“Virginia,” she says. “Seems like he lived there for all of his life, except for college.”
Jax frowns. “Virginia?”
“Yes. Does that mean something to you?”
“Only been to Virginia once in my life, but I wouldn’t forget it,” he says, sharing a look with my father that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
“No way,” my father frowns at him before he walks over the open laptop. “Where did he go to college?”
“Columbia.”
“What did he do in Virginia, Alana? Was he a veterinarian?” Jax asks.
“Yes,” she nods. “And he was also the deputy coroner.”
“The vet was the deputy coroner?” I ask.
“Yes. As long as they’ve done the required training, anyone can be a coroner in most states. I suppose as long as you know your way around cutting bodies open, it would make sense?” Jax replies and then he looks at my father again who glares at him.
“It can’t be that, Jax.”
“He was the deputy coroner, Alejandro. He went to Columbia just like the coroner did. They’re around the same age. They worked together. I guarantee he helped him cover the whole thing up.”
“Cover what up?” my mom and I say at the same time.
My father looks at my mom and opens his mouth to speak but for once he seems lost for words. “Princess, I…” is all he says.
“Alex! Jax! What is going on?” She looks between them both.
“I think you should sit down,” Jax says to her.
I frown at him now. What the hell is happening here?
“I don’t want to sit down until one of you tell me what the hell you’re talking about and why you’re both looking at me like that.”
“Alana!” my father barks and she glares at him. But then she sits at the kitchen table and my father, Jax and I follow suit.
Once we’re all seated, my mom clasps her hands in front of her, her knuckles white as she tries to keep a lid on her emotions. I don’t feel much less anxious myself. Clearly something is going on here that involves her somehow. My father looks particularly nervous.
Oh, God. What has he done? What could be so bad that he doesn’t want her to know? She knows everything about him. He keeps nothing from her. At least that was what I always thought — and I know that she did too.
“So?” she asks as her eyes burn into his so fiercely, he could well burst into flames any second.
“You remember that night at the restaurant back in LA, not long after we were married, when that guy put a gun in your face?”
“Yes,” she whispers.
“His name was Layton Cooper.”
“I remember. He said that it was for my father. For something he did.”
“It was,” my father swallows. Wow! I have never seen him looking so uncomfortable.
“You said it was just some guy with a grudge and that you didn’t know what he’d done?” she says accusingly.
“I lied, princess.”
She stares at him, waiting for him to explain himself.