Focus on the present, he reminded himself. He hoped and prayed the FBI could bring Micheline and the AAG down. And more than anything, he wanted to be there when it happened.
Once more, he pondered Micheline’s actual plan. Was she trying to turn her cult into its own religion, make herself into the next prophet, sent by a higher being to tell her followers what to think and how to live their lives? Did she plan to delve deeper, beyond her Be the Best You seminars into something else?
He shook his head. Since he was sticking around here for a while—exactly how long, he hadn’t yet decided—he hoped he could be there when Micheline was arrested and charged. She’d gotten away with so much over the years. Even before he’d left home, he’d been pretty sure he’d witnessed her hiding a body that one time.
Thoroughly exasperated with himself, he decided to put all thoughts of the woman who’d switched him at birth out of his mind. He needed to prepare himself mentally to meet the people with whom he should have been raised. The idea filled him with a crazy combination of anticipation and dread.
Ridiculous, if he thought about it. At forty years old, he’d overcome the handicaps of his past and knew he had an easygoing nature. Generally, he had no difficulties making friends. None of what had happened was his fault. In fact he, as well as the Colton family, was a victim in all this.
But would Payne Colton view it that way? From what Jake had read about him, the man wasn’t someone who took well to being crossed. Surely, Payne wouldn’t blame Jake for any of this.
Despite the mental pep talk he gave himself, he still felt nervous as he got ready to meet Ace’s—his—family. He wasn’t sure how they’d react to him now, with so many years gone by, especially after learning that all along, their true son had been living with a megalomaniac narcissist. Their true son.
He swallowed, the thought a bitter pill. Then he considered how Ace must feel, knowing his entire life had been one big lie. No matter what angle one came at the thing from, it all sucked.
A quiet tap on his door coaxed a reluctant smile. Fiona. Though they’d planned to meet in the lobby, she must have changed her mind and decided to come fetch him instead. He truly considered meeting her one of the best things about this visit.
Opening the door, he stared. She grinned at him, her long, dark hair swirling around her shoulders. She wore a silky white dress that clung to her figure and simple silver and turquoise jewelry.
“Well?” she asked, twirling slightly as she stepped inside his room. “Will this do?”
“You look amazing,” he told her, leaning in for a quick kiss. “Let’s go.”
As usual, they made a show of strolling through the common area, hand in hand.
Once they were in his truck, she sighed. “This place is starting to get on my nerves. But you’re not going to believe what I found. There’s a basement under the main building.”
She went on to describe a staircase with a door at the top and the bottom. “I couldn’t get through, since the bottom door was locked.”
“What do you think is on the other side?” he asked, backing out of the parking spot and driving down the
long driveway.
“Well, when they dragged Underhill away, he started going on about cells, as in prison cells. I’m trying to see if perhaps Micheline has her own personal prison. Or torture chamber.”
“I wouldn’t put it past her.” In fact, the more he considered, the more he believed Fiona was right. “I’ll help you look for the other door,” he said.
She eyed him. “It might be better if we look separately. There’s much less chance of being discovered that way.”
“Maybe,” he allowed. “But it’s also an easier explanation if we’re caught. We can simply say we were looking for a private place to have a little fun.”
This made her laugh, the sound light and feminine and making his heart squeeze. He needed to remember to be careful around this woman. The intensity of the feelings she aroused in him equaled how badly he could get hurt.
Following the directions on his phone GPS, Jake drove through town and into the country, heading toward the mountains. On the way, they passed a huge wrought iron gate that barred entrance to a gated, clearly wealthy enclave. “I’ve never been in there,” he murmured. “Until I began researching, I would have thought that would be the kind of place a Colton would live.”
“Payne Colton is a rancher,” Fiona said. “He and all of his family live at Rattlesnake Ridge Ranch. I’ve never been there, but I’ve seen lots of pictures. It’s a gorgeous place, made to look like a luxurious guest ranch overlooking the Mustang Valley mountains.”
“I’m aware, but how do you know all this?” he asked, curious.
She laughed. “Research. I had to do quite a bit of reading about Mustang Valley before I took this assignment.”
They continued on, his GPS letting him know he still had about ten miles to go. The flat countryside seemed greener, maybe owing to the more fertile soil as they neared the high desert and the mountains.
Here there were what Jake thought of as ranchettes—wealthy people with luxurious homes and land who wanted to dabble in ranching or farming. He saw a smattering of horses, a few cattle, even a herd of goats, their glossy coats gleaming in the bright sunshine.
“This is beautiful,” Fiona said, clearly impressed. “If I had money, I’d live someplace like this.”
“Me, too,” he replied absently. According to the GPS, they were nearly there.