Part 22 (2/2)

”I already knew.” She nods when I gape at her. ”Father told me a while ago. He asked that I never mention anything to you, so I respected his wishes.”

”What?” Why am I the last to know everything? Unless ... ”Does Lily know?”

”Yes.”

Holy c.r.a.p. I just ... I don't understand why I'm always kept in the dark. I can't believe I let this eat me up inside when everyone already knew. G.o.d, I hate secrets. ”So you knew she was having an affair. And Daddy knew, too.”

Violet nods again. ”I guess the marriage wasn't good for a long time. Ever since ... after you were born, it went downhill fast.” She acts like it's no big deal, but her words are like a fierce blow to my stomach.

”Downhill fast?” Great. So it was my fault? I can't take this. May as well urge her on to blurt out her bad news. ”What were you going to tell me?”

”It can wait.” The smile she gives me is false. Bright and cheery, though her eyes are dim and dark. ”Let's talk about it another time.”

Meaning she doesn't want to make this conversation worse. Everything within me goes still. Now I must know. ”What is it?” I ask cautiously. It must be something else about Daddy. Or Pilar. Or maybe Daddy and Pilar. G.o.d, if they ran off and eloped I'm going to lose it. Completely lose it ...

Violet interrupts my thoughts, her voice soft but the words deadly.

”Your boyfriend is a thief.”

I stare at her for a moment, my brain trying to process what she just said. Caden and thief. The words together make no sense. None. I'm caught so off guard, I start to laugh, because I don't know how else to react.

”This isn't a laughing matter, Rose,” Violet says sternly, but her matronly tone only makes me laugh more. She's glaring at me, her mouth working, her jaw clenching. ”I'm serious!”

Okay. I need to straighten up before she smacks me. ”Oh, come on. You can't be for real, Violet. A thief? Really? Where did you hear that?”

She sniffs. ”I did a little investigating. So did Ryder. Talked with people who know Caden, or know of Caden. We share a lot of the same social circle. Or at least we used to, when we were younger. Turns out rumors have floated around him and his family for years.”

”What sort of rumors?” I sound snippy but I don't care. I already warned her I was grumpy.

”Did you know his father committed suicide?” Violet asks abruptly.

I blink, startled at the harshness in her tone. ”Yes. He told me about his dad.” I send her a look. ”I would think you'd be a little more sympathetic considering our mother did the same thing.”

She ignores my remark. ”His father was an investment banker and stole from his clients. They were going to bring criminal charges against him. A few civil suits had already been filed when he took his own life.”

”I already know this. He told me everything.” I turn off my iPad and leave it on the edge of her desk, frustrated.

”Did he tell you that he and his mother were left with nothing after his father's death? Not even the life insurance would pay out, because they don't on suicides.”

”What does that have to do with anything?” I lean forward in my chair, imploring her with a look. ”Are you purposely trying to rile me up? Disappointed that you haven't shocked me yet with all of Caden's so-called secrets?”

Violet doesn't even acknowledge my remark. ”We went to the same private school, Caden and I. We were in the same grade. I knew he was familiar-I just couldn't place him, not that I really knew him. Lily remembered him, though.”

”Lily?” Say what? ”What does she have to do with any of this?”

”She had an interesting story to tell me. Remember when she said she lost Mom's diamond earrings? Father gave them to her for her sixteenth birthday and then they went missing. She said she lost them at some party and they got into a huge fight over it?”

I have no idea what Lily and her earrings have to do with Caden. ”Sure,” I say weakly. I remember an argument. Missing earrings. But that was typical Lily. She was so careless. She still is.

”She didn't lose them. They were stolen. She just didn't know how to tell Father, so she lied and said she lost them.” Violet pauses and I swear she's enjoying this roundabout storytelling method of hers. ”She said Caden Kingsley stole those earrings. Mom's earrings.”

Frowning, I slowly shake my head. ”And you believe her?” This makes absolutely no sense. ”This is crazy. She doesn't know Caden.”

”Yes. She does. She remembers him from high school because he had a crush on her and she knew it. But he was younger and she wasn't interested in anyone who couldn't get her booze or drugs back then.” Violet rolls her eyes and I want to slap her, I swear to G.o.d. ”They were at a party together years ago and she said they ... hooked up. She was drunk or whatever and pa.s.sed out. When she woke up, the earrings were gone.”

I go cold inside. Like iceberg-freezing temperatures blowing through me, making me s.h.i.+ver. ”They hooked up? What exactly does that mean?”

Violet shrugs. ”You know Lily. The term could mean anything. Plus, she said she pa.s.sed out, so she's not exactly sure what happened between her and Caden. She does know they kissed, though. She remembers that at least.” She makes a little face, the one that says, and you're having s.e.x with a guy who possibly had s.e.x with our big sister.

I know she's thinking that because I'm thinking that.

Maybe he only kissed her. Funny, though, how Caden never mentioned it to me. Not that I'd expect him to say, ”Yo, I kissed your sister once,” but he's never said anything about knowing Lily. I would think that should come up in one of our pa.s.sing conversations.

”She has no proof he stole those earrings, right? She was drunk or high and pa.s.sed out. It could've been anyone who took them from her.” Why would he do such a thing? And even if he did, one time doesn't make him a thief.

Or maybe he was a teenage thief. He probably grew out of it. It might've been some sort of reaction to his father dying. Kids do crazy things when they lose their parents; they react in all sorts of nonsensical ways. Violet sort of lost it when we were teens. Well, she had reason to lose it with that jerk she trusted who attacked her, but still.

”It's not just what he did to Lily, Rose. It's what he's been doing for years. He travels all over the place and steals from the wealthy. Usually jewelry.”

I'm incredulous. Even if it were true, how in the world could she know this? ”You're making this up.”

”Ryder's asked around. You know his past is ... shady.” She makes a face, but I know how she really feels. Pretending she's disgusted by his rough past to me when secretly it's a huge turn-on for her. Ryder has an edge of danger that still clings to him, even when he's conducting meetings and representing Fleur in public appearances. The man is magnetic and people can look past the edge. Or cling to it. Whichever they prefer. ”He has connections. People who've given him information about Caden.”

”I don't believe it.”

Violet raises a brow. ”You should. Ryder wouldn't come to me with this information if he hadn't confirmed it. He cares for you and doesn't want to see you get hurt.”

”So what you're saying is Caden could hurt me.”

”No, what I'm saying is Caden is a known criminal and it's only a matter of time before he gets caught and is thrown in jail.” She looks at me. Really looks at me, as if she can see to the very depths of my soul, which she probably can because no one knows me like Violet. She's seen it all-the good, the bad, and the really ugly. ”If you care for him-and I think you do-then yes, he'll hurt you, Rose. He'll break your heart even if he doesn't mean to, because the things that he's doing will put you at risk. He steals from the rich.”

”And gives to the poor? Is he a regular Robin Hood?”

”Not even close. Well, he gives to the poor only because he is the poor. He has nothing.”

”If he's stealing expensive jewelry and using the money to live on, he has to have something,” I point out.

”Maybe he uses the money to finance his lifestyle. You have to admit, he certainly knows how to look rich. And act rich.”

He doesn't really dress expensively. His shoes are average; he doesn't own an expensive watch or ... anything, really. Yes, he came to the UK on a jet, but his friend is the owner of said jet, not Caden. ”He's not overly excessive.”

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