Wilde at Heart (Wilde Security, #3)(73)

“I’m not the one doing it,” he said and closed the door behind him, blocking out her sobs.





Chapter Twenty-Seven


Although returning to her sister’s house with Poe’s cage in hand and tears splotching her face felt a little—okay, a lot—like defeat, Shelby had no place else to go. So here she was, standing on the front stoop, praying she wouldn’t be turned away.

Eva opened the door and just stood there, unmoving, staring through the screen, disappointment in her eyes. How many times had this scene played out over the years? Dozens. She was the yo-yo sister, always bouncing back after a bad breakup or quitting yet another job.

God, she sucked at life.

Finally, Eva heaved out a sigh and stepped back. “I haven’t touched your room.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered and shut the door behind her. She set Poe’s cage in its usual spot on a table near the door. “It will only be for a few days this time. I’ll find my own place.”

“Ugh, that’s not the point, Shelby.” Exasperation in her every move, Eva scrubbed her face with both hands, dragged her fingers through her dark hair, and tugged on the strands. “You shouldn’t have lied to Reece. Shouldn’t have married him, knowing you were lying. Shouldn’t have made me make the choice between keeping your father’s identity a secret or telling my husband. You know how much that sucked?”

“I know. I’m so sorry. I hope you and Cam didn’t fight about it.”

“We did.” She dropped her hands to her sides and her shoulders slumped. “I just…I really wish you’d tell me the whole truth. It’s always lies and half-truths and it’s like walking through a minefield, waiting for one to blow up on me. I’m exhausted by it, Shelby. I don’t know how you aren’t.”

Shelby swallowed, trying to ease the tension in her throat. “I am. I’ve wanted to tell you everything so many times, but I couldn’t. Didn’t have a choice.”

“There’s always a choice.”

“Not really.” Sucking in a fortifying breath, she met her sister’s gaze. “For the past six years, I’ve been a snitch for the ATF. It was my information that put my father in jail.”

Eva blinked once. Again. She opened her mouth, but no sound emerged for a good thirty seconds. “Excuse me?”

“That’s why I had to lie to you. If anyone ever found out I was the one who snitched, I’d be dead.”

“Oh…Jesus Christ.” Eva paced away, hands carving into her hair again. She held it back from her face for a long moment, then let it drop and whirled around. “I’m not anyone, Shel. I’m your sister! You should have—”

The doorbell rang and they both froze.

“Are you expecting company?” Shelby whispered.

“No.” Eva slid over to where her coat was draped across the back of the couch, found her holster, and unhooked her gun. Then she moved soundlessly to the window and peeked out. Her spine straightened. “It’s that guy Mom had with her in Vegas.”

Shelby went to the window on the other side of the door. It was the same man, but now he was dressed in business casual—trousers, shirt, blazer, no tie—under a long trench coat. A scarf hung loosely around his neck, the ends flapping in the January wind. At his feet was a large cardboard box. He must have noticed her moving behind the curtain because he picked up the box and turned toward the window, tilting it to show her what was inside.

She gasped. “He has Reece’s laptop.”

Eva didn’t put away her gun, didn’t even bother hiding it as she opened the door. “Can I help you?”

He nodded once, a quick up-down jerk of the chin. “My name is Miles Weiss. We met briefly at your wedding.”

“I remember. Why are you here?”

He looked past Eva at Shelby. “I’m returning some things that belong to you.”

“How did you get them?” Eva demanded before Shelby had a chance to open her mouth.

Weiss push out a long breath. “It’s a complicated story.”

“We have time.”

He set the box down, nudged it forward with his foot. Eva didn’t so much as glance at it and crossed her arms over her chest.

Shelby bent down and did a quick inventory, her heart jumping into her throat when she opened a small padded envelope and found her ring. “Everything’s here.”

“Well?” Eva said.

Weiss smoothed a hand over his silver hair. “Listen, I was just doing my job. Your husbands are private investigators too. They know how it is.”

“You’re a PI?”

“Yeah, and I was hired to dig up dirt on her husband.” He motioned to Shelby with his chin. “First time I saw them together the night that coffee shop burned down—and after I watched the surveillance video before giving it to my client—I figured she was the best way to get close to him.”

“And you thought what better way to get close to her than through her mother,” Eva finished, her lip curling.

“Only I didn’t know how f*cking insane Katrina is,” Weiss said. “When I realized it, I broke it off. That afternoon, she shows up at my door with all this stuff, begging me to take her back, saying she can help me. Didn’t take long to figure out the laptop was hot, or who it belonged to.” He shook his head. “Batshit crazy woman.”