I stand up from my chair and put on my coat.
“Well,” I say, “congrats, kiddo. You win again. I’m not a sore loser and you played a good game. The long con, right? Nice one.”
I move toward the door, and I can feel the daggers of his gaze on my back. I rest my hand on the handle and turn around.
“There’s just one thing,” I say. “I went down to Florida to see our father. Man, it’s hot down there. I don’t know how people do it.”
His face goes slack.
“He signed over your guardianship to me,” I say. I love the feel of those words on my tongue. “Your mom? She knows she’s not going to be in a position to care for you for a while. So she signed, too. I’m your primary guardian. And the guardian of your trust.”
His whole body goes rigid, and what little color he has drains from his face.
“You’ll be a legal adult at the age of eighteen,” I say. “But I’ll control the money until you’re thirty. And there are lots of conditions built into the trust, which we will discuss when you’re feeling better. Nothing big-do well in school, stay out of trouble, community service, therapy-stuff like that.”
He makes a move toward me, but I hold up a hand and he freezes. “Before you get any ideas,” I go on. “If anything suspicious happens to me, to your mother, to Beck, or to anyone or anything I care about-all of that money will be divided equally between Fieldcrest and Dr. Chang’s school in Florida. You won’t get a dime.”
He is a quivering statue of rage, his mouth hanging open in a silent scream.
“Do you understand me, brother?” I ask.
He comes racing toward me then, issuing a kind of strangled warrior’s cry, but I am already out the door and close it quickly behind me. He crashes against the glass, his face a red mask of fury. The guard, who had been dozing, rises quickly to his feet.
Our faces, mine and Luke’s, are inches from each other, separated by thick glass. I look him right in the eyes and mouth the word I have been dying to say since our first afternoon together.
“Checkmate.”
acknowledgments
My deepest thanks to:
My husband Jeffrey and daughter Ocean Rae for their tireless enthusiasm and support and abiding love. Words are never enough, but hopefully I show you every day.
My brilliant editor Sally Kim for knowing that I needed to write this book even before I did and for helping me make it everything it needed to be.
My amazing agent Elaine Markson has been a guiding hand, a loving and supportive friend, and the champion of my career. I’d be lost without her.
The stellar team at Touchstone, including: Carolyn Reidy, Susan Moldow, Michael Selleck, Liz Perl, Louise Burke, Stacy Creamer, David Falk, Brian Belfiglio, Cherlynne Li, Wendy Sheanin, Paula Amendolara, Tracy Nelson, Colin Shields, Chrissy Festa, Charlotte Gill, Gary Urda, Gregory Hruska, Louise Burke, Michelle Fadlalla, Bryony Weiss, Teresa Brumm, Meredith Vilarello, Ana Paula De Lima, Paul O’Halloran, Alanna Ramirez, and Allegra Ben-Amotz. All of these people have made me feel welcome in my new home and bring their own particular style and talent to the table. And I can never heap enough praise on the sales team, out there on the front lines in this super-competitive business, getting books into as many hands as possible. It’s everything; thank you.
My amazing network of family and friends who cheer me through the good days and carry me through the challenging ones. My parents, Joseph and Virginia Miscione, my brother Joe, and his wife Tara are my unflagging supporters. It means so much. Heather Mikesell and Shaye Areheart are two dear, dear friends and early readers whose advice and input I rely on too heavily. Marion Chartoff and Tara Popick, my two oldest friends, have been with me every step of the way.
about the author
Lisa Unger is an award-winning New York Times and internationally bestselling author. Her novels have sold more than 1.5 million copies and have been translated into twenty-six different languages. She lives in Florida with her husband and daughter and is at work on her next novel. Visit her at www.lisaunger.com.
