Chapter Nineteen

“You’re angry.” After years of being with Charles, Melanie knew his moods all too well.

“You’re damn straight, I’m angry. No, this goes far deeper than mere anger. That son of yours has been leading some kind of secret life of late. He’s been pursuing a killer alone, ghostwriting the Black Rose blog, and hiding out with a tabloid reporter. When the fuck did he get this secretive!?”

Melanie smiled, remembering the unconventional way she’d met her husband. “You and I were forced together in much the same way. One other thing: why is he always my son when he’s in trouble?”

“Because he’s hardheaded like his mother,” he muttered, cutting his eyes in her direction, daring her to argue with him.

“Perhaps he is just hardheaded when it comes to this woman. We should hear his side of things before we just assume he’s made a mistake. It’s going to take a particular kind of woman to be in this family. We’re not what anyone would consider normal.”

“That goes without saying.” His tone was a devilish combination of sarcasm and anger. “But now that you’ve said it, I couldn’t agree more.”

She ignored the attitude and continued. “He must see something in this girl that leads him to believe she belongs with him…with us.”

He glared at her and she met his gaze, not backing down. “Melanie, we can’t afford to make mistakes now. If he doesn’t read this girl right and she decides to report us, we’re all going to prison. For a long time.”

“I know, but you can’t expect him to remain single forever. Personally, I would like an heir to carry on the Wentworth legacy. There’s more to this family than us being vigilantes.”

“Vigilantes or serial killers, depending on who you talk to,” Charles said archly.

“Centuries have gone into building the Wentworth legacy and our ties to the Kentucky Derby are respected and rightfully so. For all outward appearances, we’re an upstanding family with strong ties to the community.”

“True, true.” That seemed to lighten his mood. They both turned when the office door opened. Thomas was standing in the doorway. He wasn’t alone. Melanie wasn’t expecting the striking beauty with the black hair, emerald eyes, and flawless skin. No wonder her son was so smitten with this beautiful creature. The two were as opposite as night and day. They were a striking couple.

“Well, sit down,” Charles demanded, his irritation with the situation sharpening his tone and his attitude. Her beauty was doing nothing to soften the hardened killer. Melanie’s heart went out to the poor girl, who had been thrown into a situation where she was clearly out of her element. Talk about being thrown into the lion’s den...

“I see the two of you have been busy. Thomas, you’ve taken over my blog without my consent. Now, you’ve drawn the curiosity of a reporter—a tabloid reporter, no less.”

“It’s my fault,” Teegan declared in a soft yet strong voice.

“And how is that?” he asked, the question spoken slowly through clenched teeth. Charles was struck by her willingness to stand up for his son. He hadn’t expected that. She wasn’t hiding behind his son; she was willing to step up and take responsibility for her part in what was going on.

“I sought him out. I’ve been studying criminal psychology, with an emphasis on serial killers. I’ve followed the, um, blog for the last year. Recently I noticed a difference in the writing style. I was curious, so I asked him to meet me.”

“And you did.” Now Charles’ piercing gaze was focused on his son.

“I think we have a more pressing matter at hand,” Thomas said before his father could asked questions he didn’t want to answer. “Her apartment was broken into this morning and all the evidence leads to it being the Mummy Man.” That got Charles’ attention. No sense in holding back now. Thomas went for it full throttle while he had his father’s attention. “Are you willing to help us catch him?”

“If he’s following you, it means something about you has intrigued him. Perhaps he plans for you to be his next victim.” Charles raised a sardonic brow, intentionally trying to provoke the girl. “Or just a new toy.”

That wasn’t the response Thomas had been expecting from his father. “Over my dead body,” Thomas hissed, before Teegan could answer his father’s question.

“If me being used as bait is what it’s going to take to catch this monster, then I’m willing to do that.”

“I don’t like the thought of you being bait.” This time Thomas’ voice was more like a growl.

His father continued, giving no opportunity for the woman to change her mind. If the killer wanted Teegan, it would be the best way to catch and kill him. He would never suspect the slender woman could defend herself.

“Killing a man isn’t as easy as you might think. It isn’t like a television show. When you stab a man and his blood is running through your fingers, sticky and warm with the strong scent of copper floating through the air, and then you watch as the life leaves his eyes and you’re weighed down with the burden of knowing it’s your fault, it isn’t easy.” Charles looked directly at her, awaiting her response to his vivid description of death. He was trying to make clear that this was no game. There was a point of no return and she was fast approaching it.

Her response was swift and certain. “There’s no way I can sit back and do nothing while he slaughters the women of this city. I can’t look in the mirror knowing that I could have stopped this animal but did nothing. If I have the support of this family, I know I can do it and take the secret of it to my grave.”

Something about the girl led Charles to consider the possibility that she could keep her word and become part of their dysfunctional family. She was bold, courageous, and now she was knee-deep in their family’s affairs. His wife was a good judge of character. Perhaps she was correct in her discernment of the young woman. After all, if the young woman proved to be a disappointment, eliminating the threat would only be the work of a moment.

Unconventional love was the only kind the Wentworths knew. Obsession ran deep in their family. She had said she would carry their secrets to her grave. Charles just hoped for his son’s sake that they wouldn’t be the ones to put her there.