“She and I have a few things to discuss. But I’ll keep her safe... I promise I won’t cut her up and stuff her in the suitcase she’s dragging around.”

“Knock it off!” Sophia yells and I hear a smack. I think she hit him. At least I hope that’s what happened, and not the other way around. “Give me the fucking phone.”

“No, sit down,” he says to her.

“Don’t push me away, give me the phone,” Sophia steams.

“Listen, Cove. Your wife’s a feisty bitch so I can’t talk long.” I hear another struggle for possession of the phone. “But, I want to ask you something,” he pauses. “Sophie, listen to me and sit your ass down!” he shouts. There’s silence and then the phone is muted. I wait, nervously... he better not lay a finger on her. “Cove,” he’s back. “How does it feel to lose something so precious from your life? Do you appreciate her more now that she’s gone?”

It sounds like Soph fights for the phone once more, and then the first message ends.

Thank God it’s Sophia’s gentle and affectionate voice on the line the second time.

“Cove, I’m fine. Don’t worry, okay? I need to talk to the bastard before he leaves town, but I promise I’ll be home soon. Sorry if he caused a scene at the Scarlett.” The phone cuts out and I run my hand down my face. What the hell just happened?

“Was it her?” my father asks as he and my mother enter the office. “Is she alright?”

“She told me not to worry,” I whisper. “And that she’d be home soon.” I call Marcus’s number but it goes straight to voicemail.

“Do you know where she is?” my mother steps forward and touches my arm.

“No.”

“Well then, we need to be on our way to search every hotel parking lot in this city for his car. I’ll drive,” she says. “I’m sure this guy told her what to say. We’re getting her. Now. I want her home and in safe hands, along with my grandbaby.”

I stare straight ahead in a daze, my parents waiting for a response as my mother tugs on my arm.

“Cove?” my father questions my silence. “Come on.”

My cell rings, pulling me out of confusion and back to reality. It’s Marcus.

“If you lay a hand on my wife, I’ll kill you.”

“Touch your wife?” he laughs. “I’m not going to touch your wife, Cove. What, you mean like finger her or fuck her, or something like that? Jesus, that would be... let me use a woman’s term for it... icky. She’s beautiful and all, but I’m not into that kind of taboo shit.”

“What do you mean by that? Hell Marcus, just put her on. I want to talk to her.”

“Can’t, she’s taking a piss. Anyway, the reason I called was to congratulate you again on your kid. Fuck, I thought you were just kidding that night in the elevator in order to save yourself. The old, my wife’s pregnant so please don’t kill me, trick. There really is a new Jameson coming into this world?”

“Everton,” I say.

“Hmm, okay. Whatever. I’ll be dropping your wife off at the penthouse in a of couple hours,” he pauses. “Man, I love these games. This is fun, isn’t it? Too bad it all has to end. So... congrats on knowing how to breed like all the other good little rabbits in this world, and I hope you have many more, and remember to name one of them Mark, after me. Okay?”

“What?” The word passes out of my mouth in a ghostly puff of air.

“Hell, you’re not very bright, are you? My sister married a moron. But, that would make sense ‘cause women tend to marry their fathers, and our father was an idiot.”

“Wait, what did...” and with that, he’s gone. I call back but it goes to voicemail. “Oh my god,” I exhale. “Oh fuck,” I pace. “Son of a bitch, I can’t believe that bastard was in my face for two days and I didn’t even know it was him.”

“Who? What happened?” my parents ask.

My legs are jelly as vomit rises from my stomach. “Like father, like son,” I whisper. “He’s Mark Jameson... Sophia’s brother.”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

“I need a moment alone,” I request after listening to my parents, up in arms over how deranged Marcus... Mark is. They’re cautious, and my mother still wants to find what hotel they’re in, but for now all I want is a second to catch my breath... and drink.

They finish cleaning the bar and back rooms while I sit in my office chair, with my desk drawer open and a bottle of bourbon staring back at me. My splints tap the wooden desk creating a ricochet of echoes in the empty lounge below. With clouded thoughts and my body, heart, and mind all numb, I open the bottle and swallow my medicine. Man down. I’ve just disappointed everyone in my life, but do I really give a shit that Soph will be upset about the liquor? I don’t know. Something tells me I should be angry with her, yet she did nothing wrong. She had no idea the person who I called Marcus was her brother.

Or did she?

She mentioned the name Marcus Wild sounded familiar. What the fuck is that about?

A mouthful of bourbon travels down my throat and warms my stomach. I realize another Jameson has wrestled me to the ground. Paul sexually abused me, and then he set me up to create porn with his son? How sick is that? And now I’m married to his daughter? Goddamn, I’ve been with all three of them sexually. I can’t believe this shit.

“Cove!” my father yells. “What’s the plan? We’re finished down here and walking in circles, waiting.”

I push away from my desk, take another swallow of bourbon and enter the darkened stairwell, then down to the bar.

“What are you doing? Damn it, you’ve been so good,” my mother declares. “Put it down.”

I open a bottle of beer and walk toward the back door. “We’re going to Haverty’s.”

“What about Sophia?” my mother asks as my father takes his keys from his jacket pocket.

“She said she was fine. I’m supposed to trust her, right? What the hell is she gonna do, take off with her brother, hang out in Vegas, and work for Jameson Industries? I doubt it. Mark terrorized me, and if she leaves with him, then fuck her. But that’s not going to happen unless she’s been lying to me since day one, and if that’s the case, she can go.”

“Cove!” my mother yells.

“Well? Are we really going to drive to every hotel in the city? What the fuck? I love her to death, and believe me, it’s killing me that she’s not here, but I have to believe the message she left is the truth. She’s okay. If she was with someone she didn’t know we’d already be out that door searching for her, but she’s talking to her asinine brother, probably about his business, their father, and family shit.” I chug the beer and my father snatches it out of my hand and slams it on the bar.

“Get in the fucking car,” he says on his way out. “And don’t take that tone with your mother.”

I follow them into the rain with my head hanging low while checking for Haverty’s address on my phone.

“Where does he live?” my father asks as he unlocks the doors of the Escalade.

“His file on my cell says South Dorene Avenue, house number thirty-four, but that can’t be right.”

“We’ll see soon enough. Why did you decide to check on him anyway?” he asks.

We pull out and I stare at the raindrops rolling down the window. “I’m worried about him, for one. It’s not like him to take off. Plus, Mark’s been fucking with my head. He asked why I’ve never been to Haverty’s house, and he also said he was trying to teach me a few things about life; that I needed to be a man and take care of my family and friends. He was trying to tell me something in his own sick fucked up way. Challenging me, perhaps.”

“I don’t understand,” my mother says. “He was testing you? Why?”

“I’m only guessing right now, but when I think about my interactions with him, I’d say his strategy was to get me to have a look at what’s important in my life.”

“So he’s like the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Yet to Come?” my mother asks.