Say It Again (First Wives, #5)(70)

“Your late mother-in-law was Sasha’s benefactor. The headmistress would have known that. Charlie might have overheard something.” Claire sat on the edge of a sofa.

“Or the headmistress sent the flowers using Charlie’s name because he can be trusted,” Cooper suggested.

“Too dangerous for the head of the school to warn a past student.” Neil took a few steps, turned, and took a few more. “I think you’re right, Claire. The flowers are a warning to Sasha. If the program is being shut down, what do the players that lose the most want?”

“Revenge,” Isaac said from the sidelines.

“Right. And punishment to those responsible.”

“Sasha didn’t do anything,” Claire stated.

“They were grooming you. She helped you escape.” Neil stared at her. “The warning is for both of you. They were sent here, which means someone knows where we are, or at least assumes going through Trina will get to Sasha.”

“I don’t like how that sounds, Neil,” Wade said.

“I like it even less since Sasha’s not here.” Neil looked to Jeb. “No more deliveries. We stop them at the gate.”

Trina moved to sit next to her husband. “I’m not going to be with Lori when she delivers the twins.”

“I’m sure Lori will understand.” Wade hugged his wife.

The room filled with silence as they all took in the weight of the threat.

Neil pointed at Claire. “You!”

She jumped.

“Anything to report on Amelia’s computer files?”

“No . . . I was, uhm—”

He pointed to a vacant computer. “Cooper said they’re in German. That puts them in your inbox.”

She had an inbox? “Okay.”

“Let’s get to work, people. I want answers before the sun sets.”



AJ sat beside Sasha, his arm draped over her shoulders while they finished a cup of coffee by the fireplace. Dinner had included wine and a surprisingly pleasant conversation with his father.

The longer they sat talking, the less he thought it was possible his dad had anything to do with Amelia’s death. Maybe it was Sasha being there, or maybe it was the fact that Amelia no longer could stop in for dinner, but the chill off his dad seemed to have thawed.

Sasha had bugged his mother to pull out a few early photo albums and giggled like a lovesick girl when images of AJ’s naked baby butt stared back at them. “How cute you were.”

“Hey, I’m still cute.”

Sasha did a little giggle squeak thing that he was associating with the Jennifer voice. She flipped to the back of the photo album and stuck out her lower lip. “That’s all?”

His mother sighed. “I could bore you with pictures all day.”

“I’m not bored. I love this kind of thing. My mom put all my baby pictures in storage and then didn’t pay the fees. I don’t have any pictures of me growing up.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” his mom said.

“Why don’t you show Jennifer some more? I’d like a word with AJ.”

Sasha glanced over her shoulder, kissed AJ on the cheek.

His mom stood, glanced at his dad, then put on a well-practiced smile.

“C’mon, Jennifer. I keep them upstairs.”

Sasha bounced a little too much. “I’d love to see pictures of AJ’s grandparents,” he heard Sasha say as they walked away. “I want to know what AJ’s going to look like when he’s old.”

Once they left the room, his father stood and motioned toward his study. “I want something stronger than coffee,” he announced.

AJ followed his father into his private space, closed the door behind him, and watched while Alex crossed to a shelf that housed books and a decanter filled with amber liquid. He poured two generous portions and handed one to AJ before taking a seat.

He sniffed the glass, took a sip. “I don’t think I’ve ever shared a brandy with you before.”

Alex lifted his glass into the air. “Past due.” He took a generous swig, studied the contents of the glass as if they held the meaning of life. “She isn’t what I expected,” he finally said.

“Jennifer?”

He swirled the liquid, didn’t look up. “I pictured tattoos and piercings. Purple hair, maybe.”

“I don’t deserve more credit than that?”

His dad glanced over his glass with a look that every parent perfected after the teenage years.

“Okay, fine. But I was never going to bring that girl home to meet my parents.”

He smiled. “I like her. Even if she seems a little young.”

AJ couldn’t help but wonder what his dad would say about Sasha. The real Sasha.

“Is that why you brought me in here, to tell me your views on Jennifer?”

The smile on his father’s face faded. He took another drink, tilted his head back as he swallowed.

“I’ve been a diplomat my entire life. Dealt with international crises without blinking an eye. I can ease tensions with a brandy and a smile when I need to, but damn if I didn’t know what to do with you.”

AJ sat back, let his father talk.

“Do you know where I was when I heard you’d stolen a car?”