Prologue
Fifteen years ago
She was going to die....
Sylvia Granger swallowed tightly as she stared into eyes that were as cold as glaciers. She lowered her gaze to the gun pointed at her. Her only chance was to talk her way out of this, at least to buy enough time before her husband, Sheppard, arrived at the boathouse for their meeting. He should be here any minute now. She began talking, pleading, practically begging.
“Please, don’t do this. They are playing the two of us against each other. Why can’t you see that?”
“Are they?”
“Yes.”
The mocking chuckle made her skin crawl. “Haven’t you figured things out by now, Sylvia? There is no one else. I only led you to believe there were others, just to see if you could be trusted. You failed the test.”
Sylvia’s mind went into a frenzy. There’s no one else? That can’t be true. But after seeing the look of triumph flaring in the eyes staring at her, she knew it was true. “But—but how?”
“I don’t owe you any explanation regarding the way I handle my business. You were smart, but not smart enough to betray me.”
“But it wasn’t that way at all.” She spoke quickly as fear spread throughout her body, settling deep into her bones.
Another chuckle. “Yes, it was that way. You proved just how deceitful you are. Killing you will be a favor to everyone...especially your husband. He has no idea what you’ve been up to.”
Sylvia slowly backed up as the gun was cocked. “Please. Don’t. You won’t get away with this,” she said frantically. “Shep is on his way here. You can’t leave without him knowing—”
The sound of laughter sent a chilling sensation all through her. “I can, and I will, get away with it. I have too many players in place to fail. The stage has been set. I’m the major star, and your services are no longer needed.” The gun was lifted higher and, in an instant, a shot rang out.
Pain ripped through Sylvia’s chest, and before she could blink, a second shot followed the first. She crumpled to the floor and took her last breath while gazing up into a pair of dark, evil eyes.
One
Present day
Shiloh Timmons’s hands trembled as she set down the newspaper she’d just read. Emotions she’d been suppressing for the past four years were reemerging, and she refused to let them get the better of her. Caden Granger would never hurt her again; she would see to it.
Hearing someone clearing their throat, she glanced across the room and saw her brother standing in the doorway of her office. Growing up, Sedrick had been her hero, the big brother every girl needed and deserved. He’d been her protector. Even now, he was trying to protect her...especially since Caden had returned to town.
“It wasn’t Caden, Shiloh,” he said, referring to the newspaper article she’d just read.
“No, but it could have been. Did you read what that article said, Sedrick?”
He shrugged before coming into her office, closing the door behind him. “Didn’t have to. It’s dominated the local news since the story broke a few days ago.”
Shiloh drew in a deep breath. All last week she had been in California, in the heart of Napa Valley, making purchases for the grand-opening celebration of the wine shop she’d opened a few weeks ago. When she’d returned home last night it had been late, and since she wasn’t a television watcher, she hadn’t turned on the set. Instead, she had showered and gone to bed, knowing this would be a busy week at the Wine Cellar Boutique. She was gearing up for a party that would put her specialty shop on the map.
She’d been sitting at her desk, about to take her first sip of coffee, but nothing could have prepared her for what she saw in the morning paper. The headlines blared out at her in bold letters: Granger Narrowly Escapes Death.
Literally holding her breath, she read that Jace Granger, Caden’s older brother, had been kidnapped from the parking garage at Granger Aeronautics. He had been just seconds from losing his life when the FBI had located him in the warehouse where he’d been held hostage. Arrests had been made, and the authorities were trying to determine whether there was a possible tie-in between the kidnapping and the reported ongoing trade-secrets investigation at Granger Aeronautics. Of course, the article took the opportunity to remind the readers that Jace’s father, Sheppard Granger, was serving a thirty-year sentence for murdering his wife, Sylvia, fifteen years ago.
Shiloh stood and walked over to the window. If she were to tilt her head back and slant her gaze to the right, she could see the twenty-three-story building of Granger Aeronautics. Had it really been over a month since she had been there, attending the stockholders’ meeting in her mother’s absence? That day she had cast the deciding vote that allowed the three Granger brothers to retain control of their family corporation. Jace and Caden’s younger brother, Dalton, had been friendly to her, but Caden had not spoken one word. And she could not forget the daggered looks he’d given her.
“You need to move on with your life, Shiloh. You tried telling Caden the truth about what happened and—” Sedrick began.
“And he didn’t want to hear anything I had to say.” Shiloh turned around, remembering that night a few weeks ago when she had gone to Sutton Hills, the Granger estates, to tell Caden that she’d recently discovered what her parents—specifically, her father—had done to ruin her life. Her mother was not blameless in the whole sordid business, either, because she’d known what her husband was capable of.
That was the same night Shiloh had moved out of her parents’ home and taken a place in town after giving her mother a scalding earful. Her father would have gotten more of the same had he been alive to hear it. But he had died several months ago, probably thinking he had taken all his secrets to the grave. Nonetheless, there was one secret that hadn’t quite made it. And it had been by pure accident that she had stumbled upon the truth.
She saw Sedrick’s concerned expression. “I have moved on, Sedrick. Honest. However, I haven’t forgiven Mom for the part she played in everything. But, rest assured, Caden means nothing to me anymore.” The same way he had let her know that she no longer meant anything to him. He’d even gone so far as to tell her that he couldn’t stand the sight of her. His words had hurt, destroying her already broken and shattered spirit. The words he had spoken that night had been cruel, brutal and so undeserved. She doubted she would ever forgive him for that.
“I hope one day you’ll find it in your heart to forgive Mom, Shiloh. She needs you more than ever. She’s all alone now in that huge house. I wish you hadn’t moved out.”
She felt Sedrick’s words were unfair. “I don’t see you racing to move back home,” she said curtly.
“Only because I need to be close to the hospital. Surely you understand that.”
Yes, she did understand. After medical school, Sedrick had moved back to Charlottesville, whereas she had remained living in Boston after completing college. She’d returned to Charlottesville only after her mother had pleaded with her to come home seven months ago. At the time, her father was dying of lung cancer. She had been home only a few weeks before he’d passed on.
“You and I both know Mom was a bigger puppet for Dad than we