The Best Man to Trust - By Kerry Connor Page 0,71

down, Greg,” he said evenly, though there was no missing the thread of barely suppressed anger in his voice.

Frowning, Greg barely glanced at him. “I thought you were clearing the road.”

“We were. We got as far as we could before we had to turn back to refuel the truck. More important, we were able to get a cell phone signal and get through to the police. They’re going to start digging from the other end. They’ll be here as soon as they can.”

Any triumph Meredith might have felt at the news was killed by the hardness that fell over Greg’s features. “Then I guess it really is time for Rachel to get what she deserves.” He swung the gun back to her. “One more move from any of you and I pull the trigger. Believe me, there is nothing I want more. The others were just warm-ups for this.”

“You killed them,” Rachel said in horror and disbelief. “Haley... Jess... You killed them.”

His face twisted with sudden rage. “No, you killed them, the same way you killed my son!”

Rachel stared at him, mouth agape. “What are you talking about?”

“Are you finally ready to stop lying? About the reason you didn’t want me invited to this wedding? About why you broke up with Scott back in college?”

Rachel’s eyes flared with unmistakable panic.

“I already know why,” Scott said flatly. “Kim told me a long time ago.”

Rachel jerked her head toward Scott. “She did?”

“Yeah. It’s because I didn’t have enough money.”

Greg arched a brow. “Oh, is that what Kim told you? I’m afraid she was lying, covering for her friend here so you would give up on her and not learn the real reason.”

A chilly silence fell over the room. Greg looked at Rachel expectantly.

“Rachel, what is he talking about?” Scott finally asked.

She blinked rapidly. “I...I...”

Greg exhaled sharply, the sound thick with contempt. “You just can’t tell the truth, can you? Even now, even after everything that’s happened, even when it’s clear there’s no way it isn’t coming out, you refuse to just come clean.”

Rachel began to shake, but still she said nothing, her lips working silently, no sound coming out.

“Fine,” Greg said, looking straight at Scott. For a split second, a hint of something that almost looked like regret touched his eyes. “Rachel and I slept together in college.”

Scott flinched, the color slowly draining from his face. His shocked gaze swung sharply from Rachel to Greg, finally settling back on his fiancée. “Rach, what is he talking about?” he said again.

She looked him straight in the eye, tears brimming in hers. “I’m so sorry.”

“How could you do that?” He jerked his head back toward Greg. “How could either of you do that?”

Greg had the grace to look chagrined. “Well, I think we all know I didn’t always make the best decisions when I’d had a few. That’s assuming I even recognized it was her. The sad thing is, I didn’t even remember it happened.”

“It was a mistake,” Rachel said, her eyes pleading as she stared at Scott.

“And it was only her first one,” Greg said. “Because then she found out she was pregnant.”

He stopped dramatically, as though giving Rachel time to deny it.

She didn’t, closing her eyes as tears began to stream down her cheeks.

“You...had a baby?” Scott said numbly. “His baby?”

Rachel simply sat there, her body shaking, wincing against the words as though they were physical blows.

“I’m assuming the timing didn’t work out, so she couldn’t try to pass it off as yours,” Greg said. “Some women might have gotten rid of it, but not Rachel. Somehow I have a feeling it had more to do with not being able to destroy a part of herself than any kind of maternal love. Because that’s all that matters, Rachel, isn’t it? You?”

“You don’t know anything about it,” she ground out through gritted teeth. “You don’t know how hard it was.”

“How could I, since you never told me? I had to find out from Kim.”

“Why?” Scott asked, still staring at Rachel in disbelief. “Why would you sleep with him? We were in love.”

“Yes, we were,” Rachel said desperately. “We are.”

Scott’s stony silence was as devastating as a straight denial. Rachel flinched.

With all eyes off her, Meredith realized this was her chance to make a move. She couldn’t get close enough to Greg, not without him noticing. But she could get between him and Rachel.

Directly in the line of fire.

She began to ease over to her left, slowly, gradually, praying he wouldn’t notice.

“It was the