Chapter 40 Pine Shallows #2
Evan shook his hand and looked down at me. “Talkin’ shit about me, sis?”
I rolled my eyes and pushed his arm off me. “Nope.”
“I’m sure. Anyway, it’s just us and Mom tonight. Elliot has some shit he had to do apparently, and before you ask, I have no idea what it is. Probably his new girl if you believe what Mom says.” He held up both hands in defense.
“Aren’t you two joined at the hip? How’d he escape you?” I asked jokingly, but Evan’s face grew somber.
“I don’t know, Em. He’s been weird for the last couple of months. I don’t know what his deal is. I only really see him at the ranch with Uncle Howie, and even then, he shows up, works, and bails out. Mom swears it’s his new girl, but I haven’t even met her, which is…odd.”
He closed the front door, and we started walking into the living room with him.
I looked back at Wyatt to see what he thought of Evan’s comment, but he said nothing.
His face was completely unreadable. I swallowed and rubbed my palms against my jeans.
I didn’t like this—the feeling that he knew something that I didn’t.
On the other hand, I trusted him, and with how I was feeling right now, I needed to trust in that fact—nothing else mattered. I just needed to confront my mom, and see how much she knew about what Bennett was involved in.
Thinking of the Devil, Mom walked out of the kitchen in one of her favorite floral dresses.
This one was a halter-top with baby blue flowers and a flowy skirt.
Her matching baby blue pumps felt ridiculous on the carpeted floors, but she seemed pleased to see us, so I wasn’t going to push my luck by making a joke about her shoes on this carpet that looked to be older than me.
“Hello darling, and Wyatt,” she said, her voice just as peppy as her smile. “I hope you’re both hungry. I made a roast for dinner. Well”—she shrugged—“Evan made the roast. I just made the sides. But the meat is from your uncle, so all local to you both, which makes it feel fancier, I think.”
Wyatt smiled his normal, charming boyish smile that spoke of years of dinners with his mom’s friends and being the sweet, quiet brother.
Thankfully, there wasn’t much talking before we all sat down to eat—my mother at the head of the table, Evan on one side of her, and Wyatt and I on the opposite side.
Food was passed around, small talk was made, and the entirety of it, I couldn’t stop bouncing my leg beneath the table clothed furniture.
Sweat was literally dripping down my back, and no matter how much water I drank, my throat stayed tight, my mouth continued feeling as dry as the Sahara.
Wyatt’s hand eventually slid over to my leg, giving my thigh a squeeze while we locked eyes—the communication was simple. Chill the fuck out, and maybe I’ll tie you up later.
Was that exactly what he was thinking? Who knew, but it’s what I was going to be running with while I took a few deep breaths and shoved this damn roast in my mouth.
“So, Ember, how’s work been?” Evan asked when there was a lull in the conversation.
“Oh, um, well busy with the autumn season in full swing now. Lots of pumpkin-flavored type things.” I shrugged and gave him a forced smile.
We hadn’t brought up work yet because that would mean diving into where my anxiety lied, and I wasn’t ready.
But the meal was winding down, and it was now or never.
Wyatt gave me an encouraging smile, and I let out a breath.
“Actually, I need to talk to you about something. Well, Mom, but might as well bring Evan into the conversation too.” I blew out a deep breath while they both stared at me.
Mom set down her silverware, dabbing her mouth with her cloth napkin before setting it back in her lap, her full undivided attention on me.
“I received a call a few months ago from my accountant and one from someone who works at my bank, letting me know there had been some weird activity with my credit report.” My gaze dropped down to my hands in my lap, my fingers fidgeting relentlessly.
“After some digging, it seemed that someone was taking out loans and credit cards in my name, racking up a lot of debt, and then bailing on it.”
“Oh my god, Em. What the fuck?” Evan exclaimed, the shock clear on his face. “Did you call the cops?”
I nodded. “Yeah, yeah of course. The detective was honest with me. Said these cases are hard to pursue unless I know who’s behind it.
So that’s when I hired Wyatt. A friend recommended him with his background in cyber security and whatnot, and he said he’d see what he could find out.
I just wanted a lead so I could take it to the detective.
It was messing with my business accounts by that point and…
” I trailed off, letting out another breath before I started crying in this horrid house.
“She was under a great deal of stress,” Wyatt cut in, giving me a much-needed break.
“Well, what were you able to find?” Mom asked. I couldn’t read her face right now. She looked concerned, but there was also a lack of shock on her face, like Evan possessed right now.
“I tracked the most recent stuff to an offshore bank account and lost it there.” He glanced over at me, and I gave him a small nod. “But the earlier activity I tracked back to one person. Actually, someone here, at this address.”
My gaze shot to his. This address? But that would mean…
“He’s living here?” I whispered the question, but all my attention was directed at my mother.
“Is who living here?” she shot back, her eyebrows raised, and her lips parted in shock—it was dramatic, but at least it was a reaction.
“Bennett,” Wyatt responded, pulling out the folder with copies of the evidence we’d collected. The evidence I’d never looked over because it didn’t dawn on me that I truly should read everything Wyatt had put in there.
Even when he’d said the mail was at the same address, it hadn’t clicked. Not truly.
My mother stared at the unopened folder, not moving a muscle. I thought about opening it myself, throwing the papers in her emotionless face, maybe we could read it together, but before I could, Evan reached across the table and opened it himself.
I watched my brother grow angrier and more confused as he flipped through the paperwork, and a sense of numbness started sinking into my bones.
“I don’t understand. Mom, did you know about this?” Evan asked. “The earlier cards he got were sent here, to this address? I thought Dad just got home a few weeks ago.”
“He did. He comes and goes, you know that. I don’t open his mail. I just set it in a pile for him when he gets back.” She shrugged again, a shade of indifference coating her voice that made me want to scream. This was the tone she normally used with me, now out in the open for everyone to see.
Growing up, she was never short with me when my brothers were around. Only when they were busy or outside, or in their rooms. Never in front of the rest of our family though.
“He let my bakery get burned down with Wyatt and me inside of it.” I didn’t yell or throw anything like I’d planned to in my mind. In fact, my voice was very level and even-keeled. Some would even say emotionless felt like a good descriptive word for how my tone sounded.
The table went silent, and everyone except Wyatt stared at me, mouths agape.
“What do you mean, he let your bakery get burned down, Ember? That is a serious allegation, even for an absent father like my husband.”
I scoffed and shook my head, my head dropping back as I stared up at the dining room light. I breathed through the tears that threatened to spill over my lashes. I wouldn’t fucking cry here—not now, not ever.
“Bennett has involved himself with a less-than-savory crowd. A group of men who work out of Sapphire Cove. One of them approached Ember a week or so ago, telling her they were looking for her father, and that if he didn’t get in touch with him soon, they’d be back for her instead.
She tried to get a hold of him, as you know, but couldn’t.
They came back, broke in, and set the entire downstairs aflame.
We had to climb out the fire escape to get out of the building safely,” Wyatt explained.
My mother said nothing, but Evan appeared to still be wrapping his head around what was happening.
“You knew she needed to get a hold of Dad, and you didn’t help her?” Evan asked. When he received no response, his wide eyes turned back to me. “Why didn’t you ask me?”
“I didn’t want you involved if you didn’t have to be,” I whispered.
Evan shook his head in clear disbelief. “Wait, what men?”
I could see Wyatt’s mind spinning, weighing the options of fully explaining what we knew, but whatever he saw in Evan’s eyes must’ve appeased him.
“Broderick,” he said plainly.
Evan’s face paled, but before he could speak, the back door opened and a voice filled the house.
“Dad? Ya here? Listen, I’m not sure—” Elliot’s voice dropped off the moment he walked into the dining room and saw us all staring at him. “Oh, hey guys. Forgot you were having dinner tonight.” His eyes turned to Mom, and she shook her head.
“He isn’t home, Elliot. Would you like to have some dinner with us?” Mom asked.
His eyes darted around the table, taking in each of our expressions, until his gaze fell to the open folder with the documents spread across the table.
“Um, I don’t think so, Mom. Not feeling the best. I think I may go lie down for a bit. Try to get a hold of Dad.” Elliot walked out of the room without another word and down the hall.
“He’s living here and has a working number? That must be nice. I thought Evan and he had gotten a place together?”
Evan looked as if he were going to speak, but Mom glared at him before her gaze returned to me. “I think that’s enough for this evening. I’ll see you in a few days for lunch, Ember.”
I leaned back in the chair, shocked being an understatement. “That’s it? I just told you your husband almost got me killed, and you don’t want to discuss it any further? You’re looking at my brothers as if they need to shut up, and you’re telling me to leave?”
I laughed—I couldn’t stop it if I tried.
“This is all so fucking ridiculous. You’re never going to change.
You’ll defend him until your dying breath, even when the proof is sitting in front of your face.
” I shook my head, the anger overcoming any sense of tears I may have had prior.
“You know, you mentioned you set his mail together for him? That mail? Would’ve been in my name, Mother, not his.
You knew he was stealing from me for months, and you said and did nothing. ”
I stood from the table as Wyatt gathered the folder together, and I looked over at Evan. “I’m here if you need me, Ev.” My gaze flicked over to my mother before it went back to him. “I’ll see you later.”
With that, I walked out and got into the SUV without a backward glance. My hands were shaking, and I felt as if I was going to be sick, but I’d done it. I’d put the evidence out there; now we just had to wait.