Garnet (Gems of Wolfe Island)

“Okay, then.”

“When do we leave?”

“Tonight. Six p.m. flight to LA.”

Good,” she says. “I’ll be able to see Katelyn.”

It’s nine p.m. Pacific time when I drive our new rental car to the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills. The Wolfes said to spare no expense, so I may as well put Aspen up in style. I booked two rooms, of course. I want her to be comfortable. I’m hoping she’ll stay with me, but if she chooses not to, I will support that decision.

We had dinner on the plane, and Aspen was surprised when we got first class seats.

“The Wolfes said to spare no expense,” I told her.

Her eyes widen when we walk into the ornate lobby of the hotel. “Look at that crystal chandelier!”

“The Wolfes said to spare no expense,” I say again.

“That’s kind of them. But this is ridiculous. Look at all the marble.”

“You deserve the best. They support you wholeheartedly in anything you want to do, baby. They’ve been good to all of the women.”

“They’re very kind. How could they…”

“What?”

She shakes her head. “How are they Derek Wolfe’s children? I don’t understand how one man can be so callous and satanic but have four children who are so amazing.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about the Wolfes,” I say.

“You mean they’re not amazing?”

“Oh, they’re amazing. It’s just they’ve all been to hell and back as well. They haven’t had the easiest lives.”

She wrinkles her forehead. “They have all the money they could ever want.”

“True enough. But money can’t buy everything, Aspen.”

“I know. I shouldn’t have said that. It was unfeeling.”

“You come from a modest background. So do I. I get it. There were times when I was young that I thought if only I had, you know, a hundred thousand bucks to my name, everything would be fine. Doesn’t work that way.”

“You’re right. It doesn’t. All the money in the world can’t erase what happened to me.”

“And there’s something else that can’t erase it.”

She nods. “I know that, Buck. We’ve been through this…how many times now? I understand that I don’t need this to heal. I want it.”

“I understand.”

And I do. I absolutely do.

I just know that, sometimes, getting what you want can make things worse.

32

ASPEN

I text Katelyn in the morning with my new phone.

I’m here in LA. Can I see you?

I watch as the three dots move.

I can’t believe you left Manhattan without telling anyone! I was so relieved when I heard from Buck that he had found you.

I’m really sorry I worried you. But we’re here.

We?

Buck and me. We’re here to do some investigation.

On what?

I want to find out who sold me to the island.

Nothing for a few moments. Then—

Are you sure?

You know who sold *you* out. I just want the same.

Again, no reply for a few moments. Until—

I understand. Of course I want to see you. How about lunch?

Okay. You pick the place. I don’t know anything in LA. I’m at the Peninsula Hotel.

Will do. I’ll text you with details. And…do you mind if I bring my fiancé?

My jaw drops. Fiancé?

It’s a long story. But I can’t wait for you to meet him.

Actually…

I don’t want to be rude. Katelyn is obviously bubbling with happiness and wants me to meet her man. But I need to talk to Katelyn about other things. Things I don’t really want to discuss in front of a stranger.

Then my text dings.

It’s okay. I understand. It’ll just be us girls.

I heave a sigh of relief.

Thank you. I do want to meet him. But I’m in town for another reason.

A long pause, until—

Are you sure you want to know?

Katelyn knows who sold her out. It was her cousin, and he’s in prison on some unrelated matter. Drugs, I think. But at least he’s put away. Katelyn knows he set her up, and she’s getting on with her life. Why shouldn’t I get on with my life?

I do, I text back. I truly do.

Okay then. Can’t wait to see you.

Someone knocks at my door, and I jerk. It’s probably just Buck picking me up for breakfast. We were both exhausted last night, and I asked him to sleep in his own room.

I felt kind of bad about it. It’s not that I didn’t want to be with him, but I knew that if I stayed with him, we’d end up having sex all night. Not that that would’ve been a bad thing, but I just needed to sleep so I’d have a clear head today.

I promised Buck I would do some soul searching about this whole ordeal. Is it what I truly want? Is it what will be best for me in the long run?

A talk with Katelyn may help me figure that out, but at this point? I’m all in. I want to know who did this to me, who decided they had control over my fate, my life.