Dangerous Tides (Drake Sisters 4)

"I hate that my beloved sister has to endure dirt like this because of who I am. No one from a slander rag would even know our names if I wasn't Joley Drake."

"Baby," Sarah said, "that isn't true. Hannah is famous and so is Kate."

"Yes, but they weren't stupid enough to be photographed with Rob Ryan. He's married with a couple of kids and since Rob just made another blockbuster movie, the paparazzi are out for blood. That's why I've been in all the rags lately. It's been a regular 'Get Joley Fest' lately and now it's spilled over to my family."

The bitterness in her voice had Elle wrapping her arms around her sister protectively. Tears streaked her face and Tyson remembered Libby had said she was an empath. If that were so, she would be feeling the pain each person was feeling.

"What were you doing with the movie star?" Tyson asked.

"Walking through the hotel. We ran into one another, had lunch and that was the entire extent of our fling. Well, I signed a couple of CDs for his kids."

"Have you warned Mom and Dad?" Libby asked. She came into the room, her chin up, green eyes alive with pride.

Tyson went to her and when she tried to sidestep, he simply gathered her into his arms. She went stiff, but he persisted, holding her close to him, determined they'd weather this firestorm together.

"I wanted you to know first," Sarah said. "It's impossible to tell from the picture that it's you, not with Joley dying her hair."

Libby jerked out of Tyson's arms. "I'm not letting Joley take the fall for this. No way. Joley, you can just dye your hair blond again. If you take the blame those pictures won't stay in the tatty little gossip papers no one believes. They'll get sold to the more reputable magazines. They'll be on television. You won't be able to get away from them."

"I knew that's what you'd say, Libby," Joley said. "So I made certain it was a done deal. Even if you call the paper and say it was you in the picture, they'll believe you're just trying to clear my name. I'm not letting anyone drag you through the mud."

"I am going to call them and clear this up."

Joley waved toward the phone. "The number's right there. Talk to Kingsley. He's a decent enough guy and at least he'll listen, but I'm telling you it won't do you one bit of good."

"What did you do?" Libby demanded.

"I called in a few favors. A few people called a few mags and helped the story along with hints and well-placed lies."

"This isn't your fault, Joley," Tyson protested. "No one did this because of you. Whoever took these pictures tried to kill us the other night by tampering with my motorcycle. If I'd been going the speed I usually go, it may have worked. They're after me. Or Libby. Or both of us, but not you. You didn't do this."

"They found a medium to hurt my sister that wouldn't be there if it wasn't for who I am and what I do."

"Sarah." Libby appealed to her eldest sister. When it came down to tough decisions, Sarah was the one they all listened to.

"You're a doctor, Libby."

Libby clenched her fists. "So what? Does that mean I have to let my baby sister take the blame for something I did? It isn't going to happen." She caught up the newspaper and stomped over to the phone.

Kate handed Tyson a cup of tea. "Sit down, Ty. Let Libby rage a little bit. She needs to get it out of her system. Are you hungry?"

Libby turned around. "I'm on hold, waiting for this Kingsley person. Yes, he's hungry. He hasn't really eaten for forty-eight hours."

Kate smiled at him. "Breakfast or lunch? You're at the in-between time."

"Breakfast. But, really, you don't have to do that."

"It's no trouble at all." Kate disappeared into the other room.

Tyson watched Libby as she adamantly explained to the reporter the pictures were of her, not her sister and to retract any mention of Joley immediately. He sighed. Joley was right. The magazines were interested in anything to do with Joley, not with her older sister. From her end of the conversation, it was fairly clear that no one was going to listen to Libby.

Libby slammed down the phone in a fit of temper. "Moron. He doesn't want the truth. He thinks it's admirable-- admirable--of me to want to protect my sister. No matter how many times I said it was the other way around, he refused to hear it." She looked at her younger sister, despair in her eyes. "It isn't right that you're being accused of this."

"As long as Mom and Dad know that none of us, not you or Ty or anyone else, did anything wrong, I'll be fine," Joley said. "Libby, think for a minute. Don't just react. I've had a lot of time to think about this. People make up lies about me all the time. According to the press, I've done everything but strip naked and have orgies backstage after a concert."

"Well, now reporters and your fans will think they have proof," Libby pointed out. She flung herself into a chair and looked around the room at her sisters. "This is acceptable to you all?"

"It isn't to me," Tyson said. "I could come forward and identify myself as the man and name Libby as the woman."

"Don't you dare," Joley hissed. "They'll never believe it was Libby and they'll just think I've seduced my sister's fiance. I refuse to look that low. You are her fiance, aren't you?"

"Yes," Ty said. "Of course."

"No," Libby denied. "He hasn't asked me yet, so stop jumping the gun."

"We're getting married. I wanted to go to Reno, but she says no, she has to have a wedding. What do you think?"

"He didn't ask me," Libby insisted.

Kate handed Tyson a plate of food. "I think you should get married here, Ty," she said. "Abigail and Aleksandr are having a small private ceremony. There's no reason that you and Libby can't do the same, unless of course you want to join Sarah and me in a big wedding. You're certainly welcome to do that."

Tyson shuddered. "I think Abbey has the right idea. Private for me."

"He didn't ask me," Libby wailed. "Is anyone listening? Where's Hannah? I need her."

"You can't turn your fiance into a toad," Sarah said.

Libby bared her teeth at her sister. "You're all finding this very amusing, aren't you? I'll have you know that Tyson Derrick may seem the bookish, geeky, nerd type, just because he's a biochemist and is a bit on the brainiac side . . ."

"A bit?" Tyson's eyebrow shot up. "Brilliant is how she normally thinks of me."

She flashed him a glare. "But he turns into a bossy caveman every chance he gets. He actually tries to tell me what to do."

"Imagine that," Sarah said. "But I don't think there is any question of you two getting married, baby sister. Everyone else in the world may think those pictures are of Joley, but Mom and Dad are going to know Libby the good girl has become Libby the bad girl overnight. When you told us you wanted to change your image, you weren't kidding around." She smirked at Tyson. "And they're going to be well aware who managed that little change."

He puffed out his chest. "True. That was all the brilliant one." He saluted Kate. "The eggs are great."

"Brilliant one my butt," Libby muttered. "This bad girl thing is harder than it looks. And true bad girls don't get married, they have flings. And if you're so proud of yourself, Ty, you can be the one to show Mom and Dad the pictures."

Tyson choked on his eggs. Kate patted his back and Sarah handed him a glass of water. "I don't know the first thing about talking to parents. I didn't have a lot of practice. I'm thinking you'll be better at it, Libby."

"And if we do get married--and I'm stressing the if, as you haven't asked me yet--I want an ironclad prenuptial agreement stating that your money isn't mine."

"That's just bullshit. Once we're married, everything I have becomes yours. That's the way it's supposed to work. As for asking, if I asked, you'd have the opportunity to say no and I'm not taking any chances. The potatoes are dynamite, Kate. Does Libby cook like this?"

"No, I don't," Libby snapped, hands on hips.

"Hence the reason you need my money. You can use it to pay for the cook," Tyson said, striving to look practical.

Libby glanced over

at Joley, the smile fading from her face. "I don't know what to do. It feels wrong to me to let this happen."

"Let it go, Libby," Joley advised. "Maybe we should concentrate on thinking who might have done this."

"Irene received around fifteen thousand dollars for her story and pictures of Libby and Joley from a magazine. If she did it once, and she admits she has many bills, she might try again. This story was probably worth a fortune," Tyson said.

"I tried to get the source," Joley admitted. "I even promised Kingsley an exclusive if he gave up the source, but he refused."

"Not Irene," Libby said. "She was so upset."

"That was guilt," Tyson pointed out. "Pure guilt. Harry Jenkins is out to get me. If he can ruin our reputations in the scientific and medical communities, maybe that would score him a victory."

"He goes on the list, too," Sarah said.

"And Edward Martinelli," Elle added. "Remember the pictures of Libby healing Tyson in the hospital? They threatened to put them in a magazine."

"Good grief." Kate frowned. "I've never heard of so many people out for blood. Anyone else?"

"Sam doesn't like me," Libby ventured, not looking at Tyson.