Yield (Cal and Macy's Story 3)

Instead, in the interest of getting everything out on the table so we can put it to rest, I ask her, "You said you think your parents knew what Luke was doing even though they said they didn't believe you."

She nods against me, her cheek rubbing against my chest. "One time... after Luke was finished with me, my mom caught him coming out of my bedroom. I remember seeing her standing in the hall and the surprise on her face when she saw him. He was smooth... said he heard me having a nightmare. But I remember the way she looked at him. She didn't believe him. The next morning, I heard my dad and Luke in his office, and my dad was screaming at him. I couldn't tell what he was saying because his office was downstairs, but I didn't mistake the rage in my dad's voice. I'm convinced it was about what my mom saw."

"I don't get it," I say in bewilderment. "How could your parents not cut Luke out of their lives? How could they let him back into their home?"

She shrugs. "As for my mother, I think it was a simple matter of her not wanting to rock the money boat. She came from a poor background, and she probably didn't want to jeopardize her perfect life. As far as my father, who knows? Maybe because the twin bond he has with Luke is stronger than his bond with me. Maybe he has the same deviant proclivities, or maybe it was money. Maybe he just didn't want to bring Quarter Mine down. Take your pick, but I gave up a long time ago caring about the 'why' of it."

With every detail Macy gives me, my admiration of her grows. I start to understand how she could just move forward without ever looking back. I understand that maybe it's just more important to her to lead her life and not get sucked down into the shamefulness of her past. I realize... her idea of closure and mine are two completely different things.

For me, it comes in the form of retribution. Physical pain if I can grant it, but if not, helping to put Travis and Luke Carrington behind bars for as long and as quick as possible. As for Macy's mother, I'll just have to settle for the idea of her destitute and impoverished.

But for Macy, it's the exact opposite. She just doesn't care what happens to them. She's cut them loose, and while she'll always retain the memories and horror of what was done to her, it's enough for her to just know their empire is starting to crumble. Hell, maybe she even likes the idea of their lives unraveling in an almost torturously slow fashion.

A thought comes to me unbidden. Really just the last question I have before I know the full story and then will strive to let it go the way Macy has. "Did Luke ever know you were pregnant?"

"He was at my parents' apartment the day we left for Brussels. Came to see us off, I guess. Just as we were walking out the door, I remember he said, 'Say hello to Emiel for me'. So, I think it's safe to say he knew. I didn't see him again for three years because my parents immediately shipped me off to a boarding school in Virginia."

Those last details... Macy's parents washing their hands of her after their despicable act. That hurts me greatly. Once again, I feel sorrow for all the pain this beautiful woman endured.

But what stands out in my mind most? What is actually making my blood tingle just a bit?

Luke Carrington knew Emiel Coppens.

An idea starts to form...

Chapter 15

From the Diary of Macy Carrington:

Dear Diary,

Cal loves me.

My past doesn't matter anymore.

I've lost every dime to my name, and yet I couldn't be happier.

Life is good.

Love,

Macy

Chapter 16

"I'm going to kill Mrs. Stockton," Mac says in a dramatic voice as she walks into my office and flops into one of my guest chairs.

I push the deposition transcript I was reviewing away and give her my full attention. "What did the old bat do now?"

"She wants to change her will... again. This time, she's decided to leave her fortune, which I think consists of a musty old cat and its litter box, to Herbert Prank."

"Who's Herbert Prank?"

"Her sweetie pie in the nursing home. He apparently just moved in last week and it's true love," she says with a theatrical sigh.

Then she beams a brilliant smile at me, causing me to shake my head in amusement. It also immediately tells me she's not really upset with Mrs. Stockton and likes humoring the old woman, even though this is the fifth time Mac has changed her will this year.

"So what really brings you down to my office?" I ask as I lean back in my chair.

"Just checking on you... seeing how things are going. You and Macy interested in grabbing some dinner with Matt and me tonight?"

It's amazing how far we've all come in just a few months. Mac, Matt, Macy, and me... double dating. I find this odd, which means Macy probably finds it practically alien.

"Sure," I say with a smile. "Sounds fun."

And it does.

This past week things have settled down immensely. Macy has stayed at my apartment every single night, even lugging over her suitcases from Mac's one day while I was at work. I chastised her for this, as I could have done that for her, but secretly, I was more than delighted she took it upon herself. Because she didn't even ask if she could move the stuff in. She just did it, which was fucking fantastic as far as I was concerned.

It showed she trusted in my feelings for her. That she understands there isn't anything I wouldn't do for her.

Macy has seemingly moved on. She seems lighter in spirit since she unburdened her soul to me. Her affection is apparent--her touches freer. She's become an immense cuddler, and one of her favorite things to do is lay her head on my lap while we watch TV together and let me stroke her hair.

She hasn't missed a beat in her drum of life. Every day, she heads to The Faith Mission, where she puts in a full day of volunteering. At night, she combs the classifieds and Craig's List for a job, telling me she'd take anything just to make some money.

I'm so fucking proud of her and what she's trying to accomplish. What I really want to tell her is that I'll take care of her. She can continue to do her volunteer work and I'll support her, but I know that would go over like a ton of bricks with Macy. She's determined to survive on her own merits.

The phone on my desk starts ringing, and the caller ID shows it's Keith Marlow. I pick it up and say, "Hang on a second, Keith."

Covering the receiver with my hand, I tell Mac, "I've got to take this call. Just pick a place for dinner and text us. We'll meet you there."

She gives me a snappy salute and heads out of my office.

"Close the door," I call out to her and she does, effectively sealing me in the privacy I need for this call.

Because while Macy is content to cut her parents loose and let the justice system meander along, I find myself wanting some immediate retribution against Luke and her father. Both men are still strutting around town, eating their fancy meals and wearing their thousand-dollar suits. Matt told me he heard through the grapevine that the Carringtons all moved into the Waldorf Astoria once their Manhattan penthouse was seized, proving the government didn't get all their money.

This display of their continued wealth and power. Their unapologetic lives and remorseless behavior. It fucking eats at me, and I can't sit back and just watch the clock tick by.

The minute Macy told me Luke knew Emiel Coppens, I started digging deep.

First thing I did was call Dee Switzer. I told her Macy was unwilling to give a statement, but I might have something that could help. Without telling Dee a single detail, I merely asked her to tell me if the financial records indicated whether Luke had ever been to Brussels to meet Dr. Coppens.

She called me back within an hour, telling me there are no records showing that Luke Carrington ever flew into Brussels. He was a traveling man, for sure, but Belgium wasn't on his list of destinations. In fact, she told me Luke Carrington spent half of the year at a home he owned in London and worked from the Quarter Mine offices there. The other half of the year, he lived in New York City.

The only other thing I asked of Dee is if she had a list of all the countries that Luke had traveled to the past twenty years. She happily emailed me an excel spreadsheet with the details.

My next call was to Keith Marlow.

And for the right amount of money, Keith was willing to drop all his other cases to work exclusively for me. For additional monies, Keith assured me he could grease enough palms to get the information I wanted. And for just a bit more money, Keith was willing to fly to Belgium for me. I had no qualms with dipping into my 401K and taking out a loan to fund my little investigation into the man that had stolen Macy's life from her.

Glancing at my watch, I note it's just shy of noon, meaning it was close to five PM for Keith.

"What did you find out?" I ask him without preamble.

"He definitely knows Luke Carrington, and he's wigged out that I know the connection."