Page 27 of Unveiled

Chapter Fourteen

He deserved her withdrawal. Isn’t that what he wanted? No, not exactly, he just wanted her to have the space to decide what was best for her. But in true Rush fashion, he only knew one way to do things.

God knows getting involved with me isn’t best for anyone.He needed to evaluate his way of expressing himself. The last thing he wanted was to enter a relationship with her if it was just going to be more of the same. Was he even capable of anything else? He wanted more with her, but he didn’t know the first thing about getting more. Hell, he’d already pushed her away trying to process his feelings. Was the end what he was working toward subconsciously, just like with everyone else?

Rush felt ridiculous and confused. He knew his actions and indecision would only serve to hurt her and that was unacceptable. Her pulling away was the best thing…not for him, but for her. Not that he would let it be a permanent situation, but maybe the distance was best for now. That’s what he tried telling himself, anyway. Then why was he crushed that she was doing what he wanted?

Because she’s different.Rush would fix it later. There wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell he would pass up the opportunity to help slay her fucking dragons. Slaying took focus and that meant he couldn’t be learning relationship 101 right now. He vowed to make it up to her when this was all over. He just prayed she would allow that.

“Okay, start from the beginning.” Rush leaned back casually, hoping to put her at ease. If she could feel the tension radiating off of him, she’d clam up for sure. Without her noticing, he set his phone to record and placed it face down. He wanted to make sure every name was correct and detail perfect. He’d spoken with Mark multiple times and they had filled in a lot of blanks, but confirmation was key.

“Well, my last name is Winston.” Bingo, Mark was correct. In a way, he didn’t want him to be.

“My parents were Richard and Faye Winston of Winston and Family Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens.” Her gaze fell to her lap, and she picked at a piece of imaginary lint. She did that anytime she talked about her parents. That wound was still very raw and would be for a long time. Again, Mark had already figured all that out. The more she confirmed, the heavier his steak sat in his stomach.

“I was engaged to Dale Blankenship. Yep, those Blankenships.” She air quoted. No need to elaborate. That name was well known to just about anyone in the state. “Anyway, I caught him cheating and broke off the engagement. He didn’t take it well and put the pressure on. Not just me, but through his family and mine. I hadn’t told mine yet, because dad was grooming Dale to take over the business. It was going to devastate them. I gave in to one last dinner. Dale said it was a goodbye dinner and he’d accepted things, he just wanted to decide how to proceed.” Tatum started nervously bouncing her leg and looking around for an escape. She had such a hard time sharing face to face. Like he’d already learned, he took that fear away. Standing, he walked over and dropped a kiss on her forehead before rounding the chair and sitting on the deck.

Leaning back against the director style outdoor chair, he could still feel her body heat through the fabric. Her arm dropped low and dangled there for just a second before he reached over his opposite shoulder and held it.

“While we were out, there was a break in. Our home is on the same property as Winston and Family. Why someone would break into a crematorium or even our home is beyond me. It made no sense, but I was too overcome with grief to question anything.”

The pain radiating off of her almost broke him. “I’m so sorry, Babes.” Rush just held her hand, not sure if or when she’d continue.

“There are so many things that add up now, but at the time. . .Anyway, Dale was there through the worst of it. I didn’t have the energy to push him away, even though I didn’t consider us together.” Rush’s blood started to boil at the mention of his name yet again. He could also tell already how the maggot weaseled his way back into her life.

“When his father produced dad’s will, I had no reason to be suspicious. Our parents were friends and Cyrus did all our legal stuff. I was shocked that instead of leaving the business to me, it was listed to be a wedding present for us. According to Cyrus, dad had already started the paperwork for that and just added it to his will as a precaution.”

“And that was something your dad would’ve done. That type of thing, I mean?”

“At the time, I thought so, yeah. I mean, he adored Dale, and it was always assumed we’d take over the business and run it. But the more time passed, and the more Dale pushed for the marriage, the more I had my doubts.”

Rush hated to question her or push beyond her emotional capacity, but he needed answers. And not just for the investigation. So far, everything had been tracking with what they found, except the personal insight, and he was hoping that didn’t mean everything would.

“So, you married him out of necessity? To keep your family legacy.”

“Yes.” And there it was. The dull blade to his heart. “No, I mean, yes, I was going to marry him for that purpose, yes. After hearing him and his father’s drunken conversation after the rehearsal dinner, I knew I had to get away. They not only forged the will, which they practically said outright, but I’m pretty sure Dale arranged the break in that killed my parents. When I heard that, I decided I could come back and fight later, but marrying Dale would be a horrific mistake.”

Rush missed half of what she said because he was still focusing on the yes. A yes he couldn’t even fathom. She’d actually married the bastard. She insisted she didn’t to Mark and Charlie when they picked her up, and she also had to him repeatedly. But he’d heard the word from her own mouth and seen the proof with his own eyes.

Mark had attached the certificate of marriage in an email and he compared the signature to the grocery list she’d made for him to order the other day. Why didn’t I open that damn email yesterday before we made love?

Rush did what he did best and pushed down his feelings for the job at hand. Once he got into professional mode, he’d handle the Blankenships swiftly and precisely. Then she could have her life back and he could revert to his so-called life.

Tatum was musing about the funeral home when his brain checked back in. “I just don’t know why they want my dad’s business. It’s in the black and turns enough of a profit to live a decent life, but it’s never going to make anyone rich.”

“Think real hard, Tatum. What else can you tell me about Dale.” He spat the name out. It tasted like acid in his mouth.

“I don’t know. I know he’s had some scrapes with the law, minor, I think. Shit his dad smoothed over. He has a few friends he hangs with that I’ve never met. When he wasn’t around criticizing me, he was cheating or at the gym. I don’t know what to tell you. I’ve been in a haze ever since my parents were killed.”

“I’m sorry, but we need to push through this, okay?” Rush still held her hand over his shoulder and stared into the blue water of the pool. She let go, presumably to wipe her tears, and never dropped her hand back down. Rush felt the loss keenly. “What exactly did they say that lead you to believe they orchestrated the break in?”

“Cyrus was coming down on Dale about him not keeping it in his pants. He said his drugged-out friends left too much evidence around the funeral home, so he had to clean it up as usual. At first, I wasn’t sure what he meant, but Dale kept saying he had my dad snowed and that I was just being a bitch about the whole thing, but I’d get mine. I’m pretty sure Cyrus hit him then. It sounded like it. He told Dale not to lay a finger on me because they had enough Winston blood on their hands, they’d not add more. I knew what they meant, but my brain just rejected it I guess, because I told myself it was all about something else.”

Rush felt her body language change through his back and her voice dropped, adopting a male like tone. “Think, Dale, just think for a minute, will you? If the daughter turns up dead, too, we’ll be investigated. I can’t call in any more favors for you. So, you’re going to keep your dick out of anyone else until she’s pregnant. Then, everything will fall into place and you’ll be rid of her if you want, and you’ll have Winston and Family. Then you’ll be on your own and I can wash my hands of you.”

She shook off her Cyrus voice and then sounded terrified. “Dale asked how, and he said he’d already laid the groundwork if the need arose. They would say post-partum pushed me over the edge and I’d be locked up. Do you know what the man I was supposed to marry did? He giggled. Like a fucking schoolgirl. He giggled.”

Her pain mingled with anger and Rush couldn’t take the distance. Fuck it all, married or not, I won’t let her quiver there alone.

---