“What has Mom done to you now?” Michael felt that the animosity between his wife and mother had lessened over the five years of their marriage, but Kimberly was never satisfied.
“Nothing today, but I’m waiting and I don’t like your tone.”
“What tone?”
“That tone suggesting your mother hasn’t hated me from the first day she met me. She lives for making my life miserable.”
Michael laughed, but quickly shut up when Kimberly glared at him. He knew her agreeing to live in his parents’ home was a sacrifice she was making out of love for him. He tried to make it better for her by giving her everything else she wanted. “Honestly, Kimberly, I think my mother has more on her mind than hating you. Besides, Leigh is coming home. Mother has her favorite punching bag back.”
Kimberly hadn’t thought of much else. Now that Leigh was home, her inevitable clashes with Janet would give Kimberly some breathing room. Kimberly would never forget the saccharine smile on Janet’s face when she first met her. The second Michael left the room Janet threatened to destroy her if she was lying about Michael being the father of her children.
Destroy? Kimberly had never heard someone use that word before but that was what Janet did. She destroyed anyone she didn’t like and she hated Kimberly. She hated that Michael had to marry Kimberly because in the Chase family, there were no out of wedlock children. “Bastards” was the word Janet used, but Kimberly knew Janet had no problem with children of divorce and the woman was just waiting for the day Michael would cut Kimberly loose. That day was never going to come because Kimberly knew Michael loved her and she would never, ever let him go.
“Still,” Kimberly argued. “It’s another woman who thinks she has more claim to this sacred land than I do.”
Michael gently touched her cheek with the back of his hand. Kimberly looked at him with love in her eyes and he knew he could convince her of anything. “Remember what I told you. We have the only grandchildren, and you’re their mother. That gives you power, so use it.” Michael planted a tender kiss on her cheek, loving the silky smooth feel of her flawless skin. “You’re a great mother. Of all she tries to throw at you, she can’t say anything about that. Use your strength.”
Kimberly knew she had found a god among men when she met Michael Chase. Every word that came out of his mouth made her want to win, succeed and get what was hers. He encouraged her in a way that she’d had no faith men ever could. He made her feel that everything could be hers; should be hers. Her absent father, abusive brother, her pimp and every other man in her life had made her believe men like Michael didn’t exist. But he did and he was hers. Just like everything else would be as soon as…The center of attention came into her sight. Janet Chase entertaining a circle of L.A.’s best; perfect in every way.
Standing at the doorway of her house, Leigh almost believed that it seemed bigger than when she left it just a year ago. From where she stood, you couldn’t imagine it was anything but perfect on the other side. Leigh took another deep breath.
“Do you want me to…” Earl was carrying some of her suitcases, placing them at the door. He looked at her, puzzled.
“What did Mom say again? Just a quiet dinner, right?”
“That’s what she said. They wanted you to have time to calm down. That’s why they didn’t meet you at the airport.”
“All right,” Leigh said, stepping aside as Earl opened the door.
Her eyes widened and she almost fell back as she was greeted with a room full of people yelling, “Welcome back!”
She stood stunned as Janet rushed to her with a warm smile and wide-open arms. Emotion took over at the sight of her mother and she hugged her so tight, neither of them could breathe.
“My baby.” Janet looked her over, loving her perfection and overwhelmed by the only assurance of her daughter’s safety she would accept: seeing her with her own eyes.
“What…” Leigh couldn’t find words when Steven approached. God, how she missed her daddy. He was almost like an apparition.
“My angel.” Steven spoke with a strained voice.
“I’ve missed you so much, Daddy.”
Janet couldn’t hold back the tears. All the nights worrying and wondering were finally over. It had almost been too much to bear. “You can’t say you didn’t know?” she asked, seeing Leigh’s amazed face. “You had to be suspicious about us not picking you up.”
“I thought…I thought you meant what you’d said. You wanted to give me rest.”
“There’s plenty of time to rest.” Janet’s instinct led her hands to Leigh’s short hair, smoothing it out as she hugged her brothers. Her family was back together again. Well, almost. She pulled Leigh away from her brothers. “You have to say hello to your guests.”
Leigh grabbed Carter by the shirt, pulling him close. “What’s the radar?”
Carter leaned forward, whispering. “Mom and Dad have the most prestigious medical practices here to woo you. I think a couple of rich bachelors were added to the pot.”
Rolling her eyes, Leigh mouthed a thank-you as she allowed her mother to drag her toward the waiting crowd. “Mom, where’s Haley?”
Haley cringed as she heard Jack singing in the bathroom. She would have to talk to him about that one day. On the other hand, it didn’t matter. She didn’t plan on keeping him around much longer.
Rolling over on the bed to retrieve her watch, she noticed his wedding ring placed right next to it. She thought of his wife and their kids and wondered for a second if it was weird that she felt no guilt. Haley never felt guilt, but she would fake it sometimes to get sympathy, something she wanted or just to keep everyone from thinking she wasn’t human. Leigh had always told her there was something wrong with her because she felt no remorse, but Leigh was weak and…
“Jesus!” Hopping out of bed, Haley yelled to Jack while she jumped into her clothes wondering how she’d managed to let the time get away with her again and again. Jack wasn’t that good.
Jack rushed in with nothing but a towel around his waist. “What is it?”
“I was supposed to be home hours ago! My sister is…Mom is gonna kill me.” Standing there, he suddenly looked like a fool to her. “Will you hurry up? Let’s go.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll be back on land in twenty minutes.”
“Well, do it!” After he was gone, Haley stopped a moment to calm down and think of what lie she could come up with to get out of this one. It wasn’t going to be easy. Leigh was the angel and upsetting her brought on Daddy’s wrath. She would have to use her mother against him. But what was the excuse going to be?
Stepping out onto the deck, Haley tried to think of an excuse that could make her forget an event she promised to be at. Chase family events were priority number one. It pissed her off, the whole family thing. It was so fake, but her mother held on to it like it meant everything. Jack wasn’t worth this, she told herself. She saw a challenge, an adventure, and went for it, no care for the consequences. She heard Leigh’s “I told you so” ringing in her ears and part of her didn’t want to show up at all. That would be something, wouldn’t it? She loved her sister and missed her, but she loved stealing the spotlight even more.
She calmed down, taking a seat and a deep breath. Off in the distance, she noticed a boat that seemed to be still. Reaching under the seat to grab the binoculars, Haley watched with interest as she saw the two men arguing. Then, without warning, one man pulled out a gun and shot the other, just as he seemed to be reaching