I couldn’t believe those words had left my lips.

Of course he could say good-bye to me. This was Ryan Steel, a man who could have any woman he wanted.

“I’m mad as hell,” he said.

“I know that. I don’t blame you.”

“You’re not making this easy.”

“You’re looking for a fight. Go to the fight club and box a few rounds. You won’t get a fight here. I did what I thought was the best thing at the time. You may disagree with my reasons.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me what was going on?”

“I couldn’t. That was your brothers’ call. Not mine.”

“But you’re the woman I…”

“The woman you what?”

“Nothing. Never mind.”

I’d been hoping he’d say I was the woman he loved. But he’d never love me. Not now. That didn’t change the fact that I loved him. I didn’t regret last night. If I’d been able to ease his pain for only a second, it would have been worth it.

“Why did you let me…last night?” he asked.

“I already explained that. You needed it. And frankly, so did I.”

“You did?”

“Like I said, I’m as angry as you are. I’m angry at this whole situation.”

“I don’t know what to do.” He sank his head into his hands.

I stroked his upper arm, hoping it was a comfort to him. “I don’t know either. But I’ll help in any way I can.”

He turned, his eyes sunken and sad. “Would you go with me to see my mother?”

---

For the second time in two days, I sat in psych lockup facing Wendy Madigan, this time with Ryan at my side. He was stiff, and so far he hadn’t said a word. Neither had Wendy. She was staring at him with a look in her eyes I couldn’t identify.

It was a pleasant look…and then I realized. I did know what it was.

It was a look I hadn’t seen since I’d lost my mother.

It was love. A mother’s love. This woman, as nuts as she was, loved this man. Loved her son, and had lived her whole life never able to tell him that or even to let him know she existed.

No. I wasn’t going to feel sorry for Wendy Madigan. There was definitely more to her than any of us knew.

Finally, she turned to me and said her first words. “Thank you for bringing me my son.”

I cleared my throat. “He came of his own volition. He asked me to come along.”

She turned to Ryan. “Then thank you. For coming.” She shook her head. “Is it any wonder your father and I created such magnificence? You are truly beautiful. I bet you’re the smartest of his children too. Such regal features.”

Ryan touched his nose, which was odd. I couldn’t tell what he might be thinking.

She turned back to me. “Thank you again.”

“Yesterday you told me to stay away from him.”

“Did I?” She sniffed. “I don’t think so. I couldn’t possibly have said that.”

Man, she was one piece of work. “You did.” I turned to Ryan. I’d told him about my visit with Wendy on our drive here. “Melanie was here. She can back me up.”

“I don’t think you’re lying,” he said.

“I’m your mother,” Wendy said. “I wouldn’t lie to you.”

Then Ryan scoffed. “You’ve been lying to me for thirty-two years. Why didn’t you tell me you were my mother?”

“It was a secret.” She giggled like a little girl.

I wanted to tell Ryan not to take anything she said seriously, that she was crazy as a loon, but this was his mother. He was already upset enough. Eventually, he’d start worrying about having half of her genes. It was a worry I was familiar with, being the daughter of Theodore Mathias.

“The cat’s out of the bag now,” Ryan said, looking at his hands.

“You mean you aren’t questioning it?” Wendy asked.

“No. My brothers did a DNA test. You are my mother. But in a biological sense only. I want nothing to do with you.”

“Then why did you come see me today?”

It was a fair question on Wendy’s part. I was wondering the same thing.

“I want to know the truth. The truth about you and my father. The truth about Talon’s abduction. The truth about…everything.”

“I’m afraid we don’t have that much time,” she said.

“Fine, then. We’ll start with my mother. Er…my father’s wife.” He shook his head. “No. I don’t want to talk about her. We’ll start with you. Why did you give me up?”

“For your father. I did everything for your father.”

“Oh?”

“Haven’t your brothers told you how much we loved each other?”

“They’ve told me you loved him. Were obsessed with him. So obsessed that you kidnapped Jonah because you were convinced he was my father.”

“Lies. I would never hurt any of Brad’s children.”

“You’re the liar. You basically told Talon and Joe that you were responsible for Tal’s abduction. That you orchestrated it to punish our father.”

I stiffened. What Jonah and Talon might not have told Ryan was that he was let go because he was Wendy’s son. At least that was Wendy’s story. Larry Wade’s was different. He still maintained that Talon was never meant to be taken.

From my limited dealings with Wendy so far, I knew she couldn’t be trusted.

“Brad knew not to cross me,” Wendy said, an eerie smile on her face.

This was getting nowhere fast. Wendy wasn’t yielding any information, and Ryan was just getting upset. I touched his arm. “Ryan…”

“What?”

“We should go.”

“No. I haven’t gotten anything I came for yet.”

“What do you need?” Wendy asked. “Anything. And it’s yours.”

He looked her straight in the eye. “The truth.”