Page 144 of Fraud

No one could love this woman as much as I did.

She’d been there for me through the death of my father. She’d held me over the months after my brother went missing.

She was my family.

And I planned on making myself worthy of her for the rest of my life.

Grabbing my phone from my pocket, I began dialing the number to the exclusive travel agency Jane had set us up with, hoping they could help with our impromptu wedding.

Instead, I found a text message from an unknown number waiting for me.

Tell Kate congrats for me, big brother.

Thinking of you.

And then there was a picture and a secure link.

“What’s that?” Kate asked, looking over my shoulder.

“It’s from Liam.”

We both stared at the photo of my brother with large black shades, lounging on a beach somewhere in the world.

He was alive.

He was safe.

“What is the link?” she asked.

“I don’t know.” I clicked on it, and it redirected me to a bank site. There, in an account in our name, was twenty-five thousand dollars.

“That son of a bitch,” I said, smiling, placing a happy kiss on Kate’s forehead.

“He didn’t have to do that,” she said.

“No, he did,” I replied. “It’s what I would have done. You have to wipe the slate clean when you’re starting over. Otherwise, you’re nothing but a fraud.”

“Wise words, Mr. Turner. Or is it Mr. Townes?” She smirked.

“Ha-ha, you’re a funny girl,” I said, kissing her lips.

“No, I’m a lucky girl. The luckiest,” she said, looking out at the crowd of people.

“So am I, Miss O’Malley,” I said firmly. “So am I.”