At eight o’clock that night, a knock sounded at her door. Weird since she hadn’t buzzed anyone into the building. Must be Geoff. He’d texted earlier to ask how she was doing, but he probably wanted to see for himself.
Brody rose from the couch. “I’ll get it.”
He opened the door and then stepped aside. Four men strode into her apartment as if they owned the place. Her pulse skyrocketed.
“This is the security team I mentioned.” Brody acted nonplussed.
She hadn’t known what to expect in a bodyguard, but a man in a suit with a dark tie and earpiece seemed about right, not four hot guys who looked like they’d stepped out of an action-adventure movie. Silent, rugged men with inked, muscular arms, watchful gazes, and concealed weapons. She’d felt safe with Brody, but these guys could take on an army of baddies and win.
Cara hadn’t taken the threats made against her that seriously. Not when she knew her sister’s fanbase. But things suddenly seemed different. Goose bumps covered her skin.
She crossed her arms over her chest.
Introductions were made, but the men’s hyperaware, intense gazes made her forget their names as soon as they were mentioned. Her stomach churned. A lump formed in her throat. Tears stung. All she wanted was her quiet, boring life back. It was far from perfect, but it was hers.
As talk about the threats and safety protocols ramped up, Cara couldn’t take it. “I’m going to bed early.”
Before anyone said goodnight, she left the living room. Loki followed her. Maybe a solid night of sleep would make things better. She didn’t think they could get much worse.
The next morning, Lex drove her to the Bay View House in a black SUV with dark tinted windows. He had short, beach-blond hair, glacier blue eyes, and a scar on the right side of his face. He hadn’t spoken, but she caught him glancing at her in the rearview mirror.
She didn’t need a Ph.D. to know what he was thinking—what everyone must be thinking—why was Brody Simmons marrying her when he could be with Cait Neal?
Cara had made the mistake of going online to read some social media posts. The memes about her were downright cruel. Calling her dog ugly or a genetic mutant wasn’t necessary. The comments that accompanied them were worse. She had a feeling no one really cared about her per se. She just happened to be the current target of online bullies, who took full advantage of the anonymity on the internet.
“We’re almost there.” Rizzo, a handsome man with olive skin, dark chocolate eyes, and jet-black hair, sat next to her in the back seat. She had a feeling he’d been assigned to her, given he was the only one who’d spoken directly to her since the team arrived. Last night, he’d complimented her on the condo and asked about Loki. “Feel okay this morning?”
“A little tired.”
Rizzo’s smile showed off a row of straight white teeth. “That’s understandable given the circumstances.”
No kidding. Whether she was awake or dreaming, Brody was on her mind. She kept telling herself everything they were going through would be worth it once they were finished. Caitlin would have no more control.
“A nap might help,” Rizzo suggested.
“I love naps.” Taking an afternoon nap had been one of her favorite things to do if she worked an early shift at the bookstore or had a day off, but with Brody around, she hadn’t bothered, much to Loki’s dismay.
The other two men on the team, Jackson and Kai, had remained at the condo with Brody. They would meet her at the Bay View House for a food tasting after Cara spoke to Hannah about a wedding gown.
Lex took the roundabout way to the Bay View House, adding twenty minutes to the drive. He stopped at the curb, left the engine running, and glanced at Rizzo. “You’re up.”
Cara went to open her door, but Rizzo touched her arm. “Not yet. I have to make sure everything is secure.”
She knew they were trying to keep her safe, but not being free to get out of the car on her own was strange. Had Brody gotten used to the lack of freedom? Not that she’d have the chance to do the same. This would be over soon enough.
“Be right back.” Rizzo unbuckled his seat belt, opened his door, and slid out with the grace of an elite athlete.
Once the door closed, Cara thought Lex might talk to her now that they were alone, but nope. He scanned from right to left and then left to right.
She pulled out her phone. Both her parents had texted. She hadn’t seen them much since moving to San Francisco. Her mom and dad were so busy helping Caitlin, who supported them financially, that they didn’t have much free time. Visits to see Cara couldn’t compete with traveling to luxurious destinations when vacation time rolled around, so she made trips to Los Angeles to visit them during the holidays and when she had three-day weekends. She’d thought about calling them earlier, but Caitlin had promised she’d explain things, so Cara hadn’t been in touch.
She clicked on her mom’s text first.
Mom: How dare you steal Brody away from your sister! He’s her one true love. You’ve always been jealous of Caitlin, but I never thought you were capable of such a betrayal. You need to break things off with Brody right now.
Raw grief ripped through Cara. Her teeth chattered, not from cold, but disbelief. Caitlin had agreed to talk to their parents.
Cara couldn’t call with Lex in the front seat, so she texted her mom.
Cara: Didn’t Caitlin talk to you about what’s going on?
Her cell phone buzzed two minutes later, notifying her of a reply.
Mom: Yes, and she was hysterical. What you’ve done has broken her heart. Mine, too. I didn’t want to take sides, but I have no choice. I can’t believe you’d hurt your sister like this. Until you make this right, I have nothing else to say to you.
Cara wiped her face with trembling hands. This couldn’t be happening.
Clutching the cell phone so she wouldn’t drop it, she reread the text. The letters blurred through the tears she was holding back, so she squinted. That didn’t change what her mother had written.
Until you make this right, I have nothing else to say to you.
Confusion, anger, and betrayal threatened to overwhelm Cara. She didn’t want to believe Caitlin had failed to follow through on her promise to tell their parents the truth. Or that Mom would take Caitlin’s side without talking to Cara.
With a heavy heart, she returned to the list of messages. Her father’s text appeared next. He wouldn’t let himself be ruled by emotions the way Mom had. Cara tapped his name.
Dad: I thought better of you, Cara. What you’ve done is unforgivable. Your betrayal has hurt your sister immeasurably. Fix it. For Caitlin and your family’s sake.
Cara inhaled sharply. She stared at the ring on her finger before slumping in the back seat.
Why? Why was this happening?
She’d always done what others expected of her, been the daughter who compensated for her twin’s dramatics by never throwing a tantrum, acting out, or complaining. So what if that meant being shadowed by her sister all the time? Cara hadn’t cared. All she’d wanted to do was make her mom and dad proud by doing the right thing.
She’d tried. Hard.
In her job. With her sister. For them.
But none of that mattered to her parents.
Only Caitlin did.
Anger mixed with disappointment, the combination potent. Her throat burned, and a weight pressed against her chest. It felt as if Loki were sleeping on top of her. Only ten times heavier.
Cara blinked, not wanting to cry. She pressed her lips together, so she wouldn’t scream. But oh, how she wanted to do both.
Badly.
With trembling fingers, she typed a text to her sister.
Cara: Tell Mom and Dad the truth now. You promised.
She hit send, but that didn’t stop her hands from shaking. Balling them did no good. She stared at the floorboard, trying to control herself. It wasn’t easy.
Caitlin’s lie had flipped Cara’s world upside down by bringing Brody back into her life, putting her at risk to whatever crackpot was threatening her, and turning their parents against her.
Of course Mom and Dad would take Caitlin’s side. Cara should have realized they would, even though her heart hoped they wouldn’t. After decades of struggling to live from paycheck to paycheck, they no longer had to worry about money thanks to their rich and famous daughter. Cara was still paying off college loans. She gave birthday and Christmas presents, but that hadn’t been enough for her parents.
She wasn’t enough for them.
The truth gutted her.
Tears welled.
Keep it together.
Knowing Lex was in the front seat kept Cara from losing it.
Straightening, she rubbed away the moisture. She had to survive the meeting and tasting. When she was at the condo, she could take a shower and cry where no one would hear her. That had been her standard MO growing up. She guessed some things never changed.
The car door opened.
Her cell phone flew out of her hand.
“Sorry I startled you.” Rizzo picked up the phone. “They’re ready for you inside.”
She got out of the car, and he handed the phone to her. “Thanks.”
The message from her dad was illuminated on the screen. Had Rizzo read the text? She hoped not. Nothing in his expression had changed, so he most likely hadn’t.
Rizzo led her inside to where Sariah was waiting. “I’ll be here if you need anything.”
Cara nodded, not trusting her voice. At least someone was on her side. Though he was being paid to be. A part of her thought about calling Geoff and Cassie, but there wasn’t time with Cara’s appointment.
“We’ll take good care of her.” Sariah focused on Cara. “Ready to talk wedding gowns?”
She nodded, even though she would rather be in bed under her comforter curled in the fetal position. But for Brody, she would put on her big-girl panties, ignore her aching heart, and do this. At this rate, he and Loki might be the only family she had left when the pretend engagement ended.
“How are you feeling?” Sariah asked.
The question was not unexpected. Rizzo had asked her the same thing on the drive over. Cara thought she’d looked all right when she left the condo this morning. Maybe not.
She forced a smile. “Hanging in there under the circumstances.”
“I hope making wedding plans will help you feel better.”
“I’m sure it will.” She tried to sound upbeat but wasn’t sure if she succeeded.
Letting her bad mood affect others wouldn’t be good, but she still found herself fighting tears over her parents’ texts. Threats from unknown strangers were nothing compared to what her parents had written.
Sariah led her upstairs to an open door. “This is our dress salon. Have fun with Hannah.”
Cara entered, hoping she would. She needed something to take her mind off what was happening.
The room was warm and welcoming with a soft, feminine décor—the definition of bridal. A floral scent lingered in the air. Potpourri, perhaps? Sachets could be hidden amongst the silk, satin, and tulle arranged more like decoration than fabric bolts.
A beautiful woman with flowing black hair greeted her. The staff was always smiling, and Cara wished their happiness was contagious. “Hi. I’m Hannah Yee. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Cara forced her attention off the framed squares of white fabric, appliques, and lace on the wall. “Sorry I’m late.”
“No worries. I’m happy you made it.” Hannah’s brown eyes twinkled with anticipation. “We know you have a lot going on right now.”
Nodding, Cara had no idea how anyone in the limelight put up with the public intrusion or the slams on social media. Brody and Caitlin could take stardom. Cara wanted no part of it. “Thanks for understanding.”
“We’re here to make your life easier, not add complications.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“It’s easy to get worked up for wedding planning, and especially for your big day. But here at the Bay View House, we take care of everything so the bride can enjoy herself.”
“That’s why my friend loved getting married here. She didn’t have to think about anything except saying I do in the garden.”
Hannah rubbed her hands together. “That’s what we love to hear from our brides.”
The dress designer’s eagerness made Cara feel not only like a liar—which she was—but also unappreciative. This was the one appointment Cara had wanted to skip. Food from a canceled wedding could be donated to homeless shelters. Flowers could be delivered to nursing homes and hospitals. Gifts could be returned to stores. What would she do with a wedding dress she would never wear?
“Cara?” Hannah asked.
“Sorry.” Cara glanced at Hannah. “Lost in my own thoughts. This is happening so fast. Which is what we want,” she added.
“Your head must be spinning with planning a wedding and having a baby.”
Cara’s breath caught. She clenched her teeth. Baby?
Caitlin wouldn’t have said there was a baby. She couldn’t. Except…
Cara swallowed. “How did you hear about a, um, baby?”
“Your sister’s interview this morning. It’s all over the internet.”
No. Please, no.
She struggled to breathe. “Do you mind if I see for myself?”
“Go ahead.”
On her phone, Cara pulled up a well-known gossip website. The headline read: Cait Neal’s Pregnant Twin Sister Forcing Brody Simmons to Marry Her!
A sick, icky sensation crept through Cara’s veins. She needed to call Caitlin, protest what was happening, but all she could do was stare at the screen. The article claimed Caitlin’s twin sister had trapped Brody by getting pregnant on purpose because she knew he’d do the right thing and marry her, even if that meant leaving Caitlin, the woman he loved.
This wasn’t a white lie but personality murder. Reputation manslaughter.
The room spun as if Cara had stepped onto a merry-go-round. Her mouth watered. Her stomach revolted. Oh, no…
“I need a bathroom.”
♥ ♥ ♥
The SUV jerked to a stop in front of the Bay View House. Heart pounding and his stomach in knots, Brody jumped out of the car and ran toward the entrance. Only one thought was on his mind—Cara.
All he knew was she’d been lightheaded. She hadn’t passed out, but she’d thrown up. Morning sickness, he’d been told.
He wanted to swear and hit something.
The lies and the stress had gotten to her.
Of course they had.
Jackson, the head of the security team, was at his heels. Ex-military, the guy had worked as a consultant on one of Brody’s movies and run a pre-filming boot camp for the actors to get in shape. When a restraining order hadn’t stopped a stalker last year, Jackson’s team had stepped in to keep Brody safe.
“Rizzo is with Cara,” Jackson said. “He’s a trained medic. The best. If he thought there was any danger to her or the baby, he would have called an ambulance.”
The baby.
Brody rubbed his aching forehead. Why, Caitlin?
His jaw clenched. A pretend engagement was one thing, but a fake pregnancy? No way could he allow this to continue.
He entered the Bay View House.
Lex was waiting for him. “This way.”
Brody went upstairs and into a room. Sariah was there with another woman he didn’t recognize. Cara sat next to Rizzo. She stared at the floor, looking deathly pale, more in shock than sick. On a nearby table sat a box of saltine crackers, napkins, and an open bottle of ginger ale.
Rizzo stood.
Brody sat on the other side of Cara. “Hey.”
Her vulnerability nearly knocked him over. No one was supposed to get hurt, but Cara was in pain.
A knife twisted and cut him to the core.
She deserved better.
What have you done, Caitlin?
She’d put him and Cara in this situation, but he’d been the one to ask her to act as his fiancée. Her my-world-has-collapsed expression was because of him. A weight pressed against his chest. He had to help her. Fix things.
Leaning closer, he put his arm around Cara and kissed her cheek. “I’ll take care of this. Now.”
Cara shook her head. “Later.”
Later? He didn’t understand. All he had to do was call Caitlin and tell her to stop. She might not, but he could hold a press conference. Tell the truth. Anything would be better than…this.
Cara’s eyes gleamed as if she might cry. He cradled her close. “I’ll wait.”
She nodded.
He hadn’t seen Cara like this since their senior year of high school, when she found out she hadn’t earned one of the full-ride scholarships to her first-choice college, a private university on the East Coast, and realized she would have to attend a much cheaper state school instead.
“Take Cara home. We’ll reschedule once she’s feeling better.” Sariah’s voice was full of kindness and compassion. “Tessa Alberto, our chef, has packed up the food from the tasting so you can have it for lunch.”
“Thank you,” Brody said.
“I’m so sorry.” Cara sounded quiet, almost weak. She went to stand, but Rizzo stopped her.
“Move slowly,” he cautioned. “If you stand too quickly, you might feel lightheaded again. We wouldn’t want you to fall.”
Brody wouldn’t let her fall. He would take care of her and this mess he’d dragged her into. Cara had always been so much stronger than Caitlin. Unfortunately, the fake pregnancy had taken this to another level. One that had nothing to do with saving her reputation or controlling her anxiety. What Caitlin was doing made stereotypical mean girls seem nice.
“I’ve got you.” Brody stood and then lifted Cara into his arms. She fit perfectly against him. He would use his Maxwell accent. He would do whatever he could to make her feel better. “Door-to-door service, milady.”
He thought he heard a sigh.
She rested her head against his chest. As the tension seeped out of her body, his tight muscles relaxed.
She stared up at him. “You don’t have to do this.”
“Yes, I do.” He brushed his lips across her forehead. An image of a pregnant Cara, her beautiful face glowing and her belly round with their child growing inside her, appeared.
Whoa. Where had that come from?
“I’ve got your purse.” Rizzo placed the strap over his forearm with a serious expression on his face. “Not bad, but I prefer a cross-body style.”
That brought a soft smile to Cara’s pretty face.
Relief flowed through Brody. He mouthed thanks to Rizzo for getting their minds off a nonexistent baby and back to reality.
“I hate that everyone is fussing over me,” Cara said on the way out the door.
“Let them fuss.” Brody carried her to one of the SUVs. “I’ll spoil you more when we’re home.”
“You can’t return to the condo.” Jackson tucked away his cell phone. “Caitlin used Cara’s full name in her interview. The building is surrounded by more paparazzi than we can control.”
“Loki is at the condo alone.” Panic filled her voice.
“That’s Cara’s cat,” Brody added.
“I remember him. Black cat. Lots of fur and attitude,” Jackson said. “I’ll head over there to pack bags for you and get Loki.”
“His carrier is in the coat closet.” Cara sounded more like herself. “I’m going to need my laptop and something to wear for my interview tomorrow.”
Her interview. Brody had forgotten about that. Talk about bad timing.
“You can make a list of what you need.” Jackson glanced around. “Right now, it’s time to get you into the SUV.”
Less than two minutes later, they were on their way. Wherever that might be.
“I need to call my boss at the bookstore,” Cara said. “I’m supposed to go in after my interview.”
“None of the articles mentioned your place of employment,” Jackson said from the passenger seat. Lex was still driving. Rizzo had left in the other car with Kai.
“Well, that’s a relief.” Her tone matched her words. “I doubt Cassie would want a three-ring media circus camped out at the bookstore.”
“Is there anything I can do?” Brody asked.
“No, but thanks.” She handed him her phone. “Read this message.”
He read her mom’s text in disbelief, and then Cara brought up another from her dad.
Brody swore. No wonder she was so sad at the Bay View House.
“This has to stop.” He couldn’t call Caitlin, so he typed a text.
Cara covered his hand with hers. She tilted her head toward the two men in the front seat. “Not now.”
Brody didn’t want to upset her, so he put away his phone. Doing that made him feel useless. He didn’t mind taking care of the O’Neal sisters, but this was beyond him now. Caitlin wasn’t thinking straight. Each time she spoke to the media, she put him and Cara into a worse position. Not even a security team could protect Cara from her sister’s lies.
Caitlin’s actions made him question her motives. The way Cara had from the beginning. He’d been too stupid to listen, but now…
Caitlin was no longer acting like a person wracked by anxiety and in a panic. This was a carefully orchestrated PR campaign to destroy her twin sister in order to save her reputation and movie opening. It was wrong on so many levels. Brody had a tough time comprehending what she’d done.
But he knew one thing.
The person being interviewed and spouting these lies was different from the woman who’d worked to make them stars. She was someone unrecognizable to the Caitlin he’d grown up with and loved.
Was this desperation? Love for Alek? A cry for help?
Something more had to be going on with Caitlin, but what? And what would it mean for Cara?