False Family. Mary Anne Wilson

with their lives without waiting for me to die so they can celebrate. Maybe it would help me sift out the wheat from the chaff, so to speak.”

      Mallory had little experience with family in her life, but it seemed that Saxon Mills didn’t have a great deal more, despite all his wealth. “I’m sure they aren’t just sitting around waiting for you to die.”

      “Of course they are,” he said without rancor. “So are Myra and William.”

      She frowned. “William?”

      “Myra’s son, a stupid man who seems to think the way to do anything in this world is through brute force.”

      “Why would they want you gone?”

      “Myra’s been with me for years, and I’m sure she thinks she and William will make out quite well when I’m gone.”

      Mallory watched the man and knew she wouldn’t make a bet on his generosity to anyone. “What about Mr. Carella?”

      “Tony’s a bit different, more dangerous. He’s greedy like the others, but he’s got brains. He’ll do whatever he needs to do to get what he wants, and he doesn’t worry about the consequences.”

      The words sounded strangely similar to what Tony had said about Saxon. “What does he want?”

      “He’s been involved in some of my businesses for ten years, and he’s here to talk me into letting him buy me out.” He exhaled. “Or maybe he wants me to put him in my will so he gets control of my shares when I die. One way or the other, he wants control of the businesses, come hell or high water.”

      She was uneasy about underestimating Tony, about thinking he could be easily deceived. The man could look at someone as if he could see into their soul, and if she was going to lie to him, she’d have to be very convincing. “Can he get control?”

      “He’s got the brains and a strong instinct of when to go for the kill, but he’s up against me. He only gets it if I say he does.”

      She could tell this man enjoyed that power. “So, you’ll tell all of them you found an heir and they’re out of luck?” she asked, her tea growing tepid as she listened with morbid fascination to the man’s twisted plans.

      “Exactly. I want to throw a monkey wrench into their plans and get them off my back. If they think I found a long-lost daughter, the product of my foolish liaison years ago, maybe they’ll leave me alone for a while.” He paused, then added, “Maybe it will bring out the true colors in all of them. All the better for me to make a decision.”

      Mallory sat forward. In a distorted way, this meeting was like a scenario that had gone through her mind over and over again through the years. The moment in which she would find the man who’d walked out on her mother, that he would admit he was her father and would hold out his arms to welcome her into his family.

      That was fantasy, a self-delusional lie. Yet she couldn’t help but think that if Saxon Mills really was her father, she would be just as apt to walk out and keep going. He clearly liked people to dance to his tune. He played with people, manipulating them for his own purposes. He didn’t even come close to any idea she had of what a father should be.

      “That’s the bare bones of the plan,” Saxon said. “Now, tell me what you think about it.”

      “I don’t know what to think. I suppose you must feel your reasons are compelling for you to go to all this trouble.”

      “Yes, they are compelling. Will you do it?”

      The fire crackled and popped, and Mallory could hear the storm beating against the windows behind the heavy velvet drapes, but she never took her eyes off Saxon Mills. No matter what his motives were for this deception, the role was simple. She knew she could do it. She didn’t have to like him, or even approve of what he was doing. All she had to do was keep up her part of the agreement and leave in two weeks with enough money to keep her going for a while.

      “Well?” he prodded, and she could hear the tinge of impatience in his voice.

      She made an instant decision. “I’ll do it.”