Texas Heroes_ Volume 1(181)

Lacey jerked her hands away from his, rose again to pace. “Stop. Stop now, Dev. This isn’t funny.”

“I know it’s not, sweetheart. I—” He cursed softly. His eyes locked on hers. “Listen to me—they’re wonderful people, and they badly want to meet you. You’re all the family Maddie has left.”

“My parents wouldn’t do that. My parents love me. You’re telling me they’ve lied to me all my life. You’re telling me I don’t belong to them, that my whole life is a sham.” She couldn’t look at them yet. She had to make him stop saying these things. Dev was making a mockery of last night, and she still couldn’t understand why he would want to do it.

“It’s not a sham, sweetheart. You’re still the same person. Don’t you remember that you told me you never quite felt like you belonged?”

“Don’t you dare use my own words against me.”

“I’m not—” Dev wanted to touch her, to hold her. He’d botched this badly, and he needed to talk to her alone—but that wasn’t going to happen. “Think of what your father did to us.” The very thought still made Dev’s blood simmer. “Do you think a man like that would hesitate to lie to protect your mother’s all-fired superiority? He’s not going to tell the world that his blue-blooded princess isn’t his but the child of two poor country kids from Morning Star.” He stepped closer. “You should be glad you’re not his blood.”

She heard her mother’s soft gasp, saw Margaret’s delicate hand jerk upward before she dropped it to her lap, clenched bone-white. For a second, Lacey thought she saw moisture gather in her mother’s eyes.

Impossible.

Desperately, Lacey turned to look at her father, to let him tell her it was indeed a sick joke. She was already preparing her rebuttal.

And then her gaze met her father’s. She saw his face go ashen.

Her parents exchanged one look, only one.

But it was enough.

She fell back a step, her own hand rising to her throat. “No—” she whispered, feeling bile rise.

Dev stepped closer, reached for her.

“Get away from me, Dev.” Was that her voice, so low and feral?

“Let me hold you, Lacey. Let me tell you about your family. They’re wonderful people. Maddie was a well-known chef in Manhattan. I’ve eaten at her restaurant and it was the best food you ever put in your mouth.”

She covered her ears, her voice turning shrill. “I don’t want to hear about them. They have nothing to do with me.”

“She has your eyes. She’s your younger sister, and both of you have those same eyes, the same mouth. Don’t you want to meet her?”

She’d backed against the wall, trying to escape the news. She sank to the floor, tears pouring down her cheeks.

Dev couldn’t stand it, couldn’t bear how her eyes looked so destroyed. He picked her up, but she came alive in his arms, striking out with nails, hitting his chest, her head whipping back and forth as strange little moans issued from her throat.

“Stop it.” He shook her lightly, but she scratched his cheek with one nail. He bundled her into his arms, holding her so close that she couldn’t do any more damage.

She went rigid against him.

Then she started trembling.

She jerked away, as though she feared him. Of all the things he’d imagined, he’d never imagined this. Hate me, Lacey. Hit me, hurt me—but don’t fear me.

He let her go, something inside him dying.

Lacey turned toward the door, heart racing. She heard her father’s voice, rough and cracking. “Good girl. Stay away from him. He’s out for revenge. He’s trying to blame his father’s disgrace on me.”

Lacey whirled. “What?”

“Leave her alone, DeMille. She doesn’t need that to deal with, too.”

Her father seemed to have recovered some of his strength. “Ask Devlin if he didn’t come here today to threaten me. He’s out to avenge his father. He used you, just like he was using you when you were kids. He hated me then, he hates me now. Ask him. Ask him if he didn’t seduce you because you were my daughter. This is all about getting back at me.”

Lacey shot a look at Dev. Saw the arrow hit its target.

“Lacey…” Dev’s voice sounded wrecked. Desolate. “He’s responsible for my father’s death.”

Not he’s wrong. Not he’s lying.

He’s responsible for my father’s death. Ample motive for revenge. The best.

Lies swirled around her. Lies and vengeance and horrible truths. She was a fraud. Her whole life was a lie.

Dev was a lie. Last night was a lie.