Once Kelly is gone, I turn back to Reid.
“My God…”
“I know, man. She is definitely a handful.” Reid pulls a handkerchief out of his pocket and wipes his forehead. “Anything you need. Don’t be afraid to ask or expense. We’re determined to do right by Kelly.”
“You know what her story is?”
Reid shakes his head. “Her therapy sessions are confidential. We get weekly reports from Macy but they only give us a bare minimum of information. She takes her doctor-patient confidentiality very seriously, as she should.”
“I get the feeling she was a mess before the whole island thing,” I say. “I met guys like her in the military. People who were fucked up before they got there. And man, we saw some fucked up things there, so I can’t even imagine what it did to those guys.”
“I doubt we’ll find out anytime soon. She’s not exactly a talker, as you’ve noticed.”
“Except to be nasty,” I say.
Reid nods. “Just be kind. That’s my best advice.”
“That hasn’t done so well so far.”
“No. But everyone deserves kindness, don’t you think? Especially any woman who suffered at the hands of my father and that horrible island.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“Why did your family decide to keep the island? I never quite understood that.”
Reid pauses a moment. “It’s a valid question, and the four of us talked a lot about it. But it’s prime real estate—”
I let out a chuckle. “You Wolfes. Always the businesspeople.”
“True, but let me finish.” He smiles. “Like I was saying, it’s prime real estate, and we thought we could reverse what happened there, or at least make up for it. Spin lead into gold, so to speak. Riley was very adamant about building a retreat center not just for the women who suffered but for anyone else who needs help. Where better to recuperate than on a beautiful South Pacific island? It’s also a great place for an artist retreat and colony, which was one of Roy and Charlie’s dreams. Rock and I, of course, wanted something that would make money for business, so we came up with the Wolfe Resort and Casino.”
“You have a lot of resorts and casinos in Vegas,” I say. “Plus one in Reno and two in Atlantic City, as I recall.”
He grins. “Doesn’t mean I don’t want more. But this one is going to be top-notch.”
“And the others aren’t?”
“You’ve been to our properties in Las Vegas,” he says. “Like I told you at the meeting, we’re opening soon. You, Buck, Aspen. We want you to be our guests. After a week at that resort? You tell me if the others are top-notch.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “It was a lucky day when Buck and I walked into your office, answering your call for security and investigation.”
“Are you kidding me? We were the lucky ones that day. You two have been invaluable to us. I can’t tell you how happy I am that Buck found love with one of my father’s victims.”
“Right? The two of them are amazing together. It’s like they just fit, you know?”
“I do know. Zee and I are exactly like that.” He glances at his watch. “Which reminds me, I have to get back. I promised Zee I’d be home at a reasonable hour tonight.”
“You got it. Never take your woman for granted, Mr. Wolfe.”
Reid wrinkles his brow. “Mr. Wolfe?”
“I don’t know. It just seemed like a Mr. Wolfe moment. Give Zee my best, and little Nora.”
“I will. Like I said, anything you need. Anything Kelly needs. You got it. No questions asked.”
“Thank you for this opportunity.”
He laughs then. “After a day with her, you’re thanking me?”
“Hey, I know what it’s like to deal with trauma. She’s going to be okay, Reid. It’s just going to take some time.”
“I know. We won’t rest until she’s okay.” Reid leaves the apartment, closing the door behind him.
These are some pretty nice digs, though I didn’t expect anything different from the Wolfe family. I can’t even imagine what the new resort on the island is going to be like. They certainly don’t do anything halfway. I’ve been to the Wolfe resorts in Las Vegas, and they put the others to shame.
Funny.
I was actually planning to take a trip home to Texas right after Buck and Aspen’s wedding, but this new assignment from the Wolfes takes precedence. I need to call my mom to let her know I’m not coming back. She won’t be happy, but what can I say? Reid Wolfe is paying me bank for this. Plus, Buck just gave up his honeymoon for the same thing, so she’ll understand.
I tap the phone and put it to my ear.
“Hello? Leif?”
“Hey, Mom,” I say.
“How are you? Is everything okay?”
“I’m fine. Buck is fine, and the wedding went off great. But the Wolfes gave us a new assignment.”
She sighs. “Which means you’re not coming home as planned.”
“I’m afraid not. But I will get home as soon as I can.”
“I know you will, honey. Your father and I miss you a lot. So do your sisters.”
“I know. Tell Laney and Scarlett I miss them. I’ll be home as soon as I can. I’ll be in touch.”
“Okay, Leif. We love you.”
“Love you too, Mom. Bye.”
My dad is a rancher. He’s pretty successful in Texas. But not as successful as our neighbors, the Bellamys. They’re worth nearly a billion.
Someday, I’ll probably go out and take over for Dad. When the kind of work I do here isn’t feasible anymore. In other words, when I get too damned old and tired to do it.
But for now, I like it.
It keeps me fit. And I’m damned good at it.
I walk into the kitchen and open the door to the refrigerator. Reid wasn’t lying. It is fully stocked with milk, eggs, bacon, all kinds of cold cuts—from the deli, not the grocery store—a loaf of bread, lots of fresh fruit, even some pudding cups.
I wander through the rest of the kitchen, opening cupboards and finding all the dry staples and a lot of canned goods as well.
In the freezer, I find a couple whole chickens, a bag of chicken breasts, several steaks, a couple pounds of ground beef, and a pork roast.
Too bad I’m not much of a cook.
Then my gaze falls on a book entitled Cooking for Bachelors.
I laugh out loud. Good old Reid.
He and Rock are great guys. How they came from someone as evil as Derek Wolfe is beyond me.
I take out the pork roast and set it to thaw in the sink. I have no clue how to make pork roast, but it can’t be that difficult.
As I leave the kitchen, my doorbell rings, so I walk toward it and take a look through the peephole.
Then I open the door to greet Buck and Aspen.
“So, the new digs?” Buck says.
“Yep.”
“Aspen and I are going to be staying here as well, but we have a two-bedroom suite on the eighth floor.”
“Oh you do?” I raise my eyebrows. “Why, when you’ll only be using one bedroom? Must pay to be married. What happened to the posh honeymoon suite at the Waldorf?”
Aspen smiles. “We can have our mini honeymoon here. It’s actually really nice. We were wondering if you’d like to join us for dinner.”
I gesture to the sink. “I just took a pork roast out of the freezer.”
Aspen giggles.
“What?” I say.
She eyes the still frozen roast. “Dinnertime is in a couple of hours. The roast won’t even begin to thaw by then.”
“For a guy who was raised on a ranch,” Buck says, “you don’t know shit about meat.”
“I come from a very traditional household,” I tell them. “My mom never let any men in the kitchen.”
Aspen rolls her eyes. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I’m not. You’d actually like my mom. She’s an amazing woman. Smartest woman I know and a hell of a cook.”
“I’m sure she is,” Aspen says. “But you need to learn how to take care of yourself.”
“Reid left me a cookbook in the kitchen.”
“Or you can just order takeout on the Wolfes’ expense account,” Buck says.
I laugh. “I’m sure I’ll be doing my fair share of that as well.”
“But tonight,” Aspen says, “you’re going to join us. Buck, who can cook, by the way, is making his mother’s famous lasagna.”
I narrow my eyes at Buck. “You cook? Other than putting melon on skewers?”
“I never told you that?”
“Nope. I guess we had other things to talk about in the trenches.”
“Come up around seven thirty.” Aspen shoves a stray lock of short hair behind her ear. “You know what? Come up around six. We’ll have a glass of wine, talk.”
“About what?”
“About how you and Buck screwed up my honeymoon.” Her expression is stern, but then she laughs.
She’s kidding.
Aspen is an amazing woman, and Buck is a lucky man.
Then something occurs to me. Like a lightbulb going off in my head.
“You mind if I bring a guest?”
“No. My lasagna is always enough to feed an army. Or the two of us.” Buck laughs.
“I’m serious. What if I invited Kelly?”
Aspen drops her jaw. “Seriously?”
“She’s a mess,” I say. “She’s not my idea of a good time either, but it’s kind of what I’m paid to do. Make sure she’s taken care of. I don’t know, Aspen. Maybe you can get through to her.”
“I don’t even know her,” Aspen says. “We didn’t talk on the island. None of us did. Katelyn and I only got to know each other once we got here to New York.”
“You said you and Katelyn used to watch TV while you were on the island.”
“We did. That doesn’t mean we talked. Katelyn and I and Onyx—I think her real name is Serena—used to watch old reruns in the common room. But we were rarely joined by any of the others.”
“So you’re saying you’d rather I not invite her?” I ask.
“I’m not saying that,” Aspen says. “I feel for Kelly. I truly do. But she’s…different. I mean. can you imagine? Being envious of the other girls when they were chosen instead of her? None of us wished any ill upon the other while we were there, but when we weren’t chosen? It felt like a reprieve. There was no reason to get envious. There was plenty of reason to feel sorry for those who were chosen.”
“My wife speaks the truth.” Buck moves behind her and touches her shoulders.
“I know. But someone has to get through to this woman.”
“She has Macy for that,” Aspen says. “Your job is to make sure she’s protected from Brindley or whoever’s threatening her.”
“Do you really think it’s Brindley?” I ask.
“I don’t know Brindley or Kelly,” Aspen says. “From what I remember about Brindley, she seemed like a normal woman. She wasn’t there for very long. Only a couple of months until we were rescued.”
“Maybe I should talk to Brindley,” I say.
“Maybe,” Buck agrees. “But Aspen should go with you.”
I point to my friend. “Why don’t you come with me?”
“Because two big guys like us talking to a woman who was subjected to abuse and torture at the hands of other big men like us is not the best idea.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I should’ve thought of that.” Buck’s muscles are nearly as big as mine. Of course he’d say his are bigger.
“It’s okay that you didn’t,” Aspen says. “You and Buck are such great guys, and you would never even think of hurting a woman. I’m sure it’s difficult for you to understand that others live for that kind of shit.”
“You’re right.” I let out a sigh. “All right, Aspen. Maybe we can talk to Brindley tomorrow. In the meantime… About Kelly and tonight?”
“Fine,” Aspen says. “Invite her. My guess is she won’t come anyway.”
“She may not, but I’ve got to try.”
“Good enough. We’ll see you at six.”
“Which apartment number on the eighth floor?”
“Apartment 810,” Buck says. “See you in a few hours.”
I shut the door behind them, head back in my kitchen, and replace the pork roast in the freezer. I glance at the cookbook and roll my eyes. No time for that now. Besides, my dinner is taken care of for tonight.
But first, I have to see Kelly.
And invite her to dinner.