. But knowing her background, considering the family she came from and the lifestyle she was accustomed to, Dom figured Ms. Bedell was neither as sweet nor as wholesome as she appeared.