Page 56 of Wicked Games

I look at Avery out of the corners of my eyes to gauge her reaction, but her face is smooth. Either she doesn’t think he’s handsome or doesn’t care that he is.

Dressed in a dark navy suit, a blood-red and navy blue striped tie knotted neatly at his throat, he commands attention. His brown hair glints in the sun, but the light doesn’t erase the sallowness of his skin or the worry that etched lines into his face. He’s thinking the same thing LaSalle told us.

Brooke’s dead.

It doesn’t seem right to be holding Avery, and I let her go and lean forward, giving my ex-wife’s lover all of my attention.

“I appreciate you coming out today,” Vale starts, a light breeze ruffling his hair. Tiredly, he swipes it out of his face. “Brooke and I have had a difficult few months, and it isn’t over. Theo’s kidnappers and murderer still haven’t been caught, and it has just come to our attention that the gun used in his death was also used to kill Hattie Maitland, the blogger who wrote The Luxe Report. While Brooke and I worked on Ashfield’s new community center, Hattie had become a dear friend, and we were shocked when we heard that she had been killed.”

“I guess that answers that,” Avery says.

“What?”

“That Brooke and Hattie were friends. But they must have met without Bill because he never said anything about it.”

I open my mouth to respond, but Vale continues and I don’t want to miss anything he has to say.

“I’d like to offer Hattie’s family my condolences. That being said, I’m speaking to you today to ask for your help. Brooke met friends for dinner two evenings ago and never came home.” Tears start to drip down his face and he doesn’t wipe them away. “The police don’t have any leads at this time, but I haven’t given up hope.” He pauses and clears his throat. “Please, if you happen to know anything, anything at all, I’m asking you to come forward. I miss my wife very much and I’ll do anything to have her back.”

“Oh,” Avery says softly, sounding just as surprised as I am. “They got married. Did you know?”

“No. LaSalle’s right. Nothing she did was my business. She wouldn’t have bothered to tell me.”

Vale opens up to questions, and the reporters ask a variety, from “Who was she having dinner with?” to “Has there been any progress made on Theo Lockwood’s murder?” but one question makes him pause. “Did Seth Lockwood know you and his ex-wife tied the knot? How does he feel knowing his billions are in your hands?”

“I’m not sure what you mean,” Vale says, narrowing his eyes.

“She walked away with four billion dollars, didn’t she? That’s yours now?”

“You’re implying I married my wife for her money, and that is a very callous and very dangerous thing to do. I’m done.” He turns and walks back into the courthouse.

Ashfield’s mayor steps up to the podium and begins his “We’re doing everything we can” speech, something I’ve been on the receiving end of too many times in the past four months.

I click the TV off. “I should call Violet. We might need some PR on this.”

Avery won’t meet my eyes and she picks up our coffee mugs and carries them into the kitchen.

I follow her. “What’s wrong?”

She sets the mugs in the sink and turns to me, her cheeks pale. “Did you really give her that much?”

I stand in front of her and lean against the island. “More. She took a bunch of land. Why?”

“I don’t know. I just— That’s so much money. Seth, how could you possibly believe that I’m— Forget it. You should go call Violet. I need to shower.”

Crowding her against the sink, I say, “That’s the thing about being wealthy, sweetheart. You don’t know, you can only hope, and after what I said to you, I’m lucky you’re even talking to me. I made our relationship about money when it was never about that.” I skim the backs of my fingers down her cheek. “You walked away from me yesterday, thinking, I bet, that I wouldn’t come after you. Planning to drive into the city and never see me again. You walked away, and besides Brooke, who I don’t think counts, you’re the only woman who has.”

“But—”

“I’ve known you for ten days, but I knew when we met that this would happen. I can’t be afraid to fall in love, Avery, or I’d be a very lonely man. All I can do is hope my heart doesn’t steer me wrong, okay?”

She sniffles, and the fact that she’s so worried about what I think her motives are mends something inside me.

“Okay. I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t do anything except care, and I appreciate that more than you can ever know. Do you want to meet up in a few hours?”

“Yeah, sure. There’s a crafts fair in town. We can see what’s going on and grab a bite to eat. Get some air.”