half of in New York. Except neither Shadae nor Brew were talking about my film.
“You said you know your family history isn’t exactly what it claims,” she said. “Well, there might be some noise comin’ up about some of those lines. The Douglasses got a lawyer. We talked to her too, but we didn’t give her an answer about whether we want to be part of this or not ‘cuz we don’t rightly know. We need more than a day to think on it.”
“So, she didn’t tell you what she thinks my family did?”
Brew and Shadae exchanged another one of those looks.
“We know a few things, but–”
“You can’t tell me,” I finished Shadae’s sentence. “You do know I’d never tell my parents anything, even if they were still speaking to me.”
“We know, sugar,” Shadae said. “It’s not that we don’t trust you. If it was just us, we’d tell you everythin’, but we have to think of the Douglasses.”
They were right. I couldn’t expect them to share other people’s secrets. And it wasn’t like the Huxleys were my family. Not that I expected my family to keep me updated when whatever this went public. I couldn’t hold that against Shadae and Brew. They’d always treated me as more than an employee. Expecting anything more was unfair of me. I just hated feeling like I was the only one out of the loop.
Especially since being out of the loop apparently made me jump to conclusions.
“I understand.” I forced a smile that I hoped looked better than it felt. “If there’s anything I can do, just let me know. I don’t have much research done specifically on my family yet, but anything I can get for you or for the Douglasses, say the word and it’s yours.”
I felt like I was completely overplaying things, but I didn’t really know what else to say. I’d come here thinking that I’d have to ease into the idea of Nyx not being who she said she was and using them to get to me. Then they’d completely flipped everything on its head, and I felt like a complete ass.
“Let’s just see how things go,” Brew said. “Now, how about we get to the business of eatin’ and leave the jawin’ for a time when I ain’t so hungry.”
I reached for my fork. “I whole-heartedly agree.”
I was going to need time to think over everything I’d learned and decide where to go from there. I still wanted to know more about Nyx, but now, I needed to take into consideration what was going on with the Huxleys and how my investigation might affect them and whatever might happen between this kind couple and my parents.
I also owed Nyx an apology. I supposed there could’ve been ways for her to deceive Shadae and Brew about who her clients really were, but there was too much evidence that she really hadn’t been here for me.
I was more than a complete ass. I was the biggest kind of asshole, and I wouldn’t blame Nyx if she never wanted to speak to me again.
At least my steak was good.
Eleven
Nyx
I’d half-expected Bradyn to barge into my cabin and tell me to get out, especially after the Huxleys went to dinner with him. Actually, I thought they’d all come straight here after he convinced them that I’d come to the ranch knowing who they were and what I wanted from them. Just because they’d met Min and the Douglasses didn’t mean they had to believe that I hadn’t been intentionally dishonest when I first arrived.
When no one came, I kept working. I’d stay out of Bradyn’s way, and he’d stay out of mine. I’d finish what I was doing for the case and then go home. This would all just become my first big case, the jumping-off point for a great career.
And maybe one day I’d be able to think of this case without thinking about Bradyn.
I sighed and closed my eyes.
I was grateful that this case gave me the opportunity to make a real difference in people’s lives. I never took cases where I thought I’d be hurting someone who either didn’t deserve it or who had asked me to discover something potentially painful. Finding a cheating spouse or biological parents made up a big chunk of PI time.
I appreciated the importance of doing those things, but this case had the potential to be huge on a national scale if it got out. I didn’t want publicity – though it wouldn’t