Independence & Consequences by M J Marlow (best color ebook reader .TXT) 📕

for the girl to enter. Alejandra could feel the woman’s eagerness coming off of her as they sat down in the living room. “You have seen her now, Liza,” Alejandra said coolly as she looked the woman in the eye. “Are you ready to do as I ask?” “Quite happily,” Liza nodded eagerly. “I can’t wait to spend some time with this girl who might be my daughter.” “You will take her with you on an extended cruise,” Alejandra said as she got to her feet and smiled. “A friend of mine will be bringing her to you.” Alejandra saw the woman’s happy smile and hid her reaction. Liza Stoner had been told that it had been her child that had died in the accident with Cassandra. Liza had gone through years of therapy to deal with the loss of her child. Once she had recovered enough, she had resumed her education, discovering that she had a real knack for chemistry. Her father had used this woman’s talents to design some very interesting drugs. As Liza’s time of usefulness was coming to an end, her father had decided to give her a gift. She would be allowed to keep Isabel while Enrique put his brother and Gordon Talbot through hell. * An hour later, the false Lang Tolliver strode into the house of the father of the man he was portraying two hours later, already planning how he would approach the Chambers woman, and walked into the study. Winston Tolliver looked up, shocked, as his youngest son knocked on the doorframe and waited to be acknowledged. He was here for something, Winston knew even without being told. But there was something different about him. Winston didn’t know what that was, but it bothered him that he felt it. He rose to his feet and went to the bar to pour out two whiskeys, holding one out to Jake. His son took it with a nod of thanks and went to sit on the arm of the nearby couch. “I won’t ask why you’re home,” Winston told his son. He smiled and was pleased when Jake returned the expression. “I’m glad you’ve come back, Lang. Things have been pretty dull around here without you.” “Jeff isn’t entertaining you, enough?” Jake replied, asking after his older brother. He took a sip of the whiskey and set the glass down. “He in his room?” “Too early for him to be home,” Winston replied. “Some high-powered sales meeting, if I remember. Your room is ready for you.” “Thanks, Dad,” Jake nodded. He finished the whiskey and left the study. Taking the stairs two at a time, he was in his room in under a minute. He paused at the door and looked around. Nothing had been changed. “Seems like he was just waiting for his son to come back.” His cell phone went off and he answered it. “Lang here.” He smiled as he recognized Alexa’s voice on the other end. “Where?” He nodded. “I’ll be there.” He was down the stairs and striding back into his father’s office. “Dad? Do we still have a box at the Grand Theater?” “Of course,” Winston nodded. “There’s a ballet recital there tonight.” He looked at his son closely. “Since when have you been interested in ballet? Something to do with one of the dancers?” He nodded. “Of course it is.” He lifted the receiver. “John. Lang will need the limousine tonight. He’s going to the ballet.” He snorted at the man’s comment. “Seems our son has found culture during his exile.” “Was that necessary?” Jake asked his father. “John hasn’t had a good laugh since you left,” Winston told his son, smiling. He rose to his feet and came around to lay his hand on Jake’s shoulder. “I’m glad you’re home, son. If there is anything I can do to help you with your investigation, just let me know.” “Thanks, Dad,” Jake nodded. He thought about it. “You could come with me, sir. It might lend more credence to my presence there.” “Of course, son,” Winston’s smile widened. “I would like to see the girl you’re chasing.” “Not so much chasing,” Jake replied, “as rescuing.” He headed out of the study. “Meet you outside in 15?” “Make it 20,” Winston answered. “I’m not as young as I used to be.” Jake nearly laughed at that. At 55, this man was still as energetic as a man half his age. He had taken an early retirement from their firm, leaving his oldest son Jefferson in charge, but he still acted as Chairman of the Board and served on the boards of several charitable foundations. Winston also taught an advanced course in Finance at the local college. Jake took a quick shower and pulled a tuxedo out of the closet. He remembered the last time he had seen the real Lang wear it and smiled asimages of the man’s sister, Vanessa’s, wedding flooded into his mind. Pretty women, the Tolliver twins. He headed down the stairs and came face to face with the older brother, Jeff, coming in from his sales meeting. Jeff was a bit broader of shoulder and face than Lang, but otherwise they both strongly resembled their father. “Lang.” “Jeff.” “Father tells me you’re going to the Ballet tonight,” Jeff nearly laughed. “Mind if I come along? I’d like to see what effect culture has on you.” “As long as you keep your hands to yourself,” Jake told him, relieved that there had been no uneasiness or suspicion in either of the Tolliver men. “The dancers in this recital are all under 20. Their mothers will all be there.” Jeff nodded and turned on his heel to go to the limousine. Jake shook his head, wondering when this man had gotten so lax. Jeff had been one of the best in their squad; nothing got past him. Despite the fact that the two men had accepted him, Jake had a feeling he was in for a rough night of dancing around these two. Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the theater. They made their way to the family box just as the lights went down. The first half hour was excruciating as the youngest dancers performed corps pieces for the audience. But then it was her turn; the girl he had been sent to befriend. Jake leaned forward and watched the girl as she moved out to take position. When she moved, he was instantly entranced. All thought of his task fled from his mind. He wanted this girl. “Is that who I think it is?” Winston exclaimed softly. “My God; she looks just like her.” He looked over at his youngest son. “She’s the one you’re here for, isn’t she?” “Lang?” Jeff nudged his brother, who was sitting there with his mouth hanging open. He was acting like a hormonal teenager, Jeff thought. He couldn’t blame him; the girl was very beautiful. “Father asked you a question.” “I need to meet her,” Jake said as the dance ended and Isabel moved off the stage. “Now.” Winston and Jeff exchanged puzzled glances as Jake hurried out of the box. Neither of them had ever seen Jake effected by a woman like that. They had to admit that the girl was talented, and she was very pretty, but he had been as one under a spell. They got to their feet and hurried after him. Jake was being prevented from going backstage by a large tall man with dark skin and long dark hair. The man’s scowl died and became a wide, welcoming smile as he saw Winston. “Mr. Tolliver!” Simon Tremont beamed. “What a pleasure!” “We would like to meet that pretty child who just danced, Simon,” Winston told the man. “This is my son, Langston,” he introduced Jake to the theater manager. “Lang, this is Simon Tremont.” “This ill-mannered pup is yours?” Simon sniffed as he looked at Jake. “He certainly doesn’t take after you in manners.” He relented at Winston’s look. “Very well. If you can get past her guardian, the girl is in Dressing Room 4. Her name is Isabel Chambers.” Winston nodded and laid his hand on Jake’s shoulder. Something in his manner had Jake obeying as his father swept through first. He and Jeff followed. Winston knocked on the door and it was opened. The woman who stood there turned white as a sheet as she recognized the man standing there. Here was one of the men who had caused her heartache when she was a young girl. She hid her dismay and put on her most charming smile. “Winston!” Olivia practically purred as she greeted her old college friend. “What a pleasure to see you again.” “Olivia,” Winston nodded to the woman, hiding his displeasure as he recognized her. “My sons and I would like you and your lovely daughter to join us at supper. Jeff. Langston. This is Olivia Mayer Chambers. She and I went to college together.” Olivia looked from him to his two sons and her eyes widened. They looked just like their father! They were both handsome young men and, if reports were correct, both quite independently wealthy thanks to their family holdings, and inheritances from their mother. And it was obvious from the way that both of them kept looking past her that each was already smitten with Isabel. A plan began to form in her mind then. The Tollivers had been used before to keep Cassandra safe, she would solicit their help to keep Isabel safe. She smiled widely and stepped aside. “Please come in, gentlemen,” she said softly “Isabel is almost ready.” The Tolliver men came into the dressing room and waited with Olivia. Three minutes later, Isabel came out of the dressing area. She froze as she saw the strangers and Jeff did not like the wary look on her face. No one this young should be so frightened. The girl did not relax until her mother had introduced them. Then her eyes met Jake’s and he lost his heart completely. From the softness in her expression, he could see that she was feeling something as well. Jeff looked from his brother to the girl and frowned. He couldn’t believe it! That glorious blue-eyed girl had already met Lang? There was something about the way she was looking at his younger brother that disturbed him, as much as the fact that Lang had acted as if he had never seen the girl before in his life. Something was going on with his brother that he suddenly had to know about. “I just received the list of new students,” Winston said a half hour later as he pulled a chair out for Olivia. “I should have made the connection.” He smiled over at Isabel, who was sitting down while Jeff pulled her chair out for her. “You’re coming to Glenwood Prep next semester?” “Olivia thought it would be a better choice than the local community college,” Isabel frowned. Then she realized what he had said. “You have something to do with Glenwood, Mr. Tolliver?” “Our family founded the school 150 years ago,” Winston nodded proudly. “You will receive a very good education there, Isabel. My son, Jeff, and I are on the Board, and Langston is going to begin teaching this semester; classes in Self-Defense and Pre-Law.” He looked very proud as he said this. “Langston passed the bar exam on his first try.” “I’ve heard that it’s almost impossible to do that,” Olivia smiled over at the younger Tolliver politely. “So you’ve opted to teach instead of look for a position with a law firm.” “He’s weighing his options,” Winston broke in, not liking the expression on Olivia’s face. It was as if his son had been relegated to second-class citizen. “Langston has five firms vying for him.” He turned to Isabel and knew that Olivia heard his snub. “So what are you planning on studying, Isabel?” “It’s only her freshman