TOTAL ECLIPSE: The Evolution (Sin City Heat Series Book 7) Read Online Free Page B
Author: S. K. Hardy
him.
"D-Darrell, no. Wait. I..." She briefly closed her eyes before continuing the introduction. "Darrell, this...this is Lorenzo…Pattel."
Stunned when Jerra confirmed his suspicions, Darrell pulled his eyes away from her and settled them on Lorenzo. His chest rose and fell as his breathing increased. He needed to hear it from Lorenzo. Darrell needed him to say it out loud. "Why are you looking for my mother?"
Lorenzo's expression said he was trying to figure out what he was missing. "She phoned my office a few weeks ago, left a message and a number for me to call her but I was out of the country. I just got back last night. That's why it took me so long to get in contact with her."
Lorenzo didn't add anything to his statement, but his lips clamped together as he remembered the ensuing argument he'd had with his father. Isaac Pattel had all but threatened his secretary with the loss of her job if she told Lorenzo about the call. Luckily, Sheila Manning was fiercely loyal to him. She'd called Lorenzo immediately and told him what happened.
Of course he'd assured Sheila that her job was safe. There was no way he could run his office without her. Plus, Lorenzo trusted her implicitly. Her actions in notifying him about the call, even with the threat of losing her job, were exactly why. He hadn't been able to leave the Caribbean because he'd been in the middle of finalizing a very important business deal, in addition to…other things. But his curiosity had been piqued to say the least. Why would his father take such drastic steps to try and block him from getting this woman's message?
Lorenzo had called a private detective not affiliated with his family. He'd given him what little information he had, which was Tina's name and the phone number she'd left, but that had been enough. Less than twenty-four hours later, the detective had tracked Tina down to this address and faxed the information he'd obtained in his investigation to Lorenzo.
However, nothing in the report clued Lorenzo in as to who this woman was and why she'd made his father react so out of character. Absolutely nothing got to his dad. He and his cousins would sometimes joke around that his father and theirs, Lorenzo's Uncle Joseph, had ice water running through their veins. But this had definitely shook Isaac up for some reason and Lorenzo wanted to know why.
As soon as his business was concluded, he'd flown home. The confrontation with his father had not been pretty. Isaac Pattel was used to his word being law, but Lorenzo inherited his stubborn tenacity honestly and refused to back down.
Finally, his father told him the secret he'd kept from him all this time. What Lorenzo discovered that night was something that made him question everything he ever thought he’d known about his life, his family, and himself.
He looked at Darrell now. None of his inner thoughts showed on his face as he answered Darrell’s question. "I'm looking for Tina Monroe because...I think she might be my biological mother."
CHAPTER 1
I’m looking for Tina Monroe because I think she might be my biological mother.
Darrell’s hand tightened on Jerra’s waist. His mind fought valiantly to reject the words he heard from the man standing on his doorstep, but just like quicksand, the more he struggled to dismiss them, the faster they sank in. He felt the pull of Jerra’s eyes on him like a physical touch beckoning him to look at her, but for the life of him he couldn’t tear his gaze away from Lorenzo Pattel. His…brother.
Unaware that he was holding his breath, Darrell studied him closely. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t dismiss the similarities; they were glaringly obvious. Tina Monroe had left her mark on all of her children in some form or fashion–including Lorenzo. Even though he hadn’t inherited Tina’s café au lait coloring like Darrell and Gabby, the eyes were a dead giveaway. While Darrell’s smoky grey eyes were the same as Tina’s,
"D-Darrell, no. Wait. I..." She briefly closed her eyes before continuing the introduction. "Darrell, this...this is Lorenzo…Pattel."
Stunned when Jerra confirmed his suspicions, Darrell pulled his eyes away from her and settled them on Lorenzo. His chest rose and fell as his breathing increased. He needed to hear it from Lorenzo. Darrell needed him to say it out loud. "Why are you looking for my mother?"
Lorenzo's expression said he was trying to figure out what he was missing. "She phoned my office a few weeks ago, left a message and a number for me to call her but I was out of the country. I just got back last night. That's why it took me so long to get in contact with her."
Lorenzo didn't add anything to his statement, but his lips clamped together as he remembered the ensuing argument he'd had with his father. Isaac Pattel had all but threatened his secretary with the loss of her job if she told Lorenzo about the call. Luckily, Sheila Manning was fiercely loyal to him. She'd called Lorenzo immediately and told him what happened.
Of course he'd assured Sheila that her job was safe. There was no way he could run his office without her. Plus, Lorenzo trusted her implicitly. Her actions in notifying him about the call, even with the threat of losing her job, were exactly why. He hadn't been able to leave the Caribbean because he'd been in the middle of finalizing a very important business deal, in addition to…other things. But his curiosity had been piqued to say the least. Why would his father take such drastic steps to try and block him from getting this woman's message?
Lorenzo had called a private detective not affiliated with his family. He'd given him what little information he had, which was Tina's name and the phone number she'd left, but that had been enough. Less than twenty-four hours later, the detective had tracked Tina down to this address and faxed the information he'd obtained in his investigation to Lorenzo.
However, nothing in the report clued Lorenzo in as to who this woman was and why she'd made his father react so out of character. Absolutely nothing got to his dad. He and his cousins would sometimes joke around that his father and theirs, Lorenzo's Uncle Joseph, had ice water running through their veins. But this had definitely shook Isaac up for some reason and Lorenzo wanted to know why.
As soon as his business was concluded, he'd flown home. The confrontation with his father had not been pretty. Isaac Pattel was used to his word being law, but Lorenzo inherited his stubborn tenacity honestly and refused to back down.
Finally, his father told him the secret he'd kept from him all this time. What Lorenzo discovered that night was something that made him question everything he ever thought he’d known about his life, his family, and himself.
He looked at Darrell now. None of his inner thoughts showed on his face as he answered Darrell’s question. "I'm looking for Tina Monroe because...I think she might be my biological mother."
CHAPTER 1
I’m looking for Tina Monroe because I think she might be my biological mother.
Darrell’s hand tightened on Jerra’s waist. His mind fought valiantly to reject the words he heard from the man standing on his doorstep, but just like quicksand, the more he struggled to dismiss them, the faster they sank in. He felt the pull of Jerra’s eyes on him like a physical touch beckoning him to look at her, but for the life of him he couldn’t tear his gaze away from Lorenzo Pattel. His…brother.
Unaware that he was holding his breath, Darrell studied him closely. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t dismiss the similarities; they were glaringly obvious. Tina Monroe had left her mark on all of her children in some form or fashion–including Lorenzo. Even though he hadn’t inherited Tina’s café au lait coloring like Darrell and Gabby, the eyes were a dead giveaway. While Darrell’s smoky grey eyes were the same as Tina’s,
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