Reaper's Salvation (Road to Salvation A Last Rider's Trilogy 3)

Ginny nodded. “That’s understandable. Fortunately, I don’t have any memories of the plane crash.”

“For years, I’ve imagined how frightened you must have been, and I wasn’t able to be there for you. I regretted letting my babies go on that trip without me. You don’t know how much. Tragedy often brings families together or it can tear them apart. Losing you drove a wedge between Trudy and your father and I. I want us to find a new beginning, one where we can be a family again.” Soleil raised her arms as she drew close enough to touch her, but Ginny backed away, refusing the embrace.

“I think, to be on the safe side, we should keep our distance, don’t you?”

Soleil dropped her arms to her sides. “You’ve been in isolation. There’s no need to be worried about you giving me the virus.”

“I think it would be better for both of us to remain on the safe side, don’t you?” Ginny repeated.

Soleil gave her a considering look. She might have looked like Trudy in appearance, but the artificialness of her reactions were as real as a plastic doll—beautiful to look at, but without any warmth or softness.

“If that makes you feel more comfortable, then of course I’ll abide to your wishes. I just wanted to feel you in my arms once again. To know you’re really here with me.”

“I’m really here.” Ginny wasn’t afraid to touch Soleil; she just didn’t want to. Her father was the one who had arranged for her to disappear, to keep her and Trudy safe from Allerton. Trudy and she had always assumed Soleil had known Evangeline didn’t die in the plane crash. But did she? It was only a question her father could answer and he wasn’t here.

To see the mother she remembered as another carbon copy of the other women in the room was eye-opening to her. Her mother hadn’t stayed on the island because she was forced to; it was where she wanted to be—with or without her children. Trudy had figured that out long ago, which was why she didn’t like discussing their parents and spared her the pain by not telling her. If Trudy had known of her plan to take the DNA test, she would have forewarned her, spared her the painful discovery of the type of woman their mother really was.

“Mr. Allerton said you were talking to Jasper. When will he be coming?”

“Soon,” Soleil prevaricated. “At least a few more days.”

Stomach acid boiled in the back of her throat as Soleil curled her arm though Allerton’s, as if she needed his emotional support.

“Did he pass on any messages for me? You were on the phone for quite a while,” Ginny asked dispassionately.

Soleil removed her arm from Allerton’s, dropping the air of fragility. “I only spoke to Jasper for a few minutes ….”

Ginny sensed an undercurrent extending from Soleil to Allerton, then traveling around the room to his friends, as if they knew what was about to be said.

“I was talking to Trudy.”

Chapter Twenty

Soleil’s announcement had Ginny experiencing another spurt of fear. Was she about to be blown out of the water? The wrong word from Soleil could disclose that Trudy knew Evangeline was still alive before being contacted by the FBI. Retaining her composure, Ginny had to quickly think of the best way to respond to the land mine that Soleil could reveal.

Looking at Soleil and Allerton together, Ginny thought about their friendship from another perspective. Far from being a fragile flower, Soleil was a Venus flytrap.

“I hope she is doing well, because of the virus I haven’t been able to see her since I found out about our connection.”

“Yes. At least, that’s what she told me. We really didn’t get into the specifics of her health, other than her calling to inform me that Jasper and I are going to be grandparents.”

For a woman who had just found out she was about to be a grandmother, Soleil seemed remarkedly unmoved. Ginny had no doubt as to why Trudy called their mother. Her sister had to be frantic after finding out she was returning to Clindale. Finding out Trudy had called showed how desperate and concerned Trudy must be at not being to communicate with her. Her mother didn’t appear overjoyed by the call or the news.

“Aw … I’m happy for T.A. and Dalton.” Ginny didn’t experience the same problem, able to funnel the happiness she felt at Trudy’s pregnancy while trying to keep herself from being grilled alive if she said the wrong thing. “I’m acquainted with Dalton’s daughter. Grace has been concerned about her father since the death of his first wife. I bet she and Ice are ecstatic at Dalton’s impending fatherhood.”

“Ice?” Circumspect, Soleil looked at Allerton, as if for his approval.

“Grace’s husband,” Ginny informed Soleil and the onlookers watching the interchange. “Ice is the president of the Predators. Funny enough, Zoey’s husband, Stump, belongs to the Predators.”