Married in Name Only

Sterling bound down the stairs, rehearsing exactly what he wanted to feed to the gossipmonger.

The moment he opened the door, Lavinia threw her arms around him in a friendly hug and squeezed tight before easing back.

“It’s so good to see you here,” she said on a sigh of relief. “It’s about time you got out.”

Sterling couldn’t agree more.

“It’s good to see a friendly face,” he replied, gesturing her inside. “Let’s have a seat in the living room. Care for a drink?”

Lavinia stepped into the front room and shook her head. “No, thank you. But you have all you want. You’ve earned it.”

He went to the bar in the corner and poured a shot of whiskey. “I sure as hell have. An innocent man shouldn’t spend one second behind bars, let alone weeks.”

Lavinia crossed her long legs and rested her arm on the sofa cushion. “I cannot even imagine how difficult that was. But I have to ask, do you know who set you up?”

Here we go. Time to plant the seeds.

“Do you think it was Angela?” she asked. “You two had been publicly fighting.”

Sterling tipped back the shot and welcomed the burn. He set the glass on the bar and weighed his words carefully. Anything he said during their visit would be taken out into the public.

“No, I don’t.” He made his way to the sofa across from her and took a seat. “Angela and I may have quarreled over Ryder and her seeing each other, but she wouldn’t do that to me. I wouldn’t put it past Roarke, though.”

Lavinia’s brows rose. “Your son? I never would’ve thought of that.”

Which was precisely why he was bringing it up now.

“Can I tell you something?” he asked, leaning forward for more of a dramatic effect.

“Of course. I’m here for you, Sterling.”

“I think Roarke is Ryder’s son.” He let the words settle between them before he went on. “Tamara had an affair with Ryder Currin when he was just a stable hand. The timing fits for Roarke to be their love child, but I never said anything.”

Lavinia gasped, her hand to her mouth. “You think Roarke set you up because he wanted you out of the way for his dad to be the club president?”

Sterling leaned back against the leather cushion and nodded. “I can’t confirm this, but why else would he not stand by me when I needed my children the most? All of my kids have rallied around me, even Angela, and we’ve had our differences lately. Still, she believes in my innocence.”

Lavinia pursed her lips. “This is all just so much to take in, but I see your point. I believe you were framed, but proving by whom will be difficult.”

“I won’t rest until the person behind all of this is found and punished,” he vowed. “No matter who that turns out to be.”

Even if that turned out to be the man he’d always considered a son.

Nine

Lucas attempted to go through the boxes Paisley had given him from her mother’s house, but all he found were old, useless receipts, some baby pictures of Paisley and a few past due notices on bills that were dated a few weeks before her death.

Nothing. The search so far had turned up absolutely nothing.

Everything Lucas had attempted had resulted in a dead end. But he wasn’t done exploring avenues. He still had a few calls out, one being to the hospital where Paisley had been born. It was another long shot, but perhaps there was a nurse who remembered...hell, he didn’t know. A wealthy man visiting a barmaid? Not the best description, but Lynette’s photo might help.

Every aspect had to be touched on, no matter if it already seemed like a dead end. Exploring every part of people’s pasts was what distinguished Lucas from other investigators.

Lucas prided himself on seeking justice and the truth. When he was a teen and Sterling Perry had taken advantage of his father, Lucas had vowed never to allow himself to be that vulnerable, that open to letting someone dupe him. He also knew one day he’d get revenge on Sterling...especially now that Lucas’s late father wasn’t around to do so himself.

And the timing of his plan revolved around Paisley. If she turned out to be Sterling’s daughter, that would roll perfectly into getting close to the man and destroying him...all while not getting emotionally involved with his wife.